Honoring Legacy: A Tribute to Community Pillars
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Good day Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. And I trust you can hear the little roughness in my voice. I've been taking a bunch of vitamins to include vitamin C for the old Cold run it off. I appreciate my man West for being here to hold down the fort. Las Vegas. As I mentioned last week, I was going to do some things to at least acknowledge some of the folks who've passed this recent year. However, before I do that, I'm going to acknowledge a few other things that we are well aware of. One is my
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granddaughter,
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Amari, her birthday is just passed. But not only that, she just graduated with her bachelor's degree, I think in sociology or something like that, but she just graduated from college, and we want to celebrate her. So we appreciate the fact that of our 11 and one on the way grandchildren. She is the first one to graduate from college, even though Chris, David, and destiny they all have some college credits, but have not graduated but they're all doing well. And wish them continued success and whatever they choose to do. Fade duck and Daniel, another dear friend celebrating a birthday this year or this month, I should say. We're pleased and then in fact, I mentioned last week that she would be in town for a couple of days. So Marsha and I hope to get to see her
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case in case in not only is his birthday this month, he also won a championship him and his basketball team up in Utah. I think Kyson is 1314 I believe I forget exactly. I noticed a grandpa you get no you forgetting all about how old we are. Anyway, happy birthday, and congratulations to Tyson on his team success and winning the championship.
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Last weekend,
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then my sister Allenwood just had a birthday.
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So happy birthday to you, Alma. Forget what the years for you. And then of course, at the end of the month, we have missing all of this little girl, our son's daughter and his wife, Erin, she is a total busybody. But want to wish her a happy birthday. She loves trucks, you guys believe it or not. And she comes over to the house and always want to get my my best toy trucks and cars that were given to me by folks as presents at their fire related vehicle. So we have to always keep those out of our way. Once again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. We'll be back on the other side where I'm going to acknowledge a number of people recently.
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Once again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and I hope you all are having a good day, in fact, a good holiday season. And we're going to continue to pray for for peace in our world. Because things are really, really out of whack not only in the Middle East, but also down in Africa. So we're going to continue to pray for folks. I want to acknowledge once again, I've noticed for years that particularly on TV and other places, other media places at the end of the year, they will acknowledge people who have passed away. So I thought hey, that's something that I'll do and I don't have to to rush and find my guests and I'm always trying to have different guests even though this is a Veterans Affairs plus show. We have other than veterans on the show. But last month and I hope you last week, I should say and I hope you did hear it with the Reverend Philip Washington. This gentleman he is doing a lot of work for veterans in our community and I hope that
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Uh, you will check him out and I'll get him back on the show again in the future. The first person I want to acknowledge, he actually passed away on Christmas and 2022.
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That was deadly trusty binal. Just a great friend who
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did a lot of work never promoted rank wise in the San Jose Fire Department, but we certainly hope that his wife Linda and his daughter will be doing well because it's coming up on one year since his passing so we are going to continue to pray that God gave them strength to to deal with that great loss because he he was a true family man and
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showing up loving
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husband so the trusty vinyl. Next guy I want to acknowledge is a dear friend as well. And as Assistant Chief, retired Herschel Clady, he passed away just a few days after trusting he and trusted were very, very close. So I want to acknowledge her so because her show taught me a lot about the game of golf to include that. If I didn't learn how to play better, I would quit. Because there's two things you don't want to have total bad scores. And you don't want to keep giving people your your money. So Herschel helped me to that and as well as Coda Semmens, who also passed last year but colas and Herschel taught me how to pack my golf bag, you should have snacks. If it's a rainy season, make sure you have some kind of rain jacket or what have you, in your bag. So always will appreciate Herschel. In fact, in regards to Herschel, just a month or so ago, I went down to San Diego where he was inducted into his his high school Wall of Fame. And it's the high school it was I think it was the first high school in the state of California. But anyway, that's where Herschel when he was a star down there. And they acknowledged him by putting them in their wall, putting him on the wall of honor. And then after one year, your photo goes down, and then information and background stuff and accomplishment. accomplishments will go into a big room where all the other prior folks are also posted there. So Herschel, we hope God was pleased with you. Also, last January this January 2023, Mr. Lewis, Otis Hopkins, he was a good guy who Lewis as well taught me about how to deal with my handicap and how to, to add my score and to the gin system. And he laughed when I when I had to ask him several times how to do it, Louis, they look at you with a fire chief. And he just chuckle, but certainly Miss Lewis and hope that his wife Dorothy and his children are doing well.
