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 --> 00:01:00,000 you didn't know before by going to VeteransRadio.org. 14 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,560 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 --> 00:01:46,600 You can reach them at 800-693-4800 or on the web at LegalHelpForVeterans.com. 21 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:54,680 This program is going to focus on some amazing Michigan military members and veterans who've 22 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,400 continued to support the military after they hung up the uniform. 23 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:04,520 This is part of our annual recognition of the work being done by the Michigan Military 24 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,000 and Veterans Hall of Honor. 25 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:14,040 Each year they induct about 12 individuals, six military and six in the veteran space 26 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,000 into the Hall of Honor. 27 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:21,320 And it's really an educational process so that people know what other members of their 28 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,680 state have done. 29 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:29,800 About half of the states have Hall of Honors or Hall of Fame's recognizing military and 30 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,040 veterans. 31 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:35,800 So Michigan's chose to make theirs a Hall of Honor. 32 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:37,160 It has a board. 33 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:48,240 You can find more about it by going to mimilitaryvethallofhonor.org or simply put into your favorite search 34 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,120 engine, Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor. 35 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:56,760 The program will be on October 25th. 36 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:57,760 That's a Friday. 37 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,840 It will be in Lansing, Michigan at the Michigan History Museum starting at 1230. 38 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:04,840 The list of the inductees is on the website. 39 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,160 But we're going to talk to three board members about the various inductees. 40 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,920 I think you'll find this interesting. 41 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:20,280 The Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor is producing these video clips and audio 42 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:28,760 clips to explain to folks those who are being inducted into the Michigan Hall of Honor. 43 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,920 I'm Jim Fossone, one of the board members. 44 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:37,200 And with me today is Army Veteran Robert Nier, who's also a board member and going to tell 45 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:42,640 us about three of the members who are being inducted into the Hall, specifically in the 46 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,640 military category. 47 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:49,200 Robert, tell us a little bit about Harry Stewart. 48 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:50,360 Good morning. 49 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,400 Thanks for having me, Jim. 50 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:53,800 I really appreciate it. 51 00:03:53,800 --> 00:04:00,760 In this military category, this includes nominees who are career military personnel, 52 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:06,880 either retired or still serving with exemplary records of their military achievement, significant 53 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:12,440 combat experience, or groundbreaking contributions that have had a substantial impact on their 54 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:13,960 branch or component. 55 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,200 So really excited to talk about all three of these inductees. 56 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:22,520 But with retired Lieutenant Colonel Harry Stewart, I'd like to talk a little bit about 57 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:28,200 him and introduce him as one of our first inductees in 2024. 58 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:32,640 He is a distinguished American fighter pilot known for his service within the Tuskegee 59 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,280 Airmen during World War II. 60 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:40,600 His career represents a legacy of breaking down barriers, courage and combat, and commitment 61 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:46,240 to advocating for civil rights and contributions in the African-American servicemen. 62 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:53,560 Early in his life, he was born in Newport News, Virginia, raised up in New York City, 63 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,440 and he was actually born in 1924. 64 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,240 He developed a passion for aviation from a young age. 65 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,480 It was very clear to him and his family. 66 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,880 He was visiting New York City's Floyd Bennett Field when he truly found out that he had a 67 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,360 passion for flight. 68 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:17,560 So his early military career led him to joining the famed Tuskegee Airmen, and he was as the 69 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:22,640 first African-American military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps. 70 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:29,320 This was before the Air Force and was assigned to the Tuskegee Airmen Airfield in 1943 as 71 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,680 part of the U.S. Army Air Corps. 72 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,200 And this is a challenge back then because despite racial barriers of the time, Stewart 73 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:42,960 he completed rigorous training and earned his wings in 1944, becoming a second lieutenant. 74 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:48,440 Yeah, I can go into a lot more detail here, Jim, if you'd like me to, because I'd like 75 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:49,440 to talk about him. 76 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,960 He's really kind of inspirational because he did so many firsts. 77 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,320 He did things that people didn't think men like him could do. 78 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:58,960 So tell us some more about him. 79 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:05,080 Yeah, so he was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, known as the Red Tails. 80 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:11,040 Stewart flew 43 combat missions in Europe, piloting the P-51 Mustang, which was an awesome 81 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,480 aircraft at that time. 82 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:18,240 His missions included bomber escorts, ground attacks, and reconnaissance. 83 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:24,160 At Colonel Stewart, he's credited with shooting down three German aircrafts in one day during 84 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,480 World War II. 85 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:29,680 And it was a feat that he accomplished and he was actually awarded the Distinguished 86 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:33,480 Flying Cross from that combat experience. 87 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,800 And we should point out to those who don't know that Distinguished Flying Cross is one 88 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,000 of the highest awards one can receive. 89 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,960 And so this was quite a significant accomplishment. 90 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:45,960 Yeah, it was. 91 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,920 And during that time period, this was all going on while he was facing racial discrimination 92 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,200 and he remained dedicated to his missions and his comrades by showing us that he was 93 00:06:55,200 --> 00:07:00,040 able to accomplish this type of work in the field and to get rid of all that in his head 94 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,200 and still continue the mission. 95 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:09,280 He didn't lose a single, not one single enemy fight is what he's accredited with. 96 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:17,240 So tell us why he is so maybe inspirational is the word, maybe educational is the word. 97 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:23,360 Why should young and Michiganders kind of look and learn more about his story? 98 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,040 Oh, he's a trailblazer in many areas. 99 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:35,360 His life and career, even today to today, serve as an inspiration for breaking barriers 100 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:40,680 as courage and building resilience and emphasizing the collective courage of the Tuskegee Airman 101 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:41,680 as a whole. 102 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:46,320 Some of the awards and recognition that he has received over the years for his military 103 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,960 service has been inspirational and continues to be inspirational. 104 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:56,080 I saw that he earned a mechanical engineering degree from New York University when reviewing 105 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:01,560 his materials and he went on and retired as Vice President of the Vain Art Pipeline Company 106 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:08,680 in Detroit, Michigan, which was a large scale interstate national gas pipeline system operations. 