David Chepauskas, a senior wealth planner at Summit Monetary in Crimson Financial institution, New Jersey, embodies the spirit of service in a number of methods. Early in his life, he felt known as to volunteer for the navy throughout the Chilly Battle. In spite of everything, it runs within the household.
His father was one of many longest-held prisoners of struggle throughout World Battle II, having been captured in North Africa and held for greater than 800 days, till the Nazis surrendered.
“He obtained captured in February of 1943. And his mom didn’t know he was alive till November of that yr,” Chepauskas says, preventing again tears. “Veterans of World Battle II didn’t speak about it a lot, however I knew what he had accomplished and I admired it and was impressed by it, like many individuals [who were] impressed by their dad and mom.”
Chepauskas graduated from faculty at 21 and made a cross-country journey from New Jersey to Fort Sill in Oklahoma to start his navy coaching. It was “an enormous tradition shock,” he says.
Over the course of his navy profession, Chepauskas served as a area artillery officer within the 101st Airborne Division in Berlin, Germany, the place he commanded the most important artillery battery within the US Military.
“We had been outnumbered in Berlin like 25 to at least one,” he stated. “We had been simply there as a deterrent to the [then] Soviet Union from advancing.”
Chepauskas added that one of the crucial rewarding issues within the navy was with the ability to watch younger troopers develop and develop. “Within the navy, seeing guys have success and switch into good leaders and good troopers is an incredible reward. That’s your job as an officer,” he stated.
After serving for simply over 12 years, Chepauskas determined to retire from the navy to deal with his household. With three younger youngsters, having to maneuver from home to accommodate is usually troublesome for navy households. That’s when he determined to enter monetary planning, with an unique deal with veterans.
“I discovered I like working with them. A variety of of us know one another, we now have related values, we’re patriotic and we care about America. In order that’s who I like doing enterprise with,” Chepasuskas stated.
“I feel everyone knows, typically veterans don’t get all of the thanks that they deserve. They made these sorts of sacrifices, and so they can simply simply be swept underneath the rug of society. These of us that that got here out extra lucky, I feel we now have one thing of an obligation to these of us that didn’t come out 100%,” he added.
Chepauskas stated advisors ought to work with shoppers on charitable tax planning so as to give extra to these in want.
“There’s plenty of veterans that come out of the navy, a lot much less lucky than me, who’re both bodily wounded or emotionally wounded,” he stated. “I attempt to present folks how they will redirect cash to charities.”
Chepauskas and his nation membership, in partnership with the USAA and Monmouth County, New Jersey, raised $25,000 to sponsor and practice a service canine for a fellow veteran who struggled with PTSD. He stated watching the veteran come again a yr later and settling again into civilian life was “life altering”.
“That’s the type of factor that you can do when you have got monetary success,” he stated. “It’s one thing it’s your decision your children to recollect you for extra than simply monetary success. You’re serving to folks and altering their lives.”
Chepauskas added that he’ll all the time be amazed on the quantity of duty he was given within the navy at a younger age.
“I used to be 23 years previous, commanding an artillery battery, taking pictures reside ammunition [reaching] 20 miles and never killing anyone,” he stated. “After I look again at what I did on the time, it was pretty. You traveled the world. I managed to get pleasure from it and like it. I fell into it by chance, however they had been among the greatest years of my life, certainly.”
