1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newts World. With Memorial Day coming 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: up this Monday, I wanted to spend time and devote 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: an episode to a veteran who's really making a difference. 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney. Dan was commissioned as an officer 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: in the US Air Force in two thousand. A career 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: of fighter pilot and a two time recipient of the 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: Top Gun Award. As an F sixteen fighter pilot, he 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: completed three combat tours in Iraq. In two thousand and seven, 9 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: he started the nonprofit Folds of Honor above his garage 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: with the mission to provide educational scholarships to spouse as 11 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,919 Speaker 1: her children of wounded or killed military service members. In 12 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: thirteen years, Folds of Honor has provided over twenty nine 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: thousand life changing scholarships, totaling one hundred and forty five 14 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,959 Speaker 1: million dollars. Let me just say Dan is a guy 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: who likes achieving because he's also a Class A member 16 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: of the PGA of America, and he's found a wonderful 17 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: way to bring his passions together. He partners with the 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: PGA and USGA to host Patriot Golf Day Memorial Day Weekend. 19 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: The Folds of Honors largest national golf fundraiser, So I'm 20 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: really pleased to welcome my guest, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney. 21 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: Colonel Rooney, let me say, first of all, thank you 22 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: for your service to America and all the many things 23 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: you've done to make America a better place. Well, I'm 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: blessed to be here with you as we headed a 25 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: Memorial Day. Thank you very much for sharing our story. Well, 26 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: I should say, by the way, you also have a 27 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: show on Fox Nation, Fly Into the Wind, where you 28 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: travel across America flying your own plane to interview athletes 29 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: and celebrities. And I understand you have a book out 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: now by the same title, Fly into the Wind, How 31 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on your Assent to Greatness. 32 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: I should ask you this for a second. What is 33 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: your personal plane? I fly SR twenty two, so a Sirius, 34 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: which was you know, just on the news the other 35 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: day and Colorado and they had a mid air And 36 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: the Sirius is unique because it actually has a built 37 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: in parachute. And I always said, as a you know, 38 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: twenty one years flying fighter jets, I always like to 39 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: have a plan by the plan in the fighter jet world, 40 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: as we give it back to the taxpayers. But we 41 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: got an injection seat. And I would never fly private 42 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: aircraft before Sirius came out with this plane, because there's 43 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: really no option over a populated area outside of dead sticking, 44 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: and that's not a good plan b anytime. Those generally 45 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: do not end well. And this parachute now, I think 46 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: it's saved almost two hundred lives. And literally, if your 47 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 1: engine quits or you have a midair like they did 48 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: in Colorado, you can pull this handle over your head 49 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: and this giant parachute blows ballistically out of the spine 50 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: of the aircraft and it floats down and literally, you know, 51 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: sets down like a butterfly with sore feet. So it's 52 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: an awesome plane. Let me get this straight. This is 53 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: an airplane parachute, not a person parachute. It is it's 54 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: the whole airplane. It's a shute that's big enough to 55 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: land the whole airplane. And one of the famous people 56 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: at say was the CEO of Walmart I think three 57 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: years ago, flying out of Bentonville and his engine quit, 58 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: he pulls the chute, lands right in the middle of 59 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,679 Speaker 1: an intersection in Bentonville, Arkansas, and gets out of the 60 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: plane and walks away. I mean, it's amazing technology. That 61 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: is remarkable. I have to tell my wife, although I 62 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: think her attitude will be if I have to be 63 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: in a plane which has to have a parachute, maybe 64 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: I'll drive. Well, it's still much safer. We know the statistics. 65 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: Driving is a dangerous place. Now parallel, I have to say, 66 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: I'm not a pilot, but even where I'm a really 67 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: bad golfer. So I feel kind of intimidated talking to you. 68 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: But I'm curious. You started golfing at the age of five, 69 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: and your dad cut down a five wood, a five 70 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: iron wedge, and a putter to your size. What got 71 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: you so involved that at five years of age you're 72 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: getting your own personal set of clubs. Yeah. Well, I 73 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: had two older sisters, so that was my biggest motivation 74 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: was to get out of the house and go with 75 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: my dad someplace. And his place was the golf course, 76 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: and he had one rule I couldn't fall behind, And 77 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: he dragged me out there with his cronies to play 78 