Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

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Dave Washington 0:49
day Las Vegas. Good day Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host, and today I have Mr. Chuck Baker in studio. We'll be talking to him shortly. He seems to be an all around great guy. And I, you know, God works in, as they say, in mysterious ways. Today, I'm listening to 91.5 and I hear this voice of this guy. He said, This is Chuck Baker, and he made an announcement about things that are going on in the world of veterans. So I am absolutely pleased to have him in studio. I want to make this quick announcement that certainly for all the birthdays that we have in the month of May, just want to wish all those folks happy birthday, those who have lost loved ones. We certainly express condolences to them and their family members. And finally, certainly without any further ado, I'm going to introduce Mr. Chuck Baker. He is a journalist. He's just an all around guy that once again, I heard his voice, and I've heard his voice many times as he promotes and do things for veterans on 91.5 jazz. Hello, Mr. Chuck. How you doing? Hello, hello.

Chuck N. Baker 1:59
Thank you. I'm doing great. And you know, I do want to mention one thing. This happens all the time. When somebody meets me for the first time, usually, like we are. So I always use my middle initial. It's Chuck N Baker. And the reason is that there's a lot of Chuck bakers on the internet. Okay, I'm the only Chuck and Baker so, so I'm Chuck Ann Baker, and I'm glad to be here today. Oh, and

Dave Washington 2:26
pleased to have you Chuck. So give our listening audience. This is a veterans affairs show, and then we have the plus side, so we can talk about things that we think is important to the community. So give us a little bit indication of your background, if you would, sir. Well, thank

Chuck N. Baker 2:39
you. Well, I'm an Army veteran. Served in Vietnam. I was I got drafted for a couple years. In the first year and a half, I was sent to the infantry, but I was put on special duty as a public information specialist, okay? And I was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and I wrote for the newsletter. I wrote for the local paper, I took photos, I did interviews, regular journalism stuff. I had about six months left of my two year draft thing, and I was counting the Dave, you know. And boy, next thing I knew, the Vietnam War got hot, you know? And they said, No, we need guys in the infantry. And so they took my typewriter and gave me a rifle and sent me to the jungle. I was spent my last six months in Vietnam. I was just had a few more weeks to go, really, and I got wounded. Hmm, which? Which was good and bad, at least, I got to go home before I got any worse. You know, absolutely. But I spent seven months or so in the hospital backstage stateside. I got hit in the legs with with an enemy hand grenade, but they sewed my legs up and all that. So, so I got out of the army. I got my got a purple heart for that and everything, sure and

Dave Washington 4:02
well deserved. I should say,

Chuck N. Baker 4:04
thank you. Thank you. So I so then I did all kinds of stuff. I mean, actually, when I got discharged, I figured that was the end of my military career. I didn't want anything to do with it anymore, right? But things changed. I, first of all, I went to college on the GI Bill. I went to, I got my first house on the GI Bill, sure. I got it. Got interviewed, I guess, by the Disabled American Veterans. They wanted me to be a member, which I joined up, sure. And then they said, Oh, we want you to volunteer. We want you to do this and that, you know. And so I kind of moved up, and I was living in California at the time, and eventually, after a few years, I got to be commander of the Dave in California. And so that was going on. In the meantime, I. Been working as a writer in journalism in PR

Dave Washington 5:03
so Chuck, let me. Let me take you back, because you mentioned that you were doing some writing prior to being put into the infantry. So we were you already a trained journalist at that time? Well, I

Chuck N. Baker 5:13
don't know if I was trained, but yeah, I had, actually, I'd been going to junior college in the Midwest before I got drafted, and I'd been a right consider myself a writer at the time. I'd been writing since kindergarten, really, and and I was writing for the college paper, and I was freelancing different articles here and there. I was doing some radio work also at that time. And so, yeah, I'd been a writer, and that's why, when they put me on special duty, I was the only guy in the unit who had a writing experience. And let

Dave Washington 5:49
me say this bed you definitely got, I don't know if you're trained as a broadcaster, but you got that broadcaster voice. I do listen bed, I am. I am not trained in one way or the other. And I always tell people I'm not a journalist, I am a talk show host, and therefore I don't try to trip people up. And this is something, and I want the listening audience to know that this guy is so straight up and cool. I didn't send him any preliminary questions, right? We're just going on the flow here. So go ahead, Chuck. Yeah.

