As Nelson and Lola Cresente sit, holding hands they realize the special gift they’ve been given this year. The gift of life.
Nelson nearly lost a battle with COVID-19. When doctors at the hospital told Nelson and his wife that he needed to be put on a ventilator they refused. He had been battling COVID pneumonia, but they feared a ventilator would be the end. They chose, instead, to go home with hospice care, to enjoy what time he had left together.
“The doctor told me I was going to take him home to die,” Lola said.
Just weeks ago, he was home on hospice care. A BiPAP machine aided his breathing. Ashley Henson, a nurse practitioner with Valir PACE, handled some of Nelson’s care at home.
“We even helped them call a priest,” Henson said. “It was that dire.” Week after week, Nelson kept fighting back, doing what he could to regain strength.
“I’m a fighter, 100%,” he said.
During one trip to their home, Lola was explaining to Henson and a hospice nurse how a neighbor had stopped by the day before to pray over Nelson, specifically that his lungs would open. That’s when they witnessed what they all believe was a miracle.
“I listened to his lungs and his hospice nurse listened to his lungs. We looked at each other and were like, ‘We’re hearing air here. Air is moving,’” Henson said.
Lola was shocked.
“You know what I did. I cried. And he did too. And praised God for it,” Lola said.
From there, Nelson continued to make improvements. He was moved off hospice care and began at-home therapies through Valir PACE.
Now, just a few weeks later, he can once again leave his home. He’s no longer connected to the BiPAP machine, using a portable oxygen machine instead.
“I really think he’s a miracle,” Henson said. Henson said the Cresentes were both vaccinated and she does believe the vaccine also played a role in his story. “I think even though he was vaccinated and came close to death, I think that probably would have been an inevitable thing had he not been vaccinated,” Henson said.
One of the few things Nelson has not regained is his sense of taste. He said he is really looking forward to the day he can enjoy tasting the delicious meals his wife makes – especially a steak dinner.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Central Oklahoma announces it has received a $17,300 grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and its Services for the Elderly iFund grant program. The grant will help fund its Provide-A-Ride senior transportation program and allow RSVP of Central Oklahoma to increase its level of service to older adults in Oklahoma County. Provide-A-Ride is a free medical transportation program for older adults who are no longer able to drive to doctor’s appointments. Caring volunteers pick up seniors at their front door, take them to their appointments, wait for them in the waiting room, and then safely return them home. Last year, even with the COVID-19 extended shutdown, our volunteers provided 1,470 medical rides to 133 low-income, older adults.
“It’s vital for us to help our elderly neighbors remain active, engaged, and healthy,” said Beth Patterson, RSVP of Central Oklahoma Executive Director. “For more than four decades, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation has been a strong community leader and financial supporter in improving the lives of older adults in our community. This grant will help RSVP continue to provide a critical service to some our community’s most vulnerable citizens.”
Since 1973, RSVP of Central Oklahoma has helped senior adults continue to live with purpose and meaning by connecting them with rewarding community volunteer opportunities, including RSVP’s Provide-A-Ride Senior Transportation Program, which started in 1994. The past two years, RSVP volunteers provided more than 95,000 service hours in the community at a $2.25 million value of service. RSVP is a partner of AmeriCorps Seniors and the United Way of Central Oklahoma. To learn more about the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, visit www.occf.org To learn more about RSVP of Central Oklahoma, visit www.rsvpokc.org.

COVID-19 Oklahoma Test Results

As of 2021-12-27 at 7:00 a.m.

Sailors help maintain America’s advantage at sea. This means they do not always get to celebrate holidays with their loved ones. An Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native serving in the United States Navy will celebrate the holidays with their fellow sailors in Guam.
“I’ve always enjoyed Christmas time,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Crystal Smith. “I’d always be the first one to start decorating the tree and the first one to put on Christmas music. I would say that one of my favorite memories from the holidays would be when my dad and I would go to drive-thru Christmas light shows.”
Smith wants family back home to know they are missed this holiday season.
“I hope you enjoy this Christmas,” said Smith. “Please don’t worry about me not celebrating while out at sea because we are! There are ugly Christmas sweater contests, karaoke, Christmas card exchanges, white elephants and so much more going on. It is sad that I cannot be there, but please enjoy your Christmas. If you just put on ‘Baby, it’s Cold Outside,’ you can bet on me singing along a few thousand miles away.”
Smith serves as an operations specialist aboard USS Lake Champlain. As a member of the U.S. Navy, Smith, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance.
“To me, serving in the Navy means becoming the best version of myself for myself and for my country,” added Smith. “It’s a very prideful thing to be a part of.”

