Rally Point 38_Steven R. Deutsch

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rally Pointers fall in once again.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Is that time today on Friday for the Rally Point
Radio show with your host Jay the sarch having away
with Amina Makanu the teaming it here behind the microphone
and we have the man of course behind the behind
the scoreboard zaying the brain.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
How are you doing today, folks?

Speaker 4 (00:20):
Good doing?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
All right, folks. It's been an interesting week for everyone.
I guess we're all watching TV watching the Shenanigans. Go
on a Jane, what's your point on that? Watching these
Shenanigans on TV, the politics stuff.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
I was just gonna say which ones?

Speaker 5 (00:35):
Yeah, it is interesting, it really is. I hope people
are able to grasp the gravity of this election coming
up and how important it is. It's it may be
the most important election in our history.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Most definitely.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
I personally don't believe anything on TV and or online.
That's why one I don't watch the news, and two
I like Netflix and Amazon because at least I can
count of that.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
I can be entertained to expect that a man.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
But the fact of the matter is one of the
things you need to get the physical copy, read it
before you speak, become knowledgeable, like Amanda said, before you
comment on it because remember, folks, we are a demographic
that's easily misunderstood and ignored. Don't add any more amber
to the fire. Get informed and protect our rights there no, folks,

(01:32):
knowledge is power. We have a great show for you, outstanding.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're here right now with
our very own Commissioner, Stephen R.

Speaker 6 (01:41):
Deutsch.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
He is a county commissioner in Charlotte County and he
is also the Veterans Liaison on the Commission for Charlotte County.

Speaker 6 (01:50):
So Commissioner Deutsch is great to have you on the show.
Thanks for coming back.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
Thank you for ask for me. Yeah, it's been about
four or five months. We did this before.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
Indeed, we understand that you have some updates about William R.
Gaines Junior Veterans Memorial Park and some of the events
coming up. But before that, we were kind of talking
about how it would be nice to let our listeners
have an idea of exactly how Gaines Park came to
be and came into existence. So could you kind of

(02:20):
give us the brief story of how it all began.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Well, if you know me, well, nothing I say is
have a brief, but let me try and I go
over to the d By the way, thank you for
asking us on. We appreciate that. I'm going to guess
it was probably about five six years ago. I was
in the office. It was a Friday of the phone
rang and weren't too many people in the building. It's

(02:47):
usual a lot of Friday afternoon and I got the
call and I asked he, well, I want to talk
to a commissioner, and we'd started gambling. He said, well,
my name's Michael Gaines, and my brother was killed in
Beirut and the family, would you know, we'd like to
do a little something in his remembrance. He grew up
in Charlotte County and went to school here, and I
vaguely remembered a little bit about Bayreut Lebanon, and as

(03:14):
we talked, I began to remember a little bit more
because baireat Lebanon is where two hundred and forty one
American peacekeepers were blown up when they were there with
the UN and their one job was to go to
Lebanon as peacekeepers to keep the airport open and try

(03:37):
and support the Lebanese people from the rebels, and literally
the bombing of that barracks was the first Act that
started the War on Terror, and it was forty years
ago this past October, and just recently, I believe Israel

(04:00):
ended up getting one of the people that were behind
that bombing just within the last few weeks. But I
became educated and I became aware. And Michael was Bill
Gain's brother. Bill grew up. I went to school in
Charlotte County, was on the track team, then graduated from

(04:21):
high school here, and I've become a little bit more
aware of some of the things that happened in Beirut,
obviously as the years went by. But Bill said he
wanted to do something in memory of his brother, and
it was and I said, all right, I said that's okay,
and he said, well, I said, well, what do you mean.
He said, well, maybe we could get a flag pole

(04:41):
and put a little plaque on it, or a park bencher,
even a barbecue somewhere that you know, the family would
really like to do something because this is where Bill
grew up. So I said, okay, let me think about it.
And I don't know if your listeners or a lot
of folks where the park is. It's on Edgewater Boulevard,

(05:04):
about a mile north of Harbor Boulevard right off of
Edgewater Boulevard. And during the time he called, about six
years ago, we were expanding and improving and widening Edgewater Boulevard,
and I was in traffic driving by and the park

(05:26):
every day, which was an existing, somewhat run down county park,
and didn't think about it too much. And about oh
two or three weeks after Michael called, at two three
o'clock in the morning whatever it was, I had what
I referred to as an epiphany, and I kid about it.

