A salute to our veterans: Darrell Pilat
Published 4:15 pm Friday, November 8, 2013
Vietnam veteran Darrell Pilat wants to help new veterans understand their rights and get the support they need.
“I want the young veterans to know they’re special,” Pilat said. “I also want them to know there are people here for them that truly understand what they’ve been through and have the resources to help them adjust back to normal civilian life.”
Pilat, 64, served with the 1st Infantry Division and 196th Light Infantry Brigade of the “Americal Division” in 1969 – 1970. He describes his time of service as tough.
“There were hard times and there were things I wish I hadn’t seen,” he said. “But I met some great men and I feel very fortunate to get out of there alive and unharmed.”
After separating from the military, Pilat worked in the airline industry for more than 25 years with Trans World Airlines, Western Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. He moved on to the Renton Police Department where he has served as the Electronic Home Detention coordinator for 16 years.
He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1263 and a member of the VFW’s Cootie Pup Tent 11, where he serves as Hungry Cootie.
“I always tell people that the best thing you can do when you return from war is to get involved,” Pilat said. “You can tell your wife, your family, your friends about your experiences and how different it feels being home, but they don’t truly understand.”
Pilat recalled having nightmares and thinking random sounds were gunshots when he first returned from Vietnam.
“The fact is that the intensity of the war zone does something to you,” he said. “You can’t just come back from that and fit right back in.”
Pilat offers himself as a mentor to new veterans.
“I tell them where my office is and that they are welcome to pop in whenever there is a need,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just nice to know that there will always be someone there for you.”
Pilat has organized, conducted and spoken at numerous Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Prisoner Of War/Missing In Action ceremonies. He wants to spread the word about the importance of honoring our veterans.
“Veterans Day is one of those holidays that is sort of looked over,” Pilat said. “Freedom is not free. Our veterans have sacrificed their lives and their time to preserve our freedom. We live in the greatest country in the world and we have our veterans to thank for that.”
Renton’s veterans are served by a number of organizations including American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, with posts in downtown Renton and Skyway. Renton also has a new Veterans Affair’s office that helps homeless veterans find a place to live.
For more information, call the American Legion office at 425-271-1439 or the VFW office at 425-255-9010.
