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Three Branches One Life · How We 1st Met & Marriage

• JB: Hi everybody, like to welcome all day back to another episode of Let's Talk About It. And I'm your host, Johnny, and today I'm going to be riding solo. Normally I have my wife Tanya with me, but she'll be back with us on the next episode. Today's show is very special. I wanna I wanna take my time out and give a and just show love and appreciation to all the military people that serve our country. And that's why this episode is so special to me. in this episode here I have a good friend of mine, which I don't use that word too lightly. His name is David Morgan. He's gonna give us a journey through his life and his military service and everything he did for us. So I'd like to welcome David to the show. Thank you so much, Donnie. I want to thank you for inviting me. It's an honor. We've been friends for nearly eleven years and we are brothers. And it's it's an honor to be on your show and I would like to also thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the honor and the privilege of serving my country. Sir. Again, I'd appreciate you, Dave, for everything that that you've done for me, for our country. And I'm ready to hear some more stuff that I never knew about you and let's get it. First question I have, David, before we before we get into the military career, tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you grew up at, I was born in Merrero, right outside of New Orleans and And that was a long time ago and it my family left after Hurricane Etsy and moved back to Texas where my father's family and my mother's family lived. So I grew up in Denison, Texas, down the road about an hour or so. And about nineteen eighty six I decided to join the military and I had lot of inspiration. Yeah. Some of it was military movies, war war movies, things like that, but also family members in the military also. What expired you to join the military in nineteen eighty six? I had an uncle who served his full twenty years in the Navy. My father was in the Navy also in Korea. He fixed jets radios and jets and on aircraft carrier gears are and they didn't ask me to go in but I kind of like I wanted to go in, I wanted to serve my country, I love serving love serving people. So that was fun. But you would have thought I would have joined the Navy, but no. Navy yet. I joined the Army. I wanted to be Army infantry. Gotcha. So what let's talk about the day of signing. What was going through your mind the day you enlisted and signed those papers to join the army? I was a little bit nervous, a little bit scared, didn't know what to expect, but also excited. I was excited to in a way for me it was I had had jobs and But that was a way of in my mind growing up and becoming a man, doing my own path. Gotcha. Wow. So how did your family feel when you told Hey, got some news for y'all. I'm getting ready to join the military. How was what was their reaction to th to that when you told that? My mom was a bit sad but she also accepted it. My dad was like, Why the army? You got family members in the Navy, why not the Navy? he always had a lot of respect for the Navy C Bs and we'll get into that later. But It was what it was at the time. I was like reading these magazines, Gung Ho magazine, and I wanted to be an airborne ranger. Well that didn't happen, but I did have a lot of fun and I learned a lot and experienced a lot. So I'm I'm pretty sure you watched probably a a lot of Army movies. Yeah. What was your ex expectation before leaving for basic training? Did you feel like I'm I'm about to go through everything I seen on these movies and I heard about or was it just total different from I was like I've many guys in my era it was like I wanted to be a hero. I had that hero complex. I wanted to save lives and I guess a lot of people want to save the world but that was my way of saving lives. So I thought about that. But I was also thinking about getting out in the world and seeing things. I should have joined the Navy to see the world. Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Right. But that was still beautiful. Yeah. So next question I have for you, Dave, what was the biggest adjustment coming from being a civilian to military life? Was it did it take you a while to adjust to military lifestyle or did it come like like that? no, it it took a little adjusting. at first basic training I got a shock because I went to Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the infantry. And unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the rainiest winter they'd had on record for quite a while. And we have a saying in the army, if it ain't raining, we ain't training. And you add that mix to forty degree weather and you got misery. So that was that and the the physicality of it. So I ended up in what they called OSA, one station unit training. Means we had the same drill sergeants for basic training and what they called AIT, advanced individual training. So sixteen weeks with these guys and they put us through the ring. But I came out with a six pack. Yeah but I've heard s I heard stories especially about the training and everything. all right let's dive into our next segment. Let's talk about your active duty years from nineteen eighty six to nineteen eighty nine. Tell us about your first job while on active duty. Right after I graduated from basic training, I got sent to the hundred first Air assault division, which is in Port Campbell, Kentucky. And they I went to Bravo Company, the first of three two seventh. And it was actually the company that was at Bastion. Our we had a bulldog there for our battalion. we were the Bastone Bulldogs