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Veteran's Affairs Plus discusses the issues that veterans in Las Vegas deal with on a daily basis. Your host, David L. Washington connects listeners with relevant community resources and information that they need to help veterans or themselves.
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This is a KU envy studios original program. You're listening to special programming sponsored by making moves life coaching services, the content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Unknown Speaker 0:35
You can save on school
Unknown Speaker 0:50
Good day Las Vegas, this is Veterans Affairs plus. So 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. Got a few things I want to make remarks about. And then we'll bring on our guest, a longtime friend and educator, Mr. Ron Montoya. So that will happen shortly. Once again, good day. Look, what is wrong with us, America, you know, whether you like the former president or not, we don't need to be shooting people. Let's cut out the BS, if you will. You know, a couple of shows ago I had the mayor's on Oscar and Carolyn Goodman. And I tried to get them back. Because I wasn't quite finished with that particular show. What I wasn't able to get that done. However, I want to bring up a couple of personal things that I know about each of those individuals, great people. Unknowingly, Carolyn Goodman, even in her time of crisis going through her medical issues. She helped my sister Kathy out so much, who is still battling with cancer. And I just want to acknowledge Carolyn for the greatness of our heart. She was always praying for my sister, she also visited my wife's Church of victory Baptist Church, and had a great time and visited her several times. So thank you, Carolyn. Now, as far as Oscar Goodman, when he was mayor, as I served for him as his fire chief, let me tell you something about I know, Oscar Goodman has a big ego. But he is also a very, very down to earth person. We had one of our companies to turn on his side while responding to an incident. And we had some of our firefighters get seriously injured. He called me and said, Chief, what's going on. And we were over in the emergency room. And he said, I'll be there shortly. I say, Mayor, you don't have to come just like two, three o'clock in the morning. Oh, no one's coming. And he showed up. One of the thing about this man, we had a firefighter to lose his life, in a motorcycle accident coming in from Laughlin. And he was not on duty. He called me and I'm talking about Mayor Goodman, Oscar Goodman. Now he called me and said, Look, Chief, I want you and your operations deputy come and pick me up. And I'm not talking about any press. But I want to go by this young man's home and meet his parents. We went by the parents house, Ron. And again, this man we're looking for no publicity, but that's the kind of heart they both have. So just wanted to acknowledge you. And once again, thank them for what a great show that they did for selling Veterans Affairs a couple of weeks ago. With that the performing arts will have their final show at the end of the month, I believe is July 26. And once again, I feel to get that information from them. But check with the West Side Art Center and get those days but they always put on such a nice show that I think people should try and get there to see them if at all possible. Birthdays again, I mentioned my grandson David on the Fourth of July, son Vernon, and then we got a nice, Alicia her birthday was this month as well. So happy birthday to those family members. Now for our guests. Mr. Ron Montoya, Ron, it's been good to see you. In fact, I happen to see something on Facebook that Ron had mentioned about his day. And we're gonna get into that after Ron give us a little bit of background on him. Ron, where are you from and how long in Las Vegas.
