Unarmored Talk

From Marine Colonel to Advocate for Justice: Tim Dunn

• Tim Dunn • Episode 108

Share episode

Send us a text

Imagine sitting down with a man whose life story is as impactful as the punches his golden glove boxer father once threw. That's what we're bringing to the table today, with Tim Dunn, a Marine Corps veteran and North Carolina Attorney General candidate.

In an armor-less conversation, Tim peels back the layers of his life, from the football fields of his youth to the legal battles he fights for juvenile defendants. Get ready to be moved by the humor and heartache, the dedication and determination, and the sheer resilience that has defined Tim's journey and fueled his passion for advocating for the vulnerable in our society.

🌟Please share this episode with your networks and consider supporting Tim Dunn for the next North Carolina Attorney General in 2024.

Guest Link:
Tim Dunn for NC Attorney General - https://dunnfornc.com/


\

\

Support the show


Mario P. Fields:

Welcome back to unarmor talk podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue pleased to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is a awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck Just look in a show notes or you can put in the search engine Mario P Fields parade deck and get all access To my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people. Welcome back to the unarmored talk podcast. If you have been listening and watching since 2020, welcome back for you. If, for those, this is your first time watching on YouTube or listening on one of your favorite audio podcast platforms, well, welcome back to you, because I hope you come back. All right.

Mario P. Fields:

But Everyone, we have an amazing guest today who's willing to have some discussions without armor, and I tell you, guys, I've actually met Tim in person and his lovely bride. What wonderful human beings man we have Tim done. He is, guys, ready for this. He's a primary candidate for the North Carolina Attorney General. We got super Tuesday coming up on March the 5th 2024. He's also been married for over 44 years and he's a double dog.

Tim Dunn:

Mario for 45. Now we just had an anniversary on January 17th, so I did make it. She kept me that long.

Mario P. Fields:

It is why his what you might if I say her name. Do you mind if I please? That's fine, that's fine, she's part of the team.

Mario P. Fields:

His wife Susan. I love that. If we live no, if we live in the coal and I live next to Tim and in In in Susan, I don't think we would get anything done. But but lovely bride of 45 years, I don't, you guys know I don't have that special button. Congratulations, tim. I think I was saved some money and get it in 2027 and and he and he, he served 33, you know years in the Marine Corps and that's active and reserve combination package, retired as a colonel. Everyone, tim done. Tim, welcome to the show man. Hey, thanks, mario, appreciate you having me on. Yes, sir, and then can you tell the listeners and viewers just a little bit about yourself, my friend?

Tim Dunn:

Sure, I was born and raised in Fayetteville, north Carolina. Mario, I'm kind of a military minority because I'm a Marine from an army town. I mean, all my friends say, how in the heck did you get to Fayetteville? When I put my arm around my army buddies Now, army folks out there this is just ingest but I put my arm around my army buddies and I'll say, listen, back in the day 1775, when the Marines formed in Tundt Havard in Philadelphia, pennsylvania, in November 10th 1775, we took this land from the British and the army wanted it so bad that we gave it to them back in about 1918 to let them use it. And we come up here with 10th Marines twice a year and blow up this place. But one day, army folks, we're going to want that back. So Fort Liberty now, once Fort Bragg and Fort Bragg forever. But so, born and raised in Fayetteville college, initially at East Carolina, and then I'm going to play football for Pat Dye.

Tim Dunn:

I was just a legend in my own mind. Then I went to Carolina undergrad. Try to play football again. Dress beside LT Lawrence Taylor. I figured out when I watched Lawrence Taylor, you know, run sideways in front of the pro scouts when he was there, you know, lt was 98, my locker number was 100. And I was working out as a wide receiver. You know, not too slow for a white boy, but not fast either. But when I saw LT run sideways faster, not going to run forward, and I was working out as wide receiver, I said dude, you need to go to school, you need to hang up this football thing. So I did, got my grades up, went to law school, campbell Law School. Then halfway through law school, mario, you know I was thinking, hey, dude, you know you got a year and a half, you got to figure out what you want to do.

