By CPT(R) Kevin Byrne
Sunshine stretched across “The Plain,” the 12-acre parade field at West Point, on May 2, 1993. I was a cadet, graduating later that month to begin my career as an Army Aviation officer.
While warming up for a run, I noticed members of a tour group gathered around Brigadier General Robert Foley, our Commandant and a Medal of Honor recipient, having earned the award while commanding a rifle company during a fierce battle near Quan Dau Tieng, Republic of Vietnam, in 1966. He was telling them about American Soldiers’ tenacity throughout history. General Foley shared poignant examples of combat, relentless onslaughts of overwhelming enemy forces collapsing onto weary bands of brave Soldiers.
“They would never stop. They would never quit.”
He repeated the phrase, sharing examples of tactical, mental and physical challenges our Soldiers faced while in combat.
“They would never stop…” often referred to the unrelenting enemy attacks. Other times, the Army officers, NCOs and Soldiers were the focus of his claim, adding, “Time and again, they would never quit.”
I never forgot those words. It was one of 10,000 lessons I carried through Forts Rucker, Bragg, Bening, Campbell, Leavenworth and into Camp Eagle, Korea, where I commanded Delta Troop, 1/6 Cavalry (Darkhorse). I flew the AH-64 attack helicopter and led officers and Soldiers responsible for unit-level maintenance on our 24 Apaches. It was 1999.
The unrelenting attacks of multiple sclerosis (MS) took shape that fall, sending me to the flight surgeon with issues of numbness, tingling and blurred vision. He sent me to a neurologist; she sent me to get an MRI at a local Korean hospital. On October 6, they handed me a 3-page report (Hangul on top, English on the bottom). Most of the report made no sense to me, but the words “possible multiple sclerosis” were a problem. We drove back to Eagle; I would see my neurologist in Seoul the next day. I still had work to do–Never Stop…
Two weeks later, at Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii, doctors confirmed my diagnosis of MS.
“We’ll have you transferred to Walter Reed for further evaluation.”
I fought that order from my medical team. It took the first Two-Star in my chain of command to approve my request to remain in-country. For nine months, I continued to command my Darkhorse Soldiers, grounded from flying but still doing most of my job. I was a non-deployable Soldier in a remote overseas base camp with no medical support should something go wrong. I still had work to do–Never Quit…
I returned to the States on my terms. Evaluations and medical out-processing left me as a disabled veteran armed with a DD-214 and the advice, “When you get to where you’re going, go to the VA and give them your medical records.”
I followed those orders to the front desk of the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, where an old Soldier wearing the iconic three-service-ribbon hat with the words “Korea Veteran” thumbed through my records.
“Welcome home, Captain Byrne.”
There, I first learned how to give back and support others. The VA helped me get my MS under control. In return, I built a new life in corporate America. My company sent me across the United States and Europe. I was “healthy.” I didn’t look like I had MS. It was time to give back, so I rode in the National MS Society (NMSS) bike ride, raising $2,671. I moved to New York City that summer, riding with their Chapter and raising another $1,000. Life was good.
It will never stop…
MS resurged like a firestorm, with unrelenting physical and mental/emotional attacks. I had to quit my new job. I moved to Delaware and into my sister’s spare bedroom. The local VA hospital saved me, treating both my MS relapses and my suicidal ideation.
…nor will we.
I’ve never been the same. My physical health returned, but never to the level it was. In 2017, I medically retired for the second time. Emotionally, I struggled for years. But I still had work to do, so I lived as an example and gave back. Never Stop… Never Quit…
I volunteered with the VA and continued to ride/fundraise with the NMSS. In 2010, I welcomed my daughter into the world in Oregon. All the while, I continued to face the incessant onslaught of MS. Sometimes I win, but never completely. When I lose, I fight to take back what I can. Never Stop… Never Quit…
My strength is in the stories I tell. My blogs and books echo the battles I face alongside other veterans battling MS and depression. My struggle raises awareness of our collective fight. My fundraising fuels the research needed to win our wars.
I lost the ability to ride a bicycle, switching to a recumbent trike. I can’t take that out anymore, so I do fundraising rides in the garage. My next 100-miler is this September. That will push my giveback total over $1 million.
It will never quit… nor will we.
Weakness and spasticity have led to countless falls, broken bones and torn ligaments. I’m a danger to myself when I try to walk, stand or live. In 2023, I addressed that situation with the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS)—a device that helps my brain create new pathways around damage caused by MS. This improved my balance and gait so much that I participated in this year’s Walk MS event in Portland!
Several years ago, General Foley authorized me to use his words as my mantra and mission. He left me with one directive:
“Keep fighting and keep writing.”
I’m a Soldier for Life, with only one response.
“Yes, sir!”
I still have work to do…
Kevin Byrne retired as a Captain in 1999. In his professional byline, he considers himself a “father, author, disabled veteran and voice in the fight against multiple sclerosis.”
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