Getting to know Joe Caldwell
Thank you for serving our country. Can you tell me about your time with the Marine Corps? My time in the Marine Corps was very rewarding. I was stationed in California, Okinawa, Quantico Virginia, Paris, France, North Carolina and aboard ship for 6 months. I got to see many different places including France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, the Philippine islands, Africa, Corsica, Sardinia, and Italy. I’d do it all over again.
What was it like to work in the funeral industry? The funeral industry was something I got in to shortly after graduating high school. It was a job that was demanding, but I loved helping people during one of the worst times of their life. The first man I ever worked for told me one day that if you treat the people that walk through my door like you would want to be treated you will never go wrong, and he was right. People want and need compassion and understanding. That bit of advice has stayed with me for many years and still applies to the job I am at now.
How does your experience as an EMT help in your role at WHS? I worked as an EMT while at the first funeral home where I was employed. I have used that training and experience throughout much of my life and still do to this day.
You were a city councilman for Locust Grove. Why did you want to serve in public office? I actually wanted to be a City Councilman to make sure the Police and Fire Department of our town was taken care of. It was an eye-opening experience and something I would never consider doing again. I learned very quickly that it is impossible to please all of the people.
You have several thousand skydiving jumps under your belt! What makes you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane? I knew I wanted to skydive for a very long time. I’ve always been a bit of a daredevil and it looked like so much fun. I was completely hooked after my first jump. When I am jumping, nothing else clutters my mind. I don’t think about anything else but the jump I am on. When I first leave the plane, it is the total feeling of freedom that I enjoy so much. And skydivers know better than anyone else that freedom is just on the other side of fear. I’ve had so many memorable jumps that it’s hard to pick a favorite.
Besides skydiving, what is your life like outside of work? And how do you like working at WHS? Outside of work and skydiving, my time is usually spent with friends and family. I’m currently helping my best friend remodel her house. I really enjoy doing that and sometimes wonder why I didn’t get in to carpentry. I LOVE my job here at Work Health Solutions! And the people I get to work with!
