Well, good day and welcome to Pitbull 214 Podcast. I am Rick Peralis, your host for this program. I'm a retired Air Force veteran, and I'm pleased to be here with you. This program is dedicated to our veterans and their family members, and basically we serve those veterans in two ways by identifying the programs, resources, services, opportunities, people, events that are out there, and there are many, thousands, specifically for our veterans and their families. I find that the problem is, even though there are thousands, is that the vets just don't know about them. And I try to connect as many of those as I can by bringing the subject matter expert on and talk about what their program is and what it does for the vets and their families. The second area that we concentrate on is veterans sharing their war stories with other veterans. We all love a good war story. And we've had several good ones on here, and I'm look always looking for good war stories. Something that's exciting, that's entertaining, that uh has a lesson to it, um uh feel good, sad, whatever. Uh the real world, the real veteran world. That's what I'm looking for. And I'd love to get someone from World War II. I haven't been able to track anyone down. So if you know a vet from World War II that um would like to share their experience with us and they're able to, please let me know. I'll track them down and and see if they'll do it with me. Um the fact of the matter is I think everyone gets that we are losing World War II veterans at an alarming rate, and it won't be too long before there are none left with us. Um and you know, I like the Korean vets, Korean War vets, the Vietnam War vet, they all have a story, and and I want to share as many stories as I can. Uh, so that's the other way we do this. Now I must say here that um our viewership, our audience, is growing and growing. And there's a lot of people that have helped me do this program. It it's not growing as fast as I'd like, but it's growing. And I just um I don't I don't want to mention them all, I'll forget someone, but you know who you are, and it it's much appreciated. Um so we're gonna get to our program today, and it's pretty exciting. Um Colonel, retired Colonel Rafi Rodriguez uh is gonna be our guess, he's a friend, and he'll share his story, Rafi, uh Rafi's amigos, with you uh when we get to him. But let me explain a little logistics here. Uh we're supposed to have Jerry Lynn Maples and Blue Star Families on this this week. However, um we it was so long between our take and posting it that uh some of the events she talks about is already past us. Um and as a matter of fact, uh Rafi's big event is past us, but we'll share some of the results of that event. It was it was very successful, sold out. It is every year and where that money goes. Uh and then we'll have Jerry Lynn's event after that. So we'll get right and I'll have my website schedule adjust it so that everyone will know um what's up next. Uh remember you can watch it on uh uh several platforms, but you can also just listen to it if you're driving or mowing the lawn or whatever you do. Uh either way, uh listen to the stories, tell me what you think, pass it on to other vets, and help me help our vets. So without any further delay, I'm gonna break here and we'll be right back with Rafi Rodriguez. Thank you. Well, welcome back to Pitbull 214 Podcast. A podcast for veterans, their family friends, and really anyone who cares about our vets. I am uh so excited to introduce my guests for today's show. Uh he's a longtime friend. As a matter of fact, uh he's Puerto Rican like I am, except uh with Rafi, he can speak the language, which I can. So um you're gonna enjoy his story of how he got into the military, very success successful, and then what he's doing now. Because like many of my guests, he still has a lot of gas left in the tank and he wants to continue serving. And he does it in a very unique and interesting way. So welcome, Rafi. Good to see you, my friend.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Thank you for being invited here. Rick, good to see you again.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you too. Thank you for being on the show.
SPEAKER_01All righty.
SPEAKER_00Um let's jump right to it. Uh I I love your background, uh, where you started. Why don't you give us a a quick synopsis of how you came to be in the Air Force?
SPEAKER_01Well, I was uh uh I grew up in uh San Juan, Puerto Rico. I'm uh a twin, and there's four of us. So uh older sister, older brother, and my twin brother and I. And I've always wanted to uh be engaged in the military somehow because I was uh uh a student of the space program on TV, you know, the uh uh Mercury program, Apollo program, and so forth. So I was enthused with the uh with that uh possibility of making that a career. And uh in college I joined the uh the Air Force IOTC in Maya West, which is the engineering school.
