Mayer: America’s legacy is built in our homes, not in Washington – Daily Independent

By Dakota Meyer

Next week, Americans will determine the leadership of our country for the next four years. Half of those people will find themselves disappointed no matter who wins the election, and some will try to argue that America’s legacy — along with their personal legacy — is doomed.

Only a small part of America’s heritage is based on who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It is clearly dictated by the actions and decisions of hundreds of millions of people who build their own legacies day by day, regardless of circumstances or who is president.

The Greatest Generation taught us this 80 years ago when they defeated Germany and Japan. This was a generation that came of age during the Great Depression and fought with great courage and strength in America’s most frightening war. They could have backed out at any time and I doubt we would have blamed them. Instead, they cemented their legacies one person at a time.

It took me a while to realize that I could contribute to changing the world around me. I returned from multiple military deployments which resulted in the honor of being the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in over 40 years. But I also struggle with depression and alcohol. It was only after many years of unintentionally living as a victim of the circumstances I was faced with that I realized that my legacy was my choice to make it what it was going to be.

After that fateful realization, I began writing about how people can find purpose in life by talking to Marines who were struggling with PTSD and other challenges. This year I partnered with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to provide educational opportunities for America’s future leaders.

The foundation is If You Can, You Should scholarship will raise $2 million to help children of Marines in need by encouraging them to take ownership of their lives and prepare them to become America’s future leaders.

I have political views, but I am always confident in the future of America because each of us can make a difference in any circumstance. Martin Luther King Jr. was black during a time of segregation, Viktor Frankl survived a concentration camp, and Mother Teresa ministered in the slums of Calcutta.

Each of them changed the world—and also the worlds of the people around them. While you may not have a national holiday named after liking MLK or receive a Nobel Peace Prize like Mother Teresa, each of us has the opportunity to make a difference that will live on in the people we educate, the children who we raise, and the students we teach.

When you have the power of purpose to know how and where you’re going to make a difference, that’s a huge advantage. That’s why when I talk to Marines, I tell them they’re the lucky ones — they get to wear the national dress of the greatest organization on the planet. Their goal is right in front of them.

The most lasting legacies are created by people who have overcome their circumstances. They did not ask why some misfortune befell them – they found what they could do about it. That’s why the If You Can, You Should Scholarship is about more than money; it is designed to be a catalyst for turning challenges into opportunities and opportunities into reality. It also represents our national community coming together regardless of politics – first for the Marines who fly the flag above political parties, and then for the rest of us returning the favor to their children.

Everyone who can vote on November 5 should. This is part of your contribution to our national heritage. But remember, what you do on November 6 may be even more important.

Editor’s Note: Dakota Meyer is a former US Marine and Grand Marshal of the 2024 New York Veterans Day Parade. In 2011 he was the first Marine in more than 40 years to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration for bravery. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcome [email protected].