WEBVTT 00:00:04.809 --> 00:00:08.630 All across America and around the world, this 00:00:08.630 --> 00:00:15.009 is Veterans Radio. This is Veterans Radio. And 00:00:15.009 --> 00:00:19.030 now, your host for today's program, Dale Throneberry. 00:00:22.259 --> 00:00:25.460 Welcome to Veterans Radio. My name is Dale Throneberry. 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.420 I was a CW -2 helicopter pilot in Vietnam in 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:31.679 1969, just to give a little credibility here 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:34.780 to the program. So yes, this is Veterans Radio 00:00:34.780 --> 00:00:37.140 and we are broadcasting live from Ann Arbor, 00:00:37.140 --> 00:00:40.700 Michigan right now on Sunday afternoon, 5 p .m. 00:00:40.700 --> 00:00:43.520 Eastern Time. If you want to listen to us live, 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:46.039 this is the time to do it. If you're listening 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:48.299 tomorrow or the next day, you're probably getting 00:00:48.299 --> 00:00:52.460 a recorded version of this story. come on in 00:00:52.460 --> 00:00:54.880 on Sunday evening and we'll you know sit around 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:57.579 have a cup of coffee and talk about what you 00:00:57.579 --> 00:00:59.640 know whatever our experiences were that's what 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:02.479 the whole idea of this program is to get record 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:06.260 our stories keep them going and let them be out 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:08.280 there in the atmosphere wherever they are and 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:11.719 people can listen to them from now to whatever 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:15.120 eternity is I guess is what they call that so 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:16.879 I'm really happy to have you here today we've 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:20.790 got two organizations that we're going to feature. 00:01:21.390 --> 00:01:24.670 One is local here in Ann Arbor and that is Camp 00:01:24.670 --> 00:01:29.209 Liberty, Michigan and Larry San Antoine is the 00:01:29.209 --> 00:01:31.129 president of that organization. He'll be on in 00:01:31.129 --> 00:01:33.829 just a second and then the other one is an organization 00:01:33.829 --> 00:01:38.049 called the Freedom 13 and Mark Schmitz is going 00:01:38.049 --> 00:01:41.099 to be on Hopefully we will talk to him later 00:01:41.099 --> 00:01:43.659 on and he'll be telling us about that organization 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:45.859 So this is another kind of our series of veterans 00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:49.340 help veterans helping veterans And I'm excited 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:51.680 to talk to both of them if you feel like you 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:53.819 need to get in on the conversation Feel free 00:01:53.819 --> 00:01:57.319 to give us a call here at seven three four eight 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:00.239 two two sixteen hundred seven three four eight 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.480 two two sixteen hundred Before we talk to Larry, 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:05.620 I need to thank our sponsors. We can't do this 00:02:05.620 --> 00:02:07.939 program just like every other seem seemingly 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:10.539 nonprofit organization out there We can't do 00:02:10.539 --> 00:02:13.560 our program without the support of our sponsors 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:16.860 So number one is legal help for veterans legal 00:02:16.860 --> 00:02:19.699 help for veterans specializes in veterans disability 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:22.280 claims Call legal help for veterans at eight 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:25.400 hundred six nine three four eight zero zero or 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:27.919 go to their website That's legal help for veterans 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:31.280 comm The National Veterans Business Development 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:34.800 Council, better known as NVBDC, is the nation's 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.199 leading third -party authority for certification 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:39.939 of veteran -owned businesses. For more information, 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.840 go to their website, NVBDC .org, or give them 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:49.830 a call at 888 -237 -8433. The Irwin Prescott 00:02:49.830 --> 00:02:52.669 and American Legion Post 46 and the Charles S. 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:55.830 Kettles Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310, 00:02:56.090 --> 00:02:58.569 both of Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you'd like to 00:02:58.569 --> 00:03:01.849 support Veterans Radio, please go to our website 00:03:01.849 --> 00:03:04.930 veteransradio .org and click on the donate button. 00:03:05.729 --> 00:03:09.909 I'm thanking you in advance. So, let's get into 00:03:09.909 --> 00:03:12.729 today's program. Guest number one today is a 00:03:12.729 --> 00:03:14.689 good friend of Veterans Radio and a personal 00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:17.710 friend of mine, and that is Larry St. Antoine. 00:03:17.849 --> 00:03:21.810 Larry was a Navy CB in Vietnam. I think he spent 00:03:21.810 --> 00:03:25.689 much more time there than I did, which is fine 00:03:25.689 --> 00:03:29.009 with me at the time. So he's also very active 00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:32.590 in the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310, 00:03:32.590 --> 00:03:36.729 and he also happens to be the newly elected president 00:03:36.729 --> 00:03:39.409 of Camp Liberty, Michigan. Larry, welcome to 00:03:39.409 --> 00:03:43.159 Veterans Radio. Thank you for having us Dale 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:49.319 and I say yes because I I Take the place of everybody 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:55.479 there Yeah, I understand it so tell me a Little 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:58.139 bit about Camp Liberty. What what is makes Camp 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:03.759 Liberty is so special well Camp Liberty Has started 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:06.520 quite a while ago, but we just redid it in the 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:10.069 2022 because former president had passed away 00:04:10.069 --> 00:04:15.229 and there was none of the former board members 00:04:15.229 --> 00:04:18.709 wanted to come forward. So we decided to take 00:04:18.709 --> 00:04:23.490 it over in 2022 and revamp everything. And so 00:04:23.490 --> 00:04:28.629 it's a 138 acre camp. We have two buildings. 00:04:29.230 --> 00:04:35.670 We do outside recreation for veterans and hunting. 00:04:36.980 --> 00:04:40.540 We were bordered by the river raisin on two sides 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:43.459 of the of the camp so we can do fishing there 00:04:43.459 --> 00:04:46.259 but we've also installed a pond now that which 00:04:46.259 --> 00:04:48.879 we will be stocking so families can come and 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:56.420 fish there. The board members include Jay Truchon 00:04:56.420 --> 00:05:00.000 who is the sheriff in Norville Township. He's 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.699 the vice president and they made me president 00:05:02.699 --> 00:05:06.819 because We just started taking first responders 00:05:06.819 --> 00:05:10.720 in. Police, ambulance, fire department. And they're 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:14.740 doing the hunts and they're the farm, the lodge 00:05:14.740 --> 00:05:16.560 and everything is available for them when we 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:20.579 have it available. So they decided because I'm 00:05:20.579 --> 00:05:22.480 an ex Detroit police officer, an ex veteran, 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:30.290 they put me in charge of it. We do... Three deer 00:05:30.290 --> 00:05:33.389 hunts a year two pheasant hunts and a turkey 00:05:33.389 --> 00:05:36.149 hunt and we're talking about opening a coyote 00:05:36.149 --> 00:05:43.430 in it the first Well, yeah, and and it it helps 00:05:43.430 --> 00:05:47.569 the The livestock that's available, you know, 00:05:47.670 --> 00:05:50.329 even the the sheep farmers have dogs out with 00:05:50.329 --> 00:05:53.490 their sheep just to keep the coyotes away so 00:05:53.490 --> 00:06:00.089 We have just also the first year we Was really 00:06:00.089 --> 00:06:03.670 a test because we didn't know all new board members 00:06:03.670 --> 00:06:07.069 all new, you know taking over our fundraiser 00:06:07.069 --> 00:06:10.910 We had a car show And it was very successful. 