Finding your Revolutionary War Roots

THE INTERVIEW
Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns talks about his new documentary film on the American Revolution, his Vietnam War documentary series, his path to a career in movies and more. He has created a legendary catalog of documentary movies including “The Vietnam War,” “The Civil War,” “Baseball,” “The War,” “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea;” and more. His films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations. Other topics include the impact of funding cuts on PBS and NPR, what Reddit is saying about watching documentaries by Burns and more.

SCUTTLEBUTT
Ken Burns support for PBS, CPB and the National Endowment for the Humanities
Reddit Rabbit Hole: Bingeing Burns documentaries

Special Guest: Ken Burns.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Join The American Legion
• Finding Your Roots | PBS
• Daughters of the American Revolution
• American Legion Family USA250 | The American Legion
• Ken Burns UNUM
• Ken Burns | National Endowment for the Humanities
• The American Revolution - Ken Burns
• Oratorical Contest | The American Legion
• Ken Burns is ready to fight for public broadcasting : NPR
• Sullivan Ballou - Wikipedia
• Once or twice a year I get drunk and watch Ken Burns’ Civil War. Anyone else? : r/redscarepod
• Ken Burns on new documentary: ‘We hope to put the ‘us’ back into the United States’ : r/history

The American Legion is proud to introduce “Welcome Home,” a new podcast series from the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation.

GWOT Memorial Foundation CEO and former Army Green Beret Michael “Rod” Rodriguez chats with Chief of Staff and Army veteran Jennifer Ballou, who will host the upcoming series. The memorial will honor and remember military members who served since 9/11.

Rodriguez and Ballou talk about their personal connections to the Global War on Terrorism, the memorial foundation and more in advance of the first episode of Season 1 of "Welcome Home," which will be released on Oct. 2.

Special Guest: Michael "Rod" Rodriguez.

Links:

• Follow the Welcome Home Podcast on Spotify

• Global War On Terrorism Memorial Foundation - Advocating for a memorial on the mall for GWOT service members.

Military spouses often face challenges when seeking jobs. They raise their military families while one parent is frequently deployed for months or years at a time. Military members regularly PCS to a different duty station, making it difficult for a spouse to remain employed. Entrepreneurship is a good way for a military spouse to earn some extra money.

Monica Fullerton created Spouse-ly, an online business that spotlights and supports businesses owned by military spouses, transitioning service members and veterans.

Meet this successful entrepreneur and learn more about her business, path to a rewarding career and more in the fourth and final episode of Veteran Entrepreneurs, a special four-part podcast series from The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.

Special Guest: Monica Bassett.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Spouse-ly, Shop Military & First Responder-Owned Small Businesses
• Monica Fullerton | E-Commerce Expert and Business Mentor
• Podcast - Spouse-ly
• Boots to Business | U.S. Small Business Administration
• Spouse-ly University

Veterans and transitioning servicemembers often face challenges when seeking civilian careers.

Brian Marchegiani, co-founder of Mack Brothers Elevator, found his calling in the skilled labor field. But he does more than elevator repair. He gives back to the veteran community, providing jobs for former military members and military families. In fact, for this business owner, mentorship isn’t optional, it’s a force multiplier.

Learn more about this entrepreneur success story, how to apply his expertise to landing a job in the skilled trades and more in the third episode of Veteran Entrepreneurs, a special four-part series from The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.

Special Guest: Brian Marchegiani.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Home - Mack Brothers Elevator
• Helmets to Hardhats
• International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) - NABTU

Veterans and transitioning servicemembers often face challenges when seeking civilian careers.

Former Army officer Kirby Atwell faced burnout in his first attempt at entrepreneurship post service. He stayed true to his calling, seeking a mission that would bring him freedom after his military service.

Learn how he knew when to move on and how to make a pivot to unlock a more rewarding business that supports veterans in need in the real estate field. Tune in to the second episode of Veteran Entrepreneurs, a special four-part podcast series from The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.

Special Guest: Kirby Atwell.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Living Off Rentals
• Dune Dwellings: Premium Vacation Rentals Near Lake Michigan
• Sell My House Fast IN – We buy houses in Michigan City – Green Vet Homes
• Rich Dad Poor Dad: The #1 Best-Selling Personal Finance Book Ever
• Home - D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families
• Bunker Labs – Perkins&Will

Veterans and transitioning servicemembers often face challenges when seeking civilian careers. Air Force veteran Charlynda Scales found her business niche while honoring the legacy of her grandfather, a Korean War veteran. With no formal training in the food industry, she relied on her military experience to adapt, execute, and lead, bringing her vision to life. Her business, Mutt’s Sauce, is rooted in service, resilience and a sense of purpose. Learn more about how she developed her mission, her path to success and more in the first episode of Veteran Entrepreneurs, a special four-part podcast series from The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.

