HONOR ACROSS ARMS

Victor Soler the son of an Army helicopter crew chief joined the AirForce in 1999 from Enterprise, Alabama. While in the Air force as a Bioenvironmental Engineer deployed for one tour to Iraq and an overseas short tour to Honduras. After serving 10 years in the Airforce Victor decided to pursue his lifelong goals to fly for the military transferring to the Army as a Warrant Officer Aviator. Flying over 1500 hours and 2 combat tours to Afghanistan CW3 Victor Soler retired from Ft. Belvoir, VA from the VIP Blackhawk Battalion flying numerous missions in the Capital region. After retiring from the military Victor has continued his flying career with the Airlines and is currently Furloughed due to COVID19.

Victor Soler the son of an Army helicopter crew chief joined the AirForce in 1999 from Enterprise, Alabama. While in the Air force as a Bioenvironmental Engineer deployed for one tour to Iraq and an overseas short tour to Honduras. After serving 10 years in the Airforce Victor decided to pursue his lifelong goals to fly for the military transferring to the Army as a Warrant Officer Aviator. Flying over 1500 hours and 2 combat tours to Afghanistan CW3 Victor Soler retired from Ft. Belvoir, VA from the VIP Blackhawk Battalion flying numerous missions in the Capital region. After retiring from the military Victor has continued his flying career with the Airlines and is currently Furloughed due to COVID19.

Edwin Richardson Jr. is currently the founder and CEO of NGF Global. An aggressive entrepreneur specializing in risk mitigation and optimizing operational performance.

Edwin Richardson Jr. is currently the founder and CEO of NGF Global. An aggressive entrepreneur specializing in risk mitigation and optimizing operational performance.

DESMOND DOGAN--Following high school, Desmond served his country for five years in the US Navy. Throughout his military term he further developed leadership skills as a Navy Corpsman in Yokosuka, Japan. His hard work and dedication once again exceeded expectations leading to the prestigious Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, which he and his shipmates were awarded for “Superb medical support” that was provided between July 1986 with the unit he was attached to. Although Desmond had a thriving military career, he was ready to explore new heights and pursue his love of the arts, fitness, and healthy/ wellness development. The road to success didn’t come easy. He took the skills he learned in the Navy and landed a position with the prestigious Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He worked an Operating Room Technician in the mornings and auditioned for dance jobs in the afternoon. His 12-year medical career included assisting with the open-heart surgery, liver and kidney transplants and all other surgical practices. Desmond simultaneously continued his pursuit of a viable dance role. His talent didn’t go unnoticed. LA Models began to represent him and eventually a major breakthrough presented itself. “Hip Hop Body Shop,” a fitness and dance show on ESPN II that Desmond co-created and co-hosted received 5 stars from Fitness Magazine.

Mark Olson is a retired Marine Corps Colonel, with multiple combat tours during his 28 years as a Marine. He began his USMC career as an artillery officer. His service included leading crisis response for the Marine Corps at the Pentagon prior to and on 9/11, Director of Operations for Multi-National Forces (West) in Iraq and development of US Army and Marine Corps Counter Insurgency policy. He was diagnosed with PTSD in 2007. Medical professionals put him on Prozac and cocktails of multiple similar drugs. After too many personal relationship issues and too many jobs he discovered CBD and then medical cannabis. Today he is PROZAC free. He now owns Greater Than U Farm (>U Farm). His focus is on helping others see how CBD and medical cannabis and a healthy lifestyle can make lives better for his fellow veterans, first responders, law enforcement personnel and all Americans.

In the fall of 1996 Shane took a job in a factory that made plastic yard decorations (i.e. pink flamingos). He was put on third shift which went from 11 PM to 7 AM. Even though it was fall time it was miserably hot. The guys he worked with were former felons and listening to his coworkers complain about life woke him up to the real world. One morning, he punched out at 7 AM and never went back. Shane went on to join the military the next year and became a firefighter EMT until 2001. After he was Honorably discharged from the Air Force he worked as a civilian firefighter for the Navy for a year before working in Afghanistan. In 2006 Shane first started experiencing symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis but was able to combat it for 10 years with diet changes and medication. After leaving Afghanistan, Shane ran his own home remodeling business from then worked as a contract firefighter in Kuwait which was by far his favorite job. The men and women he worked with were both great workers and friends. Shane met his wife in the summer of 2010 and in March 2011 took a job as a fire inspector in Ohio. In 2014 he applied for a job as a firefighter near his wife’s home town in Florida. Unfortunately, in 2016 the pain and swelling from his RA got so bad that he was forced to medically retire. Growing up Shane struggled with dyslexia but he still enjoys reading and writing books is a challenging but fun experience.