(05:48):
A Baptist can have an epiphany, yes, And I said, wow,
maybe we could do this against at the Sina Sunrise
Park whatever it was called then and and anyway, I
got it. In the next morning, I found Michael's phone number.
I call him. He said, oh yeah, park, He said,

(06:09):
oh wow. He said, you really name a park after
my brother? And he said, well, you know where, And
he's thinking it's like a little corner somewhere. And I said,
now you know where is it, Michael? It's forty acres?
He said forty acres. And I said, let me tell
you what I'd like to do. I'd like to name
the park in your brother's honor. But I'd like to

(06:34):
memorialize and honor and remember all of our veterans and
first responders. Would you and the family be comfortable with that?
And he hesitated for one second. He said, Wow, that
would really be awesome. And I will say this has
grown beyond what my original ideas were, and I think

(06:57):
beyond what Michael's original ideas were. And as the months,
the weeks and months and years went by, we got
the commission to officially approve renaming the park. We had
to go through some bureaucratic red tape to make that
process happen, as always does, and we began raising some

(07:17):
funds and we built a two memorials that are similar
and designed to each other, but one of the memorials
honors all of our first responders. And it's impressive. The
sheriff has all of his functions at the park now

(07:37):
at that memorial. I've been in the park and I've
literally seen people walk up to the memorial and walk
up the walkway and get in front of one of
the memorials and pray in front of it. And it's
been a really inspirational scene to experience to me. And
on the other side of the main entryway is Military

(08:00):
Service Memorial where we have all the branches of the
service there. When we started this out, we didn't have
the space for us, but we added them and the
Purple Heart is in the middle and we have many
of our veterans activities and functions there, and it's very
impressive as you enter the park. But the highlight of

(08:24):
the park at the end of the driveway, which is
probably one hundred and fifty yards long, is going to
be a forty five foot memorial which will be handy,
completely handicapped accessible, and the tower will be a three
story tower telling the story of what happened in Beirut

(08:47):
and the experience of the Americans and the two hundred
and forty one Americans, and two hundred and twenty of
them were Marines. It was the largest loss of life
for Marines next to Ewjima, I mean, And as one
of the survivors told me one day when we were
talking about his experience in Beirut being a quote peacekeeper,

(09:12):
he said, you know, he says, I'm a marine. I
was trained to be a soldier. I wasn't trained to
be a peacekeeper. But we went there as peacekeepers part
of the United Nations effort to help the people in Lebanon,
and truly Americans and Marines by most of the Lebanese

(09:33):
are still considered heroes and revered to this every day. Anyway,
we established a nonprofit foundation and we've raised the money
and we formed the partnership with the county, and the
county has gotten involved. The county. I had fun designing
of the county. We built a playground there which is
an absolute amazing playground. All of the equipment, as you

(09:55):
guys know, it's for each piece of equipment for a
different branch of the of US, and we added the
space space for us at the very end with a
big pole that the kids can slide down and it's
a rocket ship from the outside, and with the jungle
gym is a marine thing. And we have a boat
there for the Coast Guard and a plane for the

(10:15):
Air Force and a ship for the Navy, and we
sort in planning stages for the future. We're going to
have a water park there, and I envisioned the water
coming for the kids in the splash pad and the
water park that we're going to have there. The water
coming out of the back end of the fire engine
and you know, the first responders, the deputy vehicles there

(10:38):
and the park literally design wise, is going to have
something for everyone and right now. And there was a
Coastguard nonprofit foundation that found me because they've had me
contribute to a bunch of times called Paddle for Heroes,
and they actually raised the money to completely renovate the
kayak launch. It's going to be fully handicapped accessible, which

(11:01):
I like the idea of that because I think I
can get in a kayak pretty good. I'm not sure
how easy I'm getting out of that out of the
kayak for all ages. And we're gonna have botchie courts
and pickleball courts at tennis courts as we move into
the future. But it's truly a partnership between the nonprofit

(11:21):
we formed, the Gains Foundation, and Sharlie County and we're
moving ahead and we have a completing Phase one of
the tower and we anticipate pouring concrete within the next
few weeks and sometime in September, Phase one will be
completed and we're having a fundraiser, our first major fundraiser

(11:44):
for the Gains Park. It's going to be a gall
of fundraiser and through the courtesy of Lashly's Crab House.
We're going to be having it there. We've got a
bunch of sponsors and we're excited about that, and we're
going to have live music, great food, and it's it's
going to be an exciting event and we're hoping to

(12:04):
raise some more money to get Phase two off the ground.
The event is going to be on Friday, August thirtieth.
It'll be at six pm at the Lastly's Crab House
in punt To Goada, Florida, and the community is welcome.
It's a fundate a fundraiser. We are selling tickets and

(12:26):
if you want, you can get hold of me. Can
I use my phone number on the air, because it's
a nine four one six two eight three four eight,
And you know, we'd like to get as many people
reserved and making plans that come ahead of time. But
the food's going to be great, great. There's going to
be a tiny, little fifteen to twenty minute program. I'm

(12:49):
hoping to get the architect there because the designer of
the tower, who knew what we wanted to accomplish by
including part of the architecture from the barracks that was
blown up where the Americans were and incorporate that into
the vision of the role of peacekeepers. And he's Lebanese

