American Legion Post 50 SAL 50 New York USA
| December 30, 2009 WVOX 1460 AM WVOX.com Good Morning Westchester Sons of the American Legion Radio Report Special Christmas Week Edition Host: Bob Marrone Produced by John Chuhran Segment Guest: Master Seargent US Army Native of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Based with 1st Corps, Ft. Lewis Washington Deployed to Baghdad, Iraq |
The "Sons of the American Legion Radio Report" can be heard live on WVOX
1460 AM in Westchester County and around the world on WVOX.com. The show
is broadcast every Monday from 2:30 to 3:00 PM.
The host of the program is Kenneth G. Kraetzer, Commander of Sons of the
American Legion in Pelham, NY; SAL Historian for Westchester County, and Vice
Commander for New York State. Please contact Ken at 914-450-9554 with any
questions or comments about this radio and Internet production.
The intro music, "To The Colors" has been provided courtesy of the US Navy
band based at Newport, RI.
The co-host on this segment was John Chuhran, a New Rochelle based PR
executive and Sons of the American Legion member.
We would like to thank WVOX for making this broadcast possible, the many
military Public Affairs Officers, and the national Public Relation staff of the
American Legion who are assisting us to tell the story of the military and veterans.
Ken Kraetzer, Bob Marrone, and John Chuhran after hosting WVOX Sons
of the American Legion Thanksgiving Radio Show featuring calls from
deployed soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
of the American Legion Thanksgiving Radio Show featuring calls from
deployed soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
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A bowl game in Baghdad, for the troops
12/30/2009, 1:49 p.m. EST
TIM REYNOLDS
The Associated Press
(AP) — Tommy Bowden will miss his father's final game coaching Florida State, with good
reason.
With Bobby Bowden's blessing, too.
The former Clemson coach, along with Barry Switzer, Rocket Ismail, Bruce Smith, Ty Detmer and
others, are in Baghdad for a New Year's Day game-"Salute The Troops," it's being called-with
hopes of providing American soldiers a reminder of what bowl season is like back home.
Players and coaches flew to Kuwait City this week, then headed to Baghdad, where the game is
scheduled to take place at Camp Victory, which has hosted a slew of other visits from sports
figures in recent years. The event is sponsored by the USO and Tostitos, and will be aired
Monday during halftime of the TCU-Boise State Fiesta Bowl matchup.
"It's kind of a microcosm of how people in the United States feel about our troops," Tommy
Bowden said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I'm hoping we can send a
message to the troops that they are not forgotten, that they are greatly appreciated by people in
the United States of America. Hopefully, this can be a small dose of appreciation from the sport
of college football."
Tommy Bowden committed to participating in the game long before it was known his father's
coaching career also would end Friday in the Gator Bowl against West Virginia. Bobby Bowden
said he was thrilled with his son's decision to visit the troops, and suggested a trip to Iraq might
be in his own future.
"I told Tommy, 'When you get over there, you tell them I want to go over there,' so I wouldn't be
surprised if I get an invitation sometime in the next year," Bobby Bowden said this week in
Jacksonville, Fla., where the Gator Bowl will be held. "Those guys really appreciate it."
The game was the brainchild of Tostitos, which was looking for some halftime programming and
a way to tie in college bowl season with the military.
The USO quickly got on board, and said the exposure the event will receive-being on during a
marquee Bowl Championship Series game-could serve as a tremendous boost for its coffers.
The USO also is bringing Christmas presents, phone cards and care packages for the troops
who will be part of the event.
"If you think about it, where does everybody, everybody, want to be for the holidays? They want
to be home," USO president Sloan Gibson said. "These men and women can't be home. So
when you think about it, if they can't be home, you want to bring the elements of home to them.
And college bowl games, that's front and center, part of what the holidays are all about."
Tony Casillas, who played in college for Switzer at Oklahoma, said it was honor just being asked
to participate.
"When I was invited to go, you're like, 'Wow,'" Casillas said. "You're going to a war zone, an area
that we all know what's going on in that part of the world and I've never been to that part of the
world. I was a little apprehensive at first, then talked to my wife and family and she thought it'd be
a great experience for me."
Casillas said he has plenty of questions for the soldiers about what life is really like there, and
plans on bringing a camera to capture as many memories as he can.
More than anything, though, he wants whatever time he has with the troops to be a brief escape
for those soldiers.
