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Bob Alvis and guests discuss the topic of Stolen Valor in this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Finale]

Bob Alvis and guests discuss the topic of Stolen Valor in this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 5]

Bob Alvis and guests discuss the topic of Stolen Valor in this edition of AV Veterans Talk. [Part 4]

Bob Alvis and guests discuss the politics of Stolen Valor in this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 3]

Bob Alvis and guests discuss the topic of Stolen Valor in this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 2]

Bob Alvis takes on the topic of Stolen Valor in this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 1]

Bob Alvis welcomes Vance Kirkpatrick to this installment of AV Veterans Talk [Finale]

Bob Alvis welcomes Vance Kirkpatrick to this installment of AV Veterans Talk [6 of 7]

Bob Alvis welcomes Vance Kirkpatrick to this installment of AV Veterans Talk [Part 4 of 7]

Bob Alvis welcomes Vance Kirkpatrick to this installment of AV Veterans Talk [Part 3 of 7]

Bob Alvis welcomes Vance Kirkpatrick to this installment of AV Veterans Talk [Part 2 of 7]

Bob Alvis welcomes Vance Kirkpatrick to this installment of AV Veterans Talk [Part 1 of 7]

Bob Alvis welcomes Mary Pond to this edition of AV Veterans Talk [FINALE]

Bob Alvis welcomes Mary Pond to this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 4 of 5]

Bob Alvis welcomes Mary Pond to this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 3 of 5]

Bob Alvis welcomes Mary Pond to this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 2 of 5]

Bob Alvis welcomes Mary Pond to this edition of AV Veterans Talk [Part 1 of 5]

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans T...

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Dan is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having enlisted in 1944, just prior to the end of WWII. In this segment, Dan gives us a more in-depth look at the operations of Wonder Bread, where he worked for 34 years. The company invested $33 million in a fully automated bakery while Dan was part of their team – no human hands touched the product, the bread was sliced and wrapped totally by machine. He reminisces with Bob about some other memories from his military service and the friends he made during those years. Dan’s interview is one of a series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans T...

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Dan is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having enlisted in 1944, just prior to the end of WWII. In this segment Dan talks about his life after his term of service. He worked for the US Postal Service for eight years, and then worked for Wonder Bread for 34 years. He enjoyed his career there, serving first as a salesman, then as a supervisor and foreman. Some of us SoCal natives remember the local Helms Bakery trucks – Dan recalls Helms as being very tough competition! Wonder Bread grew and expanded, building a $33 million fully automated facility in Ontario. Dan shares some other memories of life in SoCal in the years after the war. Dan’s interview is one of a series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans T...

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Dan is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having enlisted in 1944, just prior to the end of WWII. He signed up for a training school when he joined the service, but he didn’t care for it, so he was assigned to a battleship in Pearl Harbor to train as a cook. As his training progressed, he became a third-class petty officer and watch captain aboard the USS Massachusetts. During Dan’s term of service, the ship was known as a “magic carpet” as it carried out its mission of bringing troops home from their Pacific deployments. The hangar deck was converted to sleeping quarters with bunks stacked five high, carrying 800 troups at a time – plus a crew of 800. Dan was a night cook, part of a team that fed the men three square meals a day on their journey home. He enjoyed taking care of the returning troops, many of whom had been away from home for as long as four years. Dan’s interview is one of a series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans T...

Bob Alvis welcomes Dan Graham to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Dan’s interview is one of a series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. Dan Graham is a U.S. Navy veteran. His parents gave him permission to enlist in the Navy when he was 17, just as WWII was ending. Dan was born in 1927 and raised in Chicago, one mile from Al Capone’s headquarters in Cicero, IL. WWII broke out when he was in high school. His family moved to California when he was 17. He was not happy with the move, so he asked his parents to sign papers for him to join the Navy. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Bonnie Thompson to this edition of AV Veter...

Bob Alvis welcomes Bonnie Thompson to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Bonnie is a US Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War era, and became a nurse after she separated from service. In this segment, Bonnie reminisces about some of the great friendships she enjoyed during her time in the military. Bonnie’s interview is one in a continuing series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Caroline Craft to this edition of AV Vetera...

Bob Alvis welcomes Caroline Craft to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Caroline is a Navy veteran and native of the Antelope Valley. Caroline and her husband Tom returned to the Antelope Valley after his retirement from the Navy, thinking that he might find employment as an instructor at Antelope Valley College. His career path instead led him to an executive position with Edwards Federal Credit Union. He was a popular figure in the community, sought after as a speaker for military-related events, and a dynamic force in bringing the William J. “Pete” Knight Veterans Home to the Antelope Valley. Caroline Craft’s interview is one in a continuing series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Caroline Craft to this edition of AV Vetera...