Chuck N. Baker 6:19
So, so anyway, yeah, so I came to Las Vegas. And I came to Vegas mainly because I had an offer. I'd been I was living in LA I'd been freelancing for papers around the country, and I was writing part time for the review journal here in Vegas, a couple of articles on real estate, actually, and then one thing led to another, and they offered me a job, basically as a real estate editor at the review journal. And my wife and I were kind of planning to come to Vegas anyway, right? We had reasons for wanting to come here. So, so yeah. So I went to work for the review journal as the real estate editor that was in the early 90s, late 80s, early 90s, and Vegas was just exploding at that time. It was still a little town, that's right, but it was growing fast. People were pouring in, mostly from California, right, but other places also. And so I was right in the middle of it being real estate editor, all the realtors, all the home builders, all the lenders, all the title companies, everybody was knocking on my door to write stories about it. So So I was having a great time. And I did that for for about four or five, five years, I think at least five years, yeah, and then I just wanted to move on. And I one thing led to another. I became editor out at the Boulder City News, which was, which no longer exists, but it was the Boulder City News at the time was, was the paper, and I became editor there, and I got to do a lot more things that I wanted to do that I couldn't get to do it at the review journal, because I covered everything. I covered crime. I covered politics, community stuff, veterans issues, just anything and everything as the editor. But after a few years, after about three, four years, I'd been talking with veterans and they had been saying, Chuck, you know, you ought to start a veterans newspaper. We had talked about that for a few years, really. And I finally says, you know, if I'm going to do this, I better do it now. So I resigned, and I started a paper called a veterans reporter. I don't know if you've ever seen that. I ran that for 14 years, and I eventually sold it, and it's still being published today by the new owners. I write for them occasionally, and I also do now. There's a new paper in Boulder called the Boulder City review, which is owned by the review journal, and I do a monthly veterans column for the Boulder City review. And then I write for other papers all around the state. I'm syndicated in the state of Santa, and I do a radio show in Pahrump, of all places. They wanted somebody to come out there and do like a community service show, interview show, and it would include veterans and other things like you, you know, veterans, plus more or less so. So once a month I go to what I do is I go to Pahrump I record four or five shows on the same day, interviews, interviews, veterans, business, politics, whatever. Then they run those shows almost long, and then a month later, I go back and do another four or five shows, you know. So

Dave Washington 9:49
with regards to all that, what kind of impact do you feel you've had with respect to getting identified and pointing veterans toward benefits or any. Anything else that may be helpful to them, because I think that's important for our listening audience to know. Well, I

Chuck N. Baker 10:05
think the veterans reporter newspaper in particular, the veterans population was growing. This was in the year 2000 I started that more and more veterans coming into town, and they didn't have a voice, you know. And they were getting kicked around a lot. And I mean, that kicked around in the paper, I should say, you know. And so I started this paper, and I gave him a voice, and for 14 years, and I could have kept it going for another 14 years, I really got a little tired of doing that again, so, but I think that that has been something and it's still being published. And people know that paper, and they they know me and and it's the the editorial content has changed a little bit because different people running it now, but basically, we report what's going on in the veterans community. We let them go about we know, let them know about benefits, about government regulations, about the VA, about the Nevada Department of Veteran Services. So I think that's my that's my legacy, so to speak. Well,

Dave Washington 11:13
this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I have the great chuck in Baker in studio, and I am so pleased to have this, this gentleman here, because I can tell you this, I've heard him, and he does a great announcement of veterans issues on 91.5 Chuck, we got about a minute to go. Please give us some wrap up. And I know you had an announcement that you

Chuck N. Baker 11:34
wanted to make. Yeah, well, this Monday is Memorial Day, and we're having every year at the Veterans Cemetery out in Boulder City, they always have ceremony out there honoring veterans true. A couple times in the past, I was asked to be the emcee out there, and they asked me again this year, this Monday, I'm going to be the MC. We got a lot of stuff going on. It's at one o'clock on May 26 Monday. Memorial day starts at one o'clock. I want to invite the whole city out there. You need to get out there early to get a good seat, because there's going to be a ton of people. David, I hope you're coming out there. I don't

