Veterans who served their country often maintain that service-oriented mindset after leaving the military and shift to serving their communities. As our nation celebrates Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and honors the heroes that protect our freedoms, we salute local veterans who volunteer their time and talents.
Woody Caine
Woody Caine served 26 years of active duty as a U.S. Army infantry officer. After retiring in 1992, Caine worked at Vanderbilt University overseeing a program in leadership and organizational effectiveness. He has been volunteering with the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum since moving to Charleston in 2014.
Caine was chosen as the “Outstanding Volunteer of the Year” for 2019 at Patriots Point, where he spends an average of eight to 10 hours a week. As a Vietnam Veteran, he is located at the Vietnam Experience, an immersive exhibit where the theme is the Brown Water Navy operations in the Mekong Delta and throughout Vietnam. Caine worked closely with the Brown Water Navy operations while serving with the Vietnamese Infantry Battalion in the Mekong Delta from 1968-1969.
To Caine, the best part about volunteering is the people. “It’s meeting people and listening to their stories. For me, listening and learning from others is critical,” said Caine, who taught at universities for over 40 years and has a Ph.D. in social and organizational psychology.
Besides Patriots Point, he has previously volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, the American Heart Association and assisted various fundraising efforts like the Symphony Orchestra in Nashville.
Caine served in scout leadership positions most of his adult life, including 22 years in Brentwood, Tennessee. “I believe in helping kids grow and develop and understand,” Caine stated.
He tells Patriots Point visitors that this isn’t just about Vietnam or military service. “It’s about service to others. And that’s what drives me to be a volunteer, because I honestly believe that we need to encourage more active service to each other,” emphasized Caine.
Victor Coachman
Victor Coachman served 21 years active duty in the Marines and taught Marine Corps JROTC for another 10. This is Coachman’s fourth year volunteering at Patriots Point, where he is a docent, welcoming people to the USS Yorktown and sharing some of its historical background. He is also one of the tour greeters.
Coachman wears myriad community service hats. On Monday mornings he volunteers at the North Charleston VA Clinic on Rivers Avenue. He is also a member of Dorchester County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Coachman and his fiancé Delores are passionate about feeding local homeless people and prepare around 3,000 hot meals annually. What started as a personal mission after he grew tired of watching homeless people get pushed aside has now officially become a recognized 501(c)3 charity called Circle of Love Charleston.
Additionally, Coachman volunteers at Purpose, an adolescent group home in Summerville, where Circle of Love prepares homecooked meals for teenagers and staff the first Sunday of every month. He also mentors boys through Purpose’s new Manhood program.
Furthermore, Coachman is a member of the Marine Corps League. “We do a lot of volunteer service to help veterans in the community,” he said. He’s also a member of the Montford Point Marine Association.
Coachman grew up in Miami in an environment where the church was an integral part of the community. “The idea of serving and helping has always been ingrained in me,” he explained. “It’s in me to help folks and this is what I do.”
Art Rooney
Art Rooney, a Charleston native and retired major general who spent 35 years in the Air Force, has been volunteering with Patriots Point for just over a year now. The Summerville resident primarily helps visitors at the information desk as you enter the USS Yorktown, but he also drives around in a golf cart providing people with mobility issues assistance moving among the various exhibits. Rooney likes driving the golf cart and interacting with visitors, as well as sharing historical tidbits about the USS Yorktown. He loves pointing out that women, famously known as “Rosie the Riveters,” played a significant role in constructing “The Fighting Lady.” The ship was built in the early 1940s, at a time when most able-bodied men were off fighting in World War II.
Rooney also appreciates volunteering with fellow veterans and being around others who have served.
Rooney and his wife volunteer with several charitable community organizations that support low-income families, including Hearts For Summerville, which assists youth in Summerville. Each week they prepare 30 snack bags for children. They also volunteer through their church Bethany United Methodist, where his wife oversees senior programs. Additionally, they have previously served as drivers for East Cooper Meals on Wheels.
“It’s a way to give back,” said Rooney of his impetus to volunteer. “You feel a sense of accomplishment. When you see a smile on a kid’s face, it makes it all worthwhile.”
Bill Casassa
Bill Casassa served in the Navy during the Vietnam era and later worked with the Navy in either defense contractor or civil service roles for the next 34 years. He retired in 2016, but he couldn’t just sit still and watch TV, so Casassa started volunteering at Patriots Point in 2017. “Usually I was on destroyers, or ‘small boys’ as they call them, so the Yorktown and (USS) Laffey tend to be very comfortable places for me,” recounted Casassa.
Casassa helps guide guests around the Yorktown and answers questions about daily life on the ship. Like Rooney, he relishes volunteering with other like-minded veterans.
Casassa also enjoys giving visitors a new perspective on military life. “So, Patriots Point was a good fit for me because I could not only bring my expertise of having been on these ships for some time to the public, I could also help the staff some. I’m old enough to remember some of these things on these ships when they were still sparkling and lighting up and stuff. So, we can look up an answer of what something did, and I can provide another background that says ‘well, here’s what it looked like, and here’s how people operated with it on the ship at the time.’”
Casassa added of why he volunteers there: “It’s given me an outlet to assist them in some of the exhibits and things like that that are on the ship. But mostly it’s because it gives me an opportunity to give the Navy a ‘thank you’ for all they did for me.”
By Colin McCandless
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