September 10, 2025 • 9 mins
Helping Heroes of America's Jill Fewell, also Indianapolis 2025 Patriot of the Year and Founder of the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans, Inc., joined First Day with Terri Stacy to share about the deeper meaning of the upcoming 9/11 5k Walk/Run/Ruck event happening on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at the Downtown Canal's Indiana 9/11 Memorial.
"It's the bounds of patriotism that we need to completely grasp hold of as a nation as we memorialize 9/11, and then remember what it's all about."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jill Fuel is with us.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
And Jill Fuel is one of those that has been
said to her calling is to serve others. And there
is a veterans event, if there is one, or if
there's a meeting of veterans needs, she's always first in line.
And Jill also founded Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans, Inc. It's
a nonprofit that provides outreach to find and think and
repay Indiana veteran of Vietnam era veterans. She just received
(00:26):
a spectacular award, if you will.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
And she's also tailgating. Jill Fuel is here.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hi, Jill, I'm very hi everyone.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
That's the energy we need.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yes, yes, yes, right out here's celebrating football.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
And freedom, football and freedom. Where are you? Where are you?
Tailgating banks to.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
The south of the Lucas Oil Stadium in the herspe
Loot And.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Is that where you've been tailgating for years?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Years, years and years? Yes?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
And what do you Truly there's nothing like the season
home opener, right, I mean, it is regardless, it is
just something special.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yes, what are you happen to eat?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Oh? We've got some stuff from Texas Roadhouse And I
did all the appetizers and cheeses and chips and cookies.
And while there's some fruits there for the health nuts
and be hot dogs. We got all those going on,
and plenty of flowing beverages.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I bet there are plenty of that goes. That's football
and drink go hand in hand. Football, food, family, family, friends,
the whole, all the f's. So what, God, you're having
a great time, I really am. And as I mentioned,
Jill's going to talk about a nine to eleven because
I don't want anybody to forget about it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
She's a part of this.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And as I mentioned Jewel, Jill's calling is really to
serve others. She's been in all kinds of leadership roles,
board positions, the Indianapolis World War two Roundtable board, the
Mayor's Advisory Council for Veterans board, anyway, she recently received.
That list is long, and she recently received the Indianapolis
twenty twenty five Patriot of the Year award during Salute
(02:08):
to America Heroes event.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Congratulations, Jill, oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
It was a beautiful picture of you and Sammy Davis.
Did he present that award to you?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
He did? And you know, I had invited him to come,
and oh, they were committed somewhere else. And you know,
he speaks all over the country, and so those stinkers
they surprised me and he came to present that award
to me and I was just blown away. So touched,
isn't yeah a lot?
Speaker 1 (02:38):
What does it mean to you? What does it mean?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Does you know I don't do this for awards. I
tell you what it is what I'm supposed to be doing,
And I know I've touched and saved lives in the
veterans community, and trying to connect people is the main thing.
And I tell you what, veterans they just need a
lot of times, they just need somebody to listen to them.
(03:04):
And so I try to connect them with the proper
resource and do that and honor them and travel the
state doing so. So it was quite touching to have
Sammy there, my friends and colleagues and family was It
was truly wonderful. And the Patriots Fund does such a
wonderful job, truly.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Jill's a regent of the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter of
the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
so it helps you understand her appreciation for military because
you've got a long line of family that served. When
did you make serving veterans a priority?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Probably, well, I was my first husband was a Vietnam
veteran and we have two boys, and he died in
twenty thirteen, and my dad served, and you know it
just as in our family. So I was in real
estate for many years, and then when that bubble burst,
I decided to get into the non profit sector and
(04:02):
there you go. The rest is history.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Your rest is history made such a difference for so
many years, for so many lives.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Kylon.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
You talk about how important it is for connecting people,
and I feel like that's something that you're continuing to
do through all of your work, including through an event
that's coming up this week. Talk about this five K
that's coming up on nine to eleven.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
So back in twenty nineteen, I know, Terry, you were
out there with Greg Hoss and myself and we started
then and then there was this pandemic thing. So we
resurrected that event last year, and so this is our
second year coming back with helping Heroes of America and
Indy veterans, and we'll have our Carolin Scott Harrison chapter
(04:45):
of DAR will have a ceremony at six thirty and
Greg will be there and Saty he says, you owe
him a hug.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I do owe him a hug, blessing. He's one of
those that from nine to eleven. You know, he's battled
some health issues due to the air that he was
breathing when he was at the actually at Ground.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Zero in New York City.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I would imagine, I don't know if I can confirm
anything like that, but he's been sick.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
He's been through a lot. And uh because he served
on Task Force one and of course then petition to
get the beams brought here to Indianapolis and were This
is twenty four years since that fateful day and we
like to remember it. And so this event we can.