Unknown Speaker 4:23
I'm from Riverside, California. I was great basketball player in high school CIA player of the year and I received the full scholarship at St. Mary's College in the WCC. I played basketball there for years, got a psychology degree, went to grad school at Cal State Hayward. Got a master's degree in psychology all my teaching credentials that I needed. And I was recruited here by a guy named Ross Harward. And a little bit by A kitty, Gwen because Kenny Gwen saw me play at Fresno State when I was at St. Mary's. I came here. Like I said in 1975, I was a fifth grade teacher, a counselor at Hyde Park junior high, basic, and the old Las Vegas High High School downtown. I started my administrative career in 1990. When we met, I was the dean for the infamous Wayne Tanaka. And then I was promoted to open thermal white middle school for the great Frank lamping. And then I was appointed principal at Von Tobel Middle School. And after that, I went to Valley High School or I was a principal for 12 years,
Unknown Speaker 6:00
you mentioned waiting to knock I mean, what a great guy. In fact, I was Wayne was principal, if I remember correctly. And Miss Miller, Daisy Miller was vice principal at vontobel High School. And this was when during the payback program, I was there, along with Faye Duncan, Daniel and some others. But anyway, I was I was working these students over me and I looked up. And I saw Wayne and Miss Miller, and I'm like, here without me, but they said no, you were fine. You just being real with him. And that's they need to hear real stories. They don't need no, no peaches and cream. They need to be told the truth about what's going on in life. Right. But it scared me me. I'm like, they will never invite me back. Right? A great guy that people are in fact,
Unknown Speaker 6:46
I was also a basketball coach throughout and, you know, still do a little bit of coaching on the shooting coach, so I teach kids how to shoot, because I didn't care about defense. I was offensive player. So what did you play? Guard that was point guard. As a point guard shooting guard in high school average 28 A game and it's a marry so it's a bait. It's strictly a point guard now,
Unknown Speaker 7:13
how tall are you? Oh,
Unknown Speaker 7:14
only 6161 Okay, yeah,
Unknown Speaker 7:17
you know, I'll talk to you after the show about some some interests I have in terms of coaching. Cuz I got some grandchildren that need a little hill. Okay. But anyway, people say what are you doing with your personal stuff on live run? Again, as I mentioned, when I saw what you had to say about your father, on Facebook, it touched my heart and I say, I gotta get him on the show, because this is a veterans affairs show, right? But it's called Veterans Affairs plus, and I put the plus on here because there's other things outside of the issues of veterans that I like to talk about on the show, right? And again, you as a great educators certainly want to get some thoughts about what's going on in our world today. But tell us about your day, please.
Unknown Speaker 7:57
Okay. My father was born in 1925. He died in 2023 at the age of 97. He was a pharmacist assistant on the Douglas H Fox during the Okinawa war. Apparently he was they were doing they were on a radio line radar line, and they were struck by a kamikaze. The kamikaze hit a gun box. My dad was stationed it on the starboard side of the ship where the Kamikaze struck that box and a balloon like 10 to 15 feet in the air. He regained his conscious and saved 35 Guys, but he was burned all over his torso. He never took his shirt off because he had bad burns. All I can say Well, growing up, I was grazed by his mother. I was raised by his grandmother, by my grandmother Grandmother. And he was my grandmother told me early on when I was very young never mentioned the war to your father. Never. So so I didn't. So I didn't ask him about what Chip he was on how he got hurt, how he was awarded the Purple Heart what he did or whatever. So that was all a mystery to me, because it was off limits. I didn't find out about the Douglas H Fox and all this other information until he died
Unknown Speaker 9:59
Wow. I think it's worth sharing what did or did not occur in terms of VA, etc. And, you know, this show was about that, because in every time that people come on, I don't want people to think that we just kind of soft shoe things that need to be pointed out,
Unknown Speaker 10:18
right? Well, I will say that the VA did great job with my father, when he when he had prostate cancer, they put him up in a hospital. I mean, they put them up in an apartment, you know, when he was being treated, whatever they do to treat the disease, they were wonderful. But they denied his PTSD application in 1980. Now, I understand why they would do that. It was 3040 years later, and they went, Well, what have you been doing? You know, since then, how have you been getting along? Right? He could never talk about the war. In his application. He said, I can't talk about it. I'm upset about what happened. I can't sleep. But once again, I didn't know this was going on. Right. Until after he died.