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: golf at our little Stillwater country club, which would only 79 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: be a country club in Stillwater, Oklahoma, who was not 80 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: a luxurious place by any means, and you know, I 81 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: fell in love with the game as a result. But 82 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: my initial motivation was just to tag along with my 83 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: dad and get away from my two older sisters that 84 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: harass me incessantly. That's wild. So here you are at 85 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: five years of age, and then, as I understand it, 86 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: by the time you got to be ten, your parents 87 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: would just drop you off in the morning and go 88 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: back and get you in the evening. You just go 89 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: off all day. Yeah, a very cheap babysitter. That's wold. Now. 90 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: You then, at twelve years of age, actually began to 91 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: earn a little bit of money out of this hobby. 92 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: How did that happen? Yeah, my first job. You know, 93 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: it's interesting in this country as we look at people 94 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: being paid to stay home. All right, some people love 95 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: to work, and I think it's just an eight in 96 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: human beings. And I loved to work. And it was 97 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: a little guy and first time I could get my job, 98 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: I was twelve years old. I was the range rat 99 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: so Washington golf clubs, picking up range balls, making four 100 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: bucks an hour. And I was a stingy little dude. 101 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: I'd saved like fourteen thousand bucks by the time I 102 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: was sixteen and bought a Honda Prelude and it was like, 103 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: that was the American dream. You work, you save, you buy, 104 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 1: And you know, I've never stopped working. I love working 105 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: every day. Yeah. I think when we did the welfare 106 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 1: reform of ninety six, the biggest impact was shifting to 107 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: buy it so away from dependency towards getting a job, 108 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: and it had just a huge impact, and welfare officers 109 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: shifted from trying to figure out how to get you 110 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: more money for doing nothing to trying to figure out 111 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: how to help you get a job. So I believe 112 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: very deeply that the work ethic is a key part 113 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,119 Speaker 1: of being American. But while you're out here earning some money, 114 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,239 Speaker 1: getting ready to buy that Honda and golfing, you also 115 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: decided on a very different future, which is to be 116 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: a fighter pilot, which is ignus in by the time 117 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: you were twelve, you really want to become a fighter pilot. Yeah. 118 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: So I call them moments of synchronicity or chance with 119 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: the purpose. So I'm on the golf course, I meet 120 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: my first fighter pilot and I was twelve. Was named 121 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: Steve Courtwright. Reno is his call sign and in the 122 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: visual this guy walked straight out of the right stuff. 123 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: I mean, just chiseled, like the prototypical fighter pilot. And 124 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: I'll never forget I was. You know. It was a 125 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: couple days later and I am playing golf with my 126 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: dad and I'm like, Dad, I know what I want 127 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: to do with my life. I want to be a 128 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: golf pro and a fighter pilot. And his question to 129 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: me was very interesting. When he responded, he said, son, 130 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: can you tell me which way an airplane takes off? 131 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: And I'm twelve, right, so I'm like, well, I think 132 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: it's into the wind. He said, that's exactly right, you know. 133 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: And the beauty of that metaphore, if you call it that, 134 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: is that there was going to be great resistance and 135 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: headwinds and challenges for this twelve year old kid to 136 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: put together these two very unlikely dreams whatever it's worth. 137 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: You know, I'm a rare bird, only guy in the 138 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: world to be a golf pro and a fighter pilot. 139 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: But I had no idea how ultimately God would combine 140 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: those to send me on a trajectory that I would 141 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,559 Speaker 1: have never imagined, and that, you know, that I would 142 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: get to realize both of those dreams and still get 143 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: to do both of those things, combining my passions of 144 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: golf and flying fast jets. So thanks Steve Courtwright, who 145 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: went on to be a two star general by the way, 146 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: and it is still one of my closest friends at 147 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: eighty years old. We just celebrated his eightieth birthday. Great. 148 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I think sometimes people like Steve have no 149 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: idea the impact they're having just by the act of living. 150 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: I mean that you know, he wasn't out there recruiting you. 151 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 1: He was just out there being who he was, and 152 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: that recruited you. Yeah, I could not agree more living 153 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: life and setting an example of the right way to live. 154 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: I'm curious because apparently Top Gun also had an impact. 