Special Guest: Charlynda Scales.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Mutt's Sauce LLC®
• Free Small Business Mentorship and Resources | SCORE
• Union Kitchen – Food Business Accelerator & Shared Kitchen in DC
• 6888 Kitchen Incubator | Dayton Ohio
• Rock Bottom Has a Trampoline: How to Turn Every Loss into a Win with the Like-Hearted Mentor (TM): Scales, Charlynda: 9781956906691: Amazon.com: Books
• Amazon.com : Powershift

Austin von Letkemann, better known by his MandatoryFunDay Instagram handle, leads off this episode by talking about his new podcast, the Army-Navy Game and more.

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation CEO Rod Rodriguez shares an update on plans for the memorial and a new podcast that launches with a pilot episode September 11.

Representatives of The American Legion’s community service project, Heroes United to Heal and Protecting Vets Foundation also chatted with the hosts of Tango Alpha Lima about the role of service, overcoming PTSD and military sexual trauma. All this and more in Part 2 of our episode recorded during the Legion’s National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

Special Guests: Alyse Duffy, Austin Von Letkemann, Bridget Lake, Donna A. Michaels, Jennifer Ballou, and Michael "Rod" Rodriguez.

Representatives of USAA, Mutual of Omaha, Sony and MilTrac share how they are supporting veterans through The American Legion. Veterans and servicemembers in transition can receive financial guidance, mental health support, hearing aids and more resources from these partners. They all stopped by the Tango Alpha Lima podcast booth during The American Legion National Convention in Tampa, Fla., for this special episode.

Special Guests: Kylie Reynolds, L.J. Pocsi, Matt Scherer, Melissa Bennett, and Thaddeus "Chris" Figueroa.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Insurance, Banking, Retirement & Investment Services | USAA | USAA
• Life Insurance, Finance, Medicare from Mutual of Omaha
• Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
• Visit Amazing Animals Inc. in St. Cloud, Florida
• MilTRAC – Military Transition Resources and Calendar

With a rifle in one hand, and a sketch pad in the other, retired Marine veteran Joe Winslow’s combat service in the Battle of Fallujah inspired a return to his love of art. He drew sketches and collected artifacts before returning home to begin working on art reflecting the dedication of Marines, sailors, soldiers and others in action. Winslow discusses his time in the military, drawing inspiration from combat zones, transition issues for servicemembers and more. Other topics include alternative therapies for mental health, the origins of battle cries and the upcoming anniversary of Star Trek.

Special Guest: Joe Winslow.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Separating Fact from Fiction: Exploring Alternative Therapies for Veterans’ Men...
• USA 250 Challenge | The American Legion
• Home - Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division - Research Guides at Library of the Marine Corps
• Joe Winslow Artist
• USMC Combat Artist Program - National Museum of the Marine Corps
• Fallujah Bronzes
• Where ‘hooah,’ ‘oorah,’ and ‘hooyah’ came from and why they still echo
• Ships named Enterprise: For more than 240 years, They've boldly served America's Navy | Top Stories | militarynews.com
• What’s In a Name? American Vessels Called Enterprise – The Unwritten Record
• If you hypothetically had a large(8ft+) shark on a fishing line would your command let you bring it on deck? : r/navy

"Wayspring Wanderer" launches on Amazon.

THE INTERVIEW
Scotty Hasting is an Army combat veteran turned singer/songwriter who has performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Hasting, who received the Purple Heart, was shot 10 times at once in Afghanistan. Hasting has opened for artists including Dave Grohl, Jelly Roll, Parmalee and Tanya Tucker - and will be appearing at the American Legion National Convention in Tampa.

On this week’s Tango Alpha Lima podcast, Hasting discusses his time in the military, music career and more.

SCUTTLEBUTT
Down the Reddit Rabbit Hole: What’s the worst MRE you’ve ever ate?

Future destroyer to be named after Medal of Honor recipient, Marine Corps Cpl. Kyle Carpenter

Bravo Zulu to American Legion Riders from Ernest A. Love Post 6 in Prescott, Ariz.

Special Guest: Scotty Hasting.

Links:

• Watch video of this episode on YouTube
• Amazon.com: Wayspring Wanderer (The Desert Druid Book 1) eBook : Worley, Joedan : Books
• Scars - YouTube
• USA 250 Challenge | The American Legion
• Scars by Scotty Hasting
• Scotty Hasting | Opry
• Facebook
• Concert on the Corner | Alws
• Oratorical Contest | The American Legion
• What’s The WORST MRE you’ve ever ate? : r/USMC
• Tabasco bottles make a glorious return to the MRE
• Walter Stauffer McIlhenny - Wikipedia
• Future destroyer to be named after Marine Medal of Honor recipient
• List of U.S. military vessels named after living Americans - Wikipedia
• What really matters | Legiontown U.S.A.
• The American Legion Legacy Run | The American Legion