When I visit the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis, I’m humbled and awed by the stories it tells. Artifacts and exhibits illustrate the sacrifice, strength and bravery shown by ordinary people who rose to become extraordinary in the hellscape of war. 

With each exhibit, I wonder how I can apply those lessons to my life. I’ve never served in combat. Would I be willing to risk my life for the soldier next to me? With bullets flying around me, or as a prisoner of war, or while storming the beaches, would I have the courage to stand strong? Can I even have this kind of fortitude in my daily life?

This week, far removed from the blood of battle, in small but important ways, we saw a few examples of bravery. They remind us that it’s possible to stand up for what’s important here in the civilian world, even when every instinct you have is telling you to keep your head down. 

Of course I can’t compare the daily struggles of life to the sacrifices of those who fought for us in battle, but I do want to call out small examples of accountability and courage here in Lewis County.

The first happened just outside the museum itself. 

On Monday someone in a pickup truck took a joy ride through a vacant lot next to the museum, chewing up the turf with doughnuts. The museum posted some grainy security photos and asked for the person to come forward and for help IDing the culprit. 

The outrage was strong, as it should be. 

Well, on Thursday the doughnut driver, after prayer to pull together his courage, stepped forward. He admitted his mistake, asked for forgiveness, and gave the museum a big donation that will more than cover their costs to repair his damage. 

Museum Director Chip Duncan said he was impressed that the man was willing to risk being yelled at or arrested by coming forward. 

“I come from a Christian background and faith. I understand what grace is and I sure don’t deserve it.” Duncan told me. “To come in with a humble heart, it just shows that there’s good in humanity left.”

Three Lewis County teenagers also showed courage this week. These students went up to Olympia to testify on a hot-button issue. They chose to speak truth to power, standing up for basic reality and common sense. 

That can be hard in a time when there are strong currents in society pushing back against plain truths in an era of deepening gender confusion. 

A prime example of that came in June of last year, when a male (or in the Orwellian language of today, a “transgender girl”) from Spokane Valley won the 400-meter Washington state track and field state championship title in the girls division.

Joy Cushman, a W.F. West sophomore, testified against Senate Bill 5180, a proposal to enshrine that kind of “gender-inclusivity” deeper into state law, protecting boys in girls school bathrooms and boys in girls sports. 

Joy told lawmakers that she was at that state track competition and saw girls’ hearts being broken as they watched the male competitor take the state championship in the girls track competition. 

“The biological dominance which transgender women hold is undeniable. We simply cannot compete against them. I am the league champion in the women’s 800-meter run. If I had raced in the men’s division, I would have come in dead last,” Cushman said to lawmakers. “This is about fairness and women’s rights, so don’t say you empower young women if your rules won’t protect our opportunities.”

Her sister Drees Cushman, 14, a Chehalis Middle School student and athlete, also courageously stepped into the battle to testify. 

“It’s astonishing to me that a biological male would be able to walk into my sport and compete against biological women,” Drees told lawmakers. “I am 6-1, so I’m not a small girl. I used to wrestle and I dislocated my shoulder because I had to wrestle a male. Even thought he was shorter than me, he was stronger... I have dreamed of playing college sports as long as I’ve played. If a college coach had to choose between me and a 6-1 male, he’s going to make the obvious choice of a male because he’s stronger and more athletic.”

W.F. West Hayden Steele testified against a related bill, Senate Bill 5179 , which would punish school board and administrators that don’t comply with the state’s ever-expanding gender and sexuality mandates. 

“Diversity is not a one-size-fits-all concept,” Steele testified. “Local control matters because it empowers schools to respond effectively to their community’s unique needs, fostering a more authentic and meaningful form of diversity.”

I commend these students for boldly telling lawmakers the truth. In our civilian world, it’s a worthy homage to the wartime service of our veterans.

These teenagers didn’t face bullets, but in this day and age, there are claims of discrimination and specific name-calling that can do real harm. I admire their courage in standing up for what is right. It inspires me to do the same. 

Brian Mittge can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.