SPEAKER_00University of Puerto Rico.
SPEAKER_01University of Puerto Rico in MyOS. And I joined the Air Force IOTC and I was very gun ho. I ended up being cadet commander, number one in my class, distinguished graduate. And it didn't happen overnight. I had a great mentor back then, as uh he was the IOTC instructor, Rafael Ramos. He was a major, and he ended up being my mentor all throughout my 26-year career, although he was never uh in my chain of command. And and that was so cool. To me, to this day, even after I retired, I went back to him, hey Rafael, uh I got a question about this. What do you think? What would you do? So for me, the the meaning of of mentorship is somebody that has your best interest um at heart and they do it freely and they want to see you succeed. And I had that experience, and I I wish every um veteran or military active duty or retired to consider having a mentor, a lifetime mentor, may I say.
SPEAKER_00You know, um uh you become like family, right?
SPEAKER_01They become as a matter of fact, uh Raphael uh became and his wife uh Nidia became the grandparents of Gabriel, uh my youngest son. So we became family.
SPEAKER_00And uh you you live very nearly.
SPEAKER_01As a matter of fact, yes. They finally they lived in Beaver Creek and they moved about uh Stone Throw away from a house over by the Beaver Creek golf course. And uh a funny story, you know, it's it's all coincidence, Rick, but his name was Rafael Ramos, right? R and R. I'm Rafi Rodriguez, R. His wife's uh name is Nidia uh Ramos.
SPEAKER_00And you're beautiful.
SPEAKER_01My wife is Nidhi Rodriguez, and uh wait a minute, there's there's too many coincidences. The his last job was uh being the deputy of uh Deputy Commander AFSAC, right here at Right Patrice.
unknownSure.
SPEAKER_01Well, I retired from the same job about 10 some years later. Isn't that weird? Uh but it was uh it was such a delightful experience to have somebody to tell you, no, you're on the right track, or no, you don't need to go left, you need to go right. And uh it was extremely rewarding to have a relationship with someone of that caliber or person. He ended up retiring as an 06 as a colonel. I retired at the same rank, and even after retirement, we kept uh a very close relationship.
SPEAKER_00Now he's gone, he's left us, but his wife is still here, a neighbor. Why don't you give her a shout out?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh cheers to uh Nidia Ramos, uh, who's our dear neighbor, and uh she's family, and I wish her well. She lives just about uh stone throw away from a house.
SPEAKER_00So um uh that's a wonderful uh connection. So uh you graduated at the top of your class out of the university. You always want to be a pilot, but you weren't medically qualified eyes, I think. Right.
SPEAKER_01My eyes were not that good. Uh so I ended up becoming a missileer. Uh I I was uh missile year uh at FE Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
SPEAKER_00Which was shocking.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they yeah, this is a funny line. They say, Rodriguez, uh you're gonna go into missiles. Uh what would you like to do? Yeah, I'd like to work on rockets and all that. And I I was thinking launching rockets into space. Uh in turn, I I ended up a hundred feet on the ground. I never launched the wrong way. Well, yeah, I went the wrong way. But the thing is, uh nuclear ICBM. Yeah, that was. Uh further from my career, I ended up working on the Titan 4 space launch vehicle, which is a big rocket. Uh right now, we uh when the shuttle blew up, unfortunately in 2000. Challenger six Challenger, um, I ended up going to uh Los Angeles Air Force Base to work on the Titan IV space launch vehicle, heavy lift. We did not have heavy lift capability, and we had some satellites that had to fly. So we had a contract for 12 rockets. Uh we had 10 satellites. Luckyed. Well, it was Martin Marietta by then, then Lucky Martin. And we ended up buying 12 rockets just in case the loss of probability will this day that one rocket may not make it. Well, one didn't make it out of Hamburg. And I'm very fortunate that the last Titan Ford that never flew, it's on Hangin Four Hangar 4 at the museum. At the museum, right here, the National Museum of the United States Air Force. And every time I stop by, I say, you know what? I was one of the original cadre engineers working on that rocket.
