Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Big stuff happening here with the Honor Flight. Another one
heading out here, but this one's a special one. As
we are talking to Debbie Geisler from High ve and Debbie,
when we talk about the connection that you've had with
the Honor Flight, this is your fourteenth Honor flight. Wow,
it's heading out an You guys have done such a great,
(00:21):
great job of making it even more of an event.
Just how you can get everybody involved in this and
the meal for the first thing, the meal is incredible
what you guys do.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, the pre flight dinner, that's really exciting and it's special.
It just helps us make the whole experience out a
little more special. But I can tell you our employees,
I mean, this is the favorite thing of favorite event
of the year. Our employees just love to come to
this and greet these guys as they come in. But yeah,
it's an opportunity to though, for the veterans and their
(00:54):
guardians to spend a little bit of time together. But yeah,
it's just makes it extra special.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Since two tenty ten. Now this is and again when
you start to talk about all of the employees that
are helping on this, over seven hundred thousand dollars to
support just as these flights alone.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Right, Well, you know, I have to give a big
shout out to our sponsors because they're the ones who
have really helped us make these flights happen. And first
of all, I'd like to say thank you so much
to Pepsi. Pepsi has been our presenting sponsor since day one,
so that is awesome. But then we also have we
have Monster and by which is Coke and Doctor Pepper
(01:33):
and Cure Egg obviously you guys. Quad City Times Dispatch
August Berna Tello's Pizza, Verna Coffee, Mama Basos Pizza, Billy
Turth and Prairie Farms. There are sponsors this year, and
they really help us make these flights possible. So we
really got to give a shout out.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, and I want to shout out again Mama, Mama Basos.
My goodness, such such good stuff. Danny, you wanted to
say something else, I just wanted.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
To say it, obviously, Debia, it takes a village to
put up something like this, and so if people and
it's not just the sponsors, the sponsors are carrying a
huge heavy load, but also people can donate to these
flights to make sure that the veterans have that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yes, you know, the Quad City Hub is really one
of the busier hubs in the country, and it's because
of Quad Citians. I mean, I've always said that, I
think the Quad Cities is very generous and so our
hub has been very well sponsored and lots of donations.
I mean schools, schools, the kids have like bike ethons
and they'll ride bikes for an hour and you know,
(02:39):
get people to donate money. It's just it's amazing that
the community is just a really huge supporter of Honor Flight,
which is great because what I say is every single
veteran should have the opportunity to go out and see
these memorials that are built in their honor.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Now, how did you get involved? Where you? I mean
and you've been with hive for a long time. You
still look fantastic, you still look young, But how do
you How was your connection to Honor Flight? Did they
come to you or did you just realize you wanted
to help in some way, shape or form. How did
that all start?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It actually started with our Des Moines market went on
a flight I think when it first, when the hub
first was developed there, and the Hub actually wasn't here
at the time, but they went on a flight and
they sent something out company wide and just said, oh
my gosh, if on a flights are happening in your area,
you guys need to get on board. So that's how
we really first learned about it. And then it was
(03:37):
in two thousand, so that was prior to two thousand
and eight. So two thousand and eight the hub was
started here and it was twenty ten. So when we
heard about it, we talked to the Hub and we said,
you know, what is this all about? What can we do?
What does it cost to sponsor? And so we wanted
to be involved, but we wanted to do it right.
So we worked on it for a couple of years.
(03:57):
So twenty ten was our first sponsored flight. And all
I can say is I always and I won't just
tell this story, but I always tell it Orientation. That
first flight I went on. I was a guardian. I
had a ninety six year old World War Two vet
and he he had a moment at the World War
(04:19):
Two Memorial that actually just touched me, and I say
it changed me. And after that I came back and
we all did because it's such an experience to go
on and just said to Hive, we have got to
stay involved, we have got to help get these veterans
out there. And I'm very grateful and thankful that Hive
said absolutely, because we have a lot of corporate initiatives,
(04:41):
we are very very supportive of our vets and do
a lot of things for him, but for here in
the Quad Cities, I just said, we need to continue
to do this. And then we went to sponsors, and
I mean, I never thought that it would be fourteen
years later in fourteen flights and here we are seven
hundred thousand dollars. But that's the that's kind of how
that all started.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well, like Danny was saying, and you've already touched on,
it does take a village. And as people are listening
to this interview here today, first off, we've got September
seventeenth that's coming up here in a few days that
you're going to have the fourteenth flight head out. And
there are ways for people to be involved at the
airport either. Probably the before part isn't necessarily the best,
(05:29):
but certainly by the evening that is it's so touching
to watch the groups of people that are coming back
and and to see the vets and the guardians and
everybody involved, how touched they are when they come back
into the airport.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
It's amazing to me almost I do believe every single flight.