(13:13):
and he brings he brought a whole interesting dimension. I'm
hoping to get him come and talk for five or
ten minutes so the people that are coming out to
the fundraiser can realize and appreciate the depth that we
went to to make this memorial as significant as it is.
And it is going to honor the two hundred and

(13:38):
forty one Americans that were murdered in Beirut, Lebanon in
October forty years ago. And literally this was the beginning
of the War on Terror and I you know, we're
all aware of it. We know what's going on today.
But the park is designed to and memorialize all of

(14:02):
our first responders and veterans. And it has different personalities
because the personality of the park when you go to
one of the memorials is more solemn and reverend. But
if you go to the playground and the kids on
the playground equipment, they're laughing and giggling and chasing each

(14:25):
other and having fun. And maybe we get some old
people out at the Botchie Quarter on the pickle ball
at tennis courts or the kayak launch. You know, it's
going to be a really exciting family play. And this
is a partnership that the county is involved with, and
I have to compliment and I want to thank all
of my colleagues on the Border County Commissioners because the

(14:49):
county has stepped up and there's been an active partner
in this process. For example, with the kayak launch, the
county is paying for and doing all the prepping ground work,
and the Foundation Paddle for Heroes helped raise the money
to put the docs and all that stuff the floats

(15:10):
in and the lift, you know, to make it handicap
acce's And that's the way we've been working with the county.
But I want to compliment my colleagues because all of
them have personally made contributions financial contributions to the park.
And so I mean and it's truly a community event

(15:31):
and one of the things talking about the park we've
got over I think we're at forty five sponsors to
this event who've all written checks of one thousand dollars
more to kick off for a sundraiser, and I hate
to tell you that we've got to raise another million
dollars to finish this project, but we're going to do it,
and it's going to be amazing. And this park, the

(15:55):
William R. Gaines Junior Veteran Memorial Park, is going to
have national significance. It was already been written up and
live in that magazine and beginning to get people from
other places talking to us about the park because it's
so unique and the fact that we're recognizing and appreciating

(16:16):
and honoring all of our first responders and veterans, and
the sheriff Once a few years ago, Sheriff Permel spoke
at an event we had at the park and talked
about the similarities between first responders and our veterans, and
you know that when there's an emergency and there's a

(16:37):
situation that has to be addressed, we all moved towards
it to try and address that need and that purpose.
And he did an awesome job of that. So I
mentioned the date again. It will be August thirtieth. It'll
be I should remember that date, but it should be
August thirtieth. It is the date of the event. It'll

(16:58):
be six pm. And I'm going to repeat my phone
number again if you'd like more information or you want
to get tickets or we'll probably accept them at the door.
We're expecting a full house. We're expecting to fill to
fill the uh the crab house that night. We really
think we're going to get it filled. And with the

(17:19):
food and the live music and the brief program we're
gonna have, we're really excited. This is literally it's really
our first fundraiser that we've had for the public, and
it's well on that.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
Commissioner George add a question for you, from the epiphany
you had about the park to today, did you envision
or imagine the impact the concept of the park would
have in concept and actual actual creation. And what I

(17:51):
mean by that is multiple events at the park, and
I'll pull out the one when the Viet name marine
member of the menon the bombing and they they came
veterans and marines were across this country, congregated from different
lives forty years later, and then all of a sudden,

(18:13):
some guys recognize each other someday make conceptions and almost instantaneously,
a moment of sorrow and tragedy became a moment of
remembrance and honor and closure and connection for some of
those marines.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
And the sense of camaraderie. I think I think that
was the day we had like forty or fifty motorcycles.
I came to and yeah, it's an event where I
think we've pulled a lot of the community together and
one of the nice and one of the unique things
about Charlotte County. And you know, you hear a lot

(18:50):
of this talk election time, but I think with very
very few, if any exceptions, we revere, honor and respect
all of our veterans and our first responders. And I've
been honored to be the Veterans Liaison and obviously through

(19:12):
that I've gotten involved with a lot of the first responders.
And I can truly say that our county, our community,
our border county commissioners, and you know, we appreciate our
first responders. And you know we're not out here are
places where they want to defund people where they want
to do you know, some crazy things that you're hearing

(19:35):
about today, That's not the case in Charlotte County. That's
probably why we wanted the safest place to live. But
what I also said, you know, with plus a minus
forty thousand veterans in Charlotte county, I say, with the
most veterans friendly county in the state of Florida, because
you know, we have the replica of the Vietnam Wall,

(19:57):
and we have a Memorial Day program there, and we
have the Military Heritage Museum, which is an incredible museum.
It's got the only other picture of me without a beard,
you know, and it's only that big because it's from
basic training with my whole company, and the picture, although
I think they probably lost it a slot of a
barbecue with it one day. But the museum's amazing, and

(20:23):
so is the Gaines Park and it will be and
it's a work in progress. You know. We've probably got
another four or five years, four or five years to
finish it, and I intend to hang around to make
sure that it gets done. And it's been an exciting,
exciting pathway to go down, dealing with, you know, what

