August 6, 2025 • 48 mins
Rich is joined by a Pennsylvania man with an amazing story. James Hay explains how his love for golf has helped our nation's heroes, his connection to Jim Furyk, and more.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Rich Combo Golf Show. As many of
you have already determined, I was on vacation last week.
I hope everybody had a grand time away from me, hopefully.
I actually shouldn't say it that way.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
But.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I thank you for coming back to us after a
week off, and I want to jump right back into
trying to bring quality guests to my show or our show.
And today we have James Hay with us, and James
has a very very very interesting, interesting golf story and
(00:36):
a lot of involvement into and using golf for good
in southwestern Pennsylvania. James, thanks for coming on with us today.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Proud of it, sir, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Absolutely perfect, so as I do with everybody, go ahead
and give me a give me kind of a rundown
on how you got started or being involved in golf
obviously as.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
How I'm from a little place called Union Town at
south of Pittsburgh, and golf course I grew up on
Springdale doesn't exist no more. They went out of business.
But uh, way up on the hill of Mount Summit
above in the mountains, I maybe four years old, Dad
(01:16):
had a putter in my hand on a putt and green.
So I've been around a game a long time. It
was it was believe it. It was a church golf league
on a Monday night. That was a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So okay. So you grew up in Uniontown. So that's
the birthplace at George C. Marshall, Okay, Georgia.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, and it's also the home of the world's famous,
most famous hamburger.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
That is correct. The Big Mac was in Bedland, Uniontown, Pennsylvania,
and then so George C. Marshall lived there till he
was fourteen, then he went then he moved to Virginia.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yes, yeah, So awesome picture awesome picture of of I
mean awesome statue in downtown Uniontown of George C. Marshall
with his dog, which is taken from the Smithsonian article
about George Mark show in his later years, I was
the head golf professional at Uniontown Country Club, So I
know quite a bit about Uniontown. Love Youingtown. Uniontown is
(02:09):
one of the only towns you ever found, ever find
that was founded on July fourth, seventeen seventy.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Six, seventeen seventy's birthday.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
It's unbelievable. So okay, so go ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
My granddad was a dough boy in World War One,
and my dad survived Pearl Harbor. He was in World
War Two.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Wow, and.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Their best friend out of Union Town. Now this is
years ago. There's a VFW Post forty seven in Union
downtown Uniontown, and dad's granddad's friend was Joseph L. Victis.
And I believe in years nineteen seventy one and seventy two,
(02:57):
mister decides as I call him command here, he was
the commander in chief of the whole Veterans of the
Foreign Wars Organization.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, I've been around golf and the VFW most of
my life.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
That's awesome. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
So you're you're up at some up at the Summit Hotel,
Mount sum At Hotel, because there is some at Pennsylvania,
which is actually on the way to Altuna. So Mount
some At Hotel which is which literally when you drive
by it, it reminds you of Dirty Dancing because it's
got it's got that. Yeah, he's got that massive hotel
(03:34):
up there on top of the hill. And I don't
believe Patrick Swayze was ever that Mount Summit Hotel, but
you know, of course he was in Dirty Dancing. So Okay,
so you are four knocking around on their nine hole
golf course. And then so as you get older, I'm
assuming you continue to play correct.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Oh? Yes, Well Mom and Dad they were may I
say back and disabled?
Speaker 1 (04:01):
War?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well was it? They made life easy, but weren't well
to do?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Right?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And Dad, I'm probably ten years old, and I asked
him for a dozen of titleist ballot of golf balls.
That was the wrong thing to do, because about three
days later I had a morning paper out at five
o'clock in the morning with two hundred and fifty papers
to be delivered six days a week. If I want
(04:29):
my own money for my own golf balls, I got
to earn it.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Uniontown Herald Standard.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yes, yes, wow. And beginning is when I was a
freshman in high school, junior, sophomore, junior, senior, the pro
at Union Town Country Club. He left and then went
to a place called the Colonial, which is now duck Hollo. Right,
(04:58):
But four years of my life growing up, I was
honored to have golf lessons from Mike Feurich, Jim Feerich's father.
I had his job. Not The only thing he didn't
teach me was how to punt.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He he I had his job. And I know, I know,
you know, I want to hear your best Mike Furick story.
But I had his job. And I saw him many
years later, and and he said, I told him I
had his job, but he was he remembered, he remembers
(05:39):
Union Town very very very fondly, very fondly. And the
only thing, the only interesting thing about that, though, is
that everybody when I was in Uniontown wanted to claim
Jim Furick is their own. Jim Furick was two when
they left. I mean like literally two or four or
something like that. They move over to Lancaster. But Lancaster,
however you want to say that. But yeah, so Mike
(06:02):
had Yeah, that was that was Mike. That was Mike's job.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I mean it was that was Well, you notice Jimmy
Fury Okay, the whole family is incredible.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yes, But Mike.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Had a philosophy on a golf swing, if you could
have your hands closest together, working as one unit, yes,
the more consistent you are from one foot before the
ball and one foot after the ball, which is your
most important part of your golf swing.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Well, Jimmy come up with an idea. Now, when I
was younger. You know, growing up, you're you're not You're
getting your muscular physique as you get older. I used
the interlock grip, right, and about fourteen years old I
changed to the overlap. If you notice, Jimmy Fury was
(06:54):
Google It watches golf watch his grip. He uses a
overlap grip. Yep, right, yeah, your hand is closer together
as one unity.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
That ball can't go well. It won't go left either.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That ball won't remember Mike had the Hills. Well where
Hills now is, I think it's giantnigle, But years ago
it was Hills. Right next door there was the Esquire
barber shop in the Hills Plaza, and right next door
to that was Mike had a little golf shop there.
(07:32):
And that's the first place I ever bought a dozen
of Titleist a lot of golf.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Balls with your Harold State, with your with your with
your Harold Standard.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Money, with my Harold Standard newspaper money.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
That's exactly right. You know, I'm not too not too
I'm sitting and wheeling right now. And so the Harold
Standards still in existence, is owned by the same person
that owns many, many, many newspapers in Western Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
McClatchey, Well, I'm.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Gonna clatch you anymore. It's actually notting. Oh okay, yeah,
So so Bob owns that he owns, he owns a
lot of them, he owns a lot of me. He's
still own like eighty four of them or something like that.
But yeah, so you know, life is one big circle.
So all right, so you get through high school and
I'm assuming that you stop, you stop delivering papers at
(08:21):
some point about that time.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Well, what had happened? I went to a school called
graduated from a beautiful high school called Laurel Highlands. Yeah,
and uh, well, because I was raised Granddad, my dad, Army, Army, Army, Navy, Navy, Navy,
Pearl Harbor, Pearl, Harbor, Pearl, Harbor. Mine came off with
(08:47):
Laurel Highlands. We made it out to Harrisburg and I
had a one or two scholarships. And then my dad said, boys,
before you sign them papers over there, I want to
see what you're signing. And I said, well, Dad, I
need to talk to you. I said, you're my best friend.
(09:07):
I love you. I'm very humbled and honored to be
where i'm at. Thank you and Mike Fereich, and I said,
but you have to understand the way you raised me.
There's one thing I will not never ignore disrespect, I said, Dad,
you and you alone are my pearl harbor hero. I
(09:29):
handed him an envelope. What's this? When I handed it
and I stood at attention and I saluted him, and
I said, sir, two and a half weeks ago, I'm
eighteen years old. These are my papers. I've enlisted in
the United States Navy. He was not happy with me whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And how long did it take him to get over it?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I'm gonna say maybe two cigarettes.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I like that. I never I never heard time measured
that way. That's all right, that's all right.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And so I went to boot camp, Fleet Marine four school.
I'm a corman. I'm a medics. I'm really what they
call a raft root medic. I'm I was a paramedic
on the flight deck of aircraft carrier.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah, I can only imagine.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Fleet Marine Force. But I was never with the marine detachment.
