Memorial Day veterans roundtable with Johnson brothers

Dark in the moon Are we gonna leave this town? And let what we said come true? Get off of me I can get up if you wanna understand me I can get up if you really wanna help me I can get up, run in Jesus' name I'm gonna get up if you get off of me I can get up if you wanna understand me I can get up if you really wanna help me I can get up, run in Jesus' name I'm gonna get up The people who are talking to me Are we gonna leave this town? And let what we said come true? Good for nothing, baby I'm a figure Just a boy who's grown My shit was a jigger Now we gonna stand the battle Oh, yes, I really will decide I'm your brother As you stand in your glory I hope you're mine And I'll tell the whole story Part of your system I know you think you've come a long way I know you think you've come a long way As I walk the street As I see it roll You can see my hands ain't shaking And my legs ain't trembling I turn the coin, keep it in trash Look up at the street sign It says San Julian Look back down and make eye contact with his brother And now I'm feeling like I'm standing somewhere I shouldn't be He looks around, a thousand of his friends Have raised their crackpipes to the lips And his ism's almost 80s sling Telling me, yeah, I'm getting high I'm feeling good And sister, don't you knock until you try Now I'm standing here with visions of crooked politicians and mission corrects Hiding their greedy pockets Some think it's a joke that folks are living low from social injustice And we know that's not how it's supposed to be So if you can get up, stand up With their solutions They'll pin it on you and me We people who are dark Are we going around this town And let whatever we say go true Welcome to the Coon Line Report May the peace and blessings of the life-giving creative spirit Be upon you and upon your family My name is Melvin Ishmael Johnson With my co-host Earlene Anthony Coming at you from Skid Row Studios Our call-in number is 800-893-9562 Listen to us live on the radio Or you can download our show And any past show By googling in skidrow.la And hit Coon Line Report Also with us in the studio Is actor and community active Lee Shaw This week on this Memorial Day We will be talking about a salute to military veterans With three military veterans My brothers James Johnson And Reverend Roosevelt Johnson Of Greenville, Mississippi And Reverend Fraley Johnson Of Memphis, Tennessee And an interview With Willis Board And Shante Duncan Of Positive Light Ministry We here at Skid Row Studios Would like to wish you A happy Memorial Day We have with us on the line James Johnson And Reverend Roosevelt And Reverend Roosevelt And Reverend Roosevelt And 89 89 89 89 89! 89 Joseph L. Johnson and then Reverend Freddie Johnson. The first question is, what kind of effect did your military experience have on your life, Shug? Well, it made me very aware of how precious life is. I mean, in any war situation, that's one of the first things that you learn. You know, your life is really expendable, you know. And it's the grace of God that you can go into a war and come back out in one piece. You know what I'm saying? But I thank the Lord that he was looking after me while I was over there. Okay. How about you, Reverend Roosevelt Johnson? Well, the one effect that it had on my life, it was my first time being a part of, a proud organization, being from the sidewalks of Greensville, Mississippi. I wasn't really a proud individual because of the segregation era. I remember just as well, when I first thought to be proud was when Jane Brown came out with the record, Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud. Well, that's when I thought of trying to be proud. But what it is, it gave me an opportunity to be a part of a unit, a proud organization. It also helped me to take responsibility, you know, for my action. Some of the things that happened to me in the military, you know, I look back on, part of it was my action because I was a product of a racist society. So I had a lot of hatred in my heart. So I was a pretty rough fellow to get along with. But I found out that you have to be careful and you're responsible for your action. And I always said that if you're man enough to even break a law, commit a crime, then you'd be man enough to do the time. But that military taught me that, and I thank God for that. Okay. How about you, Reverend Fred? Ray Johnson. Well, as you know, I kind of went in the military at the age of 17. And I'd like to say, I kind of became the man who was in the military. And while in the military, I experienced things that I didn't experience while I was growing up in Mississippi. Like, for instance, being around white folks, you know? Mm-hmm. Because when I went to high school, it was all black. So I got to actually, for the first time, be around white