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Talking with Heroes
Talk Show Program Schedule
"2007 On The Road" LIVE Event
Lutheran Senior Services - www.lssmo.org
The event was in their Chapel at
#1 Meramec Bluffs Drive - Ballwin, Missouri
October 20, 2007 at 10:00am (CST)
On the StardustRadio.Com Network
To listen to this program 24 hours a day/7 days a week click on this URL: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19487 then go to Episode 40
Lutheran Senior Services (LSS), one of the nation's most successful not-for-profit senior care providers, is dedicated to helping older adults in Missouri and Illinois get the most out of their retirement years.
LSS offers in-home services, affordable housing campuses and senior living communities, like LSS at Meramec Bluffs. Overlooking the scenic Meramec River, this continuing care retirement community provides a full continuum of service, from senior living apartments and houses to assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care. With the help of our caring staff members, LSS residents discover the lengths we go to in achieving our Christian Mission: Older Adults Living Life to the Fullest.
Thank you to Lutheran Senior Services - www.lssmo.org for sponsoring and organizing this event.
Thank you also to George Bernloehr, COO of www.civilianjobs.com, to Dr Vickerman with Cabool Wellness Center in Cabool, MO. to Cyndi Stout in Colorado Springs of www.PromoZ.com, Susan Warren with www.grasstroopssupport.com and Ret. SFC William Wischnewsky with www.5jump.com
Talk Show Host: Bob Calvert
Filmed By: Luke Smith
Guests:
Lauren Scherer
Lauren was the the spokesperson for Lutheran Senior Services for this Talk Show Program. She has put together a great talk event for all to hear.
The picture below is of Laurens Dad SSGT Vernon W. Tams (Air Force) who served in the Korean War. The picture is of him on board the New Jersey Battleship.
Vernon Tams U.S.S. New Jersey 1958
Lauren Scherer's son PV2 William Scherer
currently Stationed at Ft Sill, OK.
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Rick and Lisa Wallace - Gold Star Parents
www.rickandlisawallace.com
Rick's son Brandon was killed in April of this year.
Brandon was from Festus, Missouri where the talk show is being held. The song is about singing Brandon telling them NO TEARS ARE IN HEAVEN.
Rick wrote a song in memory of his son, Sgt. Brandon Wallace who died in the Middle East (April 14, 2007) called "No Tears".
Rick and Lisa have written two songs with one geared toward gold star parents, and the 2nd geared towards our soldiers still in the Middle East. The goal will be to get a copy of this and another song the Wallace's want to do in all the hands of Gold Star Families.
11-07-2007 Rick Wallace sent the following to me: "I wanted to let you know we are about to get 10,000 cds/dvds/computer- disc printed, they are headed to our troops and Gold Star families. I was ask today by our cd producer if there is any links that I would like to include on the disc. I thought of you immediately, so, with your permission, I'd like to do that for you. I really appreciate what you do Bob."
Our Prayers are with Rick and Lisa and their families. And with all Gold Star Families!
Check out their website: www.rickandlisawallace.com
Below is an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Father hopes song about fallen soldier will help others
ARNOLD — Writing and recording songs about his son killed in Iraq has been a healing experience for Rick Wallace. And now he believes he has found a way to share his healing words with other military families.
Parable Christian Store in Arnold has agreed to sell CDs of the songs, "NoTears" and "Always Felt Your Love," for $10 each and donate all of the proceeds to the Wallace family.
Rick Wallace plans to use the money to send copies of the songs to military families who lost a soldier in Iraq and soldiers serving overseas. He said that if there is any money left over, he will use it to start a scholarship in his son's name.
"I did this to bring comfort, healing and hope to all the Gold Star
families," Wallace said. "I don't want to make a penny."
Wallace and his wife, Lisa, of Arnold, wrote the song, "No Tears," about what they believe is Sgt. Brandon Wallace's life in heaven.
Wallace, 27, was killed April 14 in Iraq. He was a Crystal City High School graduate with plans to become a police officer when he came home. He was only about two weeks away from returning to the Festus home of his mother, Robin Wallace.
The song, "Always Felt Your Love," is written from the perspective of a
soldier who is at war and away from family, Wallace said. The words
resonated with the owners of Parable Christian Store. Donna Matlach, along with her husband, Charles, his brother John and his wife opened the store Oct. 5.
"When he told us the story of his son, it totally touched home," Matlach
said, adding that her son, Charles, 30, also served in Iraq. "We know what it's like to receive phone calls at all hours of the night, and all our son could say was, 'I'm OK.'"
