Key Takeaways
|
Rey Reynolds never planned to become a singer. As a school resource officer at Mountain View High School in Vancouver, Washington, he was just messing around one day when he belted out a few bars of the national anthem.
The students didn't believe he could really sing. "They said, 'No, Officer Reynolds, you can't sing the national anthem,'" Rey recalled with a laugh. "I said, 'Okay, well, watch me.'"
He proved them wrong. From that moment, Rey became the voice of graduation ceremonies, escorting students to the stage and singing the anthem year after year. His background in theater and church choir had prepared him for moments like these, though he hadn't realized it at the time.
Now retired after 40 years as a police officer, Rey has found a new stage. For over a decade, he has been a consistent presence at Northwest Battle Buddies (NWBB) graduation ceremonies, lending his voice to honor American Heroes as they receive their professionally trained PTSD service dogs. But his connection to this mission runs deeper than a song.
Rey spent 40 years as a police officer in Vancouver, Washington. During that time, he responded to calls that would change his understanding of what many Veterans face when they return home. As an officer, he was directly involved in two situations where Veterans took their own lives.
"It was a terrible, terrible time," Rey said, his voice heavy. "A good man — done two, maybe three tours, [he] was a ranger — came back home and found that his wife was no longer his wife and his home had been invaded. It was just a very sad deal."
The second Veteran Rey responded to had driven to Fort Vancouver. When Rey arrived at the scene, he found everything in the man's car laid out with military precision, organized exactly as any good ranger would prepare. "Everything [was] ready and all organized, and he took his life," Rey recalled. "I had to deal with that in both cases."
These tragic experiences deeply emphasized something for Rey. The effects of PTSD on Veterans aren't abstract statistics. Real lives, real families, and real communities are affected by invisible wounds that too often go untreated.
Rey first connected with NWBB through Shannon Walker, who attended his church. When Shannon invited him to see what the organization does, Rey admits he was initially uncertain. "I was like, 'You bring dogs to Veterans?'" he said. "I wasn't sure how that's all that great."
But then he witnessed it firsthand. He saw how a professionally trained PTSD service dog could calm a Veteran in distress. He heard Veterans describe their service dogs as lifesavers. "I saw the real power of Northwest Battle Buddies," Rey explained. "It's really not just about honoring our Veterans. It's about saving lives."
From that moment, Rey became a committed supporter of Northwest Battle Buddies. He and his wife began attending NWBB events, donating financially, and watching as Veterans’ lives transformed before their eyes.
One of Rey's most memorable moments happened at a spring NWBB charity golf tournament at a local course. He walked in and saw a friend he hadn't realized was part of the NWBB program. "I saw how this grizzled combat Veteran was so kind and patient and loving to his dog," Rey remembered, "and the dog looking up [at him, thinking], 'Oh, you're the best.' It was something."
When Rey sang the national anthem at that event, the room transformed. "When we saluted, there was a unity that was so powerful that many started crying," he recalled. "Men [with] tears flowing over the national anthem. It reminded them of who they are," he said.
Singing the anthem reconnected these Veterans to their identity, their service, and their shared sacrifice. While many of their memories are painful, they can receive intentional, lifelong support by being in a community.
What sets NWBB apart, Rey explained, is the organization's long-term commitment. Unlike programs that come and go, NWBB remains present from the moment a Veteran begins training to long after graduation. The organization provides ongoing support, and even when staff aren't physically present, the service dog is always there. Community involvement is at the heart of NWBB's success.
"They are there when the Veterans need them," he said. "Even if Shannon's not there, the dog is there. There is a constant link." This ongoing relationship gives Veterans purpose and gives the community an opportunity to witness transformation firsthand.
Rey's work as a police officer gave him a unique perspective on what Veterans experience daily. He understands the toll of repeatedly facing traumatic situations and the mental discipline required to process them. "Being a police officer, you don't see the good side of people," he reflected. "You only see the rotten side. And after a while, that is your whole world."
Rey found balance through singing in plays, participating in church choir, and eventually performing at NWBB events. These outlets reminded him that goodness exists in the world and gave him purpose beyond his badge.
Now, Rey sees his involvement with NWBB as a community obligation. Veterans sacrifice more than their lives, he emphasizes. They sacrifice time with their families, their bodies, and their mental health.
"Many of these guys jump out of planes and end up, when they're 40 or 50 years old, with arthritic knees and bad backs," Rey explained. "They sacrifice more than just their lives. The least we can do is honor these men and women."
When asked about the value NWBB brings, Rey's answer is both simple and profound. The clinical evidence showing service dogs reduce PTSD symptoms matters. The individual success stories matter. But there's something bigger at play.
"The real benefit of being a part of Northwest Battle Buddies is not the dogs," Rey explained. "It's not the Veterans. It's knowing that when you bring those two together, you are actually improving the community, one life at a time."
He describes a ripple effect. One Veteran finds healing and touches the life of another. That Veteran reaches out to someone else. The community sees Veterans thriving rather than struggling. Police officers no longer have to respond to the calls that haunted Rey's career.
"No longer do the police have to go to a site like I had to go to," he said. "That didn't have to happen. Now we have people that are protected."
Rey Reynolds has dedicated over a decade to supporting NWBB because he has seen what's at stake. He has held the weight of loss and witnessed the power of healing. "We as a community have an obligation to do whatever it is we can to honor our Veterans," he said. "When they come back, we need to hold them up as the light that they are."
You can be part of this lifesaving mission! By joining Operation Never Quit (ONQ), you provide consistent funding that allows NWBB to continue providing professionally trained PTSD service dogs to Veterans at no cost. For as little as $22 a month, you can help ensure that no American Hero faces their battles alone.
"The money that you give to bless these Veterans, daily, hourly, or annually – it is well taken care of," Rey assured, "and you can bet your bottom dollar that it's going to be used properly."
There are so many ways to support NWBB’s mission. Whether you decide to donate financially, foster a puppy, or simply sign up for emails, rest assured that your support changes lives, strengthens communities, and honors the sacrifice of those who served.