The Veterans Sound Off Podcast
On each episode of the show we will travel across the State of Mississippi and visit each American Legion Post and discover how the members there are still serving America in their communities.
The Veterans Sound Off Podcast
How the American Legion Creates a Second Home for Veterans
National Vice Commander Joe Lysaght joins us from the American Legion Department of Mississippi's 106th annual convention in Natchez to share powerful insights from his decades of service to veterans. As an Air Force veteran who served in Southeast Asia, Lysaght brings a unique perspective on how the Legion bridges military and civilian life for veterans seeking community.
The conversation takes us deep into the crucial mental health initiatives supported by the American Legion. Lysaght speaks with raw honesty about his experiences losing veterans to suicide during his eight years as a County Veterans Service Officer, including one heartbreaking moment when a veteran took his life while on the phone with him. These experiences fuel his passionate advocacy for the "988 Be The One" program and Buddy Check initiative. His personal commitment to making at least one daily check-in call to fellow veterans demonstrates how simple human connection can save lives.
Beyond crisis intervention, we explore the multifaceted community-building activities that make the Legion a second family for many veterans. From Easter egg hunts and weekly seafood dinners serving hundreds to holiday celebrations with Santa for kids, Lysaght paints a picture of an organization deeply embedded in communities while steadfastly focused on its core mission of veteran support. His stories about achieving an 88% first-submission approval rate for VA claims highlight how the Legion's expertise translates into tangible benefits for veterans navigating complex systems.
What emerges most clearly is Lysaght's genuine passion for connecting with people. As he prepares to complete his one-year tour as National Vice Commander, his reflections on finding common ground with veterans across all branches and eras reveal the true heart of the American Legion – a place where service continues long after uniforms come off. Whether you're a veteran seeking community or someone looking to support those who served, this conversation offers an inspiring look at an organization that has been supporting veterans and their families for over a century.
Ready to learn more about the American Legion or connect with veterans in your community? Visit legion.org/join or call 601-352-4986 to find out how you can get involved.
Don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends and family. Drop us a line today at JDAllhands@outlook.com. If you'd like to become a sponsor of our show or advertise with us please send an email to jdallhands@outlook.com or call us at 662-902-6658.
This is the Veterans Sound Off Podcast. Hard work, work, let's get it going. Let's go, hard work, work. I'm your host, jerry Allhands, a veteran of the US Air Force and US Army. I'm a past Department of Mississippi Commander of the American Legion and a paid-up-for-life member of the VFW. Each week, I invite you to join me as we visit with members of our veteran families and other groups and organizations that support military veterans. This week, I attended the American Legion Department of Mississippi's annual convention, held in historic Natchez, mississippi. It was in the Natchez Convention Center, where the coffee was always hot and the people were great. Hey, speaking of coffee, this series is made possible by the generous gifts and sponsorships of people just like you. If you'd like to sponsor an ad in this series, please call 662-902-6658. Or you can become a sponsor simply by clicking on the Sponsor the Show button and you can make a donation on our page where it says Sponsor the Show.
Joe Lysaght:I'm banging on the barracks walls.
Jerry Allhands:Get up, I'm making the call. Today we're talking about the American Legion Department Convention, our 106th convention here in Natchez, Mississippi, and I have the distinct honor of being with our National Vice Commander for the Southern Area. Is it at the Southern Area?
Joe Lysaght:It is the Southern Region Southern. Region it's referred to as the Southern Area.
Jerry Allhands:And Commander, I'm just going to butcher your last name, so, if you don't mind, I'll ask you to please introduce yourself.
Joe Lysaght:My name is Joe Lysak.
Jerry Allhands:I could have got that. You could have got that. I could have got that.
Joe Lysaght:Just imagine, think of it being spelled L-Y-S-I-C-K. Lysak, lysak.
Jerry Allhands:L-Y-S-I-C-K Lysic Lysic. But see, I did go from the Air Force to the Army.
Joe Lysaght:Oh no.
Jerry Allhands:Yes, all right. And worse than that, I even went airborne. So push me out every time.
