Marion “Tony” Marshall had a penchant for pushing boundaries. This led to some rather intriguing experiences during his time as a POW in Vietnam. Tony always wanted to be a pilot. Despite “skating” in high school he secured an interview for a military academy appointment and was one of only 6 black cadets in his Air Force Academy class of 1,000 persons. His eyesight prevented him from entering pilot training so he chose to become a navigator just to get [...]
Matthew Marsden made a comment during an interview last year that just floored me. So much so that I invited the British born actor/director to join me for a special Independence Day show. Sometimes it is valuable to examine ourselves through the lens of an “outsider”. Marsden was raised by a single mother living in public housing. He was fascinated by US television and even comic books. While he established a respectable career as a singer and actor in the [...]
Resiliency is defined as the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity or the like. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein recently stated “Suicide is an adversary that is killing more of our airmen than any enemy on the planet” and ordered a branch wide Resiliency Operational Pause. Master Sergeant Lisa Goad served more than 20 years as an Air Force Security Forces Defender. She took pride in the idea that she was protecting others every day. [...]
Memorial Day, and the reason/manner in which she observed it, changed dramatically for Scoti Domeij on October 22, 2011. That was the day her son Kristoffer was killed in Afghanistan. That was the day Scoti “was drafted against her own worst fears” into a club that no one wants to belong to; the Gold Star moms. Sgt. First Class Kristoffer Domeij Scoti shares her journey of grief from the shock of the initial notification to her current endeavors [...]
Mike Day had been shot at plenty of times during his two decades as a Navy SEAL, but he had never been hit. That changed dramatically the night of April 6, 2007. Mike was part of a 22 member assault team tasked with striking an al-Qaeda cell responsible for shooting down several Marine helicopters. Mike was the first through the door and was immediately met with a hail of bullets by terrorists firing AK-47’s, an M-4 and pistols. Mike was [...]
Sally Roberts had a rough start in life. So much so that a judge finally told her she had a choice between finding a productive after school activity and being sent to juvenile hall. After trying (and failing) at several team sports she finally tried wrestling – and it changed the trajectory of her life. Sally Roberts With hard work and grit Sally became a world class athlete. She was US National Champion, a two time world bronze [...]
Veterans Portrait Project founder Stacy Pearsall knew she would join the military – members of her family had served since the Revolutionary War. She wanted to do something creative and became an Air Force combat photographer. She was a good one, practicing her craft in over 41 countries and twice winning the National Press Photographers Association “Military Photographer of the Year” award. War is gruesome. An added challenge for combat photographers is that they often have to relive those moments [...]
Bobby Henline could have given up. But he didn’t. Now he uses humor to help others heal as well. Henline joined the Army at the age of 17 and deployed as part of Operation Desert Storm. He served for three years before leaving the Army to move on with his life. Like many Veterans, Bobby was compelled to re-enlist following the 9/11 attacks and went through boot camp again as a 30 year old. On April 7, 2007 - three [...]
Capt. Christy Wise, Air Force HC-130J Pilot Invictus translated from Latin means unconquered. Captain Christy Wise was fulfilling her dream as an Air Force C-130 pilot when a hit and run boating accident nearly took her life and resulted in the amputation of her right leg above the knee. As a testament to her unconquered spirit, while still in the ambulance, Wise was already resolved to not let this injury end her career as a pilot. She was [...]
Members of our elite military units are trained to be prepared to Conquer Anything. Greg Stube served 19 years as a member of the Green Berets and has written an outstanding book that translates the lessons he learned in the special teams to compelling ideas applicable to the civilian world. Life has a way of shooting holes in our best laid plans. In Greg’s case it was literal – a chunk of shrapnel the size of a plate passed through his [...]