Tim Dunn:

So I interviewed with the Navy and the FBI and the Marine Corps and you know, like good Marines, there was a salty old gunnery sergeant. I didn't know what a gunnery sergeant was. You know my dad didn't serve in World War II. He served as a civil air patrol. His dad died from complications, my paternal grandfather in 1931 from getting gas in World War I. And then I had an uncle that died in World War II and never knew them. So my dad, they wouldn't even let him serve in World War II. So when I told the family that I was going to go in the Marine Corps. Oh, my goodness. But that old salty gunnery sergeant. I didn't know what a gun he was.

Tim Dunn:

I went to the interview with the officer selection officer, raleigh, and so this he's in his bravos, all the ribbons from Vietnam. This was in like 1985, 1986. And I said, hey, sergeant. Well, he corrected me. To begin with, I am not a sergeant, I'm a gunnery sergeant. I said, okay, gunnery sergeant, what's this thing called OCS that I'm trying to sign up for? He stood up out of his chair, walked from his desk to me where I was sitting down and I poured his finger in my face and said they're going to kick your ass even if you survive. And I said, okay, gunnery sergeant, I want to do that. And, mario, they did that. 10 week of OCS, brother, it was like Gomer Powell, the first two weeks of OCS, gomer Powell, usmc for you older folks out there if you've ever seen it. But I did survive and I drank the Kool-Aid and 33 years later I finally retired Law school, the first seven years of act to do the Marine Corps.

Tim Dunn:

I was a prosecutor, a federal Marine prosecutor, and then I went with a Marine Expeditionary Union. I was the youngest and probably the most junior captain to take over as a Mew SJA in 1989, 13th Mew Sock, and we deployed on a typical Westpac, not knowing, going for six months, going to do the typical Westpac Okinawa, philippines, korea. I think we were going to do some training in Australia to meet the Aussies. Well, we were training in the Philippines August 2, 1990. And those of you who were in Desert Shield, desert Storm, know that Saddam and his forces went into Kuwait. I actually went to a building in Kuwait where I was checking in with, had my daily routine there, and all of a sudden all these folks were crowded around the TV and these tanks were rolling. I said, yo, that's a cool movie. Well, what do y'all have ever seen that before? Same that. And he said that's not a movie, that's a rocky tank rolling into Kuwait. And we were like whoa. So anyway, of course, we got diverted and we were there for the duration. So that was the kind of the initial beginning of my Marine Corps career and my legal career at the same time.

Tim Dunn:

You know, taking that oath, mario, in August 15th 1986, I remember like it was yesterday, because I had just survived. I had just survived Ulcer Canada School and I give a lot of credit not only to Jesus and my wife for sending me letters. But I had a Rackmate that was in the ECP program, the Enlisted Commissioning program, and he was a Sergeant. And he would tell me listen, you just listen to me and I'll get you through this. Because I broke my ribs while I was there. I sprained my ankle. For a period of time I couldn't do pull-ups or sit-ups or climb the rope. But that Sergeant told me listen, ocs mentally is tougher than what I went through at boot camp thus far, but physically tougher, mentally not quite as bad for him but for me and all the new folks it was just a wide awake. And anyway there was a Sergeant to help me get through that. God bless him and thank the Lord that I had him as a Rackmate.

Tim Dunn:

But that was kind of the beginning of my passion, not only for the practice of law. I went to law school more to help people. Yeah, the first in my family to graduate from college, the first in my family to become a lawyer and initially, to my family, chagrin, I was the first Marine as well.