155 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: As you said, there's a synchronicity where things seem to 156 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: randomly but in fact reinforce each other. So you're meeting Steve, 157 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: you're talking with your parents about flying, and you go 158 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: see Top Guns several times. Now, I'm curious from the 159 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: standpoint since you now have been a professional fighter pilot 160 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: when you look back on how do you react to 161 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: the original Top Gun? Every time? I you know, surf 162 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: and cable TV and it's on I still watch I 163 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: think I'm like most people, right apps resolutely love the movie, 164 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: super excited about Top Gun two coming out, which has 165 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: been delayed multiple times by COVID. But I tell my 166 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: five daughters, you know, your dad's getting ready to be 167 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: cool again because the world's going to fall in love 168 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: with fighter pilots. But I love it. And yeah, I mean, 169 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: part of it's obviously corny, but the whole swagger in 170 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: the movie, they do a great job at, you know, 171 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: capturing that, and the flying is, you know, for that time, 172 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 1: really cool. And obviously there's a bunch of Hollywood stuff 173 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: that isn't reality so that it affect you as an 174 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: air force guy that this is all based on an 175 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: aircraft carrier. No. I just was fascinated, you know, as 176 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: a small town Oklahoma kid, to think that you could 177 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: fly one of these machines. And I've always been in 178 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: love with machines. I don't care if it's you know, 179 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: fast cars or fast jets or you know, I've just 180 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: been enthralled with machines since I was little kid, and 181 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: this was the pinnacle of machines, the fighters. Yet well, 182 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: I served with Duke Cunningham, who was the model for 183 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: the role in Top gun man. It was exactly what 184 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: you're talking about. Fighter pilots are a different breed and 185 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: they have to have an edge to him. Oh, they 186 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: can't compete. I mean, they're up against people who are 187 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 1: eager to win no matter what. So when you tell 188 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: your parents, I'm gonna become a golf pro and a 189 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: fighter pilot, which for most families was an unusual conversation, 190 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: what was their reaction? You know, I've talked about my 191 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: dad and you know he was always supportive but very pragmatic, right, 192 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: which is a lost art in the world we live in. 193 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: There was always this built in accountability in my house, 194 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: and I was like, hey, you can do that. Just no, 195 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: it's going to be really hard. You're going to face 196 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: great resistance and challenges. But we were Catholic growing up, 197 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: and we always had this term reck cliss faith in 198 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 1: my house, and I love that term. Right. It's like, man, 199 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: we are here and gone so quickly and have no regrets. 200 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: And the only regret that you know, I would have 201 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: had if I didn't try. And they were always there 202 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: to support me trying whatever it was in my life, 203 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: and they also didn't allow me not to fail, which 204 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: is a big issue with kids now. They let me 205 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: fall down and then they picked me up and you know, 206 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: dust me off and say, hey, we're here for you. 207 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: Let's get back in the fight and do it again. 208 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: So part of your background was the impact of your 209 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: grandfather who had served in World War Two? How did 210 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: that affect you? He was the first you know guy 211 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: I knew, and I think it's something that ties together 212 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: these people that want to put the uniform on in 213 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: our country. And I looked at you know, he was 214 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: a colonel, so he was a full bird, so he 215 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: still outranks me. But these pictures of him in World 216 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: War Two, and you know, kind of the glamour in 217 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: the reverence around that great generation in those timeless photos 218 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: that we all know and admire. Thank God for that 219 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: generation in this country. And I felt called to serve, 220 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: and I think, you know, for me, it was being 221 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: part of something bigger than yourself and joining this small 222 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: group of people that's less than a half a percent 223 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 1: of the country now, that wake up every day and 224 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: are willing to die for our freedoms and all the 225 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: beauty and imperfections in this country. And I am in 226 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: love with it. Hopefully I'm not going to have to 227 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: stop serving anytime soon. And as I've gotten down the road, 228 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: you know, twenty one years, looking in the rear view mirror, 229 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: the people that serve in the military are my favorite thing. 