107 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:14,480 These men off and women often get out of the military and have a fabulous career, don't 108 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:15,480 they? 109 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:16,480 Yeah, they can. 110 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:17,480 Absolutely. 111 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:18,480 Yep. 112 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:23,280 Especially those who have found a way to work through all in process through all the things 113 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,400 that they did while in the military and combat. 114 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,760 So we certainly encourage others to go learn more about him. 115 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,240 He actually wrote a book that is kind of one way you can learn about him, but you can go 116 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:40,440 to the Michigan Military Veteran Hall of Honor website and learn more about him or your favorite 117 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:41,600 search engine. 118 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,920 Do you have the name of that book handy? 119 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,520 Because I think it's something people ought to look at. 120 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,040 I do not have that handy. 121 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,040 I apologize. 122 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:51,040 Well, I do. 123 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:52,040 Here you go. 124 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:57,680 Floring to Glory, a Tuskegee Airman's first-hand account of World War II. 125 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:04,360 So we'd encourage people to delve more into it, and he is really well qualified, isn't 126 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,680 he, Robert, to be inducted into the Hall of Honor. 127 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:08,680 Yep. 128 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:11,400 It is an honor and a privilege to be able to share a little bit. 129 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:15,600 Once again, just a little bit of his story, considering how much of an impact he's had 130 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,920 around the world based off of his mission experience and his experience being shared 131 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:22,440 as legacy. 132 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:29,160 We're talking to Robert Nier, an Army veteran who's also a member of the board of the Michigan 133 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:30,760 Military and Veteran Hall of Honor. 134 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:36,120 He's going to talk to us about another military inductee here in 2024. 135 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:37,920 Tell us about Carl Richter. 136 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,040 Yeah, Carl Richter. 137 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:41,800 Thank you for having me first off, Jim. 138 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:46,360 And Carl, he was a United States and other Air Force veteran. 139 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,600 He was an officer and a fighter pilot renowned for his bravery and accomplishments during 140 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,560 Vietnam War. 141 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:59,880 He was just 23 years old when he became the youngest pilot to shoot down a MiG fighter. 142 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:06,480 That's actually a huge accomplishment, a MiG-17 fighter at the time, in air-to-air combat, 143 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,760 demonstrating exceptional skills and valor. 144 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:14,120 And might I add, he shot down this MiG with a F-105 Thunder Chief. 145 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,040 So for those of you who know history in the Air Force, you'll know that that is not the 146 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,800 most versatile air fighter. 147 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:27,800 It was primarily designed to be a bomber, but it was able to be multi-use, both with 148 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:29,440 air tactics as well. 149 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,160 So that is an amazing feat that he was able to accomplish that. 150 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:37,960 And he still holds that as the youngest individual pilot to shoot down a MiG, which was kind 151 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,000 of impressive. 152 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:46,120 But Richter grew up with a fascination for aviation as he was determined to become a 153 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,440 fighter pilot from a young age. 154 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:54,960 He was born in Holi, graduated from Holi High School, and then attended the Air Force Academy, 155 00:10:54,960 --> 00:11:01,000 and he excelled academically and in flight training, graduating in 1964 and joining the 156 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,360 fight in Vietnam. 157 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:04,880 Just an awesome story. 158 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:11,320 And all the details will be on the Hall of Honor's website, and they will also be live-streamed. 159 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:13,480 But I can go into more detail if you'd like, Jim, because... 160 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:20,560 I think one of the... you know, this is a small country kid who was fascinated by flight. 161 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:26,920 We'd encourage people to review his story and see how that dream, whatever your dream 162 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:32,160 is, Carl Richter is a good example of how you can fulfill your dream. 163 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,840 And tell us a little bit about his combat missions. 164 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:41,880 Yeah, he flew... he's got one of the most impressive records for combat missions. 165 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:48,040 Once again, he flew the F-105 Thunder Chief conducting strike missions over North Vietnam. 166 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:53,120 He quickly earned a reputation for his precision, his courage, and flight prowess, because he 167 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:57,840 was able to really get in there where people thought it wasn't even possible. 168 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:03,760 He served one of the big things back in the day in the Air Force for that time period 169 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,440 was to complete your hundredth combat mission. 170 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,880 So he did complete his hundred combat missions. 171 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,240 Now you've got to go home right in Vietnam if you wanted to after a hundred missions, 172 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:14,240 I believe. 173 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,000 See, I don't know that detail, but I know that that was the milestone. 174 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:18,000 Okay. 175 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,800 And so that makes sense of why it was such a milestone. 176 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:27,000 So he not only did a hundred, he did almost 200, 192 missions, and continued to be the 177 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:33,560 first one in to risk danger and to go out there and do some amazing things. 178 00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:37,400 He did... once again, he's known for being the youngest individual in Vietnam to shoot 179 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,320 on a MiG-17. 180 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:48,400 And his reputation also went on to say that he was unwaveringly brave even to the end 181 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,960 when he was shot down. 182 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:52,360 I think it was 1967. 183 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,280 It was... yep, July 28th, 1967. 184 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:01,360 On his 198th mission, he was shot down, struck by enemy ground fire. 185 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,960 He was able to try to navigate back to base. 186 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:06,440 The plane went down. 187 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:12,760 He ejected and was later, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. 188 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,120 But an amazing legacy from a young boy right here in Michigan. 189 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:21,000 Well, and that legacy is recognized at the Academy. 190 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,160 There's posts named after him in Holly. 191 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:29,920 I mean, everybody who's looked at this story or seen the stories about him, I think there's 192 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:35,920 a movie on him, have really been inspired by what this young man did in a short life, 193 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:36,920 in a short career. 194 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:40,280 Yeah, it was amazing. 195 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:45,200 He was also given the Distinguished Flying Cross as well, which as you noted, I'm in 196 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,880 the other inductee, that's not something that's just handed out as the highest award 197 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,320 in the Air Force. 