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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Good morning Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs plus so 91.5 Jazz and move. I'm Dave Washington, your host. So I'm sitting here going to do this show alone today. And I got Wes that will continue to direct me as I work through this process, but excited always to try to share some information with our listening audience, particularly your you veterans out there who may need some help. Let me say that. Once again, I want to mention some birthdays that occurred this month in February my wife Marcia, my friend, longtime friend, Eddie bunch, Mr. Ray Feaster Gone but not forgotten, Mr. RJ Robinson. We got Marin Jenkins and we got Les Brown. These are folks that I am aware of longtime friends that are that have had or having birthdays in the month of February. And of course this past week, we had something that my wife and I have never ever shared. And that's Valentine's Day. It is a it is a huge market for chocolate. And in other little gifts that people give out to their loved ones. I love my wife just the same. But we don't share no gifts. And I know Oh, he's we thought he was cool. I am cool. Keep my money on that particular holiday. Look, once again, Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I mentioned last week and I want to mention again, William Melville. He's a housing case manager for Salvation Army and they do veteran services. They're housed out at that resource center. And I was telling you guys about out in way north in North Las Vegas, and also Walter lezcano, he is the Veteran Service Coordinator. He kind of runs that program out there. But they have a lot of exciting stuff. And I got a chance to visit them the other day. And I'm telling you, they're they have a complete schedule, I would check it out, I would assume. And don't hold me to this. But I would assume that one will be able to find the veterans and community resource center cap calendar on a website. And I'm trying to search and find if I have it, but I know that I will give you the number to that office. But you veterans out there and others we call this it's like a community resource center that they allow others who do good things in the community to be involved there. That number is 702-633-1640 702-633-1640. And as Mr. Walter lezcano, he is the Veteran Service Coordinator at that facility. And I would encourage you to go out and check him out because they have a lot of great programs that occur out out to include such such training as professional development. They have the Salvation Army, as I mentioned, Mr. William Melville. I would imagine that he does some of these classes, but they try to help veterans out there in a particular way. They also have people come in and assist with people doing their taxes. So it's a great resource center, that I would encourage our veterans to go out and check out. Also they have a for Black History Month, they have a luncheon. And they're urging people to join the city of North Las Vegas veterans Community Commission, as they aren't they're honoring the rich history and achievements and contributions of black service members and they have a speaker the honorable Victor s. honoree, who was US Army retired who joined and he served remotely and his retired was a Command Sergeant Major this high up in the enlisted side of the service. So that will occur on Monday, February 26, from 9am to 1pm. And again, that's at the Veterans and Community Resource Center. 3090 East Centennial Parkway North Las Vegas 89081 right next net right next door to the Sky View YMCA. So anybody interested again, you should ours VP, if you want to try to make it to that luncheon, the RSVP is at 702-633-1614, you must do so as soon as possible. So once again, just wanted to share that information because I think they're doing wonderful work. And that was my first time actually visiting that particular location, but they're doing some great things. And I think that we need to support that. So particularly those who are out in the North Las Vegas area, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. On the other side, I'm going to talk at length to, to a great extent, with respect to those folks that I mentioned condolences about particularly last week, we had the three soldiers the reservists in fact from the lost their lives in the Middle East. And then on US soil we had five military folks Marines, in fact, that passed away due to an accident that they had while they were doing some in service training. So on the other side, we'll get into that and just again, Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I appreciate you guys listening in. Always please consider particularly those who may have a need to get in touch with our service officer Tony Marshall 301-537-9465. Once again, we'll be back on the other side that's advanced plus on 91.5 Jazz.
