34 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Navy operations while serving with the Vietnamese Infantry Battalion in the Mekong Delta from 1968-1969. To Caine, the best part about volunteering is the people. “It’s meeting people and listening to their stories. For me, listening and learning from others is critical,” said Caine, who taught at universities for over 40 years and has a Ph.D. in social and organizational psychology. Besides Patriots Point, he has previously volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, the American Heart Association and assisted various fundraising efforts like the Symphony Orchestra in Nashville. Caine served in scout leadership positions most of his adult life, including 22 years in Brentwood, Tennessee. “I believe in helping kids grow and develop and understand,” Caine stated. He tells Patriots Point visitors that this isn’t just about Vietnam or military service. “It’s about service to others. And that’s what drives me to be a volunteer, because I honestly believe that we need to encourage more active service to each other,” emphasized Caine. *** Victor Coachman served 21 years active duty in the Marines and taught Marine Corps JROTC for another 10. This is Coachman’s fourth year volunteering at Patriots Point, where he is a docent, welcoming people to the USS Yorktown and sharing some of its historical background. He is also one of the tour greeters. Coachman wears myriad community service hats. On Monday mornings he volunteers at the North Charleston VA Clinic on Rivers Avenue. He is also a member of Dorchester County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Coachman and his fiancé Delores are passionate about feeding local homeless people and prepare around 3,000 hot meals annually. What started as a personal mission after he grew tired of watching homeless people get pushed aside has now officially become a recognized 501(c)3 charity called Circle of Love Charleston. Additionally, Coachman volunteers at Purpose, an adolescent group home in Summerville, where Circle of Love prepares homecooked meals for teenagers and staff the first Sunday of every month. He also mentors boys through Purpose’s new Manhood program. Furthermore, Coachman is a member of the Marine Corps League. “We do a lot of volunteer service to help veterans in the community,” he said. He’s also a member of the Montford Point Marine Association. Coachman grew up in Miami in an environment where the church was an integral part of the community. “The idea of serving and helping has always been ingrained in me,” he explained. “It’s in me to help folks and this is what I do.” *** Art Rooney, a Charleston native and retired major general who spent 35 years in the Air Force, has been volunteering with Patriots Point for just over a year now. The Summerville resident primarily helps visitors at the information desk as you enter the USS Yorktown, but he also drives around in a golf cart providing people with mobility issues assistance moving among the various exhibits. Rooney likes driving the golf cart and interacting with visitors, as well as sharing historical tidbits about the USS Yorktown. He loves pointing out that women, famously known as “Rosie the Riveters,” played a significant role in constructing “The Fighting Lady.” The ship was built in the early 1940s, at a time when most able-bodied men were off fighting in World War II. our town Victor Coachman, retired Marine.
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