Among those celebrating Veterans’ Day on Wednesday was Whitworth University, which held an outdoor event on campus.
Former Army psychologist Mark Baird was the guest speaker. He was the former director of the Tacoma Veterans Center.
“When I was in Iraq, I worked with countless service members in distress. It was not because of the conditions they were living in, not because of even the stressors of battle. A lot of times they had just gotten off the phone with their loved ones who were dealing with difficulties and the service members felt powerless to help," he said.
Baird is now a Whitworth faculty member in the psychology department.
“I was continually amazed at the resilience that my veterans demonstrated as they endured years of nightmares, anxiety, unbidden memories and the health problems that come from a lifetime of hyperarousal. They face this with a passion for helping out their fellow veteran. ‘I’ve got your six’ is a common expression among these veterans, which mean ‘I’m watching your back," Baird said.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers also spoke briefly at the ceremony, talking about her frequent interactions with veterans.