"It's very surreal over there," Casillas said. "My responsibility is to be a distraction for them, not
that they can't do their job and be focused, but to take their minds off things for a little bit, help
them speed time up, help them look forward to different things."
To Tommy Bowden, that beats watching his father's last game.
He'll see it on television, and expects to be playing golf with his newly retired dad in early
January, when Bobby Bowden-a history buff, particularly when it comes to the military-will
undoubtedly pepper him with questions about the experience.
"I already had a strong, strong appreciation of the sacrifices that the military makes," Tommy
Bowden said. "I'm going to get a firsthand taste of what it's like to be away from home in the
holidays. These people put their lives on the line for the ultimate sacrifice. I'm going to come
back with a greater appreciation of what these people, our troops, are giving up in order for us
to live a life of comfort."
USO: http://www.uso.org/
12/30/2009, 1:49 p.m. EST
TIM REYNOLDS
The Associated Press
(AP) — Tommy Bowden will miss his father's final game coaching Florida State, with good
reason.
With Bobby Bowden's blessing, too.
The former Clemson coach, along with Barry Switzer, Rocket Ismail, Bruce Smith, Ty Detmer and
others, are in Baghdad for a New Year's Day game-"Salute The Troops," it's being called-with
hopes of providing American soldiers a reminder of what bowl season is like back home.
Players and coaches flew to Kuwait City this week, then headed to Baghdad, where the game is
scheduled to take place at Camp Victory, which has hosted a slew of other visits from sports
figures in recent years. The event is sponsored by the USO and Tostitos, and will be aired
Monday during halftime of the TCU-Boise State Fiesta Bowl matchup.
"It's kind of a microcosm of how people in the United States feel about our troops," Tommy
Bowden said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I'm hoping we can send a
message to the troops that they are not forgotten, that they are greatly appreciated by people in
the United States of America. Hopefully, this can be a small dose of appreciation from the sport
of college football."
Tommy Bowden committed to participating in the game long before it was known his father's
coaching career also would end Friday in the Gator Bowl against West Virginia. Bobby Bowden
said he was thrilled with his son's decision to visit the troops, and suggested a trip to Iraq might
be in his own future.
"I told Tommy, 'When you get over there, you tell them I want to go over there,' so I wouldn't be
surprised if I get an invitation sometime in the next year," Bobby Bowden said this week in
Jacksonville, Fla., where the Gator Bowl will be held. "Those guys really appreciate it."
The game was the brainchild of Tostitos, which was looking for some halftime programming and
a way to tie in college bowl season with the military.
The USO quickly got on board, and said the exposure the event will receive-being on during a
marquee Bowl Championship Series game-could serve as a tremendous boost for its coffers.
The USO also is bringing Christmas presents, phone cards and care packages for the troops
who will be part of the event.
"If you think about it, where does everybody, everybody, want to be for the holidays? They want
to be home," USO president Sloan Gibson said. "These men and women can't be home. So
when you think about it, if they can't be home, you want to bring the elements of home to them.
And college bowl games, that's front and center, part of what the holidays are all about."
Tony Casillas, who played in college for Switzer at Oklahoma, said it was honor just being asked
to participate.
"When I was invited to go, you're like, 'Wow,'" Casillas said. "You're going to a war zone, an area
that we all know what's going on in that part of the world and I've never been to that part of the
world. I was a little apprehensive at first, then talked to my wife and family and she thought it'd be
a great experience for me."
Casillas said he has plenty of questions for the soldiers about what life is really like there, and
plans on bringing a camera to capture as many memories as he can.
More than anything, though, he wants whatever time he has with the troops to be a brief escape
for those soldiers.
"It's very surreal over there," Casillas said. "My responsibility is to be a distraction for them, not
that they can't do their job and be focused, but to take their minds off things for a little bit, help
them speed time up, help them look forward to different things."
To Tommy Bowden, that beats watching his father's last game.
He'll see it on television, and expects to be playing golf with his newly retired dad in early
January, when Bobby Bowden-a history buff, particularly when it comes to the military-will
undoubtedly pepper him with questions about the experience.
"I already had a strong, strong appreciation of the sacrifices that the military makes," Tommy
Bowden said. "I'm going to get a firsthand taste of what it's like to be away from home in the
holidays. These people put their lives on the line for the ultimate sacrifice. I'm going to come
back with a greater appreciation of what these people, our troops, are giving up in order for us
to live a life of comfort."
USO: http://www.uso.org/