(20:46):
we have to do on the government side, with the
bureaucracy and what I effectually call the bureau crazy, and
working with a nonprofit foundation. But I think our community
has embraced the park and there's more and more events there.
I just want to cite a couple of things that
are sort of unique. The Goldsaw Mothers have a memorial

(21:09):
at the park, the Daughters of the American Revolution. We
have a Liberty tree in the park. We're going to
be having a memorial in the park signifying the start
of the Revolutionary War, which that anniversary down at anniversary

(21:31):
is just a couple of years away. I'll ignore that phone.
I don't intend to answer it. I could take it
off the hook and put it down. It's just a
couple of years away. And you know, but the park
is meaningful. And what frustrates me, it not frustrates me,
but it's a reality. Is you know, we've been talking
about this consistently for the last five six years. Probably

(21:56):
seventy five percent of the county he doesn't even know
whether community or your list and do not know the
park exists. I'm going to guess thirty percent of Shanlac
County doesn't even know. We have a replica of the
Vietnam War here. I have to agree with that. And
you know, the veterans know it, and you know it's.

Speaker 6 (22:12):
Just on the highway. There's a sign off.

Speaker 4 (22:14):
Of is yep. There's a sign to get and as
we near completion, I'm going to try and get a
sign out on the highway about the William I. Gaines
Junior Veterans Memorial Park too, because we believe, uh, this
will be one of the more significant memorials in the
United States of America. Okay, there's just for Bay Root veterans.

Speaker 6 (22:37):
Well, and not just I mean the bayt veterans.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
That's the whole reason that the park was renamed after
William Gaines, obviously, But beyond that, you've got you know,
the Bay Root Peacekeepers Memorial Tower, you have the First
Responders Memorial, you have the Military Veterans Memorial, you have
the playground, you have the kayaks. Like there is so
much there that appeals to such a wide range of

(23:02):
age groups of backgrounds.

Speaker 4 (23:06):
We think we've got Yeah, we think we've got someone
there for everyone. In fact, I toured. We started, we
started work on the trails, and we're gonna have several miles.
We have several miles of exercise and hopefully that should
be completed sometime this October.

Speaker 6 (23:25):
How wonderful and.

Speaker 4 (23:28):
Right, We're gonna have little exercise exactly as we and
you know, part of the only other fundraising event we've
done for the Games Park, and it's more of a
community event is every New Year's Eve Day for the
last three four years. We'll be having one this year
and it's going to be on the Saturday before New
Year's We're going to have our five K down there

(23:50):
and maybe someday we'll be able to do it internally.
Right now, we run, we go down to we go
down Harbor Boulevard down to the Beach Complex and back.
But but' that's been growing every year too, and that's
that's been a great event. So the park is beginning
to play a bigger and bigger part in the community,

(24:12):
and I think it's being embraced by the community. But
again there's a lot of people that people should just
stop by. The other thing else Todari. If you're on
Edgewater Boulevard and you're driving, it's between Port Charlotte and
Harbor Boulevard, right on Edgewater, and you know there is

(24:33):
a street number, but you can use the GPS and
find out find Edgewater Boulevard easy enough, and I think
you're to drive by, take the car and take ten
or fifteen minutes and park your car. And if there
was anyone in your family that was a first responder
or a veteran of the military, you want to park

(24:54):
the car and take five or ten minutes and walk
up and take a look at the memorial, and things
happen there. Just recently weeks ago, someone went ahead and
put American flags all around the veteran memorial, and you know,
we see things like that happen, and the community, you know,
communities is stepping up. And I think if you can

(25:15):
hear this and you haven't seen it, and you haven't
been out there, come out and take a look at
the park and you'll see where the tower is going.
And by the way it was in the media and
the news, we're going to have flagpoles outside the park
for every branch, every branch of the service. And we

(25:37):
actually will have the flagpole that was in front of
the barracks from Lebanon in front of the park here
in Charlotte County. And we're really very very excited about that,
and we've talked about that too, so you know, and

(25:58):
again this is this is so significant to our community
and to the state, and we've gotten some grant funding
and we've gotten some support from the state and a
representative grant was a big help doing that, and the
senators were helping. So you know, we we we're just
so excited about the impact this is gonna have for

(26:19):
the future of the county.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
Well, it's funny that you say you mentioned the future,
and I'll beat myself up. America, if you're hearing this
broadcast on Friday as of today, when you hear this
and you need to give me a huge favor, go
to one rillypoint dot org. Go on the Reads across
America page, click on the Field and Feel of Honor

(26:41):
and donate for your wreath.

Speaker 3 (26:43):
Every wreathe buy a.

Speaker 2 (26:45):
Portion that goes towards the making this reality down the line. Folks,
every wreath you buy portion thos proceeds go to completing
this mission. And I know we have over a million
soldiers and marines and seeing and navy.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Men and yes, spaceports. We didn't forget about you either
and that or the like.