Jerry Allhands:I never jumped. Definitely, sir, it is a privilege and an honor to have you here with us today. I appreciate you being here in Natchez and just got to hear your speech there in the convention hall and I was moved by it very much. So I actually was quite embarrassed for myself, as I'm one of the people who has always preached about having the membership application in my pocket. It's right here on the table. But you said do you have it in the room with you? And I wasn't going to lie to you. And then you said lie to me, so I've got a certificate. Sir. Again, listen to your speech over there. And I don't want to belabor the point, but I do want to say thank you very much for an outstanding speech and for the time that you spent with us. Would like to go over a few things with you if you don't mind, and of course I would like to start with the most important part, and that is that you're an Air Force veteran.
Jerry Allhands:Oh, absolutely yeah, if I can ask, what did you do in the Air Force?
Joe Lysaght:I started off back when I was in the Air Force they used to call it supply, but as time and everything changed it became known as logistics and you still had your AFSC ratings five numbers. But when I went to Southeast Asia I came out of Texas Dyess Air Force Base to go to Southeast Asia. I was in logistics, except for six months.
Jerry Allhands:Okay. And enjoyed every day of it, except for six months.
Joe Lysaght:Okay, and Enjoyed every day of it, except for six months Air Force security police myself back in the day. I was pulled out we never know how much records somebody may have on you and when they found out my background in some areas, then I was put into special operations in Southeast Asia.
Jerry Allhands:We appreciate your service. Thank you very much. Yes, sir, how long have you been in the American Legion?
Joe Lysaght:I joined the American Legion in 1998. Okay, and the first meetings I went to were in the driveway of a guy's house on Folly Beach, south Carolina. Wow, in the little post we only had 16 people. Okay, and I got involved because I was a veteran and working with Veterans Affairs. I saw a vehicle that I could use to better serve the veteran. Tell me about the vehicle. Yeah, you saw a vehicle that I could use to better serve the veteran. Tell me about the vehicle.
Jerry Allhands:Yeah, you saw a vehicle in that.
Joe Lysaght:Yeah, I mean the message was clear to me that the problem with the VA claims not getting approved was because the people that were trying to submit those claims did not know how to submit them.
Joe Lysaght:I mean, they had never served, they weren't familiar with some of the terminology that's being used. It doesn't matter what branch of the service, but because, like I was saying in my presentation, veterans will talk to veterans and you find out things. And so I saw an opportunity and we were very successful in Charleston County In the time that I was there, almost eight years, we had an 88% approval rate on the first submission of a claim and we I mean we tracked all that's trackable. It's not, you don't guess about it, because you have to report it. So we, I feel like that was a. That was a good thing. The only problem was that the longer I was with the Legion, the more involved I got, the more opportunities I saw to and to uh, contribute to the, to the organization and make things happen and plus things, and so you get to see the look of surprise in my face.
Jerry Allhands:I was a County veteran service officer for 17 years and uh and I'm well aware of the numbers that you're talking about it's a task Really. You know, in addition to saying thank you for your service as an Air Force veteran, thank you for your service serving our veterans as a service officer, that's a hard job.
Joe Lysaght:For me, it was a very heartfelt job you know, it was, and I mean, you know, no job goes without its downside, and in the eight years I lost three veterans to suicide.
Jerry Allhands:Wow.
Joe Lysaght:And I lost one while we were on the phone. Wow. On the phone On the phone and I had no idea. I'm not a doctor, a lawyer or an Indian chief, but I had no idea that he had reached that point. Just chit-chatting and one thing or another, and he was talking about some of the things, obstacles in his life that he was having to deal with and I was trying to convince him that you know, maybe professional help was really the answer.
Joe Lysaght:Convince him that you know, maybe professional help was really the answer, not funny medications and stuff like that.
Jerry Allhands:Right.
Joe Lysaght:And he said. The last words he said to me was I don't think so.
Speaker 3:And then there was a bang, son.
