1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,640 All across America and around the world, this is Veterans Radio. 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,920 This is Veterans Radio. 3 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:17,840 Welcome to Veterans Radio. 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,560 I am Jim Fossone. 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:22,880 I'm the officer of the deck today. 6 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,720 We've got some great programs for you. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,760 I think you'll find very interesting. 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:34,480 We always want to remind you you can find more about Veterans Radio at its Facebook site 9 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:37,280 or at the web. 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:42,720 VeteransRadio.org is our new URL, VeteransRadio.org. 11 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:48,240 Where we're on the web 24-7, you can find a lot of our podcasts there as well. 12 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:55,520 We post new ones every Tuesday, so you can get a new story, a new interview, something 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,280 you didn't know before by going to VeteransRadio.org. 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:04,560 And before we get started, we want to thank our sponsors. 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:13,840 First up, we want to thank National Veteran Business Development Council, NVBDC.org. 16 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:19,520 It was established to certify both service disabled and veteran owned businesses. 17 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:26,080 You'll find out how they can help your business by going to NVBDC.org. 18 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,600 We want to thank Legal Help for Veterans. 19 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:35,080 Legal Help for Veterans fights for veterans disability rights all across the nation. 20 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:46,120 You can reach them at 800-693-4800 or on the web at LegalHelpForVeterans.com. 21 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:51,360 We want to welcome to VeteransRadio today Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee. 22 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,040 We are very honored to have him on. 23 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,040 He is a recipient of the Medal of Honor. 24 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,040 Master Sergeant, welcome to VeteransRadio. 25 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,280 It's great to be here and thank you for having me. 26 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:09,720 Well we're glad to tell your story and promote some of the things you're working on, but 27 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,120 it's sort of let's go all the way back to the beginning. 28 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:21,920 How did a nice kid like you from Oklahoma find himself in the military? 29 00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:24,520 I came from a military family. 30 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:34,600 So I was always very interested in service and whatever movie was out in Hollywood, laborizing 31 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,040 certain parts of it, that's what I was going to do. 32 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:44,640 I joined the National Guard in high school, kind of lit the fire and ended up in the Marine 33 00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:45,640 Corps. 34 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:53,480 I have an ADHD and I can't stick to anything too long and decided to run myself through 35 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,240 the Army and see how that was. 36 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,120 Yeah, it's really a fascinating start here. 37 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:04,080 It is what I wanted to talk about is you jump into the Oklahoma Army Guard, I think you're 38 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:10,320 at 17 years old and after graduating high school, move into the Marine Corps for eight 39 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,760 years. 40 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,000 What were you chasing? 41 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,440 I was chasing an adventure and I was chasing a challenge. 42 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:26,720 So the National Guard was kind of a great way to get me started and led me to validate 43 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,200 my belief that I was destined to serve. 44 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:36,760 I was really looking for that deeper challenge and the adventure. 45 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:42,240 The Oklahoma National Guard was neat but as I got out of high school I wanted to see other 46 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:47,920 parts of the world and the Marine Corps promised me that and delivered that. 47 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:55,160 I think a lot of youth kind of wonder if they measure up and do I measure up to what my 48 00:03:55,160 --> 00:04:02,640 father's generation or my grandfather's generation was, was that a little bit of this as to the 49 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,400 National Guard's okay but do I measure up to the Marine Corps? 50 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,480 Yeah, definitely there was a piece of that. 51 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:14,600 My father was a Marine and my grandfather beforehand was a Marine and of course they 52 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,240 both told me not to join. 53 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,680 They took that as a personal insult. 54 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,240 They don't think I'm tough enough, I'm definitely going to show them. 55 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,680 Yeah, that's how that works isn't it? 56 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,320 Reverse psychology. 57 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:33,080 You did the Marine Corps for eight years and then in 2009 you joined the United States 58 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:38,280 Army but you joined the Army with something in mind I suspect, right? 59 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:40,560 Again, measuring up. 60 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:47,240 So I joined the Army as an 18XRA contract which means you go straight to Special Forces 61 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:53,400 selection, I was you know prepared for that as a For sure Constance Marine it was not 62 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,480 super challenging to pass selection. 