Why don't you tell me
who you are and tell me what you do?
Sure Mark J Lindquist is my name,
I grew up in Ortonville MN
came from Seoul, South Korea.
I can see where I came from on your
map over there and so you know,
I guess the story of my life is that
was adopted from an orphanage in Seoul,
South Korea, at 8 months old I
was given the chance to to live an
unbelievable life in Western Minnesota,
raised by the Lindquist family out there.
After having been adopted at 8 months old.
You know? Serve the country in
the United States Air Force.
Serve the country and in America and now
as you see these world events happening.
I I just can't help but but I feel like
I have something to give at a critical
time in the world history like this.
But you already had something
that that was significant.
That would be a job of service
that you were aiming towards,
which was to be a member of Congress.
But you were willing to give up that
run to go to another country and fight.
You know, I was thinking about it on
the plane ride over here to Anchorage.
The whole Congress thing you
know the desire to serve,
which really sparked when I enlisted,
you know, at age 2615 years ago,
you know the idea to serve at
that level and rise as a leader.
You know, in the discussion
of the direction of America,
so there's been a dream for a long time.
But I was, I was thinking about it like this.
It's like.
If you were to weigh the scales
of what's important is is.
Is a single congressional race in
in the United States of America
more consequential than the
potential for World War Three?
I don't think so,
and so I I'm just simply trying to
respond to the thing that is most urgent.
I think you know it was the call of
service that led me to America that
led me to the Air Force that led me
to want to serve in a role such as
leadership in Congress or service
in public service in any realm.
Which then led me to respond to this
because none of us expected that we'd
be on the brink of World War three.
And so I'm just trying to be
a of of greatest service.
When I'm needed.
Or cure a guy you mentioned who
was born in Seoul, South Korea,
and you were adopted and brought
to Minnesota literally a world
away in every way we can explain.
You served the United States,
not your native home country
in the United States Air Force.
And now you will cross borders
again to serve another country
from which you are not from. Why?
As I look at my life and.
How blessed I've been to enjoy?
The fruits of freedom.
I mean, think about it.
I started a life in an
orphanage in Seoul, South Korea.
Which means I was part of the 15% of the
orphans that got it chosen for adoption
from those orphanages in the early 1980s.
For the other 85%, they didn't get a call.
So I got. I got adopted,
then I got to come to America.
How lucky is that?
And then get to.
I'm an entrepreneur.
I'm a business owner.
I've enjoyed virtually every
blessing of freedom one could enjoy.
I had an Air Force buddy in mind say
very eloquently to me the other day.
He understands why people are answering
this call to service to serve in
another country's military because US
veterans US veterans around the world.
We've already answered that call.
We already answered the call and in
committed to to potentially die for
somebody that we don't know, he said in
in in and it really made sense to me.
It doesn't matter if that person
is in Arkansas or Ukraine.
If it's the cause of freedom.
Then that's a call that we're interested in.
And so it it makes sense to
me that you would see 20.
What is it now?
20,025 thousand veterans?
Then then stepping forward around
the world to to answer this
call for a Foreign legion which
hasn't been formed for 80 years.
You know it's so significant for me and
my military buddies as we as we assess
this situation instead of what is.
This hasn't happened in our lifetimes.
There has not been a call for a Foreign
legion since the International Brigades
of the Spanish Civil War in the
1930s and then go back to the French
Foreign Legion 100 years before that.
This is the first time in this century,
so of course,
veterans.
RRRR responding because this is what?
This is what we were built for.
Situations like these.
The non service member.
The non veteran.
Can't quite get their head
around that you'd be willing to.
Mark, you could die in Ukraine.
Yes, and I think if you were to walk around
basic training in any American military base.
Or you know any any training base
and and ask the service member.
If they've thought about that in their head,
of course they have.
I hope they have specially pre deployment.
I think that the you know 2,000,000
active and reserves in the 18 million
vets we've all come to peace with that.
Reality that you just shared.
You could die.
And we've all had buddies that did.
But there are a few members of society,
1% at any given time who feel that
that's their call when, when,
when you're in a room full of people and
and the question is who's got to go.
We raise our. And so. To us,
it's something we've already dealt with.
It's something we're already OK with.
We already,
we already understand.
As a military member.
I was in enlisted troop.
We already understand that that when
we enlist and raise our right hand and
swear an oath to the Constitution that
some jerk over in Washington could send
us to a place that's crazy and sucks.
