November 11, 2025 • 29 mins
Celebrate Veterans Day with powerful stories from U.S. military veterans. From life-changing discipline to career success, hear how service shaped their lives.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The Michael's Dairy Show is on the air.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Heroes everyone, Heroes by the million men who abandoned home
and vocations that they may be ready to defend democracy
if necessary. Sturdy of body, firm and spirit, seamen, marine
soldiers and flyers.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well this is my bed level. Will the fa and
you place to dwell for his dandy in the lone
street that.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I've fell into, burn and ring of fires?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Can we make it through.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
And let you down?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Before love came down?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Cross cross Cross, croub chick on the list, double musty
turlip on dusty.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Road.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Can't touch this, can't touch?
Speaker 5 (01:14):
When do the chucky got.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
The chip stash?
Speaker 6 (01:31):
Keep trucking like the DoD Man Together on the road again.
I just can't wait to get on the road again.
Why my love is making music with my friend? I
can't wait to get all road again.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I have a my morning, have a real alby.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
The US condor wait out of here said that talking
to the theme, Paess.
Speaker 7 (02:10):
Tennessee Wische, Well you probably figured out.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
That is a celebration in music. The folks who served
in the United States military, every single one of those
is a veteran. In case you didn't know, now you do,
thanks to Jim Mudd for that montage. Veterans Day Today
observed in these United States for over a century. First
(02:51):
celebrated in the United States on November eleventh, nineteen nineteen,
with the signing of the Armistice Day, so it was
called Ourmistice Day. It was the first anniversary at the
end of the fighting in World War One, Although the
war didn't officially end until the Treaty of Versailles in
(03:14):
June of nineteen nineteen, The fighting stopped at eleven am
on November eleventh, nineteen eighteen, the eleventh hour of the
Eleventh Day, with an Ourmistice between the Allied Forces and Germany.
In November nineteen nineteen, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed to us
in America, the reflections of Ourmistice Day will be filled
(03:37):
with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died
in the country service, and with gratitude for the victory,
both because of the thing from which it has freed
us and because of the opportunity it has given Americans
to show her sympathy. Has given America to show her
sympathy with peace and justice. In the Councils of the Nation.
(04:00):
Congress declared Our Mistus Day a federal holiday in nineteen
thirty eight as a day to honor World War One veterans.
Of course, that was before the even bigger war, World
War II. We were just on the eve of World
War Two. In nineteen fifty four, President Dwight D. Eisenhower,
(04:22):
who of course had commanded the Supreme Allied Forces in
World War Two, officially changed Our Mistus Day to Veterans Day,
marking a shift from honoring those who served in World
War One to honoring all veterans. The nineteen sixty eight
Uniform Holidays Bill moved the holiday to the fourth Monday
in October beginning in nineteen seventy one. In nineteen seventy five,
(04:48):
President Gerald Ford restored the holiday to November eleventh, quote,
due to the important historical significance of the day. Well,
for those of you who served in the United States military,
in whatever capacity, at whatever time, for however long, thank
(05:13):
you for your service. Today is not the day we
honor those who died. It's the day we honor an
individual branch the day after the Marine Corps Birthday. It
is the day we honor those who served. And if
that is you, Ramon, can you open the phone lines
you mind if we take a few calls. Let's take
(05:34):
a few calls from folks. If serving in the military
is something that in some way or another changed your life,
is a fond remembrance, something for which you have great pride,
Let's take a segment or two to take your calls
and discuss that. Seven one, three, nine, one thousand. Maybe,
(05:54):
as I have heard from many folks, you were a
wayward youth and you were given the serve or serve
in the military, or serve in prison. You chose the
military and it changed your life. You got structure and discipline,
and you're proud of the person you became. Or maybe
you were a third generation in the United States Navy
(06:16):
or Army, Air Force, Marines, Coastguard, and you signed up
to serve and it was everything you hoped it would be.
Maybe you served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, whatever that
conflict was, or whatever that period of time was. Maybe
you learned a skill in the military that you then
(06:37):
translated into making a life for the rest of your career.
Or maybe you are a career military still in like
young David Burton. I was telling you about who just
got promoted to East six, which is a staff sergeant,
just a few days ago, and it was the most
incredible honor to get to pin him on that day,
(06:59):
on the day of his big promotion. I'm so incredibly
proud of him. He will soon have completed eight years.
He's going to sign up for yet another He's going
to sign up for another four, so that will make twelve.
If you put in twenty, you get the retirement, so
at that point it starts making a whole lot more sense.
I can't tell you how many folks I've known who
(07:20):
put in twenty years and they end up about forty
years old or so. They retire and go on to
a full career doing something else, and they hit the
ground running because they have these job skills. They hit
the ground running and go on to have a great
career in any number of other usually involving something technical
(07:43):
because of a skill they learn in the military, and
or in some sort of a leadership capacity. Because most
civilians have a respect for the concept of leadership in
a hierarchical organization through discipline and commitment that the military
provides lots of military go into police work or law
(08:05):
enforcement work in some capacity afterwards. But anyway, let's take
a moment to celebrate you and hear your story seven
one three nine one thousand seven one three nine one
zero zero zero, and we'll look forward to hearing from
you coming up. The information that I get from the
show that I don't seem to get from other places
(08:26):
the Michael Barry Show. Young people will have no idea
how big Toby Keith.
Speaker 8 (08:32):
Was from there, and it was tapping into a sentiment
that was there under the surface but not being talked
about on a grand stage like that.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
This idea that we love our veterans were private because
everybody's married to one, a son of one, a father
of one, a brother one, a sister of and it
kind of people wanted and I wanted that opportunity to
express that. So Happy Veterans day Tony, you're our first veteran.