198 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:56,160 He also received the Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Metal. 199 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:00,400 I mean, he was a highly decorated individual for such a young age. 200 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,840 Well, thank you for telling us a little bit about this pilot's pilot. 201 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:09,240 We're talking to Robert Neer, who is a board member, an Army veteran. 202 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:14,120 He's a board member of the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor. 203 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:21,120 Robert, tell us a little bit about Andrew Kubik, who's being inducted into the Hall 204 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,520 of Honor in the military category this year. 205 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:28,560 You know, Andrew Kubik is the most recent warfighter that I've been honored with being 206 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,440 able to present on. 207 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:35,160 We are excited to have him as an inductee into the Michigan Military and Veteran Hall 208 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:41,600 of Honor as his story, both military service and post-military service, have really become 209 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:48,200 an inspiration to many people across the world, and not the world in Michigan and in the nation, 210 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,760 specifically around resilience and adversity. 211 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,920 Really excited to be able to talk to you a little bit about Staff Sergeant Andrew Kubik 212 00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:06,080 as he was in the Afghanistan Wars, but he was a special, I believe he was a controller, 213 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:07,080 but I will read. 214 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:12,640 Yeah, he was an Air Force Special Operations Combat Controller, which a lot of people don't 215 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:18,400 even know what that is, and again, we'd encourage you to do more research, go to the website, 216 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:24,240 learn about some of these roles, and some of the just amazing things these men and women 217 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:25,240 have done. 218 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,680 But tell us about Sergeant Kubik. 219 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:34,960 Yeah, so Sergeant Kubik, he was born and raised in Harbor Beach, Michigan, a small town near 220 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:35,960 Lake Huron. 221 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:43,320 At a young age, he had a tough experience where he lost two friends, and that really 222 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,520 shaped and formed his life. 223 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:50,960 The full story will be posted on our website for you to dive into, but this helped shape 224 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:59,360 his life around wanting to serve, protect, and really go above and beyond in trying to 225 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:00,360 take care of people. 226 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:07,440 So at a young age, he was already destined for greatness, and I believe that some of 227 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:14,240 his really cool stories that were fascinating to him as a child were rooted in his desires 228 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:19,280 to understand strength and resilience in the face of adversity, and he was captivated by 229 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:23,840 stories of the mafia, Japanese Bushido, and later the close-knit brotherhood of modern 230 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,560 special operations military teams. 231 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:31,160 This really formed him to wanting to join the military and to go in as a combat controller 232 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,440 in the elite Air Force unit. 233 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:41,600 These combat controllers are on the ground directing the planes up in the air on where 234 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:45,600 their combat missions, where they're supposed to drop their munitions. 235 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:52,720 I mean, it is in the thick of it, isn't it, and that was part of the excitement, part 236 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,240 of the, I'm going to do this job for Kubik. 237 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:57,480 Yeah, absolutely. 238 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:04,520 And you know, being from that same era of wartime, these individuals as combat controllers 239 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,800 are, I give them the utmost respect because without them we weren't able to accomplish 240 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:10,800 our missions. 241 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:15,560 With him specifically, we want to talk about what it was that he was able to do. 242 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:23,600 He had one very significant mission in near the Battle of Kandahar in August, or I'm 243 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:30,240 sorry, November 23rd of 2001, where this battle was pretty intense. 244 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:36,320 During an operation with the 500-man anti-Taliban force, Kubik's team was ambushed by enemy 245 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:40,440 force in a variety, in a valley near Kandahar. 246 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:45,960 Despite being under heavy fire from anti-aircraft guns, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, 247 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:53,360 he was able to stay exposed to coordinate an emergency close air support strike. 248 00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:59,320 This is extremely decisive action, putting yourself in danger, and under fire is just, 249 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,640 I can't imagine the stress in that. 250 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:07,720 That because of his success, he was able to control numerous bombing runs with devastating 251 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,360 effectiveness turning the tide on the entire battle. 252 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:15,920 It was breaking Taliban resistance and clearing the way for the final offensive of Kandahar. 253 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:21,840 So this was a huge, a very significant time period in the battle of Afghanistan. 254 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,640 He was actually noted as being overwhelmingly responsible for breaking the back of the Taliban 255 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:28,640 resistance. 256 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:35,840 Just an absolutely amazing story which led to him being awarded the Silver Star. 257 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,840 And one of the things you find out when you delve into these interesting stories about 258 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:48,160 these interesting men and women is how significant one person can be. 259 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,880 And you know, sometimes we go through life and think, ah, I'm just one guy with one vote, 260 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:53,480 one this, one that. 261 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,880 But this is where you really see one person makes a difference, doesn't it, Robert? 262 00:18:57,880 --> 00:18:58,880 Absolutely. 263 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:04,320 And in that battle, without him, it just, it was, nobody predicted the same outcome. 264 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:10,280 So phenomenal individual being able to complete his mission in the face of adversity, especially 265 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,960 with that kind of overwhelming adversity. 266 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:19,800 I also see in his resume that in 1999, he was named the United States Air Force Special 267 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:27,160 Operations Command, NCO of the Year, by honor for participating in a rescue effort of a 268 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,800 down to F-16 pilot in Serbia. 269 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:39,520 Again a whole series of actions demonstrating his professionalism and his effectiveness. 270 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:45,960 As a heroism, just an absolutely, he is very, he's 100% worthy to be inducted into the Hall 271 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:46,960 of Honor in Michigan. 272 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:56,040 We're so glad that you could tell us a little bit about anti-cubic and being inducted into 273 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,800 the Michigan Military and Veteran Hall of Honor. 274 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:04,160 We would encourage people to go to it, go to the website, there's a Facebook page, learn 275 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:12,680 more about these men and women officers, we're from, you know, generals to privates, to staff 276 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:18,320 sergeants, all sorts of ages and races. 277 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:25,560 So it's really a snapshot capturing those who've served in the military from the state 278 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:26,840 of Michigan. 279 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:33,200 We're going to talk with board member Lieutenant Colonel Jim Dempsey, retired from the United 280 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,400 States Air Force, about a couple of the different inductees. 