An inscription at the Bates Veterans Plaza invites “reflection on the impact of war on the lives of everyone it touches.”
Among those lives is Joe Castonguay, a U.S. Army combat veteran and member of the Facility Services team that keeps the campus beautiful and safe year-round.
Castonguay, who served for 15 months in Iraq, joined a gathering Monday morning at the Bates Veterans Plaza to observe Veterans Day. “I learned the value of human life in combat,” he said.
The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf guided the day’s observance, which included reflective readings and interfaith prayers, the observing of silence, and the ritual of laying flowers to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans.
Castonguay, 41, grew up in downtown Lewiston and, after graduating from Lewiston High School, joined the Army as a way to start a career through the G.I. Bill.
As a veteran, he’s a member of the American Legion and the VFW and supports various veterans’ charities, such as the Travis Mills Foundation. At Bates, he’s contributed to Human Resources staff-engagement programming.
We caught up with Castonguay after Veterans Day, on a sunny morning when he and his team were working outside Rand Hall. “It’s a beautiful view of campus here,” he said, looking toward Gomes Chapel and the Historic Quad.
We asked him about his service and his thoughts about Veterans Day at Bates.
Jay Burns: What prompted you to join the military?
Joe Castonguay: There’s a bunch of things that go into a decision like that. The biggest one is I wanted to go to college for art. I loved drawing and painting growing up. One of my high school teachers went to art school, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but I knew I couldn’t afford the tuition. I come from a really poor family, so the GI Bill was a way to continue my art education.
I also wanted to have a family eventually, so I needed to get started with a career. Growing up in downtown Lewiston, there weren’t a lot of people who were doing career things where I was living. I didn’t know what to do, so I figured, “I can join the military.”
JB: How did the experience impact you, then and now, as a 14-year colleague on this campus? How did you adjust to civilian life?
JC: I got through it by talking to other veterans and going to groups. Talking with them about readjusting and feeling comfortable really helped.
You have a lot of ideas about how the world works when you’re young and you have these fantasies of what you can do or what the world is going to do for you.
I lost some really close friends in combat, and it took a long time to process that and find ways to move on. I ended up using them as motivation to be who I am, at least on a personal level and on pretty much every level. I try to do the best I can because they don’t have the opportunity.
Perspective is a big thing — in life, in art, and the military. A lot of things are easier when you’ve faced harder things. If I’m having a bad day at work, it’s still better than any day at war.
JB: When Bates Veterans Plaza was created, one of the project committee members was Dan Sands of Facility Services, who retired in 2019 as manager of carpentry, painting, and masonry. He meant a lot to you, right?
JC: He’s a mentor. Dan is a Vietnam veteran who taught me a lot about being a great veteran on this campus — powerful, friendly, funny, kind, and passionate about veterans’ issues, and connected to the community. He had a different experience coming back, but similar experiences while deployed.
When I’m at the plaza, I’m thinking about what I learned from Dan added into my own personal experiences, and it means a lot.
JB: Do you still create art?
JC: Yes, more through woodworking and metalworking. It still gives me that same feeling of creation I had when working with charcoals or oils on canvas.
JB: What was your rank in the military?
JC: I was a private first class. Losing friends made me realize the military wasn’t for me. It takes a special kind of person to do that and continue to do that.
JB: What are your thoughts on the meaning of Veterans Day?
JC: There’s a lot of building blocks under everything we see, and one of the building blocks under our society and our country are those military veterans. Honoring them — even in small ways — is crucial. Memorial Day acknowledges those who have passed, but any effort to recognize veterans, I’ll take it.