63 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:01,240 The Q Corps caught me off guard but yeah I was a civilian for 12 hours. 64 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:07,000 The afternoon where I was released from the Marine Corps that next morning I joined the 65 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:08,000 Army. 66 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:16,040 It's an unusual and interesting and probably telling sequence of events that get you into 67 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,640 the Army Special Forces. 68 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:24,000 You have I think a total service record of about 24 years along the way of say you got 69 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:30,920 promoted to Master Sergeant in the US Army but also along the way we're moving into the 70 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:38,800 2000s and we're going to find ourselves post 9-11 with fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. 71 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,200 Tell us a little bit more about your career. 72 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:51,880 So my very first deployment in the Marines the nation transferred to war footing so I 73 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:57,320 was having a cool adventure traveling around Asia and woke up on the morning of September 74 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:06,880 11th 2001 and I was in the military at war and the rest of my career nearly every point 75 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:15,560 of my career was fighting the war on terror which was you know it was it was unique gratifying 76 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:21,640 I'm glad I got to serve my country and heartbreaking I think every at least once a year I you know 77 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,000 buried a friend in service to the country so that was you know also you spend a piece 78 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,880 of yourself doing that. 79 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:34,560 Well your time in the Marines had you in I believe Iraq and on on our province if I've 80 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,160 got the notes right here. 81 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:46,280 So yeah I did live down of Al-Sod both trips and we had a direct action mission as a forces 82 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:54,400 reconnaissance Marine attacking the mid-level members of Al Qaeda so it was very rewarding 83 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,640 work you know a lot of times you kind of have to be subjective about how valuable your service 84 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:05,200 is both of those trips I did not have to really look around to see if it was valuable every 85 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:11,400 night I did something that was you know profoundly valuable and rewarding. 86 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,440 One of the things you've commented about and we're talking to Medal of Honor recipient 87 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:23,280 Earl Plumlee you've talked about the diversity of people that you served with both in the 88 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:29,640 Marines and in the Army talk a little bit about why that's important to you. 89 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:38,840 Well to me as an American I think that every citizen should get the chance to serve and 90 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:44,480 that's not always possible and should want to serve and I always thought it was really 91 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:50,840 neat to see the full cross spectrum of the United States and as I always said is the 92 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:56,000 after boot camp a group of friends I had made there when we got put our civilian clothes 93 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:04,640 of Gautam town it was hilarious picture because we had cowboys out of Texas you know farmers 94 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:12,960 out of Kansas surfers out of Southern California and you know kids out of Boston New York and 95 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,040 none of us dressed even remotely the same. 96 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,840 And you thought you yourself I ain't in Oklahoma anymore. 97 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:24,760 Yeah I'm definitely not in Oklahoma. 98 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:34,600 You know as you continue to serve and you were sent into Afghanistan there's a particular 99 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:40,760 battle in August of 2013 at forward operating base. 100 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:50,640 John Z tell us what happened that day that sort of has certainly changed your life. 101 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:55,800 Yeah well it's definitely changed my life. 102 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:02,280 The Taliban decided to make an example out of our camp and do a spectacular attack. 103 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:08,280 They were hoping to kill enough Americans that maybe we would decide to leave. 104 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:14,040 Only for them you know my unit was having a change of command so we had a triple the 105 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:18,640 number of green braids that would normally be on installation. 106 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:25,720 And they initiated the attack with a 4000 pound truck bomb and 15 members of their unit 107 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:34,200 with suicide vests and brand new Chinese rifles stormed through the breach they'd made and 108 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:39,240 fortunately found me and my friends waiting for them on the other side of that wall. 109 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:44,200 This is one of these things that I don't care how much you think about it. 110 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:53,240 You can't practice this it's reactive and how did you and the other green braids of 111 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:58,480 special forces soldiers react here. 112 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:05,640 Well we didn't know the nature of the attack and we knew with a bomb that size there was 113 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:12,240 undoubtedly going to be injuries and possibly a fight so we grabbed our stuff and moved 114 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:18,880 to the point of conflict and unfortunately the Taliban didn't tell us exactly what they 115 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,920 were doing so we parked right in the middle of them. 116 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:28,440 Another one of those brilliant decisions by who's driving the vehicle right. 