We Happy Few

The Oath of Enlistment is something all branches of the military have in common. In this special Veterans Day episode, we invited service members and their families to share their thoughts on what the oath means in their lives. Those who share their feelings are:Tracy Brinkman, Carl Churchill, Lloyd Hicken, Thea Jorgensen, David Buffaloe, Sofia Olds, Jody Hanks, and David Hollingsworth. The Oath is more than a promise to most service members, and the commitment made doesn't end when they leave military service. And while service members swear the Oath, their families also learn they are part of honoring that pledge. It is a guiding light and constant reminder of what binds us together as Americans. I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. (So help me God)." (The oath for officers is slightly different.) See our website for privacy information.

David Hollingsworth joined the U.S. Army to get away from a broken heart. But in 1982, there wasn't much "going on" in the military. Still, it was serving in a time of peace that he learned life lessons that still resonate in his life. One of the things he learned as an MP is that there is always a job to be done - even if it's not the job you expect to be doing. This would become more important later in life when a motorcycle accident would change his life. Read more from David here, and get information about his upcoming book: http://holliworks.com/ See our website for privacy information.

When Tracy Brinkmann joined the US Army he knew he was carrying on a legacy that started with his grandfather serving in the German Army during WWII. In spite of learning at a young age of the traumatic experiences that both his grandfather and father had, he still wanted to serve and follow their example. See our website for privacy information.

Thea Jorgensen was a little older than her fellow soldiers in Basic Training, being almost 10 years older than most recruits, and because of that, she felt she had a lot to prove. That desire to outwork those around her has persisted. Serving in the Public Relation field has given her the chance to meet the family members of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. On top of all of that she is also a business owner, the pandemic has introduced new challenges, but she is always willing to give 100%, knowing that each day might be a little different. See our website for privacy information.

Retired Chief Master Sergeant Jody Hanks always saw himself as a non-conformist, but that didn’t stop him from joining the AirForce and making a career out of it. Over the years he learned that real leadership takes leaders that are willing to say what some might not have the courage to say and listening to those you have responsibility for. Serving at Keeler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina introduced unique challenges trying to help not only rebuild the infrastructure but more importantly rebuilding the morale of the airman serving in the aftermath of such a destructive natural disaster. Check out Jody Hank’s podcast, The Digression Podcast - https://thedigressionpodcast.com/ See our website for privacy information.

On September 11, 2001 terrorists hijacked four U.S. passenger planes, flying two of them into the World Trade Towers in Manhattan and another into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, when passengers overpowered the hijackers, ensuring it didn't make it to its intended target. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the Sept. 11th attacks. Social Media is being flooded with messages that we should never forget this day. For this special episode I wanted to ask people what they remembered about 9/11. A huge thank you to Jasen Lee and Amy Donaldson for sharing their memories. I also want to thank US Navy Commander David Bettinson (Retired) for providing Taps, something he has done for many years at the Sandy, Utah Healing Fields a tribute made possible by Colonial Flag Foundation. See our website for privacy information.

To look at Sofia Olds you wouldn’t think she was a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserves or the mother of seven beautiful children. But it wouldn’t be the first time she shattered preconceived notions about who she is or what she is capable of accomplishing. She's spent her life surpassing expectations. In this episode, SSgt Sofia Olds talks about the influence the military has had on her life, from deploying to Iraq with her husband to how it helps as she raises her children. And check out Sofia’s podcast at - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sofias-social-segments/id1514537835 See our website for privacy information.

Isolation is an issue I have experienced first-hand as a veteran who lives with depression and PTSD, as a result of military service. I've battled that by creating connections through service organizations that help veterans reconnect to their purpose and community. Now all of us find ourselves in a situation where we are isolated. So how have these organizations adjusted their mission of helping and supporting veterans when so many aspects of what they have offered is unavailable in many places. In this episode, I discuss these issues with the leaders of three veterans' service groups - Team Rubicon, Continue Mission and Team Red, White and blue. In normal times, these groups provide a lifeline that offers camaraderie and opportunity for renewed purpose. The outbreak of COVID-19 and the associated precautions haven't changed their missions, but it has changed how they serve veterans and their families. For more information on Team Rubicon: https://teamrubiconusa.org/ For more information on Continue Mission: https://www.continuemission.org/ For more information on Team Red, White and Blue https://www.teamrwb.org/ See our website for privacy information.

David Moss started his military career in the Idaho Army National Guard and wanted to serve until he could retire. Always outspoken, Dave had a run in a 1st Sergeant and ended his career after 10 years of service. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Dave wanted to serve in the military again, but he knew this time it would be as an officer. Dave served in Iraq and after returning home got a job as an active guard member in Alaska. However once again his dream of serving until retirement ended with he was determined not longer medically able to serve in the Army. He talks about fulfilling a dream of serving in the military and the realities of life after service. See our website for privacy information.

When an opportunity to capture a historical parachute jump into Normandy on the 75th anniversary, Utah filmmaker Zane O'Gwin knew he wanted to be part of it. He quickly learned there was more to the story than the decision of a group of veterans to try and honor World War II veterans who parachuted into France as part of the Normandy invasion by the allied troops. From telling the story of a Gold Star mom to the many others that each participated for their own reasons, Zane and his team capture those and many more. Here Am I, Send Me is available for free on YouTube. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUuL5ksxPT0&t=2051s See our website for privacy information.