SPEAKER_00So you had a distinguished career, but uh let me go back. Well w as I got I've gotten to know you, I think people have an interest. Twenty-four on, twenty-four off in missiles?
SPEAKER_01Yes, typically.
SPEAKER_00So what do you do 24 straight hours? What's a missile silo have for? I know most of our colleagues get master's degrees or some kind of education. You have plenty of time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but there's a lot of tests that happen on a lot of communication tests uh with different aircraft, command control aircraft from the field. Uh there's a lot of testing going on. We work with maintenance troops. So uh you get pretty busy. I mean, uh obviously uh you get to rest and uh we exchange, you know, the the deputy will sleep for a while and then I'll take over, or vice versa. But it gets pretty busy. It's it's not a boring time. Of course, there were times where uh there were kind of dead times, especially on weekends. But we were very busy working with the security forces, um uh topside, uh checking out the missiles. If they saw something that was too close to the sensors, most times it was just an antelope or a rattlesnake or something like that. But it it was a very exciting career to do that because that um opened doors for me. I ended up going to Affitt after that missile uh assignment. So very exciting, and I think it's a job that it's uh the silent warriors, may I say, but it's a needed function that needs to be it's an important mission.
SPEAKER_00Were you married at that time?
SPEAKER_01No, I didn't marry Nity until uh I was in the Air Force for ten years.
SPEAKER_00Okay, okay. Uh was that a longtime girlfriend?
SPEAKER_01Uh no, no, we just uh we just met when I was stationed at Egli Base. She's Puerto Rican, but I met her at Eglian Air Force Base. We never met. She's uh almost ten years younger than me. And um it was funny, we're both from Puerto Rico. We never met on the island, and uh we happened to meet in uh uh Eglian Air Force Base, Florida.
SPEAKER_00It's got a lot of those type things going on, huh? Just coincidences. Yes. So so you have a successful career, you're a program manager. What was your last couple jobs?
SPEAKER_01Well, I had so many different jobs based on my background. I work in uh U.S. Southern Command uh assistant exec to the four star. He was a Marine Corps, and I learned a lot about joint operations and how to work with the Army, um, uh the Navy and the Marines in a joint environment. So and then my language came in very handy because of my Spanish and my culture. Um and then I also work on uh on foreign military sales. Uh one thing led to another. Uh one exciting career was at the Defense Intelligence Agency looking at other people's uh rocket programs and satellite programs.
SPEAKER_00You were the boss there, yeah.
SPEAKER_01No, no, I was uh I was a majority of the we had um uh I had an uh an Air Force uh Lieutenant Colonel who was my boss, and I learned a great deal by the intelligence community. And for those of you who are in Intel or did an Intel assignment, I take off my hat. That's an interesting, interesting career field, and I learned a great deal about the national intelligence agencies and how they work and how we work together, and that was an amazing experience.
SPEAKER_00So um it sounds like to me you were very fortunate because in your jobs you got to see you were up there 40,000 feet and you got to see how the Air Force operates by and large, right? So um great career, uh 26 years, you're an 06. Uh that's a mark of success, 05s even. Uh but you you topped that, so I know your family was proud of you. Um but then we have talk transition, which is something I had Cassie Barlow on, who you know well, talking about that. She's uh a subject matter expert. Uh talk a little bit about your transition, how you prepare, and any advice you have for anyone out there that's thinking about either retiring or getting out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, transition was something that for me was relatively easy. I had a lot of contact with the defense industry, but I wanted to do something more personal. And I happen to uh to have a lot of experience in planning in the Air Force. You plan for an acquisition system, you know, you you have a mission, you know, you have resources from Congress, you pay for it, and you do uh periodic reviews to see how well things are progressing, and then you execute the mission, that you make it operational, then you maintain it and and review it and keep on going. And I wanted to do that predominantly because I was able to uh guide my parents uh in their retirement. They didn't plan too well, and then I realized I want to use that experience to help others not to make those kinds of mistakes. It was not necessarily a mistake, it's just that they use all the resources so that the four kids we could go to college and have the opportunity they never had. So that resonated a lot with me, and I became pretty much like a like a financial uh advisor for people using the the same steps I did in the military.