Emergency rooms are designed for true emergencies, yet they are often filled to capacity by patients with non-emergent needs. Those suffering from the common cold, the flu or a minor injury.
Many of these patients resort to the emergency room because they do not have a primary care physician, their physician does not have immediate appointments available, or their injury or illness occurred outside of normal business hours. It can be a frustrating situation for everyone involved.
INTEGRIS Health is constantly looking for ways to make access to medical care more convenient for patients. That’s why we are happy to announce that we will soon be opening three INTEGRIS Health Urgent Care centers in the metro, strategically located to offer the care you need closer to home.
These new facilities will be operated solely by INTEGRIS Health, meaning they will provide the same exceptional care you would expect at any INTEGRIS Health location. INTEGRIS Health Urgent Care will provide care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions. Providers will have access to lab services and imaging equipment to quickly diagnose and treat patients.
Each location will have two to three dedicated providers per site. Patients will see the same providers rather than a rotation of providers. These providers will have access to all INTEGRIS Health integrated medical records and will have access to the patient’s primary care and specialty care providers.
“These urgent care centers truly are an extension of our services. We’re reaching outside of the hospital and into the communities themselves,” says Timothy Pehrson, the president and chief executive officer of INTEGRIS Health. “Our goal is to meet people where they are and provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place. These urgent care facilities enhance our continuum of care.”
The first INTEGRIS Health Urgent Care center will be in Moore, located at 750 S.W. 19th Street, Suite A. This location will open to the public on Dec. 13. The two other facilities, one in north Oklahoma City at 2201 N.W. 150th Street, Suite 100 and the other in Norman at 1400 24th Ave. N.W., will open within the next six months.
Each location will be equipped to offer x-rays and lab work and conduct minor procedures. Any patient requiring a higher level of care will be seamlessly transitioned to a more acute setting in the INTEGRIS Health system.
The urgent care facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week.
Patients can schedule an appointment online or add themselves to the list of expected patients by using the Get In Line feature on the INTEGRIS Health Urgent Care website. To learn more about the Moore location call 405-666- 9860 or click here: https://integrisok.com/locations/urgent-care/integris-health-urgent-care-moore

