Bullets 2 Bedpans
EP:8 The One and Only Loretta Swit
Yes, the ONE and ONLY...the Mothership of all military iconic roles... Loretta Swit. Not only recognized as the inspiring and influential Margaret Houlihan, but Loretta is also known for her compassion and service to our military and first responders both human and canine.
From volunteering at Ground Zero to building her alliances with Paws for Purple Hearts and Mission K9, Loretta is truly committed to making the world a better place. She truly is an inspiring, giving wonderful individual.
Get ready for an enlightening and heartfelt episode!
Visit Loretta' website at switheart.org
Nurses and Medics: This is your platform! We want to hear your stories of the good, the bad and the ugly. Send us an email at cominghomewell@gmail.com
Do you know a health worker that needs a laugh?
B2B N.F.L.T.G. Certificate click here
Get the ammo you need to seize your day at Soldier Girl Coffee Use Code CHW10 for a 10% off at checkout!
Special Thanks to
Artwork: Joe Weber @joeweber_tattoos
Intro/Outro/Disclaimer Credits:
Pam Barragan Host of 2200TAPS Podcast
"Racer" by Infraction https://bit.ly/41HlWTk
Music promoted by Inaudio: ...
Yes, the ONE and ONLY...the Mothership of all military iconic roles... Loretta Swit. Not only recognized as the inspiring and influential Margaret Houlihan, but Loretta is also known for her compassion and service to our military and first responders both human and canine.
From volunteering at Ground Zero to building her alliances with Paws for Purple Hearts and Mission K9, Loretta is truly committed to making the world a better place. She truly is an inspiring, giving wonderful individual.
Get ready for an enlightening and heartfelt episode!
Visit Loretta' website at switheart.org
Nurses and Medics: This is your platform! We want to hear your stories of the good, the bad and the ugly. Send us an email at cominghomewell@gmail.com
Do you know a health worker that needs a laugh?
B2B N.F.L.T.G. Certificate click here
Get the ammo you need to seize your day at Soldier Girl Coffee Use Code CHW10 for a 10% off at checkout!
Special Thanks to
Artwork: Joe Weber @joeweber_tattoos
Intro/Outro/Disclaimer Credits:
Pam Barragan Host of 2200TAPS Podcast
"Racer" by Infraction https://bit.ly/41HlWTk
Music promoted by Inaudio: ...
You know, what I am most proud of, I think, is the mail I get confirming that Margaret Hulahan inspired so many young people to become nurses or just to go into a medical vocation of sorts you know and I'm serious about the volume my character influenced young lives globally because they so admired her integrity and her passion and what she was doing with her life, that she wanted to care for people.
Speaker 2:Music. All right, everybody. We have a really special episode today on Bullets to Bed Pans. We're going to be interviewing the one and only iconic Loretta Swit. Now, if you're not familiar with her, I highly recommend you look her up. That's Swit with one T and she has done numerous roles in her career and unfortunately, due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, we can't discuss projects. So, like I said, look her up and you'll know what I'm talking about. So I'm about to give her a call and we're going to have a great conversation because, besides her acting career, she actually does a lot with her nonprofits. So let's give her a call and let's have a great chat.
Speaker 1:Hello, I was just looking at those beautiful babies of yours.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. I had to send them to you. I was like she needs to see our babies too. So how are you, loretta? I'm fine, thank you, I'm very fine, and yourself, oh, very, very fine. This is like a moment. My daughter has been so excited that I got to do this interview, and she's only 12.
Speaker 1:So, oh, well, those are my fans, those are my great fans. I'm reaching out to those 12, 15, 16 years old because they're a future of becoming nurses right in front of them.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I want to chat with you because you know I've already mentioned that we, you know we can't have the discussions that we want to have because of the strike, and we honor that and we hope that goes really well. But you have done so many other amazing things and one of the things that I wanted to touch on that I don't think a lot of people know about is your role in 9-11.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, yes, I still have a wonderful friendship with one of the guys who worked at 9-11. He's become often on a bodyguard for me at some of the autograph shows and I still got occasional mail from people who were there. I just recently got a beautiful note saying you won't remember me, of course, but you gave me a hamburger. I was, you know, cooking, yeah, feeding the troops, as it were. Anyway, it was as glorious as it was horrific.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:People died, people suffered, but the people here in New York City who banded together and pulled together and then from all over the country, bands and wagons and people coming in with supplies and food and it was enormously touching and satisfying to see the country come together like that and say no, no, no, you don't do that to us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right here. You live in New York City, correct?