Speaker 9 (09:05):
Go ahead, my man, Hey, good morning, Michael. I was
seventeen at the time. I was in high school. I
had my parents signed for me. I knew I couldn't
go to college, so I decided to go in the
Air Force, signed up for six years and I ended
up in Guam.
Speaker 10 (09:21):
It was wonderful.
Speaker 9 (09:22):
I was, of course, like they say, band of brothers.
Some really good people taught me a lot of wonderful skills.
I later went on and became vice president and general
manager of a company. I attributed those skills that were
taught to me in the military part of my leadership,
and I think the going in the military is the
best thing that ever happened to me. Sir.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Are you still at that company where you were vice president?
Speaker 10 (09:44):
No.
Speaker 9 (09:45):
I retired in twenty ten. Took a short retirement in
my fifties, and then I've gone back to work and
I'm running another company. We do a ultra high pressure
hose to extreme pressures, so I'm kind of a specialist
in that area.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Sir.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
What's the name of that company?
Speaker 9 (10:00):
The company I work for right now is Austin Hose.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Okay. What was the company before Spearstar Okay?
Speaker 9 (10:06):
The German company.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Okay, and it was high pressure hoses.
Speaker 9 (10:10):
Yes, sir, and I started it from the ground up,
just two people. We ended up with thirty people and
we did quite well. It was fifteen years iran it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
What was the application? Was this chemical plans? Was this
oil field?
Speaker 9 (10:23):
Both actually pressure testing huston refineries to help clean They
do jet cutting with these hoses on X y Z
access robut surface preparation, on and on. It's a really
neat industry.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Did you ever come across the company called Hydro Services.
Speaker 9 (10:39):
Yes, actually you know them quite well.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
My brother Steve worked there for years. I think he married.
I think Laura, his wife's father. Was spent his entire
career there. He was in the Orange location at the time.
But I sat at a dinner in Colorado one night
with the fella and I cannot remember his name cod
see his face. That business got pretty big too. It's
(11:06):
fascinating business.
Speaker 9 (11:08):
Oh yeah, it's giant. It's a very huge might be
Pat DeBusk.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yeah it was the Busk. Yeah, it's exactly I was
sitting next to Andrew de Busk. That's exactly right.
Speaker 9 (11:16):
Definitely.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Okay, how did the military change you as a person.
Speaker 9 (11:21):
I was out of controlled, wild young man. I had
really no structure, and the military gave me the structure
that I needed. It bought me. It put emphasis on education.
I was able to go to school at night as well.
So there was so much that the military gave me back.
And of course you know, you're giving part of your
(11:43):
life and time. You know, it's not exactly easy. Sitting
in Guam for several years wasn't the most fun experience.
But at the same time, I grew and it grew
me mentally as well. Helped me be stronger too in
many ways.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Good for you, Tony. Thank you for sharing your story.
Speaker 9 (12:00):
Oh, thank you, sir, and keep up the wonderful work.
I love listening to you.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Take care of Michael Dan. Let's hear your story, ma man, how.
Speaker 11 (12:07):
Are we doing? Michael Good I starved at Ford Hood
right here in Texas. I got out twenty five years ago.
I was a truck driver and I'm still driving a
truck today, thirty three years later.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
How old were you when you went in?
Speaker 11 (12:20):
Twenty nine?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Why did you go in?
Speaker 11 (12:24):
Because of my life was going nowhere with nowhere jobs
and stuff. So I just wanted to change the pace.
And you know, and I'm kind of glad I went in.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So well, if it gave you the structure you needed
and you've turned out well since then, it would probably
it probably is a good thing.
Speaker 11 (12:41):
Well, I mean, it taught me, you know, discipline stuff.
When my ex wife cheated on me. I did about
face and walked out of the house. I didn't you know,
confront turned up. I says, you made a choice, goodbye,
and I grab my stuff and left. If it was
not for the military, I'd probably be in prison today
for killing her.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
So you know, then we're happy how it turned out.
I was flipping channels the other day, and I've never
seen Stripes entirely as a movie. I've seen clips of it,
and you know, the best clips that are the most
quotable clips, so I have the context. But I'm watching it,
and I guess Bill Murray and Harold Ramis must have
(13:16):
been with a roommates. And Bill Murray has committed that
he can do five push ups, and he struggles to
do five push ups and his life is going nowhere,
and he says, you know, I'm going to do something
with my life. I'm going to join the army. And
I guess Harold Ramis must have joined it with him,
because I got it, walked out and I came back.
And then there's John Candy with John Candy's stumbling onto
(13:36):
the bus. I love John Candy. I never failed to
smile when John Candy is on screen. And I have
such respect for Bill Murray and Harold Ramis is, in
my opinion, just a comedic genius. So I guess I'm
going to have to go back and watch the entire
movie because I may be the only man my age
who hasn't. I know the punch lines, I know the
quotable lines. I just haven't watched the whole thing. Kurt, you'ld.
(13:59):
Michael Berry shall welcome. Tell your story, please, Hey.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Michael, I want to do a tribute to my father
the fast he.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Was in the Army, James L. Jimmy Evans.
Speaker 12 (14:07):
You might have heard of his name.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
He's kind of the legend around.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Houston, in the Freeport area.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
But the Army really did great for him, Sir.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
You know, there's so many of these stories of of
what a difference it made for people at that point
in their lives. Now, there are plenty of stories of
people who ended up in a war zone and it
didn't but there are there are. It's a mixed bag,
as as is everything else. Bill. Let's hear your story,
(14:40):
my man.
