Veteran turned advisor embodies spirit of service
David Chepauskas, a senior wealth planner at Summit Financial in Red Bank, New Jersey, embodies the spirit of service in multiple ways. Early in his life, he felt called to volunteer for the military during the Cold War. After all, it runs in the family.
His father was one of the longest-held prisoners of war during World War II, having been captured in North Africa and held for more than 800 days, until the Nazis surrendered.
“He got captured in February of 1943. And his mother didn’t know he was alive until November of that year,” Chepauskas says, fighting back tears. “Veterans of World War II didn’t talk about it much, but I knew what he had done and I admired it and was inspired by it, like many people [who were] inspired by their parents.”
Chepauskas graduated from college at 21 and made a cross-country trip from New Jersey to Fort Sill in Oklahoma to commence his military training. It was “a big culture shock,” he says.
Over the course of his military career, Chepauskas served as a field artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division in Berlin, Germany, where he commanded the largest artillery battery in the US Army.
“We were outnumbered in Berlin like 25 to one,” he said. “We were just there as a deterrent to the [then] Soviet Union from advancing.”
Chepauskas added that one of the most rewarding things in the military was being able to watch young soldiers grow and develop. “In the military, seeing guys have success and turn into good leaders and good soldiers is a tremendous reward. That’s your job as an officer,” he said.
After serving for just over 12 years, Chepauskas decided to retire from the military to focus on his family. With three young children, having to move from house to house is often difficult
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