folks in the military. And I'd like to piggyback off what Reverend Roosevelt said. He was kind of, to me, a racist. How can I say this? I don't want to say the wrong thing, but it's kind of a racist move in the military during those days. Because I was one of the only black, you know, police outfit that I was in. Mm-hmm. I mean, another guy named James Barton. And Mr. Johnson, we called it, we called it prejudice from both ends. Mm-hmm. I mean, not only from the white, but also from some of the black, some of the black guys, too. Mm-hmm. Because I guess our intelligence and our promotions, you know, getting promoted, things of that nature. But, uh... But you was in the Air Force. I got up right there, kind of grew up in the military. Mm-hmm. And you was in the Air Force. Air Force. Yeah. But I was in the police. Mm-hmm. So... Let's go to the next question. And let's start with you, Fred. What is the biggest problem facing veterans today? Being service-connected. That's the question. And I'd like to... You did say start with me, right? Yes. Uh, becoming service-connected and knowing about our benefits. Mm-hmm. Because here in Memphis, I encounter many veterans that doesn't really know how to get their benefits and the benefits that they are entitled to. Mm-hmm. So that was... That was... That's what I would say is the biggest problem facing veterans is nothing today. Yes. How about you, Shug? What's the biggest problem you think facing veterans today? Well, I'd have to reiterate to what Fred has said, man. Biggest problem is most veterans don't even know how to go about getting their benefits. But for the veterans that's coming out of the service, I'd say the first thing you would say to them is, please take care of them. Anything that's wrong with this, file for your benefits right after you get out because they don't give you but a year. One year. After that year that you're fired, that's when you start having a problem. That's when you start having a problem, right? They give you a year, but they don't tell you that. It gives you one year to file on anything that's wrong with you. You get wounded in anything like that, they give you a year. Now, if you can file within that year, you stand a good chance of getting your benefits right off, you know? But other than that, man, if you go past that, then you probably need to get your lawyer. Past that year, right? That's right. You probably need to get your lawyer, man. That's the kind of problem you're going to have getting paid. How about you, Reverend Roosevelt Johnson? In conjunction with what has already been said, I think another major issue is PTSD. PTSD, post-traumatic stress. Being in a war zone or being around action that traumatizes you takes an effect. And that's something that medical doctors have not yet come to grip to deal with the problem as it should be dealt with. So that's a big problem. And I'll tell you another that I've learned since my military experience. You know, while you're in the military, they tell you, you know, some of the benefits you have, such as an opportunity to get a house if you come out with an honorable discharge. I believe that's just a sale pitch. There are documents that you can get a house. But the house and market and the bank treat you, you know, just like a civilian. And your credit report has a lot to do with it. And because of the economy issue, most Afro-American creditors are not what the military standard is asking. And that individual never has an opportunity to use that housing benefit. So it's a lot of things. It needs to be done. And I'll tell you another issue. It's finding employment. Because the scarceness of jobs out here now. You know, I think our president came up with an idea that they could, military personnel, ex-military personnel could be hired as police officers, firemen, you know, government jobs, train, what have you. That would be good because it would open up a job market. Fuck that. Mm-hmm. which is about 70-75% of African Americans. What is the homeless situation in Greenville like, and how many veterans is involved in the homeless situation? And then I want to go to the same thing with Fred in Memphis. Well, let's start with Greenville. Well, there's not as many homeless here in Greenville as there is in L.A., but I think if you would go with the population-wise, the ratio might be similar. Now, I say that to say this, that there are homeless peoples here in Greenville. And as part of my ministry as well, I've made myself known and acquainted with a majority of them. And I'll be honest with you, I ask myself, the Lord never allowed me to be in that situation where I have to sleep outside, you know, in the summertime, among the mosquitoes, in the wintertime, among snow, in abandoned houses, or what have you. But the number is on the rise. And there are various areas now where you can go and sometimes I know one or two that are allowed to do work, and there are work issues around the ministry just to earn a few dollars to help them out. And every one I use, I pay $10 plus an hour. I want to make sure I'm paying them a good fair price for whatever I ask them to do because I want to make sure I'm treating them just as we would treat, you know, regular people. And I don't want to be guilty of using a person. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. And this is for you, too, Shug, and then I'm going to get to Fred in Memphis. But how many of the, is it many homeless veterans around Greenville? Yeah, there's quite a few, man. But like you were saying, man, that the ratio is not as lackadaisical as Los Angeles or other big cities. Because, you know, our population is not as large as you guys. But there are homeless veterans around here. And the majority of them need psychological help because they're just out on the streets, man. Mm-hmm. Majority. Right. We got guys that walk around here begging. But they get a couple of guys getting their VA checks, but somebody else is over there checking them because they aren't capable of handling their own, you know, resources. Mm-hmm. I mean. Being traumatized from the military. Right. I think that's more of a mental issue. It is. That's more of a, and then, I mean, it can be veteran-connected, but you also have people that are homeless that have never been in the military. Right, right. So it's, and then you got other things out here that cause problems with the mind, certain drugs, narcotics, what have you. Yeah. I noticed there's an increase in people walking around. Yeah. Now on sidewalks talking to themselves. Yeah. And they're talking out loud like they're talking to another person. So, you know, a lot is going on. And to give you some kind of ballpoint number, maybe I know of 12 or more homeless people, and maybe four to six could be veterans. Okay. So that's a large percentage of that. Now, Fred, what's the situation like? What's the situation like in Memphis? Well, I agree with everything Reverend Roosevelt and the children are saying. But I still look at it this way. There are many homeless veterans in Memphis. Now, some choose to be homeless and homeless. Because every time I go to the VA here in Memphis, outside in the lobby or in the parking lot, they always have some kind of meal or something set up for the veterans, you know, that comes to the hospital. Now, some of them don't know where to go to get this kind of help. I mean, they got shelter, you know, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Yes. But they just won't go. I have had veterans, homeless veterans tell me that they're not going to go. They're not going to go. That they don't need what the VA is giving them. They'd rather be on the streets. Rather than deal with the VA. Right. And, you know, I can understand why you, like, Roosevelt said, the PTSD thing. That's a illness that, at first, when the veterans are released from active service, released from active duty that they didn't know about. I'm just looking at my own situation. It's diagnosed me with severe depression. But as they study PTSD now, I've been diagnosed with PTSD. And I thank God that I know where to go to get help, et cetera, et cetera. But there are many veterans out here in Memphis right now that doesn't have to be in the situation they are in. They got plenty. They got help for them. But they just won't go get it. Now, sure. Let me ask you this. How about the new group of veterans that's coming out of, just say, Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have to deal with? A lot of, you know, Vietnam, you deal with guerrilla warfare, whereas, you know, jungle guerrilla warfare. And Iraq and Afghanistan, you're dealing with, you know, within the urban guerrilla warfare. What do you think in terms of how these particular veterans will be traumatized? And are we going to see a lot of that? Are we beginning to see it all? Already? Already seeing it. Right. A lot of these guys are traumatized. That's an altogether different war. You know, there's been two wars since Vietnam. There's the Gulf War and then there's this war that we just got out of. Yeah. And the conditions, everything was different, man. So you're going to have a whole new set of problems with the veterans that are coming out of this war. Mm-hmm. Okay. Because there's a lot more come out of this war that's maimed and crippled than it was that came out of Vietnam. Yeah. Right. Right. With these, yeah, these improvised explosive devices that they use in the urban conflict. Even though they had a lot of that in Vietnam, it's a little bit different, though. It's different, a lot different. And another thing, just what I was saying is that for a guy, see, a lot of guys, it may take years before they realize that anything is wrong with them. Mm-hmm. You know what I'm saying? The PTSD, it doesn't just come on all of a sudden. It can take years for it to set in, you know? Mm-hmm. And some kind of trigger or something like that to trigger it all. So you should stay in touch with your VA. And sometimes you have the accident, Clay, because you know you're going to suffer from something. Anybody that be in a war suffers. They suffer from PTSD in some form or another. Mm-hmm. So the best thing for the young guys that's coming out in that one-year period is to get something in black and white. Mm-hmm. Get something started. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Okay. I think they're going to have a better outlook on getting to hell. Mm-hmm. The one that... Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Like, just like you were saying, that a lot of guys is out there, man, and they don't even try to. Well, I... I tried to help about 10 or 12 guys over in Leland and other places, man. That guy wasn't thinking about the VA. Yeah. But that's because of their mental condition. That's right. That's right. That has a lot to do. That's your key right there. And something else, you know, if you're homeless, sometimes, you know, according to man-made law, you're too poor to get here. Which means if you don't have a stationary address, then they're reluctant to give you, you know, any kind of assistance. You've got to have a stationary address in order to get assistance. So that'd be some of the conditions. But most of it is basically mental. I remember, I think a question came up, how do we minister to these kids? Yeah, that's what I want to ask you next. Yeah, go off into that. Okay, well, this is what we do. We go and befriend them, you know, outreach ministry, because they're not coming to church. They are lovable humans and people. People just like we are, just people with problems. And all of us have problems. We just don't have the same problems. But we go out and befriend them and make them feel worthwhile. Might have church picnic. We've had them over eating and having a good time. I've seen them pull off their clothes and play basketball with the other adults and just have the time of their life. And then, as Fred has stated earlier, it's a choice. Mm-hmm. Well, I'm clean. I clean them up, and they go right back to the same situation. So, I mean, I just shake my head. I know one guy, we have a good relationship, and this is something that he choose to do. Even not just me in the ministry, but his own people trying to get him off. Yeah. It's great. But it's a choice. It's something that they decide that they want to do. These guys have problems. Yeah. They have problems. As we wind down, let me, I want to ask. all three of you, what would you like to say to John and Bobby who served in the Army and the Air Force? It seemed to be, though, I heard you earlier, out of the seven boys, six of us served in the Armed Forces. Yes. So it seemed to be a family tradition. And we all basically chose what branch of service that we want to serve in other than myself. Now, I don't know about the others, but I can speak for myself. I was drafted. I know Brother Johnson, sure, was drafted into the military. And I was among the last of the draftees. They took our picture at the reception station, which means after my look, after they draft me, they cut out the draft and made it all volunteer army. So I was somewhere I didn't really ask to be. And during that era, if you was Afro-American and was drafted, they gave you a rifle and put you in infantry and shipped you to Vietnam. And that's why I was drafted. It should have been a two-year term. But those little tests that you take, I've scored so many 100s on the test, the guy gave me the opportunity to sign up, choose my MOV, and go to school. So that's how I end up with trying to do two years. I end up with three years and, what, 21 months and some days, what happened. But back then, you didn't have a choice. And that's what they were doing. I think I heard you say, somebody said the average soldier back during the Vietnam era was 19 years old. Yes. Yeah, 19. No, we was kids. Yeah, young. We was kids. Right. So that's what we do. We go out and try to help them now. How about you, Fred, and Suge? What would you say? Okay, one last question. What would you like to say to John and Bobby, who served, John served in the Army, Bobby served in the Air Force? Well, I'd like to say this is John and Bobby. John served in the Army. Bobby served in the Army. Bobby served in the Air Force. Bobby served in the Air Force. Bobby served in the Air Force. Bobby served in the Air Force. Bobby served in the Air Force. And I'm going to say that the Air Force was a good choice, Bobby. Because I went in the Air Force. And I talked to the recruiter at Colburn High School. And I was, what, just 