Joe Lysaght:I immediately called 911. I had his file in front of me and sent him to the address and I found out later. I didn't go, of course I found out later on that he had taken his life.
Jerry Allhands:You know, that's the perfect segue for us to talk about. The 988 Be the One program Right For those who don't know. To say a mental issue, but just maybe a feeling that you need to talk to somebody. Don't wait until the very last moment. You can call 988. You can talk to one of your blue hats on the street, talk to another fellow veteran, but that 988, if you dial that number, they're going to ask you several questions just to determine the best way to help you. And if you say you're a veteran, then you'll press 1, and there'll be somebody who can talk to you, who knows what you're going through.
Joe Lysaght:I hope that they don't automate it too much, because older veterans more so than the younger ones. But older veterans have a problem with you know. If you know the balance on this account, press 1. If you don't, press 2. If you don't want to hear it, press 3. I mean, you know, the pharmacy is getting kind of complicated with all that now. I mean I think simplicity is good. I don't think it's a way of life, but I think it's good and I think in certain areas like pharmacy or to be the one, I mean, you know, past National Commander Seehofer made the statement very clear.
Joe Lysaght:You know, if you can change a life, you can save a life, and that's what be the one is all about. You know you don't need to analyze and try to figure out what's going on. Somebody's got a problem. The first thing you want to do is listen and make sure you understand where they're at and then you just offer your help To me. That's why the Buddy Check program is so good, because you can call somebody on Buddy Check and simply say how are you doing? We're just checking on you. Bob has a family. You're not there to recruit them.
Joe Lysaght:And if they say everything's good and everything, that's great, man, you'll get a chance to come on by the post. You know you should work within your post element. If they say, well, you know, money's a little tight right now and everything like that, and say, boy, I understand that, tell the truth. See, that's the thing I just told that lady is tell the truth. I mean it's tough for everybody. You know, I don't care how much money you got, it's tough for everybody. So tell the truth. They don't want to hear pie in the sky.
Joe Lysaght:And I want to believe that in my eight years that there may have been one or two or three or four. I don't know my eight years, that there may have been one or two, that or three or four, I don't know but, who had reservations about taking their life and through the conversation of. Well, you know, if you're thinking about doing anything too serious, let me just say this uh, you might want to give some consideration up to your wife and your children because, they have to live with that for the rest of their life, definitely.
Joe Lysaght:Which leads me into another point, and that is we're counting veterans that take their life. We count those. We're not counting the spouses Right, and they also take their life. They can't live without. And so, all of a sudden, now he or she comes back, they're not the same person. The deck's been shuffled and he or she takes their life, and within a matter of 24 hours, the others will take theirs.
Jerry Allhands:That's true, because so often we don't think about the residual effects of that. Yeah, wow, 988 again. If you're, you're feel like you have an issue. Uh, and the the good thing as far as I know, still knows that with the 988 number, um, you're not put into a? Uh, a file someplace, you know it's, it's confidential. You, it's confidential, it's personal. And a good friend of mine used the number years ago for a family member and you know they followed up several times. I mean there were phone calls made back to him to check on him, you know, to make sure he was okay.
Joe Lysaght:Those systems are good. Don't misunderstand me. They're good and we have to have something like that, because you can walk past somebody on the street and never know that while they're walking past you, they're thinking about taking their life. I mean you just you don't know they can be in a church choir with you and you don't know. You know, I mean, it's just so.
Joe Lysaght:It's good to have that, that opportunity to make some type of awareness happen between you and the person on the phone as to what's going on and stuff like that and encourage them to get some help, and I use the word encourage because you don't want to try to sell them or persuade them on getting help, because then you sound like too much of a medical person. Right and you don't want to be that medical person.
Speaker 3:You want to be that medical person you want to be that buddy, that friend. Be willing to show up for a veteran. Be willing to stick your nose where it doesn't belong hey, be willing to push and prod if things don't add up. Be willing to trust your gut, follow your heart and take a risk. Be willing to sit without saying a word, without checking the time without trying to solve.
Joe Lysaght:Sometimes, suicide wants to rip a person from this world.