281 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:42,960 We're hoping that this will interest you to go to the website, read more about those 282 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,960 Michiganders who have been inducted into the Hall of Honor, and maybe do a little more 283 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:47,960 of your own research. 284 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,000 These are truly inspiring people. 285 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:56,320 Jim, welcome to, first we want to talk about Edgar Colbertson. 286 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:01,720 What can you tell us about this gentleman who's being, has been inducted into the Michigan 287 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:03,320 Hall of Honor? 288 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,320 Yeah, absolutely. 289 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:14,600 Edgar Colbertson is a Michigan native, lived in the state for over 20 years, and his hometown 290 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,680 is Ferndale, Michigan. 291 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:30,080 He was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and he was a, the rank he held at the time of 292 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:35,840 his death was Boat's ones mate, first class, U.S. Coast Guard. 293 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:41,680 He served 1952 to 256 on active duty. 294 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:54,240 He was in the reserves for two years following active duty through 1958, and he also remained 295 00:21:54,240 --> 00:22:07,880 active in the reserves until 1960, in April 30th of 19, excuse me, he was on active duty 296 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:12,680 from 1952 to 256. 297 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:22,160 He also, he served in the reserves from 56 to 58, and then returned to active duty where 298 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,120 he died on April 30th of 1967. 299 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:34,560 Well, tell us a little bit about his heroic acts that led to his ultimate demise. 300 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,040 Surely. 301 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:45,920 He was assigned to the USS Durant, a lifeboat station Duluth, Minnesota. 302 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:57,680 And you know, the report on the, of the event that happened in Duluth was that meteorologists 303 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:07,280 in Minnesota residents often refer to that date of April 30th, 1967 is Black Sunday. 304 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:15,760 They described the 1967 Iowa, Minnesota tornado outbreak and heavy winds and rain in Duluth. 305 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:21,760 And during the storm waves on Lake Superior in Duluth were over 20 feet high with water 306 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,200 temperatures around 36 degrees. 307 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:30,240 Gale force winds gusted to up to 45 miles an hour. 308 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:37,280 Around 745 p.m. that evening, a witness reported to the Duluth Police Department that three 309 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:44,920 boys, Eric Nathan and Arthur Halverson, were at the end of the Duluth entry North breakwater 310 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:50,960 light pier when one of the boys was washed into the water by a large wave. 311 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,600 The other two were stranded at the end of the pier by high winds and waves. 312 00:23:55,600 --> 00:24:01,600 The police department contacted the Coast Guard lifeboat station in Duluth for assistance. 313 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:06,200 So this is where Edgar Colbertson came in. 314 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:16,000 He he and fellow members of the Coast Guard tried to made an unsuccessful attempt to rescue 315 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,920 the boys. 316 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,040 Edgar was 31 years old at that point. 317 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:27,360 A veteran of the Korean War, he had served in the Coast Guard since 1952. 318 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:33,920 He and two other Coast Guardsmen, boatsman mate, second class Richard Callahan, 21 of 319 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:41,880 Cicero, Illinois and farm and Ronald Prey, 21 of St. Francis, Wisconsin volunteered to 320 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:43,440 attempt to rescue. 321 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:49,040 And after arriving at the pier, they tethered themselves together with a rope spaced 25 feet 322 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,880 apart and began searching the pier with a lantern. 323 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:57,560 They struggled to the end of the pier, but did not find the missing boys who had already 324 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,600 been swept over the side. 325 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:07,320 As Colbertson, Callahan and Prey returned along the pier, another large wave crashed 326 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:11,000 over the wall knocking Colbertson over the side. 327 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,400 His body was later found on the beach. 328 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:20,040 There's a permanent marker honoring Colbertson, which was placed on the pier by Lake Superior 329 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:25,280 Maritime Visitor Center near the spot where he perished. 330 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:31,840 He is one of only two Coast Guardsmen to have died in the line of duty while serving in 331 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:33,840 Minnesota on Lake Superior. 332 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:43,760 Colbertson, I tell you Jim, those of us here in the Great Lakes States, we know how brutal 333 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,880 the big lakes can get. 334 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:53,960 This is a story of somebody who put themselves at risk to try to save another in public service 335 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:59,880 and certainly is an appropriate member of the Michigan Military and Veterans' Fall of 336 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:01,880 Honor. 337 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,160 Wrapping up, anything else you want to tell us about Mr. Colbertson? 338 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:11,400 Yeah, just the fact that all three of these service members were awarded the Coast Guard 339 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:17,720 Medal, the highest peacetime medal awarded in recognition of heroism, and at the time 340 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:22,920 it was awarded, it had only been awarded to 44 individuals. 341 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,800 Significant accomplishment for this gentleman. 342 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:30,480 Real inspiring story, and that's why he's in the hall and we want you to go read more 343 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:38,480 about him, go to the website and learn more about Edgar Colbertson. 344 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:44,000 Another gentleman being inducted into the Michigan Military and Veterans' Fall of Honor 345 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:51,280 is Major General Oliver Dillard, who spent his last years here in the great state of 346 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:52,280 Michigan. 347 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:58,240 We're talking to Jim Dempsey, Lieutenant Colonel, retired from the United States Air Force. 348 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,200 Jim, tell us about General Dillard. 349 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:17,920 Yeah, Oliver Dillard was born in September 28, 1926 and lived until June 16, 2015. 350 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:25,040 He was a United States Army Major General, the fifth black officer in the United States 351 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,920 Army to attain the flag rank. 352 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:32,760 He was a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame, Officer Candidate School Hall 353 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:40,160 of Fame at Fort Wachuka, Arizona, and Fort Benning, Georgia respectively. 354 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:46,740 General Dillard became the first black graduate of the National War College in 1965, also 355 00:27:46,740 --> 00:27:52,800 served as the first black general officer in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff 356 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:54,720 for Intelligence. 357 00:27:54,720 --> 00:28:00,640 He was the last J2, or Senior Intelligence Officer, for the United States Military Assistance 358 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,640 Command in Vietnam. 359 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:08,640 He was the first US Army Forces Command Deputy Chief of Staff Intelligence and the first 360 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:14,080 black Deputy Chief of Staff for US Army Europe. 361 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:19,960 Dillard retired from the US Army in 1980 after a career spanning 34 years. 362 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:24,920 Well, there's a gentleman who saw a lot of firsts and broke a lot of barriers on his 363 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:25,920 way. 364 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:30,240 We're talking with Lieutenant Colonel Jim Dempsey, United States Air Force, retired. 