In the fall of 1996 Shane took a job in a factory that made plastic yard decorations (i.e. pink flamingos). He was put on third shift which went from 11 PM to 7 AM. Even though it was fall time it was miserably hot. The guys he worked with were former felons and listening to his coworkers complain about life woke him up to the real world. One morning, he punched out at 7 AM and never went back. Shane went on to join the military the next year and became a firefighter EMT until 2001. After he was Honorably discharged from the Air Force he worked as a civilian firefighter for the Navy for a year before working in Afghanistan. In 2006 Shane first started experiencing symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis but was able to combat it for 10 years with diet changes and medication. After leaving Afghanistan, Shane ran his own home remodeling business from then worked as a contract firefighter in Kuwait which was by far his favorite job. The men and women he worked with were both great workers and friends. Shane met his wife in the summer of 2010 and in March 2011 took a job as a fire inspector in Ohio. In 2014 he applied for a job as a firefighter near his wife’s home town in Florida. Unfortunately, in 2016 the pain and swelling from his RA got so bad that he was forced to medically retire. Growing up Shane struggled with dyslexia but he still enjoys reading and writing books is a challenging but fun experience.

Lieutenant Colonel Bishop was commissioned in 1996 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. During his 22 years of active-duty service as a bioenvironmental engineer, he served as an Air Staff officer, element chief, flight and squadron commander, executive officer, Air Force Fellow and MAJCOM staff officer. He has held numerous positions including: installation Crisis Action Team director, installation radiation safety officer; consultant to wing Emergency Operation Centers; consultant for environmental, safety and occupational health committees and MAJCOM/installation readiness/force protection/threat working groups; and functional consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General, AMC, AFSOC and Seventh Air Force Surgeon General. Share a story: SrA Littrell and his willingness to volunteer to stay longer in Kuwait. That is when I knew you were always going to be successful in life because you were willing to sacrifice for your fellow airmen. Great assignment – Each one afforded me the chance to work with some amazing people across all of the services. The greatest lesson learned was the importance of service to others (servant leadership). If you genuinely care for your fellow soldier, sailor, airman, marine or coastie, then you will gain the trust and respect of others and your unit will benefit from everyone’s success. When you are willing to sacrifice for others, then we will know that you are attempting to make the best decision for your organization. In the end, you will walk away from your military service with very few regrets.

Michael J. Penney is a combat veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan. He served in the United States Marine Corps infantry with 3rd Battalion 7th Marines deploying twice to Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005-2006 and 2007. Michael reenlisted during his second tour and transferred to Quantico to become a weapons instructor. He is certified as a combat marksmanship coach, trainer and instructor trainer. He’s a formal school instructor, school trained designated marksman, small arms weapons instructor and foreign weapons instructor. In 2011 Michael deployed on a third combat tour, this time with 1st battalion 5th Marines, leading a section of advisors through Kajaki & Sangin Afghanistan. Having served in two wars, over 8 years of service in the Corps, Michael was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. Now he is an Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Business Development Professional.In March of 2016 he presented at TEDxRaleigh, “What’s Your IED: How to Add Value During Life's Explosive Situations”, combining military and personal experiences in an effort to bridge the lives of veterans and civilians. (view @ MichaelJPenney.com) This one talk has cultivated many wonderful relationships between veterans and business leaders.In April of 2017, Michael released the “5 Paragraph Business Plan” - taking the military operations order format and applying it to business. 5ParagraphBusinessPlan.comHe currently works as an advisor to business leaders around the globe, calling upon his military experience to assess, train, advise, and assist businesses in the implementation of the 5 Paragraph Business Plan. Empowering leaders with an action oriented business management tool focused on business creation, growth, and long term sustainability. Michael is a proud father of four, married, and resides near Raleigh, North Carolina.

Service Years: 1999-2004, Bioenvironmental Engineering Career field. Responsibilities: manage activities in the fields of industrial hygiene, occupational health, radiological health, and environmental protection to ensure healthful working conditions. Accomplished by site inspection, emergency response to CBRNE events, review plans/ contracts, sample collection and monitoring. Basically OSHA, EPA, and Homeland Security rolled up into one. Duty Stations: Spangdahlem AB, Germany, Robins AFB, GA, Deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom 2002. Benefits of Serving: Work Related: Gain experience, learn a trade (instead of going to college), increase your overall long-term marketability/employment, provide a stable platform for your career development (Core Values: Integrity, Service, Excellence), Educational/Training opportunities (inside and out of the service), challenge your skills/abilities (troubleshoot, research, problem-solve), increase your communication and team-work skills, become a complete professional, INVEST IN YOURSELF. Individually Related: learn more about yourself (resiliency, self-awareness, overcome challenges, team-work) sense of belonging to something bigger (ie. Serving your country and community) develops some form of self-pride because of the hard-work and energy spent, travelling opportunities (both professional and personal related), develop new friendships and sense of camaraderie with people from all over the world, keep the family tradition going (3rd Generation Air Force enlisted), further my educational background, military and VA benefits, most importantly the friendships we develop through the whole experience. * Military is a lot like college, except you’re getting paid to learn and work and not going into debt!

Growing up in the small town of Moultrie located in Colquitt County deep in South Georgia brought Masa Kenney into contact with an agrarian lifestyle and community. As a young teen, he spent a lot of his time involved with 4-H, FFA, and the annual Sunbelt Ag Expo. The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition has been billed as America’s largest agricultural exposition for over 4 decades now. Many of his friends lived and worked on farms, and his summers were spent helping them pick crops and tend to cattle. Two of those summers brought him into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the science that is incorporated into agriculture when at the ages of 13 & 14 during summer break he worked in Valdosta for Funk’s G Hybrid Seed Company which conducted a selective breeding program using a technique of self-pollination to create a genetically desirable harvest. His junior and senior years in high school introduced him to a landscaping job and cultivated his love of working with Nature through the beautification of the environment. By working in this field he gained a greater respect and understanding of the symbiotic relationship that plants shared with humans, not just in the exchange of the necessary gases to survive but also the deeper effects that the environment and plants have on people and vice-versa. It was then that Masa decided that he wanted to attend one of the best agriculture universities in the nation and find a career path that involved working with plants.. With no way to pay for college, he joined the U.S. Army and opted for the Army College Fund and the G.I. Bill instead of a one-time cash enlistment bonus to pay for his college education. After a station overseas in Europe and a deployment to the Middle East for Desert Shield & Desert Storm, he went right back to his chosen career path and worked for several different landscape companies and nursery centers while attending Valdosta State College and then UGA. It was while attending classes at UGA that he was introduced to a scientific cutting edge technology in agriculture when he worked in the Horticulture Department’s Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory under Dr. Hazel Wetzstein who is one of the most well respected pioneers in her field of plant genetic research and a recent recipient of the Fellows Award. This is where Masa learned the true scientific process of cultivating plants and how we can work with plants on a genetic level to propagate exact clones from plant tissue and experiment with genetic modification techniques to produce plants that are more desirable in many aspects: higher yield, higher sugar content, resistance to drought, disease, pests, herbicides, etc. Although he had acquired a large amount of his botanical knowledge through his years of work in the industry and in the classroom, it was in that lab that he took a huge leap forward in his understanding and appreciation of Nature. Masa Kenney graduated from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science school of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture in 1997. He has a major in Horticulture and a minor in Crop & Soils Science. While attending UGA, he was a member of the Horticulture Club and BioTechnology Journal Club. Upon graduation he went to work for a large scale landscape company in Savannah only to return six months later to the incredible city he had come to love in Athens. Here he spent the next 15 years raising a new family, starting a new landscape business, and settling into a city that his family, the Kenneys, had originated from five generations earlier. His landscape business, Lavish Landscapes, LLC, operated for over 12 years and offered services in landscape design, installation, maintenance, irrigation, hardscapes, drainage remediation, licensed chemical applications, and consultations. During this period Masa was a member of the GGIA (Georgia Green Industry Association) and one of the founding members of the original BNI (Business Networking International) chapter in Athens. Masa moved to Hawaii after that to visit with his mother and sister and eventually found himself again drawn into his chosen field of cultivation with a licensed medical cannabis home grow co-operation. After Hawaii Masa spent a few years in Kentucky working with his brother in the medical field of Prosthetics & Orthotics with the intention of starting a new career in that field, but once again, Fate seemed determined to keep Masa with his true love and passion of working with plants. He headed west by way of Colorado to attend a CannaGrow Expo and onto Nevada to find employment with a cannabis company since Nevada had just legalized recreational use at the time. Bringing his education and past experience to bear, Masa helped this company start up a new tissue culture propagation laboratory in a Las Vegas cultivation facility. That company was impressed enough that they offered him a position as a lab manager to start up another tissue culture propagation lab in the very first medical grow facility in Louisiana. After that venture Masa found himself back in Georgia working as a project manager in the hotel construction industry but once again found Fate leading him back to Athens after a 10 year absence to work in the field of Horticulture with Cannabis. Masa has been registered as a Marijuana Agent in Nevada and Louisiana and certified in the state of Georgia as a licensed Pesticide Applicator and as a Level 1A GSWCC (Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission) card holder which is the required state form of the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System).

GREW UP IN PENNSYLVANIA GRADUATED FROM SPRING FORD HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1966 THEN ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS AND MADE HIS CAREER - STARTED HIS MARTIAL ARTS TRAIING IN OKINAWA IN 1966-67 WITH MASTER TATSUO SHIMABUKU IN ISSHINRYU BEFORE HEADING TO VIETNAMMOVED TO FLORIDA 1988HIGHLY DECORATED VIETNAM COMBAT VETERAN UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SERVED IN TET OFFENSIVE VIETNAM 1967-1968 SERVED WITH 1st BATTALION /9th MARINES / BRAVO COMPANY (THE WALKING DEAD) HEAD NCOIC INSTRUCTOR AT QUANTICO VIRGINIA (THE BASIC SCHOOL) WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR FOR OFFICERS AFTER SERVING IN VIETNAMSOME OF HIS MILITARY AWARDS ARE AS FOLLOWS:GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL w stars, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY, VIETNAM CIVIL ACTION MEDAL, NAVY UNIT CITATION, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT COMMENDATION, PRESIDENTIAL CITATION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS MEDAL, NAVY COMMENDATION, PURPLE HEART w star and THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBONALSO RIFLE AND PISTOL SHARPSHOOTERSERVED AS POST COMMANDER 1994-1999 AMERICAN LEGION POST 273 (LARGEST POST IN FLORIDA) NOW LARGEST POST IN THE COUNTRY (1ST VIETNAM VETERAN TO BE POST COMMANDER POST 273) RECEIVED “JACK ADAMS AWARD FOR BEING BEST COMMANDER IN STATE 1994-1995SERVED AS DISTRICT COMMANDER 1996-1997 (ALL TIME HIGH MEMBERSHIP)RECEIVED “JOSEPHINE LOCICERO AWARD” 1996-1997 (BEST CHILDREN/YOUTH CHAIRMAN IN STATE)SERVED TWO TERMS 1997-1999 DEPT. OF FLORIDA STATE SGT.-AT-ARMSSERVES ON NATIONAL LEGISTLATIVE COUNCIL FOR AMERICAN LEGIONSERVES AS DEPT. OF FLORIDA POW-MIA CHAIRMANNATIONAL POW-MIA COMMITTEEMAN FOR FLORIDANATIONAL VICE-CHAIRMAN FOR AMERICANISM COMMISSION FROM FLORIDAAMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL HOSPITAL REPRESENTATIVE AT BAY PINES VA HOSPITAL FOR OVER 28 YEARSRECENTLY WAS NOTIFIED FROM NAC THAT HE WAS THE RECEPIENT OF THE NATIONAL VA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR 2017-2018 FROM VA CENTRAL OFFICE FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY FOR THE WORK HE DOES AT BAY PINES VAMC. HE REPRESENTS THE AMERICAN LEGION AS THE HOSPITAL REPRENTATIVE AND AN ADVOCATE TO HELP VETERANS PRESIDENT OF PINELLAS COUNTY VETERANS LIAISON COUNCIL OVER 18 YEARSORGANIZED FOOD BASKET PROGRAM AND HOT MEALS FOR HOMELESS VETERANSESTABLISHED 1ST POW-MIA MONUMENT IN FRONT OF ANY LEGION POST IN THE COUNTRY IN 1995 AT POST#273HONORED AS LEGIONNAIRE OF THE YEAR 1999,2002, AND 2005LIFE MEMBER OF AMERICAN LEGION, VFW, DAV, AMVETS, HONOR SOCIETY 40/8, VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, AND ALSO A MEMBER OF THE ARMY-NAVY UNION AND “THE FAMILY”(VIETNAM VETS BROTHERHOOD)ALSO AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE KOREAN WAR VETERANS AND THE AMERICAN EX-POW’SSERVED AS HONOR GUARD COMMANDER POST #273 FOR OVER 12 YEARS AND THEN ORGANIZED THE NEW PINELLAS COUNTY VETERANS LIAISON COUNCIL HONOR GUARD.ORGANIZED THE LARGO COURT OF HONOR IN LARGO CENTRAL PARK WITH USSOCOM COMMAND JUMP TEAMIN 1999 HE BECAME PERMANETLY DISABLED DUE TO COMBAT WOUNDS AND SEVERE CANCER DUE TO AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE WHILE SERVING IN VIETNAM, HAD TO STOP WORKING BUT CONTINUED WORKING AT HOME FOR VETERANS WHO NEEDED HELP PRESENTED THE SILVER ROSE AWARD IN 2000 FOR TERMINAL CANCER DUE TO AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE WHILE IN REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (QUANG TRI PROVINCE)ALSO HONORED BY THE JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA WITH THEIR DISTINQUISHED SERVICE MEDAL AND SPECIAL PLAQUE FOR HIS OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO ALL VETERANS ON MAY 8, 2001ON NOVEMBER 12, 2001 DAVID WAS PRESENTED A SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDAT THE ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PROGRAM AT BAY PINES VA MEDICAL CENTER BY THOMAS WEAVER, MEDICAL CENTER DIRECTOR AND GENERAL TOM DRAUDE ,USMC FOR HIS DEDICATED WORK ON BEHALF OF ALL VETERANS THROUGHOUT PINELLAS COUNTY!ON MAY, 2, 2002 DAVID WAS PRESENTED THE HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD BY MAYOR BOB JACKSON AND LT. GENERAL MICHAEL DELONG (USMC)DEPUTY COMMANDER IN CHIEF (MACDILL) AT THE 14TH ANNUAL LARGO PRAYER BREAKFAST IN 2004 DAVID COORDINATED AND WAS THE SUCCESS IN MOVING THE VETERANS DAY PARADE AND CEREMONY TO THE CITY OF SEMINOLE FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE DAVID HAS CONTINUED TO SUFFER FROM HIS DISABILITY AND MAKES HIS MOBILITY MORE OF A PROBLEM, HE STILL WORKS TO HELP LOCAL VETERANS WITH THEIR PROBLEMS AS WELL AS KEEP PATRIOTISM ALIVE AND AT THE TOP OF HIS PRIOITY. HE IS A PROUD AMERICAN AND LOVES HIS COUNTRY. HE MADE SURE HIS SONS FOCUSED AND USED THEIR INNER MARTIAL ARTS IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR LIFES. HE ALSO HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE HIS SONS FROM HIS SECOND MARRIGE GROW INTO EXCELLENT STUDENTS WHILE CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION. BOTH OF HIS SONS, JEREMIAH AND ADAM ALSO TEACH AND TRAIN IN MARTIAL ARTS AND BOTH ARE WORLD, NATIONAL AND STATE CHAMPIONS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES AND STYLES. THEY HAVE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS AND HE IS VERY PROUD OF THEM. BOTH HIS SONS WHO HAVE TURNED INTO YOUNG MEN HAVE RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS TO COLLEGE AND ONE IS TAKING CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE OTHER IS GOING TO TAKE BUSINESS MARKETING. DAVID LIVES IN LARGO FLORIDA BUT AS HE WORKS FOR VETERANS HE TRAVELS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.IN JULY OF 2007 DAVID MILLER WAS INDUCTED INTO THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA HALL OF FAME FOR OFFICIALS FOR OVER 39 YEARS OF DEDICATION IN THE MARTIAL ARTS BY MASTER JOE CORLEY, BILL “SUPERFOOT” WALLACE AND DON “THE DRAGON” WILSONIN JULY OF 2008 DAVID MILLER WAS PRESENTED HIS 3RD DEGREE BLACK BELT IN UNITED STATES CHUNG DO KWAN BY THE US CHUNG DO KWAN ASSOCIATIONIN AUGUST OF 2012 DAVID WAS PRESENTED HIS 3RD DEGREE BLACK BELT IN OKINAWANGOJU RYU MARTIAL ARTS FROM OKINAWA

GREW UP IN PENNSYLVANIA GRADUATED FROM SPRING FORD HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1966 THEN ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS AND MADE HIS CAREER - STARTED HIS MARTIAL ARTS TRAIING IN OKINAWA IN 1966-67 WITH MASTER TATSUO SHIMABUKU IN ISSHINRYU BEFORE HEADING TO VIETNAMMOVED TO FLORIDA 1988HIGHLY DECORATED VIETNAM COMBAT VETERAN UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SERVED IN TET OFFENSIVE VIETNAM 1967-1968 SERVED WITH 1st BATTALION /9th MARINES / BRAVO COMPANY (THE WALKING DEAD) HEAD NCOIC INSTRUCTOR AT QUANTICO VIRGINIA (THE BASIC SCHOOL) WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR FOR OFFICERS AFTER SERVING IN VIETNAMSOME OF HIS MILITARY AWARDS ARE AS FOLLOWS:GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL w stars, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY, VIETNAM CIVIL ACTION MEDAL, NAVY UNIT CITATION, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT COMMENDATION, PRESIDENTIAL CITATION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS MEDAL, NAVY COMMENDATION, PURPLE HEART w star and THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBONALSO RIFLE AND PISTOL SHARPSHOOTERSERVED AS POST COMMANDER 1994-1999 AMERICAN LEGION POST 273 (LARGEST POST IN FLORIDA) NOW LARGEST POST IN THE COUNTRY (1ST VIETNAM VETERAN TO BE POST COMMANDER POST 273) RECEIVED “JACK ADAMS AWARD FOR BEING BEST COMMANDER IN STATE 1994-1995SERVED AS DISTRICT COMMANDER 1996-1997 (ALL TIME HIGH MEMBERSHIP)RECEIVED “JOSEPHINE LOCICERO AWARD” 1996-1997 (BEST CHILDREN/YOUTH CHAIRMAN IN STATE)SERVED TWO TERMS 1997-1999 DEPT. OF FLORIDA STATE SGT.-AT-ARMSSERVES ON NATIONAL LEGISTLATIVE COUNCIL FOR AMERICAN LEGIONSERVES AS DEPT. OF FLORIDA POW-MIA CHAIRMANNATIONAL POW-MIA COMMITTEEMAN FOR FLORIDANATIONAL VICE-CHAIRMAN FOR AMERICANISM COMMISSION FROM FLORIDAAMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL HOSPITAL REPRESENTATIVE AT BAY PINES VA HOSPITAL FOR OVER 28 YEARSRECENTLY WAS NOTIFIED FROM NAC THAT HE WAS THE RECEPIENT OF THE NATIONAL VA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR 2017-2018 FROM VA CENTRAL OFFICE FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY FOR THE WORK HE DOES AT BAY PINES VAMC. HE REPRESENTS THE AMERICAN LEGION AS THE HOSPITAL REPRENTATIVE AND AN ADVOCATE TO HELP VETERANS PRESIDENT OF PINELLAS COUNTY VETERANS LIAISON COUNCIL OVER 18 YEARSORGANIZED FOOD BASKET PROGRAM AND HOT MEALS FOR HOMELESS VETERANSESTABLISHED 1ST POW-MIA MONUMENT IN FRONT OF ANY LEGION POST IN THE COUNTRY IN 1995 AT POST#273HONORED AS LEGIONNAIRE OF THE YEAR 1999,2002, AND 2005LIFE MEMBER OF AMERICAN LEGION, VFW, DAV, AMVETS, HONOR SOCIETY 40/8, VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, AND ALSO A MEMBER OF THE ARMY-NAVY UNION AND “THE FAMILY”(VIETNAM VETS BROTHERHOOD)ALSO AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE KOREAN WAR VETERANS AND THE AMERICAN EX-POW’SSERVED AS HONOR GUARD COMMANDER POST #273 FOR OVER 12 YEARS AND THEN ORGANIZED THE NEW PINELLAS COUNTY VETERANS LIAISON COUNCIL HONOR GUARD.ORGANIZED THE LARGO COURT OF HONOR IN LARGO CENTRAL PARK WITH USSOCOM COMMAND JUMP