Mario P. Fields:

Well, tim, you know, let's talk. And I'm glad you mentioned the word passion. And before we jump into the topic, the next time a soldier, anyone says that Marines aren't charitable. You guys heard what Tim said. We have a charitable slice and I'll use that metaphor in our heart we donated that land back up to where I'm from. Super Marines do have a heart. Now, you know I love soldiers, but let's talk about this. I mean, you have been. You know, from our basic understanding and even meeting you in person, everyone again, I've met Tim in person. You can see the passion it's not fake and your passion for helping people of all colors, genders, races, doesn't matter, humans or humans. Where did that passion come from in your disjoy for life, Tim?

Tim Dunn:

I know it came from the Lord. I mean, listen, you all you know I've been in a lot of places in the Marine Corps, four combat tours, you know Desert Shore, desert Storm and Kuwait and the Persian Gulf, kosovo, iraq and Afghanistan, and certainly in my mind there's different levels of combat. But you know, and there are those folks that were door kickers the whole time, you know, like the Marsock and the Special Forces and the Grunts, lord have mercy. You know, you give me a squad of Marines any time and I'll go toe to toe with any armed forces US, foreign anyway because you know, if you tell that PFC Lance Corps to take that hill, you know they're going to take that hill, they're going to die trying. But I think the passion comes with the Lord and my parents. You know, mario, right now what I do in the legal practice is I represent juvenile defendants. And one thing I've come to realize is number one our juvenile justice system is broken and these young people need help, they need guidance. And the other thing that just hit me it gives me chills to think about it right now is you know, mario, we're not, we don't choose the family we're born into. We don't know, we don't choose our parents, our family, and so I was just fortunate to be born into a family of a mom and dad that cared. You know that they made me go to church. I mean, if I didn't go to church I got my behind whooped, if you know what I mean. And so at a certain point growing up, I chose to go on my own. So I think that passion I know. I mean.

Tim Dunn:

I remember my dad growing up and I got bullied. When I was in the fourth grade I got to tell you a quick story. I got bullied. We moved from the home that I grew up in with all my friends and all the elementary school that I went to from, you know, growing up and being born from first to the third grade. Well, starting fourth grade, we had to move because my paternal grandmother had a stroke. So we moved in with her, which was across town in Fayetteville, and so I had new friends, new school and I was getting bullied. You know, terribly man I was. Just I would come home crying but I wouldn't tell my folks what was going on. Well, what I did not know at that point is that my dad was a golden glove boxer in high school. So finally he said, tim, I know something's wrong. And I was a third of three boys and my two older brothers were much older, so they'd already moved out of the house. So I was kind of like an only child or first child at that point, first born. And so finally I broke down. I told him that what was happening at school?

Tim Dunn:

Well, he goes to the Sporty Goods store and he gets boxing gloves for him and me, and every afternoon, after he got home from work, we were in the backyard boxing. He said, tim, you know you don't start fights, but, man, just don't let them pick on you. And sometimes the judges and lawyers at court don't like me telling them, my children, this, but you know we have a right to defend ourselves. So he said, tim, if they pick on you, just give them three chances. The first chance is to sleep me alone, try to walk away, you know, come home. Second time they pick on you again, they hit you to do something to you, just tell them leave me alone. But the third time, if they hit you or touch you again, then you know you show them everything I've taught you. Well, that work, mario.

Tim Dunn:

I mean on that third time, these guys that were picking on me, I just let in on them and then, luckily, I guess it was in the fourth grade, because you know, not that anything, I was anything special, but my dad had taught me how to defend myself and I thumped them to tell you the truth and so from that on, I, you know, I had that, that passion and their reputation, but I didn't use it as a bully, I used it as defending and protecting those that sometimes couldn't protect their themselves. So I have used that lesson from my parents and my dad throughout my life and to the least of these, my brother and sister and that's one of the big reasons I became a lawyer and then later on, a Marine is I don't want to help people and I'm still doing that. And and as you mentioned, I want to do that as North Collins next Attorney General as well.