Speaker 2 (27:06):
If we had a million of you by one wreath,
we're good.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
The mission is complete.

Speaker 2 (27:13):
So I'm asking you today, when you hear this, go
on one ridpoint dot org. Go to the Reads across
America page and click on the Field of Honor and
get your wreath to wherever you want. To It gets
sent to you directly, no in between person. Put where
you wanted to go.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
And go to a cemetery and honor someone, or to.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Your front door. And again that's our commitment to make
this a reality, folks commission.

Speaker 4 (27:42):
That's that's a little different because I bought a reef
m Reef last year and we had the program out there.
You know, we had the program out at the cemetery
and put to gord I remember it was pouring rain
that day. But that that's a great program and I've
supported it for years. And hey, Jasha, I'll get an
extra book for the games Park. So I'll be one
of those million people. I'll tell you right now for sure.

Speaker 6 (28:03):
Well absolutely yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:05):
For every dollar, I mean for every resould, there's a
dollar that goes toward this tower. So if you're out
there wondering, I don't live in southwest Florida, how could
I possibly support this, there's your there's your intro, there's
your sign.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
It goes anywhere you want it to go, but the
proceeds go to that wall and folks, Wes the cous
America is a partner of the Right Point Show if
hands it, but we are partners in this So this
isn't some really weird scam.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
We are partners in this endeavor. So, Commissioner Dorts, you
have the full.

Speaker 2 (28:37):
Commitment of our capacity as a venom organization and media
platform to make your mission come to as best we can.

Speaker 4 (28:44):
Well, we we appreciate that. So I guess we're partners too.
So we feel pretty good about that. And you know,
I say that, you know, we are Florida's premier veterans
friendly community, and I believe we are because you know,
you'll look at the multiplicity of parks we have, and
we've got three very active American Legion posts and the

(29:05):
dav and we got to and Vet's just up the street,
and you know, we just got an awful lot of
veterans activities and things happening. And I think I think
it's fair to say that we love, we appreciate, and
we cherish our veterans and our first responders. And this
is a way that the county demonstrates to our whole

(29:27):
community and everyone, you know, how we feel about our
first responders and veterans. So I think that I think
that's pretty exciting and it's great, and I thank you
for that, and It's sort of cool because I've been
a support of Reason across America for a while and
I usually have me show up at the programs. Yeah, well,

(29:47):
you know, hey, we're all in this together, and first
and foremost, you know, we're all Americans, and I think
those of us who've been involved and you guys through
your service, and you know, in my situation, I kid
about it and I say, uh, you know, my past or,
my mother and my h on the judge all thought

(30:08):
it was a good idea. I enlisted. It was the
best thing I ever did in my life. It changed
my life and uh, you know, uh, basic training was
a good experience for me, and uh and but it
changed my life and I believe for the better. And
you know, frankly, my enlisting in the military was, you know,
probably one of the best things I ever did. And

(30:28):
I entered the service at a smart alec teenage kid
from the Bronx and I got my honorable discharge, which
is on the wall over the s I do have
it as an immature public.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
I said, and now you're a smart public service.

Speaker 4 (30:45):
Well, I was going to say I left the service
as an immature a young adult, but it was it
was a good, good experience for me. And uh, you
know this is uh this community has been my home
for for a long time now, and I think that
it's a great place to live and it's a great
place to be and I think that's why so many

(31:08):
retired veterans come here, because and first responders as well. Inevitably,
you know, I ran across someone who was a state
trooper up in New Jersey and I say, you you
ever stop me? I was er or driving through it.
It's really it's really neat and uh, and we're we're
all about our veterans and first responders. I think that's

(31:31):
a good way to say it.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
And definitely, folks think about this no matter we are
in the United States, this is a symbol of our
accumulate hard work and effort in our careers. Different and
diverse they may be, but at the end of the day,
there's a remembrance and a respect of that service. Nonetheless
for the support of our country. This is a physical
advanced station of your hard work. And as we transition

(31:56):
from being a coast to a marine to a retired veteran,
this park will remain a steadfast landmark of that ideology.
Of who we are and our families and our kids
and our grandkids can come back and be reminded what
we did and how it was done and those who
pay the ultimate price. So folks, there's no excuses. It's

(32:17):
agist telling you get out at one point rather point that,
or go to the page and get that wreath. Support
this wall, not for me, but for us, for yourselves
and our kids so they can learn what our past
in the military was like and those who paid the
price for our flag.

Speaker 4 (32:34):
I think, and in a way, because of all the
active family things we have, it's fair to say this
is going to be a living memorial. Yes, absolutely, because
of you know everything, and you know and we have
we have some serious programs there. When you know the
sheriff when they on their phone and they have their

(32:55):
program there. It's serious and it's meaningful. But as I said,
the just has so many personalities, but it's also gaining
statewide and national significance in terms of what it is
and it's and the fact that we couldn't find another
place where they on a first responders and veterans in
the same place, and you would think that be hundreds,

(33:17):
if not thousands in the country.