because in World War Two there was a great battle and Patton actually saved their butts after that. But it was a it was a hard fought battle and many against the the Germans and many Americans died in that. But so I immediately after getting there they were getting ready to go to West Point. to teach cadets various aspects of warfare and fighting, how to fire machine guns. And keep in mind, although I am an E three private first class, I'm very new in the military, so I'm like, why can I teach anyone? So 'cause I'm still learning. Right. But that was that was a blast because we went up here to West Point and it it is beautiful up there. There was a lake that's called Lake Popalopen and we fished out of there a lot, caught some good fish and saw chipmunks for the first time in my life. I saw raccoons who were very, very fat because they would come beg for fish from the GIs and they would feed G.I. is short for government issue, it's what we call ourselves because we're basically owned by the government. But we had a blast up there. It was exhausting because our machine gun ranges were twenty hours a day. So we would we would sleep a little bit, very little. But that was for two weeks. So we got we had a blast teaching cadets for three week I mean three months excuse me. And after that we came back and we were training ourselves. I mean they were training us various things. at the time it's a bit different than it is nowadays but we had what was called N B C nuclear, biological and chemical. And of course the big thing is training for nuclear warfare. But also what scared me more than i bullets or anything else is chemical. So we we had chemical protective suits and we trained a lot on getting those on, especially your your gas mask on within fifteen seconds I believe. And then you had to get that on before you can help anyone else. Once you've got that on, if it's it it's there's levels of chemical dispersion. So you have to someone will they have machines that detect that. So they'll let you know if you need your just your mask on or if you need your s full suit and that's hot. We actually did road marches in those one time and it was like charcoal on it. So it is it was I was dying with that. A lot of work. Wow. Yeah that's that's a pretty active active job. Gotta stay up. Who was who was your toughest leader or instructor you ever had during your during your t active time? Probably the toughest was one of my drill sergeants, drill sergeant Malate, I still remember his name. And he was from Georgia and he he was a typical drill sergeant. Very tough, not forgiving. And but I mean he was he's very good. He was very good at what he did and his job was to be tough on us and to teach us to learn and we did a lot of push ups. A lot of push ups. But he was very fair. He was tough but fair. Right. And so we had a platoon that was not very disciplined and they try different leaders including me at one time but when you have some screw ups, whether it's the military or civilian job, you're always gonna have those it seems like. And sometimes you have to get really tough on We did a lot of push ups, a lot of PT at four thirty in the morning when there's frost on the ground, we're laying on our backs, and you're hating him at that time, but he's one of the reasons I got it came out with this a sick back. Right. Work out work out. Mm-hmm. Can you can you share a funny military story that still stick with you to this day? Okay, yes. When we were my unit was up in in West Point. I was fishing out of that lake, Lake Popalopen, and I had a friend with me, his last name was Wolf. And Wolf was shall we say inebriated and I was not, but he was. So I had to hook something that was very powerful. It literally took me thirty minutes to get pull it in completely and I didn't know what it was. And we're it was he was like cheering me on the whole thirty minutes and I didn't know what it was but it I felt like finally after like twenty five minutes it comes to the surface and it looks like a snake. Well it wasn't a snake. It was an ill. And it was a big hill. It was like four inches around. And I'm like I didn't know what to do. I I'm like reeling it in but I'm like, what do you do with an ill? I was so ignorant. Like And naive I was like, is this electric? I didn't know. It's like once I get it in, how am I gonna get the hook out? Right. And so Wolf helped me out with that. He's like cheering me on, he's like, Yeah So I get it like a a foot or two from the bank and he's reaching out with his inebriated self and he's reaching for it and I gr I grabbed for him because he's grabbing this his eel lunged at us. Literally lunged at us and fortunately it dropped the hook. and fell into the water and I had grabbed him and pulled him back 'cause he almost grabbed that eel. We laughed at it later, but I was like, don't do that. I didn't know what it I didn't know if it was electric or not. Yeah, that leave that alone. Wow. Man. So what's what's the most difficult challenge you face doing active duty? Like was it a challenge that you were like, Man, I don't know if I wanna continue to do this What what what was the most typical challenge we face? I I told you if it ain't raining we ain't training. So there was a time that we went out and we were in a tactical training situation where we are in ambush on an enemy, and we waited there eight hours. So we were in what these these slight depressions they're called ranger graves. So they're very shallow maybe seven eight inches and you have a berm in front that's to protect you from incoming fire. So we're laying there and it's pouring down rain. but not only that, it's about thirty seven to forty degrees. So you add those