Salute to Service: A Veterans Day Celebration

-Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Jon Stewart.

Welcome to PBS's "Salute to Service."

It's a show honoring the many men and women who have sacrificed so much to serve in our armed forces.

These individuals each have a unique identity, hailing from diverse cultures, creeds, and backgrounds, coming together for one greater purpose.

This Veterans Day, alongside the United States Army Field Band, we want to celebrate those who've served by getting to know some of them personally.

-Whoo!

Yeah!

[ Cheers and applause ] -What's up, guys?

What's happening?

You have no idea how excited I am to see you guys.

This is gonna be awesome.

I had no idea you guys were going to be all set up and hooked up.

Who's the drummer?

Oh.

[ Laughter ] -I'll take those back.

No, but you've been -- That was during COVID, right?

-When I quit "The Daily Show," I needed a hobby.

So I started out trying to learn guitar, and it became very clear that, like, the amount of time it would take me to even do, like, a rudimentary "Blackbird," I wasn't going to -- I wasn't going to live that long.

But I know how to bang on -- -Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

-So like an hour into it, I was like Nirvana on the headphones, just going, "Yeah!

This is awesome!"

It's awesome.

You know, I have a little room set away from the family.

Our neighbor comes over, and she sees my wife out at the grocery store, and she goes, "I just want to tell you, I think your son's getting a lot better."

[ Laughter ] -Aww.

-That's pretty awesome.

-Yeah.

No, it's awesome, man.

Are you guys going to play now?

-Yeah, I think we are.

-Alright, well, hit it, man.

I'll stand over here and watch you guys make magic.

- You're the soul who understands The scars that made me who I am And through the drifting sands of time Oh, I got your back and you got mine - If you bear a heavy load I'll be your wheels, I'll be the road - I'll see us through the thick and thin For love and loss until the end - 'Cause you carried me with you From the highest of the peaks to the darkness of the blue I was just too blind to see Like a lighthouse in a storm, you were always guiding me Yeah, it's true You carried me with you From the day it all began Yeah, you were there, you took my hand And when I hurt a bit too deep You watched me as I fell asleep And when my head was in the clouds You found a way to pull me out You picked my heart up off the ground And showed me love was all around - Showed me love - Yeah, you carried me with you From the highest of the peaks to the darkness of the blue I was just too blind to see Like a lighthouse in a storm, you were always guiding me Yeah, it's true You carried me with you - Oh, we'll be sittin' on the world together Watchin' as the days turn to night We know how to brave the stormy weather And we're never givin' up without a fight - If you should ever bear a heavy load - I'll be your wheels, I'll be the road - Oh, I'll see us through the thick and thin For love and loss until the end - 'Cause you carried me with you From the highest of the peaks to the darkness of the blue I was just too blind to see Like a lighthouse in a storm, you were always guiding me Yeah, it's true You carried me with you Oh, you carried me with you -Guys, thank you so much for -- for -- for joining us here and doing this.

It's such a pleasure to meet you guys.

-I'm a Vietnam-era veteran.

-Okay.

-My draft number was number two, so couldn't win that lotto, either.

Destiny calls me for the service.

-The "Be all you can be" commercial got me in '81, '82.

One of the best things I could've ever done in my life.

-I've been in the Army since 2009.

I am in an airborne unit, so I do support airborne operations, but I'm an I.T.

specialist in a civil affairs unit.

So that's what I do.

-I'm second generation.

My father's a World War II veteran.

-My dad was part of the Kore-- He was in the Korean War.

-I was an inertial radar navigation systems repairman, mostly on cargo planes.

-New York Army National Guard.

Army Reserve.

-Okay.

-I got three combat tours as a finance officer.

-Okay.

-And now I work as a EMT, volunteer, Setauket Fire Department.

-I just retired as a middle school teacher.

-Okay.

-33 years as an educator in school -- Philadelphia and schools ar-- -Talk about hand to hand.

What was it like to go from that sort of feeling of the discipline and the structure of the military, and then you're in with, like, "Lord of the Flies"?

-But that's why it was fun, 'cause you bring the structure that you had from the military into it.

-Right.

-I joined the fire department in New York City in 2019.

-Oh, wow.

-So that's my other job.

And I just love serving the people.

