Full Circle: Lessons in Service, Sacrifice, and Kindness

Speech by Andrew Hercules ’09

Below is a transcription of a speech given to MS/US students during an assembly

Good morning! I’m Andrew Hercules. I’m grateful to represent the veterans among Waterford Alumni. I am a Veteran of the United States Army Intelligence Corps. I am a Police Sergeant with the West Jordan Police Department. My most important role is husband to an amazing wife and father to two incredible children. But before all that, I was a Waterford student. I started as a 3-year-old in 1993 and continued until I graduated in 2009. Though it’s been almost 17 years, this place still feels like home to me. It’s a special feeling standing here today. I sat in this very assembly hall, where you’re sitting now, wondering what my future would look like. I never imagined I’d be back here one day, wearing a different kind of uniform, talking about what service means.

When I sat where you now sit, my biggest concerns were whether I was going to pass Mr. Wade’s History test. I didn’t think much about words like duty or sacrifice. But life has a funny way of bringing those words to life. In my junior year, I had a new math teacher. While he wasn’t new to teaching, he was new to this school. That man was Mr. Sayes. I sat in the front row (of every class, actually). For those of you who have had Mr. Sayes, I’m sure you’ve seen a photograph of him leaning against a building in his uniform.

While I should have been paying attention to learning how to solve quadratic equations, I couldn’t help but notice that photo and think about the possibilities service could have on my life. Just under a year after graduation, I joined the U.S. Army as a Human Intelligence Collector, which is just fancy talk for “Interrogator”. Which is also fancy talk for someone who asks people a lot of questions. Which, if you know me at all, you know that talking is a personality staple for me. A few months later, I was standing in formation at basic training wondering, “What did I just get myself into?”

Those first few weeks were some of the hardest of my life. 0430 start times, long runs, no sleep, and a whole lot of yelling, most of which was warranted. But something happened in that process. Every challenge chipped away at who I thought I was and revealed who I could be. The best lesson I learned? I was capable of much more than I believed. 

Now, I’ll admit, military life came with a few “learning experiences.” For one, I learned that “hurry up and wait” isn’t just a saying, it’s actually the official Army motto. I learned that MREs, Meals Ready to Eat, are actually neither ready nor something you’d willingly eat. I also learned that if you ever say, “Well, at least it can’t get any worse,” the Army takes that as a challenge. Serving in the Army taught me about teamwork, responsibility, and resilience. You learn quickly that it’s not about you, it’s about the people next to you. When things get tough, and they do, you don’t think about quitting, because the people beside you are counting on you. That sense of connection, that bond, is something I’ll always be grateful for. And that’s what service really is. 

It’s putting others before yourself. It’s showing up when it’s hard. It’s being part of something bigger than your own goals or comfort. But through it all, the long days, the weird food, the unpredictable situations, I found purpose. I found pride in serving our country, and also in serving the people around me. This same sense of pride and purpose is what led me to a career in law enforcement.

Veterans Day isn’t just a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder. A reminder that our freedom was not free. It was earned, protected, and passed down through the courage and sacrifice of those who wore the uniform. When we think of veterans, we might picture soldiers on distant battlefields. But veterans are also our neighbors, our teachers, our parents, or our family members. Veterans come from every background, every belief, every walk of life. But they share one thing in common, a willingness to stand up and say, “I’ll do my part.” And today, we honor that. Not to glorify war or politics, but to celebrate courage, service, and sacrifice. 

My understanding is that the theme for this year is, “With kindness.” At our police department, we have a motto. Every officer in our department knows the motto and it’s these 5 words: “You matter, like I matter.” This means that we see every person we come across as an individual person, with goals, needs, objectives, and challenges, just like we have. While I learned that motto after my Waterford and Military days, the idea of inclusion and love for those around us was instilled in me as a young student here at Waterford.

Three of the hardest things in this life are, first, admitting that you’re wrong; second, including the excluded; and third, exchanging love for hate. Each of these asks something difficult of us.

Admitting when we’re wrong requires humility. The courage to set aside pride and choose truth over ego. It’s not easy to face our mistakes, but doing so opens the door to growth, understanding, and respect.

Including the excluded takes empathy. It asks us to look beyond our comfort zones, to reach out to someone who might feel left out, overlooked, or different. Inclusion is not just about being nice. It’s about recognizing that every one of us deserves dignity, voice, and belonging. 

Exchanging love for hate. In my experience this might be the hardest of all. It means choosing forgiveness when anger feels easier, compassion when bitterness feels justified, and peace when conflict feels inevitable.

When we practice these things; humility, inclusion, and compassion, we begin to see the world differently. We start to see people not as opponents or outsiders, but as human beings with their own objectives, challenges, and goals. And that’s where our greatest power lies: in our ability to see the humanity in others. It’s the same power that drives service. The same belief that inspired countless veterans to stand up for something beyond themselves. When we see others as human, truly see their humanity, we’re reminded that kindness is not weakness, and that empathy is not optional. It’s essential to a life of meaning and connection. If there’s one lesson my time in service has taught me, it’s this: life’s greatest rewards come from doing hard things for the right reasons. I challenge you to choose courage over comfort, kindness over indifference, and action over apathy. Thank you for letting me share my story, thank you for honoring our veterans, and thank you for reminding me that no matter where life takes us, home will always mean something special. Thank you.