Serving those who served

The tour bus goes quiet as the granite pillars and archways come into view along 17th Street in Washington. An announcement from the tour guide tells the old soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen what they already know: They’ve arrived at the National World War II Memorial.

They walk or wheel their way past a low-slung wall of 4,800 stars – each representing 100 combat deaths – then begin to take in the rest: relief sculptures of wartime scenes, inscriptions bearing the names of the places they fought. That's when the power of the place really sets in, tour guide Dominic Quihuis said.

“It takes them a few minutes to take all the sights in. They try to find the specific battles they were in, and most of the time they start crying or they just won’t say anything at all. They’ll just sit back and think and reflect,” said Quihuis, a volunteer for Honor Flight of Southern Arizona, which flies World War II veterans to the memorial free of charge. “Or they’ll start telling you stories. They always tell the funny stories or the anecdotes. That’s what got them through the hell they experienced for those four or five years.”

Quihuis, an electrical engineer at Raytheon’s Tucson, Ariz. plant, embodies the spirit of Raytheon’s Week of Service, which celebrates employees’ volunteer work – particularly time spent helping military veterans – during the week of Veterans and Remembrance Day, Nov. 9 through Nov. 15. The company employs more than 10,000 veterans, and Raytheon employees spent nearly 5,000 hours volunteering in support of the armed services in the first three quarters of 2014.

The Week of Service allows Raytheon employees to take part in a range of service events, each emphasizing activities that benefit veterans, active military and their families. This year's activities include:

• Scholarship announcements: Raytheon and Student Veterans of America have named the recipients of three $10,000 scholarships and have opened applications for a new Patriot Scholarship, which will provide $10,000 each to two Army veterans who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited university.
• Employee veterans group: The Raytheon Employee Veterans Network, or RAYVETS, a system of small groups working in support of veterans, is combining into an official Raytheon organization called an employee resource group. Raytheon's employee resource groups promote the company's culture of inclusion, diversity and individual empowerment.
• Fundraising: Raytheon’s Young Employee Success Network has donated $36,500 to Wounded Warrior Project, which helps veterans recover from the physical and psychological trauma of combat injuries. The group raised the money through a company-wide service campaign that promoted volunteerism in support of Wounded Warrior Project.
• Disney breakfast: Raytheon hosted a Veterans Day breakfast at Shades of Green, a hotel for active duty and retired military members at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida;
• Employee receptions: Raytheon campuses mark Veterans Day with receptions for employees who have served in the military.