-That's what I'm saying.

Again, like, it's like, "Oh, yeah, I do the airborne, and I support them, and I do the I.T.

for them, and I'm a firefighter and a superhero."

I feel like we put out the bat signal, and you guys all come running.

-Probably from what I got out of it the most is just to try and be part of the team.

I didn't always want to be the leader, but I wanted to be part of the team to help get things going in the right direction.

-Right.

The thing that -- that maybe drove you to get into the service, but then I noticed, like, it's not like you do that, and then -- it's like a calling.

Like, you guys -- Now you're an EMT.

Now you're a detective.

Now you're -- Do you know what I mean?

You're -- It's an idea of service to the community.

You still -- You want to help.

What is that?

-A calling, if you want.

You look around and say, "What can I do?"

And they say, "Yeah, we need volunteers.

Come on down."

So you go down, and you learn what you need to learn and do what you got to do.

-For me, it was just service to the city, like, service to the city, service to where I grew up, my people.

Being in the military, I got to serve the country.

But being a firefighter, I get to, like, literally save lives.

And I feel like there's no bigger calling than that for me.

-Right.

It feels like a wonderful way to fill yourself up... -Yes.

-...with that for you.

Yeah.

-Yes.

Got to give back, 'cause the world gives to me, so I need to give back, too.

-And now a salute to the six branches of the United States Armed Forces.

I'm looking at you, Space Force!

Welcome!

- We're always ready for the call We place our trust in Thee Through surf and storm and howling gale High shall our purpose be "Semper Paratus" is our guide Our fame, our glory, too To fight to save or fight and die Aye, Coast Guard, we are for you We're the mighty watchful eye Guardians beyond the blue The invisible front line War fighters brave and true Boldly reaching into space There's no limit to our sky Standing guard both night and day We're the Space Force from on high Off we go into the wild blue yonder Climbing high into the sun Here they come zooming to meet our thunder At 'em now, give 'em the gun Down we dive, spouting our flame from under Off with one helluva roar We live in fame or go down in flame, hey!

Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh Farewell to foreign shores, we sail at break of day, of day Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam Until we meet once more Here's wishing you a happy voyage home From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli We fight our country's battles in the air, on land, and sea First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine First to fight for the right And to build the nation's might And the Army goes rolling along Proud of all we have done, fighting till the battle's won And the Army goes rolling along Then it's Hi!

Hi!

Hey!

The Army's on its way Count off the cadence loud and strong For where e'er we go, you will always know That the Army goes rolling along Rolling along -And now a special treat.

From Blackbird Studios in Nashville, please welcome the talented musicians of the United States Army Field Band's Six-String Soldiers.

They'll be performing along with Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Amanda Shires.

And she's awesome.

- Clocks and spoons, empty rooms It's raining out tonight What a way to end the day by turnin' out the light - Shoot the moon right between the eyes - I'm sending Most of me to sunny countryside - Runnin' through sky of blue, rollin' in the sun Every day has a way of overflowing one - Shoot the moon right between the eyes - I'm keeping Most of me in sunny countryside - Don't know how I did that now, wonder where it's gone - Must have spent the way I went waitin' for the dawn - Shoot the moon right between the eyes, I'm singin' Take me back to sunny countryside Shoot the moon right between the eyes - I'm singin' Take me back to sunny countryside Clocks and spoons and empty rooms It's raining out tonight -My name is Evelyn Kandel.

I am 90 years old.

I served during the Korean War, served in Washington, D.C., in the office of the commandant, then was transferred to California, where I was on recruiting duty with a woman lieutenant.

We traveled through the West Coast to colleges, enlisting women to be officers in the Marine Corps.

I loved the Corps.

I came from a very upheavaled background, so the order, the routines, they were perfect for me.

I knew what I was wearing every day.

I knew what I was doing.

The fact that I was used as a face of the Marine Corps and certainly of the women Marines started in Washington.

Somebody discovered there was a pretty 18-year-old in the commandant's office.

I was photographed.

I was on TV, which to me was brand-new.

You know, TV was like in its infancy.

So it was all aimed towards advertising the service and in particular the Marine Corps, because I was a Marine, but I appeared with the women who were in the other services.

And we were, as a group, women in the service.

I was on a postage stamp with the other three servicewomen.