SPEAKER_00But what what I saw that I I really liked is you were working two years before retirement on setting yourself up, right? I said, So preparation to yeah, talk about that.
SPEAKER_01Well, I for example, and I when I realized that I wanted to do that, that was a unique calling for me. I I realized, okay, what do I need to do to to start that career? The different uh licenses and credentials I had to to do, so I studied at night until late. Uh and then when I retired in 04, I was pretty much ready to jump into a career that was more driven by personal needs and than um the Air Force needs. Uh it wasn't easy because just because you're retired or sick doesn't mean everybody's gonna trust you with their future. But over time I became more like uh like an old-fashioned advisor, a coach, a mentor for other people. And that became uh the hallmark of my second career, and I've been doing it for 23 years and it's done really great.
SPEAKER_00And and I've watched you along that way, and you um um have a unique relationship with your customers, they're friends. Absolutely. They're like family.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they become family, right?
SPEAKER_00Right. So that's perfect transition as it is. Um part of my show talks about uh getting out and all your whole career you have a singular for focus, uh, the mission. Now you get out and there's nothing there. Uh or there doesn't there doesn't uh many times there's nothing there, and and veterans have trouble struggling, you know, sitting on a front porch drinking tea. What so talk a little bit about uh uh what what drives you to volunteer like you do, which will uh transition us perfectly into your program.
SPEAKER_01Well actually um nothing too esoteric. I used the same principles as I did in the military. I got myself a mentor to help me with this new career because it was although the steps were very similar, there were a lot of things in business that are different. And one thing that I that I want to share with a fellow veterans is that the camaraderie that we enjoy so much in while on active duty is not quite the same in civilian life. You know, I can tell a fellow veterans, you know, although you serve in a in a different service, you know, you still have uh dirt in your boots like I do. So there's a lot of commonality between veterans. In civilian life, it's predominantly about the mighty dollar, the bottom line about profits and what have you. So having a mentor, it's it's critical for at least for me, and I'll advise everybody to have a mentor, and then develop a plan, just like you did in the military. You know, you want to uh have uh some objectives by two years out, five years out, ten years out, and then have a plan and uh by same talking either consult with your mentor or with a group of advisors to ensure that you're on the right track. Uh these are very simple uh techniques but very hard to find what people do in them. And they try to they scratch your head. How come I can't get there? Well, get yourself a group of advisors and a mentor and have a plan, a written plan, and review it every so often, ensure that you're hitting the marks that are important for you and your success and the success of your family as well.
SPEAKER_00You know, I think um I I couldn't agree with you more, and I I find that a lot of people have an excuse, well, they don't want to bother someone. And I know you're like me, I'm honored when someone asks me to mentor them. You know, they think you have the wisdom and knowledge that you could help them move along. That that's a good feeling.
SPEAKER_01And I think uh Rick that um you know if there's any fellow veterans out there that would like to um, you know, sit down with me, and uh it is an honor for me to to be a guide for a fellow veteran that needs some help, you know, you know, just like you. And I enjoy being engaged in the community and and helping other people. It's a blessing when you have certain God-given gifts that you help others in find the true north, whatever that north may be, is theirs. And if you go guide them, it's a blessing. It's it's uh it's an honor to be of service to fellow uh fellow veterans.
SPEAKER_00I I couldn't I couldn't agree more. And and you know, the the fact is is that uh seeing them go somewhere and you being a part of it, that's a good feeling. And and so for the audience, we'll have uh Rafi's contact information there, and also we're gonna step now into his program and I'll have all that information there as well, including if you'd like to contribute. So, Rafi, let's talk about how you stumbled up on or maybe didn't stumble, uh uh uh Rafi's uh amigos.