117 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:29,440 Stop here. 118 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:37,800 Yeah stop here what are these guys doing and they all started shooting us up. 119 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:42,360 Part of this was the insurgents were dressed in Afghan National Army uniforms if I understand 120 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:43,360 it. 121 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:53,000 Yeah so they tried attacks like this several times and they were always changing the techniques 122 00:10:53,000 --> 00:11:01,240 that they were using and this one they decided that they could never pass the American but 123 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:06,840 they definitely looked like Afghan so they used that to get deep into the camp without 124 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,480 being fired. 125 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:16,680 And let me just read from the military times article quote without regard for his own safety 126 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:21,840 his staff sergeant plumly hopped out of the vehicle using his body to protect its driver 127 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:27,320 while drawing a sidearm he fought off two attackers was wounded by a dead named suicide 128 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:33,640 vest before he could get to adequate cover he killed two insurgents in his field of fire 129 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:39,040 but at least eight were still firing on American forces he left his position with only his 130 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:47,520 pistol in advance on the enemy alone finally reaching a fellow soldier behind cover after 131 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,960 what must have seemed like ours under intense enemy fire he and others the other soldier 132 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:57,240 no longer alone withdrew to join other American and coalition troops who were preparing a 133 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:03,840 counter attack and a quote and and both an American and a Polish soldier were killed 134 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:13,120 in this insurgent attack as as it's reported I'm not going to ask you to talk about this 135 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:19,680 master sergeant it you know just sort of seems that I'll let the I'll let the article 136 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:26,040 and your actions speak for itself but coming out of that incident you were awarded the 137 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:33,720 silver star and subsequently it was upgraded to the Medal of Honor and presented to you 138 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:41,440 by President Joe Biden in December of 2021 nobody nobody goes into the military for the 139 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:51,000 decorations right that was never a big part of my plan I was chasing I was taking chasing 140 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:56,280 the stuff that you would make sure uniform look fancy like jump wings and dive bubbles 141 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:01,360 you know and go under all the cool schools but yeah it was never my plan to get a purple 142 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:07,840 heart or a valor award yeah nobody should seek the purple heart yeah if your plan is to get 143 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:13,960 the purple heart call me and let me talk you down that's a terrible plan is time moved 144 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:21,760 on and as I said the battle occurred in 2013 and and eight years later it's the silver 145 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:28,280 star gets upgraded to the Medal of Honor this is I think most people don't understand is 146 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:36,360 what a rigorous process getting an upgrade or getting the Medal of Honor being awarded 147 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:41,920 to you is can you talk a little bit about that period of time where hey these other 148 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:48,200 guys are talking about this should be upgraded and and and your reaction to all of that so 149 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:55,040 I uh you know at first there was a ton of the of interest in scrutiny and then you know 150 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:59,000 the award got downgraded to the silver star and and I thought that would be the end of 151 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:04,760 it and especially as an E6 I was I remember being profoundly relieved that it got downgraded 152 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:14,520 I was terrified for the eventuality of having to wear the Medal of Honor and you know the 153 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:19,320 members of the panel gone and the upper levels of the Army would call me from time to time 154 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:28,040 asking for clarification over the years and I kind of got used to it and it was you know 155 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:33,800 about six months before I got the Medal of the phone calls you know changed in nature 156 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:38,680 and they quit asking me about the battle or asking me for access to people for for witness 157 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:43,840 statements and they started asking me what I was doing and where I was going to be and 158 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:48,120 that's when I started to kind of think that something was up but you know honestly I 159 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:54,480 was I remember you know having pursuing my career as a silver star recipient and the 160 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:58,960 incredible scrutiny of the Medal of Honor was off of me and and I was just really happy 161 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:05,680 to get back to work as a Green Beret and have my career. I think that's what a lot of people 162 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:14,360 don't understand that the Medal of Honor is sort of thrusted upon you isn't it? 163 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:23,920 It is and it's a it's a you know it's an incredibly humbling thing and it's nerve-wracking you 164 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:31,320 know the rest of the time that I spent in uniform until now you're you're scrutinized 165 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:37,600 in a positive way but everyone is always going to remember what you said and emulate 166 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:43,360 your behavior and and that could be you know that could be overwhelming. 