Dave Washington 12:16
know what Chuck, I am pleased to have you. I'm pleased to meet you, because I'm telling you, this guy got that, that that announcers, that radio voice, that really makes me want to step up my game. Chuck, I am so pleased to have had you here, and we're going to get you back on again, because I think you do a wonderful job for our veterans, and that's very, very important. And I will make sure I announce this again. Chuck, thank you so much for being here. Thank you. And God bless you, man and and I'm glad, you know, I went to Fort Riley too, but it was to be re inducted after being court martial. I went there to be retrained, and I went back into to service as a cook at Fort Lewis, Washington.

Chuck N. Baker 12:54
Yes. Well, because your name is, where else would they send you? You know, once

Dave Washington 12:59
again, Las Vegas Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. On the other side, we'll have the former Assemblyman Wendell P Williams, who is the president of the Martin Luther King committee. Thanks Chuck.

Chuck N. Baker 13:10
Thank you, and hope to see you next week. Yes, sir.

Dave Washington 13:20
Once again, good day Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz annual. I'm Dave Washington, your host, and I have the former Assemblyman, the current president, long time president, doing a great job. Wendell Phillips Williams on the line. We'll be talking with him shortly. However, I want to very briefly say that for Memorial Day celebration, if you will. There will be a barbecue at the resource fair at 3090 East Centennial Parkway. The barbecue is free, and it's a day of gratitude. And remember remembering those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice. That'll be from 10am to 2pm on May 31 so write that down on your calendar. Again. It's free. So and then from our previous guest, Chuck M Baker, he left an announcement for a memorial day ceremony that will be held Monday May 26 1pm at Boulder City Veterans Cemetery. So those who are out in that area or want to attend this ceremony, Chuck welcomes folks. So just want to make those two announcements with that we got again, the former Assemblyman that we try to get on the show from time to time prior to the email Cape parade each year, but this time, I thought it was important for him to come back to the show and give us an indication of how things had gone this year, 2025 and I know he's got some phenomenal plans you all for for 2026 so, Assemblyman, what's going on with you?

Wendell Williams 14:52
How you doing? Dave, you know, it's always a pleasure to talk to you on this show, you know, and I listen to you as often as I can. Which is pretty much every time you're on the air. And I appreciate it. Phenomenal job. And thank you, and always a phenomenal job in the community. Thank

Dave Washington 15:08
you, and I appreciate that. And you know, getting up at that seven o'clock hour, man, I always make sure that I send it to folks after Wes has already ensured that it'll be on the podcast. So thank you for those comments. So what's going on with with your window? You

Wendell Williams 15:23
mentioned the parade. Let me just talk about it. But just a minute. People often say that we are the largest MLK activity west of the Mississippi. But now understand, talking to the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, we're probably there's no one doing more than Las Vegas right now, we're doing a, probably about approximately 10 days of events, and a part of our success has been, unfortunately, for a lot of people across the nation, climate change has prevented them from doing many things in, you know, in mid January, right? But I'm excited to say that next year we're going to have an air show by the Nellis Thunderbirds to fly over with air show the parade. Oh,

Dave Washington 16:07
my goodness, man, you are taking this thing to the next level, for sure. That's great.

Wendell Williams 16:12
Well, this is my this is my 44th year, Dave. And to stay engaged with it, I have to try to come up with things that are really, really different and new and unique for our community, because Las Vegas has changed so much. Yes, this past year, our pre parade show, which is done by the NBA Summer League, was was Bucha Knight, had a performance that people really, really need to see. Go to YouTube and look for the Las Vegas All Stars hosted by the NBA Summer League. So with that, you have to look at the lbca has now got engaged with us for the last two years. They streamed it to probably 10 million people worldwide. We're getting a better and stronger relation with the lbca. They're going to promote it this year, because, you know, tourism in Las Vegas, especially, African American tourism, is up. African American tourism is up about 300% so we're looking at building this as a three day weekend that will be good for Las Vegas from an economic standpoint. We're looking really to emphasize building the relationship with the economy downtown. We don't just want to celebrate Dr King, which is it was, was a great person itself, right? But we're looking to make our city better, absolutely. And we have, you know, we have some great parades in Las Vegas. We're the only one that really attract people from Baltimore, Maryland, Omaha, Nebraska, Arizona, California, Seattle. So we're looking at making this a three day weekend, right? So this year coming up, we're looking at Jamie Foxx and and Shaquille O'Neals, and talks with about a comedy show, looking at we've been talking with Stephen A Smith, we're looking at a HBCU basketball tournament, and we're looking at a number of things that will enhance tourism in Las Vegas. We're looking at a three day conference as well, in conjunction with the with the Martin Luther King Center Wow. Dr King's youngest daughter, Doctor, Doctor Bernice King, she has started a new initiative with all the king named organizations throughout the nation to form a new a new group. We are partners with them for a new Beloved Community internationally, and we have big plans to celebrate Mrs. Coretta Scott's King birthday in 2027 100 birthday. Wow. And reverend Dr King's 100th birthday in 2029 that's something we're not only looking at. You know, we look a lot to make Las Vegas a better place. You