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We have Mr. Ron Edward ward. How's your day? That was a famous thing that Mr. Mr. Ward was say to folks, he was a longtime member of the Valley View golf club, and he passed away earlier this year. So we want to wish his wife well.
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Then honoring a legacy a legacy of a gentleman named Herman Lee moody. Herman Moody was one of the first black police officers with the Las Vegas Police Department before they joined up with the sheriff to call with the Metropolitan Police Department. Herman Moody was was an absolutely great guy. He also poured the slab on me and marshes household and Bonanza village. So how are moody he was just a perfect gentleman and always had a smile always had something good to say about folks. So Herman moody and the moody family, we certainly want to continue to pray for you guys and hope that you're doing well, because you missed. You lost a great guy, you're dead. So just want to acknowledge that family. Another one, I want to acknowledge Homegoing celebration for David leave, he and I had the same name David Lee Scott, Jr, though, and David passed away.
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I did get a chance to go out and visit David several times during his stay in the hospital. Yet he did not recover. But I can tell you, David was one of the longtime skycaps in our community and always supported things that I was doing because I'm always asking folks to support something that I'm doing in the neighborhood, particularly as it relates to children. Then we have
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Mike Armageddon, that's my son in law's Father Mike was a great guy and he was always constantly on me about
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building a relationship with God. Mike was a God fearing me and Mike, he has some struggles early on in his life and when you if you had an opportunity to be there at his cellar Homegoing celebration he had to own at a school and
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Then one at a church and people just came out for this man because Mike was a wonderful guy. Always encouraging. And we know they caught.
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Well, we hope we think we know. But I'd say God will be pleased with the work that Mike did well here on this earth, just saw just a great man. And he had two sons. Nathan has two younger brothers, and their, their their family mean as well. So, Mike, you know how much I love you. And I told you so before you passed, then Cleveland, Thomas
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Cleveland, Thomas Cleveland, I used to do a lot of work together fundraising. You know, when they saw either me or Cleve coming, people started running because they know we got some tickets to sale. But Cleve was one of those people who always had a smile on his face. Always had good things to say and he was, you know, more of a radical, high energy person he would always call on David. It'll be alright. Calm down. Okay, cleave you say so. But yeah, cleave and I did a lot of work in terms of some nonprofit efforts to assist people in our community. Miss Chicly.
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Victor Tyrone Blackwell. Victor was one of them cool, smooth brothers, who passed away back in in May. And I can tell you that Victor was one of them. As I say, cool, guys, he always an immaculate dresser. So I hope that his family is, is going on as he would want them to do.
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The next person I want to acknowledge is
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Dr. Bill Sullivan, man this to hear at his services. The acknowledgments that they gave him were just so tremendous, and the fact that he had several people to come up and speak.
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Keith Rogers, Dr. Keith Rogers,
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a doctor, he couldn't make it, the doctor on him meet someone else spoke in his state. But he had attorney also attorney,
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Uri Clinton, attorney, brian scott, Dr. Tracy cotton. In fact, it is my intent to reach out to Dr. Rogers, Attorney Clinton,
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and attorney, Scott, and Dr. Cotton.
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So I have to work something out because we only have three mics. And maybe I have one of those guys call me. But that's something we can look forward to Wes, because I want to get these guys on on the show to talk about Dr. William Sullivan in the tremendous work he did with a lot of organizations, particularly here at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dr. William Salomon, just just a tremendous person, hailed out of the city of Chicago, a good guy, and
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we're not gonna forget you, Bill. And all these other folks that I've mentioned, my purpose and mentioning them as calls, I want people to understand that we cannot forget about these people who did work in our community, and their legacy can and we'll continue to live on through us, because I feel it should be an obligation by all of us to want to talk about the things that these folks did to to push forward humanity within our communities. And Bill Sullivan was one such guy. So thank you, Bill, for the work that you did. And always cool, easygoing. And we know that God will be pleased, I would say for sure,
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with Bill in the work that he did, and certainly,
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Bill was a again, he did just just so much work here. And his wife, shear is going to miss him. And we're praying for his sharing for you and the children. So take care. And again, you will hear more about Bill when I can get these other three gentlemen in the studio to at least talk about some of his accomplishments. So with that,
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I trust that we are getting close to I need to take a break and get me a sip of water because I'm dry from taking all these doggone vitamins. But again, I just thought it was important once again to talk about these folks who have passed this recent year because of the tremendous work they did in our community. So with that, we'll be back on the other side. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz.