Speaker 1 (33:19):
Our culture has kind of shifted to recognizing both of
them in duality in a lot of ways.

Speaker 6 (33:25):
A lot of cases, a lot of.

Speaker 1 (33:27):
Veterans are first responders or vice versa. They are first
responders who are also veterans. But the Memorial Tower looks
like it will be an awesome place not just for
reflection and reverence.

Speaker 6 (33:38):
But also education.

Speaker 4 (33:40):
Oh that's a lot of ways, So tell.

Speaker 1 (33:43):
Us about that, because it sounds like a lot of
thought and a lot of very deliberate preparation went into
really making this a significant and meaningful memorial.

Speaker 4 (33:55):
That's a big part of what this is about. And
my vision. My vision is that someday, and I'm going
to make sure it's set up that we have an
endowment fund that will take our third or fourth graders,
we'll fIF s out with the school development and they'll

(34:15):
spend a day and I touch upon this earlier and
they'll we'll pick them up by a bus and they'll
go to the replica of the Vietnam Wall. They'll go
to the Military Heritage Museum, and they'll come to the
Weimar Gaines Junior Veterea Memorial Park. They'll see the memorial
for the first responders and our veterans, and they'll have

(34:36):
the educational experience in that tower of finding out what
happened in Beirut eleven on, which literally was the beginning
of the war on Terra. So there's a big educational component.
And last, but not least, and I said this, I
rarely have notes when I talk, and I was speaking
American Legion posts. I believe it was on Memorial Day,

(35:01):
and I extemporaneously made a comment. I said, you know,
we all have our discharge, most of the honorable we've
got a discharge. We're out of the military, but our
job isn't over because I believe, and this is something
I know you guys talk about on the air. Even
though we have our honorable discharge, our job isn't over

(35:22):
because we have some of the responsibility to make sure
that our young people know the freedom and the sacrifice
that has been made by others so they can have
the freedom and the liberty to be in this great country.

(35:43):
And there was a price paid for that, and they
have to be aware of, appreciate it, and acknowledge it,
and embrace it that it wasn't by accident we got here.
There's a lot of sacrifice. Yeah, it may it may
have started in the seventeen hundred, but it's still taking
place today throughout this world. That we have men and

(36:05):
women that are out there to protect our way of
life and the freedom and the liberty that so many
of our youngsters on occasion arrogantly take for granted. And
that's part of our job that we have to do that.

Speaker 2 (36:22):
And to that end, i will say this, and I'll say, Commissioner,
I'm jaded on one particular holiday, Memorial Day. The reason
why a lot of kids nowadays in high school grammar
school thing is a day off from school and start
flipping hamburgers and heaving hot dogs and beer and soda.

Speaker 3 (36:41):
For me, it's more some day.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
That day is remembrance for those who aren't home to
celebrate with their families and be with the lived their
lives that gave the ultimate price. So to your point,
it's our responsibility as veterans to educate our young engineering
the value of the flag, the colors, what they mean,

(37:05):
and the lads that were lost in the in those
ideals that we call the red, white, and blue.

Speaker 7 (37:11):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (37:11):
Absolutely, And you know you've heard me speak on Memorial
Day programs and that's the exact day, that's the exact
point that I make. So let me just once again
because I know we're running out of time here. This
is the William R. Gaines Junior Vegeamorial Park Fundraiser. Everyone
is welcome to come and live music and we're going

(37:32):
to have a special Mike Riley with the Boogeyman is
going to do a little special treat for us and
live music and good food. It's going to be at
six pm Friday, August thirtieth, next week on Friday. But
if you want to reserve and get tickets, feel free
to give me a call. It's Steven R. Steven R. Deutsch,

(37:52):
but just give give me a call at nine four
one six to eight o three four eight. And as
we were getting ready to tape the show, we actually
had to call somebody you were here, Amanda or someone
we got to call someone wanted to get some tickets.
Hopefully we'll be able to say, hey, we don't have room.
But that's you know, I'm anticipating. We're going to have

(38:15):
a good time. It's going to be a good party.
Nine four one six to eighth three four eight. If
you'd like to come, if you'd like to make a
contribution to the park. And as I wrap things up,
the foundation is a five oh one C three And
so if you want to compare this to some of
the political contributions that we've all recently made or are

(38:37):
still making, this is a tax deductible contribution. So in reality,
if you give one hundred bucks, depending on your tax bracket,
you're going to get twenty to twenty five bucks back
of that as off your taxes at the end of
the year, because it's a legitimate five oh one C three.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
So if you, Commissioner Deutsch, if people can't attend the fundraiser,
whether it's because they're not available like me, going to
be out of town, whatever the case might be, can
they call you or is there another way that they can.

Speaker 6 (39:08):
Arrange to make a contribution to the fundraiser?