You can walk in it, you can run in it,
(05:32):
bring your ruck if you want a ruck. But it's
down on the Canal basin, very close to the nine
to eleven Memorial and so we'll have the firefighters there
Station thirteen involved and we'll be laying a reef and
trying to commemorate that day and the lives lost and
it truly put our country back in a patriotic remember
(05:57):
that feeling I do. Do you remember how you unified
our country was?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I've said so many times it was it was the
first time I think I ever really felt that, right,
I mean, Denny, I think you said that too, that.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
I said on a couch that evening I cried. I thought,
oh my gosh, I got a son's going to go
off the war.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And you know, that's definitely tritism. Though you felt you
felt this country we were really united.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
We were it was scary and we didn't know what
the future health and but we've we've banded together, we
united as a community, as a as a country, and
it was truly beautiful. And so this the nine to
eleven five K will will help us do that. And
remembering now that the memorial, you know, we invite you
can still sign up nine to eleven five k dot com.
(06:43):
It's it's easy to do and we just want to
never forget that the lives lost and just love to
invite anybody out to the ceremony or just observe or
watch the runners. That's what I do, you know, I
like to watch the runner you're supporting and just say
(07:03):
good job.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Good job, good job.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Well you're wearing me out just watching you.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Yeah, the cheerleader.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
All right, this is Thursday again, September eleventh, as that
day marks the twenty fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks
on our nation. We never want to forget that two
and seventy six people and injured thousands more, ten from
right here that we're born in Indiana lost their lives
that day, and so we and then a guess we've
mentioned today many first responders are still dealing with those
(07:31):
health effects from working in those toxic conditions. So we
never want to forget. And I know you don't either.
Nine to eleven five K dot com if you want
to be a part of it, starts at seven o'clock
at the nine to eleven Memorial on downtown Canal And
if you'd like to register again nine to eleven five
K dot com, Jill, please go ahead.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
That's right. Well, I just wanted to say, you know,
as we were so united as a nation, we have
what we call Constitution Week coming up as well, and
I didn't know what since nineteen fifty six we've been
observing that just as a nation, to make sure we
get out and teach what it means. What does the
constitution mean? What does it, what does it say? And
(08:11):
so we do have a kickoff on September sixteenth at
the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site at eight thirty in the morning.
We'll be joined by the Mayor of Indianapolis and other
dignitaries there to kick off that. It's an education week
and we'd love to invite anybody out there too. And
it's the bonds of patriotism that we need to completely
(08:35):
grasphold of as a nation as we you know, memorialize
nine to eleven and then remember what it's all about.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
I need, Jill, I need to say thank you to
you for my family. Tommy came home from Vietnam War
and he told us stories of how those kids who'd
fought over there for years or two years at least
for Tommy's gig, he was a corman, and he said
they got spit on the he said, but you've changed
all that because you were honoring them, the Indiana Vietnam
(09:03):
Vietnam era veterans. And from my family to you, thank
you very much. Tommy needed though.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, Jill, thank you many many do.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And it's truly my pleasure and thank you for having
me on today and go.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Cold and go Colds.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That's also very unifying our beloved colds. Hey, Jill Fuel,
you're amazing, truly one in a million, and we're so
grateful for your time today. Have a great time out there,
continue your tailgating and have a great day. We'll talk
to you soon. Thanks, Jim, Bye, we'll take a break.