While there were certainly nurses during World War II, Korea really was the beginning of women beginning to come in and certainly in the Marines.

I'm proud I was in the Marines.

I am proud I made the decision to go into the service, and I still am, and I'm proud of the women that I have met who are in the service now that are able to do more than existed when I was in, and the fact that they are just as willing to put themselves out, to go to war zones and to serve that way.

I'm very, very proud.

Very proud.

- Thinks that I am Unforgettable, too -An inscription on the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., says, "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

And while it's been known as the Forgotten War, the veterans of this conflict are far from forgotten.

Evelyn Kandel and the almost 7 million service members who served in the Korean War embody selfless service in a way different than any other have since.

- Birds on a wire all fly away Nobody wanna stand in a hurricane When everyone else walks away She'll still remain Where did you lose the girl with no fear?

Oh, she never left Take a good look, she's right in the mirror Don't let yourself forget - Remember the fire, remember her face She felt the storm and danced out in the pouring rain Remember her laughing through all the pain Remember the girl that didn't let anything get in her way Remember her name Remember her name, oh - Don't let go of that wide-eyed innocence Let that wild child run on the wind Keep that shine that lights up every room Hold onto it - Remember the fire, remember her face She felt the storm and danced out in the pouring rain Remember her laughing through all the pain Remember the girl that didn't let anything get in her way Remember her name Remember her name, oh, yeah - Where did you lose the girl with no fear?

Oh, she never left Take a good look, she's right in the mirror Don't let yourself forget Oh - Remember the fire, remember her face She felt the storm and danced out in the pouring rain Remember her laughing through all the pain Remember the girl that didn't let anything get in her way Remember her name Remember her name - Remember her name Remember her name -My name is Paris Davis.

I'm a retired colonel, United States Army and Special Forces all the way.

-When I was growing up, I knew him as a soldier, as my hero, as my dad.

But I never knew about his heroism until most recently.

My dad is extremely humble.

It wasn't until he was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2019 that I really got a grasp of all that he did and all that he sacrificed.

It was upsetting a little bit when I realized how many times he risked his life, that he may not have come home.

But it was important to him to be with his men, to stay with his men till the very end.

-You have to be a risk taker.

If you're going to be a leader, you're going to have to be a risk taker.

I can remember saying this to a person who later was killed.

"If you ever get in a fight and I'm there, I'll take a bullet for you."

-Dad talks to us a lot about doing for others.

The thought that he didn't leave anyone behind sits with all of us.

It's not just about us individually.

It's about our friends, our family, our neighbors, and how we can help others.

-I didn't even know what the Medal of Honor was.

I wasn't really sure they had the right Paris Davis.

It had merit to me, because the people that, in that fight, we were able to save have merit.

-What was most touching is my youngest son, Keyden, when we asked him, "What does all this mean to you?"

and he said, "You know what, Mom?

I know now that I have to live up to Poppy's accomplishments, and I will take that seriously."

And I thought that was very impressive [chuckles] you know, for a 15-year-old.

What better role model?

-When I think about the Medal of Honor, I think about what could have, what should have, what might have happened, had there been a reversal, if I had been one of those, and they had been me.

I really meant that when I said I would take a bullet, because I have.

And I knew I was going to take a bullet.

But you do it anyway.

- Maybe I didn't love you Quite as often as I should have Maybe I didn't treat you Quite as good as I could have If I made you feel second best I'm sorry I was blind - You were always on my mind You were always on my mind - Maybe I didn't hold you All those lonely, lonely nights And I guess I never told you - I'm so happy that you're mine - Little things I should have said and done I just never took the time - You were always on my mind You were always on my mind Tell me - Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died - And give me - Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied I'll keep you satisfied - Ooh - Little things I should have said and done - Ooh - I just never took the time - You were always on my mind You were always on my mind - You were always on my mind You were always on My mind -I'm Staff Sergeant Sarah Polinski, sitting next to my dad... -Get out!

-...Sergeant Major Retired -- -You're the key to the whole situation here, Polinski!

You got in when?

-December of 1967, enlisted.

Was at Fort Benning, Georgia, in January of '68 when the Tet Offensive hit.

-I was going to say, that's the Tet Offensive.

-Yeah, in Vietnam.

