​Fate, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a predetermined course of events or the ultimate outcome of a person’s life, driven by a divine, natural, or universal force. It seems to capture how three lives intersected: Tanner Middleton and Sean Davis and Brad Pietzyk of Rogue Cell. Davis and Pietzyk are veterans. Davis joined the U.S. Army as an infantryman in 1993 after finishing high school at Sweet Home in Linn County in 1991. He left the service in 1999 but reenlisted after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. In Iraq, he endured an ambush in Taji that left him critically injured, earning a Purple Heart and becoming one of the few who survived. After returning home, Davis held various jobs and earned three degrees: an associate from Mt. Hood Community College, a bachelor’s in English from Portland State University, and a master’s in writing from Pacific University. He later moved to Astoria with his wife Kelly, where he met fellow Iraq veteran Pietzyk at a veterans breakfast, and the two quickly formed Rogue Cell.
Rogue Cell is a veteran-focused organization that aims to strengthen connections among rural Oregon veterans and share their stories. Its activities include hosting a radio show on KMUN, organizing veteran dog-walking outings on Saturdays, hosting monthly veteran breakfasts at Lums Auto Center, and launching a new art night at the Astoria Armory. Davis and Pietzyk also traveled 4,000 miles across Oregon to interview veteran organizations, lawmakers, and community leaders for their documentary, “Battlefields and Backroads.” “Brad and I were both volunteering with veteran groups in Astoria when we met,” Davis said. “Most veterans lose camaraderie after leaving the service. Oregon has struggled with veteran suicide for a long time, so this organization is about visibility and ensuring veterans feel there are people looking out for them.”
A 2025 American Psychological Association poll found that 54% of Americans feel isolated, and one in three feel isolated every week. In this context, organizations like Rogue Cell and the Clatsop County Softball League, recently formed, aim to address loneliness and isolation. Tanner Middleton, who started the Clatsop County Softball League in 2025, has faced his own battles: not with war-related PTSD, but with alcohol. His recovery began on July 14, 2024, and it led him to seek purpose and new directions in life, including writing