together and you get misery. And so I'm sitting there sh shivering for eight hours. Everything I own is wet and I'm like Why didn't I join the infantry? So that I wasn't sure I was gonna make it out of it. And then the very next day, no, it was actually a few days later, we went on a road march. It had turned from rain to snow. And it went from thirty seven degrees to minus thirty degrees and we're out marching in it. And we had these funny boots, I don't know if they carry anymore. They called Mickey Mouse boots. So you blow air in them to insulate And for my idiot butt that was not warm enough. So I put a second pair of socks on. And that made it worse. And instead of freezing my feet were now sweating and when you have at sweating body to extreme cold you get possible frostbite. So that was very much of a challenge. Again, I was like, Why am I doing this? Wow. Why didn't I subject myself to this? I still don't know. But it was fun. Later. Let's go to the next question I got for you, Mr. Morgan. Did the did military life change the way you look at responsibility and discipline? Definitely. Although my father was a fair man, but he was also into discipline. I mean, he he raised us to have discipline and to take responsibility for our lives. but also this up the game and you're in a position where you have to and you have no choice. you're forced to have discipline. You learn it very well. So there was times where we had strong i inspections where the colonel would come through and I remember one in particular where he would do like white glove inspection and run his finger under our toilet bowl and if you found anything you're not going on leave you're you are sitting there cleaning. And we had a very strong sergeant major so he was he was very rough and gruff but he could be funny too. so It was you learn to clean and learn to take responsibility for your actions. Yeah, that's one thing I love about those two things you just said, responsibility and actions. That to me is you you know me, I'll I'll that's important to me. So, on that note we're gonna take a quick commercial break and be right back after these messages. Welcome everybody back to Let's Talk About It. And I'm your host, Johnny, and I got a special guest with me again, my guy David Morgan. And we're gonna hop back into the let's talk about the National Guard years. David, from nineteen eighty nine to nineteen ninety-five. What made you transition from active duty into the National Guard? Well, when I signed papers. enlistment papers, it was an eight year commitment. So it was I did three years active and I could have re enlisted but I did not. I chose to go back to civilian life. But I still had five more years to serve and I could have chosen to reserves which is actually paid by the federal government or the National Guard, which is paid by the state. So I was paid by the state of Texas. And that was I had to do it but I'm glad I did it. And it's funny because when I was in the active duty we used to make fun of them, call them nasty guard and stuff like that. And but when I got in it I had a blast. How different was the National Guard life compared to active duty? Was it a huge difference? Was it just a s smooth transition? It was it was huge because it was a lot less strict, it was more relaxed, more fun, and I actually grew to respect sergeants more in the National Guard than I did in the active duty army. had I made a some friends, no we're not still friends, it's been many, many years. there's friends I wish I'd kept up with. Same in civilian life, but you know how sometimes you can lose track of people. And but it was a blast. I learned a lot and it was a different it was a different kind of Yeah. How different how different was the national how different was the National Guard like compared to active duty? Was it a huge difference? Was it a smooth sailing or was it what you expected? How how different was it for you? It was huge difference but smooth because it was a lot more relaxed and a lot less stress. So and of course your civilian also because and the National Guard I worked I had two days a month and two weeks out of the summer. That was my commitment. And we're still training but it was it was a different kind of work. I was actually in my first National Guard unit I was in mortars and I was the assistant gunner. So every all the equipment I mess with was is out of date now but it was fun. These mortars are there was four deuce mortars or four point two inch mortars and so we fired them out of a personnel carrier and my gunner was scared to death 'cause I was supposed to assist especially since I was new at it. But he practiced the first time we fired them He practically ran and so they were like, You're promoted and I had a blast. So we threw mortars three miles down range when we went to Fort Hood, Texas. But it's it was also easy to I had my civilian life and my civilian job too. That's that's why I love these interviews. I get the Yeah, hear stories that you never hear from from the average person. does servant and the guard teach anything different from active duty? in a way. A lot of it was reinforced and I had a very good unit. I don't know if all units in the National Guard are very good, but my unit in Denison was very good. And we had a strong cohesive unit and it was it was a team. And it taught me more teamwork and more responsibility because we had to I mean we were s such a small unit instead of a battalion of seven hundred men it was a unit of probably I don't remember but maybe a hundred to hundred and fifty. So you learn to rely on each other more and to serve where needed. So what did you enjoy most about serving in the National Guard and give