Speaker 1:I live in New York. Yes, I was born in the East. The East is really my home.
Speaker 2:I'm an East Coast girl too. Are you really whereabouts?
Speaker 1:New.
Speaker 2:Hampshire Way up.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh, oh lovely New Hampshire.
Speaker 2:Now I want to ask this when 9-11 happened, where were you in relation to the towers.
Speaker 1:I was doing a play on 43rd Street, 43rd Street Theater, and I was staying at my friend, patricia. Patricia Neal was away and I said I'm going to be in town and she said, come, stay here. So I was at her house. I was on the East side and we were right on the East River Drive and so I was on top of it.
Speaker 1:The sounds and the noise, the sirens and the you know, but she had a tiny little balcony like a little terrace, a little Juliet balcony they call it, and as I stood there I was right on top of this screaming flow of black and whites and fire trucks and you know, the noise was intense and you could see the. This was uptown, so you're, we were on 91st I think, but it was right on the river and so I could see the sky, the dark smoke, and of course all the phones went off. I had two and Pat had her phone, the building had the phone in the lobby and so everything kind of just blasted off it was. It was quite a time that was just, and I felt so less than lucky to be there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Being a part of helping and you know.
Speaker 2:How did you end up getting involved, like, how did that all transpire? I mean, you went from theater and now you're cooking burgers here.
Speaker 1:Well, of course, the theater was suspended. There was no, everything was closed. I walked down to the Jaffet Center and it was. It was interesting.
Speaker 1:I credit my girlfriend, kathleen Turner for this. She was doing ten on a hot tin roof who goes on Broadway, and oh, I was on Broadway, but anyway, she was being interviewed and a lot of people had picked up the phone and called you know center, saying what can we do, where do we go, how can we help? And they were being told stay where you are, be safe. You know, don't do anything, just stay where you are. And Kathleen said nonsense. You want to help, come down here, just just just come and say I'm here. Where do where do I go? What do I do? You know, she was, she's an amazing creature anyway. And I said, right, talking back to the television interview, you're right, cat. And so that's what I did.
Speaker 1:I just picked myself up and took myself down there and plunge right in and, yes, there was everything. You could just pick your spot. You know it was. It was an amazing time. Wow, this flow of help. You know, the search dogs were there, search and rescue dogs. Somebody, some company, sent boxes of little pads, little little sock pads for their. You know, everything was burning hot and and they were out there digging.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:People, you know anyway. So, but everybody was there, the police, everybody was there, and the, the line of help was continuous and the, the shifts almost almost disappeared. It just was one continuous battle of helping and they would go out and and then turn back and get online. So it just it was. It was going down to ground zero and they were still pulling down remnants of buildings and I just, oh my gosh, it was difficult memories that I'll never forget. I mean just just an amazing part of my life.
Speaker 2:That? That is incredible. Now, the gentleman that you keep in touch with was that you were feeding the troops, right. So the fireman, the police, yeah we did everything we.
Speaker 1:We had thermoses of coffee. I went down to ground zero. I was there when we were pulling down buildings. I had I had a hard hat, which I actually Gave to Patricia for for being so helpful having me stay there. We had hard to add. So we had a lot of IDs. I had three or four big badges and stuff identifying myself gosh the black and white.
Speaker 1:I could walk out after a shift at the at the Javits. It was late at night. I could literally hail black and white Like a cab yeah, it's high with my idea and they would take me home. It was a big family Coming together and everybody helping and everybody are the Particles of humanity was still floating in space. You got home you had to burn your clothes because you had they were gone. You know, you had to just just right them.
Speaker 2:Wow, like every night you did that, like when you came home, you just oh wow, for a long time, until it was Safer yeah, the air was all cleared and people were just.
