(Publisher’s Note: This was the first “Question & Answer” article we did back in March and the format has stuck around and worked very well to highlight the people we have here as our neighbors and community leaders. We thank each of them for participating, and please know they will keep coming for all to enjoy.)
There were moments when he felt he was alone enough to close his eyes to see what he missed most. The people, this crevice of a valley, even duct tape on a bumper.
He wasn’t supposed to ever allow himself to be that vulnerable, see, because that was a sign of weakness and you didn’t want those nicknames in Afghanistan or Kuwait or Jordan. Derik Scott Board was a crew chief of one of the Air Force’s C-130s. He was an E4, and a Senior Airman.
No one acted frightened but everyone was. They wanted held, too, but no one would admit it. That’s called war and unless you can close your eyes and feel it again, you’ll never understand. But, Board now is attempting to open something of a portal so you and me and anyone who dares to glare might be able to imagine a darkness that is about much more than the absence of light, a pair of closed eyes, and a silence that falls hollow without the pop of a pebble.
It’s music Board uses now, 10 years after he finally could touch his imagination’s vision once again, because there seems to be an invisible slide he rides when pickin’, performing, and singing in sounds that only reflect a soldier’s soul felt left behind in times when herds of heroes were expected to follow each other to red, white, and blue parades.
Instead, now, his bride Kaydon and his baby girl Willow coddle and care for his completeness.
Why did you decide to serve your country in the first place?
I decided to serve my country after a failed attempt at pursuing college. I was immature and headed down a path that did not have an outcome that I would have been proud of. My father talked me into enlisting. He even took me down to the recruiter’s office. He and I actually enlisted that day. He liked the pitch so well that he was ready to sign back up after being honorably discharged in the early 90s.
When people ask you about your service, do you find yourself holding back details? If so, why?
I used to hold back details and give a brief surface-level overview of what I did and experienced. These days, if you ask, I’ll give you the whole story. I think a lot of Veterans hold on to their memories out of fear that they will appear weak if they break down while recounting moments within their service. What I have come to find out is we are not weak, but more complex humans with emotions, and maybe more emotion than what we let on.
What would you like each American to understand about protecting our freedoms?
The saying of freedom isn’t free, is so very true. People who live within the safety of America, get to see and experience a country that will honestly let you become whatever you want as long as you keep your feet moving forward. That lifestyle comes at the cost of a service member signing on a dotted line and giving their mind, body, and soul to something bigger than them. That will eventually take a toll on the service member and it is not something to brush past. The reason they are able to do the things that they do, is because someone like myself said “alright, let me strap my boots on real quick and keep those freedoms alive for ya”
What will you teach your child about your service?
When my daughter one day asks me about my service, I will explain that I served out of a dark place, and that service also has taken me down some dark places, but it ultimately led to a light and to her and her mother.
Why is reaching veterans so important to you?
It is important to me because I can empathize. It is important to me because knowing that giving somebody my ear and presence for 15 min, is often all that it takes to turn a frown upside down. Veterans have a story and I believe that if they stay mission focused on getting their story out there, a lot of the weight that they carry, can be lessened, and a bit of peace can start to set in.