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Once again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and I'm Dave Washington, your host and something that I need to talk to you all about or share with you prior to getting into the other discussion that I want to have when I lost a service meeting servicemen and women is that of a thing that's going on today. Down in LA, I will be speaking along with several others at a fire station dedication and Hunter row retired and he's now an ancestor deceased system chief Herschel Clady fire station number 58. Herschel did so much work. And this is telling you guys who may not know you don't get that very seldom will you get elected officials to agree to actually say, You know what? We're going to dedicate this place or that place in honor of someone when Herschel's case he has done so much great work with that particular department. I think Herschel did 30 plus years, but I can tell you that for them to say, You know what, we're going to honor Him and keep His legacy going by dedicating and naming a fire station where he spent considerable time as a as a firefighter and as a captain. And I don't know, I think he probably moved after he became a battalion chief. But Herschel did a lot of work and work with a lot of folks at that particular station. And the they call them county supervisors, kind of equal to our county commissioners here. There's five of them. And they said, along with the fire chief Moroni, and this was an idea that was pushed by one of our Herschel's colleagues, retired Assistant Chief Dan Scott, along with the president of the the local chapter of the IBP FF, President gray. Well, they pushed and ensured that this will be done in Herschel's honor. And these folks said absolutely. And I know that the Fire Chief Chief Moroni had to be a part of that, because duly your elected officials will go along with the department here that they have something solid and they will have community support for so I am pleased as we all are. So those of you who listen to our show from around the country and particularly, particularly those who may be down in Southern Cal at 10 o'clock. On this Saturday today, I should say, we will be at Fire Station 58. And I failed to bring that address, but just look it up in 10 o'clock. There'll be a number of people there. Honoring Herschel, as they dedicate this station is his name. This Herschel Clady, retired Assistant Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department. He was really a great guy and we appreciate the work that he did well here on this earth and I can tell you that I was Herschel's system Regional Director for the IPPF southwest region. He brought a number of different programs to our region. He helped to recruit just did just did a lot of great work and I know that Herschel and those who knew him He was one of those kind of guys to me. If he bragged about something he was so subtle. You did he just brag it go right over here because he just wanted him. Humble folks, man that just live life. And I learned so much about the game of golf as well as leadership in the fire service. So I certainly hope that God was pleased with the work that brother Herschel played, he did. Well, he only served that I can tell you that. I used to watch the he and Trustee Biennial, also ancestor now how they will compete, not only on the golf course, but I can tell you that Herschel was quite a bit better than both a trustee and I. But I watch when we do, and we just held a sixth annual here in Las Vegas, where we have a bunch of retirees coming in, we break bread, and we play golf. There's no other agenda, we just sit around talk, tell stories, some are probably repeated 100 times, but we just love to get together and break bed and fellowship. I know Herschel, and trustee, each one of them held in that place trustee was up in Monterey, California, her show of course down in Long Beach. And you would see them you could see them when he how they competed when they were hosting. And both of them did some tremendous work. And everybody who attended always felt welcome and at home. So again, I just wanted to share that because I think it's important for us to, to appreciate those who have gone before us. And in order for their legacy legacy to keep moving forward. It's about us talking about the work that they've done while they were here. And let's continue to be better people, because one thing I know is that we're all fellow human beings, I don't care if you're black, white, gay, straight, we're all fellow human beings. And one thing you will always hear me talk about, is we got to have some more peace around this world. And I know, peace is a very, very delicate issue, because everybody wants something from somebody. And sometimes you want to take it from somebody else. So that's my prayer continuously that we have world peace. And I know that's easy, easier said than done. Because as you look at what's going on around this world, practically every major continent, there's some kind of conflict going on. And there's a tremendous loss of life. And some of these non military folks, these are civilians who are, and we know that when when war occurs, a lot of times you will have civilian couch casualties. So let's keep praying and hoping that man will come together and say, You know what, I don't need it all. Just let me get a little bit to survive, I don't have to have all the money, I don't have to have all the resources, let's just live in a certain level of peace, because we're all when it's all said and done. We're all fellow human beings. So with that, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on any 1.5 Jazz and more, I'll be back on the other side, I'm gonna go a little bit more depth in terms of again, those individual soldiers and reservists who passed away in the last couple of weeks, always defending and looking out for the interests of us, who are now civilians. They are looking out for us as they go and serve. So we want to honor them by saying a few more words about them as we continue to express condolences to those families. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and.
