Bill Hutton, Sr. V.P. Purple Heart Foundation The Purple Heart is awarded to military members wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States or as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed forces. It is the oldest military award still presented to US Service members. This week we discuss the Purple Heart Foundation and Purple Heart Wines– a unique and delicious fundraising initiative of the C. Mondavi and [...]
Sean Cavanagh has struggled with thoughts of suicide for two decades. Several hundred times the dark thoughts have come, ranging from deep depression to a moment when he sat in his bedroom, a loaded Glock in his hand. A member of both the military and law enforcement community for two decades, he was well aware of the stigma attached to suicide so he kept his struggle to himself. Then, following conversations with two separate colleagues who were suffering, he [...]
Retired Ranger and FBI Special Agent James Gagliano knew about the threat of terrorists before 9/11 – he saw it firsthand in Yemen. As a member of the elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team, James was dispatched to provide security for the FBI investigators building the case against al-Qa’ida following the December 2000 attack on the USS Cole. He recalls pacing the deck of the wounded Cole, his weapon at the ready, and thinking thoughts of revenge. A graduate of WestPoint [...]
On Independence Day weekend two guests remind our listeners that Freedom isn’t Free. Both are representatives of the Folds of Honor foundation and both have made sacrifices for the freedom we celebrate this weekend. One lost a leg and the other lost her husband. Major Ed Pulido Major Ed Pulido is the Folds of Honor Senior Vice President. He is a 19 year Army Veteran and on August 17th 2004 hit an IED in Iraq. Ed made a [...]
Tim Gray is the Founder and Chairman of the World War II Foundation. He has produced 18 World War II documentary films to date, with several more in post-production. Tim is a master storyteller; just the kind of person we love on American Warrior Radio! His work has been recognized with FIVE regional Emmy Awards, THREE Indie International Film Fest Awards and American Public Television’s National Programming Excellence Award. Tim’s documentary films rank among the top five most requested programs [...]
Deb Martinez-Garibay is an Army Reservist with a passion for helping Veterans. Deb shares additional information and background on just a few of the projects with which she is involved. She emphasized that no matter the program, they all need volunteers and support in the form or monetary or in-kind contributions. Team RWB Team RWB seeks to enrich the lives of America’s Veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. They have chapters in 87 communities [...]
Nelson Miller KNOWS the reasons for Memorial Day. He spent two decades in the military, much of it as a Navy SEAL. He has lost comrades in combat. One wall in his Trident Grill restaurant is dedicated to those comrades lost. When it comes to Memorial Day, Nelson leans toward George Patton’s position of “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived!” “When I have a bad day or [...]
Havok Journal editor Scott Faith checks in to share updates on some of the issues & articles from their website. The writings at Havok Journal are compelling, interesting and sometimes humorous. This “buffet for the brain” discussion delves into several issues. We begin with a “how not to make military friends segment” by sharing the story of an east coast auctioneer who advertised a big sale of household goods/personal property of military members who were stationed overseas. While the auction [...]
BBG with John Eslinger at his Honorary Commander "Retirement" I thought the whole reason for having a guest host was so that I could take the occasional weekend off - but John Eslinger had other ideas. In the nearly 30 years I have been supporting the military, I always knew that it was the right thing to do but never gave much thought to what led me down this path or the influences it has had on my [...]
Pima Air Museum Director Scott Marchand, Sean & Tiffanie Denlinger, Rick Felker. Pima Air and Space Museum is the world’s largest non-government funded air museum. This week our Nova Home Loans remote broadcast took us to the Pima Air and Space Museum to learn more about their programs and talk with one of their volunteers who flew some of the aircraft on display. Pima hosts over 300 historical aircraft on 80 acres and in several hangars. Some of [...]