17, but I was coming out of high school. I couldn't wait to get in the Air Force. And the MOS that I wanted was Air Police. That's what I got. And I was a soldier. And I was a soldier. And I was a soldier. And I was a soldier. But I have to commend all my brothers for going in the military. And to me, it helped us grow up because we came out of Greenville, Mississippi. We had a whole lot of stuff down there for us. We had one book and all that kind of stuff for a while. But when I got in the military, that's when I, like I said before, that's when I grew up. Mm-hmm. All right. Okay. Yeah. Reverend Freddie Johnson, Memphis, Tennessee, James Johnson, Reverend Roosevelt Johnson down in Greenville, Mississippi. Now, later on in the show, the last part of the show, I'm going to read a portion of Reverend Roosevelt Johnson's play, Private Johnson's War, in which we perform Saturday. Excellent performance. And I, I've sent you, the photographer shot a nice little section and put it on YouTube. Yeah, and I sent that section for you to see. So this will be... Excellent job. Yeah, this will be coming on the latter part of the show. So, okay. Great. Thank you, James Johnson and Reverend Roosevelt Johnson of Greenville, Mississippi and Reverend Freddie Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee. And a shout-out to Nita and Barbara and to all of my family in Greenville, Mississippi. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. Hey, have a good evening. You too. Godspeed. Bye-bye. Yes. Okay, let's take a break for our community calendar and then we'll come back with Willis and Shante on the line from Positive Light Ministry. This is the community calendar for the month of June, Sunday, June the 2nd, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Serve the Warriors presents a community drive-in drum circle with special guests health rhythm drums facilitator Michael and Christy. Serve the Warriors mission is creating community space that support healing and provide therapeutic tools to defend against the invisible wounds that American veterans bring home from war. This event is being held Sunday, June the 2nd, Garden Cottage, Garden Cottage, Gallery, 1858 Echo Park Avenue in Echo Park, California. This is free and open to all the veterans and families of veterans. You're asked to please RSVP by Friday, May the 31st. And for further information or contact information, info at servethewarriors.org or 213-864-2877. The next Veterans Community Theater Workshop will be held on Tuesday, June 11th, from 5.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Once again, this workshop is free to veterans and non-veterans. The workshop participants are currently working on individual plays and also rehearsing other stage plays. The location is the Vortex 2341 West Olympic Boulevard. This is near the corner of Santa Fe and Olympic. And the Metro Bus 60 and 66 stops near or close to the corner. For more information on the workshop, you can call 213-908-6587. And this is a note for the Robie Theater, Bronzeville. This is Project Bronzeville 2013. The Robie Theater Company presents Bronzeville by Tim, Toriyama, and Aaron Woolford. Directed by Ben Guillory. June 29th through July 21st. Learn how a little-known period in the history of Los Angeles helped to shape the city we have now. The location is the LATC 514 South Spring Street, Los Angeles 913. And the website is www. robietheatercompany.com. Also on June the 1st through the 30th, exhibitions of work by Katie Foley Meyer. And the location of this is the Union Center for the Arts. On June the 22nd, Downtown Independent Theater, Centorium, moderated by Christopher Jimenez-West and Dr. Hillary Jinks with Dr. Anthony Macias. On June the 23rd, Live Jazz, a live jazz concert at the Blue Whale, featuring the Miguel Atwood Ferguson Ensemble. Opening night of the performance of Bronzeville is June the 29th. And for more information, time and places of this event, please call the Robie Theater Company, 213-489-7402. Once again, the phone number is 213-489-7402. 213-489-7402. 213-489-7402. If you have a community event that you would like announced on our show, send the information to Drama Stage 1, yahoo.com, Attention Earline Anthony. The call-in number for the show is 800-893-9562. Now back to our host. Okay, thank you, Miss Earline Anthony. Now we're on the line with Willis and Shante, a Positive Light Ministry, who performed last Saturday, May the 25th, 2013, at the USC Peace Center. Willis and Shante, welcome to the Qumran Report. Hey, Melvin. Hey, Melvin. Hey. So glad to hear your voice. We got Earline and Lee sitting in the studio right here to also to conversate with you. Hey, Lee. Hey. Now, tell us, let's start off with the first question that everybody asks. What is Positive Light Ministry? Positive Light Ministries is a faith-based organization. We're