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This is bettors there's plus on 91.5, chairs and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host and as I mentioned early in the show, I wanted to talk a little bit more detail about those soldiers, men and women who passed away while serving our country. I want to start with the US Marine Corps, who recently released their identities of Marines that were killed in their helicopter crashed. They were flying from from Nevada to California on a routine training mission. They were Lance Corporal Davis, 21 years old, from Kansas, Sergeant Lang in 23 of Chandler, Arizona. Captain Benjamin Moulton amendment Idaho. Captain Jack Casey 26 of Dover, New Hampshire and Captain we will Nava 20 He ate of Traverse City, Michigan. Now, we certainly honor those those individuals. They were all obviously, in the military. And you wonder, were they drafted? No, because the draft is in in place right now. So more than likely, they decided to join the military for whatever reason. Was it finances? Was it schooling, whatever the case, they were serving us. And we want to honor them. I would imagine, they were from families, who absolutely loved them. They were from families, large and small. And as you as I read off the names of where they were from, they were from small towns, to larger towns, to bigger communities. But I would imagine some of them were coaches, some of them were educators, who knows the various things that they that they did in their short lives, because again, all those folks that I mentioned, they were in their 20s. And that is something for a family because I remember I lost my youngest brother. And here we are in our family, that was three boys, four girls. Lost my youngest brother, I think I was in the army, and in fact, got to come home to his services. And then we had my mother, my father had four girls, here in Las Vegas, and the oldest one, Deborah, we call a tipo, she passed away. And when those two left the family, it leaves a hole, but you never stopped thinking about them. And you always wonder what may have been. And I can only imagine that some of these families have seen what may have been the rest of the life of these? Well, they would say this individual, this family member, but I can tell you this, for sure. And I say it all the time. When God is ready for us to leave this earth, you can run but you can't hide. And I don't want to say that in a flippant way. But these folks, it was their time, unfortunately, untimely because I know that their family loved them. And I remember, as I mentioned about chief Herschel Clady and him having a in his he's an ancestor, as I mentioned, having a fire station named in his honor. I recall when my mom passed, Herschel called me. And he said, I know what you feel Dave. And then he stopped himself right in the middle of the stream of conversation. He said, No, I don't. I don't have no idea how you feel. Because at the time, his mom was still alive down in San Diego. So we said, No, man, I have no idea how you feel like I can only imagine the hurt and the pain that you're going through. So I said that to say that. If you haven't lost someone who's in the military, or just in general, it's hard to say and I know because I've been through many conversations with people. I know how they feel. I know. You don't unless you've been through it. And that's just that's not being mean, that's just being factual of the experience that we all have. And people grieve in different ways. I know my wife, Marsha, she went to a grieving class. And he talked about how when someone passes away, everybody grieves a totally different way. I remember when my dad passed. I took it really, really hard. I took it as hard as well when my mother passed, but with my dad, sometimes I'd be sitting somewhere and I start crying. What's wrong with you? Man, I was just thinking about my dad. And in that case, some of it was a little bit about guilt. Because my dad was like, a lot of the older brothers, they were all about Dodger blue, he loved Dodgers. And I just wish in retrospect, I had taken him over to a game in LA to see the Dodgers. And then the other thing is, he wouldn't win much on fishing, but I bought him a fishing pole in a tackle box and, but I never took him fishing. That's, you know, you can provide certain tools, but if if someone hasn't been accustomed to doing those things, then if you're going to lead or assist or participate, then you should follow through as best you can to assist with ensuring that they are in retirement because he had retired, do some things that's outside of what they generally do, and help them with it. Because I do know that in retirement, sometimes people suffer because they don't have any other thing that they were doing prior to retirement. So I was still members of my staff at Las Vegas, Fire and Rescue have something else that you do, that you love to do outside of just your job. Jobs are important bit, but they are a means of making the money that you need to survive to exist. And when it's when you leave from there, if you don't have anything to do, it can be very hard for to you mentally in particular, I recall when I first got on the department, a lot of a number of guys, not a lot, but a number of guys, they retire. And after, what, a couple of years, some of them passed away. And I can only imagine that, it's because some of them had absolutely no idea of what they were going to do with their lives after they had spent so much time in a particular particular career field, in this case, fire service. So I urge people continuously even now, you better have something else that you'd like to do outside of anything about the money, y'all. Because me gene Campbell, Bert Washington, we've been instructing at the Carl Holmes executive development, his team, Gina started as students in 92. I think in 93, or 94, we start instructing and