Win Gruening: Remembering service, renewing responsibility

By WIN GRUENING

Nov. 8, 2026 – Like many in my generation, I grew up believing that military service was both an honor and a privilege. Military service was a family tradition. My great-grandfather was a Union soldier in the Civil War, my grandfather an artillery officer in World War I, and my father a B-24 Liberator pilot in World War II. My twin brother and I both served during the Vietnam War—he as a combat paratrooper, I as a C-141 cargo transport pilot.

Looking back, my time in the US Air Force did more to shape me as a person than any other life experience I’ve had. It affects the way I dress, the way I think, and why and how I vote. It has shaped my attitude about America, its military, and its place in the world today.

Military service puts extraordinary responsibility on people at a young age. In their teens or early twenties, service members may be entrusted with equipment worth millions of dollars and the lives of others. They must follow orders but also think independently and make rapid decisions that can mean mission success or failure—sometimes life or death.

My time in the Air Force occurred early in my life. During that time, although I regularly flew into combat zones, I seldom felt personally in danger. Some of my classmates and friends were not so fortunate. Some were wounded or died in the line of duty – all demonstrated incredible bravery and courage in the face of extreme danger. Most endured hardships, financial sacrifice and family separations that are commonplace in the military.

Years ago, when visiting Washington, DC, I took the opportunity to spend one day at Arlington National Cemetery. Regardless of your background or political persuasion, it is difficult to be prepared for the emotional experience of viewing the graves of thousands of veterans. Among the graves I visited were those of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Stevens—both World War II veterans.

I also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which holds the remains of unknown service members from our nation’s wars.

You cannot help but get a lump in your throat when hearing Taps being played during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb, which is guarded 24 hours a day – 365 days a year.

Whether you were on the front lines or not, you were willing to sacrifice in some way because you were proud of your mission. I have never worked alongside any group of men and women who were more skilled, more dedicated, or more professional than the American military.

For that reason, I believe all our men and women in uniform and their families deserve our gratitude and respect.

We can be honest about America’s shortcomings. But acknowledgment of our flaws should not prevent us from appreciating what is worth defending — or recognizing our responsibility to preserve it.

Many people today exhibit little pride in being American and some do not feel obligated to serve our country at all. The question is not whether every generation will express patriotism in the same way. It is whether each generation will accept some responsibility for the country it inherits.

Joining the military need not be the only way to fulfill that responsibility. A broader national-service program could offer both military and civilian paths.

That is an idea America might seriously consider. Such service could offer young adults an opportunity to contribute to their communities while working alongside people whose backgrounds and views differ from their own.

A citizenry that works together to make its country better would gain a greater appreciation of its value and those who sacrificed to preserve it.

Our country is not perfect. But its promise of liberty is worth preserving, and preserving it requires more than gratitude expressed once a year.

This Veterans Day, let us thank those who served and the families who stood beside them. Then let us ask what we can do, in our own lives and communities, to carry that spirit of service forward.

Win Gruening retired as senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank for the State of Alaska in 2012. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1970. After serving as a pilot in the US Air Force flying in the Pacific and Vietnam, Win began his banking career with Rainier Bank in Seattle and moved home  to Juneau in 1980. Win has been involved extensively in various local and statewide organizations such as United Way, Junior Achievement, and the Alaska Committee.

Win Gruening: Proven leadership and accomplishment outclass dishonesty and lack of character, every time