Story and photo by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

For passersby looking at a large public art mural painted on a wall in Oklahoma chances are it was painted by former University of Central Oklahoma art professor Bob Palmer, 70, or one of his former students.
The renowned Bethany muralist’s calendar is crowded with the commissions, chores and deadlines Oklahoma’s most viewed artist attends to these days.
He continues to add to his busy calendar by submitting proposals on large mural projects. Palmer, who earned a doctorate of education at Oklahoma State University, recently submitted a proposal to paint three of The Pathway to Hope Public Art Trail underpasses in Tulsa. The six underpasses are beneath Interstate 244 from Main Street to Greenwood Avenue, planned to honor the vibrant history of the Greenwood District.
Palmer Studios, Inc., a consortium of his best former students during his 30-year art professorship, is in demand. He is busy marketing his painting talents and historical perspective through his and his former students painting career.
Sometimes this means in-depth proposals to selection committees, while other times his vast legacy of 3,800 murals makes gaining work so much easier. This happens when a previous client calls and tells him he is needed for a massive project.
The internationally known artist, yes international because of his works in Canada, Mexico, Macedonia, Zagreb the capital of Croatia and Eastern Europe, is in demand. With the advent of the internet, when people want the most talented muralists possible, they have a global reach. Palmer has been hired from Oklahoma to paint murals in Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Tennessee and Louisiana
“Retired from teaching in 2014, I still work my career every day, in some form or fashion, even when I am not busy painting a mural,” Palmer said. “Now a days it seems people want us to do larger ones, with more detail about their agendas or concerns and I have to be ready with plenty of supplies to make that happen.”
Successful nationally known Oklahoma sculptor Joel Randell said he was fortunate to get into one of Palmer’s traditional painting classes at UCO in 1993. Randell went on to help Palmer complete 450 murals around the state.
“His quiet insistence that I trust my talent, telling us to paint big during the semester helped me learn to paint in an impactful way to create colorful and lifelike murals.” Randell said. “I think that Bob can serve as an inspiration for all of us of the power of mentoring a new generation of artists. The new budgeting for public art across our communities is transforming the cultural landscape in Oklahoma towns and cities.”
Oklahoma art historians say Palmer had a lot to do with Edmond’s City of Art status by showing the way to engaging its citizens and visitors with public art.
The art rich community began with more than 100 sculptures and paintings. This was sparked 30 years ago when Palmer first took his mural painting class’s artists off campus from the University of Central Oklahoma to begin an intense mural painting campaign. This emphasis on adding public art to the community stretched seven semesters before they ran out of walls to paint in the downtown and outlying Edmond area.
This intense emphasis on public art in Edmond sparked many other public art installations, mostly focused on sculptures. The city created the Edmond Visual Arts Commission in 2001, half funded by Edmond’s Art in Public Places Program. It commissioned many art pieces placed across Edmond’s grassy intersections, city streets, business entrances and parks during the past 20 years.
Growing to more than 260 murals, sculptures and installations, Edmond exploded with public art. Edmond utility, transformer and traffic boxes are currently being transformed into works of art.
“As a public art muralist when you paint a scene on a huge scale the viewer is engaged through the powerful lens of their cultural heritage,” Palmer said. “My former students and I have done so many, when I retired, I finally put some of the best and largest into a book that has sold well.”
His hard back coffee table book “Painting Oklahoma and Beyond” with 500 photos of his murals is available at Painting Oklahoma and Beyond illustrates state murals (oklahomabooksonline.com).
“While other artists have paintings in the permanent collection of prestigious museums, my pride is based on far more people seeing mine daily,” Palmer said.
His last three decades as a prolific muralist means more of his art is on public display in Oklahoma than any artist in history and will remain so well into the future.
Palmer says while some artists have their photo taken with famous people, he tries his best to capture the normal street scene the viewer might have seen from the past at its most colorful and most robust.
“This mural work puts me on the road a lot. But I try to make sure the majority of my time away from home is applying paint to my murals,” Palmer said. “Along the way I have met so many neat people here in Oklahoma it has made it a fun, exciting life.”
“My wife has been my biggest fan. Starting off she wanted to keep track of every piece of art I did. After two years she realized that was not going to work and was happy to share her husband with the world,” Palmer said, referring to his wife of 48 years, Carolyn.