Dave Washington 18:54
know what? All don't happen. Let me say this. Let me say this because there's something I want you to reiterate to the public that you told me, and you had mentioned this on this show before, and I want you to reiterate what Faye Duncan Daniel did to inspire you to go after different dollars, if you will. Yeah, my first

Wendell Williams 19:10
session in the legislature. You know, there'd be many attempts to pass the King holiday in Nevada, but unsuccessfully. And those attempts, as great as they were were based on Dr King's accomplishments. Dr King was the youngest person to receive a Nobel Peace Prize in his high school at 15. But faith Duncan Daniel, who was a hotel executive at the Union pizza, you know, she said to me that, hey, Las Vegas is raising their race on the Martin Luther King Day, and it wasn't a holiday at that time, right? Raised there. They raised their hotel rates, $10 per room. They were also charging more for shows for certain dinners were going up, and California had the holiday. Nevada didn't, so we had a lot of California to. Tourists coming over to Las Vegas, celebrating a holiday that we really didn't have. So she calculated how much money went into the lbca, as well as the states saying we so we were making money off a holiday that we didn't really have. Right at the same time, the Beatles had cancel their reunion tour in Arizona, because Arizona didn't have the King holiday. The bandros canceled a concert at that time, and the Super Bowl counsel that. So my argument as a freshman legislator, do we really want to be like Arizona, right? So Dave, it's really funny that it passed because of economics, and

that makes sense. Oh, sure does. Here we are. Here we are, 44, years later,

the lbca is coming back saying the exact same thing. They want to partner with they want to help promote the King holiday, because it's a money maker.

Dave Washington 20:53
Congratulations, congratulations.

Wendell Williams 20:58
God bless her, and I understand she's still doing great things, even though she's not in the city, right? Yeah, which is why this upcoming year, we want to highlight some of the grand marshals that we had in the beginning years, including mister Dave Washington, because the community needs to know, and young people and new residents need to know the contributions that people like yourself made to our city. We're so proud and honored that that you know you were Grand Marshall with us, and we look forward to celebrating you this upcoming year.

Dave Washington 21:29
Let me tell y'all something that I didn't learn until much, many years later, that Windows, but could have been a firefighter, but the movie was the movie that came out, and when I say he saw that movie, said, Man, I ain't thinking about climate. I'm like, What man, because I know when window has a warrior spirit, and he would have been good for me and him to work with on some of the different issues that were going on at the fire department with respect to discrimination and those types of things. But God, put him in a different position to me, and we are so proud of you, because the economic side of this Martin Luther King parade, as you said, is going to bring a tremendous financial impact, a great impact, to our city and the visitors, the Convention and Visitors Authority are so wise to partner, after all these years, with such a great organization to do things that's going to bring people into this city of ours, and everybody should and will get an opportunity to make some money. And I think it's very, very strategic, and I think it's important, and I think we need to ensure, well, as long as I'm doing this program, when you got an open seat here, anytime you say, Hey man, I need to give you guys an update, you're welcome to come. So continue, my friend. Appreciate it. Sure

Wendell Williams 22:42
I appreciate and you know, lastly, you know we don't have to, as I mentioned, live together, go out together, but we all have to respect each other. That's right. Not only do you want to improve the city economically, we want to make Las Vegas a better place to live in. There's so much turbulence and uncertainty in our country today, right? What better time to celebrate and honor and act on the blueprint of Dr King of peace and harmony and togetherness. You

