Courtesy Photo | Recruit Jean Jeudy shines his boots while at the Defense Language Institute, on...... read more read more
Subscribe
The warm gaze and inviting smile of Capt. Jean Jeudy illuminated his home, welcoming guests into a serene atmosphere which belies the extraordinary, extreme and ultimately rewarding nature of his journey in the United States Army. As Jeudy prepares for his retirement from the Army, he recalls his beginnings and lessons learned with a sense of fondness and a radiating peace of mind.
Jeudy, a Capt. (Ret.) with the 24th Press Camp Headquarters, Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division, escaped his native Haiti to secure safety in the United States on June 23, 1994.
“When I left Haiti, I was in hiding,” Jeudy said. “My family, my wife and my four adopted kids; we were somewhere in hiding. And then, we were taken to the airport and brought to the United States.”
The atmosphere in Haiti in 1994 was chaotic and dangerous, as political and societal stability were regularly thrown into flux
“The situation was tough, because people were looking for me personally to kill me,” Jeudy said. “And if they could find my family, they would kill them as well.”
While in Haiti, Jeudy dedicated himself to his passion of relaying news and events despite the perilous conflict in the state.
“I was doing journalistic work in Haiti,” Jeudy said. “Broadcasting and telling about what was going on in the country.”
In 1991, the Haitian army deposed the elected government in a coup d’état which destabilized Haiti in the early 1990s. The immediate danger which Jeudy and his family faced placed them into a perilous situation, forcing Jeudy to commit to a life changing path.
“It’s a night that I wanted to stay in Haiti to finish my journalistic work,” Jeudy said. “But it’s a night also that I saw that I shall do anything to protect myself and my family. And the protection came from the United States of America.”
Relocation from Haiti to the United States presented an immense and drastic culture shift for Jeudy. The monumental change from the perilous Haitian landscape to the secure and stable United States would define and strengthen Jeudy’s resolve and character despite the numerous challenges.
“I came to the United States, and it’s a different life. I came the next day and I’m like ‘Man, what am I doing here?’” Jeudy said. “I had no purpose, in a way, in a country where I’m going to start over. But once I joined the Army, I saw the purpose. I saw myself helping people, continuing what I was doing in Haiti as a broadcast journalist.”
An early obstacle that Jeudy faced as he embarked upon his career with the United States Army materialized in Basic Combat Training. “At the end of an exercise, I was supposed to self-evaluate,” recalled Jeudy.
“At that point, the drill sergeant was talking to me and realized ‘That Jeudy, he can’t speak English. He can’t go on.’”
Jeudy, a native French-speaker, was faced with the reality of the English language as a necessity for joining the Army.
“That night in May 1996… was a very big decision that I had to make,” Jeudy said. “Whether I would go to English school, or whether I would say ‘Man those harsh things that I just went through, I’m not going to go through it again.’”
While contemplating the decision, Jeudy had inspiring discussions with his drill sergeants about his future and the durability, fortitude, and determination needed to succeed in the Army.
“The drill sergeant talked to me and explained to me that ‘Hey, it’s not over. You have to be determined to do this,’” Jeudy said. “With that determination, I stopped basic training at that point and I was sent to Lackland Air Force Base where I started English School.”
The language barrier was just one of the cultural hurdles that Jeudy encountered as he acclimated to the United States. Jeudy’s first station as an enlisted member of the Army was Fort Wainwright, Alaska, where he was presented with an unfamiliar culture.
“The culture in Haiti is a culture that is an African-based culture, where a lot of things are not permitted,” Jeudy said. “Now I’m dealing with Soldiers first, but the Alaskan natives are a great people. I see how they love people, they love anybody they encounter with.”
The culture of love and acceptance extended into Jeudy’s professional life during his first assignment in Alaska.
“That’s when I started knowing about teamwork,” he said. “I started knowing about love, about dedication and selfless service there in my first unit in Alaska. I saw people really genuinely taking care of you.”
Jeudy embraced the opportunities that the Army provides throughout his career and emphasized the importance that the role of cooperation and teamwork plays in promoting success.
“To foster teamwork is just that understanding where everybody is coming from. You have to listen, get feedback from everyone about how best as a team we’re going to get this done,” Jeudy said. “If you don’t listen to everyone, you’re probably going to put yourself into a situation where you’ll do something that could be prevented.”
As Jeudy progressed through his enlisted career, he internalized the ideals and tenants of the Army into his character.
“The Army always tells you to ‘be all you can be,’ that’s a motto when I joined the Army that I embraced,” Jeudy said. “This is unlimited, you can be anything you want to be because the Army says be all you can be, so I transferred to become an officer. Don’t let anything or anyone limit you with your potential or with your ability to become all you can be.”
The commitment to selfless service, dedication, and love which has become inherent within Jeudy’s character is reflected within his awards and acknowledgements that he has received throughout his career.
“Every time I see those Bronze Star Medals, I remember what I did in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Jeudy said. “I remember how our mission in Iraq and Afghanistan is a noble mission to serve the people there, but also to serve the people of the United States against the threat that we are facing against the terrorists.”
In addition to his service in the chaotic combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, Jeudy also selflessly dedicated his energy and focus towards communities back in the United States.
“The most prestigious award that I’ve received is an MOVSM (Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal),” he said. “It’s my most prestigious medal because it’s a service to the community. When I look at it, I see what the United States Army is all about, serving other people, serving other nations and serving the United States of America.”
The dedicated service to the community will continue for Jeudy long into his retirement.
“When I was in the Army, I was serving man. I was serving community, I was serving my country and I was serving the United States,” Jeudy said. “Now I’m transitioning to serve God. Serving God would be very noble for me. It’s a calling of God for me to help, to assist and to serve his people who need to be closer to his heart.”
The transition from serving as a member of the Army to a service based on faith began in 2014, as Jeudy received his ordination as a pastor under the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas.
“The church right now, as a retiree, will open more doors for me to let me go to the shelters,” Jeudy said. “You’re not only serving them with food and water, but also you are serving them with the word of God, and that’s what we’ve started doing with the church. As a pastor I’m leading that effort.”
Jeudy intends to connect his faith with his Haitian roots throughout his retirement from the Army.
“I plan on going to Haiti to do ministry work,” Jeudy said. “My church is embracing an idea where we will put a branch of the church in every department of Haiti.”
The commitment to service and devotion that Jeudy has embraced throughout his entire life reflects both the strength and tenacity that defines Jeudy’s character.
“Life is not over until life is over, and I’m not one of the people that will push to make life over,” Jeudy said, reflecting upon his monumental journey from the turbulence of Haiti, his dedication to the Army and his impending commitment to his faith. “I will continue to fight for life every day.”
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2018 17:16 |
| Story ID: | 268364 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From perilous Haiti to a life dedicated to service., by SGT Matthew Marcellus, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT