Operation Insight

Commander Chris Lagemann

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 that 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, CDR Lagemann will share his story about life aboard, commanding a nuclear submarine.

Chief Petty Officer James Dale Feltz, Sr. & the USS Plunkett

The many missions of CPO James Dale "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 Junkers Ju-88 released its payload and all hell broke loose. Jim's quick thinking and disobedience of orders saved his life and the lives of others. Jim is a legend and a true hero!

Sergeant Robert Garvey- WWII B-24 Crewman

Tonight, we bring you the heroic story of B-24 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 was 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!
 

Misty Blum- Veteran Suicide Awareness

Tonight's guest is Misty Blum. Misty's husband, Michael, served his country in the United States Marines for twenty 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. Every day, twenty-two veterans lose their battle to post-traumatic stress on American soil. That is one veteran every sixty-five 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 PTSD suicide prevention and awareness. Misty hopes that telling her story will help others.

Sierra Koester- Licensed PTSD Counselor

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 harm's 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, PTSD, 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 servicemembers from our county killed in action since World War I through the 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.

22 STRONG

Wright Construction Services, Inc. celebrated its sixteenth year in business in February 2021. Wright Construction is licensed in twenty-two states and is the largest general contractor in St. Charles County.  What makes Wright Construction special is its quality work and community involvement.
In 2019, Wright Construction hosted its inaugural 22 Strong Walk. The number 22 is significant to Wright's 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 charities dedicated to aiding and assisting veterans. Virtual walkers joined the event from eighteen states across the country, and over 100 people participated in St. Charles in 2021.  This September, Wright will host its fourth annual event. 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 its Giving Back efforts, click on the link below.
https://www.wrightconstruct.com/giving-back/

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Brown- Vietnam Pilot

LTC Steve Brown served in the Air Force from 1968-1991, twenty-three years as a pilot. Steve had a very distinguished career in the Air Force. As a new pilot, he paid his dues flying a Caribou carrying everything from ammunition, supplies, troops, to livestock in Vietnam. He graduated to the B-52’s flying bombing missions during Operation Linebacker II. Negotiations for peace talks had bogged down, so President Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi. Operation Linebacker II was important because it forced the communists back into serious peace negotiations. After Vietnam, as the Cold War intensified, Steve sat on the tarmac on alert in the cockpit of his B-52 armed with nuclear weapons. From the B-52s, Steve joined a very elite group of pilots flying the U-2 reconnaissance plane. Dressed in an astronaut suit, armed only with a camera, Steve would fly over Cold War hotspots, shooting pictures.

Preview of Next Week's Episode

Join us next week on The Dog Tag as we host Vietnam veteran LTC Steve Brown. Steve served in the Air Force from 1968-1991, completing twenty-three years as a pilot. Steve had a very distinguished career in the Air Force. As a new pilot, he paid his dues flying a Caribou in Vietnam. He graduated to the B-52, flying bombing missions during Operation Linebacker II.  After negotiations for peace talks bogged down, President Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi. Operation Linebacker II was important because it forced the communists back into serious peace negotiations. From the B-52s, Steve joined a very elite group of pilots flying the U-2 reconnaissance plane.  Armed with only a camera, Steve would fly over Cold War hotspots, shooting pictures. It's a story you won't want to miss.

Jim David- The St. Charles County Veterans Assistance Office

Today's podcast features Jim David from the St. Charles County Veterans Assistance Office. The office is located in O'Fallon's City Hall and is staffed by volunteers Monday-Thursday, from 9 AM to 4 PM. The volunteers are ready to assist you with your Veterans Assistance needs. Jim outlines what assistance the office can provide and how to utilize them. He shares how the office came together in St. Charles County and how the office works with the veteran/veteran family navigating the various veteran assistance resources or departments within the VA or branch departments.  He shares past stories on how the Veterans Assistance Office has helped Veterans and their families with issues they are facing. He discusses the training the volunteers receive and how they work with the local Veterans Service Officer. The Veterans Assistance Office is always looking for volunteers to assist our veteran community.