Latest / OneLegUpAlex Media / A Reminder Veterans Have Had The Ultimate One Leg Up For America This Memorial Day Week 5-27-25

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A Reminder Veterans Have Had The Ultimate One Leg Up For America This Memorial Day Week 5-27-25 · OneLegUpAlex Media

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, Well, as we're all hyped up in New
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: York City for Game four of the Eastern Conference Finals.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Ken the Knicks tied up tonight in Indiana. By the way,
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: that was the first win in uh I think almost
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: ever in the playoffs against Indiana in the field House.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: And so Game four tonight.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Gotta keep on living, gotta keep on staying alive, as
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Queen would say, I think that should be the theme
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: song for now. Anyway, before we get to that, I
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: want to say, yesterday, it was Memorial Day and the
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  Speaker 1: Mets held a beautiful Military Appreciation Day.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: But I think Ryan Pagano and a lot of people
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: in the.
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  Speaker 1: Ballpark yesterday could agree that Military Appreciation Day isn't.
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  Speaker 2: Just one day or a couple of days a year.
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  Speaker 1: It's every day that we get to honor, and we
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  Speaker 1: should honor and think of it for their service and
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  Speaker 1: honor those who sacrifice their lives to keep us safe.
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  Speaker 2: On the battlefield.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: But let me tell you, baseball does it right. Major
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: League Baseball does it right. The Mets and White Sox
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: lining up on the base bet, I got Ryan here,
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  Speaker 1: Wasn't that a moment watching these guys line up with
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  Speaker 1: the active military on the base pass.
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  Speaker 3: Now that really was and I mean you pretty much
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  Speaker 3: summed it up perfectly that you know, on this Memorial Day, yes,
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  Speaker 3: we can remember those who served and make it, you know,
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  Speaker 3: a national day of remembrance because of that, but it
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  Speaker 3: also really has much more of a meeting than just oh,
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  Speaker 3: we're celebrating one day that really this is our national
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  Speaker 3: pastime and you know, there's no better way to honor
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  Speaker 3: those that have served than to play this great game
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  Speaker 3: that we all know them love, especially with how many
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  Speaker 3: of the legends of these of this sport that have
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  Speaker 3: served before I know, not really anybody recently, but you know,
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  Speaker 3: you go back to World War Two and you have
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  Speaker 3: legends of the game like Ted Williams, Yogi Bear at
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  Speaker 3: just the name of a.
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  Speaker 1: Few, and Yogi's a centennial coincides with this Memorial Day month.
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  Speaker 2: So it's very interesting, well very interesting as well.
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  Speaker 3: And if you don't mind me bringing this up especial
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  Speaker 3: with Jogi Berra's Navy Bobblehead Day coming up at the Stay.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, and we're going to hear from a naval officer himself,
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  Speaker 1: Arthur Gerbiner, who was just awarded the Congressional Medal of honor.
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  Speaker 1: But before I play that for you, I want to
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  Speaker 1: take you inside the ballpark because someone who has been
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  Speaker 1: on the show and has become a friend, Colin Cosell.
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  Speaker 2: Really did it perfectly yesterday.
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  Speaker 1: Take a listen to how he keyed up the moment
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  Speaker 1: of silence in honor of those who sacrifice their lives
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  Speaker 1: a Memorial Day twenty twenty five as an.
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  Speaker 4: Old moment overhundans as we've lost you honor om reading
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  Speaker 4: ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. We asked that
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  Speaker 4: you please join us now in this moment of silence
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  Speaker 4: as a human line expression of gratitude to the heroes
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  Speaker 4: who lost their lives while protecting for pres We enjoyed
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  Speaker 4: two days yearn.
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  Speaker 2: I mean absolute chills.
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  Speaker 1: I felt that at the moment, and then of course
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  Speaker 1: during the national anthem, you have the helicopters flying over
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  Speaker 1: City Field, the Blackhawks. It was very special to be
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  Speaker 1: there yesterday and to be part of that Memorial Day
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  Speaker 1: honoring and somewhat celebration as well to honor the troops
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  Speaker 1: of today at Cityfield.
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  Speaker 2: So very well done and very well done by Colino.
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  Speaker 1: So once again, but Arthur gribiner I mentioned him a
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  Speaker 1: little while Ago had a very special honor bestowed on
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  Speaker 1: him by the United States Congress.
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  Speaker 2: And I want to play the Fox five clip for you.
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  Speaker 5: It's an honor eighty years in the making.
