We clear the road so everyone makes it home alive.”

Master Chief Vance stood at his Maritime Heritage Museum table three feet off, his arms folded across his broad chest, and nodded once.

“No one job title makes a person brave,” I told the room.

“Real service depends on teamwork, not titles.

The teammate standing next to you matters a lot more than whatever gold pin is fastened to your shirt.”

I passed the microphone back to Principal Thorne and stepped off the low wooden riser.