Inspire Your Workplace

The stories from experienced Veteran presenters can help inspire employees, cultivate an atmosphere of teamwork, and enhance corporate culture.

Speaker Spotlight

Just a few fearless stories told by our passionate Veterans.
COL (Ret.) Thomas H. Kirk, Jr.
Tom's life changed in 30 seconds when his F-105 fighter plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile while flying his 67th mission in Vietnam, forcing him to eject in a farmyard about 30 miles outside Hanoi. He would spend the next five-and-a-half years in the prison camp dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton." Tom spent two years in solitary confinement and lost 95 pounds during his captivity, but never lost his love for the United States. Tom has shared his story over 500 times, always imparting hard earned life lessons.
COL (Ret.) Jim Kelsey
Jim served two tours in Vietnam, and then went into Military Intelligence, where he handled the first-ever personnel exchange between the Russians and the Americans. Jim describes his job as being in charge of the "Jason Bournes," commanding operatives worldwide while he lived in Germany at the time the Berlin Wall came down. During Desert Storm Jim was the Army’s principle liaison with the CIA, NSA and DIA. He completed his Service as Chief of Staff and Garrison Commander at Fort Huachuca, AZ.
Frank Lambert
After graduation from West Point in 1964, Frank attended Airborne and Ranger School at Ft. Benning and Jungle Survival School in Panama until assigned Company Commander of Co. D, 5/7, 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He received the Silver Star for saving his sergeant during a firefight and the Soldier’s Medal for saving his radio operator from drowning, the highest non-combat Award, and two Purple Hearts. His XO, Mike Sprayberry, was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing Frank, severely injured in a firefight.
CAPT Larry Ernst
Captain Larry Ernst, a TOPGUN graduate and instructor, completed 136 combat missions in Vietnam, commanded an F-14 Squadron and Replacement Air Wing, was CO of the USS Milwaukee, and the last CO of the USS Midway. Captain Ernst completed his 27-year career in 1993 as the Operations Officer of CINCPACFLT. His combat awards include a Presidential Unit Citation, 6 Air Medals, and 2 Navy Commendation Medals with Combat "V." His story is in Since You Asked XVIII, Edition I.
Winona (Winnie) Fritz
U.S. Army nurse Winnie Fritz earned her pilot’s wings and held leadership positions in the U.S., Thailand, and Vietnam, where she earned the Bronze Star for meritorious service in ground operations against hostile forces during evacuation and MEDCAP missions. Winnie has held positions as a CEO, Chief Clinical Officer, and Chief Nursing Officer in a variety of U.S. and international hospitals and healthcare organizations in 22 countries.
Dr. Connie Mariano
Dr. Connie Mariano's 24-year career in the U. S. Navy included 9 years as the White House Physician to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. She was the first military woman to become the White House Physician, the first woman Director of the White House Medical Unit, and the first Filipino American in US history to become a Navy Rear Admiral.
MAJ Clovis Jones
Major (Ret.) Clovis Jones, Jr. is a two-tour Vietnam veteran, serving as an Airborne Infantryman with the 1st Air Cavalry Division experiencing combat during the famed Pleiku Campaign and Ia Drang Valley Battles with the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry (Airborne), and as a Cobra Attack Helicopter Pilot with the 101st Airborne Division’s 4th Battalion, 77th Aerial Rocket Artillery Battalion. He is a retired FedEx Express MD-11 Captain, and recent recipient of the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and a leader in over a dozen aviation organizations, including the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
David Lucier
David worked in II Corps in Vietnam with Sedang Montagnards to halt enemy troops and materiel coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam. He was a member of the U.S. Army's Special Forces' Mike Force. At the age of 56, David joined his Special Forces buddies in Iraq to provide security for Americans destroying captured Iraqi munitions and went on to integrate weapons systems in Afghanistan. David was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2009.

Veteran Speakers

More than 50 veteran speakers are available to share their story and life lessons with your employees. 

Schedule a veteran speaker for a $1,000 tax-deductible contribution. Your gift will help develop the character and civic responsibility of students in your community by providing experiential learning programs that honor veterans and preserve their legacy. 

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