The Stories Behind the Service: Honoring Our Veterans

This Veterans Day, we’re going beyond the uniform to recognize the people, experiences and stories behind the service.

Every veteran has a story: a reason they chose to serve, an experience they’ll never forget or a lesson that still shapes their life today.

At Shive-Hattery, we’re proud of the veterans and service members who are part of our team. In honor of Veterans Day, we invited seven of them to share their experiences, reflect on what military service means to them and offer a glimpse into the moments that have stayed with them long after their time in uniform.

Their stories remind us that service is more than a chapter in someone’s life. It shapes who they are, the relationships they build and the way they see the world.

What Does Veterans Day Mean to You?

To John, being a veteran means belonging to a community connected by experiences others may never fully understand. He also recognizes that the sacrifices of service aren’t always visible and that many veterans carry memories and challenges long after leaving the military.

For Mark Kerr, Senior Architect and Government Buildings Studio Leader in Shive-Hattery’s Tacoma office, Veterans Day is about the people he’s served alongside, the responsibilities they’ve been entrusted with and “hopefully leaving things a little better than we found them.”

Mark joined the Navy Reserve at 33, less than a year after September 11, 2001. His family’s history of military service stretches back to the Revolutionary War, and after 9/11 he felt he needed “to be part of the solution rather than simply watch events unfold.” As an architect, he found a natural fit in the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps, where he leads Seabees and helps plan, build and maintain the facilities and infrastructure that support Navy and Marine Corps operations around the world.

He’s especially quick to recognize members of the Reserve and National Guard, who balance what are essentially two careers alongside their families and communities. Many also serve as city council members, school board members, Scout leaders, coaches, volunteer firefighters and mentors. “In so many ways, they’re helping build and sustain the communities we all depend on.”

Their reflections are a reminder that Veterans Day is about more than recognizing service. It’s also about understanding the people behind it.

The Stories That Stay With Us

For Steve Cox, Public Buildings Market Strategist at Shive-Hattery, who served in the U.S. Army from 1987 to 1992, military service opened doors he hadn’t expected.

Unsure of his career path after high school, Steve joined the Army and trained as a medic. From 1988 to 1989, he served as a medical specialist at the United Nations Headquarters Health Clinic in Seoul, South Korea. He was then assigned as a combat medic to an infantry unit with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he took part in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and spent his final year as an EMT on the ambulance at the Fort Campbell hospital. He left the Army as a sergeant, and the experience inspired his career as a paramedic and firefighter.

Mark’s nearly 25 years of service have brought vivid memories of their own: sandstorms in western Iraq, the colorful uniforms of schoolchildren walking along roads in Haiti and the call to prayer echoing through downtown Kabul. But what stays with him most are the people. “You come from different backgrounds, different parts of the country, and often have very little in common beyond the uniform yet develop a level of trust and camaraderie that’s difficult to describe.”

Jina Hinzman-Carlson, Office Manager in Shive-Hattery’s Quad Cities office, joined the U.S. Army at 17, midway through her senior year of high school. Her dad had to sign off on her enlistment. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do after graduation, but she knew she wanted to leave the small town where she grew up, and her older sisters encouraged her to avoid college debt, which made the Army College Fund an appealing option. “The opportunity to travel and be part of something bigger than myself made the decision even more meaningful,” she said.

Jina spent her first four years on active duty, starting with basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and communications training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, before her first duty station at Fort Polk, Louisiana. When her brigade relocated to Fort Bliss, Texas, as part of an Army base realignment, she cross-trained in logistics to help with the move, and her Patriot missile unit was able to conduct live-fire exercises at White Sands, New Mexico. The unit later deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Watch.

She then joined the Missouri National Guard while working her first civilian job at Falcon Products/Howe Furniture in St. Louis, and transferred to the Iowa National Guard after moving closer to family in the Quad Cities. While she was attending college, she was called back to full-time service for flood duty in downtown Davenport, airport security in Mt. Joy shortly after 9/11 and, later, a deployment to Iraq with a unit from Cedar Rapids.