Speaker 3:Be willing to grab with both hands and hold on to a friend, a spouse, a daughter, a son. Be the one who's willing to ask, to guess wrong, to even offend another, to keep them safe, to remind them that they are valuable. If you know a veteran, be the one to reach out and make them a part of your life.
Joe Lysaght:I made a pledge and I made it years ago when it first came out and I pretty much stayed with it pretty close, at least every working day. I will make one buddy check call. Now some people I've talked to a dozen times maybe.
Joe Lysaght:Sometimes I get on a roll. I'll be sitting in my study at home and I'll be thinking about different people and I may have talked to that person a week ago. I just call them up and say hey, bubba, what's going on? Man, hey, what's happening? Did you ever get that refrigerator you were talking about? Or etc. To me. I do it with the hope that I can instill a value within them when they think, instead of just saying, hey, what's going on? How you doing?
Speaker 3:okay, fine, thanks, click, yeah hang the phone up, you know I, I generate a conversation.
Joe Lysaght:Not everybody can do that, unfortunately, because sometimes the people that you're asking to make the buddy check they have problems and you may not be aware of those problems.
Jerry Allhands:No, you know I wanted to apologize. You saw me just glance at my phone but as we were talking about this, I'm aware of two people that I'm conscious of who have an issue right now and we've all agreed to pay attention. So I see my phone flash and I recognize the number and I'm like I kind of got a chill there for a second going, please, you know, and they were just like hey, I'm okay you know, this is like okay, I can put the phone, you know, and I apologize for no.
Jerry Allhands:No, that's fine with the conscious decision of a buddy check, you know you you said you do it at least once a day. I'm old school buddy check, you know it's kind of the. It's like Air Force Security Police, army 82nd Airborne you get you know, buddy check. Come on, you know where's the?
Jerry Allhands:macho in that I've gotten to the point to where I say, buddy, check in my head, checking on my buddy, checking on my friend. You know, whatever it takes for a person to reach out to somebody else and just you know, give that call or drive by the house and stop and visit with them. I like what you said earlier about coming to a you know making that phone call and hey, you know, come share a beer with me or share a Coke with me, you know, yep.
Joe Lysaght:And the term buddy check. I mean I think I don't know who named it. It's like so many things, we get all kind of different names, but sometimes they're not even but the term buddy check. If you think about it logically, buddy check buddy meaning somebody you know is a buddy, a friend of yours.
Joe Lysaght:Okay, well, that's not really the program. It is to imply that you're checking on buddies, okay. So, yeah, you're right. I mean, when I call, I call because I want to hear the person that I'm talking to on the other end and I want to make sure that they know that there's somebody out there that cares. And in the state of South Carolina, in the I'm, I'm very well known, obviously, uh, but uh. But you know, the thing of it is is is, when I call them, I mean, uh, the conversation immediately lightens up surprisingly. Uh, I would never record one but if I could?
Joe Lysaght:you would hear something like hey, commander, what you calling me for? You know, I'm trying to get you to sign up for another year in the American Legion or something like this you know off the wall stuff and a giggling laugh and carrying on, but I don't know that there would be a proper name that could be associated with making that.
Joe Lysaght:I care. Phone call, yes, you know, I truly care, and I've had people say what are you calling me for? You know, I don't go to the post, I pay my dues. Though. I pay my dues. Yeah, you do, and that's great and I appreciate your membership.
Joe Lysaght:I appreciate it, because it makes a difference when we go to Washington DC and argue for rights and entitlements and so forth, for rights and entailments and so forth. But I'm calling because I'm concerned. I want to make sure you're okay and if you're not, then I want to know why. I want to know what I can do to help you. You know, and then I put some. You know, humor is a tremendously powerful tool if it's used correctly.
Speaker 3:I believe, okay.
Joe Lysaght:And I would say something like that, you know, and I'd say but now listen, that doesn't mean I'm going to come cut your grass, okay, and I can't help you. Paint that back bedroom you know, and so you get people loose okay.
