Mid America Veterans Museum

Seamus K. O’Neel, Staff Sergeant and Recruiter, U.S. Army

Beginning in 1973, America went to an all volunteer military service. An All-volunteer military isn't without challenges. Today the branches of service are struggling to find able bodied recruits. According to the CDC, an estimated 70% of young Americans are unfit for military service. Historically, family life has not always worked for military families and roughly 20% of the military are women. Others say the combination of low unemployment and the ease of finding private sector jobs means fewer young people join the service. The Marines are likely the only branch of service to make their quota in 2022. Our guest in studio tonight is Seamus K. O'Neel, Staff Sergeant, recuiter in the U.S. Army in the St. Louis Metro area. 

Sergeant Benjamin Demoulin, Marine & Local St. Louis Recruiter

Beginning in 1973, America went to an all volunteer military service. An all volunteer military isn't without challenges. Today the branches of services are struggling to find able bodied recruits. According to the CDC, an estimated 70% of young Americans are unfit for military service. Historically, family life has not always worked for military families and roughly 20% of the military are women. Others say the combination of low unemployment and the ease of finding private sector jobs means fewer young people join the service. The Marines are likely the only branch of service to make their quota in 2022. Our guest tonight is Sergeant Benjamin Demoulin, local St. Louis recruiter.

Pat Swinger, O’Fallon Historian, Author

The City of St. Louis, and nearby St. Louis and St. Charles County became known as the "Gateway to the West" because it was an ideal spot for tradesmen, adventurers, and traders to transact because it’s connected to the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers. The story of O'Fallon Missouri feature many of the same storylines. American revolutionary war veterans were the early settlers, and many are buried nearby. During the War of 1812, there were several forts, including nearby Fort Zumwalt built to defend the settlers against Indian attacks. During the Civil War, the metropolitan area was very conflicted and were both Northern and Southern sympathizers. Our guest tonight is Pat Swinger. While Pat knows O'Fallon and St. Charles best, the same struggles were experienced throughout the area.

Chris Lagemann, U.S. Navy Submarine Commander

Sailing on a U.S. nuclear submarine is a trip into a cramped, timeless, and windowless undersea world. Today's submarines will often spend up to ninety percent of their time underwater making night and day indistinguishable. While on patrol, the crew is largely cut off from the outside world, including their families, for long periods of time. There are regular launch drills which challenge the physical and psychological stamina of the crew. More so than on a surface ship, the submarine commander and officers face additional challenges because of the stress, tight living, and working environment. Here tonight, Chris will share his story about life aboard, commanding a nuclear submarine.
 

James Dale Feltz - US Navy 1942-1946

The many missions of Jim Feltz aboard the Gleaves- class destroyer, USS Plunkett culminated in a heated battle for the crew and a fight for their lives when a German Ju-88 released it's payload and all hell broke loose. Jim's quick thinking and disobeyed orders saved his life and the lives of others. Jim is a legend and true hero!

SGT Robert Garvey - WWII Veteran B24 Crewman

Tonight we bring you the heroic story of B24 Crewman SGT Robert Garvey. After flying 29 missions with his regular crew he was "volunteered" to be a substitute gunner with another crew. During this mission Robert was forced to bail out when his plane was damaged and going to crash after being jumped by German planes. Once on the ground Robert was hit multiple times by enemy fire then captured and became a POW. This story is one of courage, resilience and the American spirit!
 

Veteran Suicide Awareness, Misty Blum

Tonight's guest is Misty Blum. Misty's husband Michael served his country in the United States Marines for 20 years including four tours of duty in Iraq. While U.S. Soldiers were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, more service members are dying at home than at war. Everyday 22 veterans lose their battle to post traumatic stress on American soil. That is 1 veteran every 65 minutes. For most combat veterans, the toughest battle begins when they come home. Misty's husband Michael lost his battle on September 15, 2013. While he will never be listed as a casualty of war, he is a casualty caused by the war. Misty has become a writer and advocate dedicated to veteran PTS suicide prevention and awareness. Misty hopes by telling her story, it will help others.

Sierra Koester, Licensed Counselor - Post Traumatic Stress

Our guest on the show tonight is Sierra Koester. After earning a degree in criminal justice, serving as a Police Officer in O'Fallon and a deputy in Lincoln County, she is now a private practice counselor who specializes in counseling survivors of trauma. She is EMDR trained which is a proven approach to help survivors of trauma. Men and women in service positions are still at risk when they are not in harms way. Even when the uniform is hung up and the boots tucked away there is still a possibility of silent but deadly dangers such as depression, anxiety, PTS or other mental health issues. Sometimes the signs and symptoms appear silent but sometimes they are hiding in plain sight. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms in yourself and others and know where to turn for help. 
Note:  Sierra Koester practices under the supervision of Dona Schaefer. 

Stories On The Wall

On the Wall of Honor at the St. Charles County Veterans Museum, there are 116 dog tags representing soldiers from our county killed in action since World War I through present day.  The museum features their stories.  Tonight, we are going to share some of those stories.  By keeping their stories alive we honor them and we are reminded, freedom is never free.  All of their stories are also featured on our website.  Visit www.st.charlescountyveteransmuseum.org.

22 STRONG

Wright Construction celebrated their 16th Year in business in February 2021, Wright Construction Services, Inc. is licensed in 22 states and is the largest General Contractor in St. Charles County.  What makes Wright Construction special, is their quality work and giving back to the community program. 
In 2019, Wright Construction hosted their inaugural 22-Strong Challenge walk. The number 22 is significant to our event because it represents the 22 veterans who lose their lives to suicide every day.  Their goal is to support our community of veterans and bring awareness to the charities we support. Virtual walkers joined us from 18 states across the country, and over 100 people walked with us in St. Charles, Missouri on September 2021.  This September, we will host our 4th annual event series.  The goal of each of these events is to raise awareness and funds for organizations dedicated to eliminating veteran suicide.
Wright Construction has a strong “Giving Back Program” in our community. For more information about Wright Construction and their Giving Back efforts, click on the link below.
https://www.wrightconstruct.com/giving-back/