I mean, this is the sixtieth flight out of this
quad city hub. It's our fourteenth, but it's the sixtieth
and I and every single flight, it is amazing to
me the people that come out and welcome these guys home.
And yes, we absolutely invite the public to come out
to the airport on the seventeenth. We tell you to
(06:04):
come out around nine thirty. Depending on how our flight
is and our schedule, we should be arriving back at
the airport maybe around ten, between ten and ten thirty.
But yeah, come out and welcome these guys. I mean,
that is just one of the highlights of the flight.
But they are just overwhelmed and amazed at all the
people that come out and support them. So you can
(06:25):
help in that way. We always are looking for volunteers,
so I'm going to give you a website here that
people can go to. We also are looking for guardians.
I'm going to put a shout out for we need guardians.
I'm going to put a big shout out that we
know there's still a lot of Vietnam veterans out there,
in particular women. A lot of women who did not
(06:45):
fight actually think that they're not eligible to go on
and that is not true at all. So everybody needs
to go to Honor Flight QC dot org.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Thanks to say it again.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Honor Flight QC dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Got it. And I think it's when you talk about
the women that feel that they don't deserve I still
think there's a lot of veterans that feel like, Nope,
I don't want to do it. When we've talked to
Stephen Garrington in the past, he's always said that too,
there are a lot of veterans feeling nope, I did
my job and I don't want anything else. But this
is this is a moving experience to go over to
(07:26):
go out to DC.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
No, you're absolutely right, it's amazing and you're yeah, there
are many many veterans out there who just don't think
they're deserving, you know, or they should. And another thing
that we've heard from them is, well, Mike, I lost
my comrades. My comrades couldn't go, so I don't want
to go. I don't think I should go if they
can't go, And we always say this is absolutely a
(07:48):
dedication and an honor to them. Also absolutely so everybody
should go, and you're deserving to go. But you're right,
there's a lot of veterans who don't think they should go.
There's a lot of veterans who just you know, are
not sure and believe it or not. There are some
veterans that say sometimes when I talk to somebody and
they say, I don't know about Honor Flight, that just
(08:08):
kills me. But I'm like, okay, well let me tell
you about it. But yeah, there's a lot of veterans
still out there, so we really really want to get
you out there. It is. It's a moving experience. You
go out with your comrades. I mean that the camaraderie
that these guys have is awesome. But they deserve it.
You deserve it. These memorials were built in your honor
(08:30):
because you put your life on the line for us. Absolutely,
everybody should go out.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
There, and I know you mentioned them one, Stebbie. But
as we talk about the Honor Flight again, it takes
a lot of money and resources, and that's why you
have all sponsors great sponsors, So can you mention them again?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yes. So we have Pepsi and then we have Monster
which is Coca Cola company. We have Buy which is
Kureg Doctor Pepper. We have the quastity time to dispatch
Argus Course, wl R, Berna, Tello's, Verena Street Coffee, Mama
Basso's Pizza, Village, Hearth and Prairie Farms.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
And if anybody wants to help out in another way,
or if they just want to find out more, website
again so they can be a part of this in
volunteering or become a guardian, or find out just more
about Honor Flight.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Right Honor Flight QC all one word, lower caps, Honor
Flight QC dot org.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Debbie Geisler, thank you so much for talking about the
Honor Flight again. If anybody says, what's the Honor Flight,
they aren't doing their job listening.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I agree. I agree.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Well, we love the pank you guys. Oh, we love
the passion that you have. When you start to talk
about it, you can tell this isn't just something a
date that pops up on the calendar. You're you're living
and breathing this and making it work.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I have I've actually been on twelve of our fourteen flights,
and I'm in charge of this flight. I am the
command officer and the captain. Yeah, so that's fun, but no,
it's it's turned into it the board. We're all board
members where it's a labor of love. We're all volunteer.