a Christian organization, and we try to offer music lessons and art lessons and puppetry for youth and just try to inspire and glorify God in what we believe we are called to do. So we try to reach out to kids through programs like that. Mm-hmm. Now, and that's the next question I was going to ask you, is how do you use your artistic talents to minister, to young people? Can you talk a little bit more about that? Yeah, well, Melvin, what we do is, well, you know, music is a very powerful force. I mean, you can move nations with music, win elections with the right music. If you can use music that children are familiar with and can use in preaching a word or just trying to, you know, get interest or pull things together, dance, then kids are interested in that. We try to find music that kids can relate to, whether it be with rap or just songs that we feel that youth can relate to and that they can find similar to their own lifestyles and things that they see in their own lives. We try to make music that they would like and that would get their attention. Now, how did Positive Life Minister start? How did you get your beginnings? Just a man like everybody else messing up in life, just wondering what my purpose was, and I prayed to God, and I believe that God told me to work with children. I started down at the L.A. Mission volunteering in the baggage, and I was a part of the L.A. Department there, hooked up with the Say Yes organization, which was a children's ministry. And through that organization, looking and seeing, you know, what the kids really needed and then tried to fill in the void to take the program to the next level, you know, for the children. And that's how Positive Life Ministries was founded, was that we saw needs that other programs were not really delivering. Yeah, they weren't addressing, and so that's where Positive Life tried to assist. Okay. Now, what I want to do now, I would like to play one of the songs that you performed Saturday in Tyler Butterfly, and then we're going to play a couple of minutes of that, and then we'll come back and discuss how Butterfly came about. So right now, we're going to play Butterfly. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Okay, that's Butterfly, a very beautiful song that I like a lot. Can you tell our listening audience how did Butterfly come about? Willis got inspiration for Butterfly when he went to Gladys Park, and there was just a lot of things that he saw around there that were not positive. And you go to a park. Gladys Park and Skid Row? Yes. And usually when you go to a park, you see positive things with kids playing and families and people playing and just having a good time, and that's not what he saw when he was down there. And that kind of was the inspiration for him. And also, your play, Down on the Nickel? Surviving the Nickel? Surviving the Nickel? Yes. If you listen, there's a lyric in there saying, Down on the Nickel? Yes. Getting on my hustle, if these fools try to push me out, it's going to be a scuffle. Yes. Yes. So there was a lot of different inspirations, and I can say Surviving the Nickel is truly a lyric in that song. It was one of the inspirations. So, you know, down there cleaning and seeing them selling cocaine, you know, coke, rocks, crack. But there's a lot of different inspirations, but it was from being down there in it. Just seeing the same. The same issues over and over, and just the same problems, and not really seeing any change. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Now, Saturday, you performed a great skit called Kiara and Wendell Dealing with Military Veterans. Now, how did this come about? Talk about that a lot. Got a great response from that. Well, I've tried. Sorry if I sound a little redundant. I didn't. You were kind of the inspiration behind that as well. When we go to your classes on Tuesday, your theater classes, or what do you call that? The Veterans Community Theater Workshop. Right. When we go to that on the Tuesdays, you're teaching and showing us. It was actually on the way home when you were driving. Willis was driving, and he was just. He was just saying that he wanted to do a skit, and he was kind of developing a character right when we were coming back from the theater workshop. I guess when you started talking about it. Yeah, but it's because of him showing us the right way to do things. Then I asked Shante, I said, let's work on this thing together. I said, you develop a character, and I'll develop a character, and then we'll sit down, and we'll hash this thing out. Yeah, it is two great characters. Two great characters. Real characters. Now, I got Lee and Earlene. They have a couple questions. What do you want to ask Willis and Shante? I want to ask, when you're writing a song, do you come up with the lyrics first or the melody, tune, or which comes first? The