Speaker 1:They were just Helping each other, reaching out, helping each other. It was the brotherhood of man. Yeah, our case is sisterhood man. I was never more apparent, more active and also the obvious result of what could happen when people were One for all and all for one. You know, come here, sweetie, I'm over here, my little skin you hear Mine's over here sleeping beside me. I've got to lift them up so they can be with me. They're my little rescues. I presume your babies will rescue. As far as I'm concerned, rescue is practically a breed.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 2:Rescue well, let's, let's talk about that. You just led into the perfect segue into Kind of what you do now. I mean, I was looking at your website, I was checking it all out and I'm a huge animal lover. I always say a house is in a house without a pet in it. And we have a dog and a cat and our and this is true story what happened was that work.
Speaker 2:When I was still in the military, there was a gentleman there that that worked in another office that I knew well and he had service dog Scroll ahead a couple months and they'd come over and I'd pat her and just the sweetest dog, sweetest disposition, yeah. And then one day I'm talking to him and he hands me her leash and I'm like, do you need to meet a taker to the bathroom? And he said no, actually I want to know if you yeah, you want to take her. And I went whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you talking about? That's a fully trained service dog and a purebred, standard poodle like this is not a cheap dog. Oh, wow. And he said she gets carsick. And I went oh, and he goes. I can't do this to her. It's a 40-minute drive. I cannot take her this far and I think she'd be great with a family and you live close by and I said, oh, what a wonderful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what a wonderful happening and so yes, and so yeah, here we are with her, you can rescue a purebred animal well, we sure did yes.
Speaker 1:Bypass rescue because they want a quote for your bread.
Speaker 2:Well, hello there, you can, yeah, rescue that was just gonna say that they have those purebred rescues.
Speaker 1:Yes, you pick your breed and Google in the rescue for that breed and then it. Then it's up to you. But anyway, um, you were Trying to find out whether there was a decom pet Decompart, mentalizing how about that? I think it's made up a word. There are different compartments to my life. I've been doing this all my life. Yes, I, just now, with our technology, it's out there and you read about what I do here and there and my, and you read about my charity, and then suddenly you have websites you know this is over a period of time that developed in my life that now you can read about. Right, at least see what I do here, there at the other place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what's going on you know, we de-mystified you with technology, that's right, there are no more secrets.
Speaker 1:no more secrets.
Speaker 2:Exactly now. You're out. You've been outed.
Speaker 1:This is your.
Speaker 2:But your non-profit is sweetheart animal alliance. It promotes other nonprofits, which I think is awesome, supporting the well-being of animals.
Speaker 1:There's a little semantics. All clear up what that I need to do. I don't promote I, I fund. You know I'm I A very big fundraiser and I also have developed certain items that are bankable, that raise buddies. My perfume, yeah, we're gonna talk about that. My book is a great fundraiser. People love it, and to get to get something like that and Know that your money is going to something so important, you know, and and also, yeah, again, technology allows me to Enlighten and teach and and show what we can do for the dogs that do for us. You know, talk about Rescuing our animals for a bad scan scan, bringing them back, teaching people that come back with PTSD. Now, that never occurs to people, mostly if they're not in the environment, as I am. You know you never cursed you that the doors come back with that same Condition, correct, and they need to be recycled and and stay in the game. So many of our vets love to adopt former military dogs.
Speaker 1:So yes and so it's a win-win situation. We get them back to being dogs. You know just. You know they're not, they're not fighting a war, and they can walk out During the 4th of July and not get scared. Man, this is a whole world of things that I know, that that I take for granted, but is now I can talk about, I can write about and I can do something about. There's one of my Alliances is in Houston. There's a big recycling I call them the recyclers and we get a lot of the dogs coming home from the wars.
Speaker 1:And you know, one day I was on a plane I forget where I was going, but I was Sitting across from a woman who had a small dog. It was a little terrier Wearing a harness that said she was a, not a military dog. I helped like a service dog, all right, service like service dog. And so I was so curious this is a little little bundle of energy, very cute. But what? What service did this dog play? And the woman told me that the dog told her when to take her nitroglycerin pills it was a dog do exactly when to urge her to do this and took care of her. I mean, don't get me started about we do these dogs, they're into.