I was strictly Ship's Company USS American.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
So did you have that, did you have any Did
anything bad happen.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
On this yes, sir? What happened? Well, I'm not going
to get into the nasty stuff. But we had a parks,
we had a recreation department on the ship, and yes,
there are a lot of things bad happened. They give
you a green matt with the tea in it and everything,
and you got on the edge of the flight deck, sir,
and they gives you bring it Forcliff. You know, a
(11:04):
whole big box of golf balls. It's donated by what
if he's ever heard of the USO.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
As we stand there for hours and hit golf balls
off the flight deck. They never got one of them back, sir.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I'll bet you didn't. I'll bet the environmentalists would have
loved Joe. Environmentalists would have absolutely loved you. They would
have loved you, guys, because that's that's actually if there's
some whales out there, probably still alive, that that probably swimming.
That's like the Seinfeld when he comes back with the
with the titlest from the from the whale. So ye, So,
(11:40):
how long how long are you in the navy?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I did five and a half years, what years.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Seventy nine to eighty five, okay, and then I got
a discharge in to March, and first of around the
first week in April of eighty five, I was hired
down in Southern Virginia Country Club as first assistant golf
professional and really nice job, nice membership, incredible. I was
(12:13):
first assistant. But after two and a half years, sir,
down there now this is eighty five, eighty six, eighty seven.
It was hard to exist on three hundred and ninety
two dollars and forty five cents every.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Two weeks, that is correct.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
But the game of golf has brought me camaraderie, friendship
a whole in one or two just just being with
around good people, good friends, good veterans. I've done a
lot of golf scrambles for different posts and districts, and
(12:52):
golf is a nice a part of my PTSD treatment.
I have to be out and about. Like I said,
I've met incredible people.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Yeah, well, and that's the best part of all this.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
The game of golf is definitely a sport where people
meet and become friends and have good camaraderie. And yes,
it's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
What what what time were you in Virginia?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I was Port Smith Yeah, yeah, Port Smith Airline Boulevard, Sir.
It's been years since I've been doing there.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
That's neat. That's neat.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
So yeah, so you, like many people probably were in
what would have were falling in love with or rapidly
falling in love with with the golf business. But unfortunately
your W two doesn't permit you to chase that. It
just doesn't.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
But the game of golf, I mean it just now, sir.
I'm sixty six years old, and I have a philosophy, okay,
and I have to accept it because I'm limited because
I'm sixty six years old. So my philosophy is the
older I get, the better I used to be.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I can appreciate that. I can appreciate that. I think
that's true too. So you go through the Navy, and
you get through that, and so then you go to
Southern Virginia and then you decide that you're going to
start a I guess, non golf career, right, So well.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, it was two and a half years. Then I
came back to the state, living with my dad in Uniontown.
And when I was in the Navy, I went to
a school down in the New York Town Naval Weapons
Station called Nostra Nostra, and I have a degree out
(14:52):
of the Navy the Naval optimolic support and training activity.
If you remember Tom Cruise use sunglasses in top gun, Yeah,
the fighter jet pilot sunglasses. Yeah, Well that's what I made.
And when I got out of the Navy. Up in Pittsburgh,
there's a place called Ross Park Mall Lens Crafters one
(15:16):
Hour's lens Craft. Here's my degree is in visual optionics,
visual optics and wavelengths and I was one of the
technicians that's set up the first one hour lens Crafters
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Oh that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
That's really cool. Okay, So when we come back from
this commercial, we're going to start at lens Crafters. Obviously
we're not going to talk about what you did in there,
but we're going to talk about how how you have
continued from that time to keep using golf to for
you personally stay healthy, but to actually create some use
golf for good. So sure, all right, we'll be right
(15:54):
back with the Rich Komboll Golf Show. Welcome back to
the Rich Komboll Golf Show. I started this this show
with not apologizing but actually declaring I was on vacation
last week, and we spent the first segment today with
James Hay James has He's from Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Was taught
(16:15):
to play the game of golf for the most part
by Jim Furick, us Open Champion's father Mike, who to
this day is a PGA professional, as is his son Jim.
So then James went into the Navy and spent five
and a half years in the Navy, and now he's
now We ended that segment with coming back from stint
(16:39):
as an assistant golf professional and came back to Uniontown
and sort of working with his naval degree in optalmology.
It's not really optalmology, but it's and so James, so
you started to jump into lens crafters and so obviously
still staying with still thing with that. But you played
(17:02):
a lot of golf, correct.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Oh goodness y, Yeah, that's cool for years. I uh, well,
about two years ago, I had elbow, I had that cubicle,
carporal tunnel and all that stuff done. So I get
out maybe five six times a year now. But I'm
a member of the Old Craft and Golf League. And
(17:26):
if you know where crafted is, so.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Does so does Bill Cowards.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
The old crafton golf course doesn't exist no more. But
I played on the Pick the Pittsburgh Packed Tour. PAC
pays all cash and pour from Crafting.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
So so let me ask you a question. How good
did you get? How good? What was the best you ever?
What was like? What was your run like? You were?
You were pretty good?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I mean, well, besides high school. When I come home
to Pittsburgh, the Pack Tour, the Pittsburgh Pack Tour, Uh,
it's Dimini's because there's a lot of people that's passed.
But in two thousand and four, at a place called
the Links at Firestone.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Farms in Columbiana shot I shot four over and won
the Pittsburgh Open.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
And in two thousand and seven at Ponderosa, I forget
my final score. I took home the crafton Memorial there
and then I believe I know. I've googled it over
the years and studied the craft and the old crafting golfway,
the Pack Tour, we have the Pittsburgh Masters, which I
(18:44):
don't really know of any other city in the country
that has a like Augusta Right well, at Pheasant Ridge
in twenty seventeen, you won the Masters. You've got a
green jacket in my closet.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
There you go there you go.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
But I love the game. It's camaraderie, you know, it's
and again, if I'm me and the mississ Rich Chop
and say or wherever. I don't want to mention any
names like that. But if I see veterans and they
have their hat on, hey, I go up and thank
you word you serve, give them my card. The Veterans
(19:26):
of Foreign Wars has taught me a lot and made
me a lot of friends over the years.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Right right, I can I can believe that. So so
let me Okay, so let's throw our attention to that
for a minute. So tell me, tell me, tell us
exactly who can be a member of the VFW.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Okay, the Veterans of four Wars. They have you can
google it. They have certain criteria basically what it is. Yeah,
it has to be in the conflict or around an
act of aggression against the United States of America overseas.
(20:16):
Now like myself, I was a little bit a part
of the Marine Barracks bombing Rescue mission over there. I
received the Navy Expeditionary Medal. Then you have non veterans
World War Two veterans, who's you know, yadidae. That's how
it all is done. The ZFW is not what it
(20:41):
was years ago because of how can I say this
modern technology? Families are busy. Yeah, but the ZFW has
an incredible program. If I may take me twenty seconds
and explain, it's called the Voice of Democracy program. Now,
(21:01):
back in twenty nineteen, it was a lovely girl. Her
last name was Troll. She's up from around Somerset. Read.
The subject of the vod two page essay was what
makes America Great? So she come up and talked to me, said, well,
(21:21):
what makes America great? Is commander. In two weeks I
turned eighteen years old. My boat makes it. I said, well,
write it down on a two page essay submitted to
her VFW post. There was four submissions. She walked out
with a five hundred dollars first place scholarship check. Then
(21:44):
it went to district first place. She walked out with
a fifteen hundred dollars scholarship check. I went to Harrisburg Department,
Pennsylvania VFW. She walked out with the five thousand dollars
scholarship check first place. Me and my missus got to
go to Orange County, Florida in Orlando for the national VFW,
(22:05):
and I was on stage with Miss Christina Troll when
she received the first place thirty five thousand dollars scholarship
for the same two page essay.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
That's absolutely awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
That's what the VFW does for people.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
That's awesome. That is awesome.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
That's some that's some serious stuff. So so let me
ask you this. Okay, So so now that's that's a
great story. But aside from that, because I asked you
the first question about the criteria, So when you walk
into it, like I can't walk into a VFW, but
if I walked into a VFW, everybody in there that's
(22:42):
a member of the VFW was quote unquote in it
at some point or another. Correct.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
No, no, let me please let you understand our social
memberships and our auxiliary. Okay, a lot of your local
VFW posts would not even exist if it wasn't for
your social memberships and your auxiliary. Because again, it's all
(23:08):
about camaraderie, right, We get together, we work up the donations,
we keep this and we're looking for the young kids
to come in. Desert storm veterans, Iraqi veterans, Afghanistan veterans.