230 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: And I never thought i'd say that as a fighter pilot, 231 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: loving flying as much as I do. But as you 232 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: get older, I think you really understand the importance of relationships, 233 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: and the people that serve in this country are just 234 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: some of the best. There was a kid from Oklahoma 235 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: while you were thinking about and developing your approach to flying. 236 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: You also, after college, went to Florida and hit the 237 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: mini tour circuit playing professional golf, and then you use 238 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: the money from the tournaments to save up for pilot lessons. 239 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,199 Speaker 1: So in a sense, your golf career was funding your 240 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: Air Force career. You have one hundred percent because you 241 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: had to have a private pilot license to apply for 242 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: the training program and the Air Force, and I didn't 243 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: have that money, and so I literally used golf to 244 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: make enough money to get my private pilot's license. I 245 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 1: was living with my grandparents in Floor and golf was 246 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: very instrumental in getting me to pilot training. I didn't 247 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: realize that only four point eight percent of the pilots 248 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: will complete the kind of pilot training program you went through, 249 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: and apparently more people will play in the NFL that 250 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: will fly a fighter jet. There aren't many of us, 251 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: and the program is two and a half years long 252 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: to become a fighter pilot, and of that group, it's 253 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: about five percent that will actually successfully complete it. And 254 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean you don't finish the program, but it 255 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: means to be in a cockpit combat ready in a 256 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,479 Speaker 1: fighter jet. So lots of guys will go fly transports 257 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: and bombers and helicopters and you know, all the other 258 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: things that the Air Force flies. And the other thing is, 259 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: you know, there's been in six to seven million dollars 260 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: per pilot training us to go through that program, and 261 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: I basically had, you know, forty five hours of time. 262 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: So to say I was green as an understatement and 263 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: really struggled at the beginning, but got better as I 264 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: went along. And I'd love to share that, like the 265 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: two most impactful lessons I learned during that two and 266 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: a half years, the first one at which I've never 267 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: stopped is the power of prayer. So when I walked 268 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: in that class and there were forty five other people, 269 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: and I realized that, you know, every one of them 270 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: is probably smarter than I am. I was like, I 271 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: can't do this by myself. I started getting up thirty 272 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: minutes early every day and getting into the Bible and praying. 273 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: I've never stopped that in twenty one years. And the 274 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: other lesson was when I got to the F sixteen. 275 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: You only get four rides with an instructor, and your 276 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: fifth ride is solo, and if you're not ready for 277 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: that fifth ride, you wash out of the program. And 278 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: I'll never forget sitting in the cockpit of an F sixteen, 279 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: which is, you know, a forty five million dollar fighter jet, 280 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: and going off by myself flying this thing for an hour. 281 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: You have an instructor that's in a chase ship by you, 282 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: so he's flying a different airplane next to you, but 283 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: ultimately it's up to you your takeoffs and landings. And 284 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: when I landed and I climbed down the ladder at 285 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: Luke Air Force Base, this epiphany hit me, Newt and 286 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: it's go before you're ready. And I really think that 287 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: you look at greatness in this world and the DNA 288 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: that ties it together, or that's just a group of 289 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: people that go before they're ready. Right, You're never going 290 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: to have it all figured out, planned out, And that 291 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: changed me for the rest of my life. And it's 292 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: almost like the crazier the idea, the more eager I 293 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: am to go. And I also think it's the ultimate 294 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: nod to the Good Lord that you have faith that, hey, 295 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: you're not in control anyway, but when something is on 296 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: your heart, go before you're ready, and great things happen. 297 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: I think that's probably right. Dad. Think about people like 298 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: Steve Jobs, who intuited what he was going to do 299 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: but had no proof and who actually got fired from 300 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: the company invented and then they got in trouble and 301 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: he had brought back and he invented a whole different 302 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:09,479 Speaker 1: series of products than anything they've been thinking of. And 303 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: I think it's was that willingness to keep gambling and 304 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: keep risking that made him remarkable. I know you'd probably 305 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: have a great go before you're ready story. If all 306 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: you've accomplished in your career, there has to be it. 307 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: I think you could say, whether it's running for Congress, 308 