In a recent showcase by the Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dr. Dawn Buckingham, the Voices of Veterans oral history program features a powerful testimony from Sergeant Corby Vinson, a U.S. Army veteran with three tours of duty under his belt in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to The Texas General Land Office report.
Born into a military family in Frankfurt, Germany, Vinson's life was marked by frequent relocations until his own enlistment post-high school graduation where he became a Stinger Gunner position that introduced him to the complexities of military service from the Hawaiian shores of Schofield Barracks to the humanitarian efforts in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy, the VLB interview revealed an individual's journey marked by constant movement and the military's omnipresence in his upbringing, his early professional strides in air defense forecasting a career of formidable demands.
Grappling with the "harsh reality of warfare," Vinson's narrative recalls the devastating loss of a platoon medic to a 500lb roadside bomb early in his first tour, a memory underscored by a stark question shared in the VLB report: "What are we gonna do? I mean, we’re only three months in and we’ve lost almost half our platoon. What are we gonna do?" Answering this bleak contemplation, the sergeant and his fellow soldiers found resilience in building trust within local communities, an effort that not only facilitated intelligence gathering but also engendered mutual respect and enduring pride, despite the shadow of highly skilled snipers and deadly EFPs (explosively forced projectiles) looming large.
Contrasting his combat experiences, Vinson's final tour presented a shift to carrying out duties surrounding military "VIPs," introducing him to a different, more cosmopolitan military scene, where beautiful cities and five-star dining were the norm - an aspect of service that can feel a world away from frontline adversities, yet Sergeant Vinson's post-service transition into civilian roles as a CNA and ultimately as the Admissions Director at the William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home in Temple, Texas played critical roles in mitigating the effects of Post Traumatic Stress and depression underscoring the ongoing battle many veterans face once the uniform comes off, he shared with the VLB, saying, "I knew these are my people… I love it. The company’s great. Touchstone is great… the building is just fantastic. The people are fantastic."
The VLB's Voices of Veterans program not only archives such oral histories alongside the recorded stories of Texas military giants like Sam Houston and Davy Crockett but also opens these accounts for research, thereby allowing the public and historians alike to connect with the raw, personal experiences of those who've worn the uniform. The catalogue of over 500 stories, including Sergeant Vinson's, serves as a testament to the multifaceted aspects of military life and the importance of remembering the service and sacrifice rendered by veterans, with access available via their website for those interested in listening to these voices of valor.