But I'm telling you, we do it because we want
to and we need to and this this needs to
(10:16):
happen for our veterans. So it's absolutely an honor and
a privilege for me to be a part of this
Big stuff happening here with the Honor Flight. Another one
heading out here, but this one's a special one. As
we are talking to Debbie Geisler from High ve and Debbie,
when we talk about the connection that you've had with
the Honor Flight, this is your fourteenth Honor flight. Wow,
it's heading out an You guys have done such a great,
(00:21):
great job of making it even more of an event.
Just how you can get everybody involved in this and
the meal for the first thing, the meal is incredible
what you guys do.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, the pre flight dinner, that's really exciting and it's special.
It just helps us make the whole experience out a
little more special. But I can tell you our employees,
I mean, this is the favorite thing of favorite event
of the year. Our employees just love to come to
this and greet these guys as they come in. But yeah,
it's an opportunity to though, for the veterans and their
(00:54):
guardians to spend a little bit of time together. But yeah,
it's just makes it extra special.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Since two tenty ten. Now this is and again when
you start to talk about all of the employees that
are helping on this, over seven hundred thousand dollars to
support just as these flights alone.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Right, Well, you know, I have to give a big
shout out to our sponsors because they're the ones who
have really helped us make these flights happen. And first
of all, I'd like to say thank you so much
to Pepsi. Pepsi has been our presenting sponsor since day one,
so that is awesome. But then we also have we
have Monster and by which is Coke and Doctor Pepper
(01:33):
and Cure Egg obviously you guys. Quad City Times Dispatch
August Berna Tello's Pizza, Verna Coffee, Mama Basos Pizza, Billy
Turth and Prairie Farms. There are sponsors this year, and
they really help us make these flights possible. So we
really got to give a shout out.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, and I want to shout out again Mama, Mama Basos.
My goodness, such such good stuff. Danny, you wanted to
say something else, I just wanted.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
To say it, obviously, Debia, it takes a village to
put up something like this, and so if people and
it's not just the sponsors, the sponsors are carrying a
huge heavy load, but also people can donate to these
flights to make sure that the veterans have that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yes, you know, the Quad City Hub is really one
of the busier hubs in the country, and it's because
of Quad Citians. I mean, I've always said that, I
think the Quad Cities is very generous and so our
hub has been very well sponsored and lots of donations.
I mean schools, schools, the kids have like bike ethons
and they'll ride bikes for an hour and you know,
(02:39):
get people to donate money. It's just it's amazing that
the community is just a really huge supporter of Honor Flight,
which is great because what I say is every single
veteran should have the opportunity to go out and see
these memorials that are built in their honor.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Now, how did you get involved? Where you? I mean
and you've been with hive for a long time. You
still look fantastic, you still look young, But how do
you How was your connection to Honor Flight? Did they
come to you or did you just realize you wanted
to help in some way, shape or form. How did
that all start?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It actually started with our Des Moines market went on
a flight I think when it first, when the hub
first was developed there, and the Hub actually wasn't here
at the time, but they went on a flight and
they sent something out company wide and just said, oh
my gosh, if on a flights are happening in your area,
you guys need to get on board. So that's how
we really first learned about it. And then it was
(03:37):
in two thousand, so that was prior to two thousand
and eight. So two thousand and eight the hub was
started here and it was twenty ten. So when we
heard about it, we talked to the Hub and we said,
you know, what is this all about? What can we do?
What does it cost to sponsor? And so we wanted
to be involved, but we wanted to do it right.
So we worked on it for a couple of years.
(03:57):
So twenty ten was our first sponsored flight. And all
I can say is I always and I won't just
tell this story, but I always tell it Orientation. That
first flight I went on. I was a guardian. I
had a ninety six year old World War Two vet
and he he had a moment at the World War
(04:19):
Two Memorial that actually just touched me, and I say
it changed me. And after that I came back and
we all did because it's such an experience to go
on and just said to Hive, we have got to
stay involved, we have got to help get these veterans
out there. And I'm very grateful and thankful that Hive
said absolutely, because we have a lot of corporate initiatives,
(04:41):
we are very very supportive of our vets and do
a lot of things for him, but for here in
the Quad Cities, I just said, we need to continue
to do this. And then we went to sponsors, and
I mean, I never thought that it would be fourteen
years later in fourteen flights and here we are seven
hundred thousand dollars. But that's the that's kind of how
that all started.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well, like Danny was saying, and you've already touched on,
it does take a village. And as people are listening
to this interview here today, first off, we've got September
seventeenth that's coming up here in a few days that
you're going to have the fourteenth flight head out. And
there are ways for people to be involved at the
airport either. Probably the before part isn't necessarily the best,
(05:29):
but certainly by the evening that is it's so touching
to watch the groups of people that are coming back
and and to see the vets and the guardians and
everybody involved, how touched they are when they come back
into the airport.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
It's amazing to me almost I do believe every single flight.