TEAMIN 1999 HE BECAME PERMANETLY DISABLED DUE TO COMBAT WOUNDS AND SEVERE CANCER DUE TO AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE WHILE SERVING IN VIETNAM, HAD TO STOP WORKING BUT CONTINUED WORKING AT HOME FOR VETERANS WHO NEEDED HELP PRESENTED THE SILVER ROSE AWARD IN 2000 FOR TERMINAL CANCER DUE TO AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE WHILE IN REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (QUANG TRI PROVINCE)ALSO HONORED BY THE JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA WITH THEIR DISTINQUISHED SERVICE MEDAL AND SPECIAL PLAQUE FOR HIS OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO ALL VETERANS ON MAY 8, 2001ON NOVEMBER 12, 2001 DAVID WAS PRESENTED A SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDAT THE ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PROGRAM AT BAY PINES VA MEDICAL CENTER BY THOMAS WEAVER, MEDICAL CENTER DIRECTOR AND GENERAL TOM DRAUDE ,USMC FOR HIS DEDICATED WORK ON BEHALF OF ALL VETERANS THROUGHOUT PINELLAS COUNTY!ON MAY, 2, 2002 DAVID WAS PRESENTED THE HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD BY MAYOR BOB JACKSON AND LT. GENERAL MICHAEL DELONG (USMC)DEPUTY COMMANDER IN CHIEF (MACDILL) AT THE 14TH ANNUAL LARGO PRAYER BREAKFAST IN 2004 DAVID COORDINATED AND WAS THE SUCCESS IN MOVING THE VETERANS DAY PARADE AND CEREMONY TO THE CITY OF SEMINOLE FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE DAVID HAS CONTINUED TO SUFFER FROM HIS DISABILITY AND MAKES HIS MOBILITY MORE OF A PROBLEM, HE STILL WORKS TO HELP LOCAL VETERANS WITH THEIR PROBLEMS AS WELL AS KEEP PATRIOTISM ALIVE AND AT THE TOP OF HIS PRIOITY. HE IS A PROUD AMERICAN AND LOVES HIS COUNTRY. HE MADE SURE HIS SONS FOCUSED AND USED THEIR INNER MARTIAL ARTS IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR LIFES. HE ALSO HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE HIS SONS FROM HIS SECOND MARRIGE GROW INTO EXCELLENT STUDENTS WHILE CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION. BOTH OF HIS SONS, JEREMIAH AND ADAM ALSO TEACH AND TRAIN IN MARTIAL ARTS AND BOTH ARE WORLD, NATIONAL AND STATE CHAMPIONS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES AND STYLES. THEY HAVE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS AND HE IS VERY PROUD OF THEM. BOTH HIS SONS WHO HAVE TURNED INTO YOUNG MEN HAVE RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS TO COLLEGE AND ONE IS TAKING CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE OTHER IS GOING TO TAKE BUSINESS MARKETING. DAVID LIVES IN LARGO FLORIDA BUT AS HE WORKS FOR VETERANS HE TRAVELS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.IN JULY OF 2007 DAVID MILLER WAS INDUCTED INTO THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA HALL OF FAME FOR OFFICIALS FOR OVER 39 YEARS OF DEDICATION IN THE MARTIAL ARTS BY MASTER JOE CORLEY, BILL “SUPERFOOT” WALLACE AND DON “THE DRAGON” WILSONIN JULY OF 2008 DAVID MILLER WAS PRESENTED HIS 3RD DEGREE BLACK BELT IN UNITED STATES CHUNG DO KWAN BY THE US CHUNG DO KWAN ASSOCIATIONIN AUGUST OF 2012 DAVID WAS PRESENTED HIS 3RD DEGREE BLACK BELT IN OKINAWANGOJU RYU MARTIAL ARTS FROM OKINAWA