Unknown Speaker 11:11
Wow. You know, and I think that as time passes, all of us learn to enqueue to include government. But certainly that was that was tragic in terms of, they're not recognizing it. And I mean, it is what it is. And fortunately, today, there are more recognizing what had really happened to your dad, and happened to others at that particular point in the history of this country and us at war. Right. So
Unknown Speaker 11:39
but they were, those guys were tough. They weren't expected to be sensitive about almost getting blown up by a kamikaze. Yes, I can imagine, you know what I can only you know what I mean? Nobody. Nobody ever said anything about it. Now, I will say one thing, the first time that I brought up war or anything, was Saving Private Ryan, I saw the movie and that the first 26 minutes of that movie are fantastic. And I told him about it. And I was describing, and I could see that he was getting upset. He just walked out of the house, you know, didn't say a word. He was like, we were having lunch or dinner. And it was like, boom, and he was out. And I felt really bad about that. You
Unknown Speaker 12:32
know, again, just because of the time that it was, things were just just weren't recognized and studied enough to really make a determination. But similar to firefighters, because in fact, in my own personal case, when one of our engines turned on his side, and people got into that I had mentioned earlier about what Mayor Oscar Goodman did on behalf of those firefighters who were injured. Well, with that same particular case, we have a post incident type person, he, you need me, you and I you need to talk. No, I'm good. You know, right? Strictly macho, right? No, I'm good. And you know, it took me several years later, in front of a class I was teaching down at the coral homes executive development institute at Delhi University, where I'm the president and CEO of a program that helps people to move up in the ranks in the fire service. I broke down and cry, right? That I was debriefed, I had not been debriefed. But I was asked, but again, that that mentality that soldiers and others who are public safety or warriors or soldiers, you name it, we have this shale, that we're tougher than nails, and we don't need to talk to anybody. Right. And I broke down and cried like a baby. But guess what run after that. I never cried again. Right. Yeah. Because it released a lot of what was obviously pressure on me that I was keeping this in me because it happened on my watch. And I'm like, it happened on my watch. And it just tore me up.
Unknown Speaker 14:03
That's, you know, that's all my dad needed. But like I say, it was 3540 years after the incident. And I'm sure the VA was, you know, just discarded the the application. I will say you mentioned crying. The only time I saw my dad cry is when he heard taps. He He didn't go to funerals, but the one funeral that I went with him. He heard taps.
Unknown Speaker 14:38
Yeah, you know, I know a number of guys. Several are deceased now. But they would never go to film. You very seldom see him at funerals. I've gone to many funerals. And one guy said, Are you a professional mourner? No, it's just it's something that I've learned to do over time to go to show respect. But everybody don't Want to do that? And some mean? And I'm just, I'm not exceptional to that. But I'll cry me. Yeah, I'll release. Because you feel the pain of the family man and I just sometimes I don't sometimes very seldom do I totally break down but, you know, you feel people's pain.
Unknown Speaker 15:17
You know, another story I'd like to share with you is my, my grandparents raised me were migrant farmworkers in Coachella Valley, Indio, Coachella chill Valley Palm Desert. And most of the people besides the Mexicans, which I am a Mexican, or Japanese, the Japanese were in the fields. And my dad was so upset. I mean, later on 1970 1980 until he died, that they put them in in internment camps. He was he was mad about it. And so as my grandmother, my grandmother said, it was one of the worst days in her life when they came and took them out of their homes and sent them to a camp. Now my dad almost got killed by the Japanese. And he always had respect for the Japanese.
Unknown Speaker 16:23
Well, Ron, that's a great story to hear about your dad. And I'm glad that he lived a long and good life in spite of not being properly taken care of, again, as you as we think back. It just wasn't a time that that particular issue was studied by anyone for that matter. Ron, tell us what do you think about if we could roll into just a quick thought, if you would about what's going on with our current Clark County School District? Well, if you're willing to share, well,
Unknown Speaker 16:51
they don't. Are our people, Hispanics, African American kids don't know how to read. When I was at Valley High School, I would get 150 non readers as ninth graders. And what we did is we taught them to read and what what is, what you have to know is the fact that there's a Lexile level from one to 14, in order to pass a proficiency test or to be proficient reading, you have to have an 11 Lexile. We did was we pre tested the kid knew what their Lexile level was, and then acted accordingly. Well, by the time that I left Valley High School, my Hispanic and African American kids were reading at the 90%. Okay, but they don't do that anymore. They don't measure lexiles They don't pretest. And now, at my high school, the proficiency rate is 15%. Wow, wow. Wow, that is one 515. That is. Another thing is when I was a principal, it was a way of life. It wasn't a job. And I don't know maybe there are some principles that feel that way, but seemingly not that way. Now.
Unknown Speaker 18:26
That's very interesting. And, you know, while we got another minute or so I just want to acknowledge the guests that you here with you that wouldn't come and sit at the table.
