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Leading By Example
Dr. Lem Burnham reflects on life after the military in Defense Department video
Before he became assistant chair of psychology and behavioral science at Wilmington University, before he played three seasons as defensive end for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, Dr. Lem Burnham served four years with the United States Marine Corps in the late 1960s, including a 13-month tour in Vietnam.
It's a career path that caught the attention of a Department of Defense media team, which recently visited WilmU's New Castle campus to record a video interview with Dr. Burnham for the benefit of the nation's service members and veterans.
"A lot of personnel transitioning out of the military experience difficulties," said Dr. Burnham. "They thought my story would be a good model to show that there is life after the military, that you can do great things in the world."
The February 13 interview about his post-service experiences, which was broadcast via the American Forces Network to military locations worldwide and posted to YouTube, was apparently the result of an online search.
"They actually read my LinkedIn bio," Dr. Burnham said. "I got an e-mail from the Department of Defense news division out of the clear blue. I was totally surprised by the request."
He considered meeting with Airman Corey Kingsbury and his camera crew at the Defense Media Activity studios in Fort Meade, Md., but ultimately invited them to familiar territory. "Then we could talk about how friendly Wilmington University is with the military," he said.
While Dr. Burnham is no stranger to public speaking, he hasn't spent much of his time in the spotlight focused on himself. However, he's not shy about sharing the lessons he's learned with other service members and veterans.
"It's easy to wonder where you're going next, but you should not approach life after the military with any despair," he said. "Your outlook should be one of celebrating life. Life is to be lived, not to be bottled up and boxed in."
When he left the Marine Corps in 1969 at the rank of sergeant, "I was going into another chapter of my life. An opportunity to turn it into whatever I wanted it to be," he said. "That's the way I felt then. That's the way I feel now. Tomorrow's an opportunity. I want to do something that makes a dfference, not only in my life, but in someone else's."
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