Mario P. Fields:

Yeah, and that's you know, and and that's a choice, tim, you know. You know I mean, looking at your professional background, your experience, there's a, there's many things you could choose to do in how you choose to help those who need someone Like you, who care in a juvenile system. You know, you and I've had discussions before and I've seen it with some of my own eyes. I'll some, some adults have just given up on those young, young ladies and gentlemen, if you will, those young adults. So thank you and thank you for taking that passion from your dad and your faith in God and you know your Christian faith. And then, and I love how you say, mario, I train not to go out. It hurt people, but I've trained to defend. But I'm gonna give you a few warnings with that.

Tim Dunn:

Any, and one thing I'll say though is don't forget mom.

Tim Dunn:

Because my mom was known as mama done through through all my friends in the high school. I mean, oh, I'm her sister, she was just. She was the one that was up every morning fix some breakfast. You know she she worried herself sick sometime about her children and grandchildren and family and all that. But the love that she had for us, and you know how sometimes dads have a little trouble showing the love. But mom, lord have mercy. So just don't forget mama. No, no sir.

Mario P. Fields:

It is. I'm glad you brother, because we're close with, and then mom, because you know I'm gonna tell you, and God rest my mom. So I'm a mama's boy and you know there's this is how I look at. You know we're called mama done. Oh, there's the commander-in-chief right and then there's the ionosphere and then there's the unknown in the galaxy, then there's mama done. So Hats off to that, to your mom, to your family, to your experiences and then really to you, because it's a choice. The last Point of discussion for this, discussion without armor today, because I want to let you go, because, tim, I love talking to you, but you be it on my show to me is is helping help people. But also I want you to get out there. Let's get, let's get that seat of attorney general for North Carolina. Thank you, experiences while you're on active duty, the Marines. That has shaped the way you serve today and the way you will serve in the future people.

Tim Dunn:

Absolutely, and I got a great question. I was on a radio show African American rhythm and blues, a big radio station up in Charlotte yesterday morning and a caller came on and asked well, hey, y'all the other candidates were on there as well, so, listen, y'all talked this good game, but then when you get in the office, you don't do anything. You say we can't get in touch with you and says how do we know you're going to do what you say you're going to do? Well, what I answered was like this. I said number one, you have to look at what has happened in the past. What's the history of this person? What has this person done? What have they said they were going to do? And they did. Well, I said I was going to become a Marine, and I did. Was it easy? No, I just happened to be in a place at a time where and you all know what I'm talking about, those that have served in the service or those who are family of service members there were times that you did not think you could take another step, but there was someone there to help you, whether it was a higher being like God, whether it was your fellow Marine or soldier, sailor, airman, whether it was a family member.

Tim Dunn:

So what the lesson I've learned in the Marine Corps is never give up is that we've always done more with less. You know, we started out in a little tavern in Philadelphia and every time the Marine Corps would come along we'd have a big battle. Whether it's a revolutionary war you know, the War of 1812, civil War, world War I, world War II, vietnam War II, there was always folks out there that said, hey, why do we need a Marine Corps? Well, we need a Marine Corps because we're Marines and when we're given that mission we accomplish the mission. So the ability to just the ingrained, which I think there's a little natural when every Marine, every person that wants to be a Marine, there's some natural that we're not going to give up. But then the training that we get, the camaraderie we have, the URA, the Semper Fi, that you meet a Marine on the street and you never met him before in life. But when you find out the Marines, men and women, there's an instant bond, there's a brother and sister there that you know you can count on. So, through the combat zones, when you don't know that you're just going to live another day, and it's just that whatever background we came from like you mentioned earlier, black, white, green, yellow man, woman, super red, super poor middle class we come together. We have a common element we go through the same training. We don't care whether you're the son or daughter of a billionaire or whether you come from the poorest family in the world. You still have to go through that same training at Boot Camp, parris Island, san Diego, ocs, quantico. And we're common. We have a bond that we build so that Marine Corps experience.