00:06:10.930 --> 00:06:18.329 We had 32 cars show up we had a band we had Raffles 00:06:18.329 --> 00:06:22.350 and a bouncy thing for kids and stuff like that. 00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:25.009 And so we've been we've been very fortunate that 00:06:25.009 --> 00:06:30.160 the last four years our fundraisers have really 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:36.779 expanded. And I know that a lot of people wonder, 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:41.519 you know, how you figure out if you're doing 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.360 well. And we figured out that over 80 cents of 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.939 every dollar we make goes to the veteran and 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:51.759 the rest goes for like insurance and just upkeep 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:57.410 of our equipment and everything. We want to expand 00:06:57.410 --> 00:07:03.209 even more by having clinics, PTS clinics and 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:06.850 having the lodge available for other organizations 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:10.730 to have their meetings. I don't know if Warriors 00:07:10.730 --> 00:07:16.250 and Caregivers United, WACU is another organization 00:07:16.250 --> 00:07:18.689 and they have in the past had meetings there 00:07:18.689 --> 00:07:21.649 and they would like to continue on with us and 00:07:21.649 --> 00:07:24.259 have their meetings there too. So it's one of 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:28.300 the things where, go ahead. No, I was just going 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:31.540 to say that as I mentioned, this organization 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:35.920 is nearby. Well, not really like nearby, but 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.160 it's it's where is Camp Liberty, Michigan located? 00:07:40.939 --> 00:07:46.019 It's in Brooklyn, Michigan, and it's we're about 00:07:46.019 --> 00:07:51.220 seven miles west of Manchester on Austin Road, 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:57.620 just off Austin Road. So we have a lot to do 00:07:57.620 --> 00:08:03.319 with the local businesses in both Napoleon, Brooklyn, 00:08:03.980 --> 00:08:07.160 and especially Irish Hills. We do a lot with 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:11.379 Irish Hills people. We just got two new board 00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:17.779 members, both young veterans. So one of them 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:25.980 is Chad fires. He's a veteran and he owns the 00:08:25.980 --> 00:08:29.439 Callaghan's coffee company in Brooklyn and The 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:33.159 other one is Craig Pearson. He's a pilot He's 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:37.460 a veteran pilot and he works at the at the Napoleon 00:08:37.460 --> 00:08:40.580 Airport there and he flies he's one that flies 00:08:40.580 --> 00:08:44.419 the paratroopers and you know, okay all the jumpers 00:08:44.419 --> 00:08:47.500 and stuff out there All the jumpers and everything 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:50.200 else like that so plus he flies all over the 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:54.259 world so but they are a couple young New board 00:08:54.259 --> 00:08:57.539 members that we hope will stick with us and because 00:08:57.539 --> 00:09:03.100 those old guys only can last so long Yeah, I 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:05.240 can understand that sometimes I think we're just 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.659 kind of hanging on by our fingernails, but I 00:09:08.659 --> 00:09:13.519 think the idea of Camp Liberty is so cold Larry 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:20.190 when you when you When you think that the organization 00:09:20.190 --> 00:09:22.389 has been around for a while, as you mentioned, 00:09:23.149 --> 00:09:25.570 kind of had its ups and downs, changes to boards 00:09:25.570 --> 00:09:31.129 and some conflicts and so forth. But you've turned 00:09:31.129 --> 00:09:34.299 it around and it's a... No, from my standpoint, 00:09:34.299 --> 00:09:36.860 it's a beautiful place to go to. It's a great 00:09:36.860 --> 00:09:39.899 place to go. You can hang out with veterans and 00:09:39.899 --> 00:09:43.700 first responders now and everybody else. I just 00:09:43.700 --> 00:09:45.639 got a little note that says that John Kinzinger 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:48.639 is on the line and would like to join us if he 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:53.240 can. So John, John Kinzinger calling us from 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:56.139 Florida. John, welcome back to Veterans Radio. 00:09:57.299 --> 00:10:00.759 O'Dale and Larry, good to hear your voices. It's 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:05.539 good to hear you. I had to call in and talk about 00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:09.200 Camp Liberty because I was vice president for 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:12.159 when we did the reorganization. I had to step 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:15.460 down because of physical issues, but that camp 00:10:15.460 --> 00:10:19.600 is such a beautiful place. The lodge has four 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:23.919 beautiful bedrooms for veterans to come out and 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:29.600 haunt. The focus is really on disabled veterans. 00:10:30.340 --> 00:10:33.539 It's not just... We're not, we were not looking 00:10:33.539 --> 00:10:36.580 for, you know, anyone who served in the military, 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:39.360 but a hundred percent disabled was the real goal. 00:10:39.419 --> 00:10:41.940 And we have track chairs, you know, to get guys 00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:46.919 out to deer blinds. And it's a, it's a beautiful 00:10:46.919 --> 00:10:51.220 piece of property. And it's as well maintained 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:54.220 plants, you know, there's plantings out there 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:57.440 to attract the wildlife. And Larry has taken 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:01.000 over and You know, he's done so much work out 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:03.139 there in the last few years. I got to thank him 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:05.960 for that. But I just want to call in and say 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:10.080 Camp Liberty is someplace that is helping veterans. 00:11:10.299 --> 00:11:12.320 Some of the responses from some of those guys 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:15.480 who come out there for deer hunts just can't 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:17.740 believe how well we treat them because it's no 00:11:17.740 --> 00:11:20.919 cost. No cost to the veterans coming out. If 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:23.580 you want to donate, that's fine. But there's 00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:27.480 no cost to the veterans coming out. We just... 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:30.799 want to make use of that Camp Liberty. I said 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:32.960 we, Larry, but that doesn't mean I'm coming back, 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:37.120 huh? Got to get you back from Florida anyway. 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:41.259 But great to have you on there. I'll continue 00:11:41.259 --> 00:11:45.200 listening and Larry's doing a good job there. 00:11:45.779 --> 00:11:50.700 Thanks. Thanks very much, John. Say hi to Jane 00:11:50.700 --> 00:11:58.039 for us. It's a great organization that you've 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:00.019 got out there, Larry, and it's a great facility. 00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:04.860 When John was saying that we have four bedrooms 00:12:04.860 --> 00:12:10.399 in the chalet kind of structure that is out there, 00:12:10.500 --> 00:12:12.580 I thought, wow, that is really kind of cool. 00:12:12.659 --> 00:12:17.419 I was not aware of what was upstairs. The four 00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:22.259 bedrooms are set up two downstairs. and two upstairs 00:12:22.259 --> 00:12:27.039 and everything downstairs is handicapped little 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:31.500 uh we have walk -in showers uh everything and 00:12:31.500 --> 00:12:35.120 so each hunt other than the pheasant hunts we 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.879 bring four four veterans in and uh we have people 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:43.200 to help them we have someone who feeds them and 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:46.879 uh we even had one come from texas we picked 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:49.360 them up at the airport dropped them off at the 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:54.299 airport and we sent his deer back email. No. 00:12:57.259 --> 00:13:00.559 Well, one thing we're trying to do to help us 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:03.159 because all we've been doing for the last four 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:06.460 years is living on just donations alone. You 00:13:06.460 --> 00:13:08.860 know, you get $5 here, $10 there and stuff like 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:12.419 that. We are looking for different organizations 00:13:12.419 --> 00:13:14.799 or different companies that will sponsor each 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:20.679 hunt. And so we have the three deer hunts and 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:25.220 the turkey hunt which has four veterans in each 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:28.700 one of them. Now the pheasant hunts are two pheasant 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:33.379 hunts and we do 20 veterans a day because we 00:13:33.379 --> 00:13:37.120 do two hunts and we have to buy the turkeys, 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:40.379 I mean the pheasants. So we put out 40 pheasants 00:13:40.379 --> 00:13:43.000 for the 10 hunters in the morning and 40 pheasants 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.120 for the 10 hunters in the afternoon and we do 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:49.639 that twice a year. So it's not cheap, but we 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:52.139 get a good discount with Pheasants of America. 