Speaker 13 (14:40):
Happy Veterans Day, Happy Veterans, say Michael. It was a
great experience for me. The thing about the Navy is
it's bigger than any one man, and you belong to
a world class organization. And it was really I had
the dream job of the Navy.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Bill.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Wait right there, it's Veterans Day. We want to hear
from you, our veterans, your story, how it changed you.
This is the Michael Berry Show nineteen sixty six is
super hit. A ballad of the Green Berets, co written
and performed by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler. Little known interesting
(15:23):
fact the lyrics were written in part in honor of
US Army Specialist five James Gabriel Junior, a Special Forces
operator and the first Native Hawaiian to die in Vietnam.
Gabriel was killed by Vietcong gunfire while on a training
mission with the South Vietnamese Army April eighth, nineteen sixty two.
(15:45):
One verse mentions Gabriel by name, but it was not
used in the final recorded version. Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler,
who wrote that song, who co wrote that song and
sang that song, was a medic in the Army when
he was serving, and knew he wanted to pay tribute
(16:08):
to his brothers in arms, and that song just absolutely
blew up. What's interesting of all the music of the time.
It's the only one I know of that is in
any way positive toward those serving, and very much against
that war. I think it was a stupid war. I
think it was poorly executed. I think it was poorly conceived.
(16:30):
I think it was sold on a bunch of lies.
But for the men who served, that's not their fault.
They went and did the best they could do with
the orders they were given. They don't get to question those.
And it's interesting that that's, really, to my knowledge, I
could be wrong. The only song of the era that
was positive toward those men who served Arthur Europe. So
(16:51):
how long we didn't go back to Bill? I'm sorry?
All right, Bill, tell me about the Navy. You were
finishing your story.
Speaker 13 (16:58):
Oh, I was just saying, in the Navy, I had
the dream job.
Speaker 9 (17:01):
The Navy paid me.
Speaker 13 (17:02):
To parachute jump, scuba dive run exercise. I mean, how
does it get better than that. It was just a
phenomenal time.
Speaker 10 (17:12):
That I had.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
You had life.
Speaker 13 (17:18):
I was but you know, compared to other guys, I
couldn't compare to them. But for me, I did very
well and I was very happy.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Good for you, And what did you leave the Navy
and do.
Speaker 13 (17:31):
I owned my own business and I had a fairly
successful business, and I was very happy with that.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
And the Navy really, you know.
Speaker 13 (17:40):
And I happened to be a seal team guy, right,
and so there's no stopping in seal team. You just
go until you're done. And the same thing at business.
You're very focused. And those skills relate in a civilian perspective, I.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Will take your word for it. Certainly seen that in
people who have served and how they call upon that experience.
Thank you for your service, my man. Let's go to
Arthur Earlly Michael Berry show. Go ahead, Sir.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
Hi Hi Michael A long time listener, first time call her.
I joined the militant. I joined the army back in
ninety six. I didn't join up. I didn't join up
right out right out of high school. Didn't know what
to do, so I went to go ahead. I went
ahead and joined as a combat engineer. I blew a
lot of stuff up, was deployed. So I served ten
years and then when I got out, went into the
(18:33):
ministry and went back in in two thousand and fifteen
as a chaplain and a totally different experience, but just
recently retired. But yeah, the Army has changed me. I
was a little punk when I just joined, and the
Army strained me out.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Good for you. I love to hear those stories. That
is the story that we want to be everybody's story.
Thank you for the call, ma man, and thank you
for your service. Joe, you're up on this happy veteran
Veterans day.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Go ahead, my man, goodmorrowing Michael. I joined the US
Navy in seventy eight. I retired in two thousand and
I was attached to a squadron and one of board
aircraft carriers. The bottom line is I was twenty two
(19:23):
years old when I went in, and I didn't have
no I was stagnant. I wasn't go anywhere. So therefore
I joined the Navy and spent actually twenty one years
eight months in. But after that I worked for the
DoD for four years when I was still stationed out
(19:46):
in California. My fine aircraft and I'm retired. And then
after I worked for d I moved back from California
to Texas and my cousin was toell me, once you
try something different, oh he said, I said, what he said?
(20:10):
Why don't you drive a truck. So I went to
school and drove a truck for another maybe sixteen seventeen
years over the road. So I retired from that, and
I'm sixty seven years old and I'm enjoyed alive, house
paid off, all my vehicles are paid off. So my boat,
(20:32):
well that's the only payment I've got.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
But anyway, well that's probably well worth it. Joe, thank
you for your service. My man, David, you're on the
Michael Berry Show.
Speaker 14 (20:41):
Go ahead, my man, third generation military, grandfather, father, myself,
my brother, uncle's cousins. The reason I joined it was
nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 15 (20:58):
Jobs weren't d available going in anyway, but just decided,
you know, all my friends getting out of college and
said I needed to go do something in my life.
So I joined up, joined the Navy, was corman on
the dental side, and just enjoyed it.
Speaker 14 (21:16):
And the camaraderie that.
Speaker 16 (21:19):
Of my fellowshipmates that was just unbelievable. And I still
keep in contact with a bunch of them, and it's
you know, and this is forty years back, and you know,
you get that friendship going with somebody and.
Speaker 14 (21:33):
Still keeping contact.
Speaker 15 (21:34):
With the doctors that I worked for was just an
experience that you know, one of the best times.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
It was on this day in nineteen twenty one that
the Tomb of the Unknown is dedicated by US President
Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery. We will close
out this semester with this semester of kids in school?