Dave Washington 23:07
know, the program that I run down at Dillard University, the Carl Holmes executive development institute. Next year 2026 we will be celebrating 35 years of existence. And, you know, 47 he canceled all classes at what's called the National Fire Academy. This is the national training school for firefighters. He canceled those that's going to have a tremendous in fact, last week we had Dr Dennis O'Neill, who was a former superintendent of the National Fire Academy. It's going to have a tremendous impact on the safety of our people, and I'm talking about citizenry of the United States of America, if their firefighters can't go and be trained in additional things that's going to help them to better serve our community. So it's almost a tragedy, but with the Carl Holmes executive development institute, we are self sustaining the only harm that can come to us if, if he tries to shut down Dillard University, otherwise, we are good, man, because things that make us stand strong as a as a professional organization and institute that trains firefighters. So once again, when are you doing great work? And we still got five minutes, man. So anything else you think is important to share with our listening audience, please do.

Wendell Williams 24:17
I'm really proud. My father was your veteran in the army. My brother was the veteran the Marine Corps. We have every single high school ROTC organization here in Las Vegas that participate in our parade. I'm very honest and know those people and get to know some of those students. We just hope that, as you mentioned with all of the bad side, if you will, got to have a group of people that's out there promoting peace and understanding, stay strong as a community, and we're building that is

Dave Washington 24:51
excellent work that you do. And like I say, I think this partnership in the way that the convention and business authority the dollars that they have to promote things. Man is going to just this thing is it's already, as you said, one of the the biggest, if not one of the biggest, if not the biggest parade in our country. And I think, with the assistance of the Las Vegas Convention and business authority, is only going to be come a bigger, bigger draw for people to come, not only to the parade, but a three day opportunity to come have fun, enjoy themselves, and then see an outstanding parade, because the entries that you guys have grown to and the ones that you have people from all over the world coming to participate, yeah,

Wendell Williams 25:36
we have people. We have, we actually had a band from China at one point. We have people from, from, from, from Baltimore, as I said, from, and last year we partnered with the state of Arkansas their Martin Luther King commission. And this year, my Florida has reached out to us. People come from Arizona, you name it, Omaha, Nebraska, we had a high school band from Louisiana this past year, they're excited about coming back and with that, you know it come with, come with that as dollars, right? And and also it comes a lot with harmony and understanding with people to get along with each other and move to a better society. Then that's our goal. We want to make Las Vegas a better place for everyone to live

Dave Washington 26:20
absolutely once again. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz more very quickly when give us a little indication what you're doing with the students, because I know you still interact with some of those who've come to Las Vegas.

Wendell Williams 26:32
Yeah, we have, we're working with the US Department of Labor. We have, we got a grant to teach young people. We're all because we got one student who's 85 years old. Technology, it doesn't cost a person who goes into this program any money at all. So you can make between 22 and $75 an hour if we go into cybersecurity, right? And we have a Tech Summit during the MLK weekend. And year before last, we had 650 students who attended it, high school students, and we downsized a little bit so we could have more of a hands on, sure. And there were students from my hometown in Louisiana who came, and they've came to they've been here the last three summers with the eight internship at City Hall. And here's the thing, when they get trained and certified, they really don't have to go out and look for a job. We have jobs already waiting for them.

Dave Washington 27:25
Wonderful. Wendell, thank you again, and you're always welcome at this table, or even to call in to give updates on what you're doing. Tell your team, you guys,

Wendell Williams 27:37
I would really be permissive pretentious if I didn't mention that with the young people, the high school students in the junior high school who come to Las Vegas, especially from Louisiana, we get 200% support from David Washington. You've been a real trooper with us, and we love you, and we appreciate you for that.

Dave Washington 27:55
All right, my brother, thank you. This is when P Williams on the show today, former assembly, state assembly for our state here in Nevada, and also the current president of the Martin Luther King committee. Wendell keep doing the great work, my brother. Thank you. All right. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. Talk to you next week.

Music 28:22
You the fire, all the smoke in the air, feel the hate when they stare, all the pain that we bear on your bed.