00:13:54.419 --> 00:13:56.940 It's just something that would be nice to be 00:13:56.940 --> 00:13:59.259 able to summon this to sponsor each hunt every 00:13:59.259 --> 00:14:01.740 year for us or something like that. Well, I saw 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:04.700 that you just recently got a nice little donation 00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:08.019 from the, was that the American Legion that you 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:12.559 got a donation from or the VFW? No, that was 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:18.240 American Legion 46 in Ann Arbor. And they're 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:20.620 covering the Liberty Hunt, which is the first 00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:24.220 hunt for disabled veterans only. And you have 00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:28.460 to prove that they're 100%. And then the second 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:31.299 hunt is the Independence Hunt, which is the same 00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:37.159 thing. 100 % disabled veterans. And then the 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:39.559 next hunt is the original hunt, you know, the 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:42.320 regular hunt everybody goes to a year. So that's 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:45.330 veterans and first responders. Well, I think 00:14:45.330 --> 00:14:46.250 one of the things that... And then the pheasant 00:14:46.250 --> 00:14:53.330 hunts. Go ahead. All right, I will. One of the 00:14:53.330 --> 00:14:55.649 things that John pointed out, and one of the 00:14:55.649 --> 00:14:57.490 first things that I learned about Camp Liberty 00:14:57.490 --> 00:15:02.169 is that you had those crawlers, I guess you could 00:15:02.169 --> 00:15:06.149 call them, where 100 % disabled veterans could 00:15:06.149 --> 00:15:10.059 go out and hunt because these... I don't know 00:15:10.059 --> 00:15:13.139 though because they're like their track and you 00:15:13.139 --> 00:15:16.519 it actually helps the veterans stand up and You 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:18.500 know it moves through the fields and everything 00:15:18.500 --> 00:15:20.840 else and allows them to actually participate 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.679 in the hunt which the hunts in which I think 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:27.159 is so it's absolutely amazing and That has to 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:29.899 be such a big confidence builder for the veterans 00:15:29.899 --> 00:15:31.820 that go out there that you know that they're 00:15:31.820 --> 00:15:35.379 able to actually participate in this particular 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:39.159 adventure that they're going on. They go hunting. 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:43.679 I just think that you guys are doing a great 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:50.240 job. It's really great to watch them because 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:53.419 we have eight blinds and four of them are track 00:15:53.419 --> 00:15:56.879 chairs can get inside. We have guides go with 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:02.320 them and so it's more the camaraderie after the 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:05.259 hunt. you know because they're there for more 00:16:05.259 --> 00:16:08.000 than one day and so they go out and hunt but 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.240 they come back and they spend the evening in 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:12.899 front of the fireplace or if it's nice outside 00:16:12.899 --> 00:16:15.980 we have a fireplace outside so it's them getting 00:16:15.980 --> 00:16:18.600 together more than even if they don't get a deer 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:21.720 or they don't get a pheasant or they don't get 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:27.000 a turkey but it's getting together and and meeting 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:31.820 people veterans who you don't know, but you're 00:16:31.820 --> 00:16:35.019 meeting them and learning them, and it's a brotherhood 00:16:35.019 --> 00:16:40.679 that really makes a big difference. We're, you 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:45.320 know, we would like people just to be aware of 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:51.189 us, you know, by going on our webpage. libertymichigan 00:16:51.189 --> 00:16:55.090 .org or our Facebook page, Camp Liberty, the 00:16:55.090 --> 00:16:59.190 number four, and then VETS, V -E -T -S. And they'll 00:16:59.190 --> 00:17:01.909 see all our schedules for all our hunts and the 00:17:01.909 --> 00:17:05.609 things that we're doing. And we even have all 00:17:05.609 --> 00:17:10.410 our books, our monetary, online so people can 00:17:10.410 --> 00:17:13.009 look and see what we've made, what we spent, 00:17:13.430 --> 00:17:16.650 and stuff like that. So it's one of the things 00:17:16.650 --> 00:17:19.900 where we want to be open to the public. of what 00:17:19.900 --> 00:17:25.980 we're doing here. We also have weddings. We have 00:17:25.980 --> 00:17:29.500 an outdoor chapel where we have weddings. That's 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:31.880 doing a little bit of everything. I think that's 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:33.559 cool. That's the other thing. I think you turn 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:37.599 that into an Airbnb. But you got to make sure 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.640 you get those veterans available. So are you 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:45.200 guys open for just going out there and any weekend 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.880 or any day of the week? Or is it what do you 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:53.029 do? I do give, because I'm only 10 minutes away, 00:17:53.109 --> 00:17:56.750 that's another reason why they found me to be 00:17:56.750 --> 00:18:00.970 president, because I'm there all the time. At 00:18:00.970 --> 00:18:05.609 this time, there is only certain days that we 00:18:05.609 --> 00:18:08.190 can get there because we got other things going 00:18:08.190 --> 00:18:12.829 on. We got work people going out there and working, 00:18:12.950 --> 00:18:16.269 you know, bush hogging the lanes and things like 00:18:16.269 --> 00:18:24.390 that. That's a call. That's my phone. But I think 00:18:24.390 --> 00:18:28.369 that the main thing is if they are interested, 00:18:28.410 --> 00:18:36.769 they can give me a call at 734 -323 -7905 and 00:18:36.769 --> 00:18:39.450 I will set up something where they can come out 00:18:39.450 --> 00:18:45.910 and look. And we also have a program director, 00:18:46.289 --> 00:18:52.519 Melinda Schwinn. And her number is 517 -206 -8633. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.900 And she's the one who does the organizing for 00:18:55.900 --> 00:19:01.200 us for the fundraisers and everything else. And 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:06.480 we also are looking for people experienced in 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:09.640 doing grants who will volunteer to do grants 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:14.440 for us in the future for larger donations in 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:19.279 that. And they can get a hold of me or Melinda. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:24.420 Those grant writing things are difficult sometimes 00:19:24.420 --> 00:19:27.920 for those of us who are kind of unexperienced. 00:19:27.940 --> 00:19:30.220 If you have somebody that can help you with writing 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:34.819 those grants, that's great. That's great. It 00:19:34.819 --> 00:19:39.720 would help us expand on even the stuff that we're 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:43.440 doing now and adding. We've got a beekeeper that 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:46.700 wants to come out. and teach the veterans how 00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:52.440 to do bees and stuff like that, so. That sounds 00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:54.980 like just about a little bit of everything, Larry. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.440 We're talking with Larry C. and Antoine. He's 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:00.359 the president of Camp Liberty, Michigan, and 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:04.420 it's a retreat for veterans, first responders. 00:20:06.220 --> 00:20:09.019 uh firemen, policemen, anybody that you know 00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:10.779 has to work with the public and I think that 00:20:10.779 --> 00:20:13.440 that's kind of really uh important and so you 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:15.579 know we're really encouraging people to try and 00:20:15.579 --> 00:20:20.660 contact Larry through the website that's uh CampLibertyMichigan 00:20:20.660 --> 00:20:23.640 .org or as you mentioned you can find him on 00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:26.160 Facebook or I want to give out your number one 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:34.400 more time Larry. My phone number? Yep. Mine is 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:41.880 734 -323 -7905. Okay, and hopefully those people 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:45.720 can reach you and they can help out with Camp 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:48.240 Liberty because I think it's certainly a worthwhile 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:50.460 cause. It's something local here and I know that 00:20:50.460 --> 00:20:52.180 people are trying to do these types of things 00:20:52.180 --> 00:20:55.119 all across the country. but it's something that 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:58.799 we are, we're really proud of Camp Liberty Michigan 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:01.380 and what you've done Larry and what people like 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:04.319 John and the people that went before you just 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:06.180 to get this thing started. I can remember hearing 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:10.240 about Camp Liberty probably about 20 years ago 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:16.259 almost. I think it's been 12 or 15 years that 00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:20.900 it's been running. Okay all right so CampLibertyMichigan 00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:24.519 .org go to it. We're going to run our Medal of 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:27.960 Honor segment right now and when we come back 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:30.859 we've got Mark Schmitz who's going to be on our 00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:33.519 line and he's from another organization that 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:37.839 is building retreats down in Missouri right now 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:41.339 and it's called the Freedom 13. I'll let Mark 00:21:41.339 --> 00:21:44.920 tell us what the magic number 13 is. So you're 00:21:44.920 --> 00:21:47.160 listening to Veterans Radio right now and we 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:49.940 will be right back after our Medal of Honor segment. 