I spent the morning with Ollie North. And about 200 other attendees at the NPA show. Marty Stein has outdone himself this year, but I’ll get there later.
Ollie regaled the audience with stories about his time reporting on Iraq for Fox News. He’s a good speaker full of fun and jokes. However he waxed serious as he introduced two soldiers from Walter Reed Army medical center where they are recovering from very severe wounds suffered in Iraq.
The long and short of it is that returning service folks have a problem. The unemployment rate for them is very high. He asked if we would do something about it. When we advertise for staff, head the ad with "Veterans Wanted"
These men and women are trained, smart, dedicated, and true patriots. Lets give them an opportunity. I think its a terrific idea. We are going to recommend it to all who place help wanted ads in PT.
I was particularly touched as I stood next to one of the wounded soldiers after the speech. Ollie was signing his book, and the soldiers were talking to folks who came up to give their appreciation.
John Kristoff, VP of MarcParc, the company that sponsored Ollie’s speech, came up to the most severely wounded to the two. The soldier was standing there, leaning on his crutches, balancing on his remaining leg, and looking a bit uncomfortable with all the adulation. John walked up to him. thanked him for his service, gave him a hug, and then told him if he needed any help or a job, to call him, and slipped his card in the man’s pocket.
I know John didn’t do this for any publicity, and will probably be very embarrassed by this blog entry, but this is what we need. More folks who, like John, are willing to put their feelings where they should be.
"I’m support the troops but not their mission" — Ollie said that was basically like this:
You come home in the evening, tell you wife you love her, and then proceed to tell her her cooking stinks, the house is a mess, and shes a poor lover. — Ollie’s comment — where do you think you will be sleeping that night.
Great guy, Ollie North. He chatted easily with folks who came up to him before the speech, and then stayed around to sign books and chat for a hour afterwords. By the way, he’s on Fox News, 8 PM eastern, every Sunday. The highest rated show in his time slot. Wonder why?
JVH