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Once again, good day this is Veterans Affairs plus so 91.5 Jazz and law. I'm Dave Washington, your host and as I
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mentioned last week, and I've already did one part of acknowledging folks who have passed away.
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However, before I continue, I just want to encourage people to call Tony Marshall. He's our service officer, if you need help and trying to get your benefits as a veteran excetera the reo 153794653015379465 Once again, that's Tony Marshall. He is our service officer. All right with that, thank you again with for your patience with the old dude.
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I want to now acknowledge
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in the in loving memory of Miss Brenda Harris, that's
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who miss Wendy Harris's Ennis mother. She was a easygoing lady, when she will be missed by this community. So Wendy, we continue to pray for you and your family.
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Then we had Miss
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Elizabeth Turner hairs. Now on her obituary, it says she was 105. But according to her son, Muda, heed Ramadan. They had not. It took them three years to actually get her her birth certificate tour. So she was actually 108 years old so and she was known as Swayze and Phil mentioned, she was known as the mother of the community over in Berkeley squares. She was always looking out for the young folks in the community. So we trust for sure that God was pleased with the work that Miss Elizabeth Turner Harris did well on this earth. So continuing to pray for Mr. ramadaan muda heat and his family on the loss of his mom earlier this year.
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I mentioned this gentleman as I talked a little bit about golf. Kota Simmons, retired firefighter hazmat tick out of fire station number three in Washington and Rancho Ko, this was quite a character and quite a cook. And you know, the crazy thing is sometimes we think we know a lot about people and having known coders for years.
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Code is not only was he a great cook, firehouse cook.
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Code this was was a veteran, any note because I would have got him on his show before. Long before he he passed away. But here Colas was a good guy. We know that his son Chris and his daughter, Stacy, miss him very much because he looked out for his children. He no he No, he wasn't perfect. But I tell you, he was a trend tremendous guy, and well respected on us Vegas Fire and Rescue. Kota Simmons.
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Also, when I didn't mention him, Larry Powell passed away. And I can't remember To be honest, whether or not it was in 22 or 23. I think it was 23 December 23. But Larry was the foundation of the International Association of Professional black firefighters Las Vegas chapter. He was a cornerstone, he helped to craft
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our complaint to the city. So me and Larry were the two spokesperson. We raise a lot of cane around around the city. But through that work, the city addressed through 14 different points. And I mentioned
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brother Leonard lay it who had recently passed away as well, that he was the second president to come in after me. And there was 14 different points that I mentioned, when we had the snow gliders. His sister Carolyn, who was the current president, we also had
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Ron and Carolyn read them on the show, and they talked about some of the things that he did, and particularly he was very, very patient with young folks. Something that I continue to work on, but codice Lynard certainly gonna miss you guys. And another guy.
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Fact, Simmons, George Simmons called his brother passed away. A few weeks after him I think about six seven weeks after Colas pass. I learned a lot of things about George and his services. George did architectural design type stuff for the Golden West shopping center. I had
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no idea. It ultimately became the nucleus shopping center. But George was a heck of a guy and he was a great golfer. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get it.
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Chance to golf with George. But I heard him being a longtime member of the Valleyview golf club that he was. He was very good at it. And it's he got a son. Is this a pretty good golfer too. So we know that the game of golf will continue on in that family through Stephen. And I don't think his son Chris plays golf at all. But Chris is, is a doggone good cook. So again, the Simmons brothers, we will miss you for sure.
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A lot of people don't know that during my tenure as fire chief. I was smart enough to have an advisory team I only call them couple times but
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miss Eva Semmens Eva Simmons. Pardon me. Eva Whaley. Miss Simmons is George Simmons wife. I'm sorry about that. It's Eva Wally that I want to mention now who passed away back in June. She was an advisor to me. And she was also the chaplain for Las Vegas fire and Fire and Rescue, believe it or not, and she was not a trained chaplain. And a couple of times people tried to talk to me about that, because she would speak of Christ during her prayer as we promote folks as we build and open up new fire stations. We would have one of our chaplains, which she was one to come and speak. We also had Rabbi HC. And we had one other we had three three chaplains because I figure if one couldn't make it, I just thought it was important for us to have prayer by someone of the clergy, as we promoted or we build new fire stations and even miss Eva Simmons. Why not keep calling out Eve a sentence. Man is breaking down. Eva Whaley, Miss Eva Wally was always there for me. In times when I was down, she would call me and pray for me and I'm like, Wow, man, how she knew I was needing a little prayer right now. But she was a great lady. So we miss you, Miss Eva Whaley.