The store, at 1716 Missouri State Road in Arnold, is accepting only cash or checks for the CDs. The store's owners have invited Wallace to perform the songs during a grand opening celebration Nov. 9 and 10. cbyers@post-dispatch.com | 636-500-4106
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JulieAnn Najar
A Military Grand Daughter, Daughter, Sister, Wife and Mom of two Sons and a StepSon Serving
She is the Founder of "A Soldiers Wish List"
www.asoldierswishlist.org
I started sending packages in 1968 to 198 soldiers in Vietnam, then the Gulf war and then my son got called up in 2003 and we had to do something to counter the bad feed about our troops and what they were doing. I Started sending packages to 2, then 4 then more and by Sept 2003 we had over 50 and needed help. We called WIL Radio Stations DJ Cornbread and he put it out to everyone and within 12 hours we had all 50 troops with items and started doing fund raisers.
We became a 501(c) (3) in Oct. 2003 and now have had over 10,000 troops sign up. In 2006 we started the "adopt-a-trooper" program. We have over 16,000 "adopters" from all over the U.S, and other countries.
My great great great grandfather fought in the civil war. My great, great uncle was in WWI. My father was in the 82nd Airborne. He jumped in Normandy on D-day. My brother was a marine in Vietnam. My husband did 2 tours in artillery in Vietnam. And my Stepson was in the push into Iraq as was his wife with the Air Force.
My youngest son Kekoa was in the army in Kuwait (before the war) and my oldest son Sgt. Dennis was in Kuwait, first and then he was sent to Iraq in Oct. 2006. He was hit with an IED on Nov. 10th and had a concussion. He Came home on leave in May, and ended up in the ER.
He is now in Fort Gordon, and has PTSD, TBI and was just told he also has MS. And for Dennis his biggest problem is not being able to get back to his unit in Iraq.
A Soldiers Wish List {ASWL} has grown from a few to the biggest "adopted mother" you ever heard of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sgt. George L. Day (my father)
WWII - 82nd Airborne Wounded on D-Day
LCpl Paul R. Day (my brother) Wounded in Vietnam
Dennis Cabanting (my son) Currently serving in Iraq
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Jared McGowen
Age: 24
Hometown: Florissant, MO
1st tour - Fallujah, Iraq - involved with the battle for Fallujah and keeping the area secure
2nd Tour - Anah, Iraq - counter-insurgents and foot patrol
Jared has 3 brothers and attended McCluer North High School
Jared now attends Lindenwood University and is also a Certified FitnessTrainer for Dynamic Fitness Management.
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Patricia Rowe Kerr
Missouri State Veterans Ombudsman
Directory, Operation Outreach
Missouri Veterans Commission
As the State Veterans Ombudsman I have been responsible for developing and overseeing a statewide program to increase public awareness of the State Veterans agency and the needs of the military and Veterans, particularly in light of the extensive and unprecedented use of citizen soldiers during the Global War on Terror.
As the liaison to state and federal agencies, the Ombudsman advocates for changes that affect the way the State of Missouri and the federal government define and provide services to their citizen soldiers, active duty military personnel, and their families and Veterans.
Special emphasis was placed on developing advocacy programs for the injured Guard, Reserve and Active Duty, recognizing the significant injuries of this conflict to include traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress, and the necessity for mental health services for families.
* Tasked with educating service members, families and Veterans regarding traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress and assisted with the development of the State Action Plan for “Traumatic Brain Injury in Missouri.”
* Developed the manual “Life After War – It’s About Making A Plan” to assist injured in navigating the various Department of Defense and federal and state programs available.
* Provide advisory support to the statutorily created Missouri Military Preparedness Enhancement Commission and served on the advisory board for the statutorily created Missouri Military Family Relief Fund and Operation: Military Kid. Provide the key leadership in all resource coordination activities that support the Missouri Military Family Relief Fund.
* Coordinated efforts that created intra-state agency relationships to provide advocacy and education for service members and Veterans that resulted in cost savings to the state and increased benefits to the service members and Veterans in an expedited and timely manner. An Intra-Agency Veterans Summit was coordinated to continue that dialogue.
* Organized national efforts to identify service member, family and Veteran gaps and needs due to mobilization, deployment, reintegration and injury and to match those needs to federal, state, community resources and policy solutions.
* Formed a national coalition of military donors and network to assist in providing funding outside state general revenue. I was invited to present testimony before a subcommittee of Congress on small business issues facing returning Veterans. I provided written testimony to the Veterans Administration and various Presidential Commissions and Task Forces studying the needs of Global War on Terror service members, families and Veterans.