Jerry Allhands:Yeah.
Joe Lysaght:But I think it's I often have thoughts of. Sometimes when I'm driving by myself, my mind works as my wife says you've got too, says you're flipping over too many cards. But I wonder, you know, when you get a call like that, hey, buddy, I'll just give you a call and see how you and the family is doing.
Joe Lysaght:I hadn't seen you around the post, I hadn't seen you in the neighborhood or whatever. I mean, I have veterans live around me and stuff like that, and so they don't alibi out. They don't say well, you know, I've been sick Now sometimes they'll tell you that, but you know they don't alibi out. But that's a very, very strong program. I think it's a very, very positive, producing program, because the one thing that you can't measure in that program is your success, Right.
Jerry Allhands:Only thing you can measure is your failure.
Joe Lysaght:As you just said, yeah.
Speaker 3:One or two.
Jerry Allhands:Wow, you know the buddy check. The way that you're describing it now is it could be a social call. You know, hey, like you said, just call and check on. You Hadn't heard from you in a while, mishearing your voice.
Joe Lysaght:You know, even though you were a Marine, I, you know, yeah, that's right, you know if you know the guys I mean and I call people that I know, people that I've been with, associated with, had dinner with, had whatever you know, had a beer at the post or something like that and you know. And they'll say you know, guys, so why are you calling me? Really? I said, okay, I got this campaign, I want to run, I want to buy Girl Scout cookies for everybody at the post and I need some money.
Joe Lysaght:So, and they go and they'll say something really rude, rude, socially unacceptable, you know. But then we bust out laughing or something like that.
Jerry Allhands:you know but that's the one great thing about veterans is we can give each other the hardest time to still come across for each other.
Joe Lysaght:Absolutely, absolutely.
Jerry Allhands:It's like family when you were in the military we form a bond and you all watch each other. That's the same with American Legion. Every time I come here, I meet somebody different. I found the Legion to be welcoming from the time I walked in the door. You need something. That guy over there is the guy. That guy's an electrician. That guy's a plumber. Oh, you've been having troubles with the VA. That guy knows a good VSO.
Speaker 3:It's been fun. I mean we do a lot of stuff for the community, we do a lot of support, we give out a lot of money. I we go out and do volunteer work when we can. We do Memorial Day ceremonies. The people that are involved are passionate about helping veterans, helping their families and their communities. I don't have family that lives in Anchorage but the Legion is my family.
Jerry Allhands:What better way to meet people when you're new to an area and also meet people who have a shared experience with you?
Speaker 3:I think it's an incredible organization and I'm proud to be a member of it and and honored and happy because it really serves my joy to be here Thanksgiving and Christmas and doing walks I think it's a big impact Picnics in the summertime. Fourth of July Memorial.
Joe Lysaght:Day, it's more family-orientated now.
Speaker 3:It may sound cheesy, but I feel like it's a place to belong.
Jerry Allhands:I enjoy the company, I enjoy the mentorship that I get here. Searching for that brotherhood and I found it here in the Legion and it gives me a sense of security.
Speaker 3:That brotherhood can't be replaced anywhere else.
Jerry Allhands:There's a respect and there's an understanding that we are a group of people that are here for the community for our veterans and for their families.
Speaker 3:If I want to come and get some peace and quiet. Oddly enough, it's at the Legion. I'd say that for many others, it's given a fantastic face to this organization.
Jerry Allhands:I learned some very valuable information about what family means to veterans and to each other. I feel accepted and people want to know what's going on. I want to know what's going on with them. You feel like you're part of a family, part of a community.
Joe Lysaght:And it's really awesome For more information on joining the American Legion go to legionorg, forward, slash, join or call 601-352-4986.
Jerry Allhands:Again, that's 601 3-5-2-4-9-8-6. Commander, thinking about the American Legion and the numbers of our nationwide membership, when you're recruiting a new member and a guy says to you, I just don't have time to be involved, I like the line you said earlier it's a matter of hey, you can be too busy, but your numbers count. When we go to Washington DC You've got a guy walks in the door here with an Army hat on. What would you say to him about joining the Legion?
