A heart for service
by Travis Nishida | Nov. 11, 2021
“Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” — Mary Roach, American author
When I think about Veteran’s Day, my mind goes to the great conflicts in recent history. World War II, the Vietnam War, or more recently, the conflict in the Middle East. The word “veteran” conjures up images of those who fight on the frontlines, facing barrages of gunfire. While many veterans have faced this reality, in my opinion, it isn’t war that makes a veteran special. It’s their heart.
It takes a special kind of person to volunteer to serve a country that may never know their name. Jarick Duvauchelle is that kind of person.
“Service is important,” Jarick says. “When you’re blessed enough to be a blessing to others, that’s what life is all about.”
Jarick serves as a precision guided munitions specialist in the Hawai‘i Air National Guard. His job is to fabricate the missiles and bombs carried by F22 fighter jets. He’s been deployed to multiple locations in the Middle East and Asia. He did this while also enrolled in Hawaiian Electric’s lineman apprenticeship program.
“Military took a lot of time away from me while I was in apprenticeship,” Jarick says.
And when the COVID-19 pandemic brought his military duties closer to home, Jarick once again took up his mantle of service.
“We did the COVID testing on the H-3, that was an experience,” Jarick recalls. “Now we’re on vaccinations. We’ve also delivered medical supplies to multiple schools and companies.”
Despite his time away for military duties, Jarick managed to graduate from the apprenticeship program as a lineman, and he brings his heart of service to our customers every day.
Here at Hawaiian Electric, we employ many men and women who’ve served — and continue to serve — our country in the military. For those of us who haven’t had the opportunity to serve, we count it an honor to work alongside those with this heart of service. Although one day a year in their honor will never be enough to thank them for what they’ve done, we say with sincere gratitude, Happy Veterans Day.
Travis Nishida is a visual services consultant at Hawaiian Electric.
