The American Heroes Network Podcast americanheroesnetwork

Today's podcast is a special Memorial Day episode. On today's podcast I have Army Veterans Jim Klug, President of American Heroes Network and Steve Deaton, Co-Host for American Heroes Network.
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Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.
 
Today's podcast is a special Memorial Day episode. On today's podcast I have Army Veterans Jim Klug, President of American Heroes Network and Steve Deaton, Co-Host for American Heroes Network.
 
Gentlemen thank you for joining today for this special episode.
 
 
American Heroes Network President, Jim Klug shares the desire of our network and podcast to promote and preserve this very special day and to reflect upon the supreme sacrifice of the millions of patriots that have perished to preserve the very freedoms we enjoy today.
 
Topics
 
In our youth, was  Memorial Day, any different than any other federal holiday to you?

 
What do you think when you hear or someone says, “Happy Memorial Day?”

 
What types of activities did your family observe as a tradition, if any?

 
What influences in our upbringing guided us towards honoring those that gave the last full measure?
 
As military service Veterans, what do we desire our Nation to understand and do on Memorial Day?

 
As military service Veterans, discuss the meaning and importance of memorial Day to us.

 
Thank you for listening!
 

Jim Klug - President of American Heroes Network and an Army Veteran
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-j-klug-90b66480/
 

Pete Blum - Host of American Heroes Network and a Navy and Marine Veteran
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteblum/
 

Steve Deaton - Co-Host and Interview Scout for American Heroes Network and an Army Veteran
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-deaton-0a9b43154/

Today's guest is an Army Historian of the Vietnam War and the Digital Military Historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. I would like to welcome Dr. Erik Villard.
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Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.
 
Today's guest is an Army Historian of the Vietnam War and the Digital Military Historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. I would like to welcome Dr. Erik Villard.

You can follow Erik here
Websites
The U.S. Army Center of Military History: www.history.army.mil (Erik created the WWI, WWII, and Vietnam War commemorative sections. Korea is coming in a few weeks)
 
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erikvillard/
 
Facebook- Erik's Digital Military Historian group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/290634177756425/
Facebook- Erik's Vietnam War History Org group (over 36,000 members and a non-profit behind it): https://www.facebook.com/groups/431374360216330/
 
Twitter: @Erikhistorian
 
Erik also has a bunch of videos on YouTube from various events where he spoke at the National Archives and elsewhere. Here are four videos on CSPAN: https://www.c-span.org/person/?erikvillard
 
Erik good afternoon and how are you doing today?
 
Erik I wanted to start off today by telling you why I think this episode is so important. Jim the President of American Heroes Network and the rest of his team feel as strongly about preserving history as you do! Jim often says that we are only a generation away from forgetting our history and he wants to make sure that doesn't happen. He was also a previous National Historian for the Military Order of the Purple Heart. So we believe in the preservation of history and we believe in your mission and wanted to be sure we share it with as many people as we can. Jim was also in the Vietnam War. He was wounded twice, received a Purple Heart, and fought in the 1968 TET Offensive.
 
So Erik tell us about your earlier years, where you grew up, and what first made you interested in military history.
 
Where does the Doctor come in?
 
What made you focus so much interest specifically on the Vietnam War era?

 
You have been involved as a historical consultant in supporting several efforts specifically related to the Vietnam War such as the TV documentary "Raw War: The Lost Film of Dak To", the New York Historical Society's exhibit on the Vietnam War, and the TV documentary "The Vietnam War". Can you tell us about each of these projects?

Are there any others projects you have worked on that you would like to mention like your Google Earth project?
 
Tell us about the Facebook group VietnamWarHistoryOrg which you created and manage in your spare time.

You have written a couple of books, can you tell us about each of them:
 
The 1968 Tet Offensive Battles Of Quang Tri City And Hue
 
Staying the Course: October 1967 to September 1968. U.S. Army Combat Operations in the Vietnam War
 
Erik tell us about your current job with the Army, what you do, how you enjoy it, and about the websites you are currently producing for the Army about WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War as well as the others you are planning to create to span the entire Army history.
 
How do you connect with the community and share history?

How can understanding history help veterans and others?
 
Tell us your theory on Dungeons and Dragons.
 
What message would you like to give directly to transitioning military per

Today's guest is a Marine Combat Veteran who served in Iraq. He uses his talents as a Visual Storyteller and a Multimedia Producer & Instructor  to helps military veterans and others tell their stories on a completely different level and assists transitioning veterans and those with disabilities to build new relationships and skill sets. He is the Co-Founder & Curator of Grow With Media, and the Founder & Owner of Never Forgotten Media. I would like to welcome Michael Wood.
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Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.
 