It's a good way to come talk to your fellow veterans,
(23:28):
get some things off your chest that you might need
to get off. We understand where you've been right, and
the camaraderie is incredible. We're all brothers and sisters. Now,
my veteran service officer, she's a how can I stay this?
(23:51):
A go getter when she's a marine and she's in
charge of everybody's benefits to make sure you're educated on
it or if you need to file and claim, she's
there for you. She's a spunky little gold getter in
and she does good for veterans.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah, that's neat. That's really that's really really really good.
That's really good. So so so what what so the
what post are you in? Now?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
I'm a member of what they call a paper post
nineteen forty. My post doesn't have a liquor license.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
There's a lot of efws that choose just not to
have a liquor license, depending on who the officers are,
where they're located, and it's just it's up to the
officers who run the certain vfws.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, So okay, so so let me let me ask
you this and we're going to get into We're going
to get into the event that that we do want
to talk about. But but in your VFW or your
VSW experience, how important is it or your and actually
(25:08):
your personal experience, how important is it to be able
to go find people to play golf with and to
bond with people who play golf.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
To me, it's very important. It keeps my head on straight.
From Mike when I was on the flight deck, Sir,
I've seen some it's not too nice of stuff. Yeah,
And because I'm the senior paramedic on the flight deck,
I'm the first one that's got to be there, so
I have a little bit of what they call PTSD.
(25:41):
And for me to be out and doing the golf
and talking to my fellow vettings that it keeps my
mind on other things where they don't need to be you.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Know what I mean, right right, It keeps you away
from what you don't what does it need to go?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Right? So then if I get in trouble, I'll go
to the v that'd have a glass of wine and
talk to a fellow veteran, brother or sister, because I've
run into a lot of sister veterans who was in Afghanistan,
who was in Iraq, who wasn't sirious, who was in
the burn pits. Yeah, and people like that. When you
(26:19):
find somebody like that to talk to, how valuable that is?
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, I can I can't. I can't. I can only
imagine because I don't have that that reference point.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
But you know, I know a lot of people out
there don't know you have these. You're a young kid,
you're a teenager when you go in to the federal
building or to your recruiter and you're a young person,
you haven't experienced life yet. But you take that pen
(26:55):
and you sign that paper to uncles am, it's a
check up and also including your own value of your life. Yeah,
So always remember that when you meet a veteran. And
remember when it comes to the VFW, it's not the
(27:18):
price of the membership that you pay. It's the price
you pay to be eligible, right because nine times out
of ten, if you're eligible to be a member of
the VFW, you've seen some nasty diarrhea over your life.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah, and that's why we're all a close knit family.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah. It's it's interesting you say that because I do,
and this is I we have a.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
PG.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
America has a program called the Hope Program, which is
which is it's a slogan for helping our patriots everywhere.
And I.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
About three months ago I went to a Veterans breakfast club.
I love them because every veteran has a story. You
could sit there for six, seven, twelve hours and listen
to some c stories that are incredible. And at the
Veterans Breakfast Club, they had a table with the PGA
(28:29):
Hope there right right, And so I have.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I'll have twenty four veterans go through my two sessions
this year twenty three. And all we do is just
you have to hick off balls and learn a little
bit and just get everybody a chance to be outside.
And I've talked to the I've had the national director
of the of the PJA Hope Program on. Her name
(28:58):
is Brendy Kane. And and you know the number that
we hate is twenty two, which is the number of
veterans that you know don't stay with us every day.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
And well, sir, I've got good news. Talk to my
Veteran Service officer. It's I don't want to say it's
a it's a good thing, but it's down to seventeen
and a half a day.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Awesome awesome, Maybe we did something right.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Talking I my business card if I have. First of all,
we're looking for VFW members. If you're interested, the wife,
bring kids, YadA da, yadda da. But if you need
to talk to somebody, I don't care if it's two
thirty in the morning, my phone's on call me.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Right because because now because now we're and I realize
it's not it's obviously not the number we want.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
But in that's just I do my best to let
it be known on Facebook the right if I'm allowed
to say that. But sure, yeah, I promote veteran suicide donations. Uh,
the service dogs are an incredible thing.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Yeah, I can believe that.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
I can absolutely believe that.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
There's a lot of veterans out there who need a
service dog, who warrant a service dog, but they can't
afford one. And that's where all the sum of the
donations said. With VFW posts, they'll have a war you'll pull,
you'll pull into a drive through and they'll have a
little jar veteran service dogs.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Right. Do you do you think do you think that
I think we probably need to get that word out
pretty hard to because if that's a if that's a
key to driving that number down. Why wouldn't we focus
on that key?
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Well, you, that's like I'm around the veteran thing usually
eight days a week. If I may start on this,
because it's gonna take a minute. I'm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,
which is Pittsburgh, Yes, but I live in Cannonsburg, which
(31:25):
is Washington County.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Perry Combo, you know what before before we get into this,
because obviously Perry Como's from Cannonsburg, and so is Wayne Newton.
Not Wayne Newton? Excuse me? Who's the pole? Who's the
polka guy that's from Cannonsburg, Bobby Vinton. We are going
to say commercial break and we come back. I want
you to exactly start right where you left off. We're
gonna start with Allegheny County and we're gonna start to
explode from there. Okay, right, all right, this is the
(31:50):
Rich Comwell Golf Show. Welcome back to the Riche Comwoll
Golf Show. This week, we're joined by James Hay Or
joined with James hay I never know how to say that.
And James was just starting to talk about the impact
that we were trying to make with veterans, and we
were not happy, but encouraged. Let's use that word that
(32:13):
the number that we were fighting now used to be
twenty two veterans a day and now it's seventeen and
a half veterans a day. They're no longer with us
at the end of every day. So that's a step
in the right direction. But James was starting to talk
about Alleghany County. Obviously, James said he lives in Cannonsburg,
which is Washington County, because I grew up in Peter's Township,
(32:34):
so I know that that's Washington County. But James go
ahead and started on the Alleghany County part of it.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Yes, out of Allegheny County, let me say it. For
forty years, I've been an officer in the Veterans of
Foreign Wars around the country, drove Tuck for a while,
So out of Allegheny County, I am the District nine
Junior Vice Commander for the FW in Oakland. It's over
(33:08):
by the University of Pittsburgh. There's a very famous place.
Well a lot of people I say yeah, some people
say'd never heard of it. Soldiers and Sailors Hall Museum
out of there, that's part of Allegheny County government is
(33:29):
called the Allegheny County Federation of the Society of War Veterans.
It's the organizations made up of forty three veterans organizations
within Allegheny County, and I'm very honored and proud to
(33:50):
say we are the organization that's starting in nineteen nineteen.
This year we are holding the oldest military Veterans Day
parade in our country, the one hundred and sixth annual
Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade. Our slogan is welcome Home. We
(34:17):
are honoring our Vietnam veterans.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
That's awesome. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Now, please let me explain. Two years ago, we honored
our World War Two veterans at the Lamont in Mount
Washington with a tuxedo evening down gala dinner the Wednesday
evening before the parade. Were all mister rich We had
(34:43):
nine World War Two veterans.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
Most of them are gone right.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Last year, same thing at the Lamont, we honored fifteen
Korean War veterans with the same tuxedo evening down gala dinner. Well,
this year, I'm very proud to say that we're honoring
our great Vietnam veterans who was never properly welcomed home. Correct,
(35:14):
the Lamont can only hold two hundred and fifty people.
We're expecting between two to four hundred Vietnam veterans for
a tuxedo evening down gala dinner at the River's Casino.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Now, please understand the parade committee flips the bill for everything,
because we have a committee of twenty twenty five people.