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  Speaker 6: Years old Petty Officer Arthur Grabiner recognized with the highest
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  Speaker 6: civilian award bestowed by the US Congress, the Congressional Gold
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  Speaker 6: Medal Award, to mark his courage in combating Japanese Kamakazi
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  Speaker 6: aircraft attacks and the liberation.
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  Speaker 5: Of the Filipino people during World War Two.
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  Speaker 7: And that is what we are remembering tonight, not just
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  Speaker 7: the cost of war, but the strength of the human spirit,
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  Speaker 7: not just the fall of a sippy, but the rise
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  Speaker 7: of a people.
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  Speaker 6: Garvina was just eighteen when he enlisted in the US Navy.
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  Speaker 6: Throughout his service, he and his shipmates on board the
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  Speaker 6: USS Lawrence logged more than sixty thousand nautical miles while
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  Speaker 6: evading Japanese enemy submarines throughout the Pacific theater. When you
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  Speaker 6: look back on your service and your time in the
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  Speaker 6: Philippines War, what are some words that come to mind?
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  Speaker 5: Are some feelings that come to mind?
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  Speaker 8: I'm from my mind how lucky we were. Other ships
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  Speaker 8: were hit by kamas Ami planes we escaped.
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  Speaker 6: In his time overseas was unrelenting, with the Japanese willing
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  Speaker 6: to stop at nothing to prevent the US from advancing.
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  Speaker 6: And yet Grebiner says he wouldn't change a thing.
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  Speaker 5: If you could do it all over again, would you
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  Speaker 5: do it again?
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  Speaker 8: Definitely? Definitely it was. I grew up in an an
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  Speaker 8: aavy was very good to me.
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  Speaker 6: His story and now this medal a testament to the
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  Speaker 6: greatest generation. He now devotes his time to volunteering on
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  Speaker 6: the Entrek and at local schools. He is a living monument,
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  Speaker 6: a reminder that there was a time when most of
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  Speaker 6: the world was united in its quest for peace.
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  Speaker 9: Of the sixteen point four million Americans who served in
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  Speaker 9: the US enforces during World War Two, only approximately sixty
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  Speaker 9: one thousand remain. That is a little more than one
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  Speaker 9: third of one percent for many people from many Americans.
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  Speaker 9: The next time they meet a World War Two veteran,
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  Speaker 9: maybe the last time they meet a World War Two veteran.
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  Speaker 5: Teresa Prioloo five news and I mean.
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  Speaker 1: What a special honor congressionalman of honor for officer petty
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  Speaker 1: Officer Gerbiner, and I had the very good fortune of.
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  Speaker 2: Getting to meet Officer Gerbiner, who's a.
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  Speaker 1: Queen's Native, by the way, a Queen's resident, at the
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  Speaker 1: low Lang douglasson Memorial Day Parade just a couple of
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  Speaker 1: years ago. I know I played you this clip, but
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  Speaker 1: I feel very empowered.
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  Speaker 2: To play it again, considering he did get.
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  Speaker 1: The congressional amount of honor, and considering we need these
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  Speaker 1: stories to live on.
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  Speaker 2: Fre eternity.
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  Speaker 1: And thanks to Officer Gerbiner for spending a little time
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  Speaker 1: with me at the low Neck douglasson Memorial Day Parade.
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  Speaker 2: Now two years ago, I'm here.
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  Speaker 10: With a very special guest at the Douglas and Memorial
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  Speaker 10: Day Parade, a World War Two veteran from the Navy,
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  Speaker 10: Arthur Grabner, second Yeoman, I believe so thanks for turning
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  Speaker 10: my podcast today. You've been coming here for years, but
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  Speaker 10: just give us a couple of stories or what.
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  Speaker 1: Brings you back.
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  Speaker 11: I mean the memories you have when other veterans, it's great,
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  Speaker 11: they do a wonderful job. Yeah, they have the parade,
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  Speaker 11: and they have the parade, they have refreshments, and you know,
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  Speaker 11: they bring out the best and everybody.
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  Speaker 1: Has has the you put in the military change over
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  Speaker 1: the years from where you sit.
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  Speaker 2: That hats.
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  Speaker 11: I've been there a long time ago.
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  Speaker 7: I was in the Navy.
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  Speaker 11: In February nineteen forty four, forty four forty four to
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  Speaker 11: Maya forty, nineteen forty six, and I was on an attact, Prince.
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  Speaker 7: If I could just ask you everyone to go ahead
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  Speaker 7: and take their seats, We're gonna go ahead and begin
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  Speaker 7: the replaying ceremony.
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  Speaker 2: May in nineteen forty six.
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  Speaker 1: Well, sir, thank you for your service to this country,
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  Speaker 1: and any words in the military.