Today's guest is a Marine Combat Veteran who served in Iraq. He uses his talents as a Visual Storyteller and a Multimedia Producer & Instructor  to helps military veterans and others tell their stories on a completely different level and assists transitioning veterans and those with disabilities to build new relationships and skill sets. He is the Co-Founder & Curator of Grow With Media, and the Founder & Owner of Never Forgotten Media. I would like to welcome Michael Wood.

You can follow Michael here
 
Websites: www.NeverForgottenMedia.com
LinikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wood/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeverForgottenMedia/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKx8Cqcgi2Xn-xiOAGoxEw
 
Michael thank you for serving and how are you doing today?
 
Michael before we just jump right into it I wanted to say I loved something personal I saw in your bio description that shows me you're enjoying life and you have a sense of humor. You said "when you're not knee-deep in pre-production you enjoy unicorn pony puppet shows with your three little princesses and your wife". That was really great so please tell us about your family and life at home right now. It sounds like you're loving it.
 
Tell us about when you joined the military, your rank and what job you did while you served Michael.
 
What was life like in the military for you?
Mixed  - good and bad but for the most part 15 years of services that I miss. Close friends even when we hated each other and a struggle as a leader in combat with two little boys at home.
 
Was transition from the military easy or hard for you?
I transitioned twice, once from active duty then again after reserve duty back on active orders. Change is never easy, I don’t have it all figured out. But I find my best work helping others in their success.
 
Tell us... your story.
I grew up on the run as a kid, always finding new ways of problem solving. Served me very well in the Marine Corps and further refined my passion for helping other succeed. When I saw firsthand how storytelling can save a Marine, a veteran, and a future I jumped in with both feet. Switched my degree path and set out on a mission to help more veterans transition with learning the media arts as an employable skillset.
 
Tell us about your personal or company's mission.
Never Forgotten Media helps clients and organizations use visual storytelling to connect more deeply with their audiences, strategically. At the same time, assisting transitioning veterans and those with disabilities build new relationships and skill sets as stepping stones in the forward movement of life.    
A production company focused on inspiring clients to create meaningful connections while helping more veterans transition more significantly.
 
Has your military experience helped you survive in the civilia

Today's guest is an Army Combat Veteran who suffered severe injury due to an IED in Iraq. He transformed his life to serve in another way and helps veterans both physically and mentally. He is the Director of Warriors Speak at Wounded Warrior Project, and the Founder of the Warrior Spirit Retreat. I would like to welcome Dan Nevins.
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Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.
 
Today's guest is an Army Combat Veteran who suffered severe injury due to an IED in Iraq. He transformed his life to serve in another way and helps veterans both physically and mentally. He is the Director of Warriors Speak at Wounded Warrior Project, and the Founder of the Warrior Spirit Retreat. I would like to welcome Dan Nevins.

 
You can follow Dan here
Websites: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ and http://www.dannevins.com/ and https://www.warriorspiritretreat.org/
 
LinikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wounded-warrior-project/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannevins/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwp and https://www.facebook.com/thedannevins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwp/ and https://www.instagram.com/dannevins/
Twitter: @wwp
 
Dan thank you for serving and how are you doing today?
 
So both you and I have a passion for helping veterans!
 
Dan lost both legs below the knee and lives with a traumatic brain injury and the emotional wounds of war.  Dan discovered the life-changing power of yoga, which has enabled him to heal from the invisible wounds of war in a way that nothing else could. He quickly realized that other wounded warriors could benefit from yoga in the same way and knew he had to become an instructor.

 
Topics
 
Tell us about joining and what you did in the military Dan.
I joined out of high school and started as a paratrooper.
February 2004 when Dan deployed to Balad, Iraq, as a squad leader. Later that year, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated beneath his vehicle, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the amputation of his left leg below the knee. After several years of recurring infections and countless surgeries, Dan chose to surgically remove his right leg as well, making him a bilateral amputee.

 
Transition from the military for you was unexpected and must have been incredibly hard for you, can you tell us about that time?
Dan spent 18 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in recovery. In his first days there, he received a backpack from Wounded Warrior Project, a care package that would greatly impact his personal and professional life. Following medical retirement in 2006, Dan relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, where he joined the staff of the PGA TOUR.
 
What were some of the challenges you faced in returning to civilian life and how did you end up working for the PGA Tour?
 
Tell us about Wounded Warrior Project and how you personally got involved with them, what was in that backpack they gave you at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

 
I am a huge fan of Wounded Warrior Project and I know several people that work there in Florida, either at the headquarters in Jacksonville or the office in Tampa, which I was able to visit when they hosted IVMF's Onward To Opportunity program that I was part of.
You must be a big fan as well as you eventually joined their team and have worked in several positions, but before that you received their highest award, the

Today's guest is an active duty Chief Warrant Officer Two in the Army and was the Company Commander of the Military Intelligence Corps Band. He now holds a role as a research analyst for the U.S. Army Band Program. Through research he wants to show how music impacts soldiers. I would like to welcome Chief Warrant Officer Two Jonathan Crane.
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Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.
 