Speaker 2:They're incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's. It's in a whole different atmosphere, but they're so smart.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, and a lot of people don't realize that within service dogs there's actually different levels. So there's those that handle people would like PTSD, which we're very familiar with, but then there's the medical level, which is I. I had a patient that actually had. We found him a service dog because his oxygen level would drop and he would be notified of that. And people don't understand that it not only helps the service member or the veteran, it helps the whole family, like this lady. The spouse was like, oh my gosh, I can sleep at night because I know she has it. She'll wake him up when the oxygen level goes low or the batteries running, you know beeping or whatnot.
Speaker 1:You know that on the same level of that, that remark, I could sleep at night. There was a vet. You know, I said Parapslegic, anyway he was. He was in a wheelchair watching them take his dog through their paces. Mm-hmm let's go to me taking care of him. You know they were gonna care for each other actually, so he was quoted as saying Now, at night, when the demons come, I'm not alone anymore. Yes, I heard that yeah and it just it really touches your heart. Yes, with the two of them to for each other.
Speaker 2:I have a good friend that that happened and he, he doesn't take a service dog out. He's like I don't need it, I don't need to take him out day to day, it's at night and it's the same premise. When the nightmares come, I know that she's got, she's got watch over me.
Speaker 1:We also like ally in Israel, the guide dogs of Israel and they Are there are. They're amazing. I'm so happy to include them in our alliances and I've done some paintings of these beautiful Retrievers. They're wonderful guide dogs. We rescue them for their babies and they're trained to guide People who have lost their sight. Oh, wow, what makes the guide dogs? They were just Doing this on a shoestring, I mean there, they didn't have anyone funding or helping and they would give the dogs. They never sold the dogs to somebody who was needy. They gave them fully trained. I mean, put their energies and their commitments to training these dogs and then would give them and, you know, find the right mate For each person and I know I said well, wait a minute, let us help you, let's help out here, you know.
Speaker 1:But anyway, I've done some paintings, that we're going to be having a fundraiser, who? We have a lovely lady who lives between Palm Springs and Chicago. She is a heavy, wonderful, strong sponsor, but we're gonna have shows in Palm Springs and Chicago and We'll raffle the paintings or give them to a large donor or whatever. So we're gonna have a big fundraiser and I just this morning heard from Hawaii I was just kind of say I know you're doing all over the place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're doing efforts in Maui too with the animals.
Speaker 1:Now, well, here's the deal, you know, describing my charity, people say you know a humane charity, and it sounds as though it's exclusively helping animals. While they, they may be a priority, you know, suffering, death and so forth, yes, that's a priority, but our search and rescue, our teams of Human and canine, and so when I sent money to search and rescue teams, they've gone. Right now they go to Maui. Well, they're helping everybody. I mean, it's, it's, and the dogs are there helping. Yeah, so it Encompasses, for me, the world. We're, no, we're just. We're just fundraising to help out, to help everything, and in many ways Our canines are there working and helping out too. So it's, it's just reaching out, staying together and supporting Everybody, supporting each other. We're caretakers of this planet and everyone on it. This is what we're supposed to be doing.
Speaker 1:So I just heard from my friend in Dallas who came home from Hawaii where we sold. We had a big fundraiser in Kauai who's an alliance, the Kauai Human Society, and she brought paintings and perfume and books, and and so did Pierce Brosnan, a friend of mine, who also is an artist. We have done artwork together, so so she said, oh, you and Pierce, where you know, your artwork was a big hit, anyway. So we did very, very well and I've done a lot of Work with my friends in Dallas and the Dallas Humane and Dallas animal works at so forth and so we just had a big ball not just it was like four months ago, but it was huge and we raised, I think, $65,000.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow huge and we sold a lot of my paintings. It was a big, beautiful ball. We call it the furball, but it's it's constant. You're always being challenged how can we sell this and make some money?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, it's true, I mean, we have good hearts and we all want to do, but it still takes money somewhere, you know, even if it's a minimal amount. So, and I want to just highlight too, because you know, our, our podcast, gears a lot towards military medicine and there are two. You had said mission canine is one of your alliances, that you worked with them, and then pause for purple hearts, which we actually have a San Antonio chapter out here. I think they're like in the Holodist area I just actually met, yeah, but yeah, they're just right down the road. Well, no, no, santa is huge, so cross the way.