00:21:51.009 --> 00:21:53.349 The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor 00:21:53.349 --> 00:21:55.309 in combat given a member of the Armed Forces 00:21:55.309 --> 00:21:58.289 of the United States. There had been over 3 ,400 00:21:58.289 --> 00:22:01.349 recipients of the nation's highest award. This 00:22:01.349 --> 00:22:03.849 is one of them. Marine Corps Sergeant Daniel 00:22:03.849 --> 00:22:06.309 Matthews became a one -man army before being 00:22:06.309 --> 00:22:11.690 killed. Details after this. If you have a VA 00:22:11.690 --> 00:22:13.849 claim denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals, 00:22:13.970 --> 00:22:16.950 contact Legal Help for Veterans at 1 -800 -693 00:22:16.950 --> 00:22:20.650 -4800. They're experts in handling cases before 00:22:20.650 --> 00:22:22.970 the U .S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 00:22:23.049 --> 00:22:27.849 Their number again, 1 -800 -693 -4800. Participating 00:22:27.849 --> 00:22:30.069 in a counterattack against a firmly entrenched 00:22:30.069 --> 00:22:33.190 and well -concealed North Vietnamese force, Matthews 00:22:33.190 --> 00:22:35.470 fearlessly advanced in the attack until his squad 00:22:35.470 --> 00:22:38.210 was pinned down by a murderous sweep of fire 00:22:38.210 --> 00:22:40.950 from an enemy machine gun. Observing that the 00:22:40.950 --> 00:22:43.130 deadly fire prevented a corpsman from removing 00:22:43.130 --> 00:22:46.500 a wounded man in an open area, Matthews worked 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:48.380 his way to the base of the Hostile and Machine 00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:51.000 Gun emplacement, leaped onto the rock formations 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:53.759 surrounding the gun, and single -handedly charged 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:56.740 the Hostile emplacement with his rifle. Although 00:22:56.740 --> 00:22:58.799 severely wounded when the enemy brought a withering 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:01.740 halo fire to bear upon him, he continued his 00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:05.319 one -man assault, and firing his rifle with deadly 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:07.740 effectiveness, succeeded in killing two of the 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:10.720 enemy, routing a third, and completely silencing 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:13.349 the enemy weapon. thereby enabling his comrades 00:23:13.349 --> 00:23:16.430 to evacuate the stricken Marine to a safe position. 00:23:17.309 --> 00:23:19.829 Matthew succumbed to his wounds before aid could 00:23:19.829 --> 00:23:22.289 reach him. The Medal of Honor series is a production 00:23:22.289 --> 00:23:26.750 of Veterans Radio. Military veterans touch everyone's 00:23:26.750 --> 00:23:28.710 life. I'm guessing right now you're thinking 00:23:28.710 --> 00:23:32.529 of a veteran, a close friend, relative. Maybe 00:23:32.529 --> 00:23:35.289 it's you. Even the toughest of us sometimes need 00:23:35.289 --> 00:23:37.710 help but don't know where to turn for support. 00:23:38.140 --> 00:23:40.019 You don't need special training to help a veteran 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:42.400 in your life. We can all help someone going through 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:45.039 a difficult time. Learn how you can be there 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:48.380 for veterans. Visit veteranscrisisline .net. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:51.819 Veteranscrisisline .net. A message from the U 00:23:51.819 --> 00:23:59.019 .S. Department of Veterans Affairs. And we're 00:23:59.019 --> 00:24:02.079 back here on Veterans Radio and my next guest 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:06.099 is Mark Schmitz. And Mark is the founder of an 00:24:06.099 --> 00:24:09.380 organization called the Freedom 13. And I'm going 00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:11.940 to bring Mark on the line right now to tell us 00:24:11.940 --> 00:24:14.680 what that means. So Mark, welcome to Veterans 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:19.059 Radio. Well, thank you for having me on. Well, 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:21.980 thank you for coming on the program. I'm really 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:24.500 excited to talk to you about your organization. 00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:28.119 So let's tell our audience a little bit about 00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:30.619 the significance of the Freedom 13. What does 00:24:30.619 --> 00:24:36.759 that mean? Sure, we organized our 501c3 back 00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:42.779 in early 2022. We created this organization, 00:24:42.779 --> 00:24:45.640 unfortunately, because of the death of our son 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:49.960 Jared. He was a Marine Lance Corporal who was 00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:53.299 sent off to Kabul, Afghanistan during the final 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:57.220 days of the withdrawal and was killed tragically 00:24:57.220 --> 00:25:00.930 at the Abbey Gate when we lost 13. service members 00:25:00.930 --> 00:25:05.410 that day to a suicide bomber. Jared, that was 00:25:05.410 --> 00:25:08.990 his first deployment and he came from Jordan 00:25:08.990 --> 00:25:12.509 where he was deployed originally and came in 00:25:12.509 --> 00:25:16.029 to assist with that evacuation. So once we got 00:25:16.029 --> 00:25:18.809 that terrible knock on the door that our son 00:25:18.809 --> 00:25:24.869 was one of the deceased, we knew very quickly 00:25:24.869 --> 00:25:28.420 that we had to carry on his legacy. and the legacy 00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:33.160 of the 13 that we lost that day. And the Freedom 00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:40.339 13 has been formed to aid in the mental health 00:25:40.339 --> 00:25:44.460 of all the veterans that are still with us. We 00:25:44.460 --> 00:25:47.779 wanted to make sure that Jared's memory lived 00:25:47.779 --> 00:25:51.740 on forever. And we're doing this by way of making 00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:54.660 recreational retreat camps. We are starting in 00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:57.500 Missouri. In Bourbon, Missouri, we purchased 00:25:57.500 --> 00:26:01.480 171 acres. And each of these camps will be on 00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:04.619 at least 100 acres of land because nature in 00:26:04.619 --> 00:26:09.559 and of itself can be very therapeutic. Each camp 00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:12.460 will consist of at least 13 homes that we will 00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:15.559 build on the properties. And they'll basically 00:26:15.559 --> 00:26:19.500 operate like an Airbnb for veterans and law enforcement. 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:22.480 So basically any gun carrying first responder. 00:26:22.519 --> 00:26:25.349 They come out for a week. with their families. 00:26:25.349 --> 00:26:28.890 I think that's a pivotal component because everyone 00:26:28.890 --> 00:26:32.630 knows when you're deployed or you send your father 00:26:32.630 --> 00:26:35.710 or mother off to work in a police uniform, you 00:26:35.710 --> 00:26:38.890 know, they come home and have those invisible 00:26:38.890 --> 00:26:44.109 scars that many of us can't even imagine. These 00:26:44.109 --> 00:26:47.490 families live through their loved one and the 00:26:47.490 --> 00:26:49.769 deployments that they're out on, whether it's 00:26:49.769 --> 00:26:54.019 overseas or stateside. And so the family unit 00:26:54.019 --> 00:26:57.299 being part of that therapeutic healing is crucially 00:26:57.299 --> 00:27:02.799 important. These safe spaces will basically serve 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:05.539 as a great place for other outside organizations 00:27:05.539 --> 00:27:10.079 that have a niche for serving in the mental health 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:14.279 realm, you know, serving from PTSD to anxiety, 00:27:14.759 --> 00:27:19.059 suicide prevention, service dogs, you name it. 00:27:19.059 --> 00:27:22.799 And they can bring their bring their resources 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:28.680 with them to treat the guests that are with us. 00:27:29.140 --> 00:27:31.299 And this is strictly voluntary. We don't want 00:27:31.299 --> 00:27:35.079 to do, you know, a hardcore type therapeutic 00:27:35.079 --> 00:27:38.559 environment here. We want everyone to just kind 