We had people who knew what they were doing, knew how to do it, and said to us flat-out -- There was no pulling any punches -- "You want to stay alive in Vietnam?

This is what you got to do."

And -- And work hard.

And everybody really pulled together.

-When you came back -- Because America in the early '70s, after Vietnam, was as divided as I can remember.

Those are sort of my earliest memories.

I was born in '62, but I can remember the assassinations, the riots, the disrespect.

You know, here you are.

You've given up everything to go over and serve in -- and you come back, and that's what's -- You come back to this chaos.

What was that like?

-I volunteered for two tours in Vietnam.

My second tour in Nam, came back and discharged out of Oakland, California.

And in Oakland, they're telling us, "Don't travel in uniform.

Don't travel in your uniform."

"Why not?"

"Well, people don't like soldiers."

[ Scoffs ] I did two tours in Vietnam, and I'm not supposed to travel in my uniform, going back home?

They said, "Don't do that.

People will spit on you."

I traveled in my uniform and waited for somebody to spit on me.

-Of course he did!

-I was waiting on them!

So, I mean, that was -- And there were no incidents, but there was nothing at all in terms of welcome home other than your family waiting at the gate.

That was it.

-It's now been almost 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War.

So on behalf of what should have been a more grateful nation, we want to once again say to Vietnam veterans everywhere, welcome home.

And with a special performance for all of you, please welcome the Six-String Soldiers with "Run Through the Jungle."

- Whoa, thought it was a nightmare Lord, it was so true They told me, don't go walkin' slow The devil's on the loose Better run through the jungle Better run through the jungle Better run through the jungle Whoa, don't look back to see [ Harmonica solo ] Better run through the jungle Whoa, don't look back to see -Please welcome Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez.

-My parents met as pen pals.

When my father was 19 years old, he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War.

My mom was 17, and she wanted to join the Peace Corps, and her parents said absolutely not.

So she did the next best thing, which was give her address in case there were soldiers that maybe needed somebody to write to.

And one of those soldiers was my father.

And they corresponded throughout my father's year in Vietnam and then his service in the Reserves after the war.

At the end of every letter, he would write, "I'm going to survive this, and one day, I'll find you."

And my mom thought that was beautiful.

I mean, they really fell in love through these letters as friends.

My dad didn't have much, but he had an address, and he had a car.

So he showed up on my mother's doorstep, and they have been married now for 52 years.

When I told Lin-Manuel this story, he said, "That is fearless."

And then he wrote this beautiful song.

- We begin fearless We crawl, we walk, we run until we fall Begin again, begin again We climb until the world puts up a wall We learn to flinch, we don't remember when We feel the pinch of don't do that again Endless lists of don't do that again Don't do that again They put us in boxes, affix us with the label on the side They win again, they win again We dim the lights, we shut the door and hide But as we grow and make this place our home I let you in and I am less alone I am less alone, I am less alone I am less alone You remind me of something I've always known - Walls come down - And when I see you, I am fearless - Walls come down - When I'm around you, I am fearless - Walls come down - When I am near you, I am fearless - Walls come down - Now, gather 'round if you can hear this - Walls come down - And hand in hand, we can be fearless - Walls come down - We take a stand and we are fearless - Walls come down - When I'm in doubt, you make me fearless - Walls come down - Begin again, begin again My mother wrote letters to soldiers overseas She was doing her part, she was seventeen My father responded, he was stationed overseas And he won her heart slowly, sight unseen He writes her, "Wait for me, and I'll survive this war" A year goes by, and there's a soldier at the door - Her parents rage - Her parents rage - They didn't know - They didn't know - She has to choose to stay or go - Walls come down - And I am here 'cause they were fearless - Walls come down - They stood their ground and they were fearless - Walls come down - They blazed a trail by being fearless - Walls come down - Begin again, begin again - Walls come down - And when we find each other fearless - Walls come down - We're right behind each other fearless - Walls come down - The walls are gone when we are fearless - Walls come down - Begin again, begin again We can be fearless We can try to change the world and when we fall Begin again, check in again I know that you and I can do it all - Begin again, begin again - And when the fear is the only thing that's real - Begin again, begin again - I let you in and I begin to feel Fearless -And now we are speaking with Captain Haley Duke.