We gather maybe throughout the year, two or three days
(35:50):
before the parade. We gather every day. I mean, we're
just busy, busy. We work on this a whole year,
and we got a committee that's totally incredible, and we're
very proud just to do the parade every year. It's
usually about one hundred and forty units, five divisions, and
(36:13):
two and a half to three hour parade.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
And if somehow, some way you get into a little
study and google it, well, New York City's also on
their one hundred and sixty annual parade too. But the
key is they start at noon. We started ours at
ten thirty, so by an hour and a half, we're
the oldest.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Paris countries there. You go you're the oldest.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
But anyways, back to the dinner. We need a lot
of money. There's golf. About nine months ago we had
a parade committee. We started talking about how to raise money,
and you know me and my mouth, how about we
do a golf outing golf scrambled right. Well, this past
(37:05):
Saturday number one, I would like to thank my committee,
my golf committee, and the Quicksilver Golf Course in Midway, Ta.
Yep did an incredible job because it was our first year.
We had nineteen foursomes, which I was happy with. Yep,
(37:26):
and mister Rich. I must say I became good friends
with this guy. Let me think his name was Tank.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Yeah, yeah, he introduced himself as Tank. It's crazy, It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I loved every minute he was there. He'd done a
great job promoting videoing. It was incredible. I couldn't ask
for anybody better. I mean, we had everybody there, six
golfers and my volunteers. Everybody just loved him to death.
He was incredible.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yeah, he's pretty crudel, he's pretty cool. How much money
did you make?
Speaker 2 (38:13):
Almost five digits? Yeah, yeah, we'll leave it.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
At that, right right.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
That's awesome, which I'm very proud. We had a hole
in one contest on number eight for ten thousand. Nobody
got that. And I had a hole in one covering
on each bar three and nobody had any holes in
ones right. And I had forty eight dozen of shricks
on soft field special commemorative keepsake golf ball, each golfer
(38:45):
going to sleeve at three with the Pittsburgh Veterans Day
Parade emblem on it and on the other end of
the golf ball because we're honoring Vietnam veterans. Was the
Vietnam Combat Infant three Ribbon Wow. So that way grandkids
in twenty what's this pap?
Speaker 4 (39:09):
And that's the way you teach young kids about what
people did.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Little things, pay attention to detail. What's this green and
white ribbon pap? Explain this to me? And little things
like that gives you a wide open to teach your
kids and your grandkids and your great grandkids about what
a veteran is.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Right.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
But that's any money we raised. Now come September, we're
having a comedy night at the Library Volunteer Fire Department
again to raise money for the dinner because we have
to pay for the two to four hundred Vietnam veterans
(39:54):
who come to the dinners and it's just an evening
out in a tuxedo and the inside it maybe makes
their head feed grow a little bit. Hey, Yeah, I
am special. I'm a Vietnam veteran. And yeah, finally I'm
being welcome home.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
And that's so very important. And may I say next
year is our one hundred and seventh annual Pittsburgh Veterans
Day Parade. We will be honoring our Desert Storm veterans.
It's just in the works right now, but everything plans
out next year and things go good at Soldiers and
(40:38):
Sailors Hall because we have elections and nomination of officers. Okay, right,
but I'm hoping and proud to say, through all my
hard work being the senior vice commander, next year is
our country's two hundred and fiftieth birthday.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
It's correct and on liber.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
And Penn Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. I'm very proud and humbled,
and I know my granddad my dad are looking from upstairs.
I will be the commanding officer of our country's oldest
military parade.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
That's awesome. That is awesome.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
What's the day God.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Don't pull a leek rasino on it and hit me.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
With a light. I'll what's the date.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Next? Well, this year it's November the eighth. We have
it on the Saturday before Veterans Day because around Pittsburgh
we have twenty five major high school bands in the
parade and it's easier for the drum majors and the
drum director the band directors to get the kids assembled
(41:47):
on a Saturday vice.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
The school day right, right.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
And then next year it'll be November the seventh. But
to dinner for the Veterans is always the Wednesday evening
before the parade on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
So this year is like the fifth or sixth, And we.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Have special guest speakers right now in the works. Just
because I did my golf thing, I've met again. Here
we go meeting people. Hey, I go in do a
cold call. I went down well a few months. A
few weeks back, I played in the scramble out in Cardlsville.
Met a gentleman who owns a business in Carnelsville. He's
(42:29):
well to do, and twelve to fourteen times a year
he goes out and tease it up with John Daily.
What about mister Daily? Giving a speech at the oldest
Veterans Day Parade dinner in the country. Little things like
that you work on. You know, you remember what people say, right,
(42:50):
you know, ninety nine point nine nine nine percent of
the people in this country are willing to help veterans.
That's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
That's it is awesome though that you have to It's
interesting because one of the things I wanted to you
mentioned before that the World War Two, you know, they're
they're going away so and God blessed them so over
the Vietnam veterans. Because people don't realize that was fifty
it was fifty five years ago.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
Well we also lost fifty eight thousand over fifty came home.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
That's right, that's correct. That number, that number is is daunting,
especially if you go to if you get it you
obviously I'm sure you have, but you go to Washington,
d c. And you walk, you walk that wall, tell
you what you lost, get smacked with those.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Let me say, I'm going to say two months ago,
the Shaler of VFW post.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Yeah, they had the they had the movie, they had
the mobile Vietnam. But yeah, I went there, yep, it
was Yeah, it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
We had a military fly over with a C seventeen
Globe Master during everything.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
That was incredible. It was incredible, and I was really.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
Really it's very very very touching.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
Yes, it is very moving. The other thing is is
I was really really really happy to see how crowd
it was because people acknowledge what's going on.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
I believe they are so busy. Mister rich I think
you have a fourteen to sixteen.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Months wait, yes, you put your before that because it
travels all throughout the country, right, right, So if you
have a committee and you contact them, you're you better
make sure you plan it at least a year and
a half to two.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Years ahead, right, because that it's called the Wall of healing.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Yes it is. That's it's right, that's exactly right. That's
why they can't write and I that's why they can't
get people. It is a long time. And wait, because
I remember I did a little research on that because
I took my wife up. My wife and I'm going
up to see it and it was it's incredible. It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
So all right, so here's what we're going to We
only have a couple minutes left. So the first move
is the first event is the Vietnam Veterans Dinner at
Rivers Casino the Wednesday before Veterans Day, Wednesday before the parade.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Wednesday before Saturday's parade. I don't have my statuel with me.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
My bad, That's okay. And then and then Saturday is
actually the parade.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
So Saturday, it starts at ten thirty in the morning.
And then at eleven eleven, the Chief of Police of
the the City of Pittsburgh stops the parade with the
Shaler Area High School band in front of the reviewing stage.
They play the national anthem. Then two of their senior
(45:56):
buglers play what they call echoed caps.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
They bounce off each other.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
After that, the chaplain comes up uncover benediction. As soon
as the benediction starts all the way down the other
end of Penn Avenue, three hundred feet above the skyscrapers
down Penn and Libert turns on Liberty Avenue, we have
(46:26):
a big military flyover.
Speaker 3 (46:29):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
So those I'll say, I'll save the Google for eleven
eleven was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, the
eleventh month. That's the end of World War One. So
my kids are twenty two and twenty eight and they
know that too, so that's kind of important to me.
All Right, so we are James, I'm gonna tell you
(46:50):
something right now. This has been fascinating. We're out of time.
So here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to figure out.
I will get a hold of the president of the
PJ of America and I will tell him number one
on the encouraging number that we talked about of seventeen
and a half, number two. I will tell him that
we are because that is a huge program in the
(47:10):
PGA of America, and I will tell him that that
we will keep it. We are going to try to
figure out a way to have some sort of representation
and moving forward to raise some money for for your
for your your gala and the parade, and and then
(47:31):
later in the fall, I will have you back on
so you can give me an update on how we're doing.
Does that make sense, I'll see it like I'll get you,
I'll get you some players again.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
I don't want I gotta give Quicksilver. I know it's
a commercial, but Quicksilver did an incredible job. Thank you
very much, Lawren and Brian and the whole crew at
Quicksilver did an incredible job.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
Yeah, that's awesome, James, thank you so much for your
time today.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
Thank you, Rich. We'll talk anytime you need me. I'll
be here. Thanks, thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Take care. This is the Rich Combell Golf Show.
