Subscribe
When the wing commander hinted at this hero of a guest coming to our base, I was expecting a lot more than another old man visiting base to relive his glory days.
It seems to me that wing commanders often enjoy celebrating veterans whose service has long since passed and are well into their retirement years. And I cannot, for the life of me, understand why. There are plenty of military members who are actively serving at our own base who could do with that kind of recognition and treatment. Would it not be a better use of our time and effort to pour back into the airmen who carry this base on their back? But sure let’s recognize another old man who has probably already been recognized a million other times.
When Lt. Colonel William “Shortfinger” Schwertfeger came onto base I was prepared to grin and bear it and be on my most professional behavior while hating every second of this visit.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Being around Shortfinger gave me an insight and understanding I have never had before. And I was made painfully aware of my ignorance and privilege.
Over the course of Shortfinger’s three-day visit I learned in detail about his military service. Shortfinger served during the Vietnam War and was a prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton for 407 days. He showcased to us what kind of torture was inflicted on him and his fellow prisoners of war; he described how it felt to be shot down and have to wrestle with the guilt of “not doing his job correctly”. He gave his perspective on what it felt like to be away from his wife and family fighting for a war he didn’t start but would damn sure finish if it meant securing the freedoms of Americans. He spoke on how challenging (and frankly heartbreaking) it was for some of his fellow prisoners of war to hear how divided the country was on the Vietnam war and the cost of their sacrifice.
And despite this, I have never met someone with so much grace, kindness, selflessness and pride in service.
Shortfinger took the time to speak to any and all Airmen. He was attentive and immersed in all conversations, giving his undivided attention to any that approached him. A common question asked of him was his perspective on leadership and his answer was always the same. “Listen to your Airmen. Ask them questions. Understand their lives, both in and out of work. Support them.” 53 years after being released from being a prisoner of war and 38 years after his retirement his consistent answer to leadership advice was to support and listen to your airmen.
I feel incredibly humbled by Shortfinger’s service, and I understand now how vital it is to always take the opportunity to pay respects to those that have served before us. To be thankful for the sacrifice our veterans have given us so that we can be privileged enough to be ignorant.
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2026 19:54 |
| Story ID: | 561486 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Is this retired veteran here to inspire or relive his glory days?, by TSgt Rebecca M Perez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