Can you tell this segment? We have an interview set
for the next one with veteran remembrances, so I will
(22:06):
get right to it. We'll go Wayne, John, Paul, Mike,
and I don't know who. I can't read the list
after that, but you can see him. Wayne, You're up,
Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
My man.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Hey Mike, longtime listener, first time call her. I grew
up in Vider, Texas. Graduated in nineteen sixty five. I
was looking for my grand job, which was a police officer.
But I was too young. So what am I? He
had to be twenty one, So I looked around and
(22:33):
I said, well, I'm going to follow my parents in
the Air Force. I joined the Air Force sixty nineteen
sixty five, tested high enough to go to nucle Weapons
School and spent four months at Lower Air Force Base,
and then January sixty seven, I found myself at Bigburg
(22:58):
Air Base in West Germany, and I served there for
three years in the nuclear weapons shop. And I know
I didn't want to do that as a career, but
I looked around and I still wanted to be a
police officer. And I had to come home first. Get
(23:19):
my mom moved back to Texas. She had moved to Virginia,
and we settled in Houston in nineteen seventy and I
joined the Houston Police Police Police Police Department in nineteen
seventy one and served on HPD for twenty eight years,
(23:41):
actually thirty three years, twenty eight years in homicide. But
I alway it all to the discipline in the character
that I got in the Air Force, and the sergeants
had led me there.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Thank you for your service, mamam. It's a good story.
Let's go to Paul. Let's hear yours, sir. Happy Veterans Day.
Thank you.
Speaker 17 (24:06):
I was in the Air Force sixty five to seventy four.
I got out for thirteen years and got back into
the Air Force, reserved for another twenty from eighty seven
to seven. I still dream about once a week I'm
in the air I was in the Air Force. The
dream is about the Air Force. And it's a good
dream because it was Air Force.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Did you join them in Vietnam?
Speaker 12 (24:33):
No, sir.
Speaker 17 (24:33):
The closest I got to Vietnam was Okinawa. I was
there in sixty eight and sixty nine, and I was
on duty when the Pueblo was captured, and I thought
we were going to go to World War Three?
Speaker 2 (24:46):
And what did you end up doing as a career.
Speaker 17 (24:50):
My first career in active duty was communications, top secret
crypto teletide and secret secure phone. And then I got
out and when I got back in to reserve, it
was with At first it was with Derek Cargo, and
then I got to be a recruiter for a year,
(25:10):
and then I was with the Chaplains as the chapel
manager for about eighteen years.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Got on Thank You for your service, ma'am, Mike you know,
and the Michael Berry Show. Happy Veterans Day. Let's hear
your story please.
Speaker 12 (25:25):
Yeah. My dad was a member of the Texas State Guard.
They were stationed in Galveston, Texas. If you if you
know where to look, there's gun in placements all along Galveston.
Dad was a radio operator. I had we had a
picture of him and his company standing in front of
(25:48):
the same Center monument, but I couldn't find it. But
Dad was a wonderful man. He had he had devils
that he wound up defeating them. Him mom into alcohol.
I call it anonymous. And my uncle, Elmer was he
was in the Navy. He he did some anti doub
(26:14):
marine work in the golf. And my other uncle set
up camps for German soldiers and they were all fine men.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Sounds like it. Thank you for your service, my man.
Appreciate it. Carol, you're on the Michael Berry Show. Happy
Veterans Day. Let's hear your story.
Speaker 10 (26:34):
Thank you, Michael. Good morning. And yeah, and I were
active duty Air Force many many years ago. I joined
right out of high school, just turned eighteen two weeks before,
and I didn't know what I was going to do
(26:54):
with my life. So I decided that that's what that's
what I want to do. That's that's you know, a
very very very small team Air Force.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Okay, I didn't hear you said, somebody and I joined
your phone click when you.
Speaker 10 (27:09):
Actually I met my husband in the Air Force. Wasn't
married forty years. Oh wow, Yeah, yeah, we met. We
were babies, we were we were nineteen when we got married.
Everyone said, oh, you're crazy, don't get married so young.
And uh, now he was actually was born in Cuba
and my immigrated to Miami. His father was a political prisoner,
(27:32):
and he was kind of the same thing.
Speaker 9 (27:34):
Didn't know what to do, didn't.
Speaker 10 (27:36):
Want, you know, after high school and off.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
So he joined up and he met in.
Speaker 10 (27:42):
And it was awesome.
Speaker 9 (27:44):
It was the best.
Speaker 10 (27:45):
Decision I ever made, because I didn't know what to
do as far as a career. Living in a small town,
there really was a lot of options, and I learned
a trade. I was in base operations and he was
in on the cargo side. We met in the same hangar.
Kind of funny, and he's still in the same business
(28:06):
and I'm in the airline type business. So we've been
doing the same thing for a really long time. Very
and any any young any young person that doesn't know
what they want to do, you know, or need some direction,
I think the military is the best place to go.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Seems to have turned out that way for a lot
of people. Thank you for your service and have your
Veterans Day to all of our veterans coming up. William
Dylon Powell wrote a book about Houston's lost treasures called
Lost Treasures of Houston. It came to my attention because
someone sent me a screenshot of it and the RCC
(28:47):
was listed as one of the lost treasures. Yeah, true story.
So we will. We will discuss those lost treasures of Houston.
For those of you who spent any significant time in Houston,
I suspect you might hear some names of things that
you haven't thought about in many years. I do love nostalgia.