SPEAKER_01That's an interesting story. Um first of all, what is Rafi's amigos golf outing? Uh it is a way for me to give back to the community, and I've been doing this for um nine years this uh June 5th is the uh ninth year that I've been doing this. I did it to raise money to help uh cause us dear to my heart. Uh I started with uh helping United Way, then Kiwanish. But eventually, I it uh it touched my heart when I decided I want to uh invest in the future leaders of our country. So the last couple of years has been predominantly to help junior ROTC cadets from local uh participating uh high schools like um uh Beaver Creek, uh Bellbrook, and Fairborne. And many people asked me, so why why are you doing this? So the story goes like this. I was very gone ho, and I wanted to do uh junior ROTC when I was in high school in Puerto Rico, and it was typically Navy or Army back then. And my dad said, Well, Rafi, you know, your older sister and your older brother are going through college right now, and things are a little tight financially. So I sorry, I can't help you right now. You may want to wait until college. So I said, Okay, dad, I fully understand. So that's why I wait until college. I joined the Air Force IOTC. Fast forward, uh, all I'm doing, Rick, is uh investing in this uh future leaders, and I want to give them the opportunity that I never had. And it's uh it's an amazing opportunity for me to work with Aircamp uh, Inc. I started here in Dayton uh about 16, 17 years ago, and I I'm the host uh and then the uh the the the face to the golf outing, uh, but all the funds that we raise go through AirCamp so that about 40 cadets combined from the different high schools get to go through a couple of STEM modules. Uh and one of the one of the modules is certainly for each cadet to fly with an instructor pilot. Well how cool is that?
SPEAKER_00Now uh explain to the audience what space camp or oh god, I did it again. Aircamp is.
SPEAKER_01Well, AirCamp it's uh it's a camp for predominantly for uh uh you know middle class uh kids, uh middle school kids and high school, and they even have a teacher's program. They intend is to teach them uh science, technology, engineering, and math uh modules based on aeronautical principles. And and it's it is an amazing program. And I used to be on the board, but now I just do it from the outside by teaming up with them. And uh AirCamp, it's born and created right here in uh in Dayton, Ohio.
SPEAKER_00And it keeps evolving. It keeps evolving, and now they have a a construction project on the books.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they they have a building that they're they're looking at funding and so forth. It's gonna be right next to the uh museum, I believe. So w what uh what a combination of resources, you know. My you know, my financial uh wherewithal, uh my persona behind it, uh teaming up with AirCamp and the beneficiaries what really motivates me. This this kids from uh local high schools. And when you look at their faces and when you give them the coin at the ceremony uh when they done with air camp, it is amazing to see the joy, the the happiness, the the future in front of me and in front of us, because there's a few of us giving out the coin. And I know that our future is safe and secure with uh with these kids from uh junior to see. Now, only four percent or less of these kids at the national level ever join the military. But the good thing is are we creating great citizens to uh take our uh country forward.
SPEAKER_00You know, uh Rothi, I was in the uh General Assembly and we had a hearing from air camp, and I kept saying space camp. And I will tell you, it was modeled after space camp, and we intend to get bigger and better than space camp. Not there yet, but I've done that more than once, so I'll try to be more careful. But uh the the uh young men and women who go through this program, they're not necessarily gonna be pilots. But they will they will be introduced to technology and STEM, and they could be uh uh engineers, a aerospace engineers, or or any kind of engineers.
SPEAKER_01As a matter of fact, the number one cadet of the Beaver Creek High School here last year, um, a little uh young uh bright girl from Venezuela, she ended up getting accepted to a couple of medical schools. I mean, that's enlightening. Yeah. So STEM is very broad.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I think it uh what we have to recognize, and this is probably why we uh air camp started, is that uh uh the global stage the United States was falling behind behind in STEM. So we need to put more resources into making sexy again. Yeah, so you know it's all that all these talent is being grown right here in the States and to make our uh our country still have um a sharp uh end of the spear, may I say. Right not only in the military, but also in civilian life. Um we want to be a leader in technology worldwide.