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Now on the home front here. We already talked about
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one of the colleagues here at the at the University, Dr. William Sullivan. Well, I want to talk a little bit about John Nash and John Nash. And I spent time with him over the last couple of years when they were doing their fundraising effort here at the University at 91.5, jazz and more. And he would coach me on some things about you know, being prepared and, and I told me I have to have some kind of notes. He said, That's not That's not a bad thing. Some people can come right off the car. But not everyone can do that. John was just a super guy. And I know that he did a lot in the community. He was a musician before coming to radio, and he's a super cool man. And he was always talking trash on the radio. And I would love to hear his morning show. So John Nash and my brother, my friend. We appreciate the work that you did on this radio station because you had quite a following John Nash and we know your, your girl, your girlfriend, who you guys were engaged in God didn't allow that to happen for you guys to to finish that up, but
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we trust that she will be okay. John Nash. And then we have Mr. Sammy Armstrong. Sammy Armstrong
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was a local businessman, and he passed away and his services will you pass away in November services December 1. Sammy was a tremendous guy. He was a guy who owned real estate throughout the community. And very seldom will you find someone black that's got any kind of property on Las Vegas Boulevard. He had a nice piece out on South Las Vegas Boulevard. Sammy was a horseman and he was also a founding member and the president of the local chapter of
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the Buffalo Soldiers. So Sam was a driver for the I mean such an activist. And during his time as a business owner with Ray and Ross bus company, Sam Nim used to have a huge fundraiser. I was a gala that they would have every year to raise funds for scholarships. He also has a scholarship fund set up now I don't have that information at hand. But if you catch me somewhere, or see his daughter, or Elgin Simpson, you can get that information because I think we should all do what we can to assist in growing
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those dollars for scholarships because they're going to help our children. They're going to help young folks and Sammy was all about that. And he was just a very smart guy.
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That is greatly appreciated.
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I don't know if I mentioned I don't think I did. But I certainly want to mention him now. And that is
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former Assemblyman Harvey Mumford. He passed away a few months back. So I want to,
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certainly, again, express condolences to his family. And we trust that they will be alright because, you know, he was a man. He was a he's an educator. First of all. I remember my clock High School. I mean, we use like a tree, man, you got to look way up, up, up up study looking up, but
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a good guy. So
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to his family, once again, condolences on the loss of
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a settlement. Harvey Mumford.
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All right, as we prepare to wind down, I got a couple more. And Wes just gave me the count. I appreciate it so much, because it gives me an opportunity to kind of get my thoughts together with respect to
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the final two that I'll talk about. Katherine Jane hold
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her daughter, Deborah,
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and also her son and these other two, I think she had three or four children. But those two I did Oh, well. And I can tell you that as I attended her service, you can tell her daughter, Deborah was right there taking care of her. And that is heartfelt, because I can tell you that a lot of times, and I've visited people at the rehab centers and what do you call it, we just call them old folks homes. And sometimes people they only have no visitors. Man, it drives you crazy that people won't come and visit their their own parents. So Deborah, salute to your sister because you did a tremendous job and taking care of your mom.
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Right. The last person I'm gonna cover today, and again, just wanted to celebrate these folks again, assault on Luqman Abdus Salam, fire service professional retired, this one of one of the few folks black or white that worked for not only the city of Las Vegas Fire Department, but also what were for a few years out at Clark County Fire.
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When I was training chief, he was a training officer. And it was mentioned this morning by one of our colleagues that how tough he was on them as a training officer when it came down to physical fitness. Well, this man has yet played in the NFL. So you know, those guys are extremely tough. And one thing that I want to continue to to sell or promote or however you want, however you want to turn it. We have got to do something for those like a Luqman like Leonard lead, and others who Benny Scott way back Dave cross and then I heard Mike Patterson recently passed and he's that guy's died from some form of cancer. Let me tell you, there was a law that was passed, I'm told in 2019 that says there's no top side to if you catch if you can track cancer 20 3040 years outside of your retirement. A statement from the federal government will go to your family. Well, it didn't what they didn't do was go retroactive. So I'm going to continue to to pound the pavement and express on these airwaves that we got to do something to pressure those elected officials to look out for these guys. Once again. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and more. I will see you or talk to you in the new year. I hope everybody have a great holiday season. Stay healthy, take care.
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The smoking
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Transcribed by https://otter.ai