Speaker 1:That river walk. You know, you just invite me there, I'm there. I love San Antonio. All right, let's go the other the, the other thing I was thinking. While you were telling me about San Antonio, I Was going to tell you about a painting that I did for a very lovely man who lost both legs in Afghanistan during a night action. The dogs are not out in the night actions. They're not used in the night actions because it's it's not a good place.
Speaker 1:Got they can't make it so, but I did a painting of Harley his name is beautiful, wonderful painting and I gave him the original and we've been selling the Copy, but they're just amazing. When I met Harley, he was still behaving like a military dog, right, not lead. He would not leave his side and he was just. But he's been, he's been recycled, you know, and he's turned into a pet again and he watches over the babies in the house.
Speaker 1:You know it's a, it's a really a lovely backstory and a wonderful tale. You know that.
Speaker 1:What happens, what, what can happen now, on the 24th of this month, which is, oh God, it's, it is imminent, it's coming quick in an open car at a parade in Routin, new Jersey, new Jersey, saluting you, ready of that well, a disease that we're saluting a Gunner, sergeant Baselon. I hope I say his name correctly, it's like the, as I L-O-N-E. It could be the Ceylon, I could be by Ceylon a. It depends, I think, on your ethnicity, but he was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart and the Navy Cross. This little town has a parade saluting him. They wrote to me. They said we would love for you to be with us, say a few words and ride in an open car and salute you know. So they just send a picture of a big poster and it. So I'm doing that on the 24th. And again, it's Outreach and enlightenment, let people know what is happening, what's going on where I am, why I'm doing what I do, and they're using your voice.
Speaker 2:Yes, and what a loud.
Speaker 1:What a loud, but a good one. It's a good, loud voice, that's what's important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she has a lot to say.
Speaker 1:And what I wanted to do was give you some dates and stuff. Okay, plug for us. I'm going to be in Dallas October of 13 to 15 at the Market Hall in Dallas and in fact One of my alliances, my girlfriend Dana, and she will be helping me at the booth to sell, you know, all the items that I talked about, and then she just gets to go home with all the money from the book sales and that will go to alliances in Dallas and so that's the October 13 to 15. So if you want to just throw that around now, here this, all your friends in Texas or Houston, dallas, whatever, don't forget to see the weather, that's right, but wait, wait, there's more.
Speaker 2:Oh, there's more October.
Speaker 1:October 27 to 29. Okay, I'm gonna be back east again at Marlboro Royal Plaza Arts Trade Center and then in November I will be and a year, a yearly visit to underwoods, which is a wonderful jewelry chain in the Florida area.
Speaker 1:I went what's the date on that November? It's from the second to the fifth and it surrounds my birthday. I really think they purposely do that, because then we go out on the fourth, my birthday and Celebrate so, and that alliance is called a las acres and it's a no kill rescue shelter in St Augustine, florida. So there's, there's that. Then we're hitting December. Whoop, I've got another autograph show with Mr Far. From the first to the third we go to Columbus.
Speaker 2:Ohio.
Speaker 1:Let me see if I yeah, ohio yes.
Speaker 2:That's a great little town.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, let's see. Just says Otarao Show, but you know it gets so much attention they can find us. Yeah, I don't have where. And then from the eighth to the 10th I'm gonna see all my buds in Chicago. I'm going to the Rosemont, illinois at the Stephen Convention Center and I'll be showing my wares there December 15th to 17th. I'm going back East again. Chantilly, chantilly ladies and a pretty face.
Speaker 2:Chantilly's in Virginia. Yeah, I have a cousin there.
Speaker 1:Okay, I expect her to be there.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm gonna tell her.
Speaker 1:With all her friends and the rest of your family and everybody. I don't care if she pulls people up the street.
Speaker 2:They've got to come and say hello, they all got to come. Yeah, so that's pretty much the year looking forward to this one you do not let grass grow under your feet.
Speaker 1:Hopefully this strike will get settled. I don't think we have enough time left in this year to do that, but I'm hoping we get it under control and settle these issues. I know Because I have two wonderful projects on film waiting to be done and I want to get back to work, but I also do support the issues.
Speaker 2:Right, everything that's going on. Absolutely there you have it.
Speaker 1:Now you're free to ask me questions? No, you're good, I'm gonna hit on my bullet points and I want you to help me with my stuff.