Unknown Speaker 18:36
Dr. Maria Torres. Yes. Really brilliant woman. Yes. I'm so happy to have her as you know, my partner now, because she's just really involved in education. She wants to do everything she can for minority kids. She's an absolute angel.
Unknown Speaker 18:58
Once again, Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host with the great run. But again, good guy, man and thank you for your service. And also we pray for your dad so man, because it seems like he was a great guy lifter
Unknown Speaker 19:17
9097 got 97 He's the best coach I had. He developed me now politically,
Unknown Speaker 19:26
right. Oh, thank you, Ron, for coming on the show. Thank you. Thank you for having me with you. And I think it's very important for us to talk about your dad in his service and we
Unknown Speaker 19:34
will never forget Fort Bliss
Unknown Speaker 19:40
Thank you last week because we'd be back on the other side with another guest thank you
Unknown Speaker 19:51
once again, good day. This is Veterans Affairs plus on many 1.5 Jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host and I have this I mean Maurice is our next guest. And I just want to say thank you so much for coming on the show. And we really, really appreciate you. Now, would you please tell our listening audience where you're from and how long in Las Vegas? Oh, hi, Dave,
Unknown Speaker 20:15
thank you for having me. I really appreciate this opportunity. My name is Eileen Maurice. And I come from Connecticut, long, long way from from Vegas. And, you know, moved here 12 years ago, transferred from my job. And now I'm here as a resident, and again, Eileen, Maurice. My husband was born and raised here. So I figured I'd come to his neck of the woods to see how how would fit versus Connecticut?
Unknown Speaker 20:43
Absolutely. And he's been a longtime family friend, a great guy, and I just seen it because he's your husband, is because of what I know about his character, over many, many moons. So you've, you've been here you say about 12 years now. Okay. And you transfer. So what kind of work do you do you say? Are you in effect? Are you a veteran by chance?
Unknown Speaker 21:08
I'm not at that time. But I am, of course, a spouse. As you know, my husband is a 22 year retired Navy chief. And I actually transferred here from Connecticut from Southwest Airlines. And now retired. Okay, so
Unknown Speaker 21:23
now, recently, you were elected as president of American Legion Post, 10, women's zealot? auxilary. Right.
Unknown Speaker 21:31
Correct. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 21:33
So when did that occur?
Unknown Speaker 21:36
That actually was this year. So I'm the American Legion Auxiliary unit 10. President year 2024 2025. And that happened, I believe, in June. So I'm still I'm still basically knew. But it's a great opportunity even to be a president, you know, to lead the unit members?
Unknown Speaker 21:55
Absolutely. So tell me as a newly elected president, what are some of the things that you'd like to get accomplished in that leadership role?
Unknown Speaker 22:06
Well, as you know, you know, the American Legion Auxiliary, all of them, you know, we're looking to help, you know, help the American post Legion Coopervision, we want to advocate for the veterans, we want to educate, you know, our citizens, we want to mentor the youth. And we also want to promote patriotism. So what we're trying to do for ourselves as the auxilary, unit 10, we want to try to add diversity to active members. We want young to that. So we want Junior OTC students, we want American Legion, artillery, juniors, age 17. And under, you know, we need them to continue their membership into adulthood, because this will keep the units open in the future, many units are closing down because there's not enough members. So we bring in some active youth members, you know, that I think this will help off and I think that is my, my vision that I'm going to do for my for my current year.
Unknown Speaker 23:02
Okay, so what's the criteria to, to set up and, and members to become? What do you call it the junior auxilary?
Unknown Speaker 23:12
Do we have to be 17 under a course, and also is going to be someone who is a member that is a veteran. So all that requires, of course, you know, you need a DD 214 involved in the process are going to be grandmothers, grandfathers, so it can come from any of those families. So you know, if we can have that they qualify, I really like to have them, you know, come join the unit. It's a wonderful unit. And again, we can also talk, we're also trying to bring in something new, which is called honorary members. So you don't need a DD 214. We'd like to come in and join so they can help as many of these women and men want to help us out. And they just want to help. They don't want to be part. They just said can I help and you know, volunteer, so why not make some involvement an honorary member and have them help us out. That's another way of getting help to distribute our goals.