365 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:34,440 He's a board member of the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor, and we're talking 366 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:41,120 about some of the men and women who've been inducted into the hall telling their story, 367 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:45,280 encouraging you to do a little more research, go to the website and learn more about these 368 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,440 inspiring men. 369 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:52,640 Jim, can you tell us about Michael Hanks? 370 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,040 Absolutely. 371 00:28:55,040 --> 00:29:00,280 Michael Hanks was a Marine. 372 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:09,560 He was born in Howell, Michigan, and his home of record was very close by to where I reside 373 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:10,560 in Dexter. 374 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:14,160 His home of record is in Gregory. 375 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:18,320 It was in Gregory, Michigan. 376 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:27,680 Michael was born in October of 82, and he was 22 years old when he died in November of 377 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:28,680 2004. 378 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:41,080 I'll give you an excerpt here from his honor that was bestowed on him shortly after the 379 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:43,000 time of death. 380 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:53,320 It states that as a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps, he served in capacity 381 00:29:53,320 --> 00:30:00,840 as the first team leader of the First Platoon Lima Company, Third Battalion, from 8 to 17 382 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,840 November of 2004. 383 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:09,480 On 8 November, while clearing enemy strong points during intense urban combat in Anbar 384 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:15,920 Province, Iraq, Lance Corporal Hanks' team was ambushed and two Marines were mortally 385 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:19,480 wounded ignoring his own safety. 386 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:25,080 Lance Corporal Hanks placed his own body towards the enemy and dragged his remaining Marine 387 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,120 out of the impact zone. 388 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:32,560 Quickly assessing the situation, Lance Corporal Hanks directed a squad man automatic weapon 389 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:38,120 rocket into the enemy stronghold, eliminating four insurgents. 390 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:44,720 As a remaining insurgent attempted to escape, he drew his pistol and eliminated him. 391 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,760 Continuing the attack, Lance Corporal Hanks came upon two armed insurgents preparing to 392 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:53,200 ambush passing friendly units. 393 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,880 He quickly engaged the enemy, killing both insurgents. 394 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:02,280 On 10 November, as the platoon pressed the assault, Lance Corporal Hanks identified two 395 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,200 escaping terrorists who had wounded a fellow Marine. 396 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:11,840 He courageously exposed himself to a hail of enemy fire and killed the two terrorists 397 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:13,920 at close range. 398 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:21,360 As enemy fire continued to impact him, Lance Corporal Hanks retrieved and carried the wounded 399 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,360 Marine to safety, saving his fellow Marine's life. 400 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:31,360 On 17 November, again disregarding his own safety, Lance Corporal Hanks bravely charged 401 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:35,000 into a heavily fortified enemy position. 402 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:39,960 During the assuming firefight, Lance Corporal Hanks was mortally wounded. 403 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:45,720 Lance Corporal Hanks' bold leadership, selfless, courageous actions that day, earned him at 404 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:52,760 the cost of his life, the US Marine Corps' third highest award for valor, the Silver 405 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:54,240 Star Medal. 406 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:55,240 Wow. 407 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:56,240 Wow. 408 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,720 And this is one of the things, Jim, as a board member of the Hall of Honor, you must 409 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:06,640 be particularly proud of because inductees into the Hall aren't all generals, they're 410 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:08,640 not all men. 411 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:17,680 This is a Marine Lance Corporal and what he did in that fight in Iraq is just inspiring 412 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,520 and what he did for his fellow Marines. 413 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:22,920 It's amazing, isn't it? 414 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:23,920 It is. 415 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:35,320 It's so significant, the patriotism and the bravery that's bestowed by this particular 416 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,520 Marine. 417 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:43,800 With some more examples of these incredible military and veterans that are going into 418 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:50,160 the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor in October 2024, you'll hear some more 419 00:32:50,160 --> 00:33:20,080 of these stories right after these words from our sponsors. 420 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:24,360 A message from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. 421 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:28,240 If you have a VA claim denied by the Board of Veterans Appeals, contact Legal Help for 422 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:32,440 Veterans at 1-800-693-4800. 423 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:36,480 They're experts in handling cases before the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 424 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,880 Their number again, 1-800-693-4800. 425 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:44,200 I'm Jim Foss on one of the board members and I have with me the chair of the board, 426 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:47,680 Valde Garcia, to talk about some of the inductees. 427 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:55,280 Valde, we're going to first talk about a 2024 inductee in the veteran category, Michael 428 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:56,280 Peck. 429 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:00,800 Can you tell us a little bit about Mike Peck? 430 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:06,440 Well, Mike Peck, or as some people would know, I'm retired Colonel Mike Peck, was a 431 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:12,120 very interesting figure because while he's being recognized for his veterans contribution, 432 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:17,160 he actually has quite a storied military background which kind of leads into what he 433 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:21,200 is, what he's done in the private sector. 434 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:25,080 So Mike Peck enlisted in the Army, I believe in 1967. 435 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:30,760 The Army quickly saw its potential, sent him to Officer Candidate School or OCS and from 436 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:35,680 there he decided he wanted to be in the Army's best. 437 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:41,480 So he went to the Army Green Berets, graduated from that, training courses as well. 438 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:47,120 And then after a short stint, I think in the third Special Forces Group was sent to Vietnam, 439 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:53,480 to join the Fifth Special Forces Group where he participated in a number of highly classified 440 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:57,200 covert missions in North Vietnam. 441 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:03,400 And those missions were highly dangerous at a high casualty rate and the fact that he 442 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:11,440 returned safely and came back in one piece, although he did win numerous awards for his 443 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:13,920 actions and he was wounded several times. 444 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:24,080 But at the end of the day, he participated in a number of, shall we say, quieter events, 445 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:30,400 if you will, in South and Latin America, ended up being a part of the drug war and all that. 446 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:39,080 And all that shaped his future because as most Army senior leaders, whether they retire 447 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:45,120 as colonels or senior NCOs, they want to continue serving. 448 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:46,200 And that's what Mike did. 449 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:52,680 And he joined General Dynamics Land Systems here in Michigan and after he retired and 450 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,280 he became part of their program. 451 00:35:55,280 --> 00:36:00,280 Over time he built up his reputation, worked in a number of different areas. 