Speaker 2:I will gladly help you with your stuff. That is definitely not a problem. So you've talked to Cindy. Cindy said she had an amazing talk with you. She's amazing herself.
Speaker 2:And this was like we're always coming up with some kind of concoction, right, we're always scamming something. So she goes what? One day she just called me and said you know, what would you think if we had a podcast that was geared towards military nurses or military medical? I'm like, yeah, like where is it? And she goes well, and I'm like, oh, you're planting a seed in my head, aren't you? And she's like, uh-huh, and yeah, she's, she's devious, like that in a good way. And so I was like, oh gosh, and then that was the birth.
Speaker 2:And so we're just kind of like throwing out thoughts and stuff. And one of us said it could have been her. You know, it'd be kind of cool to get Loretta's sweat on, wouldn't it? And I'm like, yeah, that'd be cool. And here we are. I feel extremely blessed that we got to bring you on, and I do hope once it's over, yeah, that was a clever, inspired wonderful and I'm so glad we're doing it Me too, Because then when all the strikes over, then like I got your number so I'm going to be like hey, you want to come back and talk some other stuff.
Speaker 1:She says well, I got your number, I got your number now.
Speaker 2:You know, I mean, if you ever come out positive for a heart, they do stuff and we God, we're saturated with veterans and you know people understand, like how difficult it is not difficult, but how long it takes to get a service dog and the fact that you know people have to wait a while because they've got to train them and then if they need higher level, like medical, it's even longer wait. So the fact that you do all this and all your, your efforts, you know you have sweetheart, which is this, that beautiful book that you were talking about, and I just love it. I'm actually going to go buy it. My daughter is huge in art and so this would be perfect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's on the website, just just say you know. Send it to me please.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And you know every panel we don't, we don't spend any of that money on. We don't spend it on a postage stamp. Yeah, it's there for what we're collecting it for it's. You know we don't do mailings and asking you for money and we don't do any of that. All that money goes to where it's supposed to go.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, loretta, I I think we explored a lot. I was so excited when I saw what you did with 9 11. That was a that was a big day to a lot of us. When that happened, you know that was especially military. You know a lot of people that were non military. Remember them saying to me I cannot believe this happened and and you know I hate to say, but in the military it wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when. Only because you just statistically, you cannot sustain forever, like somebody's going to think of something, and it's unfortunate, and it's not like we wanted any of that to happen. But, like you said, you, you watched people come together in ways that you could never imagine.
Speaker 2:An entire city just came together and you were right there. You're just like hell. I'm going to do something, let's go. I called.
Speaker 1:Carl about the parade. Carl, it got to go. No, he was. He's my friend bodyguard. He's been everything. He's been military, he's been fireman, he's been policemen. He's still doing it all. Takes care of his mother. I mean, he's just an absolutely great guy, hero in my sweetheart. So I call him as you, busy. I'm never busy for you. What do you need, Lorette?
Speaker 1:And I said well, it would be lovely for you and me to come to the parade. So he's going to be driving to see me in the parade and Broward can I think?
Speaker 2:that you're incredible. I know you shaped a lot of people's lives through all your work and you're still doing it and your impact is amazing and and you know you you don't stop. You're still figuring out ways.
Speaker 1:You know, what I am most proud of, I think, is the mail I get confirming that Margaret Hulahan inspired so many young people to become nurses or just to go into a medical vocation of sorts, and and I I'm serious about the volume my character influenced young lives Globally. I have a family of sisters and brothers too. I mean that men also went into medicine, but because they so admired her integrity and her passion and and what she was doing with her life that she, she, wanted to care for people. You know, those people that we played on that show were noble. My God is standing in blood patching people together and they're at the front. They can hear fire. And they did it. They just did it.
Speaker 1:And I presume you've never been to Korea. It's way out there. It's a difficult country. In the summer it's the hottest spot on the globe and in the winter it is the coldest. I've been there for both seasons. So I assure you there is nothing like it anywhere else on the planet. And they volunteered, the women Volunteered. I'm going to say that name again, that word. They were not drafted, they volunteered to serve in that environment. The greatest loss we had in the war, in the war on police action was number one to frostbite, number two to snake bite. So that's winter, summer, and number three was the Korean War. But isn't that a statistic that knocks you off your pins? These women yeah, these women Just went there. They just went there.
