A Reflection on Service, Sacrifice, and the Meaning of Leadership An Interview with Dave English

Dave English Naval Academy, Marine Corps

Some stories of service begin with a single decision. Others are born from generations of sacrifice, courage, and an unspoken understanding of duty. Dave English’s journey belongs to the latter.

Rooted in a family history shaped by World War II, resistance against tyranny, and extraordinary acts of selflessness, Dave’s call to serve was not abstract, it was personal. From a great-grandfather who gave his life to save women and children from Nazi persecution, to a father and uncles who fought across Europe and the Pacific, service was modeled not as glory, but as responsibility.

In this interview, Dave reflects on what it truly means to lead, to protect, and to carry the weight of decisions made in moments few civilians ever witness. He speaks candidly about combat, brotherhood, faith, post-service transition, and the lifelong commitment to being of service to others. His words offer not only insight into military life, but a deeply human perspective on courage, integrity, and the quiet resolve to stand watch so others may live in peace.

This is a story of service not as an identity left behind, but as a way of life that endures.

1. What inspired you to serve, and what did that decision mean to you at the time you enlisted or were commissioned?

Both sides of my family were immigrants from Eastern Europe. Service was woven deeply into our family history. My father served during World War II in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He was wounded in 1944 during some of the fiercest fighting in the mountains of Italy, at Cassino, and spent nearly two years in military hospitals learning how to walk and function properly again after leaving the service.

Dave English Father turned 18 on December 18th just 4 days before Pearl Harbor, He Joined the military in 1942

Unbeknownst to my father at the time, his grandfather, my great-grandfather, was simultaneously fighting the Nazis in Croatia, across the Adriatic Sea. Years later, we learned that my great-grandfather became known in Croatia for an act of extraordinary courage. Nazi forces had rounded up approximately seventy-five women and children in the town square in an attempt to force residents to give up the names of resistance fighters. My great-grandfather took up a weapon and began firing at the German soldiers to draw them away from the women and children. The soldiers pursued him, allowing those civilians to escape. They chased him nearly two miles through mountainous seaside terrain until he slipped and fell to his death.

In 2024 eighty years after his death my sister visited that town. When the townspeople learned who she was, they held a large celebration honoring my great-grandfather’s life and sacrifice.

Service continued throughout my family. My uncles served in Europe with the Army, at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima with the Marines, and throughout the South Pacific with the Navy, conducting amphibious assaults during the Pacific campaign. These men were my heroes. When my opportunity came, there was never a question I would serve and follow in their footsteps.

I grew up in a very blue-collar part of northeast Ohio. Receiving an appointment to the United States Naval Academy allowed me to pursue my academic interests while serving my country, something I felt called to do.

2. Can you share a moment during your service that fundamentally changed how you see life, leadership, or humanity?

I encountered intense and, at times, horrific situations. Those experiences solidified my role throughout life as a protector of the people I love. I had to do things that I wish no one would ever have to do. The way I coped was by recognizing the horrific acts being done to innocent people and knowing that I was part of a force for good that stopped those acts.

I also learned deeply what it meant to take care of my Marines. One moment stands out when I realized I had truly arrived as a leader, during an exercise, without any prompting or request from me, my Marines instinctively watched out for me. That mutual trust meant everything.

Dave English " The Mutual trust that was built in the Marines meant everything "

3. What was one of the greatest challenges you faced while serving, and how did you find the strength to move through it?

I am inherently an optimistic and hopeful person who seeks to find the good in others. When you study military history, tactics, strategy, and execution, violence remains an abstract concept. Seeing the real-world results of my actions caused significant internal conflict. What helped me move through that was seeing the end result saving people from the brutality inflicted by others.

4. How did military service shape your values, discipline, or sense of purpose, both during service and afterward?

My values were shaped through leading by example, maintaining integrity, and taking care of my Marines while accomplishing the mission. The experience was transformative. During preparation and combat, I rarely thought about what could happen to me. My greatest fear was making an error in judgment or giving an order that could kill or seriously injure one of my Marines.

While that may sound terrible, I am grateful for the experience because it placed me firmly on a path of service to others. That is where my comfort zone lies. When I face difficult times, I don’t dwell on my problems. Instead, I find ways to be of service to others, which helps me care for myself as well.

5. What do civilians often misunderstand about military life that you wish more people truly understood?

First, true military professionals do not seek violence. They understand it as a necessary means to protect those they love. Second, rank is not about privilege, it is about responsibility. In the field, senior noncommissioned officers and officers ensure that the most junior Marines eat first and have their needs met before senior staff attend to their own.

Dave English Mother putting on his Eagle, Globe and Anchors

6. Was there a moment of deep pride or quiet courage that still stays with you today?

Two moments stand out. The first occurred as we prepared to move north from Saudi Arabia into Kuwait. On nights of complete darkness, I knew there were hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers out there. I knew God was with me, and I felt deep pride knowing the people I loved back home and all Americans were safe because I was standing watch.

The second was when we returned to the United States. Seeing my Marines reunite with their families, safe and whole, was profoundly gratifying. We accomplished the mission, and I brought them home.

7. How did camaraderie and brotherhood influence your experience, especially during difficult times?

I endured many crucibles at the Naval Academy and during Marine officer training, as well as in unit preparation. In some ways, that training was tougher than combat itself. But it built confidence. What my brothers and sisters and I endured together prepared us to face whatever came next.

8. What was the transition like when you returned to civilian life, and what support made the biggest difference for you?

The transition was strange. I felt exhilarated about coming home safely and beginning new opportunities, yet also detached wondering if what we accomplished would be the highlight of my life and asking myself what came next.

I also experienced post-traumatic stress, which I navigated alone for many years. It wasn’t until the VA actively reached out to veterans exposed to burn pits and other Gulf War hazards that I sought care. I was officially diagnosed with PTS in early 2024. Before that, I thought it was simply who I was. The VA and my family were instrumental in helping me come to terms with things I believed would never find resolution.

9. How do you continue to integrate the lessons of service into your life now professionally, personally, or spiritually?

My leadership today focuses on helping people become better versions of themselves through education, job training, or mentorship. I am simply paying forward what so many others gave me.

I believe in God and consider Jesus Christ my Savior. We all stumble. What matters is not the fall, but standing back up, learning from our mistakes, and committing to be better for those around us.

10. If you could offer one message to future service members or to the public reading this article, what would you want them to carry forward?

There is no higher honor than serving your country and being of service to others. The only things I have truly regretted in life are the things I didn’t try.

Closing Reflection

Courage is often imagined as something loud or dramatic, a single moment of heroism frozen in time. Yet Dave English’s story reveals a quieter, enduring truth: courage is a way of living. It is found in choosing responsibility over comfort, integrity over ease, and service over self again and again, long after the uniforms are folded away.

What emerges through Dave’s reflections is not only the legacy of those who came before him, but the continuity of courage itself. Passed from generation to generation, courage becomes an inheritance, not of violence, but of protection; not of conquest, but of care. It is the courage to stand watch so others may rest, to lead so others may be safe, and to carry unseen burdens with humility.

When we open our hearts to stories like this, something shifts. We are reminded that service is not reserved for battlefields, nor courage confined to moments of crisis. Each of us is called, in our own way, to show up for others, to act with conscience, and to choose what is right even when it is difficult.

Dave’s journey invites us to remember that the highest form of courage is not only in what we are willing to face, but in who we are willing to be for one another.