THE
THE MEN
THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FIGHT TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY. BUT WARRIOR FOUNDATION FREEDOM
STATION WORKS TO HONOR THEM
EVERY DAY.
THIS MORNING WE ARE TALKING
WITH CEO AND FOUNDER OF THE
WARRIOR FOUNDATION FREEDOM
STATION SANDY LEMM COOLER AND
U.S. NAVY CORPSMAN AND CURRENT
RESIDENT FREEDOM STATION TWO
JUNIOR RODRIGUEZ.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> HEY, JUNIOR.
LET'S START WITH YOU.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR SERVICE.
TELL US WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE
SETTLING BACK INTO CIVILIAN
LIFE AND THEN A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT YOUR TOURS AND YOUR
EXPERIENCE.
IF IT WASN'T FOR FREEDOM
STATION IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE
BEEN A HA A LOT DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE AND I HAVE NOW SANDY
LAMB COOLER AND HER HUSBAND AND
HER BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND
EVERYONE THAT VOLUNTEERS FOR
WARRIOR FOUNDATIONS, AN AMAZING
GROUP.
THEY FOUND ME WHEN I HAD A HARD
TIME AFTER I GOT BACK FROM MY
LAST DEPLOYMENT AND ENDED UP
ABOUT BOY.
AND AFTER A SUICIDE ATTEMPT
THEY THEY TOOK ME IN AND THEY
CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER.
THEY GAVE ME OPPORTUNITIES THAT
I KNEW THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE IF
IT WASN'T FOR THEM AND I'M VERY
GRATEFUL SANDI'S GOT A HEART OF
GOLD AND SHE'S THE MOST
TRIUMPHANT AND THE MOST HARD
GETTING WOMAN I KNOW.
LET'S BRING SANDY INTO THE
EQUATION HERE.
SANDY, HE'S RIGHT.
YOU HAVE DONE JUST SO MUCH
INCREDIBLE WORK FOR OUR
VETERANS.
RIGHT.
VETERANS. RIGHT. BY THE WAY, YOU'RE AT FREEDOM
STATION TOO RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
WHAT YOU GUYS OFFER FOR OUR
MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN ARE
VETERANS LIKE JUNIOR THERE AND
HOW OUR VIEWERS CAN GET
INVOLVED AND HELP OUT WHILE A
WARRIOR FOUNDATION FREEDOM
STATION WAS AT FIRST JUST A
DREAM AND THEN IT BECAME A
PASSION AND NOW IT'S THE
PURPOSE.
AND LET ME SHARE WITH YOU THAT
BACK IN 2004 WE STARTED LIVE ON
THE AIR WITH CHANNEL EIGHT.
THAT'S RIGHT, KAY FNB RADIO AND
TRULY WE'VE MADE A LOT OF
DIFFERENCES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE
.
BUT I TRULY WANT TO SAY TO
EVERYONE THAT THIS SAN DIEGO IS
SUCH A FIRESTORM OF GIVING AND
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TOUCH SO
MANY OF OUR WARRIORS RIGHT HERE
IN OUR AREA AND OUR HOPE THIS
YEAR AGAIN IS TO FLY THEM HOME
SO THEY CAN WAKE UP IN THEIR
OWN BED IN THEIR OWN STATE WITH
THEIR OWN FAMILY CHRISTMAS
MORNING.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO REALLY
TRY HARD THIS YEAR WHERE WE'VE
ALL HAD TO ADAPT AND OVERCOME
AND AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT
HAPPEN AND WE'RE TRULY
APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYTHING.
SO LET ME SHARE WITH YOU THAT
THIS LOCATION THAT YOU SEE
BEHIND YOU IS YES.
OUR SECOND TRANSITIONAL
LOCATION AND BY TRANSITION I
MEAN WE MOVE THEM IN WHILE
THEY'RE STILL ON ACTIVE DUTY.
WHY WAIT TILL THEY'RE OUT AND
KIND OF FLOUNDERING?
SO WE MOVE THEM IN ON ACTIVE
DUTY.