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: being Speaker of the House, doing podcasts. Everything I do 309 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: is sort of an aim fire ready where you go 310 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: back and you look afterwards and say, gee, what I 311 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: learned from that? Yeah, but what a beautiful way to 312 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: live our short journey together. Yeah. Well, I think there 313 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 1: are people who get such an adrenaline rush out of 314 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,199 Speaker 1: just being alive that they operated a different plane than 315 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 1: a lot of other people who don't really understand what 316 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: it was all about. It's a little bit of what 317 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: Theodore Roosevelt meant in the famous paragraph about the man 318 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: in the arena, that the person who's actually they are 319 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: doing it, getting dirty, getting sweaty, has an experience that 320 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: the bystander will never fully understand. I think that's right, 321 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: and I think your life fits that. Just a couple 322 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: quick examples of what you just chat about for a second. 323 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: You go to Iraq and while you're doing that, you're 324 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: very careful. Everything works pretty well, but then you come 325 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: home and you sort of psychologically let your guard down 326 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: a little bit and you almost kill yourself. Can you 327 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: explain that? Yeah? So I was over there in two 328 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: thousand and eight and it was crazy. I mean, Felujah 329 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: Ramadi flying night missions was at the absolute peak of 330 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,959 Speaker 1: my flying career. The spear had never been sharper and 331 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: every day and every night. It was life and death. 332 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: And I make it home unscathed, come back for a 333 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 1: routine training mission. It's like my second mission back, and 334 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: we're taken off in the F sixteen. It has so 335 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: much thrust that you know you'll go from zero to 336 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: about two hundred miles an hour and you know, four 337 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: or five seconds, and then you go from two hundred 338 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: to three hundred and about a second and a half. 339 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: And once you hit three hundred, unless your gear and 340 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: your flaps are up, you'll actually overspeed them the op 341 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: limits and so there's a very narrow window which to 342 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: raise your gear not to get in the weeds. But 343 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: I raise my gear a fraction of a second early, 344 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: and the jet actually settles back down onto the runway 345 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: and on top of a three hundred and seventy gallon 346 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: fuel tank that's on the belly of my airplane, and 347 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: it's imperceptible to me. And we come back and land 348 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 1: and they refuel this jet and there's just a small 349 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,679 Speaker 1: drip of fuel coming out from below my airplane. So 350 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,479 Speaker 1: I had scraped this fuel tank. And the jets are 351 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: all com uterize, so we actually pull the tapes on 352 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: the jet and if it's a split second more I 353 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: grind through this fuel tank and the jet explodes underneath me, 354 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 1: and you know, only by God's grace, and I'd end 355 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,479 Speaker 1: up blowing up and you know, ejecting or you know, 356 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: dying on that day. And it really set a very challenging, 357 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,239 Speaker 1: you know, eight or nine years in motion in my 358 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: life that you know, looking back, it was you know, 359 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: a trigger obviously not responsible for all the struggles that 360 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,360 Speaker 1: I had gone through, but was just, you know, one 361 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 1: of those moments in life. And I think for all 362 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: of us, I mean, you are going to fail. Struggle 363 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: and challenge is inevitable. Those seasons will enter your life. 364 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 1: And you know, what you do when life isn't going 365 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: your way, I think is ultimately what's going to write 366 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: your legacy. You know. It's interesting. Eddie Reckenbacker was the 367 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: top American nation World War One shot down more Germans 368 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: than any other American, and he said in his memoir 369 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: that he had gotten sick and had to spend like 370 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 1: ten days in the hospital and he was very frustrated. 371 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: But as he began to recover, he refought all of 372 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: his first seven or eight fights with the German aircraft 373 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 1: and he realized that in every single fight the German 374 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 1: could have won, and he thought through every mistake he 375 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: had made, and he said so when he came out 376 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: of the hospital, he mentally had a model of how 377 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: to dog fight with the air quota that generation that 378 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 1: gave him an enormous superiority just because mentally he hadn't 379 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 1: sat around wasting his time and griping, but he literally 380 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 1: used the hospital bed as a place to rethink and 381 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: replan every single engagement he'd been in. And the legend 382 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: who ultimately founded the Indianapolis of Race and did a 383 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 1: bunch of other things. And so I think it is 384 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: useful to sometimes stop it looking and go, yeah, what 385 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: do I learn out of that? Now? One of the 386 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: things you talk about is an Air Force acronym a 387 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:10,879 Speaker 1: CAVU for ceiling and Visibility unrestricted, which has become your 388 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: own personal code ality. What is canumb when it's the 389 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: perfect day to go fly a fighter jet those steel 390 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 1: blue skies and you know, like those days. I think 391 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: our life is unlimited. Every day is a gift. And 392 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: when I went through this period of struggle in my 393 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,360 Speaker 1: life and so often right outcomes are out of our 394 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: control and highly overrated, but you can always control your process. 