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  Speaker 2: Of today, at any moment that you can remember from
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  Speaker 2: even those days, funny word wards that you want to
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  Speaker 2: share it.
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  Speaker 11: It was great. The war is a horror. Young people
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  Speaker 11: killed for no reason at all. It's a horror. I
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  Speaker 11: escaped it all. I was lucky.
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  Speaker 2: God bless your sir.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, and the voice you heard of the Fox
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  Speaker 1: five clip was not only Officer Grebiner, but his son, Doug.
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  Speaker 1: And let me tell you, I got a special message
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  Speaker 1: from Doug Grebiner the night before Memorial Day, and if
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  Speaker 1: he doesn't mind, I'm going to share it with you
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  Speaker 1: on the podcast right now, because it was very moving.
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  Speaker 2: The message he got to me.
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  Speaker 1: He said, Dad offers the following reflection concerning Memorial Day.
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  Speaker 1: As we approach Memorial Day, I'm reminded the most powerful
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  Speaker 1: weapon is a free people, unselfishly committed to a cause
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  Speaker 1: greater than themselves, willing to fight and die in defensive freedom.
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  Speaker 1: Officer Grabiner goes on to write, the largest funeral I
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  Speaker 1: have ever and we'll ever had, occurred during April second eight,
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  Speaker 1: nineteen forty five, during the Battle of Okinawa.
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  Speaker 2: Wearing my dress white uniform US Navvy uniform, I.
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  Speaker 1: Stood at attention and saluted while on the top deck of
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  Speaker 1: my ship, USS Lawrens APA one fifty three.
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  Speaker 2: As the buglar blue taps.
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  Speaker 1: My fellow US Navy sailors killed in action during japan
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  Speaker 1: Kamikazi suicide aircraft attacks on our task unit of the
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  Speaker 1: US Navy ships earlier on the same day were buried
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  Speaker 1: at sea, the remains of each sailor who made the
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  Speaker 1: ultimate sacrifice inside a weighted canvas bag covered with the
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  Speaker 1: American flag.
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  Speaker 2: Can you picture this in your mind? Right now?
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  Speaker 1: We're slid into the watery grave of the Pacific Ocean.
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  Speaker 1: As I reflected on my fellow sailor's fate, I thought
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  Speaker 1: of their families back home in the states, their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters.
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  Speaker 2: None would have a grave with a stone to visit
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  Speaker 2: and grieve over.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe they would be given their sons, brothers, husband dog
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  Speaker 1: tags if they were not lost amid the wreckage or
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  Speaker 1: destroyed in the fire of kamikaze attacks.
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  Speaker 2: That is how much.
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  Speaker 1: Of a sacrifice our Navy, our armed forces, our army,
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  Speaker 1: our Coastguard, and our entire military gave so that we
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  Speaker 1: can be at the beaches. Remember they stormed Normandy so
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  Speaker 1: we could be at the beaches. I say that every
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  Speaker 1: year they stormed the beaches of Normandy so you can
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  Speaker 1: have your beach day, a Memorial day. Never forget that,
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  Speaker 1: Never forget that here they had the ultimate one leg
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  Speaker 1: up for America and for the defensive freedom, like our
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  Speaker 1: veterans do today. And that note really struck a chord
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  Speaker 1: because just imagine being on the top of that deck
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  Speaker 1: with Officer Gerbina watching that, watching that, and I'm so
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  Speaker 1: thankful to have a connection with the grebin her family.
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  Speaker 1: Ninety nine years old, Ryan, What what a legacy he has,
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  Speaker 1: and you get the Congressional Medal of Honor means so much.
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  Speaker 1: And by the way, to be with Gabby and.
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  Speaker 2: With Bryan at Memorial Day yesterday at City Field. It
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  Speaker 2: I think it showed up my face.
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  Speaker 1: I was just moved by the whole ceremony yesterday, And
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  Speaker 1: how could you not.
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  Speaker 3: Be, though, I mean, how could you not be really
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  Speaker 3: everything with that ceremony, with all the servicemen in the park,
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  Speaker 3: the service wing in on the field, but then you
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  Speaker 3: also got the helicopter flyover as well, and that was
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  Speaker 3: just really the perfect touch to what actually turned out
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  Speaker 3: to be. Well, I don't want to say it was
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  Speaker 3: a great game. Necessarily it was great. I feel like
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: pitchers duels.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: And by the way, by the way, I will say,
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: I think the other thing about the weekend, which I
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: didn't even get to you on Sunday, was that in
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: the IIHF Men's World Gold Game.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: Team USA Hockey won it.
