Apache pilot Shannon Polson addresses Brewster Veterans Day assembly

BREWSTER – Shannon Huffman Polson, author, motivational speaker, and one of the first women to fly the U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter, was the guest speaker at Brewster High School’s Veterans Day observance last Thursday, Nov. 8.

A five-member Honor Guard from the Brewster American Legion Columbia Post 97 was on hand to post the colors. 

The high school and middle school choirs joined the high school band in a selection of musical pieces that commemorated the 100th anniversary of World War I that officially ended at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, 1918.

Polson opened her address by recounting some facts about the U.S. involvement in WWI. For the benefit of the young women in the audience, Polson described her college years and the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in the early 1990’s when Congress in 1991 approved females to fly combat aircraft.

“I thought the sky was the limit,” said Polson, who went through flight training after college, graduated with honors, and chose the Apache as her aircraft of choice.

Polson told two stories about her tours of duty in the Balkans and Korea. She was in the Balkans in 1997 to help enforce the U.S.-brokered 1995 Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian War. Polson said her unit was stationed in a neighborhood where residents were returning to their homes destroyed during years of fighting. One morning a Bosnian woman emerged from her shattered home with coffee and dessert for the U.S. peacekeepers.

“Thank-you,” the Bosnian woman said. “This is the first night my family and I have felt safe enough to sleep.”

During her tour in South Korea in the late 1990’s, Polson said that on a day off, she took a train to Seoul and was the only U.S. military passenger in her car. Being unfamiliar with both the language and culture, Polson said she was a bit uneasy when a tiny Korean woman took her hand and led her from the car to the train platform when the train reached its destination.

Turning to Polson on the platform, the woman, with tears running down her face, asked: 

“You, G.I? You G.I?”

When Polson nodded “Yes,” the woman said: “Korean War. Thank-you, G.I., Korean War.”

Polson urged the students to find their passion if life, but, if they aren’t sure what that passion is, then to rephrase the question.

“Ask yourself, ’What is the world’s greatest need that I might be able to solve?”’ Polson suggested.

Polson said one of her favorite quotes was from American writer and theologian, Frederick Buechner who said, “Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.”

‘Never have any doubt that every single one of you can make a difference,” Polson said.