167 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:50,160 There is a Medal of Honor Award process review board the first kind of look at it the board 168 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:57,080 said hey the guy is just doing his job and it didn't under that review reach the level 169 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:03,560 of a Medal of Honor it was subsequently looked at again and moved up upgraded to the Medal 170 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:14,800 of Honor. You at some point get a call telling you it's been upgraded and let's start working 171 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:21,240 on coordination to meet the president and receive the award. Very few men will ever 172 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,600 get a chance to go through that month or two where that's going on. Tell us what's going 173 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:29,200 on during that period. 174 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:35,600 So I got a call from the president he told me I was going to be getting a Medal of Honor 175 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:41,440 and you know spoke to me for kind of a long time in my opinion I don't know how long people 176 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:49,520 usually get to talk to the president but immediately after that you know I talked to a woman from 177 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:55,960 the Pentagon and she was she was like hey this is still a tightly held thing we don't 178 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:01,680 want to tell anybody but we also don't want you getting deployed or sent into a training 179 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:06,840 environment where you won't be able to get reached because the day was still not set 180 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:14,840 after the president called me and I told him yep that's fine don't worry about it I got 181 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:21,160 all that handled and hung up hung up honor and then immediately deployed on what would 182 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,360 be one of my last orders. 183 00:17:25,360 --> 00:17:33,280 Well the logistics always work out and there is a lot of logistics to get you friends family 184 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:40,880 members of the unit into Washington for this tell us a little bit about that. 185 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:47,840 So when we finally got warned hey you need to be in at the White House on this day we 186 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:55,560 had about 10 days I think to get it done and the Army decided I needed to wear the new 187 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:03,520 service uniform the AGSU and I didn't have it and they had a piece of it that would fit 188 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:08,760 me at somewhere at an O base almost completely across the United States. 189 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:13,800 And let me say you're not you're not a small you're not a small guy. 190 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:21,240 I'm not a small guy I got big feet apparently but they put one together my boots actually 191 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:29,600 came in the evening before the ceremony and the honor guard from Arlington they took turns 192 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:34,320 polishing my boots for me so that I could sleep but the first time I ever put that uniform 193 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,640 on was about an hour before I went to the White House. 194 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,520 Those are the little back room things none of us see but you do get to be in the back 195 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:47,600 room and talk to the president a little bit before they open those doors and all the lights 196 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:54,600 are on and the nerves really run how was meeting the president? 197 00:18:54,600 --> 00:19:02,320 You know it was it's amazing whether he's whether you voted for him or not if you're 198 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:07,760 if you're meeting the president of the United States and you're not just odd you know I 199 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:14,320 challenge you how patriotic you are so it was really neat the president and the first 200 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:20,560 lady were you know very gracious to us and treated my family like a million bucks and 201 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:26,760 uh and you know he was late because of uh an engagement obviously the president was 202 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,280 busy and so we got to just kind of wander around the White House unsupervised for a 203 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:34,600 few hours uh which my uh my daughter took full advantage of. 204 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:39,920 Yeah she's got selfies and probably uh you know maybe a maybe a White House ash trainer 205 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,160 purse at that point. 206 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:50,040 Well she's this is a really neat sword it's George Washington sword. 207 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:54,000 So I want to talk about you used this word earlier and so I'm going to bring it back 208 00:19:54,000 --> 00:20:02,280 to you and you said hey I was terrified to wear the Medal of Honor that that continues 209 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:07,360 to kind of roll around in your brain until it's probably becomes a bigger deal and when 210 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:13,960 they finally put the medal on you where were you in that process were you still terrified 211 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:19,000 asking yourself do I measure up just like you asked yourself when you jumped into the 212 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,200 Marines? 