Bob Alvis welcomes Caroline Craft to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. Caroline is a Navy veteran and native of the Antelope Valley. Her husband, the late Tom Craft, was an A.V. community leader and Navy veteran, who was instrumental in bringing the Pete Knight Veterans Home to Lancaster. In this segment, Caroline recalls growing up in the Antelope Valley during WWII. There were ration books for food staples; her family grew their own food and traded food items amongst other family members who farmed for a living. Caroline’s parents were studying for U.S. citizenship during this time, and were restricted from traveling more than 10 miles from home during war time. Caroline joined the Navy in the 1950s, and greatly enjoyed her time in the service. She did her basic training in Great Lakes, Chicago, and then was stationed in Sand Point, Seattle. She was assigned to supply, first doing clerical work and later operating a military clothing store. Caroline Craft’s interview is one in a continuing series being conducted with selected residents of Holiday Retirement Rancho Village in Palmdale, CA. Many thanks to the management of this beautiful facility for allowing us to share these veteran’s stories. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Stacia Nemeth and Linda Willis to this installment of AV Veterans Talk, presented by Aerotech News and Review. Stacia and Linda are City of Palmdale staff members who work in conjunction with the AV Wall, which will be on display Nov. 8 – 13, 2017 at Marie Kerr Park in Palmdale. In this segment, Stacia and Linda both share stories of how the Wall can bring about emotional healing and highly impactful experiences for the individuals who visit. For more information and a daily schedule of events, visit www.avwall.org. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes David Cheek to this edition of AV Veterans ...

Bob Alvis welcomes David Cheek to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. In this segment, David talks about the struggles of obtaining medical care within the confines of the VA Health System – which he is familiar with first-hand. It’s difficult both for the veterans, and the VA employees who are trying to provide the best care possible utilizing a system that doesn’t work as well as it should. Simple transportation to the VA center in Westwood continues to be an obstacle. David has picked people up in Westwood who have been left stranded when they come out of their appointments to find that the van has already returned to the Antelope Valley. David Cheek served as a US Navy diver, both on active duty in Vietnam and as a member of the Navy Fleet Reserves. He was awarded three Purple Hearts during his term of service from 1961 to 1976. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer. Today he serves as an advocate for veterans trying to get benefit assistance through the VA system. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Stacia Nemeth and Linda Willis to this inst...

Bob Alvis welcomes Stacia Nemeth and Linda Willis to this installment of AV Veterans Talk, presented by Aerotech News and Review. [Part 4 of 5] Bob Alvis welcomes Stacia Nemeth and Linda Willis to this installment of AV Veterans Talk, presented by Aerotech News and Review. Stacia and Linda are City of Palmdale staff members who work in conjunction with the AV Wall, which will be on display Nov. 8 – 13, 2017 at Marie Kerr Park in Palmdale. This year, commemorative lapel pins are available for all veterans who served during the Vietnam era, 11/1/55 through 5/1/75. Many individuals and groups within the AV community serve as volunteers to make the program a success. The Junior ROTC, AV College Veterans Club, Kiwanis and American Red Cross are just some of the community groups that participate, in conjunction with Point Man AV, who are responsible for maintenance, storage and display of the memorial. For more information and a daily schedule of events, visit www.avwall.org. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes David Cheek to this edition of AV Veterans ...

Bob Alvis welcomes David Cheek to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. David Cheek served as a US Navy diver, both on active duty in Vietnam and as a member of the Navy Fleet Reserves. He was awarded three Purple Hearts during his term of service from 1961 to 1976. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer. Today he serves as an advocate for veterans trying to get benefit assistance through the VA system. He is also a certified journeyman farrier. In this segment, Bob and David discuss the social environment that awaited soldiers returning from the Vietnam War. David continued in service post-Vietnam, both on active duty and in the reserves, and worked for years with veterans who were released from service during that time period. One of his assignments was decommissioning the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard. He worked as a farrier after separating from service. He suffers from PTSD, as a result of accumulated experience during his service. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes Stacia Nemeth and Linda Willis to this inst...

Bob Alvis welcomes Stacia Nemeth and Linda Willis to this installment of AV Veterans Talk, presented by Aerotech News and Review. Stacia and Linda are City of Palmdale staff members who work in conjunction with the AV Wall, which will be on display Nov. 8 – 13, 2017 at Marie Kerr Park in Palmdale. The 2017 Veterans Day Ceremony will take place Sat. Nov. 11, beginning at 11 a.m. The ceremony will honor all veterans in attendance. The Air Force Band of the West will provide music, followed by remarks from this year’s keynote speaker, Dennis Anderson. This year honors the 35th anniversary of the opening of the national Vietnam memorial in Washington D.C. Come out prepared to make friends, and say thank you to our veterans. Guides are available to assist with finding names – the AV Wall database is the most accurate database of information for individuals whose names are listed on the memorial. Veterans Day activities will finish with a candlelight service at 9 p.m., followed by “Taps” at 10 p.m. For more information and a daily schedule of events, visit www.avwall.org. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk

Bob Alvis welcomes David Cheek to this edition of AV Veterans ...

Bob Alvis welcomes David Cheek to this edition of AV Veterans Talk, sponsored by Aerotech News and Review. David Cheek served as a US Navy diver, both on active duty in Vietnam and as a member of the Navy Fleet Reserves. He was awarded three Purple Hearts during his term of service from 1961 to 1976. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer. Today he serves as an advocate for veterans trying to get benefit assistance through the VA system. In this segment, David recalls his military service in the 1960s. He was stationed primarily in Japan, and was deployed to Vietnam on an as-needed basis. He did underwater welding, demolition and submarine inspections. #aerotechnews #avveteranstalk