Message of hope

FORT RECOVERY - A 74-year-old decorated Vietnam War veteran shared his story of being burned beyond recognition by an exploding hand grenade and how he found hope afterwards.

Dave Roever spoke to a gymnasium of more than 100 students, guests and veterans at Fort Recovery High School Friday, offering a lesson on overcoming adversity and living honestly.

Roever was a river boat gunner in the elite Brown Water Black Beret in Vietnam. On July 26, 1969, he picked up a white phosphorus hand grenade about the size of a Coco-Cola can, pulled the pin and when he drew back to throw it, the grenade was struck by a bullet and exploded in his hand.

Afterward, he was hospitalized for 14 months and had several major reconstructive surgeries. He experienced burns all over his body, has a prosthetic ear, only one nostril and is blind in one eye.

"The Navy says I'm 100% permanently, totally disabled and unemployable. I have a job. I speak all over the world," Roever said.

Roever shared intimate parts of his life, which drew an emotional response from the crowd.

Students and guests wiped their eyes and sniffled.

"You need to understand (that) no matter what age you are, fight for what you believe in," Roever told the crowd. "If you love them, give your whole heart to them. (You have) to build and create the life you want and the best way to do that is to live honestly."

A large portion of his speech focused on morals and overcoming adversity.

"There are a lot of people who tell you what you cannot do. There are a lot of folks in your life who will say 'You can't do that,'" Roever said. "Don't let the world define you. You define yourself. You stand for what you believe in. You stand for what's right and good and you'll always have a job. You'll always have a purpose."

Even after what most would consider a tragedy, Roever finds humor and hope.

Roever described how after the grenade exploded, he jumped into the water from the boat. Because of the phosphorous in the grenade, the water heated up quickly, he said.

"My skin was all around me. Floating. I was beside myself," Roever said, making the crowd chuckle.

Roever said when the helicopter rescued him, 60 pounds of his body had been burned off. He caught the stretcher on fire, he said.

"Life is not fair, and if I could make it fair, I would for every last one of you. But I can't," he said, his voice breaking. "What I can do is encourage you to … use your pain for somebody else's gain and it will help you heal," he said.

Before Roever left for the war, he promised the woman who later would become his wife he would come back without a scar. After the blast, Roever had contemplated suicide because he didn't want her to see how disfigured he was.

"Suicide is not your solution," he said. "Think, for just a moment, who wins and who loses. When you take your life, your enemies will dance on your grave. Your life is priceless."

High school principal Tony Stahl said Roever has a way with kids and getting his message across to them.

"It was a great message. I thought he did a nice job," Stahl said. "With everything going on, all the COVID stuff last year, we were looking for something to kick off the year," Stahl said.

Mike Schmitz, Fort Recovery, a sergeant first class in the Army for 22 years, was in the crowd on Friday.

"I hope the kids learned a little bit. I guess I learned a little something. No matter how bad you think it is, somebody's got it worse," Schmitz said.