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  Speaker 1: And I believe they did it for Johnny Gudro when
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: they put when they brought the jersey up for Johnny Goudreau.
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  Speaker 1: It just capped off an entirely incredible weekend for team
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: USA Hockey and sled hockey team let's say slid Hockey.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Now going on to the Slavemy finals, talk about adaptive
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: sports here real quick, love that our boys in red, white,
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  Speaker 1: and blue are really shining overseas, and we're both hockey
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  Speaker 1: officionado so to.
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  Speaker 8: See this.
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  Speaker 2: On the world stage.
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  Speaker 1: And by the way, it was the first world men's
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: gold since nineteen thirty four.
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: Okay, it's been a long time.
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  Speaker 1: So I'm just very thankful that our teams are kicking
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: butt and doing it. I'm sure not only in the
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: memory of Johnny, but of all the servicemen and women
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  Speaker 1: who have given their lives for us every day, each
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: and every day, and.
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  Speaker 2: To keep our country amazing and great and safe. And
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  Speaker 2: so this Memorial Day.
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  Speaker 1: I pray that the words of Arthur Gerbiner and other
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: veterans that you get to see stick with you and
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  Speaker 1: help us keep the country united at a time where
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  Speaker 1: there's so much division on our campuses, on our streets
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: in New York. I mean it just it does feel
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: like if the Knicks win, if Team USA wins, that
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  Speaker 1: brings us together.
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  Speaker 2: But that should be the only thing. Sports shouldn't be
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: the only thing.
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  Speaker 1: We should have a humanity to this country that the
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: media loves to say is dismantled, and I don't believe it.
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  Speaker 1: I believe we are unified country. I believe we are
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  Speaker 1: unified the United States of America. We just have to
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: turn off the camera and just be with one another.
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  Speaker 1: If you're at any of these Memorial Day parades yesterday,
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  Speaker 1: you probably were as moved as ever to see how
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  Speaker 1: really unified and how tight knit we really are.
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  Speaker 2: Never let the mainstream tell you otherwise, because we are
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  Speaker 2: a great country.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: And never let the protest tell you otherwise either, because
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: I believe we are not divided as one would think.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: We are unified, and we able to just stay on
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  Speaker 1: that message of unity and sound the message that.
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  Speaker 2: Are the Gravina and so many other veterans.
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  Speaker 1: This memorial they shared around the country, and so thanks
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  Speaker 1: to them for their service, Thanks to them for telling
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  Speaker 1: their story too. That means more than anything that we
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: can preserve this history through.
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  Speaker 2: Their words while they're here.
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  Speaker 1: That's a big deal and that will help us have
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: one leg up on keeping America amazing through their story.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: And that's all I gotta say here, Ryan, Do you
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: want to add anything else to this or you're okay?
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  Speaker 3: I mean, the patriotism really has just been flowing through
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  Speaker 3: my veins, just you know, hearing you know, all those
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: experiences that you found out about from those veterans that
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: you interviewed, just some really moving stuff all around, especially
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: as the grandson of two former veterans as well, one
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: of them still with us, one of them no longer
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: with us. So it's definitely a bit more touching to
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: hear it like that, and it's just become more important
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: than ever with the tough times that we're fa as
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: a country, to you know, not only be able to
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: hear these stories while they're still here with us, but
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: to also pass them down from generation to generation. That's
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: exactly how this patriotism is going to keep trickling down
• 15:13
  Speaker 3: to our next generations.
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  Speaker 7: Alex Amen to that.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: Well, thanks for joining me today, Ryan, and thanks for
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: listening as always on the one like Up Network and
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: to our team USA.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Keep going.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Love that we did it in the world Men's worlds.
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: Now we're doing it in the sled hockey world. I
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: played one shift in sled hockey when I was a kid.
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: It was it was not a fun experience. But maybe
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: now I'm inspired by watching these guys to go back
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: out there and try it again as an adult.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: Maybe we'll do that.
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: I got some friends thinking of Joe, Salonica, Marcos Taveres,
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: Will Walter read. All those who do the game of
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: sled hockey here in the States, they must be beaming
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: right now as they watch their USA counterparts do the
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: same overseas. So good stuff, good times, keep the winning going,
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: and yes, keep the history preserved, because remember Military Appreciation
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: Day is every day, not just one day or two
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: days or three days a year. When I do feel
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: like we bring out the troops and then say well
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: we're done with you for now, no, we're never done
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: with the troops. We're never done thinking the troops, no
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: matter what day of the year it is. And that's
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: my message here on the One Leg Up Network. Let's
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: have one leg up as our veterans have continued to
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: have one leg up for America.