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

Cliff Hudson shared his story of earning an OU history degree, a Georgetown University law degree and leading Sonic Corporation’s national growth to 3,600 franchises as a self-described jack-of-all-trades at the Second Half Expo in October.
As keynote speaker, the Edmond resident, 67, spoke at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. He emphasized at the beginning of his speech he still likes to read history. He made some history of his own during 34 years of helping lead Sonic to national acclaim in the drive-in restaurant world
“We were thrilled to have Cliff Hudson as the keynote speaker of our inaugural Second Half Expo,” said Bob Loudermilk, event founder. “As a successful businessperson and community leader, he has the credentials to deliver an impactful and credible message. Just like in his thought-provoking memoir “Master of None – How a Jack-of-All-Trades Can Still Reach the Top,” Cliff shared relatable experiences with his audience.”
Hudson gave several examples of how he listened to his franchisees ideas and adapted them into Sonic’s business of driving innovation and long-term business performance. Some would say this was crucial in making Sonic America’s Drive-In.
Hudson was tapped to lead Sonic in 1995, overseeing the drive-in chain’s growth from 1,500 locations in 27 states with systemwide yearly sales of $905 million to 3,547 locations in 46 states and systemwide sales of $4.5 billion. Franchise opportunities at Sonic have been rated as high as number three in the country.
His audience was treated to a surprisingly candid speaker who shared rare insight into his ability to climb the leadership ladder while guiding adaptation in the menu and business model at Sonic Corp.
Each time the Sonic board made him an offer to give him more leadership potential at the growing national brand Hudson was faced with a major decision, a consuming question about his career.
First hired as general counsel, promoted to chief financial officer and later chief operating officer, the board finally asked him to serve as CEO and chairman of the board.
As he became a more skilled negotiator and capable administrator, he said he would study at each new opportunity. He then had a dialogue with himself wherein he would ask himself what the outcome would be if he did not measure up to the new challenge.
Each time a promotion was offered he realized the worst thing that could happen to him was he would leave the company with more stock ownership and for the last promotion leave having been the CEO of a major national corporation. He served as CEO for 23 years.
But clearly all of this was based on a firm foundation of education, good interpersonal skills gained as president of Northwest Classen High School Student Council, and entrepreneurship from college on. While studying at the Georgetown University Law Center he edited the prestigious International Law Journal (a publication of the Association of Student International Law Societies).
He said several times there were valuable ideas offered by individual franchisees. He took their idea to sell ice cream, which Sonic did not then offer, to heart. He realized Sonic could add the two cheapest things to any product, air and water to create more sales and offer the customer more services. The more air added to ice cream produces a light and creamy texture. Water could be added to slushes and flavored drinks to expand a line of flavors to give the franchisees more products to sell and increase sales.
Seeing dissatisfaction among some of the franchisees about Sonic’s national product being so regulated sparked his innovation mindset. Instead of addressing too much regulation, he innovated by proposing arranging for suppliers to provide national contracts to standardize supplies delivered to each franchise location. This dropped the price franchisees were paying for their supplies and made them more successful.
His speech was well received and after the applause died down many in the audience formed a line to buy his memoir at a book signing. Hudson’s wife Leslie sat at the table with him, opening the books for him to autograph for the buyers.