Troy Bowyer was Born and raised in Missouri. His father and uncles all served in the military. Troy’s Cousins, brother and mother served as well. Troy joined the Army in 2005 where he Completed OSUT at Fort Knox. Troy trained and became a 63A, which is an M1A1 Abrams Tank Systems Maintainer, however, the tank mechanics worked on EVERYTHING. Tank Mechanics are a bit different because not just anyone could work on a turbine engine. During Troy’s time in the military, all the other careers knew the Tank Mechanics were the best. Troy also served as an M88 operator, A heavy equipment recovery vehicle. The beast of all beasts.Troy’s First duty station was Camp Casey, Korea. E Co 2/9 Infantry. Second To None! While serving there, Troy suffered an injury where he Herniated his L-4, L-5 disk completing the Manchu Mile. That is a 28 mile ruck march with a 60 pack. It is conducted every year in remembrance of an 85-mile forced march undertaken by soldiers from the 9th Infantry Regiment during the Chinese "Boxer Rebellion" in 1900. This Ruck March represented something powerful and it was a pretty extreme challenge for Troy to be a part of. Troy left S. Korea in June of 2007. He then Took that 30 days of PCS leave and went to Ft. Riley, Kansas. Troy Deployed on back to back tours in Iraq with the Big Red One where he was part of a unit being stood up. At that time, we were the Old Ironsides. Troy made it through some miserable times with some good people from that unit where he pushed through a lot of physical pain to do those deployments.Troy is now a 10 year Medically Retired SGT, part-time gunsmith with three crazy boys, a lovely wife, a rescued dog, and an evil cat, Lilith. She protects the house because the dog is too busy sleeping. Fortunately, the folks Troy work with and for, now, they are good people and understand his situation. Troy’s workload and man hours are completely up to him. Troy also tries to volunteer to help my fellow Veterans when he can. Throughout the last 10 years Troy has had four back surgeries to include a double spinal cord stimulator. Troy has had One surgery a year over the last 7-8 years, which come at a substantial price to his mind and body. Troy tries to maintain a positive outlook because he knows “it could always be worse”.