213 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:29,040 I mean I still do you know there's a Medal of Honor Society and we have a convention 214 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:34,200 uh at least once a year and and uh every time I walk into that room with the other recipients 215 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:41,960 um it's always stunning to me that I blog in there with them um and uh it's uh I think 216 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:49,600 the Medal it's it's definitely one of those things um you know my actions in 2013 got 217 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:55,360 me nominated for but you you feel compelled to earn that thing every day. 218 00:20:55,360 --> 00:21:00,040 One of the things once once you have been bestowed this honor it's sort of like a knighthood 219 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:07,480 I think everybody looks at you differently and and um I know that you were a former student 220 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:15,680 athlete uh in high school you have an opportunity to talk to a lot of young men and women uh 221 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:22,760 because of this honor tell us how you wear this responsibility on a daily basis. 222 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:30,680 So I always try to be uh I try to be a good steward of the profession you know the profession 223 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:31,680 of arms. 224 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:38,560 I served for you know 24 years 11 months and I was I was proud the day I put on the uniform 225 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:43,200 and it was just as proud the day I took it off and uh and I think the country is worth 226 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:49,000 fighting for and worth sacrificing for and uh the only thing I can do at this point is 227 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:56,760 serve as a role model for people to emulate that behavior um and you know I like to educate 228 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:01,600 that you build the country the country doesn't build you and and you don't need a uniform 229 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:06,280 to serve the country so if uh if something needs fixing don't look around for somebody 230 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:11,480 else to do it um you know roll your sleeves up get your hands dirty and solve the problem 231 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,080 and make your country a better place. 232 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:20,280 Earl one of the things I've seen you say in the press before is about the importance of 233 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,600 a positive mentor. 234 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:28,240 Can you can you elaborate on that both in your own life but but as importantly for our 235 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,240 younger generation? 236 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:38,560 Yeah I mean a positive role model or mentor you find somebody that you want you want to 237 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:46,280 emulate somebody you want to be um and they've already made all the mistakes they can they 238 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:53,600 can explain how things work uh what to expect and how to do do the job better and a role 239 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:59,800 model and a mentor um if they're genuine should always want to see you surpass them 240 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:04,200 and uh and once you get one it's just it's such a rewarding experience to be on either 241 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:12,800 side of that relationship and uh I never um I always I always feel uh sad for somebody 242 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,880 that never had a mentor to kind of help them figure out the best way to get to where they're 243 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:22,040 going and then for also you know if if you've uh if you've mastered a profession and you 244 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,600 really don't get to uh go hands on with someone and and make them the best person that they 245 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,120 could be that's that's its own reward that you're missing out on. 246 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:35,440 You've also made and we're talking to uh master surgeon Earl Plumlee retired middle 247 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:42,240 of honor recipient you've also talked about the role the national guard plays in in bridging 248 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:47,880 the gap between the military and civilian worlds and then a time where patriotism seems 249 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:55,840 to wane recruiting seems to be down talk to us about the importance of bridging that gap. 250 00:23:55,840 --> 00:24:03,040 So the national guard is just such a great touch point for the federal government the 251 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:07,480 state government and the civilian population. 252 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:12,320 They truly are the the bridge you know when you see the when you see somebody in uniform 253 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:17,880 you you know you kind of understand what they are but a national guard that's that's somebody 254 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:24,880 from your community that has chosen to take time out of their life to be there and you 255 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:30,320 know in Oklahoma every time there's a national disaster or a tornado one of the first things 256 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:35,440 that happens is they activate the national guard and get them out there to help those 257 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:39,720 communities recover and I think it's important that's that's something that the country owes 258 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:46,240 you and that's something as a people we owe the country is to be that person that says 259 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:51,040 I know it's not safe yet but I'm going to go out there and make it a little bit better. 260 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:57,480 We want to thank Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee Retard from the United States Army, a Medal 261 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:01,640 of Honor recipient for taking some time to talk to Veterans Radio today. 262 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:20,800 Thank you so much.