Joe Lysaght:I would tell him. First, I would acknowledge the fact that you know he served the country and thank him for his service, and then I may, if he's not a Legionnaire, then I may say at some point after a little bit of cordial remarks, you know, I'd say again so you must belong to a service organization and that opens the door, because most people they don't know what that is unless they do.
Joe Lysaght:If they belong to one then they can say yes, I belong to the American Legion, I belong to VFW, I belong to DAV. I mean say, yes, I belong to the American Legion, I belong to VFW, I belong to DAV.
Jerry Allhands:I mean, that's the big boys on the block.
Joe Lysaght:And if they don't say American Legion, then that still gives you an opportunity. You're not out of the woods, Because then I turn and say well, man, you ought to join me because I belong to all three of them. I'm getting full coverage on this thing.
Joe Lysaght:So you know as long three of them I'm getting full coverage on this thing. As long as you can keep it moving, keep it churned, keep it going, that's the thing I would try to make them. Sit down with them to chit-chat a little bit. Do you have a family? Are you married?
Speaker 3:You are.
Joe Lysaght:Okay, well, children. You can tell if a guy's got a little bit of age, or if he doesn't, I mean, you know, he doesn't have to have all the gray hair you and I have.
Speaker 3:They know we got some miles.
Joe Lysaght:But you know you got to feel it out a little bit. You know you got to. That's why it's so difficult for us to teach membership procedures. I mean, we write volumes of pages of how to recruit and what to do, all this kind of stuff, when the bottom line is simply what can you do for?
Joe Lysaght:me and why should I join? We're looking for the value for the buck. Just be honest. We are Now. Some people will join the American Legion because they get to go to posts that have canteens and they can get adult beverages cheaper. You know they can have the meals cheaper and stuff like that. Some go just for the meals. My post serves over 200 at lunch on every Friday. Wow, now that's in-post eating right by and pick it up, or deliveries. Wow, now that's in post-eating right by and pick it up, or deliveries. Wow, yeah, and it's Seafood Friday.
Joe Lysaght:That's what we call it Seafood Friday. People call and they say I need to get oysters and shrimp, or I need to get oysters, shrimp and flounder.
Jerry Allhands:Well, I need to come to South Carolina.
Joe Lysaght:And hush puppies and that kind of stuff and they're fine. And if it's a call-in order, credit card, come on now make it easy. And come around to the back door you drive around. There'd be somebody standing there. You can't auxiliary lady most of the time they'd be standing there and you'd give them the number. There it is, Bye, Thanks. But a lot of people come and just take like Sunday mornings. We probably serve 75 to 100 breakfasts every Sunday.
Joe Lysaght:And we get them in and out so they got time to go to church. Wow, that's amazing. But you know, it's just. I tell everybody membership is not just membership, right, and it's not just retention okay. Membership is a project that requires continued effort. We do an aged egg hunt? Yeah, okay, we do two. Three to eight, all right Years? Okay, we do two.
Jerry Allhands:Three to eight, all right Years of age, mm-hmm.
Joe Lysaght:And then nine to 14. Okay, all right Now given those, and we separate a field so that all the three-year-olds and four-year-olds find it. They each have their own little square to work in Plastic eggs. Nothing serious, okay, some adults are around to make sure and nobody can get in. You know, if you're three years old, you're going to have a green band or whatever color.
Joe Lysaght:We're using it for that okay, and if you're older, you're going to have maybe a black band or something, okay, and we have people, volunteers, there to make sure that kids are okay. Wow, everybody wins. Everybody wins something. Thank God for Dollar Tree and.
Speaker 3:Dollar General and places like that. Yeah, I mean really, but everybody wins something and they love it. They love it, you know.