Unknown Speaker 24:11
That's an excellent point. In fact, in my leadership role with the Carl Holmes executive development institute, it's a leadership and management training program housed out of Deloitte University in New Orleans. One of the things that I've been trying to get done through the leadership at Deloitte is for us who come through this program. We're not necessarily graduates in the traditional way from Deloitte, but through our special certificate program, I'm trying to get them to as you stated, and I love that because that's the possibility that I'm working toward his will to be offer us an honorary alumni membership. through that. I think it'd be a win win for us because I think already donate. I donate to delete every year. A few bucks, because I think it's important to just to show that we care. And we want to see the students there do well. And in the end, as you mentioned, I think it's important that if you get people involved, I just believe that in Diller's case, in particular, some of our students will send their children there, they will make donations to the overall programming that they that exist at Dillard University. So it's a win win. And as you've stated, with regards to people being members in an honorary type position, it will be helpful because they could do the help do the work. And I know that in the same case with and I need to state this as well, with Valley View golf club, when I first came in, I was one of the younger members, we had folks that were younger than me. But that's one of the problems that we're having right now. We don't have enough injection of younger people. And without younger people getting involved, organizations will die.
Unknown Speaker 26:03
And they're doing it as we speak. I mean, there, if you look at things, it was open, and they're closed, you know, we have to get people involved. And we're doing so many good things. We go volunteer, we were at the UN, for vets stand down helping the homeless. So if we get people in there, you get a certificate, you get food, you get to a network of people. I mean, you meet so many good people. So if I can instill this into the new members, I think I hit my goal. That's my all time goal. Sometimes it's all about the numbers and how much you make. It's about getting members and people involved in our community. So important.
Unknown Speaker 26:39
Absolutely. And, you know, I had heard about the stand down. In fact, I think it was Tony Marshall, our service officer, who mentioned it to me, and also came through our commander, Jeff Jones. And I want to in the future, I told Jeff, that I want to make sure that I give them a plug several times while on his show, even though it was mentioned that they were on, you know, various major market TV, three aid and and all of you know, but whatever little part I can do, I want to do that because I don't want to sit here as a quote unquote, veterans affairs show, and don't do anything to help to promote anything that's done for veterans. And in that vein, I want to say once again, Tony Marshall, he's our service officer. And you can't just drop in on Tony, you got to have a dog own appointment appointment. And I'm telling you, Tony, even before he got certified, quote, unquote, Tony was an outstanding individual who helped so many people, so many people. So again, Tony 301-537-9465, versus a frail, we got a couple more minutes. So tell me anything that you will not tell me but tell our listening audience, anything that you would like us to consider doing for you to help you be successful during your tenure as president.
Unknown Speaker 28:06
But again, we're at 19 Oh, H 1905. H Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89106. And we need we need donations, we're trying to help the post, we're trying to help the children. So any kind of donations or you know, water, because all these things we give away. And we have functions where we have like little we have their toys for tots function, you know, for there's so many things that we do. I just did Juneteenth we did Father's Day as opposed. So if anyone just wants to even come by just to say hello. And just, I would love that I really don't like to be giving just about talking. But I do want to say something on days. Like everyone to mark their calendars. Again, this is a fundraiser that we're having. And we have it every year. It's going to be our animal, country western events on October 5 at 7pm. Tickets include, of course, the food, music and vantastic time, flyers will probably be out at the end of August along with the tickets. It's usually done by Mr. Jefferson, which I'm sure you know. And Felicia Williams a bartender over at the post posting. So they did a great job over the years. Let's go have a great hold down. That's what I would like to say the best one of our biggest fundraisers so absolutely.
Unknown Speaker 29:21
And I want to acknowledge your predecessor misc. Sandra Marshall, she did a great job and in terms of reaching out and doing running and a lot of different programs that assist people in the community. So thank you so much, Madam President, and we'll get you back on again to talk about some of the the various projects you guys are embarking upon there at American Legion Post teen thank you so very much for coming on Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Chance
Transcribed by https://otter.ai