Speaker 2:You know, just to put it all in context of the generation. So one generation before my generation of military nurses and military women in general, one generation before me, they were having to make the choice between having a family and having a career in the military, and the comment was always the same the military didn't issue you a family. One generation prior to mine was facing that. So before that, go back more generations to what you were talking about and what they were dealing with. They are the heroes they are. What we get to do now is because it's on the backs of these people and in the military we honor that very much, so, very much so. So, yeah, yeah, it's like you said, we are all connected, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, yes. And when you go through some of these traumatizing events I have stored in my life, you realize how connected we are and how remarkable we are when we recognize that connection and act on it.
Speaker 1:You know, really, we can do anything. Yeah, I was a great admirer of Bruce Lee, who's a deep thinker as well as someone who possessed his body so magically, did such magic with his thoughts and his ability, his strength. He said, and I quote there are no limits, there are only plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. To me that it says it all. Just keep going. I read somewhere the other day. I read something lovely. They're asking you what your direction is. You tell them above and beyond. That's your direction. I love it. I love where you go and I'm going above and beyond. Or, in Bruce Lee's words, you must go beyond them. You don't just stay, even if you're resting on your laurels.
Speaker 2:You know, it's funny that you say that People say to me like you know, how did that happen, how did this happen, how did? And I'm like I don't know. I just I was curious. You know, like I just got out there I asked questions, I met people and I think that curiosity is a passion with questions.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh it's. If you're curious, you are infinite, you will never tire, you will never bore, you will just keep going above and beyond. Curiosity is, oh my, and the best actors you see are the most curious. I had a teacher who said when you stop asking yourself about a character you're playing, if you, if you think you have everything answered, you've begun to scratch the essence of that character. That's how, how you can keep exploring the human essence. Yeah, it just keeps going. Yeah, hopefully growing, it.
Speaker 2:that's where I like, I want people to understand. Like you know you said you made this comment. Like you know, the alliance my animal alliance has been around. Technology just made it easier for you guys to see. It didn't start at the level you see it at, right, like none of us started at the level you see at, and so I want veterans to understand that. I want people in general to understand. You just keep taking a step, you just keep being curious.
Speaker 1:You first have to be born, yeah, I mean you have to come from somewhere, and so there has to be a beginning, a number one day, or one or one number one moment, and then you fly from there, and so it's not overnight.
Speaker 2:You did not get where you're at overnight. You built over time, you know. And so you now I can easily say you are iconic, you are a legend, but you were not that at 12 years old and 15 years old.
Speaker 1:Yes, you don't get born that way. It's not something. But listen, is that wonderful. You've got all that growth to look forward to. You have that whole thing in front of you to conquer, to keep going and again, above and beyond or beyond that plateau, you keep going, and that's exciting. Yeah, exactly, it's exciting. So.
Speaker 2:I greatly appreciate your time. I mean, this is, this was fun, we had fun, we giggled. There's nothing without humor.
Speaker 1:Everything has a humorous, wonderful side to it, and you just have to be open to it and use it.
Speaker 2:It keeps you young too, doesn't it? That's, you know the whole age of the state of mind, because it does. It keeps you young at heart, and I think I see the people the when you're not interesting, and it doesn't mean you have to do like crazy stuff, but when you're not curious and you're not learning and you become uninteresting, there's nothing to talk about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, an interested person, a person like you, curious, interested. An interested person is always interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's always something to talk about always.
Speaker 1:And then the other thing I wanted to lay on you, which is my mantra and that is the control center of your life, is your attitude.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I mean, this is great, you come out here, I want to see you and I've got all your dates.
Speaker 1:This has been delightful and I'm so glad we finally booked the time and we got it done, we did.
Speaker 2:I know people don't know how many times we were like trying to coordinate. It was something and I'm like it's going to happen.
Speaker 1:Of course you make it happen.
Speaker 2:You do, you do.
Speaker 1:Eleanor Roosevelt, another she-row of mine, said things that need to be done can usually be done. Is that simple? How simple is that?
Speaker 2:If you want it, you're going to make it happen.
