#174 Wreaths Across America w/ Wayne Hanson
Borne the Battle
Hanson discusses his time in the Army and the socio-political atmosphere of when he returned from Vietnam. He talks about transition and his gradual involvement to becoming the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Wreaths Across America. Lastly, he shares the four words from a stranger that kept him motivated to work even to this day.
info_outline
#173 On the Firing Line with Marine Veteran Dan Duitsman
Borne the Battle
Marine Veteran Dan Duitsman is Camp Valor Outdoors’ Shooting Sports Program Director. His role is to get disabled veterans into competitive shooting – no matter the disability. Currently, Camp Valor Outdoors’ shooting teams compete in professional matches all over the country.
info_outline
#172 Lakota Warrior and Vietnam Veteran Dr. Robert Primeaux
Borne the Battle
From reservation to the Army and later to Hollywood, Primeaux describes life as member of a Lakota tribe, his service during the Vietnam War, and shares the Four Cardinal Lakota Virtues in hopes of helping other Veterans. He credits the Lakota Four Virtues he had been taught as a young man for helping him recover from the war as well as from car accident.
info_outline
#171: Seven Summits w/ Benjamin Breckheimer
Borne the Battle
Army Veteran Benjamin Breckheimer discovered mountain climbing after his service and is now aiming to be the first Purple Heart recipient to climb the Seven Summits of the world. Breckheimer details on how he survived an IED blast, a divorce during his four-year recovery and the 2015 Nepal earthquake while on Mount Everest.
info_outline
#170: Dale Dye, Marine Corps Birthday Episode
Borne the Battle
When watching a movie, it’s easy to think that everything is real and true and lifelike. It's no surprise that that isn't always the case, especially with military movies. That's how Marine Veteran Dale Dye got involved. He wanted to tell Hollywood the right way to portray the military on screen. In this episode Dale Dye talks Vietnam, post-military careers, treating PTSD
info_outline
#169: Benefits Breakdown - Appeals Modernization
Borne the Battle
Executive Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) Appeals Management Office (AMO) and Army Veteran David McLenachen talks about the appeals modernization process.
info_outline
#168: Coaching NCAA Lacrosse with Marine Veteran Chris Burke and Mitchell Shafer
Borne the Battle
Chris Burke discusses his service in the Marines, including his injury and recovery from an IED explosion. However, Burke's real story begins on what he did after his service.
info_outline
#167: Paging Dr. Albert Weed, Green Beret Medic, Army Medical Officer, VA Surgeon
Borne the Battle
Dr. Weed's career has taken him from enlisted Green Beret Army medic to an Army medical officer to VA surgeon. Weed discussed his name, his family’s military background and medical experiences led him to, among other things, from peacekeeping in Egypt, to swimming in Saddam Hussein's pool, and receiving four different DD-214s. Listen as Weed recounts his experiences in the military and medical fields and his current work serving Veterans as a surgeon with the Salem VA Medical Center.
info_outline
#166: Navy to NASCAR w/ Jesse Iwuji
Borne the Battle
After his football career ended, Jesse found racing. However, he was at a disadvantage compared to his peers who started racing at a very early age: Iwuji started in his mid 20’s. He lacked sponsorship and he wasn’t born into a racing family. Despite this, his determination has led him to a variety of open doors. He funded the first part of his NASCAR K&N racing career through a variety of ways to include starting his own business. Currently he is racing in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.
info_outline
#165: The Battle of Mogadishu w/ Army Ranger Veteran, Jeff Struecker
Borne the Battle
This week’s Borne the Battle episode features Army Ranger Veteran Jeff Struecker. He discusses the Battle of Mogadishu and his life as a chaplain, a pastor, and an author.
info_outlineIn episode 157, we spoke with Army Veteran Ursula Draper about her role in the development of an Assistive Technology (AT) program. In this week's Benefits Breakdown, we take a deeper dive into how this program works and who is able to access it.
The AT program will sound familiar to those who know Darwin’s Theory of Adaptation. The adaptation theory--also known as survival theory, or survival of the fittest--is an organism’s ability to adapt to changes in its environment and adjust accordingly. The Assistive Technology program helps Veterans to do just that.
The AT program, which began in 2008, aims to improve the lives of disabled Veterans by allowing them to maintain independence by completing everyday tasks. It helps Veterans with computer use and accessibility, voice activated technologies, drive control for wheelchairs, and even giving them the ability to turn lights on and off.
VA created four main hubs for instructing those granted into the program: Minneapolis, MN; Tampa, Fl; Richmond, VA; and Palo Alto, CA.
In this episode we look at:
- How the program started.
- How a Veteran can apply to the program.
- Some Examples of the technology being developed.
Enjoy.
#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:
- Marine Corps Veteran Meredith Keirn