SPEAKER_00Right, and I will tell the folks out there that um it's a perfect vacation trip for you and the kids. Uh go to the website, see when the sessions are, because as Rafi said, it's it will be right there with the museum. But right now it's close to the museum, and there's so much to do in a Miami Valley air aerospace aviation related that you could make uh a full week of it and and maybe even pop over to Columbus and see some of their uh wonderful activities. So we're we're we're closing in now on finishing, Rafi, and thank you again so much. You're you're a dear friend, and I learned so much when I talked to my guests. Um here's a point where I ask you uh if you had to advise some folks out there, let's say people in the military, people with kids, because I think your advice will go for all of them. Uh what what kind of advice would you give them? You know, take given your uh stellar career, what would you tell them?
SPEAKER_01Well, first of all, uh uh as I mentioned earlier, just uh find yourself a mentor and uh you'll be surprised how many people you ask you have to ask for a mentor. The mentor will not freely come to you. You have to ask, and then uh sometimes it's hard to find where mission in life is. Let your passion get you there. Your passion will become your mission, even though you may not know what that is, your passion. So get find a mentor. Uh follow your passion that will eventually lead to your mission in life, and get involved. There's so many things in our community that will help you, not only from learning what else is happening in your community, but how can you use a God given talent for the benefit of others? It is very powerful when you network with people that are outside your comfort zone. It's very powerful. I've done it and uh It works. And it works.
SPEAKER_00It works. One last thing before we close. You need to give a shout out to your lovely wife and your family. Because we know in the military, they're the real heroes. They're the ones that stand behind us or in front, right? So and you have a lovely give a shout out to them and the kids.
SPEAKER_01My my dear love and regards to my my wife Needy, uh, my daughter Giselle, uh, my son Gabriel. And uh it's interesting, we were talking about this the other day, and um, my twin brother who's happening to be with us, he said, Well, who who uh earns the medal around here? I said, Well, Rafi can't earn the medal, but I high my wife said I I earn the big trophy. There you go. Yeah, I'm the winner here. So she's lovely. If it wasn't uh for her, and then uh not to uh mention any cliches, but she has been the wind behind my sale beneath my wing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so with that, we're gonna close. Um I tell my audience once again we'll have all of Rafi's information there and we'll have links to his golf outing. I think you're pretty much full now.
SPEAKER_01Oh getting there, very, very close.
SPEAKER_00But he has sponsorships too. I'm a small sponsor for that. But um but just knowing what it is, maybe you can come by some other year and because this isn't going anywhere fast, but we'll have that and we'll have other any other links or websites that uh Rafi thinks is valuable to understand what he does, how he does it, and maybe perhaps to chat with you and give you some advice um over over coffee or something, right? Yes. Okay, with that, thank you so much, Rafi. I appreciate your time. He's got my obligatory pit bull um coffee mug, and he will uh use it when he's on the air in other events. So thank you again, thank you, family. And I'll be out there for your golf hour, my friend.
SPEAKER_01Look forward to it.