Joe Lysaght:But guess what, in the state of South Carolina, if you're under the age of 15, you can't drive, you can't drive a car. So how do these people get there? Mom and Daddy have to bring them. Hello, what a great opportunity to introduce yourself to someone and say, yeah, how y'all doing? Do you get to come often and stuff like that. Do you also know that we have oyster roasts and we have barbecue cook-offs and we have spaghetti dinners and boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Okay, great, that's a safe environment too. Yeah, and somehow, without scaring people, you let them know, like you know, if you and your husband and the children want to come on a Friday night.
Joe Lysaght:Yes, there's going to be adult beverages. Yes, there are. I'm not going to tell you it's not, but I'm going to tell you it's controlled because there will be two or three members of the department executive committee excuse me of the post executive committee, you know and we do we volunteer Wow so. I mean you do it and then you have to. You know, your biggest post here is also a big revenue getter for Bingo.
Jerry Allhands:Right, but it's controlled.
Joe Lysaght:Oh, I listened, I heard.
Jerry Allhands:I heard.
Speaker 3:I heard Okay.
Joe Lysaght:But I mean, that's the kind of vehicle you want to be running around in your post that. Because from that Christmas party, sure, we don't do anything special. We have, within the same footprint as the post, we have a banquet hall. That we rent out and stuff like that. But at Christmas time Santa comes.
Jerry Allhands:Oh, there you go.
Joe Lysaght:Now you can come into the hall and leave the hall without even going into the canteen.
Jerry Allhands:Wow, that's important Very important.
Joe Lysaght:So we get a couple of the girls and put them in little elf uniforms or something like that, and Santa's sitting back there and everybody who comes brings their children. They get a picture taken and they can take their pictures, or we'll take a picture for them, and then they get a little toy or something like that.
Jerry Allhands:But you get to talk to Santa.
Joe Lysaght:That's the key to let them talk to Santa.
Jerry Allhands:There's a reason I grew this beard. There you go. That's also a great time to talk to the families about the Sons of the American Legion, the auxiliary. Yes, sir, I keep telling folks around here I do accept donations. I've been trying to get that Harley Davidson for 20 years now. A couple of years back somebody gave me a miniature toy you got to love it.
Jerry Allhands:Not enough CCs on that little one. Well, commander, you know we were talking about recruiting efforts and retention and you had some great ideas there. I really liked the egg rolls. I just totally never thought about that one, but that's something that we're going to be bringing up in my district coming up in the future. As far as, is there a downside to being in the American Legion?
Joe Lysaght:The only downside and I don't consider it a downside, but the multitudes in many cases consider it, I think, a downside and that's the enormous amount of solicitation you get and that's the enormous amount of solicitation you get, and I understand. I mean we get revenue for certain things. I mean one of the greatest ones that we have, and it's poorly used or taken, is the insurance.
Jerry Allhands:Legion Insurance Trust.
Joe Lysaght:Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, I was about to say LIT.
Jerry Allhands:Yeah, I use. I've got everything they offer and trust me, having had to use it a couple of times, I'm very grateful for it.
Joe Lysaght:Well, not only that, but you've got $5,000 worth of death insurance, no questions asked. All you've got to do is die and then you get $1,000. If you're in an accident and you have some, you know. But accident and you have some, you know. But the key is, if you're on legion business, so anybody in the american legion. And it's free, it doesn't cost you a dime. The hardest thing you have to do is fill out a little form and mail it in, that's it. But if you're smart, I'm not saying that this is what you need to do.
Joe Lysaght:I'm saying if you're smart, I quote if you're smart, just keep your cover in the glove box always do, and that in the membership form.
Jerry Allhands:Yep Always got them with me. Matter of fact, you were saying that and on the drive down here I live in the North Delta, I'm riding down, I'm with a friend of mine, I thought you know, I need a reminder. I took a picture of my membership card and said hey, just in case, I'm on official Legion business and I forwarded it to my post commander, I'm on business now okay. I did tell my coroner in my county.
Joe Lysaght:When I passed away it was an accident.
Jerry Allhands:I don't plan on dying on purpose.