Captain, you fly a chopper.

-I fly Blackhawks.

I'm an Army aviator.

-Do you start off, they just have you walk around the base going [Imitating engine rumbling] and then it just advances through there?

How did you -- How did you get into flying Blackhawks?

-So, I went to West Point, and while I was there, I knew that I wanted to do something that was going to impress upon me a higher level of learning.

Even being in the Army, I know that that's what I love to do.

I love school.

I love learning.

And in my mind, being an aviator was the best way to do that, because I'm constantly learning.

-Now, I don't want to bring up sibling rivalries.

I don't -- Forgive me if I'm stepping on toes here.

Was there anything in you -- You've got three sisters that also graduated from West Point, also served.

-Yes.

-Was there anything -- Did any of them fly Blackhawks?

So how do we end up that even just one of them doesn't say, like, "I want to go to art school"?

Like, how do they all line up there?

Did your parents go there?

-No.

Actually, both my parents are medical professionals.

We didn't have a lot of direct service members in our family.

So when my oldest sister raised her hand and was like, "I want to go to West Point," then I looked at my dad and I said, "Dad, I'm going to West Point."

He was like, "Yeah, sure, kid."

Nine years later, I did it.

And in the middle of those nine years, my two older sisters went, too.

In a way, it just happened.

But I know for me, that was what I wanted, from the moment I saw my big sister do it.

-They're out now.

They're veterans.

You're still active, still flying.

I have another aviation question about the military.

C-130.

What's so hard about finishing the inside of the plane?

-[ Laughs ] Well, they got to fit so much stuff in it, that's why.

-Can't they throw a little carpeting in the aisle?

There's nothing.

It's like -- -They put Blackhawks in there.

Did you know that?

You can fold up a Blackhawk and put it in a C-130.

-You can fold up a Blackhawk?

-I've seen my soldiers do it.

-What, is it like one of those little bikes you take to the library, and then you fold it up and walk in with it?

-A little bit.

They fold its blades back like a dog, like ears back.

-You're taking me out on a Blackhawk.

-I would love to.

-And I'm not sitting in the hurricane seat.

I'm sitting next to you, and we're going to have some fun.

-We'd have so much fun.

-So, everybody knows it takes all the professions imaginable to make the United States military work.

Basically, if it's a job in the civilian world, you can also do it for the military and vice versa.

But here's something that I did not know until today when I showed up here.

That includes rap artists.

The Army has its own rappers.

I -- What?

Let's meet them.

Sergeant First Class Kyra Dorn with Staff Sergeants Lamar Riddick and Nicholas Feemster, otherwise known as the Army Rappers.

- Hold up, I got a new mix - We gon' ride together Fight together, that's how we get down And ain't no way they gon' break us If we stay together come whatever Ten toes to the ground - Can't change us Won't change up, hey - America, stand up America, stand up America, stand up - We up - America, stand up America, stand up -[ Rapping ] Everyone's here for a purpose I'm here representing mine Took my passion to the armed forces Me and Riddick gon' shine United States defines grace, not here to waste no time No finer place to rise in grace This we'll defend or die - Die - Let's just be honest This country's amazing, I cannot deny Though it ain't perfect, we constantly working And serving this nation for you to survive All of this history got me so passionate Made our mistakes but we in this together Accept that we different but unity's better And I cannot wait to be breaking these barriers All this culture under one flag We a melting pot, I'm so proud to brag Yeah, times are tough, but we built to last Put down division, don't filter facts Soldiers' creeds all in my soul Now let me tap, rack, gotta release and hold Forever beastly bold, we never dream to fold Slap mags in a flash, squeeze and - We gon' ride together, fight together That's how we get down And ain't no way they gon' break us If we stay together come whatever Ten toes to the ground - Can't change us Won't change up, hey - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - It's Riddick, America's more than the land of the free It's the land of the fierce - Huh, yeah - I done lost 'bout 8, 9, 10 close people to me this year - This year - I pray God shed His grace on you - On you - When you gotta go shed them tears - Them tears - One thing that America's taught me You gotta learn how to persevere We bringing committee to city to city Tiptoe on your block like we doin' the griddy Fight for the rights for the many with plenty Down to the ones working at Denny's and Wendy's I knew some friends reppin' red and blue flags Tucked into the back of they skinnies Thanks to the flag, if they get to robbin' You can make it go pooh like you Winnie This we'll defend, U.S. families and friends I know a lot of pain exists in the past But they're taking down the walls to make amends Thanking God for the civil rights The one before me had to pay the price Whether you tan, green, black, or white United we stand - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand up - And we up, and we up - America, stand -Started in the Marine Corps in 1986 and retired in 2013.

