Veteran Salute: 'I definitely would not be where I am today without my time in the military'

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A local veteran who is now giving back to other vets in his community and nationwide shares his story in this week's veteran's salute 

James Greer served in the U.S. Army for five years. He says the structure and discipline the military offers shaped him into the person he is today.

My service in the military is the reason I am who I am," Greer said. "It means everything to me. I don't always look in the past, but I do understand that I am today who I am, the discipline that I have about myself, and the way I carry myself and the way I live my life is based on what I learned in the skill sets that I learned in the military. I definitely would not be where I am today without my time in the military." 

During his time I the military, that discipline drove Greer to achieve the rank of Specialist and the role of Platoon leader. But when it was all over and he finally came home, Greer says he was flooded not only by pride, but also a sense of guilt. 

"When I stepped off that plane coming back from combat and my family and friends were there, and my dad, my father was there, and I did feel a sense of pride that I had won, had survived it," Greer said. "I felt guilt of the ones that didn't. But I was proud of what I'd done, that I'd served my country and I had made it home." 

Recently, Greer learned that an average of 22 veterans a day in the United States die by suicide. As he began to research and learn more, he found that 65% of 22 are over the age of 50. At the time, Greer was 52, and he was in shock, thinking those were his battlemates and guys he had fought with in combat.

As a veteran who has also struggled to adapt to civilian life, he decided to make a difference. 

"I bought a dirt bike, and I gave myself 22 days to ride to the Arctic Circle and back on that dirt bike," Greer said. "And I slept on the ground in a tent and a Walmart sleeping bag. And I made it in 18 and a half days. And I use that to draw awareness to veteran suicide, which in turn turned into a nonprofit organization now called Ride for Veterans."

Now every year, Greer rides a minimum of 2200 miles and donates to veterans who are in need. Just last year, his group started a mission to visit every veteran’s care Home in the United States.

"Now, people forget what you do in life. People are going to forget what you say, but people never forget how you make them feel. And you just have to visit your veterans homes and you'll understand where I'm coming from," Greer said.

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