Episode Description
Season 2 Episode 7. Memorial Day. Brian and Julius discuss Memorial Day and veterans affairs. Somber episode.
This episode of The Ascendant Project consists of Julius and Brian discussing what Memorial Day means to them and discussing Veterans Affairs.
Podcast Comments Corrections, Addendums, and References:
2:49
The Marriage scene in The Princess Bride (1987)
2:59
The Marriage scene in Space Balls (1987)
3:05
Holy Spigot marriage scene in Four Weddings and A Funeral (1994)
6:20
At the time of recording Brian had been under the impression that Blackwater had started the Battle of Fallujah. In fact, they came under file and were ambushed. Four contractors died, with their corpses hanging over the Euphrates. The 1st Battle of Fallujah started soon after.
9:29
Brian’s Pop-Pop’s Canteen
10:52
A wiki page on Raven Rock
17:46
A wiki page on the Afghanistan War
28:29
An NPR article on Paid Patriotism (the DoD paying for those honor the vet moments at sports games).
29:37
It wasn’t an episode, John Oliver did a segment on paid patriotism back in 2015.
32:05
Wounded Warrior Project is back up to 4/4 stars on Charity Navigator. The wiki page documents a time as evidenced by the New York Times article when overhead spending was lavish. After a 2016 shakeup, now about 70% of donations go to vets. Executive salaries remain high, but that ratio is about what to expect from a charity while allowing workers to make a living.
32:20
35:13
Here is an example of Hegseth briefing the public with religious rhetoric during an Iran War Briefing
41:05
Pew Research came up with the stat of 6% being veteranshttps://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/08/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/
43:04
I’m not sure Julius really addressed the question. Gold Star families are families who lost a family member to the service, whether it be killed in action, or accident or whatnot.
48:44
July 30th 2016 Mr Trump stated in an ABC interview reacting to Khizr Khan’s speech at the DNC insulted the family by saying his wife might not have been allowed to speak (implying because they are a Muslim family). Mr Trump also stated he has sacrificed for the country by creating jobs.
In 2018, Mr Trump called those American service members buried in Aisne-Marne American Cemetery “suckers”, and those service members who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “losers”. This was first reported by The Atlantic and later confirmed by the Associated Press.
49:13
John Kerry while serving as Secretary of State under Obama extended an invitation to a Gold Star Family to meet with Pope Francis.
I could not find an article about gold star families reacting to swift boat allegations against Kerry. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, i just didn’t find them.
50:03
Skull and Bones. The infamous secret society of Yale.
51:53
Carroll County Maryland was formed out of Frederick and Baltimore Counties in 1837.
53:08
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