SPEAKER_00Okay, with that, we'll be right back. Well, welcome back to Pitbull 214. I am Rick Perales again, and I hope that you enjoyed Rafi's story. Um it's a good story, and and there are so many more out there. And unfortunately, we weren't there for his golf outing, uh, but I will tell you this that they made over $25,000, and they're able to send 40 junior Rotzi students to air camp to get a ride, among other things, to get a ride on a plane with an instructor. So um, you know, many of those kids will be oriented to flying. Uh some may take off with it. I like the jest there, but some may really get into it. Others may become uh air con aeronautical engineers or maintenance. Uh there's so many, so many skills in aerospace and technology. So um Rafi's doing a great job there getting these kids involved, and uh we we do appreciate it greatly, Rafi. So um again about the website, um I'm looking for any um stories or resources uh that promote the vets, that help the vets, that help the vets and their family. So please feel free to connect with me on my website. It's pretty easy to navigate. Now, speaking about the website, uh I started with a YouTube channel. I've evolved to a website. Now, I still have the YouTube channel, but uh the the website's the repository for everything. And it uh it has uh resources, um, standard resources, but also resources of the programs that I present in the website. It has the schedule of our um podcasts, uh, it has an area where you can sign up if you think you have something to offer on a podcast, a podcast, either a program or a story, or or you know of someone that does. Um it has a photo and video um uh section so you can see the photos behind uh some of the or all of the podcasts when I get it all populated. And uh recently I've put two um videos up that that really have no podcasts. Uh one was my trip, my wife Becca and my trip to Normandy, and uh tons of pictures, uh great experience, a couple of videos. So, you know, I I would recommend it to anyone. It's the best vacation I've ever had. Uh, but if you can't go, take a look at that, see what it's like. Uh I'm I'm hoping to give you the uh 50 cent tour on something that I went on and just uh see you know the cathedrals, the battlefields, the foxholes, um, the cemeteries, the beaches uh where um the uh parachutes uh parachuters landed on D-Day. Um you'll see pictures of all that. The second video has to do with the Pee-Wee jump fest. Uh Pee Wee Martin is a friend of mine. He died a couple a year and a half ago, uh, just short of 102. He um was um uh uh one of the guys who jumped in on D-Day. Um he's a hero, and he he kept promoting what that history was until he died in 102. I think he actually jumped at like 98. Um he's been to Normandy several times to celebrate with those people. Well, they have a jump fest in his honor annually here in Green County at um Skydive Green County, where they raise money uh for the round canopy folks to keep promoting the round canopy. And and for you folks that don't know it, um the round canopies are what they used in World War II and are much more difficult to control than the uh current uh parachutes they use. So uh a real, real um good time watching these professionals do what they do so well. And that um that site on my website, it's gonna be a folder, will have uh some history, it have some interviews, and it have a lot of pictures. So, and we're honoring three people in that that we've lost besides Pee-Wee. Uh so please uh take a look at that. Now, um I mentioned earlier that we had to rearrange Jerry Lynn Maples is gonna be our next guest, and Jerry uh Jerry Lynn is a force of nature. Uh she runs the Southwest Ohio um Blue Star Families program. And uh Blue Far Blue Star Families, uh I guess the best way to put it is they just support our families, uh, military and veteran families in every way imaginable. Uh they they give food away, they give cleaning supplies, they have events, they go to ball games with the kids, uh, they have guest speakers. Um and I know I'm missing a lot, but Jerry Lynn will fill in those details uh when we're with her next. So um we're about ready to close. I want to say thank you again to all the troops out there for what you're doing, keep doing it. We appreciate it. Uh I was at the gym recently and saw a troop that just got sent home uh because of the danger in one of the Middle East uh areas that we we are in. And he was happy to be home and he's um proud of the job he's doing. And I told him, hey, we care. Um, you know, keep doing what you're doing, and you got a lot of people, the majority of people back here really care about what you're doing, and we we're keeping you in our prayers and thoughts and uh wishing you to come home when you're done and uh complete with the mission to your families and loved ones. And we know many haven't, and we got to keep them in our thoughts and prayers, uh, as well as, and we forget this sometimes, the parents, the families, the siblings, uh, their friends. Uh they're all hurting when they lose a troop. So uh just keep them all in your thoughts and prayers. With that, I want to thank you again, and I want to say Pip bull out. God bless.
SPEAKER_02The world's always coming to an end. Don't let it scare you out of living. Look at me, mom. Again, some lines a little baby boy, did it. Escape poverty, did it, get the lottery, did it.
unknownI let all these boys do the rap in me. I'm a man of my word, I live it. Every day I say thank you. Every day I give thanks, every day's Thanksgiving. Living is giving introduce best call through a new culture, winning every second, every minute. Every hour, every day, every year, I'm here.
SPEAKER_02Just live your life like prince, and not to your way and living over here.