Speaker 12 (29:07):
You know that
Speaker 2 (29:09):
That's what's coming up.
It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The Michael's Dairy Show is on the air.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Heroes everyone, Heroes by the million men who abandoned home
and vocations that they may be ready to defend democracy
if necessary. Sturdy of body, firm and spirit, seamen, marine
soldiers and flyers.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well this is my bed level. Will the fa and
you place to dwell for his dandy in the lone
street that.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I've fell into, burn and ring of fires?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Can we make it through.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
And let you down?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Before love came down?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Cross cross Cross, croub chick on the list, double musty
turlip on dusty.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Road.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Can't touch this, can't touch?
Speaker 5 (01:14):
When do the chucky got.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
The chip stash?
Speaker 6 (01:31):
Keep trucking like the DoD Man Together on the road again.
I just can't wait to get on the road again.
Why my love is making music with my friend? I
can't wait to get all road again.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I have a my morning, have a real alby.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
The US condor wait out of here said that talking
to the theme, Paess.
Speaker 7 (02:10):
Tennessee Wische, Well you probably figured out.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
That is a celebration in music. The folks who served
in the United States military, every single one of those
is a veteran. In case you didn't know, now you do,
thanks to Jim Mudd for that montage. Veterans Day Today
observed in these United States for over a century. First
(02:51):
celebrated in the United States on November eleventh, nineteen nineteen,
with the signing of the Armistice Day, so it was
called Ourmistice Day. It was the first anniversary at the
end of the fighting in World War One, Although the
war didn't officially end until the Treaty of Versailles in
(03:14):
June of nineteen nineteen, The fighting stopped at eleven am
on November eleventh, nineteen eighteen, the eleventh hour of the
Eleventh Day, with an Ourmistice between the Allied Forces and Germany.
In November nineteen nineteen, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed to us
in America, the reflections of Ourmistice Day will be filled
(03:37):
with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died
in the country service, and with gratitude for the victory,
both because of the thing from which it has freed
us and because of the opportunity it has given Americans
to show her sympathy. Has given America to show her
sympathy with peace and justice. In the Councils of the Nation.
(04:00):
Congress declared Our Mistus Day a federal holiday in nineteen
thirty eight as a day to honor World War One veterans.
Of course, that was before the even bigger war, World
War II. We were just on the eve of World
War Two. In nineteen fifty four, President Dwight D. Eisenhower,
(04:22):
who of course had commanded the Supreme Allied Forces in
World War Two, officially changed Our Mistus Day to Veterans Day,
marking a shift from honoring those who served in World
War One to honoring all veterans. The nineteen sixty eight
Uniform Holidays Bill moved the holiday to the fourth Monday
in October beginning in nineteen seventy one. In nineteen seventy five,
(04:48):
President Gerald Ford restored the holiday to November eleventh, quote,
due to the important historical significance of the day. Well,
for those of you who served in the United States military,
in whatever capacity, at whatever time, for however long, thank
(05:13):
you for your service. Today is not the day we
honor those who died. It's the day we honor an
individual branch the day after the Marine Corps Birthday. It
is the day we honor those who served. And if
that is you, Ramon, can you open the phone lines
you mind if we take a few calls. Let's take
(05:34):
a few calls from folks. If serving in the military
is something that in some way or another changed your life,
is a fond remembrance, something for which you have great pride,
Let's take a segment or two to take your calls
and discuss that. Seven one, three, nine, one thousand. Maybe,
(05:54):
as I have heard from many folks, you were a
wayward youth and you were given the serve or serve
in the military, or serve in prison. You chose the
military and it changed your life. You got structure and discipline,
and you're proud of the person you became. Or maybe
you were a third generation in the United States Navy
(06:16):
or Army, Air Force, Marines, Coastguard, and you signed up
to serve and it was everything you hoped it would be.
Maybe you served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, whatever that
conflict was, or whatever that period of time was. Maybe
you learned a skill in the military that you then
(06:37):
translated into making a life for the rest of your career.
Or maybe you are a career military still in like
young David Burton. I was telling you about who just
got promoted to East six, which is a staff sergeant,
just a few days ago, and it was the most
incredible honor to get to pin him on that day,
(06:59):
on the day of his big promotion. I'm so incredibly
proud of him. He will soon have completed eight years.
He's going to sign up for yet another He's going
to sign up for another four, so that will make twelve.
If you put in twenty, you get the retirement, so
at that point it starts making a whole lot more sense.
I can't tell you how many folks I've known who
(07:20):
put in twenty years and they end up about forty
years old or so. They retire and go on to
a full career doing something else, and they hit the
ground running because they have these job skills. They hit
the ground running and go on to have a great
career in any number of other usually involving something technical
(07:43):
because of a skill they learn in the military, and
or in some sort of a leadership capacity. Because most
civilians have a respect for the concept of leadership in
a hierarchical organization through discipline and commitment that the military
provides lots of military go into police work or law
(08:05):
enforcement work in some capacity afterwards. But anyway, let's take
a moment to celebrate you and hear your story seven
one three nine one thousand seven one three nine one
zero zero zero, and we'll look forward to hearing from
you coming up. The information that I get from the
show that I don't seem to get from other places
(08:26):
the Michael Barry Show. Young people will have no idea
how big Toby Keith.
Speaker 8 (08:32):
Was from there, and it was tapping into a sentiment
that was there under the surface but not being talked
about on a grand stage like that.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
This idea that we love our veterans were private because
everybody's married to one, a son of one, a father
of one, a brother one, a sister of and it
kind of people wanted and I wanted that opportunity to
express that. So Happy Veterans day Tony, you're our first veteran.