I've been a New York City detective for 33 years.

-You saw the Army through '86 all the way through global war on terror, the whole thing.

So, you ended up as a detective, though.

So you're working New York on 9-- Were you here in that time?

– I was scheduled for 4: 00 to 12:00 that day.

And then my father called me.

-Yeah, yeah.

-"Plane just hit the building.

You gotta get in."

So I grabbed my stuff.

One tower was still standing when I got there.

We headed in, and by the time we got in, the second tower came down.

And then we just started our operations of search and rescue.

-You know, for people that were here -- You know, I was up the block.

So we really did think, "Okay, the world just ended."

These guys held it together for us, I mean, the cops, the firefighters, the EMTs, the construction trades.

You guys know, as veterans, there's people that run towards something.

There's people who run away from something.

What I respect so much about what you guys do is you're the people who run into those situations to hold everything together for the rest of us.

And I just can't tell you how much we appreciate it.

And I know you maybe don't hear that as much as maybe you could, but, like, there's just something special about that.

-September 11, 2001, was a primary election day in New York City.

It was a Tuesday morning.

The sky was bright blue, and every New Yorker remembers where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news.

The terrorists took aim at the United States and New York City because we are a global symbol of freedom and diversity.

That openness to the world, our embrace of people's common humanity is what the terrorists attacked and tried to kill.

Decades before, the attack on Pearl Harbor moved a generation to defend our nation and our values.

So, too, did the attacks in 2001.

And on Veterans Day, we honor those who stepped forward to serve after 9/11 and all who have enlisted to protect and defend our country.

Today, Lower Manhattan is more vibrant than ever.

In fact, I'm glad to say that just two months ago, we finished the final major piece of the World Trade Center rebuilding -- a spectacular new performing arts center, which is now bringing even more new life and excitement to the community.

The rebirth of the World Trade Center stands alongside the Memorial and Museum as a powerful statement to the strength of the American spirit and a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy cannot be taken for granted.

Our military protects those freedoms for all of us.

So to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, thank you.

May God bless you and keep you safe.

And may God bless the United States of America.

- O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears America, America God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea To shining sea From sea to shining Sea -I joined the Marine Corps in 2007, when I graduated high school at 18.

I did two combat deployments, one in Iraq, one in Afghanistan.

-So, in 2007, though, so this was the heat of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

-Yes.

-You knew that going in.

-At 18, you kind of fearless.

The reality hit me as I was on a bus going to Camp Lejeune.

-Yeah.

-Right.

-The other members taking us said, "Don't get too comfortable.

We're going to deploy in about four months."

-It's hard for me to fathom some ways, 'cause it's not even just thinking back to myself at 18, but like my son, who is now 19.

And I still get calls like, "Will you cut my bagel?"

[ Laughter ] Like, do you know what I mean?

Like, he's 19 years old, and I'm like, "It's already cut.

It's -- It comes that way.

It's in the bag, and it's cut."

And he's like, "Well, could you at least put the cream cheese on it?"

And I'm like -- And there you are -- And you were an artillery trained infantryman in Iraq.

And are the bagels pre-sliced there?

I don't even know.

[ Laughter ] The confidence you must have had to have instilled in you to be able to handle that kind of challenge at that age.

Was that just -- Is that -- Is that upbringing?

Is there something in you?

Is it training?

-It's mostly your training, but as well as you learn when you're young, your mother always tells you, look out for your brother or look out for your sister.

Make sure that you're good with them.

And you can be terrified.

And I was terrified in Iraq.

But as long as I was with my friends to the left and my right, I was fine.