me your proudest moment during your years Although firing a lot of cool stuff was really, really fun because I was like and we went to a range one time where it was explosives. We had to learn explosives so I got to fire. Again, a lot of stuff that's out of date. They probably don't have any more but what they called in World War Two a Bangalore torpedo. So it was a a long stretch of pipe with C four in it and you connect them together and it's like in on the beaches of Normandy they connected them together to get rid of the concertina wire that the Germans had to prevent their advance. And it's just so cool. Firing all that stuff. But also got to again work as a team with a lot of people and I guess my proudest moment would be that I was promoted to E five sergeant and they were training me to become a I can't remember the name of it. It was a a supply special supply sergeant. So that's what it was. Supply sergeant and that was that was really cool. That was interrupted because I moved to Lubbock, Texas and got a whole new different unit. But that was still fun. Learning all that. what skill from the military carried over into your everyday life as of as of today? That would be leadership, learning leadership 'cause we did go since I got promoted to sergeant, I was required to go to school that taught leadership skills because I would actually lead a a group of men, a platoon, and I that was at Fort Hood and so I had to learn how to cope with buildings with all kinds of I don't want to and different things that you see in civilian life too if you have a job and coworkers 'cause we all know there's good coworkers and bad co workers in most jobs. If you don't have any of those, you're very blessed. But I I learned a lot of that and and more teamwork. That we do. And on that note we're gonna take a quick commercial and be right back after this brief Marshall. Before we continue, I have a segment called Let's Get This Off My Chest. Too often we think veterans are only holiday veterans on holidays or special occasions, but reality is is that many men and women sacrifice birthdays, family events, holidays, and years away from their loved ones. Ones so we can enjoy the freedom and sometimes we take for granted, especially. It's important that we remember their service doesn't end when they take that uniform off. Many veterans continue their service to their communities, minds, and others in making difference every day. To all the veterans, thank you for your service and sacrifice. I appreciate y'all and I love y'all. Let's move on to the next segment. David, let's talk about your Navy reserve years. 2003. 2006, I was just coming over here from New Orleans in 2005. After several years away, what motivated you to return and serve Navy Reserve? a good question. I often ask myself that back then too, but I had I got out of the Army National Guard because I to be honest, I got tired of going to Fort Hood. And Fort Hood in the summer was full of chiggers and very hot and a lot of dust. So I I just I got tired of that but Several years later, I think that was ninety five I got out. Was that ninety five, ninety six somewhere? And early two thousands I was like I I missed military life. But I finally decided to honor my father by going in the military service he he loved the Navy. And I knew I was not going to be going on a ship, but was in on landlocked navy at the Naval Air Station Joint Readiness Base in Fort Worth, Texas. Wow. Next question I have for you. how did military serv change between the late eighties and the early two thousands? Was it a big difference? It was because I was more mature. I'd had a lot more things under my belt, so I was I'd learned a lot. I had was less naive and I had been through I had a lot of life events happen. So I knew a bit more to expect. They were kind enough not to make me go back to basic training 'cause I had already been. And they could have, but they they didn't 'cause I I had to learn a whole new culture. Right. 'cause I had to learn naval ranks as opposed to army ranks. And it's it's a bit different. But it was it was fun. I I loved it. And also I was instead of in the Army infantry and National Guard where it was men only, I was co ed in the naval reserve. So it it was learning to work alongside of men and women to complete a specified goal, whatever that might be. You mentioned new culture. What was it like learning a a new military culture? It was at first the rank was the the biggest thing that confused me. I was they were again, they were nice enough to keep me I couldn't keep my E five, but I was they kept me at E four. So E four equivalent in the Navy was petty officer third class. And I was it was cool being called petty officer. I liked that. And I was actually wishing I had served on a ship. But it was learning what's how different the culture was from the army and 'cause it's it's different thinking, it's a bit more relaxed, it's still running in formation and I hated that. but it was not Since it was still reserved, it was not as strict as active duty. With all your previous ex military experience, did it help with help you with the naval reserve? Yes. I had more discipline again and teamwork experience by that time. But I also knew what a little more to expect that it was like just not some civilian job and that I'm going to a warehouse and working eight or ten hours and going home and sleeping and doing the same thing over and over. There's things I had to learn like in the naval reserve. I was in the C Bs. Now C B's it's spelled out it's S E A capital B E E S. But it's a construction battalion. And it was started in World War Two as a to build things, obviously. So in World War Two they built