Military vet, immigrant’s son lauds U.S. freedoms

Charles Paksi leads strategic development at New York-based Altium Wealth and has been a member of Legatus’ Fairfield County Chapter in Connecticut since 2017. He has served in the military for 31 years and is an assistant professor of military science for the Connecticut Army National Guard.

He grew up an only child in rural Wisconsin. His father, who escaped Communist Hungary during its 1956 uprising, was a cabinet maker, and his was mother a nurse. He joined the U.S. Marines in 1991 and participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1992-93. After leaving the Marine Corps, he joined the Air National Guard while finishing his education and participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Oman, Djibouti, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan in 2002. He then served as an infantry officer with the Connecticut Army National Guard as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2010. He holds the rank of major.

He is married to his wife, Alexis, with whom he has four children.

How did your father’s experiences in Hungary affect him?

He saw firsthand the oppression by the Nazis and Communists in his homeland and was grateful to immigrate to a country where he could enjoy both freedom and material blessings. He liked to remind me about all we enjoy in this country; our poor are rich in comparison to much of the world. 

We’d get in the truck to go to Saturday evening Mass, and he’d remind me that in most countries people can’t afford an automobile, yet we had two. He’d start the truck and remind me that in much of the world, even if people had a vehicle, they may not have access to fuel or a means to afford it. We’d drive, and he’d remind me that in most countries people don’t have the freedom to go where they want to go. 

We’d stop at the store for bananas, bread, and milk, and he’d remind me that in much of the world bananas are a luxury, and people would line up around the block for bread and milk. We’d go to Mass, and he’d remind me that most people in the world aren’t free to worship as they wish.

This has been reinforced in my military service, which has taken me to many parts of the world. Unequivocally, the U.S. is the best place in the world to live, and to the chagrin of some, the American dream is still very much alive in this country. If you’re willing to work, you can enjoy prosperity as well as freedom.

What led you to join the military? What skills have you learned there?

It was something I’d wanted to do starting about the age of 7. I’d tell my parents, but it was not something they paid a lot of attention to until the day I brought home a recruiter and enlisted. It was my way of giving back for all I’d been given.

I’ve learned many skills in the military. One of the most notable started within my first 30 days in the Marines: leadership.

Why do you think all branches of the military are reporting shortfalls in recruitment today?

The overwhelming factor is childhood obesity. We’re not finding enough quality people who even get close to the standard. When I was a kid, I remember First Lady Nancy Reagan promoted physical fitness in schools. It’s something we could use today.

Even as we celebrate Fourth of July this month, some young people have been taught that America is a bad place with a history of mistreating people. How do you respond?

There are always going to be things that we do not do correctly, but I have a different perspective. I see America as a place where people can live in freedom, enjoy religious liberty, and pursue the life they want to live.