been instructing every sense. But I told them that Jean and Bert, who are my partners in teaching that is time for Dave Washington to sit on the sideline. And they keep telling now No, no. But there's a time when you when you must step aside, but I do try to keep myself knowledgeable about this field by being involved and members of of a number of different organizations, because it's important to if you're going to be involved, you need to at least stay in tune with the various trends, the various happenings in whatever career field. And again, we none of us get paid. We're all doing this, because of our love for the industry that, in fact, Burt is still serving as a chief officer with San Bernardino County Fire Department. So it was good, good career field. And now we're in a position where we're assisting others to move up through the ranks in that business. But now I'm going to talk about a little bit more about, again, these folks who passed away these soldiers, again, probably coaches, fathers, brothers, sisters, you know, and we agree with you, because they were serving for us. And let us not forget that. Let us not forget that. And I say that not only as a Las Vegas in in Nevada, but also as a member of the world population. The other three I want to talk about now is those individuals who were over in the Middle East, and they lost their lives. And I know, America retaliated and did damage. In fact, the guy who call that hit, they got him. And we certainly want to avenge the loss of these young folks. In this case, these were three African Americans. The oldest Sergeant Rivers was 46. Specialist Sanders was 24. And specialist Moffat was 23. They were all natives of Georgia. And I would imagine, as I mentioned about the other five individuals who passed away on that training mission, I would imagine that the same individual as young as they are, who knows why they join. But I trust that back at home, they were well respected.
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We have no idea what they may have had planned once they had left the military and they were was I can't remember if all three were reservists and reserve. Being a reservists is different from active military. In fact, I did one year after I got out I was a reservists and that means that you can be called upon if they need some folks to go to action. You can be called upon as a reservists though you have to go through training. Generally on an annual basis, you go somewhere for training. I think I went one time, but I never got called out into the field after I had actually retired, retired from a military from the United States Army in fact, but those individuals we we feel for their families and we want to always keep their names lifted up. Because, again, I can't talk about it or reiterated enough. They were serving in defense of us and all that we get to have in this great country called America, in spite of the various differences that we may have, from a race from a class standpoint, we're all Americans and I have mentioned and I will continue to mention that our humanity has somehow slipped away. Because when you hear things that people do to one another, it really drives you crazy to an extent. The other day, and my daughter Amber's house, we, like everybody else was, hovered around a TV watching the Superbowl. And then of course, we did the birthday cake for for Marsha, and the grandkids all had something to say about their grandmother and how she helped them, etcetera, etcetera. And it was cool. You know, it's because I knew when he started gathering around, and I'm seeing these papers that folks hands that get me to do something very special for grandma, and very much appreciated. And after they finish, they turned to me, because I've been going through a couple medical issues of late. And I don't mind telling folks because they got me on prayer list here, there and everywhere. And I appreciate it. So they start talking my grandkids, they start talking about the things that I've done and how much they appreciate me. And I'm like, Wow, that's pretty cool. But one thing I've tried to do each year and Marcia used to get on and she fanning knew that it won't stop me because I believe it's important for people to read. So this year I did something very different with my grandchildren. First is me going and buying them what I think they need to read. We there's a little bookstore, you guys downtown where I'm trying to remember the young lady's name where she has a hair salon, what do you do a lot of braiding of hair. Gosh and Jeanne Jeanne Stokes gonna slap me upside here for not remembering exactly the name of her daughter shop. But I can tell you right next door to the shop is a little small bookstore. So we went by and they let them pick what they wanted. But the other thing that they've got to do is they gotta do a report. I don't want to just give people books, particularly young folks, I want them to read and say, here's what I read. Here's what I've thought. I just think it's important because reading seems to be I don't know if you call it an art but it's lost on on all of us as people with tick tock and I'm not putting all of those quick media things down. Because certainly that's just a part of our life. But ultimately we need to know and continue to read various books, various topics so proud of my grandchildren proud of my children. And to you out there Las Vegas once again I hope you will continue to listen as well as tell others about Veterans Affairs because with the help of WIS as again my producer and director we do a great job and Wes he'd be be liked by you've mentioned my name man because you my man you keep me straight West and I love and appreciate you brother. So with that this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and more and we'll talk to you next week. Same time 70 Saturday.
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