Speaker 4 (39:11):
Absolutely, same phone number nine four one six two eight
three four eight. And with that, maybe I should talk
a little bit about what's happening with our local American
Legion post down the road.

Speaker 6 (39:26):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (39:26):
Yeah, I thought I mentioned that, and you know we've
all been there and I've been members, and I just
want to say that Post one ten American Legion Post
which is on Harborable Levard right here in Charlotte County,
just a couple of blocks off of forty one was

(39:47):
severely damaged during the hurricane. And essentially it's been about
two years in the making and we're at the point
that they're gonna it's not one hundred percent done, but
the post wants to open up and they're going to
do something special for the community. Usually you have to

(40:08):
be a member of the American Legion Post as a
veteran and or being brought there by a friend to
come to the post. But the grand reopening of the
American Legion Post is going to be in a few
weeks on September seventh, and that there's going to be
a ribbon cutting at eleven AM. And again, the American

(40:32):
Legion Post is unharborable of Odd. It's Post one to ten.
It's just a couple of blocks blocks from forty one
to two blocks northeast route of forty one Tamani Trail,
unharborable of Odd and it will be open to the community.

(40:53):
And by the way, the Posts had to go through
some things to be able to let the public come
in and get inexpensive drink and something to eat, but
there's going to be quite a program starting at eleven am.
We're going to be there for the ribbon cutting. There's
going to be great food, there's going to be live music.
They're going to have the tiki bar is going to

(41:15):
be open, the stage will be there. There's going to
be a lot of need activities happening. So for the
last time, thirty one fifty two Harbor Boulevard in Port Charlotte,
American Legion Post one ten is inviting the whole community
to come to their grand reopening at eleven am. And

(41:36):
that's on Saturday, September seventh this year. It's a it's
a week after our fundraiser for the game park, which
is going to be again on August thirtieth at six
pm at the Lastly Crab House. If you're interested actually
in either one of these things, feel free to call

(41:58):
me as you could. In the background, my phone rings
all the time, even though I shut one of them off.
Hard Steven, R Steve and R Deutschet nine four one
six to eight three four. And before you guys kick
me out of here, I want to thank you.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
Before you kick us out of here, we're alive.

Speaker 6 (42:18):
On site at your office.

Speaker 4 (42:20):
So I want to I want to thank you guys
for the service that you provide two our veterans and
our community by what you do.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
And well, we just appreciate the opportunity to give visibility
to you know, your initiatives and things that you're helping
you're so instrumental in, and we're grateful for your service
as well. And we just appreciate the opportunity to be
able to literally come into your world since we're sitting
in your office, and be able to discuss these, you know,

(42:52):
programs and functions and events that you are so instrumental
in making happen in our community. So we just want
want to say thank you for being a staunch supporter.
We appreciate all the little love notes about how you
appreciate the show.

Speaker 6 (43:07):
It's wonderful. We love that.

Speaker 1 (43:10):
And we just appreciate the tremendous amount of energy and
effort and enthusiasm that you really do infuse into Charlotte County,
not just with veterans, but just overall to help people
see what a wonderful place this is to live and
what a wonderful place this is just to be involved with.
If you don't live here. It's still it's a great

(43:30):
place to support, and it's still a place where American
ideals live and thrive.

Speaker 4 (43:36):
With me, it's a sincere thing because when I grew up,
we saw someone in a uniform, we saluted them when
I was five or six years old. They were a
true American hero. And I sincerely believe, and you guys
know me well enough to know it, that we are
so blessed to be here in these great United States

(43:59):
of America. And there's no way that more than you
can try and say thank you, other than trying to
demonstrate that demonstrate through your actions and what you do,
our love of country and of the people that have
served it to help give us the freedom and the

(44:19):
liberty that we have. We had just so blessed to
be here. Look at the rest of the world.

Speaker 1 (44:24):
Absolutely, as William Rgaines Junior himself said, as a nation
of freedom, as a symbol of freedom, we have a
responsibility to the world, not just to ourselves, to share
and make available this freedom that every creature cherishes. How
very fitting that you were able to get the park
named after him, and be able to give so much

(44:44):
visibility and pay respect and memoriam to the sacrifice of
William Rgained Junior and all of those Marines in Beirut,
as well as the first responders and the veterans that
have come before and after them as well.

Speaker 4 (45:00):
You know the words you quoted. I have a copy
of that letter. He wrote that letter to his family
just about a month before he was killed, and it's
and he mentions in there, if I would to die
here and lose my life would be because I'm doing
what I should be doing and I belong here, and.

Speaker 2 (45:24):
And the cotel Amanda's words, I would say thank you,
Commissioner in America, as you know, and during our multiple broadcasts,
I'm talking about the Commissioner and he's kind of the
the brainchild of the Rally Point Show.

Speaker 6 (45:41):
You might end up getting your own monthly segment.