THEY GET UP IN THE MORNING, PUT
ON THEIR ARMS AND LEGS,
WHATEVER, GO UP TO BALBOA NAVAL
HOSPITAL.
THESE ARE ACTIVE DUTY, NOT
VETERANS.
AND THEY DO THEIR MEDICAL THEY
DO THEIR MILITARY OBLIGATIONS
AND THEN THEY COME HOME TO
THESE LOVELY COTTAGES AND IT'S
REALLY WORKING.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
WHY WAIT TILL THEY'RE OUT OF
THE MILITARY AND TRY TO GO FROM
A REALLY GREAT POINT THAT
THEY'RE AT IN LIFE TO STARTING
OVER.
SO WE JUST KEEP THAT PROJECTION
GOING FORWARD, GET THEM INTO
COLLEGES, GET THEM JOBS, GET
THEM INTO OUTDOOR THERAPY.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE,
INCREDIBLE PRESIDENT NOW NAMED
COLONEL GREG MARTIN WHO MANY OF
YOU KNOW AND HE IS SPEARHEADING
ALL OF OUR OUTDOOR THERAPY AND
EVEN IN THIS TIME OF KOVAR AND
THE PANDEMIC.
RIGHT.
THESE WARRIORS NEED TO BE
TOGETHER.
THEY ARE BROTHERS.
THEY WENT IN SHOULDER TO
SHOULDER.
THEY FOUGHT SHOULDER TO
SHOULDER AND WE HAVE TO KEEP
THEM ACTIVE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH.
YOU KNOW, IF WE TAKE THEM OUT
AND DO ALL KINDS VERY SAFE
DIFFERENT OUTINGS AND IT IS
VERY IMPORTANT FOR THESE GUYS
TO HAVE THAT OUTLET.
AND SO AS LONG AS I CAN KEEP
GOING.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING.
WE GO MANDINGOS HELP.
WE'LL SEND THEM HOME FOR
CHRISTMAS.
>> JUNIOR I SEE THAT BIG SMILE
ON YOUR FACE.
LOVE TO SEE THAT, BY THE WAY.
YOU CERTAINLY SERVED 11 TOURS
OVERSEAS.
A BIG SALUTE TO YOU, SIR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK
YOU SAN DIEGO FOR EVERYTHING
YOU'VE DONE AND HELP SANDY AND
YOUR FOUNDATION DO WITH OUR
VETERANS AND FOR BROTHERS AND
SISTERS THAT ARE BACK HOME.
>> OK.
SO THE BIG GIVE IS ON NOVEMBER
20TH USUALLY SANDY IT'S HERE AT
OUR STUDIOS.
WE'RE SO BUMMED IT WON'T BE
THIS YEAR.
I'M ALWAYS SO EXCITED TO DO
THIS EVENT HERE IN THE STUDIO
HAS GOT SO MUCH ENERGY AND IT'S
JUST INCREDIBLE.
BUT NOVEMBER 20TH FROM 6:00
A.M. AT 6:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE BY GOING TO
CBSA DOT COM SLASH WARRIOR
SANDY.
IT'S SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT
THIS YEAR BUT IT STILL HAS SUCH
A PROFOUND IMPACT.
RIGHT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE
PEOPLE ANSWERING THE PHONES
RIGHT HERE AT FREEDOM STATION
TOO AND CHANNEL EIGHT IS GOING
TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF IT IN
A SMART WAY.
AND YES, I TOO MISS THE FAMILY
BACK THERE AND DAY SO BUT
JOINED CHANNEL EIGHT ON TV.
WE'LL HAVE COVERAGE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CHANNEL EIGHT AND YOU'LL BE
ABLE TO SEE FREEDOM STATION AND
ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THINGS
HAPPEN BE PART OF IT.
HELP US SEND HIM HOME FOR
CHRISTMAS.
WHAT A GREAT MESSAGE.
A BIG VIRTUAL HUG TO YOU BOTH
HERE ON THIS VETERANS DAY.