In Iraq, Jina provided communications support to a military intelligence unit launching unmanned aircraft. She also helped distribute armored plates to soldiers in her unit, traveling on convoys and a few Chinook helicopter flights to get them where they were needed. With most of her deployment spent near airfields in Baghdad, Tikrit and Balad, she joked, “you can probably understand my struggles with hearing!”

The moments Steve, John, Mark, Austin and Jina remember are very different, but each reflects the lasting impact of military service and the memories that remain meaningful years later.

The People Who Make the Difference

“The individuals I worked with six years ago are often the same people I serve alongside today,” Thomas shared. Through years of exercises, meetings and working alongside fellow Airmen, he’s developed relationships built on familiarity and trust.

For Thomas, those connections are a big part of what makes his service meaningful, and a reminder that service creates relationships that extend far beyond any single assignment.

Mark sees the same thing on a much larger scale. He wishes more people understood just how diverse the military is, with hundreds of professions and specialties behind what most people see from the outside. “One of the greatest strengths of the U.S. military is our ability to put a person anywhere on the globe and sustain them there for as long as the mission requires,” he said. That takes transportation, food, water, shelter, medical care, communications, infrastructure and an enormous network of people working together.

The Navy Seabees and their famous “Can Do” spirit are a big part of that. “Give a group of Seabees a difficult problem, limited resources, and less-than-ideal circumstances, and they’ll find a way to get the job done,” Mark said. As the Seabee saying goes, “The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.”

Dave wishes more people understood that the military’s primary purpose is to protect Americans at home and around the world. “It is an all-volunteer force,” he said, “and serving gives you a deep appreciation for its history and for those who have made the same commitment.”

Jina wishes more people understood the many benefits military service can provide and would consider it a viable option. From educational assistance and hands-on job training to valuable experience and lifelong lessons, “the opportunities are significant,” she said. Those benefits continue after service, too, including support for home loans, vocational rehabilitation, VA health services and more.

Lessons That Last a Lifetime

Every military journey is unique, but the lessons veterans carry into civilian life often stay with them for years.

For Steve, military service provided opportunities to develop leadership skills at a young age, something he hadn’t anticipated when he enlisted.

Thomas credits the supervisors and officers who consistently supported their teams, advocated for others and recognized the importance of balancing professional responsibilities with personal needs.

“That servant-based leadership greatly benefited my career and it’s something I hope to emulate within my civilian professional career,” Thomas shared.

John also credits his Marine Corps experience with developing discipline, teamwork, leadership and endurance.

For Austin, the Marine Corps built the confidence to step outside his comfort zone and adapt easily to new and changing situations, skills he relies on in his work today.

Jina served a total of 10 years in the U.S. Army and doesn’t regret it. “I grew up a tough farm kid, but my military experience taught me discipline and gave me the confidence to take on difficult challenges,” she said. One phrase she heard along the way still motivates her and her family: “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Her advice to others? “Don’t underestimate yourself before you try. You may be surprised by how strong you are.”

Mark finds it hard to separate the two. After more than two decades of balancing Navy and civilian careers, “my civilian experiences have made me a better naval officer, and my experiences in the Navy have certainly made me better in civilian life.” His biggest takeaway? “Humility, patience, and a sense of humor go a long way.”

These lessons have followed them beyond the military, shaping how they approach challenges, support others and contribute to the communities around them.

Honoring the People Behind the Uniform

Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize the sacrifices of those who have served. It’s also an opportunity to listen to their stories, because behind every uniform is a person with meaningful memories, lasting relationships and experiences that have shaped their life.

At Shive-Hattery, we’re grateful for the veterans and service members on our team and for the perspectives and experiences they bring to our work.

This Veterans Day, we honor not only their service, but also the stories behind it.

To all who have served, thank you.