Speaker 1:Yep, exactly it's kind of, I think, the essence of those women who were at the front. That was something to be done there and they just went and did it. They didn't calculate the heat or the frost, or they just went and did it. This is something that needs to be done. Let's go.
Speaker 2:Well, that's the saying mind over matter, right? If you don't mind, it don't matter, let's go right.
Speaker 1:I do think passion will take you a long, long way. You have to have that fire in your belly, and if you don't help someone who has that passion, that fire in their belly, help them, you might just acquire some of their ignition. You might just start to smoke and flame yourself. But, get into it.
Speaker 2:Get into it. I tell my kids I said, when you feel you're worse, you're having a bad day, go help somebody.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and you know what happens is you take your eyes off yourself, right, you put them to better use and at the end of the day, you realize how much you have helped yourself by doing what you did by taking your eyes off you and helping somebody else you have. It's contagious.
Speaker 2:It is. It's very determinist, contagious, and I think that's a lesson you always talk to veterans. But it's across the board that when you're stuck, just figure out the one little step you can take Doesn't have to be magnanimous, it doesn't have to be earth shattering, but what did you do today? And if?
Speaker 2:you can figure that out, pat yourself on the back for it, because you were talking about the dogs struggling. They struggle too with PTSD. But when you get those dogs in the right frame of mind, they move forward. It's just shifting their mind to get a new forward. Well, we're the same. We've got to get our mind shifted to move forward. And so I agree, if you don't know how to do it, find somebody that does and just observe and just be part of it, and you'll rub off, you'll become part of it.
Speaker 1:Bruce Lee talks about that too. He calls it becoming water. See, when water is poured into a glass, the water becomes glass Flexible, it becomes Water becomes. It writes extensively about becoming water, but that's what you just talked about. But while we were talking, a little 4 pound Yorkshire terrier has made a home in my lap, turned into a little circle of herself and she's napping. Couldn't care less about asking for permission. Oh, they're tough.
Speaker 2:That's funny. Well, I'm going to let you then move on with your wonderful little dog and I am so honored to have your time and your space with you and for everybody out there, I'm going to have all this information up and go see her. And if you go see her and you say, hey, I heard you on the podcast Bullets to Bedpans, she might shake your hand and take a picture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:All right, lorena, this was great. I'm going to enjoy the day.
Speaker 1:I will Watch your weather right now.
Speaker 2:It's hot, hot and hot. We are not ever going to come out of 100 degree weather. I've decided. So, yeah, it's been a little Not my favorite.
Speaker 1:I have to admit.
Speaker 2:Yes, no, not mine either.
Speaker 1:You know I've worked with POWs, some elderly who were in Japanese prison camps and so forth, and we became close, close friends that tell me stories. Many of them were on death marches and whenever I'm outside and it gets too hot, I remember this is nothing to what they suffered, nothing Walking without shoes through mud and bushes and just wearing rags, no shelter from the sun, 110 degrees. Don't tell me you're hot, don't even tell me you're hungry, you don't know what, starving is.
Speaker 1:So in a way and I used to say that in my speeches to the POWs, saying you have given me strength, you have given me such inspiration. I'm so strong because of what you said. The bar, you said how dare I say God, I'm starving. I'm not starving, I'm just ready for dinner. That's not starving. Get your semantics correct. Understand when we say thank you for your sacrifice. Understand the time of their lives they gave you. Don't get me started. I like this roller coaster out of control. But I guess we all love our heroes. We love our heroes.
Speaker 2:All of them the veterans first responders yeah, they're pretty amazing people, they're out there helping and saving, so you enjoy that heat OK.
Speaker 2:I will, I absolutely will. I appreciate everything. Thank you so much. All right, everybody. That was pretty amazing. Loretta is definitely iconic, definitely a legend, and she does not stop. We are blessed, so blessed, to have been able to have a conversation with her and show how much she's doing for veterans and everything that's going on in her world. So you guys, follow, share, like. We actually have a Facebook page up and you're going to start seeing information coming out there on all our podcasts and you're going to see her information coming up and, matter of fact, by the time this posts, all her information will already be up there. So please, like I said, like, follow, share from all of us over here to all you guys out there in the military and medical world and our cousins, the civilian medical world Peace out, move along you.