Welcome to the Rich Combo Golf Show. As many of
you have already determined, I was on vacation last week.
I hope everybody had a grand time away from me, hopefully.
I actually shouldn't say it that way.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
But.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I thank you for coming back to us after a
week off, and I want to jump right back into
trying to bring quality guests to my show or our show.
And today we have James Hay with us, and James
has a very very very interesting, interesting golf story and
(00:36):
a lot of involvement into and using golf for good
in southwestern Pennsylvania. James, thanks for coming on with us today.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Proud of it, sir, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Absolutely perfect, so as I do with everybody, go ahead
and give me a give me kind of a rundown
on how you got started or being involved in golf
obviously as.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
How I'm from a little place called Union Town at
south of Pittsburgh, and golf course I grew up on
Springdale doesn't exist no more. They went out of business.
But uh, way up on the hill of Mount Summit
above in the mountains, I maybe four years old, Dad
(01:16):
had a putter in my hand on a putt and green.
So I've been around a game a long time. It
was it was believe it. It was a church golf league
on a Monday night. That was a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So okay. So you grew up in Uniontown. So that's
the birthplace at George C. Marshall, Okay, Georgia.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, and it's also the home of the world's famous,
most famous hamburger.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
That is correct. The Big Mac was in Bedland, Uniontown, Pennsylvania,
and then so George C. Marshall lived there till he
was fourteen, then he went then he moved to Virginia.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yes, yeah, So awesome picture awesome picture of of I
mean awesome statue in downtown Uniontown of George C. Marshall
with his dog, which is taken from the Smithsonian article
about George Mark show in his later years, I was
the head golf professional at Uniontown Country Club, So I
know quite a bit about Uniontown. Love Youingtown. Uniontown is
(02:09):
one of the only towns you ever found, ever find
that was founded on July fourth, seventeen seventy.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Six, seventeen seventy's birthday.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
It's unbelievable. So okay, so go ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
My granddad was a dough boy in World War One,
and my dad survived Pearl Harbor. He was in World
War Two.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Wow, and.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Their best friend out of Union Town. Now this is
years ago. There's a VFW Post forty seven in Union
downtown Uniontown, and dad's granddad's friend was Joseph L. Victis.
And I believe in years nineteen seventy one and seventy two,
(02:57):
mister decides as I call him command here, he was
the commander in chief of the whole Veterans of the
Foreign Wars Organization.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, I've been around golf and the VFW most of
my life.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
That's awesome. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
So you're you're up at some up at the Summit Hotel,
Mount sum At Hotel, because there is some at Pennsylvania,
which is actually on the way to Altuna. So Mount
some At Hotel which is which literally when you drive
by it, it reminds you of Dirty Dancing because it's
got it's got that. Yeah, he's got that massive hotel
(03:34):
up there on top of the hill. And I don't
believe Patrick Swayze was ever that Mount Summit Hotel, but
you know, of course he was in Dirty Dancing. So Okay,
so you are four knocking around on their nine hole
golf course. And then so as you get older, I'm
assuming you continue to play correct.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Oh? Yes, Well Mom and Dad they were may I
say back and disabled?
Speaker 1 (04:01):
War?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well was it? They made life easy, but weren't well
to do?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Right?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And Dad, I'm probably ten years old, and I asked
him for a dozen of titleist ballot of golf balls.
That was the wrong thing to do, because about three
days later I had a morning paper out at five
o'clock in the morning with two hundred and fifty papers
to be delivered six days a week. If I want
(04:29):
my own money for my own golf balls, I got
to earn it.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Uniontown Herald Standard.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yes, yes, wow. And beginning is when I was a
freshman in high school, junior, sophomore, junior, senior, the pro
at Union Town Country Club. He left and then went
to a place called the Colonial, which is now duck Hollo. Right,
(04:58):
But four years of my life growing up, I was
honored to have golf lessons from Mike Feurich, Jim Feerich's father.
I had his job. Not The only thing he didn't
teach me was how to punt.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He he I had his job. And I know, I know,
you know, I want to hear your best Mike Furick story.
But I had his job. And I saw him many
years later, and and he said, I told him I
had his job, but he was he remembered, he remembers
(05:39):
Union Town very very very fondly, very fondly. And the
only thing, the only interesting thing about that, though, is
that everybody when I was in Uniontown wanted to claim
Jim Furick is their own. Jim Furick was two when
they left. I mean like literally two or four or
something like that. They move over to Lancaster. But Lancaster,
however you want to say that. But yeah, so Mike
(06:02):
had Yeah, that was that was Mike. That was Mike's job.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I mean it was that was Well, you notice Jimmy
Fury Okay, the whole family is incredible.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yes, But Mike.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Had a philosophy on a golf swing, if you could
have your hands closest together, working as one unit, yes,
the more consistent you are from one foot before the
ball and one foot after the ball, which is your
most important part of your golf swing.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Well, Jimmy come up with an idea. Now, when I
was younger. You know, growing up, you're you're not You're
getting your muscular physique as you get older. I used
the interlock grip, right, and about fourteen years old I
changed to the overlap. If you notice, Jimmy Fury was
(06:54):
Google It watches golf watch his grip. He uses a
overlap grip. Yep, right, yeah, your hand is closer together
as one unity.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
That ball can't go well. It won't go left either.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That ball won't remember Mike had the Hills. Well where
Hills now is, I think it's giantnigle, But years ago
it was Hills. Right next door there was the Esquire
barber shop in the Hills Plaza, and right next door
to that was Mike had a little golf shop there.
(07:32):
And that's the first place I ever bought a dozen
of Titleist a lot of golf.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Balls with your Harold State, with your with your with
your Harold Standard.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Money, with my Harold Standard newspaper money.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
That's exactly right. You know, I'm not too not too
I'm sitting and wheeling right now. And so the Harold
Standards still in existence, is owned by the same person
that owns many, many, many newspapers in Western Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
McClatchey, Well, I'm.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Gonna clatch you anymore. It's actually notting. Oh okay, yeah,
So so Bob owns that he owns, he owns a
lot of them, he owns a lot of me. He's
still own like eighty four of them or something like that.
But yeah, so you know, life is one big circle.
So all right, so you get through high school and
I'm assuming that you stop, you stop delivering papers at
(08:21):
some point about that time.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Well, what had happened? I went to a school called
graduated from a beautiful high school called Laurel Highlands. Yeah,
and uh, well, because I was raised Granddad, my dad, Army, Army, Army, Navy, Navy, Navy,
Pearl Harbor, Pearl, Harbor, Pearl, Harbor. Mine came off with
(08:47):
Laurel Highlands. We made it out to Harrisburg and I
had a one or two scholarships. And then my dad said, boys,
before you sign them papers over there, I want to
see what you're signing. And I said, well, Dad, I
need to talk to you. I said, you're my best friend.
(09:07):
I love you. I'm very humbled and honored to be
where i'm at. Thank you and Mike Fereich, and I said,
but you have to understand the way you raised me.
There's one thing I will not never ignore disrespect, I said, Dad,
you and you alone are my pearl harbor hero. I
(09:29):
handed him an envelope. What's this? When I handed it
and I stood at attention and I saluted him, and
I said, sir, two and a half weeks ago, I'm
eighteen years old. These are my papers. I've enlisted in
the United States Navy. He was not happy with me whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And how long did it take him to get over it?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I'm gonna say maybe two cigarettes.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I like that. I never I never heard time measured
that way. That's all right, that's all right.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And so I went to boot camp, Fleet Marine four school.
I'm a corman. I'm a medics. I'm really what they
call a raft root medic. I'm I was a paramedic
on the flight deck of aircraft carrier.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah, I can only imagine.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Fleet Marine Force. But I was never with the marine detachment.