Today's guest is an active duty Chief Warrant Officer Two in the Army and was the Company Commander of the Military Intelligence Corps Band. He now holds a role as a research analyst for the U.S. Army Band Program. Through research he wants to show how music impacts soldiers. I would like to welcome Chief Warrant Officer Two Jonathan Crane.

 
You can follow Jon here
 
Website: www.westpointband.com and https://www.westpointband.com/westpointmusicresearchcenter.html
LinikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-crane-3b851a145/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/westpointband
Instagram: @WestPointBand and @kontrabass47
Twitter: @WestPointBand and @kontrabass47
https://www.americansforthearts.org/users/20525
 
 
Jon thank you for serving and how are you doing today?
 
So Jon, you talk about working at the intersection of music, science, and media. I think we both feel that music is therapeutic and beneficial to health, happiness, ad healing. But you're on a mission to prove it. I look forward to talking about this today but first, we would like to get to know about you…
 
Topics
 
Tell us about your military career so far. Where are you from, when did you join, why did you join, and what did you do in the Army before you became part of the band.

Did you already have a personal love for music before joining the Army Band?
 
Tell me about the Army Bands Program focused on how music affects people across all domains.
 
I am stationed at West Point, NY where we have an Analytics Team and a Music Research Center.

How do you quantify and articulate music’s effects on Soldiers and its ability to connect those Soldiers to the public they defend?
 
Let's talk about music therapy, what it really means, and how it works.
 
Many who come back from ware are impacted for the rest of their life. Has your research shown that music has a health impact on veterans, especially for PTSD, TBI, and everyday stress relief?
 
In your article "Music Bonds Veterans Across Generations: The Essential Role of Music in the Military" you talk about the functional use of music in the military as well as traditional songs in the military for comfort and camaraderie. Can you explain how those shared musical experiences are vital to psychological and emotional recovery after war.
 
I know Military Musicians were recently awarded the National Medal of the Arts by the President. Can you tell us about that?
 
You wrote another article called "Music Engagement for Health and Wellness Across the Military Continuum". Can you talk about how sound could influence the mind, body, and spirit and how early in military history music would bring comfort to soldiers who had been injured?
 
How are you currently impacting the active-duty military with your research and have you also been able to make an impact in the community of post-service veterans and their families?
 
You talked about the increased need for creative arts therapies. With the pandemic we are currently facing

Today's guest is a retired Army Colonel who has led a 5,000 person Infantry Brigade. He understands people and his passion is to make a difference in the lives of others through optimistic leadership. He is the author of "It's Personal, not Personnel, Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom", Founder & CEO of Investing in People Consulting and Coaching, and the Executive Director of VetToCEO. I would like to welcome Rob Campbell.
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Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.
 
Today's guest is a retired Army Colonel who has led a 5,000 person Infantry Brigade. He understands people and his passion is to make a difference in the lives of others through optimistic leadership. He is the author of "It's Personal, not Personnel, Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom", Founder & CEO of Investing in People Consulting and Coaching, and the Executive Director of VetToCEO. I would like to welcome Rob Campbell.

You can follow Rob here
Website: https://www.robcampbellleadership.com/
LinikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcampbellleadership/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robcampbellleadership/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/robcampbell_leadership
 
Rob thank you for serving and how are you doing today?
 
So Rob, over and over again I see your message of Investing in People. And with everything you do you make that part of it, whether that is consulting, coaching, or being a public speaker. I think that is a powerful and positive message and I want to make that a big part of what we talk about today. But first…
 
Topics
Tell us about your military career. I know you started out as an infantry officer and have served in Iraq and Afghanistan but there is so much more.

 
Was transition from the military easy or hard for you?

 
What were some of the challenges you faced in returning to civilian life?
 
Tell us about your company, Investing in People Consulting and Coaching and why you are so driven to help people.
 
Tell us about your book, "It's Personal, not Personnel, Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom". "Investing is giving" and "Know yourself and know your people".

 
Rob do you feel like your military experience helped you survive or succeed in the civilian world?
 
How do you connect with the community?
 
Tell us all about VetToCEO and how it is helping Veterans?
 
Aside from participating in the VetToCEO program what action items would you give transitioning Veterans in order to be successful?
 
Do you have any advice to give people or companies based on our current situation with everyone having to stay home and companies having to lay off employees? This seems to be an important time to not forget about people and their value.
 
Where can people find you if they want to reach out?
 
VetToCEO
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vettoceo/
https://www.vettoceo.org/
 
We are a community of veterans who connect through entrepreneurship and military training. We offer an online, 7-course entrepreneurship program featuring industry guest speakers and interactive modules. Our exclusive program is designed by veteran/entrepreneurs to educate transitioning warriors on the path to entrepreneurship as a business model. FREE to all veterans and military. 
 
We offer the program free of charge to qualified/verified members of the military and veterans. We fund our pr