Growing up Casey Talbot always thought he'd be an Idaho dairy farmer, even though he also dreamed about serving his country as a soldier. After going to school to study veterinary medicine he got a job in Fairgrove, Missouri, where a colleague was preparing to leave on an Army deployment. Shortly after that, circumstances in his life allowed the father of five to reconsider military service. He joined the Army and has had the chance to work with the Army's working dogs, as well as a number of other aspects of service that might surprise some. Capt. Talbot discusses how his service has changed him and how the animals he treats deal with some of the same issues as our dedicated soldiers. See our website for privacy information.

As a newlywed in 1968, the last thing Jean Donaldson expected was for her husband of five months to come home from a trip to Salt Lake City with news that he was leaving college to join the U.S. Marine Corps. She was five months pregnant with their first child (who happens to be Loudmouth's own Amy Donaldson) when he enlisted, and she delivered their second child as he slept in field in Vietnam on Christmas Eve 1969. She talks about how the Marines gave her husband, Dan, purpose and direction, as he'd struggled most of his life with losing his father at age 13. She talks about how she found out he'd been wounded, and what it was like to work with veterans when she became a community mental health specialist in her 50s. Check out this article that Amy wrote for the Deseret News about running with her Mom: https://www.deseret.com/2016/10/23/20598898/amy-donaldson-running-ragnar-hawaii-with-my-69-year-old-mother-offers-lessons-in-perseverance#a-post-race-selfie-with-from-left-to-right-my-mom-jean-donaldson-69-sisters-michelyn-pylilo-46-and-loralee-faucheux-38-and-amy-donaldson-48 And check out this episode of We Happy Few with Dan Donaldson: https://loudmouthproject.com/semper-fi-understanding-the-marine-who-raised-me/ See our website for privacy information.

The Oath of Enlistment is something all branches of the military have in common. In this special Veterans Day episode, we invited service members and their families to share their thoughts on what the oath means in their lives. Those who share their feelings are: Keimon Dixson, Krista Palmer, Josh Hanson, Marcy Henly, Ninzel Rassmuson, Layne Morris, Maj. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, Fred Tapia, Dan Bucio, Arlo Doyle, and Amy Alleman. The Oath is more than a promise to most service members, and the commitment made doesn't end when they leave military service. And while service members swear the Oath, their families also learn they are part of honoring that pledge. It is a guiding light and constant reminder of what binds us together as Americans. I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. (So help me God)." (The oath for officers is slightly different.) See our website for privacy information.

Sgt. Mike Hendry joined the U.S. Army after deciding college wasn't the path for him. He gravitated to the grittiest assignments and found purpose alongside his brothers in the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Division (light infantry) for "six years and 16 weeks to the day." He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan in two different deployments, and in this episode he talks about serving in Iraq and how his service transformed the man he is today. See our website for privacy information.

Ninzel Rasmuson's desire to serve her brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces didn't end when her service in the Air National Guard ended. In this episode, she talks about the impacts of working as a mishap investigator, having sons that serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, and starting a nonprofit (Honor365) that helps veterans navigate the labyrinth of service providers and non-profits as they try to adjust to life after military service. For more information on her organization, visit https://honor365.org/ See our website for privacy information.

Homeless and broke, Marcy Hehnly decided to meet with an Army recruiter when she was 20-years old. Four years earlier, she'd lost her mother to cancer, which led to struggles with her father as they both tried to rebuild their lives. It was a decision that not only changed her life, but it showed her the value of service and created a family structure that shaped her career decisions and sustains her emotionally today. After leaving the Army, she became a police officer, and then after that, she felt called to become a university professor. All of her career opportunities have taught her to be of service to the world, and that's something she tries to teach her students as an educator. Each of her careers has marked a chapter in her life, teaching her something about herself, especially spiritually. See our website for privacy information.

On this episode of We Happy Few Amy Donaldson and Jason Comstock visit with WWII veteran SSgt Stanley Nance and his great granddaughter Madeline about his service and the secret she recently learned. SSgt Nance served in a unit during the war the German High Command dubbed the Ghost Army. His war experience was classified until 1996. The one time he shared it with his daughter she didn't believe him, and he never told his wife what he did during the war. SSgt Nance is another example ordinary men doing extraordinary things.See our website for privacy information.

In this episode, Jason Comstock talks with Daniel and Angie Bucio about his service in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Dan immigrated to the United States from Mexico after his family learned that his grandfather was a U.S. citizen and had served in World War II. Like many Americans, Dan felt a desire to serve his adopted homeland after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He's served all over the world, but his first deployment came in 2014 when he was deployed to Northern Africa, with responsibilities that took him all over Northern Africa and the Middle East. Like most service members, deployment had a profound impact on Dan and his family. The Bucios are learning to embrace their "new normal" and haven't shied away from challenges - old and new - that they've faced.See our website for privacy information.

In this episode, Amy Donaldson talks Kelli Pacheco about joining the U.S. Marine Corps, being in the second groups of women to participate in the Crucible - a test recruits must endure after they join. Although she wanted to fly, she ended up going into a computer field. Kelli struggled when she had a child, and had to make the difficult decision to leave her daughter in daycare for long stretches of the day or rely on her family back in Utah to help raise her. Medical issues forced her to leave the Marine Corps, but she cherishes the time she had and the friendships she forged. See our website for privacy information.

In this episode, host Jason Comstock has a conversation with his children about how his military service impacted them. When Comstock was deployed (2004), David was 11, and Mason was 8 - and they had three sisters - who all had to deal with their father being sent to combat. They discuss why they felt angry and lost, where they found hope, and what advice they'd give to parents thinking of joining the military. They discuss how they saw their father's return as something that would help them find normal again, but because Comstock suffered from PTSD, they experienced confusion, resentment, and isolation. To learn more about Mason Comstock's band Rebel Rebel and hear some of their music: https://rebelrebelslc.bandcamp.com/See our website for privacy information.