Speaker 9 (09:05):
Go ahead, my man, Hey, good morning, Michael. I was
seventeen at the time. I was in high school. I
had my parents signed for me. I knew I couldn't
go to college, so I decided to go in the
Air Force, signed up for six years and I ended
up in Guam.
Speaker 10 (09:21):
It was wonderful.
Speaker 9 (09:22):
I was, of course, like they say, band of brothers.
Some really good people taught me a lot of wonderful skills.
I later went on and became vice president and general
manager of a company. I attributed those skills that were
taught to me in the military part of my leadership,
and I think the going in the military is the
best thing that ever happened to me. Sir.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Are you still at that company where you were vice president?
Speaker 10 (09:44):
No.
Speaker 9 (09:45):
I retired in twenty ten. Took a short retirement in
my fifties, and then I've gone back to work and
I'm running another company. We do a ultra high pressure
hose to extreme pressures, so I'm kind of a specialist
in that area.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Sir.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
What's the name of that company?
Speaker 9 (10:00):
The company I work for right now is Austin Hose.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Okay. What was the company before Spearstar Okay?
Speaker 9 (10:06):
The German company.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Okay, and it was high pressure hoses.
Speaker 9 (10:10):
Yes, sir, and I started it from the ground up,
just two people. We ended up with thirty people and
we did quite well. It was fifteen years iran it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
What was the application? Was this chemical plans? Was this
oil field?
Speaker 9 (10:23):
Both actually pressure testing huston refineries to help clean They
do jet cutting with these hoses on X y Z
access robut surface preparation, on and on. It's a really
neat industry.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Did you ever come across the company called Hydro Services.
Speaker 9 (10:39):
Yes, actually you know them quite well.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
My brother Steve worked there for years. I think he married.
I think Laura, his wife's father. Was spent his entire
career there. He was in the Orange location at the time.
But I sat at a dinner in Colorado one night
with the fella and I cannot remember his name cod
see his face. That business got pretty big too. It's
(11:06):
fascinating business.
Speaker 9 (11:08):
Oh yeah, it's giant. It's a very huge might be
Pat DeBusk.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yeah it was the Busk. Yeah, it's exactly I was
sitting next to Andrew de Busk. That's exactly right.
Speaker 9 (11:16):
Definitely.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Okay, how did the military change you as a person.
Speaker 9 (11:21):
I was out of controlled, wild young man. I had
really no structure, and the military gave me the structure
that I needed. It bought me. It put emphasis on education.
I was able to go to school at night as well.
So there was so much that the military gave me back.
And of course you know, you're giving part of your
(11:43):
life and time. You know, it's not exactly easy. Sitting
in Guam for several years wasn't the most fun experience.
But at the same time, I grew and it grew
me mentally as well. Helped me be stronger too in
many ways.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Good for you, Tony. Thank you for sharing your story.
Speaker 9 (12:00):
Oh, thank you, sir, and keep up the wonderful work.
I love listening to you.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Take care of Michael Dan. Let's hear your story, ma man, how.
Speaker 11 (12:07):
Are we doing? Michael Good I starved at Ford Hood
right here in Texas. I got out twenty five years ago.
I was a truck driver and I'm still driving a
truck today, thirty three years later.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
How old were you when you went in?
Speaker 11 (12:20):
Twenty nine?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Why did you go in?
Speaker 11 (12:24):
Because of my life was going nowhere with nowhere jobs
and stuff. So I just wanted to change the pace.
And you know, and I'm kind of glad I went in.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So well, if it gave you the structure you needed
and you've turned out well since then, it would probably
it probably is a good thing.
Speaker 11 (12:41):
Well, I mean, it taught me, you know, discipline stuff.
When my ex wife cheated on me. I did about
face and walked out of the house. I didn't you know,
confront turned up. I says, you made a choice, goodbye,
and I grab my stuff and left. If it was
not for the military, I'd probably be in prison today
for killing her.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
So you know, then we're happy how it turned out.
I was flipping channels the other day, and I've never
seen Stripes entirely as a movie. I've seen clips of it,
and you know, the best clips that are the most
quotable clips, so I have the context. But I'm watching it,
and I guess Bill Murray and Harold Ramis must have
(13:16):
been with a roommates. And Bill Murray has committed that
he can do five push ups, and he struggles to
do five push ups and his life is going nowhere,
and he says, you know, I'm going to do something
with my life. I'm going to join the army. And
I guess Harold Ramis must have joined it with him,
because I got it, walked out and I came back.
And then there's John Candy with John Candy's stumbling onto
(13:36):
the bus. I love John Candy. I never failed to
smile when John Candy is on screen. And I have
such respect for Bill Murray and Harold Ramis is, in
my opinion, just a comedic genius. So I guess I'm
going to have to go back and watch the entire
movie because I may be the only man my age
who hasn't. I know the punch lines, I know the
quotable lines. I just haven't watched the whole thing. Kurt, you'ld.
(13:59):
Michael Berry shall welcome. Tell your story, please, Hey.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Michael, I want to do a tribute to my father
the fast he.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Was in the Army, James L. Jimmy Evans.
Speaker 12 (14:07):
You might have heard of his name.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
He's kind of the legend around.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Houston, in the Freeport area.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
But the Army really did great for him, Sir.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
You know, there's so many of these stories of of
what a difference it made for people at that point
in their lives. Now, there are plenty of stories of
people who ended up in a war zone and it
didn't but there are there are. It's a mixed bag,
as as is everything else. Bill. Let's hear your story,
(14:40):
my man.