It's the first day ninety three w IBC
Jill Fuel is with us.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
And Jill Fuel is one of those that has been
said to her calling is to serve others. And there
is a veterans event, if there is one, or if
there's a meeting of veterans needs, she's always first in line.
And Jill also founded Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans, Inc. It's
a nonprofit that provides outreach to find and think and
repay Indiana veteran of Vietnam era veterans. She just received
(00:26):
a spectacular award, if you will.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
And she's also tailgating. Jill Fuel is here.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hi, Jill, I'm very hi everyone.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
That's the energy we need.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yes, yes, yes, right out here's celebrating football.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
And freedom, football and freedom. Where are you? Where are you?
Tailgating banks to.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
The south of the Lucas Oil Stadium in the herspe
Loot And.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Is that where you've been tailgating for years?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Years, years and years? Yes?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
And what do you Truly there's nothing like the season
home opener, right, I mean, it is regardless, it is
just something special.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yes, what are you happen to eat?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Oh? We've got some stuff from Texas Roadhouse And I
did all the appetizers and cheeses and chips and cookies.
And while there's some fruits there for the health nuts
and be hot dogs. We got all those going on,
and plenty of flowing beverages.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I bet there are plenty of that goes. That's football
and drink go hand in hand. Football, food, family, family, friends,
the whole, all the f's. So what, God, you're having
a great time, I really am. And as I mentioned,
Jill's going to talk about a nine to eleven because
I don't want anybody to forget about it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
She's a part of this.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And as I mentioned Jewel, Jill's calling is really to
serve others. She's been in all kinds of leadership roles,
board positions, the Indianapolis World War two Roundtable board, the
Mayor's Advisory Council for Veterans board, anyway, she recently received.
That list is long, and she recently received the Indianapolis
twenty twenty five Patriot of the Year award during Salute
(02:08):
to America Heroes event.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Congratulations, Jill, oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
It was a beautiful picture of you and Sammy Davis.
Did he present that award to you?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
He did? And you know, I had invited him to come,
and oh, they were committed somewhere else. And you know,
he speaks all over the country, and so those stinkers
they surprised me and he came to present that award
to me and I was just blown away. So touched,
isn't yeah a lot?
Speaker 1 (02:38):
What does it mean to you? What does it mean?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Does you know I don't do this for awards. I
tell you what it is what I'm supposed to be doing,
And I know I've touched and saved lives in the
veterans community, and trying to connect people is the main thing.
And I tell you what, veterans they just need a
lot of times, they just need somebody to listen to them.
(03:04):
And so I try to connect them with the proper
resource and do that and honor them and travel the
state doing so. So it was quite touching to have
Sammy there, my friends and colleagues and family was It
was truly wonderful. And the Patriots Fund does such a
wonderful job, truly.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Jill's a regent of the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter of
the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
so it helps you understand her appreciation for military because
you've got a long line of family that served. When
did you make serving veterans a priority?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Probably, well, I was my first husband was a Vietnam
veteran and we have two boys, and he died in
twenty thirteen, and my dad served, and you know it
just as in our family. So I was in real
estate for many years, and then when that bubble burst,
I decided to get into the non profit sector and
(04:02):
there you go. The rest is history.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Your rest is history made such a difference for so
many years, for so many lives.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Kylon.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
You talk about how important it is for connecting people,
and I feel like that's something that you're continuing to
do through all of your work, including through an event
that's coming up this week. Talk about this five K
that's coming up on nine to eleven.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
So back in twenty nineteen, I know, Terry, you were
out there with Greg Hoss and myself and we started
then and then there was this pandemic thing. So we
resurrected that event last year, and so this is our
second year coming back with helping Heroes of America and
Indy veterans, and we'll have our Carolin Scott Harrison chapter
(04:45):
of DAR will have a ceremony at six thirty and
Greg will be there and Saty he says, you owe
him a hug.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I do owe him a hug, blessing. He's one of
those that from nine to eleven. You know, he's battled
some health issues due to the air that he was
breathing when he was at the actually at Ground.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Zero in New York City.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I would imagine, I don't know if I can confirm
anything like that, but he's been sick.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
He's been through a lot. And uh because he served
on Task Force one and of course then petition to
get the beams brought here to Indianapolis and were This
is twenty four years since that fateful day and we
like to remember it. And so this event we can.