I was strictly Ship's Company USS American.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
So did you have that, did you have any Did
anything bad happen.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
On this yes, sir? What happened? Well, I'm not going
to get into the nasty stuff. But we had a parks,
we had a recreation department on the ship, and yes,
there are a lot of things bad happened. They give
you a green matt with the tea in it and everything,
and you got on the edge of the flight deck, sir,
and they gives you bring it Forcliff. You know, a
(11:04):
whole big box of golf balls. It's donated by what
if he's ever heard of the USO.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
As we stand there for hours and hit golf balls
off the flight deck. They never got one of them back, sir.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I'll bet you didn't. I'll bet the environmentalists would have
loved Joe. Environmentalists would have absolutely loved you. They would
have loved you, guys, because that's that's actually if there's
some whales out there, probably still alive, that that probably swimming.
That's like the Seinfeld when he comes back with the
with the titlest from the from the whale. So ye, So,
(11:40):
how long how long are you in the navy?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I did five and a half years, what years.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Seventy nine to eighty five, okay, and then I got
a discharge in to March, and first of around the
first week in April of eighty five, I was hired
down in Southern Virginia Country Club as first assistant golf
professional and really nice job, nice membership, incredible. I was
(12:13):
first assistant. But after two and a half years, sir,
down there now this is eighty five, eighty six, eighty seven.
It was hard to exist on three hundred and ninety
two dollars and forty five cents every.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Two weeks, that is correct.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
But the game of golf has brought me camaraderie, friendship
a whole in one or two just just being with
around good people, good friends, good veterans. I've done a
lot of golf scrambles for different posts and districts, and
(12:52):
golf is a nice a part of my PTSD treatment.
I have to be out and about. Like I said,
I've met incredible people.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Yeah, well, and that's the best part of all this.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
The game of golf is definitely a sport where people
meet and become friends and have good camaraderie. And yes,
it's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
What what what time were you in Virginia?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I was Port Smith Yeah, yeah, Port Smith Airline Boulevard, Sir.
It's been years since I've been doing there.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
That's neat. That's neat.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
So yeah, so you, like many people probably were in
what would have were falling in love with or rapidly
falling in love with with the golf business. But unfortunately
your W two doesn't permit you to chase that. It
just doesn't.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
But the game of golf, I mean it just now, sir.
I'm sixty six years old, and I have a philosophy, okay,
and I have to accept it because I'm limited because
I'm sixty six years old. So my philosophy is the
older I get, the better I used to be.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I can appreciate that. I can appreciate that. I think
that's true too. So you go through the Navy, and
you get through that, and so then you go to
Southern Virginia and then you decide that you're going to
start a I guess, non golf career, right, So well.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, it was two and a half years. Then I
came back to the state, living with my dad in Uniontown.
And when I was in the Navy, I went to
a school down in the New York Town Naval Weapons
Station called Nostra Nostra, and I have a degree out
(14:52):
of the Navy the Naval optimolic support and training activity.
If you remember Tom Cruise use sunglasses in top gun, Yeah,
the fighter jet pilot sunglasses. Yeah, Well that's what I made.
And when I got out of the Navy. Up in Pittsburgh,
there's a place called Ross Park Mall Lens Crafters one
(15:16):
Hour's lens Craft. Here's my degree is in visual optionics,
visual optics and wavelengths and I was one of the
technicians that's set up the first one hour lens Crafters
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Oh that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
That's really cool. Okay, So when we come back from
this commercial, we're going to start at lens Crafters. Obviously
we're not going to talk about what you did in there,
but we're going to talk about how how you have
continued from that time to keep using golf to for
you personally stay healthy, but to actually create some use
golf for good. So sure, all right, we'll be right
(15:54):
back with the Rich Komboll Golf Show. Welcome back to
the Rich Komboll Golf Show. I started this this show
with not apologizing but actually declaring I was on vacation
last week, and we spent the first segment today with
James Hay James has He's from Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Was taught
(16:15):
to play the game of golf for the most part
by Jim Furick, us Open Champion's father Mike, who to
this day is a PGA professional, as is his son Jim.
So then James went into the Navy and spent five
and a half years in the Navy, and now he's
now We ended that segment with coming back from stint
(16:39):
as an assistant golf professional and came back to Uniontown
and sort of working with his naval degree in optalmology.
It's not really optalmology, but it's and so James, so
you started to jump into lens crafters and so obviously
still staying with still thing with that. But you played
(17:02):
a lot of golf, correct.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Oh goodness y, Yeah, that's cool for years. I uh, well,
about two years ago, I had elbow, I had that cubicle,
carporal tunnel and all that stuff done. So I get
out maybe five six times a year now. But I'm
a member of the Old Craft and Golf League. And
(17:26):
if you know where crafted is, so.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Does so does Bill Cowards.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
The old crafton golf course doesn't exist no more. But
I played on the Pick the Pittsburgh Packed Tour. PAC
pays all cash and pour from Crafting.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
So so let me ask you a question. How good
did you get? How good? What was the best you ever?
What was like? What was your run like? You were?
You were pretty good?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I mean, well, besides high school. When I come home
to Pittsburgh, the Pack Tour, the Pittsburgh Pack Tour, Uh,
it's Dimini's because there's a lot of people that's passed.
But in two thousand and four, at a place called
the Links at Firestone.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Farms in Columbiana shot I shot four over and won
the Pittsburgh Open.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
And in two thousand and seven at Ponderosa, I forget
my final score. I took home the crafton Memorial there
and then I believe I know. I've googled it over
the years and studied the craft and the old crafting golfway,
the Pack Tour, we have the Pittsburgh Masters, which I
(18:44):
don't really know of any other city in the country
that has a like Augusta Right well, at Pheasant Ridge
in twenty seventeen, you won the Masters. You've got a
green jacket in my closet.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
There you go there you go.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
But I love the game. It's camaraderie, you know, it's
and again, if I'm me and the mississ Rich Chop
and say or wherever. I don't want to mention any
names like that. But if I see veterans and they
have their hat on, hey, I go up and thank
you word you serve, give them my card. The Veterans
(19:26):
of Foreign Wars has taught me a lot and made
me a lot of friends over the years.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Right right, I can I can believe that. So so
let me Okay, so let's throw our attention to that
for a minute. So tell me, tell me, tell us
exactly who can be a member of the VFW.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Okay, the Veterans of four Wars. They have you can
google it. They have certain criteria basically what it is. Yeah,
it has to be in the conflict or around an
act of aggression against the United States of America overseas.
(20:16):
Now like myself, I was a little bit a part
of the Marine Barracks bombing Rescue mission over there. I
received the Navy Expeditionary Medal. Then you have non veterans
World War Two veterans, who's you know, yadidae. That's how
it all is done. The ZFW is not what it
(20:41):
was years ago because of how can I say this
modern technology? Families are busy. Yeah, but the ZFW has
an incredible program. If I may take me twenty seconds
and explain, it's called the Voice of Democracy program. Now,
(21:01):
back in twenty nineteen, it was a lovely girl. Her
last name was Troll. She's up from around Somerset. Read.
The subject of the vod two page essay was what
makes America Great? So she come up and talked to me, said, well,
(21:21):
what makes America great? Is commander. In two weeks I
turned eighteen years old. My boat makes it. I said, well,
write it down on a two page essay submitted to
her VFW post. There was four submissions. She walked out
with a five hundred dollars first place scholarship check. Then
(21:44):
it went to district first place. She walked out with
a fifteen hundred dollars scholarship check. I went to Harrisburg Department,
Pennsylvania VFW. She walked out with the five thousand dollars
scholarship check first place. Me and my missus got to
go to Orange County, Florida in Orlando for the national VFW,
(22:05):
and I was on stage with Miss Christina Troll when
she received the first place thirty five thousand dollars scholarship
for the same two page essay.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
That's absolutely awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
That's what the VFW does for people.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
That's awesome. That is awesome.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
That's some that's some serious stuff. So so let me
ask you this. Okay, So so now that's that's a
great story. But aside from that, because I asked you
the first question about the criteria, So when you walk
into it, like I can't walk into a VFW, but
if I walked into a VFW, everybody in there that's
(22:42):
a member of the VFW was quote unquote in it
at some point or another. Correct.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
No, no, let me please let you understand our social
memberships and our auxiliary. Okay, a lot of your local
VFW posts would not even exist if it wasn't for
your social memberships and your auxiliary. Because again, it's all
(23:08):
about camaraderie, right, We get together, we work up the donations,
we keep this and we're looking for the young kids
to come in. Desert storm veterans, Iraqi veterans, Afghanistan veterans.