452 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:09,200 But what brings us to mind is that in the early 2010s, the Army specifically, but DOD 453 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:15,400 in general, was going through some very difficult budgetary cycles and there was a number of 454 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:17,520 things that had to be cut. 455 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:27,000 And the Army was looking to cut down the plant, the tank plant in Ohio, in Lima, Ohio, and 456 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,240 they were also looking to stop production of the Striker vehicle. 457 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:34,800 The Striker vehicle has been proven to save Army soldiers' lives and Marines for that 458 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:40,200 matter, in Afghanistan in particular and it served in Iraq. 459 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:46,720 And the Army was looking to shut down production and shut down the Lima tank plant. 460 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:53,400 Well, Mike understood the need to retain both of those systems. 461 00:36:53,400 --> 00:37:00,960 And he went to work with his colleagues and lobbied Congress through General Dynamics 462 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:05,680 and convinced them, came up with a plan to be able to retain both. 463 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:11,320 Well, it's a great opportunity for the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor to recognize 464 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:20,360 a gentleman who has really assisted in making sure Army's equipment is ready should it be 465 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:21,360 needed. 466 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:27,560 And thank you for your comments regarding retired Colonel Michael Peck. 467 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:35,000 We're talking this afternoon with the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor Chair, 468 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:36,000 Valde Garcia. 469 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:41,480 We're going to talk about Robert Seacrist, who is being inducted into the hall this 470 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,440 year, 2024. 471 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:47,840 Valde, tell us a little bit about Bob Seacrist. 472 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:54,040 Well, Bob Seacrist is one of those guys who was not born in Michigan, but somehow found 473 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:59,400 himself here in Michigan doing all kinds of great things. 474 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:04,520 After he was born raised in Iowa, attended school out there, but ended up coming to Michigan 475 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,120 and joining the Michigan National Guard. 476 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:14,240 And he was so effective in his military career, the National Guard career, that he was the 477 00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:20,440 first National Guard General Officer to go to the Army War College in residence, which 478 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:24,280 is a significant feat in and of itself. 479 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:31,000 And everywhere he went, he received, he and his units received leadership awards for best 480 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,680 unit for best capability of all his units. 481 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,960 And he was an artillery man. 482 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:41,320 And of course, in artillery, you have to use a lot of math. 483 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:46,760 And it's ironic because he ended up being a math professor. 484 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:54,360 And he has won, and this is why he's being recognized because he won all kinds of accolades 485 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:59,640 in Michigan for his work in the math field. 486 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:08,320 And he has been a numerous state and federal boards for mathematics and teaching mathematics. 487 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:10,880 He's won numerous honors on that. 488 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:18,840 And he was recognized by the Michigan legislature for his contributions to the state in this 489 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:19,840 field. 490 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:24,400 And I don't know about you, Jim, but math has never been one of my strong points. 491 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,400 So I'm glad that we have a gentleman like this to be able to do that. 492 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:33,000 But we're talking today with Valde Garcia. 493 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:38,520 He is the chair of the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor. 494 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,800 He's also a retired colonel. 495 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:45,160 But we're talking today about some of the inductees into the hall. 496 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:50,120 And we'd like to talk about Robert W. Smith III. 497 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:53,360 Valde, tell us about General Smith. 498 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:54,360 Yes. 499 00:39:54,360 --> 00:40:00,080 And I'm glad you said that, Jim, because Bob Smith is a retired major general. 500 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:06,960 He was a commander of the 84th Infantry Division in the Army Reserves, I think, or National 501 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:07,960 Guard. 502 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:09,040 I don't know exactly where. 503 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:15,680 But Bob has distinguished himself outside his military career. 504 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:21,280 He had a very successful military career, both active duty and in the guard in the reserves, 505 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:22,280 I should say. 506 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:27,960 I first met Bob a number of years ago when I was introduced to him during some of the 507 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:29,920 work with Selective Service. 508 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:33,720 But Bob is renowned for all his work in the veterans field. 509 00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:40,520 He was one of the folks that helped to bring the National Cemetery to Holly, Michigan. 510 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:48,240 He was one of the folks that helped bring the lounge to the Delta section of the airport 511 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:53,960 down at the metro airport so that veterans could go down there and relax, rest, have 512 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:58,160 a moment of peace before they have to get on another flight. 513 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:03,440 He was also helpful in getting the state of Michigan off probation from the federal government. 514 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:09,360 For veterans affairs department, because of some things that happened before he got there, 515 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:18,920 he was able to correct the mistakes or errors, if you will, the problem and was able to adjudicate 516 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:26,920 or make sure that whatever the problem was, it was taken care of and the VA, excuse me, 517 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:32,400 was able to lift that probation off of the overall department. 518 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:36,800 And of course, he was the inaugural chairman of the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall 519 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:37,960 of Honor. 520 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:39,920 And I'm glad he was. 521 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:45,760 He set the standard expectations of who we want to have in the Hall of Honor. 522 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:49,080 He helped set the foundation and get us started. 523 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:53,280 And he is a strong, strong advocate for veterans. 524 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:59,320 So all the work that you've seen him do, he's like I said, worked for the state of Michigan, 525 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:04,680 has been in support of supporting the veteran, no matter what branch of service. 526 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:09,440 Bob was an Army General, retired Army General, but it didn't matter to him. 527 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,640 Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, didn't matter. 528 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:14,400 If you were a veteran, you served honorably. 529 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:15,800 He was there to help Bob. 530 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:20,200 And really one of the things, and I think this is why he's in the veteran category, certainly 531 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:26,000 could have been considered in the military category, but Bob Smith is one of those guys 532 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:32,840 who will go anywhere, talk to anyone in support of what our veterans need and do in this state. 533 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:34,320 Isn't that the case? 534 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:35,320 It is. 535 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:42,880 And you know, he is a much sought after speaker, not only in the state, but also nationwide 536 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:45,080 and internationally. 537 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:51,240 He comes back from trips to South America and other parts of the world, the Middle East, 538 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:58,560 you know, because he is in such demand as a speaker and for his knowledge about military 539 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:03,640 affairs, veterans affairs, because all countries have veterans. 