Speaker 13 (14:40):
Happy Veterans Day, Happy Veterans, say Michael. It was a
great experience for me. The thing about the Navy is
it's bigger than any one man, and you belong to
a world class organization. And it was really I had
the dream job of the Navy.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Bill.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Wait right there, it's Veterans Day. We want to hear
from you, our veterans, your story, how it changed you.
This is the Michael Berry Show nineteen sixty six is
super hit. A ballad of the Green Berets, co written
and performed by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler. Little known interesting
(15:23):
fact the lyrics were written in part in honor of
US Army Specialist five James Gabriel Junior, a Special Forces
operator and the first Native Hawaiian to die in Vietnam.
Gabriel was killed by Vietcong gunfire while on a training
mission with the South Vietnamese Army April eighth, nineteen sixty two.
(15:45):
One verse mentions Gabriel by name, but it was not
used in the final recorded version. Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler,
who wrote that song, who co wrote that song and
sang that song, was a medic in the Army when
he was serving, and knew he wanted to pay tribute
(16:08):
to his brothers in arms, and that song just absolutely
blew up. What's interesting of all the music of the time.
It's the only one I know of that is in
any way positive toward those serving, and very much against
that war. I think it was a stupid war. I
think it was poorly executed. I think it was poorly conceived.
(16:30):
I think it was sold on a bunch of lies.
But for the men who served, that's not their fault.
They went and did the best they could do with
the orders they were given. They don't get to question those.
And it's interesting that that's, really, to my knowledge, I
could be wrong. The only song of the era that
was positive toward those men who served Arthur Europe. So
(16:51):
how long we didn't go back to Bill? I'm sorry?
All right, Bill, tell me about the Navy. You were
finishing your story.
Speaker 13 (16:58):
Oh, I was just saying, in the Navy, I had
the dream job.
Speaker 9 (17:01):
The Navy paid me.
Speaker 13 (17:02):
To parachute jump, scuba dive run exercise. I mean, how
does it get better than that. It was just a
phenomenal time.
Speaker 10 (17:12):
That I had.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
You had life.
Speaker 13 (17:18):
I was but you know, compared to other guys, I
couldn't compare to them. But for me, I did very
well and I was very happy.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Good for you, And what did you leave the Navy
and do.
Speaker 13 (17:31):
I owned my own business and I had a fairly
successful business, and I was very happy with that.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
And the Navy really, you know.
Speaker 13 (17:40):
And I happened to be a seal team guy, right,
and so there's no stopping in seal team. You just
go until you're done. And the same thing at business.
You're very focused. And those skills relate in a civilian perspective, I.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Will take your word for it. Certainly seen that in
people who have served and how they call upon that experience.
Thank you for your service, my man. Let's go to
Arthur Earlly Michael Berry show. Go ahead, Sir.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
Hi Hi Michael A long time listener, first time call her.
I joined the militant. I joined the army back in
ninety six. I didn't join up. I didn't join up
right out right out of high school. Didn't know what
to do, so I went to go ahead. I went
ahead and joined as a combat engineer. I blew a
lot of stuff up, was deployed. So I served ten
years and then when I got out, went into the
(18:33):
ministry and went back in in two thousand and fifteen
as a chaplain and a totally different experience, but just
recently retired. But yeah, the Army has changed me. I
was a little punk when I just joined, and the
Army strained me out.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Good for you. I love to hear those stories. That
is the story that we want to be everybody's story.
Thank you for the call, ma man, and thank you
for your service. Joe, you're up on this happy veteran
Veterans day.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Go ahead, my man, goodmorrowing Michael. I joined the US
Navy in seventy eight. I retired in two thousand and
I was attached to a squadron and one of board
aircraft carriers. The bottom line is I was twenty two
(19:23):
years old when I went in, and I didn't have
no I was stagnant. I wasn't go anywhere. So therefore
I joined the Navy and spent actually twenty one years
eight months in. But after that I worked for the
DoD for four years when I was still stationed out
(19:46):
in California. My fine aircraft and I'm retired. And then
after I worked for d I moved back from California
to Texas and my cousin was toell me, once you
try something different, oh he said, I said, what he said?
(20:10):
Why don't you drive a truck. So I went to
school and drove a truck for another maybe sixteen seventeen
years over the road. So I retired from that, and
I'm sixty seven years old and I'm enjoyed alive, house
paid off, all my vehicles are paid off. So my boat,
(20:32):
well that's the only payment I've got.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
But anyway, well that's probably well worth it. Joe, thank
you for your service. My man, David, you're on the
Michael Berry Show.
Speaker 14 (20:41):
Go ahead, my man, third generation military, grandfather, father, myself,
my brother, uncle's cousins. The reason I joined it was
nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 15 (20:58):
Jobs weren't d available going in anyway, but just decided,
you know, all my friends getting out of college and
said I needed to go do something in my life.
So I joined up, joined the Navy, was corman on
the dental side, and just enjoyed it.
Speaker 14 (21:16):
And the camaraderie that.
Speaker 16 (21:19):
Of my fellowshipmates that was just unbelievable. And I still
keep in contact with a bunch of them, and it's
you know, and this is forty years back, and you know,
you get that friendship going with somebody and.
Speaker 14 (21:33):
Still keeping contact.
Speaker 15 (21:34):
With the doctors that I worked for was just an
experience that you know, one of the best times.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
It was on this day in nineteen twenty one that
the Tomb of the Unknown is dedicated by US President
Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery. We will close
out this semester with this semester of kids in school?