runways, they built whatever was needed at the time. Barracks, privies. And so like during the Iraqi war, after Saddam Hussein was overthrown, they were building schools because once he was overthrown, young girls could go to school then. So they were building schools in Iraq. and they build whatever's needed. And that was fun. I was learning heavy heavy earth moving equipment. And I have a lot more respect for those guys, especially the the guys that drive the bulldozers. Because in school in Gulfport, Mississippi, when we were trying to do it ourselves, the instructor would have us get in and the tendency was to dig in and do the roller coaster effect. And he'd have to come smooth it out for us and we We do it again. So learning all the grading and heavy earth moving equipment was really cool. I'm telling you, I'm I'm learning a whole lot of stuff today. So again I that's why I love I couldn't wait to do this interview. What was your biggest challenge during this chapter of the service I would say learning the most earth moving equipment because we didn't I went to school for it for two weeks and but it back in our unit we had that equipment that we didn't get to use it that much. And I had met people from all over the US from various reserve units that didn't have it at all. So the equipment they were using at school was the only time they would probably get to use it unless it was a wartime. Whatever. So I was blessed to have it at my unit, but it was still a challenge 'cause I was so new to it. You know, it's in with anything, you have to if you want to get good at something, you have to do it repeatedly over and over and over. And when you only do it occasionally, you're not gonna get that good at it. So it was a a challenge. So this question here. How did your family feel? about you returning back to the military service 'cause you started back in nineteen eighty six and I know you said it was a little bit ups and downs. And you took a a little break. I hatus, yeah. And then you finally said, Hey y'all, I got some some news for y'all. Guess what? I'm returning. What was their reaction when you told that if I remember right, I sisters will hear this so they'll correct me if I'm wrong. Correct correct I believe they were excited about it, but maybe you're like, is this really what you want to do? And it it was and and it was one of it or one reason was to honor my father who loved the Navy and I think he would he was passed on by that that time, but he would have really loved the fact that I went in and he had a lot of respect for the C V. had nothing but good to say about them, as did my uncle who served his full twenty years in the Navy and he had a lot of good to say about the C V. So I think they were maybe at first they were like, Is this what you wanna do? But they were very supportive of it and I appreciate that for from them. Thank you. what are your favorite memories from the Naval Reserve years? Is there anything that sticks out to you that you always Think about your greatest memory? a couple of things. one was that they were promoting me they had to heard about my my supply sergeant in the National Guard. So I was being put in charge of supplies in there. So we had to inventory, check in and check out equipment that was needed. And it had been a mess. So I got it organized and I had a team that helped me organize it and we were in charge of making sure equipment was secure. That was the Great experience. And also when we did our two weeks throughout the year, we went to mineral wells. There's a a little base out there. Not a whole lot, but it was it was fun training over there and I know this is strange, but I was I found out I was good at horseshoes. Or actually other people found out I was good at horseshoes. And I know that's an old considered an old man's game, old person's game, but when I was a kid I lived right next to my grandparents and for hours on end I would practice in my grandfather's backyard, throwing, throwing, throwing. And that came out years later when I was in the Naval Reserve for the first time in my life, people wanted to be on my team. 'cause that kid in school when I was young that no one wanted him 'cause I wasn't that good, especially basketball. but throwing those horseshoes, ringer, ringer, ringer. So they're like, I I I'm next on his team so that was fun. And When I was on that base there was all four services on that base. And we were the only unit with the the C Bs are the only unit at at that base that could wear fatigues. And I wore that as a badge of honor. That was awesome. Walk around in there with little whites or blues, whatever it was, but we had our fatigues. I was like, Yeah. Look at me, look at me. I asked how did your family feel about you returning back to the military and also about you enlisting. Did you have any friend how did your friends, like close friends, feel about it? I know you said your family, but how did your friends feel? Did were they trying to talk you out of it or they was like supporting you doing it? Everybody was supportive. they were like, If that's what you want to do, you do it and I I'd love that people were like excited for me. So did you have any moments through all three service you done, did you have any moments where you was like, What did I sign up for? Why did what did I get myself into? Did you have any of those moments where you like, Man, I gotta get out of this, what do I need to do? Not to that extent, but there w there was times I questioned really questioned my life choices, in especially in the army infantry. And because, you know, with most jobs, maybe all jobs, you're gonna have people that you don't like or that don't like you. And