Fmr. Capt. Luis Carlos Montalvan Shares His Thoughts on Memorial Day

Former US Army Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan spent 17 years serving this nation with great bravery and distinction during two tours of duty of Iraq; he has received the Combat Action Badge, two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart.

After enduring nearly debilitating physical pain and increasingly intrusive post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return stateside, Montalvan regained his independence and mobility after being paired with Tuesday, a golden retriever specially trained by Dobbs Ferry-based organization Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities.

Tuesday is able to assist Montalvan with every aspect of his daily activities, making it possible for Montalvan to surpass the obstacles that threatened to hold him back from the extraordinary platform he now uses to advocate for other veterans.

With Tuesday by his side, Montalvan has become as tireless and outspoken a champion for veterans and disabled Americans as he ever was courageous and determined on active duty. He has written for the New York Times and the Washington Post and appeared on NPR, CBS, CNN, BBC, C-SPAN and National Geographic.

His new book about the great bond and profound changes having a service dog has brought to his life, Until Tuesday, is currently on the New York Times bestseller list. 

Since I was fortunate enough to attend Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism with Montalvan, I thought I would reach out and ask his perspective on Memorial Day.

How will you spend Memorial Day this year?

Actually, I'm not sure yet. Veteran's Day and Memorial Day are still difficult for me. Perhaps this is because I was in the Army for almost two decades and still don't fully feel as though I've left the service. It's a strange thing to describe, really. That said, I'll spend it reflecting on the many friends and family who've served our nation in uniform and who have "faded away" from life but not from memory. Indeed, their legacy lives on. Maybe one day it I'll be able to celebrate the day, like most Americans do, but the wars are still too fresh and the pain still too intense. 

Your service dog Tuesday was trained in Dobbs Ferry; he assists you a great deal with your everyday activities. How can we reach out to veterans in our community? What type of assistance might they need and what is the best way to offer it?

This is a great question. I believe that most Americans want to do something but simply don't know what besides offering "Thank yous" and placing yellow ribbons on cars and trees. I hope that 2011 is the year that Americans take a few steps forward to introduce themselves to veterans in their communities. Extend a hand. Offer a hug in friendship. Exchange email addresses and phone numbers. Connect with veterans and their families with the hope of making a new friend. In many cases, this means more to a veteran than you'll ever know.  

Why did you write Until Tuesday?

We wrote the book to help people. To inform, help and offer hope to service members, veterans and their families. Additionally, we want to raise issues that 55 million Americans with disabilities face every day.