It's a good way to come talk to your fellow veterans,
(23:28):
get some things off your chest that you might need
to get off. We understand where you've been right, and
the camaraderie is incredible. We're all brothers and sisters. Now,
my veteran service officer, she's a how can I stay this?
(23:51):
A go getter when she's a marine and she's in
charge of everybody's benefits to make sure you're educated on
it or if you need to file and claim, she's
there for you. She's a spunky little gold getter in
and she does good for veterans.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah, that's neat. That's really that's really really really good.
That's really good. So so so what what so the
what post are you in? Now?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
I'm a member of what they call a paper post
nineteen forty. My post doesn't have a liquor license.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
There's a lot of efws that choose just not to
have a liquor license, depending on who the officers are,
where they're located, and it's just it's up to the
officers who run the certain vfws.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, So okay, so so let me let me ask
you this and we're going to get into We're going
to get into the event that that we do want
to talk about. But but in your VFW or your
VSW experience, how important is it or your and actually
(25:08):
your personal experience, how important is it to be able
to go find people to play golf with and to
bond with people who play golf.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
To me, it's very important. It keeps my head on straight.
From Mike when I was on the flight deck, Sir,
I've seen some it's not too nice of stuff. Yeah,
And because I'm the senior paramedic on the flight deck,
I'm the first one that's got to be there, so
I have a little bit of what they call PTSD.
(25:41):
And for me to be out and doing the golf
and talking to my fellow vettings that it keeps my
mind on other things where they don't need to be you.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Know what I mean, right right, It keeps you away
from what you don't what does it need to go?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Right? So then if I get in trouble, I'll go
to the v that'd have a glass of wine and
talk to a fellow veteran, brother or sister, because I've
run into a lot of sister veterans who was in Afghanistan,
who was in Iraq, who wasn't sirious, who was in
the burn pits. Yeah, and people like that. When you
(26:19):
find somebody like that to talk to, how valuable that is?
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, I can I can't. I can't. I can only
imagine because I don't have that that reference point.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
But you know, I know a lot of people out
there don't know you have these. You're a young kid,
you're a teenager when you go in to the federal
building or to your recruiter and you're a young person,
you haven't experienced life yet. But you take that pen
(26:55):
and you sign that paper to uncles am, it's a
check up and also including your own value of your life. Yeah,
So always remember that when you meet a veteran. And
remember when it comes to the VFW, it's not the
(27:18):
price of the membership that you pay. It's the price
you pay to be eligible, right because nine times out
of ten, if you're eligible to be a member of
the VFW, you've seen some nasty diarrhea over your life.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah, and that's why we're all a close knit family.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah. It's it's interesting you say that because I do,
and this is I we have a.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
PG.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
America has a program called the Hope Program, which is
which is it's a slogan for helping our patriots everywhere.
And I.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
About three months ago I went to a Veterans breakfast club.
I love them because every veteran has a story. You
could sit there for six, seven, twelve hours and listen
to some c stories that are incredible. And at the
Veterans Breakfast Club, they had a table with the PGA
(28:29):
Hope there right right, And so I have.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I'll have twenty four veterans go through my two sessions
this year twenty three. And all we do is just
you have to hick off balls and learn a little
bit and just get everybody a chance to be outside.
And I've talked to the I've had the national director
of the of the PJA Hope Program on. Her name
(28:58):
is Brendy Kane. And and you know the number that
we hate is twenty two, which is the number of
veterans that you know don't stay with us every day.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
And well, sir, I've got good news. Talk to my
Veteran Service officer. It's I don't want to say it's
a it's a good thing, but it's down to seventeen
and a half a day.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Awesome awesome, Maybe we did something right.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Talking I my business card if I have. First of all,
we're looking for VFW members. If you're interested, the wife,
bring kids, YadA da, yadda da. But if you need
to talk to somebody, I don't care if it's two
thirty in the morning, my phone's on call me.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Right because because now because now we're and I realize
it's not it's obviously not the number we want.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
But in that's just I do my best to let
it be known on Facebook the right if I'm allowed
to say that. But sure, yeah, I promote veteran suicide donations. Uh,
the service dogs are an incredible thing.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Yeah, I can believe that.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
I can absolutely believe that.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
There's a lot of veterans out there who need a
service dog, who warrant a service dog, but they can't
afford one. And that's where all the sum of the
donations said. With VFW posts, they'll have a war you'll pull,
you'll pull into a drive through and they'll have a
little jar veteran service dogs.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Right. Do you do you think do you think that
I think we probably need to get that word out
pretty hard to because if that's a if that's a
key to driving that number down. Why wouldn't we focus
on that key?
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Well, you, that's like I'm around the veteran thing usually
eight days a week. If I may start on this,
because it's gonna take a minute. I'm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,
which is Pittsburgh, Yes, but I live in Cannonsburg, which
(31:25):
is Washington County.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Perry Combo, you know what before before we get into this,
because obviously Perry Como's from Cannonsburg, and so is Wayne Newton.
Not Wayne Newton? Excuse me? Who's the pole? Who's the
polka guy that's from Cannonsburg, Bobby Vinton. We are going
to say commercial break and we come back. I want
you to exactly start right where you left off. We're
gonna start with Allegheny County and we're gonna start to
explode from there. Okay, right, all right, this is the
(31:50):
Rich Comwell Golf Show. Welcome back to the Riche Comwoll
Golf Show. This week, we're joined by James Hay Or
joined with James hay I never know how to say that.
And James was just starting to talk about the impact
that we were trying to make with veterans, and we
were not happy, but encouraged. Let's use that word that
(32:13):
the number that we were fighting now used to be
twenty two veterans a day and now it's seventeen and
a half veterans a day. They're no longer with us
at the end of every day. So that's a step
in the right direction. But James was starting to talk
about Alleghany County. Obviously, James said he lives in Cannonsburg,
which is Washington County, because I grew up in Peter's Township,
(32:34):
so I know that that's Washington County. But James go
ahead and started on the Alleghany County part of it.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Yes, out of Allegheny County, let me say it. For
forty years, I've been an officer in the Veterans of
Foreign Wars around the country, drove Tuck for a while,
So out of Allegheny County, I am the District nine
Junior Vice Commander for the FW in Oakland. It's over
(33:08):
by the University of Pittsburgh. There's a very famous place.
Well a lot of people I say yeah, some people
say'd never heard of it. Soldiers and Sailors Hall Museum
out of there, that's part of Allegheny County government is
(33:29):
called the Allegheny County Federation of the Society of War Veterans.
It's the organizations made up of forty three veterans organizations
within Allegheny County, and I'm very honored and proud to
(33:50):
say we are the organization that's starting in nineteen nineteen.
This year we are holding the oldest military Veterans Day
parade in our country, the one hundred and sixth annual
Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade. Our slogan is welcome Home. We
(34:17):
are honoring our Vietnam veterans.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
That's awesome. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Now, please let me explain. Two years ago, we honored
our World War Two veterans at the Lamont in Mount
Washington with a tuxedo evening down gala dinner the Wednesday
evening before the parade. Were all mister rich We had
(34:43):
nine World War Two veterans.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
Most of them are gone right.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Last year, same thing at the Lamont, we honored fifteen
Korean War veterans with the same tuxedo evening down gala dinner. Well,
this year, I'm very proud to say that we're honoring
our great Vietnam veterans who was never properly welcomed home. Correct,
(35:14):
the Lamont can only hold two hundred and fifty people.
We're expecting between two to four hundred Vietnam veterans for
a tuxedo evening down gala dinner at the River's Casino.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Now, please understand the parade committee flips the bill for everything,
because we have a committee of twenty twenty five people.