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:43.519 of embrace it at their own pace. And while they're 00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:46.380 there, you know, it's almost like a vacation, 00:27:46.700 --> 00:27:49.869 but yet it's it's also healing. centers as well, 00:27:50.029 --> 00:27:51.269 because while they're there, there's going to 00:27:51.269 --> 00:27:53.710 be, and I'll give you an example with the Missouri 00:27:53.710 --> 00:27:56.869 Freedom Camp. We've got over four and a half 00:27:56.869 --> 00:27:59.789 miles of riding and hiking trails. We've got 00:27:59.789 --> 00:28:02.650 a stock fishing lake so you can go fishing. We're 00:28:02.650 --> 00:28:05.109 putting in a shooting range, which will have 00:28:05.109 --> 00:28:07.549 designated shooting time so that they can get 00:28:07.549 --> 00:28:10.970 out there and do what they do best and hone in 00:28:10.970 --> 00:28:13.670 on their skills again. But they'll be set up 00:28:13.670 --> 00:28:16.150 times so that we don't trigger anybody, you know, 00:28:16.250 --> 00:28:19.289 with any loud noises. that weren't expected in 00:28:19.289 --> 00:28:21.630 that time. So, you know, for example, like on 00:28:21.630 --> 00:28:23.450 Tuesdays and Thursdays, we'd have the shooting 00:28:23.450 --> 00:28:26.549 ranges open from 10 to noon. And so everybody 00:28:26.549 --> 00:28:29.130 that's there would already know ahead of time 00:28:29.130 --> 00:28:31.849 that that activity might be going on. We plan 00:28:31.849 --> 00:28:35.710 on putting in skeet shooting. We'll have sand 00:28:35.710 --> 00:28:39.089 volleyball for some of the younger guys, pickleball 00:28:39.089 --> 00:28:41.670 courts, you name it. I mean, it's going to be 00:28:41.670 --> 00:28:44.960 just a great. a great place for them to come 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:48.059 and take a knee for a week. They've earned it. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:53.119 And we want to make sure that these guys can 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:55.220 live to see another day, feel happy about what 00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:58.160 they've done. And most importantly, they're going 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.380 to be around other guys that have done what they've 00:29:00.380 --> 00:29:05.880 done. And by being around the camaraderie there, 00:29:06.059 --> 00:29:08.240 I think that's a crucial piece of it as well. 00:29:09.190 --> 00:29:12.470 That's very true. That camaraderie is something 00:29:12.470 --> 00:29:17.190 that all veterans really need. They just don't 00:29:17.190 --> 00:29:20.650 realize it sometimes. But it's so important to 00:29:20.650 --> 00:29:23.329 be able to sit around and talk with other veterans 00:29:23.329 --> 00:29:25.650 who have been through similar situations that 00:29:25.650 --> 00:29:27.869 you have been through. And it just makes you 00:29:27.869 --> 00:29:30.109 feel like you're not alone. Because I think so 00:29:30.109 --> 00:29:32.910 many veterans, when they come home, they feel 00:29:32.910 --> 00:29:36.059 like there's nobody there. you know, to help 00:29:36.059 --> 00:29:38.559 them out. It sounds like you're doing just an 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:42.039 incredible job to try and even set up this one 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:45.240 camp and let more or less what you want to really 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:47.599 do with your, you know, your aspirations are 00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:50.880 to open one in every state in the country. Is 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:53.779 that right? Ultimately, yes, that's the goal. 00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:57.599 I mean, it's our mission is simple, but the task 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:01.920 is monumental. I may have talked more than I 00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:03.920 can chew, but we'll find out. I think once this 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:07.299 first camp is is completely finished and we can, 00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:10.140 you know, Fox News, for example, I've been on 00:30:10.140 --> 00:30:12.700 Fox News National many times. They've told me 00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:15.460 they'll send a crew out to cover a story on it 00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:18.380 once it's completed. And we hope that once people 00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:21.339 can kind of see it, feel it, touch it, you know, 00:30:21.420 --> 00:30:23.779 that sort of thing, that this will start to snowball 00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:26.640 and grow in popularity. I know there's other 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:29.299 organizations that do things a little similar, 00:30:29.799 --> 00:30:32.880 but I don't think to this scale. And so that's... 00:30:32.809 --> 00:30:34.950 That's why I think it's so important that we 00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:36.670 just get the word out about what we're doing, 00:30:36.789 --> 00:30:38.950 not only just to the veterans and the law enforcement 00:30:38.950 --> 00:30:42.269 that will benefit from it, but from those people 00:30:42.269 --> 00:30:44.609 out there who believe in a mission like this. 00:30:45.369 --> 00:30:48.710 It takes an immense amount of support financially, 00:30:48.930 --> 00:30:51.609 of course. All charities out there all live and 00:30:51.609 --> 00:30:55.990 die off of the community support and that's no 00:30:55.990 --> 00:30:58.569 more no different. These are going to be incredibly 00:30:58.569 --> 00:31:01.579 expensive to build. you know, my life has now 00:31:01.579 --> 00:31:04.339 turned into one gigantic fundraising mission. 00:31:04.819 --> 00:31:08.099 So, you know, I welcome the challenge. I mean, 00:31:08.099 --> 00:31:10.759 I've always been an entrepreneur, but luckily 00:31:10.759 --> 00:31:13.519 for me, I've got a fantastic crew of volunteers 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:18.059 who have really stepped up and, you know, they 00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:20.440 believe in the mission and they were never related. 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:23.279 Most of them didn't even know my son personally. 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:26.240 So that means a lot to me that to see these people 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:30.450 get behind us so much and It's going to take 00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:32.690 an army, if you will, to make this happen, and 00:31:32.690 --> 00:31:36.990 we're slowly growing it. Again, it's just another 00:31:36.990 --> 00:31:39.650 great organization out there, much like Camp 00:31:39.650 --> 00:31:42.349 Liberty or Freedom River here in Michigan that 00:31:42.349 --> 00:31:46.789 are doing similar things on a much smaller scale. 00:31:48.470 --> 00:31:53.579 But we know how difficult it is to raise. basically 00:31:53.579 --> 00:31:56.440 millions of dollars in order to you know accomplish 00:31:56.440 --> 00:32:01.119 this if in your lifetime if we're doing well 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:06.059 even just one a year I think that's kind of kind 00:32:06.059 --> 00:32:10.339 of cool but you've got so we are in a bourbon 00:32:10.339 --> 00:32:13.779 Missouri where is bourbon Missouri it's roughly 00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:18.119 an hour southwest of st. Louis So you just shoot 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:22.339 out Interstate 44, the old Route 66, everyone 00:32:22.339 --> 00:32:26.140 knows. And we just head out west about an hour 00:32:26.140 --> 00:32:29.220 from St. Louis. It takes about an hour and 20 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:31.240 minutes, I guess, from Lambert Airport in St. 00:32:31.339 --> 00:32:34.039 Louis. I live just north of there, about an hour 00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:36.039 and 20 minutes. So it's not terribly far for 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:38.720 me to get there. And I try to get down there 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:41.119 at least every couple of weeks. But I've got 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:43.380 a couple of great volunteers that literally live 00:32:43.380 --> 00:32:46.900 in the town there. And so they're stopping in 00:32:46.900 --> 00:32:49.660 on the property almost daily, you know, getting 00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:54.480 stuff done. So we open up the camp to the public. 00:32:55.640 --> 00:32:57.839 We try to shoot for every second Saturday of 00:32:57.839 --> 00:32:59.980 the month so they can come out and volunteer 00:32:59.980 --> 00:33:02.380 and get some things done. And I'll tell you, 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:05.400 I knew we were on the right track when we started 00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:09.259 these volunteer days. I had one veteran in particular 00:33:09.259 --> 00:33:12.920 who came out. He's been out several times now. 00:33:13.390 --> 00:33:15.549 and he came up to me and he says you know I've 00:33:15.549 --> 00:33:19.690 attended a lot of veterans camps where they they 00:33:19.690 --> 00:33:22.289 help us with with mental health and that sort 00:33:22.289 --> 00:33:24.789 of thing and he goes you know this this experience 00:33:24.789 --> 00:33:27.809 being out here and not even utilizing the homes 00:33:27.809 --> 00:33:29.809 because we only have two of the 13 homes built 00:33:29.809 --> 00:33:33.910 so far he said this has meant more to me than 00:33:33.910 --> 00:33:36.960 attending a week long you know, hardcore training 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:39.900 session where they go in and try to help you 00:33:39.900 --> 00:33:43.079 with the mental health aspect of things. Because 00:33:43.079 --> 00:33:45.980 you gave us a mission. You know, when people 00:33:45.980 --> 00:33:48.140 come out there, we have a list of items that 00:33:48.140 --> 00:33:51.279 need to be done. We task those guys with those 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:53.440 items and they choose what they want to take 00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:55.599 on and they work together. You know, just like 00:33:55.599 --> 00:33:59.859 being back in the good old days. So, having that 00:33:59.859 --> 00:34:02.579 mission, accomplishing that mission just gives 00:34:02.579 --> 00:34:05.359 them something to really aim and shoot for. The 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:08.780 takeaway has always been positive. I can only 00:34:08.780 --> 00:34:12.199 imagine. I was just thinking about what you were 00:34:12.199 --> 00:34:14.760 saying. It's sort of like Habitat for Humanity. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:18.000 People go out there and they just, everything 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:21.860 kind of in their minds, you know, when they get 00:34:21.860 --> 00:34:23.480 out there, it's kind of fuzzy, but everything 00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:26.519 becomes more and more focused. And that they 00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:29.559 know that they're again, they're part of a team. 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:33.230 And that's something that so many people maybe 00:34:33.230 --> 00:34:35.170 they, you know, our civilian audience may not 00:34:35.170 --> 00:34:37.449 understand is that while you're in the service 00:34:37.449 --> 00:34:40.110 or if you're a policeman, fireman or always other, 00:34:40.110 --> 00:34:44.329 you know, immediate urgent response between people 00:34:44.329 --> 00:34:47.769 is that you're always part of a team. And I think 00:34:47.769 --> 00:34:50.090 that that's something that's great that you're 00:34:50.090 --> 00:34:52.590 that you're promoting out there. You've got some 00:34:52.590 --> 00:34:57.289 really interesting fundraising events that are 00:34:57.289 --> 00:34:59.210 coming up. Can you tell us about a couple of 00:34:59.210 --> 00:35:02.699 those? Well, sure. We've cherished birthday. 00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:06.119 He'd be 25 years old this year. It's coming up 00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:08.940 on February 25th. So we're having a big birthday 00:35:08.940 --> 00:35:13.019 bash at our local town square pub and grill and 00:35:13.019 --> 00:35:15.739 just inviting everybody to come out just because 00:35:15.739 --> 00:35:18.300 they want to sing happy birthday to a hero. But 00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:22.340 two days after that is our gala. It's going to 00:35:22.340 --> 00:35:24.619 be held at the Foundry Arts Center in St. Charles. 00:35:26.329 --> 00:35:28.489 We have a guest speaker coming in from North 00:35:28.489 --> 00:35:32.230 Carolina. He's a 17 year veteran Special Forces 00:35:32.230 --> 00:35:38.110 Green Beret who had a personal, let's say a personal 00:35:38.110 --> 00:35:42.050 experience with suicide and he's still here to 00:35:42.050 --> 00:35:44.130 talk about it. And this guy gives us the most 00:35:44.130 --> 00:35:47.130 incredible, incredibly powerful speech that I 00:35:47.130 --> 00:35:49.929 think everybody needs to hear about veteran suicide. 00:35:50.349 --> 00:35:52.570 I've saw him give a speech in Texas and it blew 00:35:52.570 --> 00:35:56.150 my mind. So he's coming in on his own dime to 00:35:56.110 --> 00:35:58.429 to be our keynote speaker, which will be huge. 00:35:59.329 --> 00:36:03.909 We've got a more fun event coming up June six. 00:36:04.449 --> 00:36:07.610 It's our first backyard ultra marathon. Everybody 00:36:07.610 --> 00:36:11.409 signs up comes out runs 4 .16 miles, they have 00:36:11.409 --> 00:36:13.849 an hour to do it. The sooner you get done, the 00:36:13.849 --> 00:36:15.809 more rest you get because at the start of the 00:36:15.809 --> 00:36:24.440 next hour, you get to do it all over again. What 00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:27.820 I'm going to do. You're going to run twenty four 00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:31.679 point one six miles. And then let's say you finish 00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:33.760 in 30 minutes. Well, you got 30 minutes to rest 00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:36.699 because at the top of the next hour you get to 00:36:36.699 --> 00:36:39.260 start all over. And that happens over and over 00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:41.400 and over until there's literally one person left 00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:44.199 to finish. Oh, OK. So you're just going to run. 00:36:44.440 --> 00:36:46.699 You're just running everybody into the ground. 00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:50.539 Well, I'll tell you, it's it's not so much you're 00:36:50.539 --> 00:36:53.300 racing against other people. You're you're really 00:36:53.300 --> 00:36:55.280 racing against yourself because you want to see 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:58.039 how far can you actually physically mentally 00:36:58.039 --> 00:37:02.039 push yourself you know to to make it and i've 00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:03.960 got runners that are coming in from all over 00:37:03.960 --> 00:37:06.519 the country and like one gentleman for example 00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:09.179 he was part of the world marathon he ran seven 00:37:09.179 --> 00:37:11.920 marathons and seven days on seven different continents 00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:16.639 i mean it was so i will safely be sitting in 00:37:16.639 --> 00:37:19.119 a side by side i will not be participating i've 00:37:19.119 --> 00:37:23.269 got knee injuries but I barely made the one mile 00:37:23.269 --> 00:37:28.929 run in basic training. Well, it's actually being 00:37:28.929 --> 00:37:32.170 it was put on by a Marine. He just got out recently 00:37:32.170 --> 00:37:35.030 and he approached me and said, Hey, can we can 00:37:35.030 --> 00:37:38.909 we do this? And he owns a local brewery called 00:37:38.909 --> 00:37:41.530 Muddy Banks. And he says, I'd love to have an 00:37:41.530 --> 00:37:43.469 ultramarathon on your property. So that's the 00:37:43.469 --> 00:37:45.349 neat, unique thing about it is we're going to 00:37:45.349 --> 00:37:48.070 actually have this race on the Missouri Freedom 00:37:48.070 --> 00:37:51.670 Camp property. So It'll be great. It could go 00:37:51.670 --> 00:37:54.130 on for days. It could go on, you know, literally 00:37:54.130 --> 00:37:57.929 a week. They'll run until nobody's left. It seems 00:37:57.929 --> 00:38:00.170 like a great way to get, you know, if all those 00:38:00.170 --> 00:38:03.510 runners were to get sponsors to support them. 00:38:04.329 --> 00:38:07.309 Wow, that could be a pretty good fundraiser right 00:38:07.309 --> 00:38:10.550 there. Oh, absolutely. We've already raised quite 00:38:10.550 --> 00:38:13.929 a bit of sponsorship money there. I like the 00:38:13.929 --> 00:38:15.769 idea of having it on the camp. It just gets more 00:38:15.769 --> 00:38:18.110 eyes on it and people can actually see it for 00:38:18.110 --> 00:38:22.309 what it is. But Then we've got another huge event 00:38:22.309 --> 00:38:25.389 coming up in August on the 15th called the Angels 00:38:25.389 --> 00:38:27.750 of Abbey Gate Memorial Ride. We've been doing 00:38:27.750 --> 00:38:30.929 this every year since we lost the 13 at Abbey 00:38:30.929 --> 00:38:35.829 Gate. And this is starting to become a mini version 00:38:35.829 --> 00:38:40.329 of Sturgis in the St. Louis area. We had almost 00:38:40.329 --> 00:38:43.530 a thousand participants last year and we fully 00:38:43.530 --> 00:38:45.730 anticipate probably even the bigger attendance 00:38:45.730 --> 00:38:48.969 this year. So there's 13 different launch points. 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:53.039 The furthest one away right now is Indiana. Everybody 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:55.980 rides in from their start point. They rally at 00:38:55.980 --> 00:38:59.739 one point. In this case, it's a local mall that 00:38:59.739 --> 00:39:01.980 went out of business, so there's plenty of parking. 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:05.280 They rally there, and then we get a police escort 00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:08.619 to Lakeside 370 Park. We're going to have a live 00:39:08.619 --> 00:39:12.900 band and food trucks and whatnot, and just some 00:39:12.900 --> 00:39:16.260 great speeches celebrating the lives of those 00:39:16.260 --> 00:39:19.909 that made the ultimate sacrifice. Again, it's 00:39:19.909 --> 00:39:23.929 just another great awareness event and it's gone 00:39:23.929 --> 00:39:26.050 very, very well every single year and it continues 00:39:26.050 --> 00:39:35.360 to grow. I'm dumbfounded here as I'm trying to 00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:39.880 figure this out. I mean, obviously it's a very, 00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:43.119 very worthwhile cause. And just for our audience's 00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:44.940 sake, we're talking with Mark Schmitz. He's the 00:39:44.940 --> 00:39:48.420 founder of the Freedom 13. And it's designed 00:39:48.420 --> 00:39:51.619 to honor not only his son, Jared, who was killed, 00:39:51.659 --> 00:39:54.139 but the other 12 along with him at Abbey Gate 00:39:54.139 --> 00:39:59.920 in Kabul in 2021, I believe. And they just want 00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:03.090 to help. everybody all the veterans first responders 00:40:03.090 --> 00:40:07.349 that they can and I really admire your courage 00:40:07.349 --> 00:40:09.650 for trying you know for doing this and I'm hoping 00:40:09.650 --> 00:40:11.949 that you've been able to line up some corporate 00:40:11.949 --> 00:40:14.309 sponsors or somebody that's listening today on 00:40:14.309 --> 00:40:17.070 our program will reach out and contact you and 00:40:17.070 --> 00:40:19.530 if they did how do they go about doing that if 00:40:19.530 --> 00:40:22.269 we wanted to donate money what do we do sure 00:40:22.269 --> 00:40:24.989 so actually what we set up similar to like what 00:40:24.989 --> 00:40:28.449 tunnels to towers does They have their $11 a 00:40:28.449 --> 00:40:32.550 month campaign because of the 11 looks like towers, 00:40:32.550 --> 00:40:36.789 right? So we have a $13 a month giving campaign 00:40:36.789 --> 00:40:40.110 just because that's our number. We lost 13 that 00:40:40.110 --> 00:40:43.309 day. And what we ask for from the general public 00:40:43.309 --> 00:40:47.090 across the country is to consider signing up 00:40:47.090 --> 00:40:50.989 for $13 a month. You sign up one time and the 00:40:50.989 --> 00:40:52.750 money comes out every single month until you 00:40:52.750 --> 00:40:54.570 no longer want to do it. There's no commitment. 