395 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: And so when I was in this period of challenge 396 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 1: and I was look at Proverbs twenty seven. You know 397 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: iron sharpens iron, right, God was sharpening me during this 398 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: time with a lot of humility and some struggles mixed 399 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: in there. But I was like, hey, I can create 400 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,640 Speaker 1: a mindset that every day is cavu and there are 401 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: certain things that are within my control. And so this 402 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: became a code of living for me. And there's ten 403 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: things that I do every single day without fail. And 404 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: I looked at this and I said, regardless of the 405 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: outcomes in life, what can I do on a daily 406 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: basis to find fulfillment? Happiness was quite frankly not attainable 407 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: every day during the struggles in the challenges, but fulfillment is. 408 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: And I think we placed way too much value on 409 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 1: trying to be happy in this world. That's not what 410 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: God calls us to do. He calls us to use 411 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: our time and talents to make good decisions, to become 412 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:39,360 Speaker 1: the best version of yourself to help other people. And 413 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: so Cavo became a code of living that I live 414 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: by every day, and you know, I'm double blessed on 415 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,360 Speaker 1: those days it's CAVO out and you get to play 416 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,880 Speaker 1: golf or you get to fly a fighter jet. But 417 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: every day is a gift. And you know, the one 418 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: thing I guarantee is that you know, time is going 419 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 1: to fly. I haven't figured that one out. It's going 420 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: very quickly, and you know, ten years from now, you know, 421 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: we'll wake up and be like, where did those last 422 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: ten years go? But the beauty of living by a 423 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: code and living disciplined and living by a routine is 424 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: you'll be able to answer that question. And I think inherently, 425 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,640 Speaker 1: if there's one thing fighter pilots are good at, it's prioritizing, 426 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 1: you know, lots of information that we intake in the airplane. 427 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: We've got to figure out what's really important, what's not important. 428 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,479 Speaker 1: And that's really what CAVO is for me. It's like 429 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: I look at life and we're inundated through this fire hose. 430 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: Everybody's drinking through a fire hose of life, and you 431 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: have to defend the sanctuary and the sanctity of what 432 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: is important and prioritize that every day or you'll find 433 00:24:45,160 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: yourself just going with the whim of life. Well, you know, 434 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: it's actually I do want to point out to our 435 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: listeners that you cover Cavu in your book Fly into 436 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: the Wind, which is on our show Pade, and I 437 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: think it really is a useful outline of a positive 438 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: way to think about the world. And I couldn't help 439 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 1: but think when you were reflecting on the idea that 440 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 1: you can look back over many years. One of the 441 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: things that happens to people who have no motivation, no 442 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 1: great desire for the future, no work ethic, is all 443 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: too often they can't remember last night. It's really a 444 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: remarkable difference in how people engage in life. Now you 445 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: have the Fox Nation show Fly into the Wind, where 446 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: you fly across the country and you get real stories 447 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: of successive influential figures. Let me say first of all, 448 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:51,880 Speaker 1: I hope at some point the best of those are 449 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 1: going to show up in a new book, because I've 450 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,360 Speaker 1: always found that if you can have people who are 451 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 1: successful at anything, I don't care what it's share with 452 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: you their insights and their experiences, it just dramatically enriches 453 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: the country. But what led you to decide to do 454 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: this TV show? Because I think the common denominator in 455 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,399 Speaker 1: a world where everything is red or blue, it seems 456 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: like you got to pick a side? Is we all struggle? Right? 