Honoring America’s Veterans | CLIP | America’s Hope

coming up in our next installment of America's hope honoring our veterans we focus on those who have served some of them In Harm's Way like combat wounded veteran major Ed pedo and the voices of service join us as they talk about spreading the hope of America in song duty honor and Country we don't know them all but we owe them all that's next on America's hope [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] good evening I'm Kelly Wright and this is America's hope and on this special day we are honoring veterans veterans day a day that we can all collectively pay attention ition to the men and women who have sometimes made the ultimate sacrifice so that we here in America can be free and hold on to this wonderful gift of hope so today we're going to focus on Veterans and pay honor to what they have done to pay honor to their families and we'll hear from people who have served in the military and what they're now doing to not only recognize and acknowledge the help that's needed for the members of the veteran Community but also the active duty military family as well as First Responders it's all happening here right here now on America's hope let's get started I'd like to say that I'm proud to introduce our first guest uh basically this is based on the two-time PJ major champion John Daly uh combining his skills and his passion for veterans to work alongside combat wounded veteran major Ed PLO US Army retired and I'm happy to say that uh major Ed is joining us right now talk to me about the significance first of uh Veterans Day and then let's talk about your organization Heart of a Lion well thank you so much for having me what an honor and privilege uh to be able to talk to you because I've seen you for years and I just want to tell what a great day to be an American and what a great day to give hope to others and that to me is what Veterans Day is all about is giving hope to people and their freedom all over this world for many many years we have done what you know our country has called us upon to do and that is to provide Freedom around the world to secure our nation and uh as my father once told me is that when you take the oath of office to defend the greatest nation in the world R it was always about our faith in God our love for our country and the opportunity for us to thrive and be successful to take care of our families to me that's what Veterans Day is all about making sure that we honor those that protect our freedom and our dignity to be able to live in a nation where we're all free you know I'm so glad you uh said that and the way you explained and described what veterans do for this nation uh this great country called the United States of America talk to me about your organization that you and John Daly work together on well I have to start by telling you that I've known John Daly for a long time his heart has always been to take care of others even though he's had some setbacks in life and certainly now he's on the right track and I will tell you that he's the journeyman of golf a lot of people don't know that you know it's just everyday persons can get out there and play the game and that's what John represents and one of the things that John did about three years ago was called me to action tell if you remember I used to be with the folds of Honor foundation and I I actually retired and retired for a month and then all of a sudden I end up joining forces with John Daly and a lot of other country music artists that called us to action to create the Heart of a Lion and the heart is the purple heart and the lion is John's Lion of making sure that we leave no one behind on the field a battle and that we take care of people on the home front and that to me is the essence of providing mental physical and wellness support to our nation's veterans and their families are First Responders and America's children and I think we can all agree that as part of this show that we're giving hope and opportunity but we're also letting people know that you know what we care and that's what Americans do all year round I'm so grateful that you're you're doing this because Americans do care about about veterans they do care about active duty military uh you know when I introduced you uh major Ed I talked about the fact that you were a combat wound wounded veteran can you relive those moments for me and and talk about uh The Bravery of the men who were serving alongside of you well I I have to just start by saying that you know what it was a collective group of individuals um people like you that gave us hope you you know when we needed to tell our story and the thing that was so important for me uh in 2004 uh was the fact that you know what the enlisted a non-commission officer the backbone of our military and I always remember that and I always say that because as a young man at 17 I was an enlisted service member and I understand the importance of the enlisted and non-commission officer who basically are on the front lines as you stated and have the courage and the opportunity not only to serve but to sacrifice um you know some have sacrificed their lives while some sacrificed their limbs if you recall during that time of battle there was a lot of um Insurgency a lot of dysfunction chaos um you know the resources were not up to par yet as you remember because our armored vehicles weren't to where they needed to be to the highest of standards and I don't say that in a negative way you go into into battle and you go in with what you have and I just want to Prem that by saying that no matter what happened we stuck together our leaders um I worked for General Petraeus at the time with the Coalition military assistance training teams training the Iraqi Army connecting them to you know the basic uh services and and the other Coalition forces on the ground and and you were aware of all of that that to me um that was the essence of All of Us coming together and and really giving the Iraqi people hope because that to me is what is so important is that we always talk about the negativity of War but you know what at the end of the day I took an oath of office to defend this nation to defend my men and women who fought with me and uh to all of them you know on Veterans Day we thank them but you know it was very uh tough times and and tough missions but at the end of the day you know what that's our job and that's what we do for securing Freedom all over the world your message to those who might be watching right now who are wounded veterans what's your message to them to never let go of Hope and what's your message to us as average Americans as Citizens to show our love and appreciation for their sacrifice well I wrote a book and I it's called Warrior for Freedom it's my autobiography of of my story and in that book I write I write about exactly what you just described what can we do to give everyone hope number one we have to let people know that Faith drives us and I know that you're a faithful man um you know you talk about your faith and I know that you know we all live by that and to me that is so important but we also have to have a country that supports us and I remember my father who's a Vietnam veteran who passed away last year on Thanksgiving he always would tell me you know what the mistakes that were made on us in Vietnam will never be made on you young man and that we stand clear on and I it's so important of a message to let people know that we haven't made now we've made mistakes yes but what we've done is we've really truly as the American people embraced the fact that no matter what we what's going on politically in this country because I talk a lot about that is that you know what we can all come together for our veterans and their families and that is the essence of the third pillar families making sure that our families are taken care of are supported making sure that you know legislation is passed by our leaders in Congress to make sure that you know what we have the tools the resources of support the mental health the physical health you know I've lost a leg in combat and I live with a traumatic brain injury and to me I've received the best care possible that to me is the standards of excellence that's what makes us Americans and that's what should enable everyone that's listening today to understand that you know what we all no matter what's going on Pol politically that we can all come together and as Ronald Reagan once said um in his inaugural address in 1981 we're all Americans in this together and we are and to me this is the essence of having this interview is to tell people that there's hope opportunity and that there's a a level of respect that we have for those individuals who put on the uniform each and every day and go out to work to secure this nation and its people and that to me is what the founding fathers wanted us to do and that's what we're doing today to give everyone um even from every diverse background an opportunity to serve in the greatest military in the world