00:40:54.829 --> 00:40:57.989 You can cancel whenever you need to. Some people 00:40:57.989 --> 00:40:59.789 have signed up for five dollars a month, some 00:40:59.789 --> 00:41:02.130 have signed up for 50. You know, it's whatever 00:41:02.130 --> 00:41:04.090 you can afford. And we try to make it affordable 00:41:04.090 --> 00:41:07.809 because this is a volume mission. You know, you 00:41:07.809 --> 00:41:10.989 get a thousand people donating a small amount. 00:41:11.030 --> 00:41:13.690 It adds up very, very quickly. And to be honest, 00:41:13.889 --> 00:41:17.170 we spent four days down in Tennessee meeting 00:41:17.170 --> 00:41:19.369 with Gary Sinise and the Gary Sinise Foundation. 00:41:19.449 --> 00:41:22.949 And I talked to them at great length about the 00:41:22.949 --> 00:41:25.980 financial aspects of nonprofits. he said their 00:41:25.980 --> 00:41:29.059 number one donor base is quote unquote the little 00:41:29.059 --> 00:41:31.559 people you know it's the small donations but 00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:35.599 on a large scale and that's that's pretty much 00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:38.420 it makes sense because that's the oil that keeps 00:41:38.420 --> 00:41:41.019 the machine running and then your legacy donors 00:41:41.019 --> 00:41:44.639 you know both alive and deceased those donations 00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:47.360 are huge and of course corporate donors and sponsors 00:41:47.360 --> 00:41:51.599 are always pivotal so they can go to thefreedom13 00:41:51.599 --> 00:41:55.849 .org to read more about our our organizations, 00:41:56.070 --> 00:42:00.469 a back history of my son, myself, my wife, what 00:42:00.469 --> 00:42:02.789 we're trying to do and all the events that we 00:42:02.789 --> 00:42:06.550 have coming up. There's always sponsorship opportunities 00:42:06.550 --> 00:42:09.150 and any larger organizations that really want 00:42:09.150 --> 00:42:11.289 to get behind, you know, what we're trying to 00:42:11.289 --> 00:42:13.030 do, feel free to reach out to me personally. 00:42:13.150 --> 00:42:15.449 We're not big enough yet that when you go to 00:42:15.449 --> 00:42:19.369 the website, you get me. So phone numbers, emails, 00:42:19.510 --> 00:42:22.059 it all goes to me. Well, it's always good to 00:42:22.059 --> 00:42:25.820 have a face on these organizations. It's a really 00:42:25.820 --> 00:42:30.739 nice looking website. It's easily maneuverable, 00:42:30.739 --> 00:42:33.019 I guess you could say. They've got a lot of cool 00:42:33.019 --> 00:42:36.760 swag in their shop as part of their fundraiser. 00:42:36.900 --> 00:42:39.059 And I have a feeling that we're going to be seeing 00:42:39.059 --> 00:42:44.159 more and more of the Freedom 13 hats and things 00:42:44.159 --> 00:42:48.320 around the country as you start to expand this 00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:51.820 whole thing. I think it's cool. I hope so. I 00:42:51.820 --> 00:42:54.820 mean, it's it's my new mission in life. And, 00:42:54.820 --> 00:42:58.500 you know, people say, I hope your son is proud 00:42:58.500 --> 00:43:00.360 or you think your son's proud of you. I said, 00:43:00.420 --> 00:43:03.039 no, nothing can ever compare to how proud I am 00:43:03.039 --> 00:43:06.219 of him. So he's why I'm doing this. And I'll 00:43:06.219 --> 00:43:11.760 never stop. Well, you know, it's. Mark, we're 00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:14.639 really, we're very fortunate. You know, people 00:43:14.639 --> 00:43:17.159 don't seem to realize this. We're very fortunate 00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:19.659 that there are people like you and Larry and 00:43:19.659 --> 00:43:21.579 some of the other folks that are out there that 00:43:21.579 --> 00:43:26.059 are trying to do whatever they can to help these 00:43:26.059 --> 00:43:28.800 veterans that are coming home from these, you 00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:31.860 know, conflicts that, you know, politicians get 00:43:31.860 --> 00:43:34.059 us into war. They don't fight them, unfortunately. 00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:37.340 And then, you know, and then they bring us back 00:43:37.340 --> 00:43:42.730 and sometimes I'm not going to go there. Sometimes 00:43:42.730 --> 00:43:44.949 we don't get sometimes we don't get the support 00:43:44.949 --> 00:43:47.829 that we really need and it's great that people 00:43:47.829 --> 00:43:51.489 are stepping forward and doing this and you know 00:43:51.489 --> 00:43:54.010 offering a veteran community of men and women 00:43:54.010 --> 00:43:56.110 you know who really are putting their lives on 00:43:56.110 --> 00:44:00.969 the line every single day and you know we're 00:44:00.969 --> 00:44:04.889 we're trying to my thought is that you know you 00:44:04.889 --> 00:44:08.750 guys are trying to reward them with these retreats 00:44:08.750 --> 00:44:11.789 where they can go and they can just calm down 00:44:11.789 --> 00:44:14.769 and just you know feel safe. I think that's one 00:44:14.769 --> 00:44:18.130 of the big things that so many veterans need 00:44:18.130 --> 00:44:21.150 to have happen to them when they get back from 00:44:21.150 --> 00:44:23.449 wherever they were whenever they were is they 00:44:23.449 --> 00:44:25.909 need to find some place that's safe for them 00:44:25.909 --> 00:44:29.090 and safe for them to bring their families to 00:44:29.090 --> 00:44:32.150 or safe for them to bring their friends to and 00:44:32.150 --> 00:44:34.730 sit around and shoot the breeze and you know 00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:37.500 Find out that you know what everybody went through 00:44:37.500 --> 00:44:39.699 and that they weren't alone in this You know 00:44:39.699 --> 00:44:42.000 big adventure of their life and that they're 00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:43.940 they've got this place as I mentioned before 00:44:43.940 --> 00:44:47.119 that's just the safety to me is is the big deal 00:44:47.119 --> 00:44:51.139 because some of these men and women are such 00:44:51.139 --> 00:44:55.519 anxiety and You know these traumatic brain injuries 00:44:55.519 --> 00:44:57.980 and post -traumatic stress and everything else. 00:44:58.039 --> 00:45:00.559 I think they're they're so much more comfortable 00:45:00.559 --> 00:45:04.420 around their own kind You know, psychologists 00:45:04.420 --> 00:45:07.599 and psychiatrists can do wonderful things, but 00:45:07.599 --> 00:45:12.079 most of them haven't been there. And what you're 00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:15.460 offering, and I think it's going to be a great, 00:45:15.460 --> 00:45:19.500 great opportunity. I can't wait to see the first 00:45:19.500 --> 00:45:21.539 one and then the next one and then the next one. 00:45:21.780 --> 00:45:24.480 I think you've got a big task in front of you, 00:45:24.500 --> 00:45:27.739 but I think it's going to be really cool. But 00:45:27.739 --> 00:45:30.559 I think that not only, you know, them having 00:45:30.559 --> 00:45:33.300 a good experience and coming out a little bit 00:45:33.300 --> 00:45:36.320 more mentally strong is obviously important, 00:45:36.320 --> 00:45:39.219 but at the same time, to remind them that it's 00:45:39.219 --> 00:45:42.639 okay to enjoy life again. And being out there, 00:45:43.239 --> 00:45:45.699 I've not yet met a single person that's been 00:45:45.699 --> 00:45:48.340 out to the camp that didn't enjoy themselves. 00:45:49.019 --> 00:45:50.940 And even if I had them working and sweating, 00:45:51.480 --> 00:45:54.280 they still, you know, because there was that 00:45:54.280 --> 00:45:58.619 mission driven... focused that day. They loved 00:45:58.619 --> 00:46:00.719 it. You know, they walk away with some new calluses 00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:03.039 on their hands and maybe a little sweaty and 00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:06.000 tired, but they thoroughly enjoyed the time they 00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:08.320 got to spend out there and the people they got 00:46:08.320 --> 00:46:10.980 to beat around and we're not even open yet. So 00:46:10.980 --> 00:46:13.920 that's the exciting part for me is that we're 00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:16.519 already starting to get there and it hasn't even 00:46:16.519 --> 00:46:19.380 technically even opened for business yet. So, 00:46:19.380 --> 00:46:23.230 you know, I can't wait to get this thing. fully 00:46:23.230 --> 00:46:25.670 launched and, God willing, hopefully through 00:46:25.670 --> 00:46:28.510 this gala and whatnot, we can raise enough funds 00:46:28.510 --> 00:46:31.849 and to try to make sure that we can get this 00:46:31.849 --> 00:46:34.090 thing going as quickly as possible. Everybody 00:46:34.090 --> 00:46:36.510 that is involved in my organization, including 00:46:36.510 --> 00:46:38.769 myself, are all volunteers. Nobody gets paid 00:46:38.769 --> 00:46:41.170 for anything that we're doing. And that's hugely 00:46:41.170 --> 00:46:44.010 important because we want every dollar that we 00:46:44.010 --> 00:46:47.150 raise to be able to fund this whole thing and 00:46:47.150 --> 00:46:50.050 get it launched as quickly as possible. Well, 00:46:50.789 --> 00:46:52.929 I'm wishing you the best of luck. Please let 00:46:52.929 --> 00:46:55.030 me know when you're ready for your big dedication. 