457 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: Everybody struggles? And my motivation was to find successful people 458 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 1: that from the outside, you know, appear to have it 459 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,399 Speaker 1: all figured out. Their winning national championships, they're winning majors, 460 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 1: they're winning Olympic medals, and I talk about these great 461 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: things they've done. But the first question I asked them 462 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: is what was the moment in your life that you 463 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,680 Speaker 1: didn't know if you were going to make it to tomorrow? 464 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: What is your greatest struggle? What is your fly into 465 00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: the wind moment? And looking back, how do you understand 466 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 1: now that God appointed that in your life and it 467 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: was one of the greatest things that ever happened to you. 468 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: And it was just, you know, fascinating to listen to, 469 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,720 Speaker 1: you know, an Urban Meyer or a herschel Walker or 470 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: dere Torrez or a Greg Norman talk about their most 471 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:26,880 Speaker 1: challenging times and that gives people hope. Right, if the 472 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 1: greatest of the great go through struggles, it shines perspective 473 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: on you know, little old meat that's going through these 474 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: struggles and their life advice on how to get through 475 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: those struggles was the beauty of the show. I think 476 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: that's exactly right, and frankly one of the great tragedies 477 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: of our time as a dramatic increase in the rise 478 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: of suicides, particularly among teenagers. And I think that's partly 479 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: because parents protect them and try to get them to 480 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: believe that you can go through life without pain and 481 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: then if finally hit something that they can't cope with. 482 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,680 Speaker 1: Whereas as you said earlier, your parents let you fall 483 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: down and learn you can get back up. It's a 484 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 1: totally different model. And I'm deeply opposed to safe spaces 485 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: and to this whole notion of somehow coddling people until 486 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,919 Speaker 1: they then find themselves crushed by life. I think much 487 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 1: better to teach people to be tough and to live 488 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: a full life. Now, as an example of your remarkable 489 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: activity energy and you obviously a person who has a 490 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: great deal of energy. After your second tour in Iraq 491 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,119 Speaker 1: in two thousand and seven, you decided to start the 492 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: Folds of Honor above your garage. What is your mission 493 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: and why did you decide to start it? So go 494 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: before you're ready a perfect example another moment of synchronicity 495 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: that was the trigger for that. I'd just gotten home, 496 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: as you mentioned from Iraq, and was actually on a 497 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: commercial airliner a few months later with Corporal Brock Buckland 498 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: who had been killed and his identical twin brother, Corporal 499 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: Brad Buckland, had brought him home. And that night when 500 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: they removed Brock's remains from the cargo hold of this 501 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: United Airlines flight, I was about midnight, and half the 502 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: people got off the plane despite the captain's request to 503 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: sit in their seats. And you know it's hard for me, 504 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: and I know you were an amazing patriot as well, 505 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: new but I was so disappointed to be an American 506 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: at that moment that this is what we had come to. 507 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: And you know, we sleep under the blanket of freedom 508 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 1: that brock Buckland gave his life for. And that was 509 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: my inspiration. And a couple months later, my wife and 510 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 1: I started a nonprofit, Folds of Honor, above our garage, 511 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: and we wrote down on a piece of paper our mission, 512 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: which we've never wavered from in thirteen years, and that's 513 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: to honor the sacrifice by educating the legacy, providing scholarships 514 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: to spouses and children who've had someone killed or disabled. 515 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: And you know, it's a remarkable ministry you mentioned in 516 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: the intro we've awarded now almost thirty thousand scholarships, about 517 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: a hundre forty five million dollars out the door taking 518 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: care of these families and honoring the sacrifice that has 519 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: been made, and it has grown certainly the game of golf. 520 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: We've got Memorial Weekend. Tire Patriot Golf Day is our 521 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: largest national fundraisers. So this weekend we've got thousands of 522 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: golf courses registered and we ask people to go play 523 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: golf and make a donation on their smart device at 524 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: Folds of Honor to honor the sacrifice and help educate 525 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: these families, and will raise over the weekend between five 526 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: and seven million dollars just having golfers donate five or 527 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: ten bucks when they go out. It's a wonderful ministry 528 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: and one of the things I'll share with you as 529 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: we look back at the craziness of this last year 530 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: with the Black Lives Matter movement in this desire I 531 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: think we all have for equality in the country, is 532 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: that forty one percent of the recipients at Folds of 533 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 1: Honor and minorities, and that's about thirteen thousand minority families 534 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: that we are have sent to school. And I really 535 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: believe that, you know, the only lasting bridge to equality 536 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: in this country comes through education. So we've gone from 537 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: simply a military nonprofit organization to a group that's you know, 538 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: way into the fight of this DNI movement in our country. 