- I feel it in the air I can see through your smoke and mirrors Baby, let your heart be naked, I'm right here Come meet me on the other side And make it rain in this burning house Pouring down till the sun comes up, I'm right here - I want your good, your bad, your ugly I want the truth and all your lies I want your perfectly imperfect Lay it on me tonight I want your light that fills the darkness Give me your heaven and your hell I wanna show you that you're worth it Lay it on me tonight - Come dancing on the tight rope Let your walls crash down - No, I ain't trying to be your savior, but I'm right here Oh, I'm right here I want your good, your bad, your ugly I want the truth and all your lies I want your perfectly imperfect Lay it on me tonight I want the light that fills the darkness Give me your heaven and your hell I wanna show you that you're worth it Lay it on me tonight Ooh, whoa, whoa Ooh, lay it on me Ooh, whoa, whoa Lay it on me tonight -Hey!

- Lay it on me, lay it on me - Just lay it on me, just - Lay it on me, lay it on me I want your good, your bad, your ugly I want the truth and all your lies I want your perfectly imperfect Lay it on me tonight Ooh, whoa, whoa Ooh, lay it on me Ooh, whoa, whoa Lay it on me tonight - I want the light that fills the darkness Give me your heaven and your hell I wanna show you that you're worth it Lay it on me tonight Lay it on me tonight -Hello again.

We are sitting, and we're speaking with 1st Sergeant, retired, John Cruz.

Thank you for being here.

You were serving 22 years.

But this is the thing I wanted to talk to you about.

You were EOD.

Was there something, you know, inside that made you want to take on one of the most difficult jobs that there is in the armed services?

Is that something you had planned to go into?

-I wanted to become a police officer.

I was 18, and in order to be a police officer, you had to be 21 years old.

So I wanted to go and do some time in the Army.

And, well, at the time, one of the career counselors said, "Hey, there is a job that's explosive ordnance disposal.

You'll be disarming bombs."

And I thought that was great, because I know that the NYPD has a bomb squad.

-Oh, wow.

-So I chose a career -- -So it was just a little rsum builder.

You thought, "Well, I'll go dispose some bombs over there, and that'll help me in the future."

18-year-old kid goes in 'cause he thinks he might get some -- some bomb experience that will help him in the P.D.

How did it end up being 22 years?

-9/11 happened, and it resolved -- It gave us resolve.

And a lot of us that were supposed to get out decided to stay in.

-It didn't give you pause, you know, the idea that, "Oh, wow, now this is going to be -- This is going to be an active active duty, and I'm EOD."

Was there any thought in your mind of, "I got my experience.

I can go be a cop now, go back home," or it was just full speed ahead?

-It was full speed ahead.

I knew there was a lot of grieving, and I knew some of us or most of us needed to stay strong, because our lives were about to be determined and answer our nation's call to head over wherever.

At the time, we didn't know what was the threat, but I think all of us were getting ready and prepared for that threat.

-I mean, you were involved in some really intense missions, but one of the last ones I thought was really moving.

You were there helping to find remains of soldiers that we had lost so that they could come home.

And what is it about for your brothers and sisters that you're serving with and for their families back home that makes you want to make sure that no one's left behind, even at -- even at a personal cost to yourself to make sure that that happens?

-You do do a little soul searching, and you try to put yourself in the position of our Vietnam veterans and Korean War veterans, for those that were MIA, that were prisoners of war.

And that's something that you live with.

It's in the back of your mind.

It was an honor that we took on, and we were able to recover those remains.

And we gave a proper ramp ceremony that was not televised, that was not reported.

It was us and our fellow soldiers that were able to give them a sendoff and put them back on a C-130 back to the United States.

-Everybody, that's it for us.

Thank you so much for watching.

As you saw, being a part of the United States armed forces means giving yourself to something larger than the individual.

Working together, there's nothing that our service members haven't been able to accomplish.

They are leaders and ambassadors and real assets to this country.

They embody and demonstrate the ideals we all strive to live up to -- honor, courage, selflessness, and pride.

But as we are thanking the veterans today -- It is Veterans Day -- We'd be remiss to not also salute the family members of our veterans, because, man, do they serve and sacrifice, too.

Without the love and support of their families, none of these men and women would be who they are today.

So thank you to all the loved ones of our service members for all that you give.

And thank you to the veterans.

Have a good night.

- Glory, glory Hallelujah Glory, glory Hallelujah Glory, glory Hallelujah His truth is marching on Truth is marching on