540 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:08,040 And Bob is all about helping organizations take care of their veterans. 541 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:12,360 It doesn't matter if it's Michigan, the United States, or some other nation, he's there 542 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:13,360 to help out. 543 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:18,920 He's really a good example and exemplifies what we're trying to do with the Hall of 544 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:25,120 Honor where we want to recognize when you take the uniform off, it doesn't mean you 545 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:31,760 forgot where you came from or you forgot those you were in service with. 546 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:40,560 He really has continued to serve and is an example for the rest of us to really be the 547 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:44,560 best we can be as veterans and help out, doesn't he? 548 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:45,560 Absolutely. 549 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:50,640 And Bob, you bring up a great point, just because your service ends with the military, 550 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:59,400 whether it be two years, four years, 20 years, 30 years, 35 years, many veterans continue 551 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:02,600 to serve their country because they have a sense of duty. 552 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:07,640 They have a sense of calling to help their fellow citizen. 553 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:14,040 And again, whether it's Michigan or another American, Bob is all about helping one another, 554 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:15,480 especially veterans. 555 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:20,080 He's got a heart for it, he's got a gift for it, and we're definitely very fortunate 556 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,880 to have had him as our first president. 557 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,520 His leadership, his insight, and his vision. 558 00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:33,680 Well, thank you, Chair and retired Colonel Baldy Garcia for talking to us about Bob Smith, 559 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:38,200 who definitely deserves to be in the Michigan Hall of Honor. 560 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:39,200 Absolutely, Jim. 561 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:40,200 Anytime. 562 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:41,200 Thank you. 563 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:47,320 Good afternoon, with Baldy Garcia, who is the Chair of the Michigan Veterans and Military 564 00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:49,840 and Veterans Hall of Honor. 565 00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:52,880 Baldy is a retired Colonel. 566 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:57,600 And we're talking about one of the inductees in the 2024 class to the Hall of the Veterans 567 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:01,040 category, Stephanie Shannon. 568 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:04,080 Tell us about her service, Baldy. 569 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:10,120 Well, Sergeant Stephanie Shannon, obviously served in the Army. 570 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:17,880 She served in Operation Desert Storm as a, well, I don't want to say a truck driver, 571 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:27,040 but she was in a motor transport company and was responsible for maintaining, operating, 572 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:31,160 and supervising soldiers of that company. 573 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:40,080 And as I have perhaps mentioned in previous interviews, the Hall of Honor is about getting 574 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:45,880 people in the Hall of Honor who have distinguished themselves both in and out of uniform. 575 00:45:45,880 --> 00:45:50,760 And Stephanie is one of those, again, who has distinguished herself outside of uniform. 576 00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:51,920 She served for eight years. 577 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:53,920 She served honorably. 578 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:55,320 She was a Sergeant. 579 00:45:55,320 --> 00:46:00,040 So the Hall of Honor is not all about colonels and generals. 580 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:06,000 It's about the average soldier and the average NCO who go on and do great things. 581 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:11,560 And in this case, Stephanie went on and has done some great things in the field of helping 582 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:15,400 to empower women, and especially women veterans. 583 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:22,400 It is tough, no matter who you are, no matter what rank you are, once you leave the uniform 584 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:28,760 behind, unless there's a job waiting for you, there is a challenge transitioning into the 585 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:30,120 civilian sector. 586 00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:34,600 As I tell some of my friends who are now leaving military service, there is life after the 587 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:35,840 Army. 588 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,880 There is life after the military, but it's hard. 589 00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:40,040 It's hard to get there. 590 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,680 And we have a number of people. 591 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:44,040 Bob Smith was one of them earlier. 592 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:50,840 But Stephanie Sharp is one who makes it her passion in life to help women veterans. 593 00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:54,760 And she's done that through speaking to various groups. 594 00:46:54,760 --> 00:47:00,360 She set up an organization that's called the Michigan Women's Veteran Empowerment. 595 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:04,800 And she's written, like I said, some books, battling the storm within. 596 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:12,280 And she put together another book or effort called Our Voices United, again, trying to 597 00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:18,120 help motivate and instruct female veterans for how they can navigate the transition from 598 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:21,920 leaving the military to going into the civilian side. 599 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:29,760 Because as we know, women have a lot to offer our society, our economy. 600 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:33,720 And they have done some awesome things. 601 00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:36,720 But they just got to find that right niche. 602 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:39,400 And Stephanie helps them do that. 603 00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:43,960 Here's another example of someone who was found a way to serve the community, the state, 604 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:48,440 and the nation with the talents that she developed in the military. 605 00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:53,280 We're talking this afternoon with the chair of the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall 606 00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:55,880 of Honor, Pauli Garcia. 607 00:47:55,880 --> 00:48:02,320 And we're going to talk about one of the inductees into the hall this year in the veteran category. 608 00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:06,880 Again, somebody who had a distinguished military career, but it's the work that they've done 609 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:11,240 after their service that has propelled them into the Hall of Honor. 610 00:48:11,240 --> 00:48:14,480 And I'm talking about Major General Bruce McDonald. 611 00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:17,280 Pauli, tell us about Bruce. 612 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:25,000 Well, I first met Joe McDonald when we were serving together in the Senate division. 613 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:26,520 He was commanding the division. 614 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:31,000 I was somewhere down near the bottom of the rank structure at the time. 615 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:33,040 And I didn't know him well at the time. 616 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:36,640 Didn't get to know him very well, but I knew who he was. 617 00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:47,120 Fast forward 10 years, and I find myself talking with him as he is a consultant to then Dr. 618 00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:51,760 Paul Rogers, the director of TARDAC, or the Army's Research and Development Center in 619 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:57,000 Warren, Michigan at the Detroit Arsenault, and was able to work with him. 620 00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:04,360 And General McDonald, actually Bruce McDonald in his civilian side, was an advisor to General 621 00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:09,640 Rogers on some of the things that we could do here in Michigan to support the Army's 622 00:49:09,640 --> 00:49:15,520 efforts to improve their research and development process and products and stuff. 623 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:21,240 But I think where I really got to know him is when he became the civilian aid to the 624 00:49:21,240 --> 00:49:23,880 Secretary of the Army. 625 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:27,480 And we should stop there because most people have never heard that title before, but it's 626 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:29,520 a really big deal, right? 627 00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:30,520 It is. 628 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:40,000 And let me just say that there are, I believe, one for every state and one for some of the 629 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:41,240 territories. 