And yet we go.
We know that's what we're signing
up for this time.
I don't have to take orders
from the Pentagon.
This is a volunteer foreign legion
where if you feel called to go,
you can use the freedom that's
available to you as an American
citizen and buy a plane ticket to
Warsaw and walk to the border.
You can use your freedom to do that.
So there's veterans at all.
What is it though?
What is it that's calling you?
Is it the images of the people?
Is it democracy? What is it?
Who who is pulling on you Mark?
Yeah, I think we all look at at the
at the the videos that are coming out
of that country and and and we all are
asking ourselves what can I do to help.
Most of my friends feel helpless, right?
I've asked myself that same question.
What can I do today?
And then I asked myself another question.
What's the most I could do?
To help the Ukrainians if I feel called
to do this because of the videos that I
see and the tragedies that are unfold.
Well, the most I can do, Jenna is. Go.
Right? And if you know your history,
you know, and I think you'll appreciate this.
Think of Markita Lafayette. Right?
He was from one of the most famous
families and well known families in France.
And he came over and pledged allegiance to
our flag, and flood for us for four years.
That's the French.
I mean, France has been existing for,
you know for 1500,
some years they they they were more
advanced warfighters than us in 1776.
So it's kind of like we're we're
the Frenchmen now.
It's kind of like the roles are reversed.
Does that make any sense like I'm
a member of the IT was a member
of the most professional fighting
force on on on planet Earth.
The most professional military there
ever was. And so I could go over.
And if you're going to equip a
civilian with an AK47 in Ukraine,
well certainly a member of the World
professional military could help.
Maybe in. In a role such as Lafayette.
No,
then if you know your history further
certainly I'm not going over to be a
hero or try to get into the history books,
but we have to know your history.
Markita Lafayette commanded troops at
Yorktown very consequential in our history,
so a foreigner.
Was leading.
Militia members and and you know,
Virginia regulars in our Revolutionary War.
So if you have a sense of history,
this is this is.
This is what veterans were called for.
Moments like this,
that's what we're answering.
It does not necessarily matter
to me or a lot of US veterans.
I guess I'm kind of thinking
through this for the first time,
like like the country that's involved.
It's it's the idea that freedom is being
challenged just like it was in 1776.
And just like it is in the Ukraine in 2022.
So I guess we're answering the call
of freedom. In defence of freedom,
that's what we say in our Air Force creed.
I'm an American airman. I'm a warrior.
I've answered my nation column
and guardian of freedom.
Is justice, our nation, sword and shield.
Its century an adventure?
I defend my country with my life.
That's the oath we take.
In those that both doesn't ever
have and doesn't have an end date
just because I got out of the
active duty service doesn't mean
that I'm any less military minded.
That's with you forever.
One other thing that strikes me about
your story Mark probably the most
since I have no military background,
is that you were born.
In an orphanage into an orphanage in
South Korea. And without Question,
War will make children orphans in Ukraine.
Without question.
Are you there at all for them?
God. I guess that's probably a more
succinct answer to your question,
like what's calling you?
I saw the video. Of a businessman
in Warsaw who's buying armored.
Cars on his own volition.
And driving across the border
and rescuing people. And then I.
So videos of the orphans
orphanages in eastern Ukraine,
and think about how many new orphans
there are in the last month.
What if I?
Could. Possibly deliver some of these
orphans back across the border and give
another child on planet Earth the same
blessing that I was given, which is a
chance at a life filled with freedom.
I've got body armor.
I've got a ballistic helmet.
I've got military training and and,
and there are teams of people
that are going into Ukraine and
extracting some of these orphans.
I that's what I'm gonna do if I can.
I don't know.
I don't know why I got so lucky in life,
but maybe it's for a moment such as this.
At least that's what I'll think
when I'm over there just to drive
myself to to get the job done right.
I mean how full circle can you come?
I I certainly,
I mean the United States of America
has a ripple effect of the Korean War.
Because the Korea couldn't
take care of their babies,
you know,
and so they were sending some
of them internationally.
And now.
I feel like there's a kid out
there that in 40 years will be me.
He or she can't walk to the border.
I gotta carry him.
So there is, you know, of course,
I don't know how I'm going to be
able to help till I get there.
You never know how you can
help till you get there,
but if I have my way and I can assemble
the resources and the squad to do it,
that's one of the things I want to do.
I just I just feel like it's.
That that would be like a.
An important mission to me,
you know. It's my life story.