539 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: But we got to find that the right way. Now, 540 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: how can listeners participate in Patriot Golf Day this weekend? 541 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 1: It's easy, go play your most heroic round, to go 542 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,920 Speaker 1: tee it up and get on your smartphone and go 543 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: to folds of on or dot org and make a donation. 544 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 1: There are lots of courses that are signed up, but 545 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: you don't have to go to a registered facility. If 546 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: nothing else, I laugh, it's the greatest hall pass ever 547 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: given to golfers in America to go out play around 548 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: to golf. And golf is such a myopic sport, but 549 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: this is the one round you get to play on 550 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: behalf of others to say thank you to the half 551 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: a percent of this country that wake up every day 552 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: willing to die for our freedom. And I don't think 553 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: there's anything more heroic than taking care of someone's family. 554 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: So people can explain that it's their patriotic duty to 555 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: go and golf this weekend. What an easy way to 556 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: serve your country right now. How can they get involved 557 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: beyond Patriot Golf Day with Folds of Honor Foundation, There 558 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: are lots of ways. Summer is big for us. Budweiser 559 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: just came out all their packaging turn red, white and blue, 560 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 1: and that's another really easy way. They donate a dollar 561 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: for every case sold in America. Back to Folds of Honor. 562 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 1: We've got roundups going at when Dixie. We're kicking that 563 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: off in Jacksonville. But you know, ultimately it's about saying 564 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,719 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you for our freedoms and our website 565 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: Folds of Honor. You can join our squadron, which is 566 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: thirteen bucks a month and thirteen ties back to the 567 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: number of folds that bring that American flag to the 568 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: iconic triangle shape of freedom, and just hope and pray 569 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: people will go out there and make a donation and 570 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: wes that will pay that forward. We'll send about six 571 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: thousand families to school this year newt but we've got 572 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: several thousand families who are qualified that go unfunded. So 573 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: please consider visiting Folds of Honor dot org, share it 574 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: with your family and friends, and make a donation to 575 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: honor one of these families. We will have both Patriot 576 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 1: Golf Day and Folds of Honor Foundation on our show page, 577 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: along with a link so that they can come and 578 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: buy your book, Fly into the Wind, How to Harness 579 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: Faith and Fearlessness on your Assent to Greatness. I just 580 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: want to thank you as an active patriot who gets 581 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 1: up every day trying to help America survive and try 582 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: to make sure that the next generation understands the importance 583 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: of patriotism and the importance of activism. I think you've 584 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: made an amazing contribution to the country in so many 585 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 1: different ways, and I'm very grateful that you would take 586 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: this time to be with us on what is for 587 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 1: you a very busy week. Well. I appreciate that the 588 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 1: feelings are mutual. I've been a massive fan of yours 589 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:09,720 Speaker 1: for a long time. Your views on life, your views 590 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 1: on politics, a life of service and hope and pray. 591 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,839 Speaker 1: There are lots of people following in your footsteps because 592 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 1: our country needs them more now than ever. Thank you 593 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 1: very much, and I really appreciate you being with us. 594 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:29,280 Speaker 1: God bless this country and have a great Memorial Day. 595 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guests. Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney. You 596 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,879 Speaker 1: can learn more about Folds of Honor and Patriot Golf Day, 597 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: a Memorial Day weekend on our show page at newtsworld 598 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: dot com. Newtsworld is produced by Gingwich three sixty and iHeartMedia. 599 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:49,800 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Debbie Myers, our producer is Guarnsey Sloan, 600 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 601 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the 602 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: team at Gingwich three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, 603 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 604 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 605 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 606 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 1: of newts World can sign up for my three free 607 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: weekly columns at Gingrich three sixty dot com slash newsletter. 608 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: I'm newt Gingrich. This is Newtsworld.