when you add guns and bullets to the mix that's not a very good situation and sometimes empowers flare. So there were times where I was like, What am I doing? But I had a lot of good friends, that backed me up. one in particular, his name was Rodney. Rodney was a good Christian, trying to get me to be. I wasn't at the time I am now. But he he was from Pennsylvania. At that time they had that license plate. I've got a friend in Pennsylvania. Well I did. And Rodney was very good at wrestling. Well at grappling too, so I I felt protected around him. So I guess another time I question myself is like I said, when it's pouring down rain and freezing. to this day I tell people I didn't fight for my country but I froze for it. I was like, Why? Why why is why am I doing this? I could have been in the air force, I could have been in the navy on a ship, but no, I'm freezing out here at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, which is a beautiful place by the way. but I don't know. That was I had to rethink that but it I stuck with it obviously. I was not trying to get out. I just was questioning myself why why did you do this to yourself? Right. So w with all three branches, did you develop any friendship that you still have till today? I did with Rodney. And unfortunately we don't talk that often. He's in North Carolina I believe. he's become a pastor. we c reconnected a few years ago but I found I was not very good at keeping up with some of my friends. I hate that. It's civilian jobs too. I miss I miss that. But we don't talk very much or basically at all, but we if I want to reconnect with him we could. So like you just mentioned civilian jobs, was it hard for you to adjust to after after all this time in the military, was it hard for you to just to a normal nine to five job? It was. one of my first jobs when I got out of the army, eighty nine, was at a glass manufacturing company and it was so they man manufactured they called front lights, side lights and backlights, so windshield and glass per car. And there were seven furnaces that heated up that plant to over a hundred and forty degrees all year round. And that was I worked there just one summer, it was like a temp job. But it was a hundred and forty degrees and They give a skaterade or make sure you had you were hydrated. but it was okay, so I'm holding on to a windshield as it's coming out of the furnace and we have these little white gloves on and sometimes imperfections in it make it just shatter in your hands and and I'm like, What is this? But it it didn't hurt us because it's safety glass. But it was interesting because people are like, Why are you so calm with this? You're new to this and it's a hundred and forty degrees in here it's like because I froze for two and a half years. But I I eventually adapted to various jobs. It it took a little bit but I had gone back to work like I did when I was younger and You do what you have to do. Right. Exactly. Wow. Yeah. Well, on that note we're gonna take a quick commercial break. And we get back, I got a segment called Hot Seats, and we're about to put David to the hot seats and this the questions that he don't know about. Let's go. I'd like to welcome everybody back to Let's Talk About It. And again, I'm your host, Johnny. And today I got a special guest, as you'll keep hearing me saying, his name is David Morgan. And right now we're about to do rapid fire questions, aka hot seat. And here we go. What was your favorite meal in the military? Steak when we could get it. that's I can use one right now. Seriously. favorite duty station? of the ones I did I would say Port Campbell, Kentucky, because it's a sportsman's paradise fishing. What was the toughest military branch that you experienced on all three? the Army. Army infantry. best military advice you receive from it can be anybody that you serve with. question, what comes to mind is before you go in the service, work out. Because basic training is rough on the average person. I was a hundred and twenty nine pound weakling, came out a hundred and sixty five pound grip. But work out before you go in. Gotta work. What's one thing civilians misunderstand about military life? That military people get free this, free that. And I misunderstood that too. So when I went in the army we were given free uniforms. But army infantry especially, you're crawling in the mud, you're crawling on the ground and they wear out in about six months. that time I only made a little over six between six and seven hundred dollars a month. I know it's more nowadays, but it's relative to the time. Right. And a uniform cost close to one hundred dollars. So that was one sixth of my s monthly salary and it's not like you had an option. When they start wearing out you replace them or else. And so I also would receive social security statements every year saying you would have made this month but we took out money for your food and board. So food and board is not free. It's just money you would not get. Didn't get a while. If you can really have one military moment, what would it be? a lot that would relive. A lot of wooden, but the one that would relive is back on that explosives range. And that was so fun. but no, okay. Back in Fort no out West Point. We on our machine gun range, that was that was a blast teaching the cadets machine gun fire. Next one I got for ya. The Army, National Guard, Navy, Reserve, which experience taught you the most about everything? Good questions. I I loved my National Guard and Naval Reserves. My naval reserves the best, but I would say Army, National Guard I mean the Army taught me the most about life, about myself and about leadership and teamwork. What does patriotism mean