Tim Dunn:

For me it literally when I came back as a second lieutenant Marines, because I had to finish my third year law school before going on active duty, I mean when I walked in as the United States Marine, people were going whoa, you know, and it just gave me that. Not the kind of pride that is unhealthy, you know, I wasn't conceited, I was just, you know, I was proud to have. I mean, I was just thankful to survive and get commissioned as second lieutenant because that gave us, you know, it gave us the pride of serving. But also it gave us that sense of commitment, that honor, courage and commitment that we're going to do something for our country, for our community, for our state, and when we're called to do that, like we all have been at some point in our career. You know, I see young Marines now, mario, that are all concerned that we really don't have, you don't have a war going on like Iraq and Afghanistan and stuff like that. Well, we do have Marines everywhere in combat today, but maybe it's just not a you know, for all intents and purposes, in comparison to what happened after 9-11, we're in a peacetime Marine Corps. But I tell the young Marines be careful what you wish for, because my motto kind of in that regard is true warriors, true warriors, pray for peace, particularly those who have been in that, have been in battle.

Tim Dunn:

So the Marine Corps experience for me, it just gave me that determination, the grit, the know that we have to do it by a teamwork. We can't do it by ourselves. That's why I need your help, that's why I need everybody who's on this podcast. Hey, listen, look me up donefornccom, d-u-n-n-f-o-r-n-ccom, find out who I am and what I'm all about, and if you can support me, I'd appreciate that. But we have common bonds, folks that look at this, whether you're civilian, whether you're military, is just don't give up out there. There have been times in my life, mario, that you know I was going from the bed to the head, back to the bed, because some of the injuries that I had in the Marine Corps you know. By the grace of God I'm here so I'm telling those folks that'll listen to your podcast you can do it too and that Marine Corps experience for me knows that we never give up and we accomplish the mission and we take care of our people. We take care of ourselves.

Mario P. Fields:

Yeah, Tim, you guys heard it. I mean, Tim, I love the way you answered that call on Charlotte and what you just said. I believe, Tim, that we've voted for a lot of smart folks, but not folks who are wise. You know, smarter, more intellect, more academic wisdom is from experience, and that's what you said and you have both. So, everyone you know again, you know, let's get behind Tim Duncan, not just for now, but forever, because we have a human being who's a professional, who demonstrates the power of being smart and wise and, like you said, just look at the experience your combat awards validate. You know what you've been through and how. You've never given up. Tim, everybody, thank you so much for listening and watching this show Tim gave. Where you guys can find him. I'll put those in the links in the show notes, and also he's on LinkedIn as well on other social media platforms.

Tim Dunn:

But, Tim, any last remarks you would like to give the listeners of viewers before we depart, my friend, One thing that's been heavy on my mind a lot lately and it just reiterates, and I was thinking about this this morning is you know, whatever you believe and certainly I'm a Christian, but I do not look down on anyone who is not but in the good book, in Micah, it says what is it that God requires of us? You know what am I supposed to do, and it's very clear. It says do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. And so that's what I'm trying to do.

Tim Dunn:

At the next step, if I'm off, if I'm given the opportunity to serve again, I'm not going to let you down. I think you can look from my history as a Marine, as an attorney, the people that I've represented, the least of these, my brothers and sisters. You know I'm going to do the right thing, and so I am going to do the best, the very best I can. I pledge to you to work full time between now and November 5th to win this against those that are trying to take our democracy, and to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God.

Mario P. Fields:

Hey man, well, well, happy Sunday again, tim. Thank you for coming on and blessing the Unarmored Talk podcast. But everyone you guys know, the deal with this special episode will be published like soon as I can, of course, but until the next episode, you guys know how to sign off. God bless. May God continue to bless you all. May God continue to bless your families and friends. Be safe out there, tim.

Tim Dunn:

Thanks, Mario. Have a great day you too, my friend.

Mario P. Fields:

Thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and watch all of the previous episodes on my YouTube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media is follow me on the Parade Deck. That is wwwparadedeckcom, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Mario P. Fields

Host