00:46:55.489 --> 00:46:57.650 And we will, obviously, we would love to help 00:46:57.650 --> 00:47:01.469 promote that. The organization is thefreedom13 00:47:01.469 --> 00:47:06.289 .org. It's never forget. It's dedicated to Mark's 00:47:06.289 --> 00:47:11.050 son, Jared, and the other 12 soldiers and Marines 00:47:11.050 --> 00:47:13.550 that were, unfortunately, were killed at the 00:47:13.550 --> 00:47:19.510 Abbey Gate in Kabul in 2021. make this a success. 00:47:20.170 --> 00:47:23.349 I wish you the best of luck. Well, thank you 00:47:23.349 --> 00:47:26.530 so much for giving us a voice that's so crucially 00:47:26.530 --> 00:47:29.630 needed to get the word out. So thank you. That's 00:47:29.630 --> 00:47:31.630 our job. Thank you, Mark. I look forward to talking 00:47:31.630 --> 00:47:35.190 to you again. We're going to take a thank you. 00:47:35.389 --> 00:47:38.170 We're going to do a real quick promo here. As 00:47:38.170 --> 00:47:41.110 I mentioned last week or the week before, the 00:47:41.110 --> 00:47:43.250 Medal of Honor Society is coming to Detroit. 00:47:43.719 --> 00:47:47.360 at the end of September this year. And so my 00:47:47.360 --> 00:47:50.119 partner Jim Falzone was talking to one of the 00:47:50.119 --> 00:47:53.519 surviving Medal of Honor people who are going 00:47:53.519 --> 00:47:59.059 to be there. So here is Jim right now. The Congressional 00:47:59.059 --> 00:48:01.260 Medal of Honor Society Convention will be held 00:48:01.260 --> 00:48:05.239 in Detroit from September 29th to October 3rd 00:48:05.239 --> 00:48:09.239 of 2026, featuring the largest gathering of living 00:48:09.239 --> 00:48:13.119 Medal of Honor recipients. It brings together 00:48:13.119 --> 00:48:16.360 as many as 60 living Medal of Honor recipients 00:48:16.360 --> 00:48:18.739 for a series of public and private events aimed 00:48:18.739 --> 00:48:21.500 at sharing their heroic stories and promoting 00:48:21.500 --> 00:48:24.719 the values of the Medal of Honor, such as commitment, 00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:30.719 integrity, courage, sacrifice, citizenship, and 00:48:30.719 --> 00:48:34.539 patriotism. This event will also include community 00:48:34.539 --> 00:48:37.320 engagement activities allowing recipients to 00:48:37.320 --> 00:48:41.239 connect with the local Metro Detroit students 00:48:41.210 --> 00:48:45.369 veterans and active military members. This convention 00:48:45.369 --> 00:48:47.949 represents a unique opportunity for the City 00:48:47.949 --> 00:48:50.769 of Detroit and surrounding area to honor its 00:48:50.769 --> 00:48:54.570 military heroes and foster a spirit of patriotism 00:48:54.570 --> 00:48:57.869 and community engagement. You can learn more 00:48:57.869 --> 00:49:01.710 about this upcoming convention at medalofhonoredetroit 00:49:01.710 --> 00:49:06.110 .com. You can go there to support it with financial 00:49:06.110 --> 00:49:10.010 resources and volunteer support. Let me tell 00:49:10.010 --> 00:49:13.449 you about one of these men, James Livingston. 00:49:14.789 --> 00:49:19.809 He grew up in rural Georgia at a time when the 00:49:19.809 --> 00:49:25.210 area was still recovering from desperate economic 00:49:25.210 --> 00:49:32.510 times. He went on to Auburn University in Alabama. 00:49:32.929 --> 00:49:36.090 He was admitted to the Naval Reserve Officers 00:49:36.090 --> 00:49:41.590 Training Corps. That's NROTC. It allowed him 00:49:41.590 --> 00:49:45.289 to prepare for the future and his education and 00:49:45.289 --> 00:49:49.429 ultimately become a Marine officer. He earned 00:49:49.429 --> 00:49:53.869 a bachelor's of science and engineering and went 00:49:53.869 --> 00:49:59.809 on to do two combat tours in Vietnam. It was 00:49:59.809 --> 00:50:04.269 the events on May 2nd 1968 in the hamlet of Dao 00:50:04.269 --> 00:50:07.699 Do that would define and place him in a military 00:50:07.699 --> 00:50:12.280 history. He was a captain commanding marines 00:50:12.280 --> 00:50:16.780 in a brutal engagement deeply entrenched in North 00:50:16.780 --> 00:50:20.239 Vietnam forces. The fight was savage and the 00:50:20.239 --> 00:50:23.900 terrain offered almost no cover. Captain Livingston 00:50:23.900 --> 00:50:26.980 repeatedly led assaults across open rice paddies 00:50:26.980 --> 00:50:30.360 swept by enemy fire, personally destroying enemy 00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:33.059 positions, rallying the marines, evacuating the 00:50:33.059 --> 00:50:37.179 wounded under fire, and refusing medical evacuation 00:50:37.179 --> 00:50:41.699 himself despite serious wounds. For these actions 00:50:41.699 --> 00:50:47.280 he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Livingston's 00:50:47.280 --> 00:50:50.900 military career continued. He retired as a major 00:50:50.900 --> 00:50:54.880 general and he became a vocal advocate for veterans 00:50:54.880 --> 00:50:59.619 and improved military readiness. He co -authored 00:50:59.619 --> 00:51:03.059 a book called Noble Warrior, a compelling account 00:51:03.059 --> 00:51:06.280 not only of his upbringing but the fight that 00:51:06.280 --> 00:51:11.099 focused him into history. Through these deployments, 00:51:11.440 --> 00:51:14.900 Livingston continued to have a strong family 00:51:14.900 --> 00:51:18.719 life, and to his daughters he is remembered not 00:51:18.719 --> 00:51:22.119 as a general, but as a father, and to his Marines 00:51:22.119 --> 00:51:24.860 he is remembered not as a distant figure, but 00:51:24.860 --> 00:51:29.300 a mentor. You can learn more by going to the 00:51:29.300 --> 00:51:34.360 Congressional Medal of Honor Society site, cmohs 00:51:34.360 --> 00:51:38.659 .org. And remember to visit medalofhonoredetroit 00:51:38.659 --> 00:51:44.599 .com. That was Jim Falzone talking about the 00:51:44.599 --> 00:51:46.400 Medal of Honor convention that's going to be 00:51:46.400 --> 00:51:49.079 coming up in Detroit at the end of September. 00:51:49.199 --> 00:51:52.460 And we're really excited because we're hoping 00:51:52.460 --> 00:51:55.260 to be down there, obviously, and recording many, 00:51:55.360 --> 00:51:59.820 many more of these stories. We do a Medal of 00:51:59.820 --> 00:52:03.019 Honor segment every week here on Veterans Radio. 00:52:03.420 --> 00:52:06.320 And we need to upgrade it a little bit. There 00:52:06.320 --> 00:52:10.260 are now a little bit over 3 ,500 men who have 00:52:10.260 --> 00:52:12.280 received the Medal of Honor, only one woman. 00:52:13.719 --> 00:52:18.059 But it's a story that we need to tell. And really, 00:52:19.340 --> 00:52:21.820 I don't know. Every one of these Medal of Honor 00:52:21.820 --> 00:52:23.800 recipients that we've had the privilege of talking 00:52:23.800 --> 00:52:27.920 to over the last 20 years have been the... Most 00:52:27.920 --> 00:52:30.019 of them are humble. They say, you know, they're 00:52:30.019 --> 00:52:33.030 not the heroes. It's always the... the men and 00:52:33.030 --> 00:52:35.309 women that didn't make it back that are their 00:52:35.309 --> 00:52:39.469 true heroes. But I think if you listen to our 00:52:39.469 --> 00:52:43.909 program over the next nine months, we're going 00:52:43.909 --> 00:52:45.969 to be talking more and more about Medal of Honor 00:52:45.969 --> 00:52:48.289 recipients, kind of try to give you the backstory 00:52:48.289 --> 00:52:51.170 on some of these, a little bit more of a narrative 00:52:51.170 --> 00:52:55.429 on them. And I think it's going to be really 00:52:55.429 --> 00:52:57.289 interesting. We're very pleased that they've 00:52:57.289 --> 00:52:59.610 asked us to participate with them in Detroit. 00:53:00.630 --> 00:53:03.010 And you know, it's one of those things that I'm 00:53:03.010 --> 00:53:05.909 just really Excited to do because there's a lot 00:53:05.909 --> 00:53:07.570 of things that are going on out there. I want 00:53:07.570 --> 00:53:10.789 you know, we were talking today briefly about 00:53:10.789 --> 00:53:14.429 Just these people that are out trying to Set 00:53:14.429 --> 00:53:17.570 up these retreats set up care set up anything 00:53:17.570 --> 00:53:21.750 they can to help these returning veterans You 00:53:21.750 --> 00:53:25.170 know assimilate back into the to regular society 00:53:25.170 --> 00:53:29.329 to figure out a way to handle the traumatic events 00:53:29.329 --> 00:53:31.730 that have occurred in their lives. That's something 00:53:31.730 --> 00:53:35.190 that we want to make sure that we continue to 00:53:35.190 --> 00:53:37.730 promote here on Veterans Radio. So if you have 00:53:37.730 --> 00:53:40.989 an organization that's got something out there 00:53:40.989 --> 00:53:44.090 that's designed to help veterans and their families 00:53:44.090 --> 00:53:46.929 and first responders, let us know. We'd love 00:53:46.929 --> 00:53:50.369 to have you on the program to promote your organization 00:53:50.369 --> 00:53:52.909 and let people know what is happening in your 00:53:52.909 --> 00:53:57.139 area to support the veteran community. You know, 00:53:57.619 --> 00:54:00.679 this is not a one -man show here at Veterans 00:54:00.679 --> 00:54:04.599 Radio. We have been talking with you for 23 years 00:54:04.599 --> 00:54:08.559 almost now. We're very excited to continue on 00:54:08.559 --> 00:54:11.300 with this. Somebody mentioned earlier this morning, 00:54:11.579 --> 00:54:13.119 I was talking to him, he says, hell, I'm gonna 00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:16.019 be 80 this year. I'm going, oh my gosh, oh my, 00:54:16.099 --> 00:54:17.840 that's really frightening when you think about 00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:20.340 it. But we've got our mission here, so we've 00:54:20.340 --> 00:54:23.380 got to go. God bless America's coming up with 00:54:23.380 --> 00:54:25.530 Johnny Fortune. This is Dale Thromberry for all 00:54:25.530 --> 00:54:36.769 of us at Veterans Radio. You are dismissed. God 00:54:36.769 --> 00:54:49.150 bless America Land that I love Stand beside her 00:54:49.150 --> 00:54:55.300 And guide her Through the night with a light 00:54:55.300 --> 00:55:03.699 from above From the mountains to the prairies 00:55:03.699 --> 00:55:14.739 To the oceans white with foam God bless America, 00:55:16.039 --> 00:55:26.869 my home sweet home Eureka!