words or the melody or the tune? Or do they come at the same time? Shante, let me let Shante answer that. For me, usually the lyrics will come first. Willis will already have the music, and he'll ask me to write something. But even when I'm trying to write something for myself or on my own, I usually come up with the lyrics first and then try to get the melody or something. And for me, it's just basically, it just comes. The words might come. For him, it's either or. Yeah, or the music might come. Usually, it's generally based on being inspired to do something in a certain area, be it puppets, like a puppet show. You find a theme, and then you just try to write around that. Okay. Okay. Here's Lee with a question that's coming up. Well, how y'all doing there? Good, Lee. How are you? I'm fine. You already answered most of my questions. Because, you know, I think y'all are great, you know. Great performers. And to do that, I think, you know, that you have to rehearse a lot, right? So my question to you was, how often do you rehearse? You know what? Not often enough. Oh, man. So if you're great now, you'll be great later, right? Well, Lee, we appreciate what you're saying. But you know what? I want to just tell you that you're an awesome man. You're a man yourself. And we really appreciate, you know, your readiness to get up and to serve and to do what it is, whatever needs to be done. You're ready to do it and get it done so things can run, you know, like they're supposed to. So we're admiring you just as much. So, you know, we really appreciate you. All right? Yeah, thank you. Thank you. But I appreciate y'all, too, because, you know, helping children is one of the things, you know, when I grew up, when I was coming up, they had, you know, outlets for us there. We had the boxing thing at the park, and we had, you know, different little things, the team post and all that right there. And these days, they don't have that right there. And you provide, and your Positive Life Ministry is going back to that and providing for those children some outlet, you know? Right. And I hope God continues to bless you, both of you. You know? Well, we pray the same for you. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Now, let me ask you this. What would you like to say to our veterans on this Memorial Day? Well, first, I would like to say to you and Earlene and Lee and Judy, and that whole thing that you did on Saturday was brilliant. And I want to thank you guys for it because it inspires me to, like Lee was saying, to practice harder and to become better at our craft. Yeah, to take it seriously. It was a lot of inspiring people that were there and just a beautiful thing. And that was so awesome. The writing, everything, it just builds us up. And that's inspiration for us to do better. Working on the Kiara and Wendell skit, we touched on some things, or I touched on some things with the military. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. We did a little research, and there's no way that we can imagine what those guys went through or are going through. And I feel ashamed that I haven't done anything, I don't believe, to try to help in ways. This play, we can try to bring attention and try to do things in the area or the avenues that you're putting out there, but there are no words to express what those guys have gone through for us. For our freedom. We don't appreciate it. Right. And just to pray and to thank God for every soldier that is out there, that... That's going through anything, and the soldiers that are out there right now. Mm-hmm. We don't understand. And then I hope to... Oh, the show is over, so we still got a few minutes to talk to Mr. Gorky, a Vietnam veteran also. But let me just say this. Thank you so much, Willis and Shante, and a shout-out to Denise, Ebony, Savannah, and his grandpa. He's great. We ate dinner with him tonight. He's good. Okay. All right, so thank you very much for all of your great talents, all the great show that you put on, and have a good evening. Yeah. You too, Melvin. All right. That's Willis and Shante of Positive Light Ministry. I wanted to... Do we still... Mr. Gorky is still on? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I wanted to... I was hoping to have enough time to read a portion from the play Private Johnson's War. We had... Yeah, Mr. Gorky. Yes, sir. Hey, how you doing? So much good. So glad to hear your voice. I know you... So festive. I know you got a deep message on this Memorial Day like you always do. Don't you know I got a deep one? Yeah. Come on. Say that again. You're kind of fading out on me. All right. Yes, sir. I got a deep one today. Yeah. Tell us something. Yes, sir. Okay, sir. I'm right now wishing all the veterans a happy holiday. Those who are alive and those families, that's well to do today. I wish them all a blessing. And you too, sir. And thank you for your services and for my country. Yeah. And all the people that's there. I didn't get to hear this thing tonight, but I have to come with a new thing tonight. I have to bring to you is blood mist. Mm-hmm. Blood mist consists of blood in the air. We look at AIDS, you know, like... Somebody else look at AIDS, you know, you look at AIDS as putting on gloves to be safe and all that. But do you really think how much blood mist is in the air when combat is going on? I know. But Mr. Gorky, let me ask you this before you get off into this, because I want the people to know who I'm speaking with here. Yes, sir. And the outstanding veterans. Tell us a little about your military, sir, because we still got a couple minutes. Okay. I want to talk about you. Tell us, tell our listening audience about your military service, your Vietnam experience. My life consisted of at 19 years old, I was in the United States Marine Corps. I went to Vietnam, did two tours. I was a place called Khe Sanh. And I earned a President's Units education and many other medals. I was known as a hero to the military. I was a great success. But to civilians, I'm just average Joe. And I kind of like that. You know, I'm not, you know, at so hard. But now I have a little freedom to walk around. But I've served my country. I hold one of the highest medals in the Marine Corps. The President's Units education handed to me by President Johnson spoke to me about President Obama. Obama recognized in the President's speech. Well, recognized for his speech. And I'm a veteran. I'm in history for the rest of my life. My name is my family name is I've served my country. Let me let me let me we got about another minute. Why have you on the line? What I want you to we have all of these military veterans coming out this Iraqi Afghanistan war. What advice would you give them that would help them adjust back to society? Yes, sir. What would you got to adjust to would be this? Because the adjustment is how the system adjusts to us when we come home. It's it's it's horrible how the adjustment is. But to get it to get your head straight and get on straight is to mean that get medical checkups. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't. Don't think that nobody in America doesn't care about you. There's a lot of people out there that don't. But there's a lot of people out there to know your best thing is to help yourself most of all and sit down with counselors and sit down with other veterans and work it out. Because it's something that you'll never forget. And you know what you've done. You know, you'll never forget that. And most men that live in America that never experienced that. They have no idea what you're talking about. So there is a connection between military soldiers when they come home and civilian men. And when we meet them back in the back in the States again, they don't have no reason. All the respect is gone is lost for the American soldier when he comes home. He doesn't get like my father got or my father or him got when he came home. We don't get things. Okay. And Mr. Gorky, you know, we're going to get you. Yeah, we're going to get you up into this radio station so we can do a whole program like we did the last time. So, oh, yes. Yes. So I just speak to you on this. Yeah, I'm just a matter. We're going to have to have the veterans to add in on what I'm saying or what's going on and that it's not being recognized. Okay. Recognize. It. And the men that are sitting there probably your combat veterans, their self, and they don't even know what was going on. Okay. Well, we know we're good. We winding down. We get a chance to talk about it. Thank you so much for calling in. Yes, sir. All right. We'll call it. It's Mr. Gorky. He we're going to get him honorably discharged, decorated Marines. We get him up in here. Now, I would like to expand a special. Thanks. I want to thank my brothers, James Johnson, the Reverend Roosevelt Johnson of Greenville, Mississippi, and Reverend Freddie Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee. My cohost, Erlene Anthony, my in studio guests, actor, community activist, Lee Shaw on the line with Willis and Shantae of Positive Light Ministry. Please listen to past shows of the Qumran Report on iTunes, Facebook, skid row dot LA. Thank you for tuning in to the Qumran Report. And from your host, my name is James Johnson. I'm the host of the Qumran Report. And from your host, Melvin Ishmael Johnson, may the peace and blessings of the life-giving creative spirit be upon you and upon your family. I leave you with the song that opened the show, Darker Than Blue by Willis and Shantae. Are we going to be around this town? And let what others say come true. Are we going to be around this town? 89 89 I'm gonna get up. If you get off of me, I'll get up if you wanna understand me.