We gather maybe throughout the year, two or three days
(35:50):
before the parade. We gather every day. I mean, we're
just busy, busy. We work on this a whole year,
and we got a committee that's totally incredible, and we're
very proud just to do the parade every year. It's
usually about one hundred and forty units, five divisions, and
(36:13):
two and a half to three hour parade.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
And if somehow, some way you get into a little
study and google it, well, New York City's also on
their one hundred and sixty annual parade too. But the
key is they start at noon. We started ours at
ten thirty, so by an hour and a half, we're
the oldest.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Paris countries there. You go you're the oldest.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
But anyways, back to the dinner. We need a lot
of money. There's golf. About nine months ago we had
a parade committee. We started talking about how to raise money,
and you know me and my mouth, how about we
do a golf outing golf scrambled right. Well, this past
(37:05):
Saturday number one, I would like to thank my committee,
my golf committee, and the Quicksilver Golf Course in Midway, Ta.
Yep did an incredible job because it was our first year.
We had nineteen foursomes, which I was happy with. Yep,
(37:26):
and mister Rich. I must say I became good friends
with this guy. Let me think his name was Tank.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Yeah, yeah, he introduced himself as Tank. It's crazy, It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I loved every minute he was there. He'd done a
great job promoting videoing. It was incredible. I couldn't ask
for anybody better. I mean, we had everybody there, six
golfers and my volunteers. Everybody just loved him to death.
He was incredible.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yeah, he's pretty crudel, he's pretty cool. How much money
did you make?
Speaker 2 (38:13):
Almost five digits? Yeah, yeah, we'll leave it.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
At that, right right.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
That's awesome, which I'm very proud. We had a hole
in one contest on number eight for ten thousand. Nobody
got that. And I had a hole in one covering
on each bar three and nobody had any holes in
ones right. And I had forty eight dozen of shricks
on soft field special commemorative keepsake golf ball, each golfer
(38:45):
going to sleeve at three with the Pittsburgh Veterans Day
Parade emblem on it and on the other end of
the golf ball because we're honoring Vietnam veterans. Was the
Vietnam Combat Infant three Ribbon Wow. So that way grandkids
in twenty what's this pap?
Speaker 4 (39:09):
And that's the way you teach young kids about what
people did.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Little things, pay attention to detail. What's this green and
white ribbon pap? Explain this to me? And little things
like that gives you a wide open to teach your
kids and your grandkids and your great grandkids about what
a veteran is.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Right.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
But that's any money we raised. Now come September, we're
having a comedy night at the Library Volunteer Fire Department
again to raise money for the dinner because we have
to pay for the two to four hundred Vietnam veterans
(39:54):
who come to the dinners and it's just an evening
out in a tuxedo and the inside it maybe makes
their head feed grow a little bit. Hey, Yeah, I
am special. I'm a Vietnam veteran. And yeah, finally I'm
being welcome home.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
And that's so very important. And may I say next
year is our one hundred and seventh annual Pittsburgh Veterans
Day Parade. We will be honoring our Desert Storm veterans.
It's just in the works right now, but everything plans
out next year and things go good at Soldiers and
(40:38):
Sailors Hall because we have elections and nomination of officers. Okay, right,
but I'm hoping and proud to say, through all my
hard work being the senior vice commander, next year is
our country's two hundred and fiftieth birthday.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
It's correct and on liber.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
And Penn Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. I'm very proud and humbled,
and I know my granddad my dad are looking from upstairs.
I will be the commanding officer of our country's oldest
military parade.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
That's awesome. That is awesome.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
What's the day God.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Don't pull a leek rasino on it and hit me.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
With a light. I'll what's the date.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Next? Well, this year it's November the eighth. We have
it on the Saturday before Veterans Day because around Pittsburgh
we have twenty five major high school bands in the
parade and it's easier for the drum majors and the
drum director the band directors to get the kids assembled
(41:47):
on a Saturday vice.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
The school day right, right.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
And then next year it'll be November the seventh. But
to dinner for the Veterans is always the Wednesday evening
before the parade on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
So this year is like the fifth or sixth, And we.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Have special guest speakers right now in the works. Just
because I did my golf thing, I've met again. Here
we go meeting people. Hey, I go in do a
cold call. I went down well a few months. A
few weeks back, I played in the scramble out in Cardlsville.
Met a gentleman who owns a business in Carnelsville. He's
(42:29):
well to do, and twelve to fourteen times a year
he goes out and tease it up with John Daily.
What about mister Daily? Giving a speech at the oldest
Veterans Day Parade dinner in the country. Little things like
that you work on. You know, you remember what people say, right,
(42:50):
you know, ninety nine point nine nine nine percent of
the people in this country are willing to help veterans.
That's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
That's it is awesome though that you have to It's
interesting because one of the things I wanted to you
mentioned before that the World War Two, you know, they're
they're going away so and God blessed them so over
the Vietnam veterans. Because people don't realize that was fifty
it was fifty five years ago.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
Well we also lost fifty eight thousand over fifty came home.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
That's right, that's correct. That number, that number is is daunting,
especially if you go to if you get it you
obviously I'm sure you have, but you go to Washington,
d c. And you walk, you walk that wall, tell
you what you lost, get smacked with those.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Let me say, I'm going to say two months ago,
the Shaler of VFW post.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Yeah, they had the they had the movie, they had
the mobile Vietnam. But yeah, I went there, yep, it
was Yeah, it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
We had a military fly over with a C seventeen
Globe Master during everything.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
That was incredible. It was incredible, and I was really.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
Really it's very very very touching.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
Yes, it is very moving. The other thing is is
I was really really really happy to see how crowd
it was because people acknowledge what's going on.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
I believe they are so busy. Mister rich I think
you have a fourteen to sixteen.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Months wait, yes, you put your before that because it
travels all throughout the country, right, right, So if you
have a committee and you contact them, you're you better
make sure you plan it at least a year and
a half to two.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Years ahead, right, because that it's called the Wall of healing.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Yes it is. That's it's right, that's exactly right. That's
why they can't write and I that's why they can't
get people. It is a long time. And wait, because
I remember I did a little research on that because
I took my wife up. My wife and I'm going
up to see it and it was it's incredible. It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
So all right, so here's what we're going to We
only have a couple minutes left. So the first move
is the first event is the Vietnam Veterans Dinner at
Rivers Casino the Wednesday before Veterans Day, Wednesday before the parade.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Wednesday before Saturday's parade. I don't have my statuel with me.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
My bad, That's okay. And then and then Saturday is
actually the parade.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
So Saturday, it starts at ten thirty in the morning.
And then at eleven eleven, the Chief of Police of
the the City of Pittsburgh stops the parade with the
Shaler Area High School band in front of the reviewing stage.
They play the national anthem. Then two of their senior
(45:56):
buglers play what they call echoed caps.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
They bounce off each other.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
After that, the chaplain comes up uncover benediction. As soon
as the benediction starts all the way down the other
end of Penn Avenue, three hundred feet above the skyscrapers
down Penn and Libert turns on Liberty Avenue, we have
(46:26):
a big military flyover.
Speaker 3 (46:29):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
So those I'll say, I'll save the Google for eleven
eleven was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, the
eleventh month. That's the end of World War One. So
my kids are twenty two and twenty eight and they
know that too, so that's kind of important to me.
All Right, so we are James, I'm gonna tell you
(46:50):
something right now. This has been fascinating. We're out of time.
So here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to figure out.
I will get a hold of the president of the
PJ of America and I will tell him number one
on the encouraging number that we talked about of seventeen
and a half, number two. I will tell him that
we are because that is a huge program in the
(47:10):
PGA of America, and I will tell him that that
we will keep it. We are going to try to
figure out a way to have some sort of representation
and moving forward to raise some money for for your
for your your gala and the parade, and and then
(47:31):
later in the fall, I will have you back on
so you can give me an update on how we're doing.
Does that make sense, I'll see it like I'll get you,
I'll get you some players again.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
I don't want I gotta give Quicksilver. I know it's
a commercial, but Quicksilver did an incredible job. Thank you
very much, Lawren and Brian and the whole crew at
Quicksilver did an incredible job.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
Yeah, that's awesome, James, thank you so much for your
time today.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
Thank you, Rich. We'll talk anytime you need me. I'll
be here. Thanks, thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Take care. This is the Rich Combell Golf Show.
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