Cheryl J. Wilkinson, vice president of the Joseph Dutton Guild, shared with the Hawaii Catholic Herald a testimonial about her personal devotion to Dutton. Here is an excerpt.
I became involved when I was at Kalaupapa with my husband, Michael. I was standing by St. Damien’s gravesite, and Dr. Maria Devera came up to me and asked me if I knew of Dutton. I told her no. I stood by his grave, and she began to tell me his story. I swiftly began to fall in love with this veteran.
He was a Quarter Master, and towards the end of the war, he had to pick up the carcasses on the battlefields. I know for me, during the Persian (Gulf) War and remembering Highway 1 after it was bombed, the aftermath of the bodies … was horrendous. I cannot imagine having to pick up the remains of our heroes.
(Dutton) talked about how at the end of the day he had to start taking a nip of alcohol to get through what he had to experience. He became an alcoholic. I am certain, I, too, would have to look for some sort of coping mechanism to deal with the horror of such an experience.
Dutton was a lost soldier who, at the end of the war, lost his marriage and struggled with alcoholism. So many of our veterans meet such a crossroads. Today, 22 veterans a day commit suicide. The other veterans transition to their life’s next journey.
For Dutton, one day he decided to go into a Catholic church. He found God. Later on, he heard of Father Damien helping leprosy patients on the island of Molokai. He knew that was his calling. It was a way to make his penitence, so to speak.
He managed to find his way to the island and dedicated the remaining 44 years of his life helping the Hansen’s disease patients. He treated them with the tools he learned from the military, with dignity and respect. He used his leadership skills and was able to form a viable social organization on the island. He learned from the people of Molokai as well.
Dr. Devera asked me if Michael and I would be interested in spreading the word of Dutton. I was very humbled and honored to have such an amazing task asked of me. I would do whatever I could to help this veteran get recognized.
We had St. Michael get us veterans through the war, and we needed a veteran to provide us such hope to get us through life after the war. I believe we can make a difference, as hope has and does have a big meaning. Dutton found that out by finding purpose in something greater than himself.