Speaker 4 (45:44):
I'll have to work on that, particularly with a campaign
coming up in two years. If I do this again,
oh why not?

Speaker 2 (45:52):
One of our main themes, the core theme, which we
bounced off at a couple of coffees years.

Speaker 3 (45:57):
Ago, I was giving veterans a place and a voice.

Speaker 4 (46:02):
Yep. In doing that.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
I've known Steven r for since twenty sixteen, when I
moved to Florida. And not just to say he is
that he profides on. He personifies the essence of the
voice of a veteran. It's undying, never tired. When the
man's tired, you can't tell his voice is not waver

(46:26):
or quiver. And that I've taken some notes and tried
to emulate that and in short, created this program that
you're listening to right now. And Amanda is taken that
into the next stratisk point. And the point of all
is the courage that he has provided me to make
this show has transformed and having people come on our

(46:47):
own show and give him the same courage to talk
about their lives in Vietnam, Korean War, Afghanistan, etc. So
to say that you're the voice of the veteran, that
would be redundant. And I want to say thank you
for being Steven R because you made us well.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
I think it points back to what you said earlier,
Commissioner George, when you were talking about how in the
military we gain a certain skill set, you know, we
take on certain responsibilities and it's almost like it to
some degree, it does become your lifelong purpose. And for
those of you out there listening, I think whether you
realize it or not. I believe that some of the

(47:30):
skills and some of the calling that we answered by
serving in the military, it follows us for the rest
of our days, in some form of purpose, in some
form of commitment, in some form of just living.

Speaker 6 (47:45):
Out our lives.

Speaker 4 (47:46):
Say back when you raised your right hand that very
first time and took the oath to serve and defend
the constitution of this group.

Speaker 6 (47:57):
Never. So here's a fun fact.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
I never made it through my oath of enlistment without
getting very emotional, like those words. If you really think
about what you're promising to do, magnitude that is, that's huge.
And so that's something that I truly believe. Once you
make that oath at MEPs or wherever you take your
initial oath into the military, I don't think that ever

(48:21):
really leaves you.

Speaker 4 (48:22):
It's branded in two places, correct up here and here
in your heart and in your brain, and it's never
and it's similar to what we do and with one
into public office, and you know that that's a branding
that we all share.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
Take more thought and consideration of the gravity of the
oath that they make, for sure, and that doesn't matter
what side of the aisle they're on. That's that's all
of them. Wellfully they will take more thought on that.

Speaker 4 (48:50):
And you're in the Air Force, you were in the Army.
I was in the United States Coast Guard. But we're
all brothers and sisters.

Speaker 1 (48:57):
You know, we're typical brothers and sisters. We make fun
of you each other. We have to have rivalry. It
is what it is. But seriously, though, thank you Commissioner
Deuts for giving us your time coming on the show,
telling us all the wonderful things that are going on
at William Rgaines Junior Veterans Memorial Park on Edgewater Boulevard

(49:18):
in Port Charlotte. And thank you for giving us the
update about American Legion Post one tens grand reopening. And
we just hope for those of you out there listening,
if you're local, we hope you can make it to
either the event on August thirtieth at six pm at
Lashley Crab House, or that you can make it to
the grand reopening on September seventh at eleven am at

(49:41):
American Legion Post one ten at three zero five two
Harbor Boulevards. So thank you again. Commissioner Deuts has always
for pleasure and.

Speaker 6 (49:50):
We look forward to having you on the show again.

Speaker 4 (49:52):
Thank you, Sae, Safe, God love.

Speaker 1 (49:54):
And that's all the time we have today for our show.
We're so thankful to all of you that have joined
us regularly here on the Rally Point Show. If this
is your first show, we hope you enjoyed it. Want
to give a quick shout out and thank you to
our sponsors ETNA Medicare Solutions, ETNA Glad I met you,
as well as Reese across America Radio. Also thank you
to one hundred point nine FMWCCF, the station that you're

(50:17):
listening to this show on today. And with that, Rally
Pointers fun out.

Speaker 7 (50:23):
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(50:47):
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(51:08):
nine and set up an appointment and on behalf of
ETNA and the rally point show we are glad to meet.

Speaker 4 (51:14):
Yeah, veterans, you served your country, fought for our freedom,
bled for our flag. Now are you drowning in a
sea of paperwork, lost in the jungle of the VA
benefit process? If you're not using a Veteran Service officer,
then you're crazy. That's right crazy. These vsos are your

(51:36):
battle buddies in benefits. They cut through red tape faster
than a fighter jet on an afterburner, disability claims, discharge upgrades, appeals.
These warriors have seen it all and they're going to
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(52:00):
VA system inside and out. Your vsos will help you
navigate the maze and get you the compensation and care
you earn. So listen up, veterans, don't wait another minute.
Call your local service officer today and ask about their help.
Take that pension poachers. Your vsos are free, confidential, and

(52:23):
here to fight for you. His message brought to you
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