Scott DeLuzio:    00:00:03    Thanks for tuning in to the Drive On Podcast, where we talk about issues affecting Veterans after they get out of the military. Before we get started, I’d like to ask a favor if you haven’t done so already, please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts. If you’ve already done that, thank you. These ratings help the show get discovered so it can reach a wider audience. And while you’re there click the subscribe button so that you get notified of new episodes as soon as they come out; if you don’t use Apple podcasts, you can visit DriveOnPodcast.com/subscribe to find other ways of subscribing, including our email list. I’m your host, Scott DeLuzio, and now let’s get on with the show. Hey everybody, today my guests are Linda Maloney and Steve Alpert. Linda and Steve worked together on a project called Proudly She Served. 

Scott DeLuzio:    00:00:51    which highlights military women, Veterans, and their service by raising awareness of the challenges that many women face when transitioning to life outside of the military, which is something that we talk about all the time on this podcast. So I thought it was a great fit to have Linda and Steve on the podcast. Linda is a Navy Veteran who flew combat missions over Iraq and is also the CEO of Women Veteran Speakers and Steve is a fine art oil painter whose work honors the men and women who served in the U S military. So, welcome to the show, Linda and Steve.  Why don’t you go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself. So Steve, I guess we can start with you.  

Steve Alpert:    00:01:36    Okay. Thanks Scott. Thanks for having us; really appreciate it.  Let’s see where to begin.  I’ve been fine art painting for 22 years; before that I was a TV producer. I was a news and documentary [producer].  I’m working on a major documentary right now that I was invited in to produce with a Veteran, as a matter of fact. In 2003 there was a mid-air collision of two black Hawk helicopters over Northern Iraq. Actually, it was Mozal and we lost 17 soldiers. And that was on November 16th, 2003. That’s the date of my birthday. And I read about it. And I sat there and it really gripped me. I don’t know why I thought this but I thought to myself, what the last 30 seconds of their lives could have been like, and I was just horrified.  

Steve Alpert:    00:02:27    And when I grew up in the 1950s, this country was very, very patriotic. You know, I was born six years after the finish of world war two. And so the 1950s you go to school and it was the pledge of allegiance and American flags were everywhere. And I felt really, really special growing up as an American.  I just had a strong feeling for it.  In 1968, I  was a junior in high school and I went to my local congressman with my father to ask to initiate paperwork to gain entry into West Point, which I had been to many, many times having grown up about 45 minutes away. So we used to run track meets there. We used to visit there on school trips and I just had a special feeling for the place.  

Steve Alpert:    00:03:17    Well, it was not to be. The Vietnam war was going on and the body bags were coming back very heavily and I chose to rescind my request.  I demonstrated against the Vietnam war. That was a really tough thing, but I had a strong feeling. I thought, you know what’s the matter with my country? Why are we doing this? I don’t get it. I used to be so proud of being an American and seeing the American flag and feeling great about it.  I visited the wall in 1985 and had a major experience there.  I didn’t know anybody who had gone or any names there, but I felt terribly guilty. I felt that...