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

VFC Veterans For Cannabis at Learn Sativa in Orlando, FL

Thanks to our Host, Sue Ashby and her show Over The Edge, she has presented us with 4 stories about our vets and as always we love honoring them in our month of Veterans!

Thanks to our Host, Sue Ashby and her show Over The Edge, she has presented us with 4 stories about our vets and as always we love honoring them in our month of Veterans!

Thanks to our Host, Sue Ashby and her show Over The Edge, she has presented us with 4 stories about our vets and as always we love honoring them in our month of Veterans!

Thanks to our Host, Sue Ashby and her show Over The Edge, she has presented us with 4 stories about our vets and as always we love honoring them in our month of Veterans!

History of the rebellion and the turn in Hitler's regime, Dietrich Bonhoeffer takes his faith on the road to victory and history.

One man's journey from tyranny to freedom and questioning life along the way.

A journalist's journey through Syria, Life, Loss and Hope.

More than a last stand, Custer, his wife Libby and an abducted child. Read all about it!

A collection of essays about the struggles of war torn Mesopotamia.

Enjoy the value of a good spy during the civil war! Karen Abbott brings to life 4 women who made a huge difference in the outcome of Union.

Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down allows us to enter the world of Vietnam and the Tet Offensive and insights to Westmorland and the loss of our faith in politics during the draft and a conflict many thought we didn't belong in with Hue 1968. Be watching for the mini-series coming soon.