I mean, this is the sixtieth flight out of this
quad city hub. It's our fourteenth, but it's the sixtieth
and I and every single flight, it is amazing to
me the people that come out and welcome these guys home.
And yes, we absolutely invite the public to come out
to the airport on the seventeenth. We tell you to
(06:04):
come out around nine thirty. Depending on how our flight
is and our schedule, we should be arriving back at
the airport maybe around ten, between ten and ten thirty.
But yeah, come out and welcome these guys. I mean,
that is just one of the highlights of the flight.
But they are just overwhelmed and amazed at all the
people that come out and support them. So you can
(06:25):
help in that way. We always are looking for volunteers,
so I'm going to give you a website here that
people can go to. We also are looking for guardians.
I'm going to put a shout out for we need guardians.
I'm going to put a big shout out that we
know there's still a lot of Vietnam veterans out there,
in particular women. A lot of women who did not
(06:45):
fight actually think that they're not eligible to go on
and that is not true at all. So everybody needs
to go to Honor Flight QC dot org.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Thanks to say it again.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Honor Flight QC dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Got it. And I think it's when you talk about
the women that feel that they don't deserve I still
think there's a lot of veterans that feel like, Nope,
I don't want to do it. When we've talked to
Stephen Garrington in the past, he's always said that too,
there are a lot of veterans feeling nope, I did
my job and I don't want anything else. But this
is this is a moving experience to go over to
(07:26):
go out to DC.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
No, you're absolutely right, it's amazing and you're yeah, there
are many many veterans out there who just don't think
they're deserving, you know, or they should. And another thing
that we've heard from them is, well, Mike, I lost
my comrades. My comrades couldn't go, so I don't want
to go. I don't think I should go if they
can't go, And we always say this is absolutely a
(07:48):
dedication and an honor to them. Also absolutely so everybody
should go, and you're deserving to go. But you're right,
there's a lot of veterans who don't think they should go.
There's a lot of veterans who just you know, are
not sure and believe it or not. There are some
veterans that say sometimes when I talk to somebody and
they say, I don't know about Honor Flight, that just
(08:08):
kills me. But I'm like, okay, well let me tell
you about it. But yeah, there's a lot of veterans
still out there, so we really really want to get
you out there. It is. It's a moving experience. You
go out with your comrades. I mean that the camaraderie
that these guys have is awesome. But they deserve it.
You deserve it. These memorials were built in your honor
(08:30):
because you put your life on the line for us. Absolutely,
everybody should go out.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
There, and I know you mentioned them one, Stebbie. But
as we talk about the Honor Flight again, it takes
a lot of money and resources, and that's why you
have all sponsors great sponsors, So can you mention them again?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yes. So we have Pepsi and then we have Monster
which is Coca Cola company. We have Buy which is
Kureg Doctor Pepper. We have the quastity time to dispatch
Argus Course, wl R, Berna, Tello's, Verena Street Coffee, Mama
Basso's Pizza, Village, Hearth and Prairie Farms.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
And if anybody wants to help out in another way,
or if they just want to find out more, website
again so they can be a part of this in
volunteering or become a guardian, or find out just more
about Honor Flight.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Right Honor Flight QC all one word, lower caps, Honor
Flight QC dot org.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Debbie Geisler, thank you so much for talking about the
Honor Flight again. If anybody says, what's the Honor Flight,
they aren't doing their job listening.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I agree. I agree.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Well, we love the pank you guys. Oh, we love
the passion that you have. When you start to talk
about it, you can tell this isn't just something a
date that pops up on the calendar. You're you're living
and breathing this and making it work.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I have I've actually been on twelve of our fourteen flights,
and I'm in charge of this flight. I am the
command officer and the captain. Yeah, so that's fun, but no,
it's it's turned into it the board. We're all board
members where it's a labor of love. We're all volunteer.
But I'm telling you, we do it because we want
to and we need to and this this needs to
(10:16):
happen for our veterans. So it's absolutely an honor and
a privilege for me to be a part of this
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