“Hudson is a good role model for those in the 50+ generation and the gist of his philosophy is available at his web site. He appears to have no plans for slowing down anytime soon,” Loudermilk said. “In addition to his time with family and now serving of counsel in the Crowe and Dunlevy’s Oklahoma City office, Cliff serves on three non-profit boards as well one for-profit board.”
Hudson’s philanthropy extends to local schools and his alma maters. The Hudsons endowed the Hudson Fellows scholarship fund for select Ph.D. students at the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health. They increased their scholarship gifts to $5 million and the OU Board of Regents named the (now) Hudson College of Public Health in their honor in 2018.
He is past chairperson of Georgetown University Law Center’s Board of Visitors. In addition he has served on the Oklahoma City School Board and the board of the Oklahoma City MAPS for Kids—a $700 million school revitalization program.

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

Seven years after retiree Mac Troy began writing his novel and a year after his own untimely death, the longtime Oklahoma City resident’s time-travel saga “Out of Time” is finally in print.
Featuring a modern-day teenager’s time travel to Oklahoma’s Territorial days, the book would never have been published without the assistance of his widow, Carol Wilkinson Troy, a longtime on-air personality and executive at KOCO-TV5 in Oklahoma City.
“Out of Time” is the realization of Mac’s dream to write a book that would transport readers of all age groups to new worlds,” Carol Troy said. “His not living to see his dream realized was sad enough, but it would have been truly tragic if his efforts had all come to naught.”
The paperback book of 350 pages will make its debut on Friday, Dec. 3, at Full Circle Bookstore in north Oklahoma City. A talk about the book and its long journey to print will be given by several guests invited by Carol, who will sign books for her late husband.
Finally retired after decades of producing television documentaries and operating his own advertising agency in Oklahoma City, Troy began writing “Out of Time,” his third work of fiction, in 2014. Although he produced numerous award-winning documentaries and ads during his career, including one Emmy nomination, the noted metro resident was at heart a fiction writer.
“Mac was a voracious reader,” Carol said, “and he lived a pretty adventurous life, including directing a documentary film crew in the climbing of Citlaltepetl, the third highest peak in North America. His life experiences and love of the written word came together in his writing.”
“Out of Time” follows the adventures of teenager Travis “T-Bone” Stone of modern-day Dallas, Texas, who unexpectedly finds himself and his dog transported back in time to Oklahoma’s territorial days. Adjusting to his new life as a greenhorn cowboy, the athletic youth falls into the company of a colorful assortment of rough-and-ready characters who teach him how to survive the dangers of life in the West.
Along the way, the wide-eyed time traveler meets the mysterious Wind Dancing, a fetching Cherokee maiden who has more than a little to do with T-Bone’s time-travel adventure. His ready adaptability to his new environment and his passionate feelings for Wind Dancing leave young T-Bone with mixed feelings about returning to his former life in the 21st century.
Although a complete work of fiction featuring a dog that communicates with the young at heart, Troy strived for historical accuracy in his depiction of life in the early 1890s Oklahoma and Indian territories. The author consulted with noted Oklahoma historian Dr. Bob Blackburn to achieve this realism.
“The author has done a superb job of mixing fantasy time travel with an authentic history of cowboys and Indians in the Old West,” Blackburn said. “I thoroughly enjoyed this book.”
Blackburn has been invited to the Dec. 3 book signing to comment on the historical events and characters in the book. Several other special guests, including Oscar-winning producer Gray Frederickson, may be present to discuss Troy’s efforts to get his final manuscript in print.
“It’s been just a little more than a year since Mac’s death,” Carol said, “so the celebration of his book’s debut will also serve as a nice commemoration of his life and his passion for writing.”