Can you tell this segment? We have an interview set
for the next one with veteran remembrances, so I will
(22:06):
get right to it. We'll go Wayne, John, Paul, Mike,
and I don't know who. I can't read the list
after that, but you can see him. Wayne, You're up,
Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
My man.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Hey Mike, longtime listener, first time call her. I grew
up in Vider, Texas. Graduated in nineteen sixty five. I
was looking for my grand job, which was a police officer.
But I was too young. So what am I? He
had to be twenty one, So I looked around and
(22:33):
I said, well, I'm going to follow my parents in
the Air Force. I joined the Air Force sixty nineteen
sixty five, tested high enough to go to nucle Weapons
School and spent four months at Lower Air Force Base,
and then January sixty seven, I found myself at Bigburg
(22:58):
Air Base in West Germany, and I served there for
three years in the nuclear weapons shop. And I know
I didn't want to do that as a career, but
I looked around and I still wanted to be a
police officer. And I had to come home first. Get
(23:19):
my mom moved back to Texas. She had moved to Virginia,
and we settled in Houston in nineteen seventy and I
joined the Houston Police Police Police Police Department in nineteen
seventy one and served on HPD for twenty eight years,
(23:41):
actually thirty three years, twenty eight years in homicide. But
I alway it all to the discipline in the character
that I got in the Air Force, and the sergeants
had led me there.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Thank you for your service, mamam. It's a good story.
Let's go to Paul. Let's hear yours, sir. Happy Veterans Day.
Thank you.
Speaker 17 (24:06):
I was in the Air Force sixty five to seventy four.
I got out for thirteen years and got back into
the Air Force, reserved for another twenty from eighty seven
to seven. I still dream about once a week I'm
in the air I was in the Air Force. The
dream is about the Air Force. And it's a good
dream because it was Air Force.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Did you join them in Vietnam?
Speaker 12 (24:33):
No, sir.
Speaker 17 (24:33):
The closest I got to Vietnam was Okinawa. I was
there in sixty eight and sixty nine, and I was
on duty when the Pueblo was captured, and I thought
we were going to go to World War Three?
Speaker 2 (24:46):
And what did you end up doing as a career.
Speaker 17 (24:50):
My first career in active duty was communications, top secret
crypto teletide and secret secure phone. And then I got
out and when I got back in to reserve, it
was with At first it was with Derek Cargo, and
then I got to be a recruiter for a year,
(25:10):
and then I was with the Chaplains as the chapel
manager for about eighteen years.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Got on Thank You for your service, ma'am, Mike you know,
and the Michael Berry Show. Happy Veterans Day. Let's hear
your story please.
Speaker 12 (25:25):
Yeah. My dad was a member of the Texas State Guard.
They were stationed in Galveston, Texas. If you if you
know where to look, there's gun in placements all along Galveston.
Dad was a radio operator. I had we had a
picture of him and his company standing in front of
(25:48):
the same Center monument, but I couldn't find it. But
Dad was a wonderful man. He had he had devils
that he wound up defeating them. Him mom into alcohol.
I call it anonymous. And my uncle, Elmer was he
was in the Navy. He he did some anti doub
(26:14):
marine work in the golf. And my other uncle set
up camps for German soldiers and they were all fine men.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Sounds like it. Thank you for your service, my man.
Appreciate it. Carol, you're on the Michael Berry Show. Happy
Veterans Day. Let's hear your story.
Speaker 10 (26:34):
Thank you, Michael. Good morning. And yeah, and I were
active duty Air Force many many years ago. I joined
right out of high school, just turned eighteen two weeks before,
and I didn't know what I was going to do
(26:54):
with my life. So I decided that that's what that's
what I want to do. That's that's you know, a
very very very small team Air Force.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Okay, I didn't hear you said, somebody and I joined
your phone click when you.
Speaker 10 (27:09):
Actually I met my husband in the Air Force. Wasn't
married forty years. Oh wow, Yeah, yeah, we met. We
were babies, we were we were nineteen when we got married.
Everyone said, oh, you're crazy, don't get married so young.
And uh, now he was actually was born in Cuba
and my immigrated to Miami. His father was a political prisoner,
(27:32):
and he was kind of the same thing.
Speaker 9 (27:34):
Didn't know what to do, didn't.
Speaker 10 (27:36):
Want, you know, after high school and off.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
So he joined up and he met in.
Speaker 10 (27:42):
And it was awesome.
Speaker 9 (27:44):
It was the best.
Speaker 10 (27:45):
Decision I ever made, because I didn't know what to
do as far as a career. Living in a small town,
there really was a lot of options, and I learned
a trade. I was in base operations and he was
in on the cargo side. We met in the same hangar.
Kind of funny, and he's still in the same business
(28:06):
and I'm in the airline type business. So we've been
doing the same thing for a really long time. Very
and any any young any young person that doesn't know
what they want to do, you know, or need some direction,
I think the military is the best place to go.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Seems to have turned out that way for a lot
of people. Thank you for your service and have your
Veterans Day to all of our veterans coming up. William
Dylon Powell wrote a book about Houston's lost treasures called
Lost Treasures of Houston. It came to my attention because
someone sent me a screenshot of it and the RCC
(28:47):
was listed as one of the lost treasures. Yeah, true story.
So we will. We will discuss those lost treasures of Houston.
For those of you who spent any significant time in Houston,
I suspect you might hear some names of things that
you haven't thought about in many years. I do love nostalgia.
Speaker 12 (29:07):
You know that
Speaker 2 (29:09):
That's what's coming up.
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