to you? It means honoring those who came before us that sacrificed whether it's their life, and I don't just mean the men and women who lost their lives or that fought in wars. What people fail to realize is that if you have a family, they're also serving in the military because a wife's if a husband's serving, a wife and the kids are also in the military too, because his paycheck affects them and his time away affects them also. So the families that give back to not just the men and women that are in the military their families also and honoring honoring this country. I know there's a lot of wrong or things wrong with this country, but there's also a lot of things right. Otherwise not people wouldn't be risking death to get here. So I love that we are in a country that we can learn to be all that we can be. That's not like army. saying but we can we have the opportunities. The rest is up to us. Right. In this next segment I have I want to talk about the legacy lessons and reflections. looking back, what are you most proud of? I guess that I served at all because it's it's not for everybody and I used to think that everybody should serve. In some countries throughout the world it's mandatory that you serve at least one or two years. But it's not for everybody and we need people in all walks of life doing whatever I mean we we need shopkeepers, we need people in first responders, we need people manufacturing whatever. So that I deserved at all. How did military service shape the man you become today? Through hardness we can learn leadership, we can learn positive traits. And they say in the Bible says iron sharpens iron. So I've got friends today that that served in the military but also friends like you that iron sharpens iron and I've learned that leadership is a good quality to have and to continually learn how to be a good leader and to be a good team you have to know when to be a good leader, when to be a good team mate. Next question I got for you, Mr. Morgan. What advice would you give young people considering military service? Somebody came up to you and said, Mr. Morgan, I heard about you from this interview that you deal with Johnny. What advice would you give me before I join this why I list? To give to live intentional, to give a lot of thought to what you want to do. not just three or four years from now, but five years from now, where you want to go with that service. What you want to do with that, it's nice to serve, but it's also nice to have a purpose for serving. Like if you want to fly jets, most people are not gonna get to fly jets in the air force. But If you are smart enough and you get to go to college and but whatever whatever it is, make sure you have researched it and you decide if you're a Christian, pray about it, w what is it is you want to do in the future with that. what does service to your country means to you now? Well I'm no lo obviously no longer serving a old but to I'm in the service of the Lord but I do what I can to help people wherever I can and Whether you're in the military or your civilian life, you can serve. You can serve people, you can serve the people around you, whether it's feeding homeless, whether it's just helping your neighbor or your friends. One last question I got for you, Mr. Morgan. How would How would you like your military legacy to be remembered? Everything you been through, you went through, the man you are today, which I know you are, but how would you like that legacy to be remembered? good question but I would say the fact that I served because I I love serving people in whether in the military or out but I love that I was able to be and have the privilege again of being in service and serving youth and American people albeit on in peacetime. We have a saying those who serve in peacetime serve to protect the peace won by those earned in wartime. So if you're out there and you're a veteran but you served in peacetime, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Even though you did not fight for a country, you helped preserve the peace won in wartime. we're gonna take our last commercial break for the show. We're gonna come back with our closing thoughts. We'll be right back after this message. Welcome back to Let's Talk About It. And I'm your host Johnny. So if you're with us this long, I appreciate the love and thank y'all for sticking with us. Again, this has been an amazing story that Dave had a chance to sit down and tell us his journey through all three branches. David, I'd like to thank you for sharing your stories and thank you for the years you served our country. From the active duty to the National Guard to the Naval Reserve, your journey is remindered that service comes through many forms and leaves lasting impacts. to all of our veterans, active duty, service members. In our military family, thank you for everything you do. If you enjoyed this episode today, make sure you subscribe to the channel, share it, and leave a review down low. Again, I'd like to thank David Morgan for taking this time out with me to sit down and and tr and share his story with us. And David, is there anything you'd like to share with us before we get out of here? Just that thank you so much for having me. Again, I I was honored to be on this and please do subscribe and share this as much as possible. thanks again for taking the time out of your day. I so I appreciate you everything you've done. Again, Dave, I appreciate you, man. follow us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and I just signed up for Amazon Music too. Until until next time, keep having real conversations. Keep sharing real life stories and remember Let's talk about it. Thank y'all. Appreciate y'all.