* Instrumental in development of the issues defining the State of Missouri’s Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Issues.
* Instrumental in development of the issues defining the Joint Committee of the House and Senate on Veterans Affairs for the State of Missouri.
Director, Operation Outreach (Missouri Veterans Commission)
As one of the leaders at the Missouri Veterans Commission, our team created a program to provide resources for service members, their families and new Veterans deployed to support the Global War on Terror. This program became a model in the nation.
With emphasis on advocacy, education, navigation and resource coordination, over $1 million in resources were coordinated in a two and one-half year period, over 5000 service members, their families and new Veterans were briefed and over 1200 cases were managed. New legislation was created and passed and new policies and procedures were developed and implemented.
Create statewide events to provide outreach avenues in order for Veterans to access federal benefits.
* Board member of Operation Military Kids, Brain Injury Association of Missouri, Missouri Military Family relief Fund Advisory Board.
* Missouri Veterans Commission representative to the Missouri Military Preparedness Enhancement Commission.
Honors
o VFW Veterans Appreciation Award
o 89th RRC Commanding General “Letter of Commendation”
o Exercise Tiger Foundation, Spirit of America “Military Community Relations Award”
o 2004 American Red Cross “Heart of A Hero – Local Volunteer Hero Award”
o 2006 Brain Injury Association of Missouri “Service Excellence Award”
o 2006 Zonta Woman of Achievement finalist
o 2007 Classic Woman of the Year, Traditional Home Magazine
o Public Relations Society of America “Communicator of the Year” finalist
2007 - Recognized by the Missouri Senate for her work on behalf of Troops - Past, Present and Future.
Pat Rowe Kerr
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WWII VET #1 – Bill - POW
Air Force: October 1943 – November 1945
AIR FORCE – ECM lower Gunner (Ball gunner) on a B-17
”Radar was pretty new then, and it was his responsibility to track with radar as well as act as the gunner”
Shot down by enemy fire on December 12, 1944 over Odorff Island, Holland. He and crew were captured by Germans and marched for 18 days to a POW camp.
POW for 6 months. Escaped just as the war was ending and the Russians were coming into the town where his camp was.
** What was interesting about his story is that Bill was shot down in 1944.
Last year he received a letter from Holland. He said that it took him one week to get up the courage to open the letter.
When he opened it, it was from a man (named Fred Hoack) who said that, “When I was a small boy, my parents and I saw your plane get shot down. We always wondered what had happened to the men who were on that plane”.
After doing some research, this man tracked Bill down and sent him a letter inviting him to come to Holland. He said that, “I was brought up to respect my LIBERATORS”, meaning the Americans!
Bill, and his family, accepted the invitation and went to Holland. He said that he was treated like Royalty; with parades, parties, and memorials. He was taken to 2 museums and 5 cemeteries where Americans were buried. They gave him a book that the town had signed.
This man still calls Bill one time every week. They are planning on having Fred come to the US for a visit sometime in the future.
WWII VET #2 – Jon
Navy: August 1941 – Dec 1945
Air Force: April 1948 – July 1966
NAVY – Air Crew Aviation Radio man in the Azores, Islands
Flew reconnaissance/surveillance and reported in on the different sectors of enemy activity in the ocean (subs and ships)
Flew reconnaissance for when President Roosevelt made a visit
AIR FORCE – ECM Radio Operator (Electronic Counter Measures Operator)
** What was interesting about his story is that from 1953 – 1956 there was a three year period when the United States kept a plane in the air with an atomic bomb on it.
This was during the Cold War, and the plane was used to ‘intimidate’ the Russians. It was not common knowledge that this plane was in the air, flying over the US, during this entire 3-year period. Jon was part of this covert operation
Korean War VET #3 – Ralph
Army: 1949 – 1951
ARMY MEDICAL
Worked in a Hospital Unit at a Korean POW Camp
Korean POW’s who were medical students were used as medical assistants. The Army Dr’s would make rounds with these prisoners.
The Korean prisoners had been trained with pre-WWI medical books…that were written in German. So communicating with them was a challenge.
Also worked at a 1,000 bed hospital where United Nations wounded were brought
** What was interesting about his story: During their ‘down time’, Ralph and the other doctors would go to neighboring Leper colonies and minister to the sick. When the war had broken out, the missionaries who ran the colonies left the country, leaving the sick on their own. Ralph said that when a leper was sent to the colony, their entire family was sent…not just the sick.
Ralph also went to the local War-Orphan compound run by Catholic nuns. He helped minister first aid and medical attention to them as well.
Ralph ended his military career at the Pentagon – as the medical on-staff to the Generals and Admirals
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