630 00:49:41,240 --> 00:49:50,840 But it is the person responsible to the Secretary of the Army for helping the Secretary keep 631 00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:57,200 in touch with the civilian side of our nation. 632 00:49:57,200 --> 00:49:58,200 And why do you want to do that? 633 00:49:58,200 --> 00:50:01,720 Well, the Secretary of the Army is responsible for recruiting. 634 00:50:01,720 --> 00:50:04,400 We've got to have new soldiers come into the service. 635 00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:09,040 We have to know what's going on in the state that may impact the Army. 636 00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:15,600 And it is a very important position that I must say is an unpaid, it's a volunteer position, 637 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:17,600 but you must be selected. 638 00:50:17,600 --> 00:50:24,480 And after Bruce retired from that position, they ended up hiring not just one, but two 639 00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:29,480 civilian aides to the Secretary of the Army for Michigan because our state is so big, 640 00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:32,160 the lower part, the southern part, and the northern part. 641 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:38,040 But Bruce did a phenomenal job of representing the Secretary of the Army wherever he went. 642 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:45,680 Again unpaid, so a lot of sacrifice, time of his own to help the Secretary understand 643 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:52,560 what was going on in Michigan and help relay some of the concerns that Michigan leadership 644 00:50:52,560 --> 00:50:57,880 and the thought leaders had about the Army and what was going on there with national 645 00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:58,880 defense. 646 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:00,880 He played a critical role. 647 00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:06,400 Bruce served for 31 years or so with General Motors in the area of communications for 648 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:10,240 corporate communications, started his own communications business. 649 00:51:10,240 --> 00:51:16,720 And I point this out because he then applied those communication skills that he had earned 650 00:51:16,720 --> 00:51:23,360 with every veteran group, every community group that asked for his help, didn't he? 651 00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:24,360 He did. 652 00:51:24,360 --> 00:51:29,160 He reached, he was an avid supporter of all kinds of veterans efforts. 653 00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:33,240 And he did that because he's a soldier at heart. 654 00:51:33,240 --> 00:51:41,040 We're talking with Valdi Garcia, the Chairperson of the Michigan Military and Veteran Hall 655 00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:47,680 of Honor, about one of the inductees going in on the veteran side of the hall for his 656 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:49,680 work. 657 00:51:49,680 --> 00:51:55,320 Master Sergeant Gunther Stern, Guy Stern, known to everybody in Southeast Michigan, 658 00:51:55,320 --> 00:51:57,720 Dr. Stern to many. 659 00:51:57,720 --> 00:52:01,120 Valdi, tell us about Guy Stern. 660 00:52:01,120 --> 00:52:06,720 Jim, Guy is one of those individuals with a very unique history. 661 00:52:06,720 --> 00:52:14,440 First of all, he was born in Germany and he traveled over here to the United States before 662 00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:17,480 World War II, at least with the United States started. 663 00:52:17,480 --> 00:52:21,480 He was, again, ready to go into his first year of college when Pearl Harbor happened. 664 00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:27,320 He ended up going into the Army and serving in the intelligence field. 665 00:52:27,320 --> 00:52:32,160 And that's why he rose to the rank of Master Sergeant, known as one of the Richie Boys, 666 00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:36,920 because where they were trained and educated in. 667 00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:44,040 But he has known for his post-service work, he did some phenomenal work in World War II 668 00:52:44,040 --> 00:52:46,680 as an intelligence officer, NCO. 669 00:52:46,680 --> 00:52:54,160 But the point is that because of his knowledge of German culture and German history, he went 670 00:52:54,160 --> 00:53:02,560 on to serve in a number of academic departments, teaching those topics in a number of universities. 671 00:53:02,560 --> 00:53:09,160 One of them was Wayne State University, who then had him become the provost and the vice 672 00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:12,560 president for academic affairs in 1978. 673 00:53:12,560 --> 00:53:19,920 So he served in that position for well over a decade, probably over two decades as well. 674 00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:22,320 And he did such a phenomenal job. 675 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:28,840 But then he also, in addition to that, he became part of the effort for the Holocaust 676 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:31,280 Center in Farmington Hills. 677 00:53:31,280 --> 00:53:37,680 Was one of the key, I don't want to say players, but proponents and advocates for and developers 678 00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:43,280 of the Holocaust Center, because as you know, you don't want to forget that kind of history 679 00:53:43,280 --> 00:53:46,920 because you want to prevent it from ever happening again. 680 00:53:46,920 --> 00:53:52,280 So not only was he doing that, you know, helping with the Holocaust Center, being a pro-gold 681 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:54,600 marshal at Wayne State University. 682 00:53:54,600 --> 00:54:00,520 But he also served later in life as well as on the board of the Fisher House. 683 00:54:00,520 --> 00:54:04,480 For those of you who are not familiar with the Fisher House, but it's a Ronald McDonald 684 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:09,400 House for veterans, so that, you know, veterans are seeking some kind of treatment. 685 00:54:09,400 --> 00:54:14,920 Families can stay there at no cost to them, and they can stay with their veteran to support 686 00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:17,240 them during that time of help. 687 00:54:17,240 --> 00:54:23,560 And Guy is one of those guys that has a unique history, who has, again, a colorful and very 688 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:30,400 productive military career, but then he goes on and does great things in his civilian life. 689 00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:34,480 Well, I think he's really a good example of all the, of what the Hall of Honor is trying 690 00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:37,240 to do, and that is that bridge of history. 691 00:54:37,240 --> 00:54:43,520 So Guy grew up in Germany, saw what was happening, the family gets him to the United States, 692 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:49,080 he gets back involved in the Army, finds himself back in Germany. 693 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:51,840 He understands the Holocaust. 694 00:54:51,840 --> 00:55:00,320 He understands the horror of war, and really spent a lot of his post-service time trying 695 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,840 to make sure that we didn't forget it. 696 00:55:03,840 --> 00:55:09,040 These are incredible men and women being inducted into the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall 697 00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:10,200 of Honor. 698 00:55:10,200 --> 00:55:12,600 This is just a short bio on each of them. 699 00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:13,920 We hope you found it interesting. 700 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:17,680 You'll delve more into it by going to that website or Facebook site. 701 00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:23,360 You can always reach out to Veterans Radio through its website or Facebook site. 702 00:55:23,360 --> 00:55:28,080 We can't do this program without our sponsors, including the Vietnam Veterans of America 703 00:55:28,080 --> 00:55:37,520 National Chapter, the VVA Kettles Chapter 310 in Ann Arbor, VFW Grafft O'Hara Post, 704 00:55:37,520 --> 00:55:42,440 423 in the American Legion Post, 46 in Ann Arbor. 705 00:55:42,440 --> 00:55:46,800 We'll help for veterans, our friends at NVBDC.org. 706 00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:51,840 All of this comes together to help us promote what's going on in the military and veteran 707 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:56,200 space, and we really do appreciate all the support we got. 708 00:55:56,200 --> 00:55:59,760 We had a good fundraiser on radio on the river. 709 00:55:59,760 --> 00:56:03,800 I want to thank all of our board members who helped out on that and all the sponsors on 710 00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:04,800 that. 711 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:07,440 Dale will be talking more about that, I'm sure. 712 00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:08,640 But it is a team effort. 713 00:56:08,640 --> 00:56:13,600 This is Veterans Radio by veterans, four veterans, family and friends. 714 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:15,920 We hope you'll learn a lot. 715 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:21,200 If you've got ideas for stories or organizations that need to be highlighted, we're always 716 00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:22,400 glad to do that. 717 00:56:22,400 --> 00:56:28,240 Simply reach out to us at the website, veteransradio.org. 718 00:56:28,240 --> 00:56:34,040 It's always a pleasure to bring you these programs, and we learn a bit every time, too. 719 00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:38,000 Dale and I always say to each other, I didn't know that. 720 00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:42,120 So that's how you know it's a good show, and when you walk away going, I didn't know that 721 00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:46,280 about those guys, and we hope we did that again this week. 722 00:56:46,280 --> 00:57:09,080 And until next time on Veterans Radio, you are dismissed.