Now through Christmas night at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

Midwest City’s Holiday Lights Spectacular creates a free holiday drive-through wonderland of twinkling lights celebrating the magic of the season with more than 100 animated light displays.
“The City of Midwest City is excited to bring Holiday Lights Spectacular back for the 2021 holiday season,” said Josh Ryan, communications and marketing director. “The lights are an important holiday tradition for families in eastern Oklahoma County. Despite the many challenges we had in getting the show running this year, we knew it was a challenge we had to overcome.”
The lights at the popular destination giving visitors plenty of the Christmas spirit to enjoy shine brightly each night through Christmas night (Dec. 25). The holiday light’s shimmer will be viewable from the comfort of personal vehicles in a driving tour from 6-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 6-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 6-11 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Joe B. Barnes Regional Park comes alive with secular and religious displays featuring the vibrancy of a majestic 118-foot Christmas tree Illuminated with more than 9,000 LED lights and topped off with a dazzling 8-foot star.
Visitors can enjoy driving through more than one million sparkling lights, many of which are animated. This seasonal celebration of animation is the hallmark of the display’s dazzling winter wonderland claim to fame.
The lights of every color spectacular features the animated illumination celebration of a dancing forest light show performing to traditional holiday music. Visitors tune their vehicle radio to a specific frequency to hear the holiday music that accompanies the animation.
The one-of-a-kind Santa fly fishing in a 20-foot-tall waterfall with gliding fish and prancing animals is a unique feature of the loop through a quiet wooded area. Elves are seen baking their Christmas confections in the animated Candy Cane Company.
The Park is transformed into a lighted wonderland where visitors can see anything from the Nativity scene to Santa playing soccer. Visitors drive through the park and experience the displays while in the warmth of their car. The estimated drive time for completing the tour is 20-30 minutes.
This family tradition began in 1995 with just 44 displays and has grown to be what at one point was the largest animated lights display in a five-state region.
The Park, 10 minutes east of OKC at 8700 E. Reno Ave., is easily found from I-40. Head north on Douglas Blvd. to find the lit snowflakes heading west on SE 15th St. to the entrance south on Century Blvd between Midwest Blvd. and Douglas.
Admission is free, thanks to the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce and many merchants. The Holiday Lights Spectacular runs on sponsorships and donations. Donations are appreciated onsite or contact organizers.
With easy access from I-40 and just 10 minutes east of Oklahoma City, visitors and their family will want to make this an annual tradition for years to come.
For group arrangements for the light show, including guided group tours and itinerary planning and more general information call 405-739-1289 or visit Holiday Lights Spectacular | Midwest City Oklahoma. Organizers thank sponsors for their support that allows them to present this community service to the public.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Two of Oklahoma’s most esteemed combat Veterans spoke about their service at a reception on Marines Corp Day, the night before they were honored as Parade Marshalls at the Midwest City Veterans Day Parade.
They were hosted by civic leaders and volunteers in welcoming home Vietnam Veterans in an often-somber reception planned by Midwest City Mayor and U.S. Coast Guard Veteran Matt Dukes.
More than 100 Vietnam combat Veterans gathered at the Reed Center in Midwest City saw several somber military traditions presented.
The men heard speeches by U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Colonel Chuck DeBellevue, 76, America’s top air ace of the Vietnam War, and U.S. Army (Ret.) Major Ed Pulido, whose vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Baqubah, Iraq in 2004. The two combat Veterans emphasized the attending Veterans’ sacrifice and service was vital to keeping America free.
Four Carl Albert High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets presented the colors.
Two other cadets then performed the POW/MIA Missing Man Table & Honors Ceremony in a dignified and solemn manner. The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia first conceived the poignant observance. The emphasis given to the empty chair sitting at a POW/MIA table by the two cadets brought home to the audience the plight of prisoners of war and missing in action soldiers even today.
Dukes emphasized in his opening remarks he was humbled to offer a belated welcome home to Vietnam Veterans from Midwest City, the city where patriotism lives and the spirit flies high.
Area resident U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Col. Bruce Ewing was moved by the honor to attend the event. “For me this was the ‘Welcome Home’ that we always wanted but never, till lately, got,” Ewing said. “Midwest City got it right…and I feel the combat Veterans in attendance could feel proud of their service a bit more openly than in years past. In short, it was a joy to be there.”
Ewing served in country as a captain 1970-71, as part of the Air Force Advisory Group advising the Republic of Vietnam Air Force at Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon, present day Ho Chi Minh City. He was also TDY to Udorn Royal Thai AFB ,Thailand in 1971 when DeBellevue and Steve Richie got their fifth MiG kill making Ritchie the Air Force’s first Vietnam ace and moving Chuck on to his later status of leading ace in that war. He retired as a Colonel in 1990 after 27 years of service.
Local Veterans of Foreign War posts, American Legion and the South Vietnam Veterans Association were well represented at the more than 10 tables full of in country Vietnam Veterans.
DeBellevue, narrated his September 9,1972 mission two MiG kills. Those two kills added to his previous four air victories made him the top air ace of the Vietnam War in his F-4 Phantom II. He ended his detailed account of that mission by emphasizing how humble he was because so many fellow service members made every flight possible.
The Edmond resident expressed gratitude for those gathered with whom he shared the perils of war in Southeast Asia to ensure freedom for all Americans.
In honor of those U.S. Marines gathered, the 246th birthday of the Marine Corps ceremony was conducted that evening, also known as Marine Corps Day. Retired Marines Dave Willis and Donald Schmidt cut the symbolic birthday cake in traditional style with a ceremonial sword while Dukes narrated the history of the Corps and ceremony.
Pulido gave a more personal speech. The Edmond resident received the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart after his left leg was amputated. This ordeal is depicted in his book “Warrior for Freedom: Challenge, Triumph and Change, The Major Ed Pulido Story.”
Major Ed, as he is known for his nationwide impact on the Veteran services movement, spoke of his father’s cancer diagnosis in December. He expressed its connection to Agent Orange and how it has impacted his family.
His father, U.S. Army (Ret.) Chief Warrant Officer 4 Manuel J Pulido served in Vietnam and after as a Hughes helicopter crew chief as a Battalion Aviation Maintenance Officer. “My father is an immigrant from Colombia who took the sacred oath seriously to defend this great nation during and after the Vietnam war.” Major Ed said. “As a Vietnam-era Veteran who served with honor and distinction for more than 30 years, he taught us the importance of always making sure we understood the mistakes made in not properly honoring his comrades by an ungrateful nation will never again be made on our future war fighters. Because as he puts it, we will never leave anyone behind again on the field of battle and on the Homefront ever again. So, help him God.”
“On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your service,” Major Ed ended his speech. “Thank you for your sacrifice. We will never leave you behind on the field of battle and on the Homefront, so help us God.”