You can walk in it, you can run in it,
(05:32):
bring your ruck if you want a ruck. But it's
down on the Canal basin, very close to the nine
to eleven Memorial and so we'll have the firefighters there
Station thirteen involved and we'll be laying a reef and
trying to commemorate that day and the lives lost and
it truly put our country back in a patriotic remember
(05:57):
that feeling I do. Do you remember how you unified
our country was?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I've said so many times it was it was the
first time I think I ever really felt that, right,
I mean, Denny, I think you said that too, that.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
I said on a couch that evening I cried. I thought,
oh my gosh, I got a son's going to go
off the war.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And you know, that's definitely tritism. Though you felt you
felt this country we were really united.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
We were it was scary and we didn't know what
the future health and but we've we've banded together, we
united as a community, as a as a country, and
it was truly beautiful. And so this the nine to
eleven five K will will help us do that. And
remembering now that the memorial, you know, we invite you
can still sign up nine to eleven five k dot com.
(06:43):
It's it's easy to do and we just want to
never forget that the lives lost and just love to
invite anybody out to the ceremony or just observe or
watch the runners. That's what I do, you know, I
like to watch the runner you're supporting and just say
(07:03):
good job.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Good job, good job.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Well you're wearing me out just watching you.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Yeah, the cheerleader.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
All right, this is Thursday again, September eleventh, as that
day marks the twenty fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks
on our nation. We never want to forget that two
and seventy six people and injured thousands more, ten from
right here that we're born in Indiana lost their lives
that day, and so we and then a guess we've
mentioned today many first responders are still dealing with those
(07:31):
health effects from working in those toxic conditions. So we
never want to forget. And I know you don't either.
Nine to eleven five K dot com if you want
to be a part of it, starts at seven o'clock
at the nine to eleven Memorial on downtown Canal And
if you'd like to register again nine to eleven five
K dot com, Jill, please go ahead.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
That's right. Well, I just wanted to say, you know,
as we were so united as a nation, we have
what we call Constitution Week coming up as well, and
I didn't know what since nineteen fifty six we've been
observing that just as a nation, to make sure we
get out and teach what it means. What does the
constitution mean? What does it, what does it say? And
(08:11):
so we do have a kickoff on September sixteenth at
the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site at eight thirty in the morning.
We'll be joined by the Mayor of Indianapolis and other
dignitaries there to kick off that. It's an education week
and we'd love to invite anybody out there too. And
it's the bonds of patriotism that we need to completely
(08:35):
grasphold of as a nation as we you know, memorialize
nine to eleven and then remember what it's all about.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
I need, Jill, I need to say thank you to
you for my family. Tommy came home from Vietnam War
and he told us stories of how those kids who'd
fought over there for years or two years at least
for Tommy's gig, he was a corman, and he said
they got spit on the he said, but you've changed
all that because you were honoring them, the Indiana Vietnam
(09:03):
Vietnam era veterans. And from my family to you, thank
you very much. Tommy needed though.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, Jill, thank you many many do.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And it's truly my pleasure and thank you for having
me on today and go.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Cold and go Colds.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That's also very unifying our beloved colds. Hey, Jill Fuel,
you're amazing, truly one in a million, and we're so
grateful for your time today. Have a great time out there,
continue your tailgating and have a great day. We'll talk
to you soon. Thanks, Jim, Bye, we'll take a break.
It's the first day ninety three w IBC
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