Joe Lysaght:But yeah, that's, it's just things like that. I mean the programs that the American Legion has. There's really no downside to any of it, it's all good. I mean it really is, and I'm not saying it because I'm at this particular level in the Legion. I mean, you know, there's no rank in the Legion. As you well know, I tell people all the time there's no such thing as rank. There are levels of accountability and responsibility. Okay, that's what we have, yeah, so, but uh, yeah, I, I think it. Um, and I jokingly say that because, quite frankly, some of some of the advertisements, some of the solicitations I've, I've jumped on them. Yeah, I thought they were good.
Joe Lysaght:It's something I really wanted to get into or something I wanted to learn more about, or something like that. It's like the magazine. A lot of money and time goes into that and the stories and everything. I'm trying to think of the gentleman's name, a really nice guy that heads that up. Recently I was in Indianapolis and just happened to talk to him and I told him I said, you know, I would just like to see more stories about legionnaires.
Joe Lysaght:I got a post in Maggot, south Carolina. They have gone back now and they found all of these tombsate graves and slaveries and they brought in this guy I don't know what you'd call him he got a big, long name for it but he's like a man with all the knowledge when it comes to tombstones and doing the research and everything he volunteered his time. They've done like over 1,400 of them. They've identified them, they've cleaned them off. I mean the whole cemetery area. Sometimes it's just a family plot of maybe six or seven or eight tombs, you know, and stuff like that, and I mean, but the thing of it is these are legionnaires, yeah, and this post is doing it. I don't know about every legionnaire I mean we've got a million or so of them running around the world but I would say that I enjoy reading something like that.
Joe Lysaght:I enjoy you know it instills the value. I have to become greater and appreciative of what the American Legion is doing for this country. I don't know, and I was chairman of the Board board of Salvation Army in Charleston for six years. Wow, you can tell by my resume.
Speaker 3:I mean, I've done a lot.
Joe Lysaght:And I can't say no and my wife says one of these days I said I know I'll have to, but you know, the American Legion is that way. I mean, they're not going to say no. Nef, national Emergency Fund, my God, you know, name me another organization that has a fund like that and has the money to do what they do. They just don't help one person. That's not a one-person, or what is it? They say one-trick pony.
Speaker 3:It's not that way.
Joe Lysaght:I mean, you know, thousands of dollars go out, thousands of dollars go out over education, thousands of dollars goes out for God knows what I mean, but I was at one of the departments. I'm trying to remember where it was at.
Joe Lysaght:It might have been Florida I was talking about money and so forth like that, and I have information. I get information on a lot of this stuff, right, and I started reading off these numbers. The guy said where'd they get all that money, meaning, where did the American Legion get it? Where'd they get it from you?
Jerry Allhands:Yeah.
Joe Lysaght:You want to know what your dues. What do you think you pay your dues? What know what you do? What do you think you pay your dues? What do you think happens? Do you think we just put it in the bank and figure out a way to spend it? No, it goes into different accounts that benefit the community, the state, the nation and, for God, the American Legion benefits their veterans. You know, and so it's.
Jerry Allhands:For me, I would encourage every veteran to join the American Legion, whether they can be actively involved or just be a member.
Joe Lysaght:I tell people too. You talk about recruiting people. You know guys said, well, I wouldn't mind joining, but you know I'm working now and I got this to worry about. I understand, I really understand that. Okay, but what if I told you that you can join the Legion now and start building your credibility and building your years and your retention and you don't have to come to a meeting, Right? And then I say, look, you know? I mean, what do you want me to tell you? Oh, we want your money. No, we want you, but we want you now. We want to get you in. Let us start sending you some stuff. You don't have to come to meetings. We want you at meetings. Of course we do, but we're going to send you valuable information, okay, yeah, we're going to check on you are you?
Joe Lysaght:see, we're going to give you a call. You're going to hear from me in another six weeks or so. You know I'm gonna make sure everything's going good. And, by the way, did you know if you had boom, boom, boom just list of different things? Uh, I proved a point some years ago. I was told that I could not do it. Um, I was a district commander and there was a young man that was, uh, I think he argued he would argue that jesus christ couldn't walk on water. Okay, yeah, that's good. Just put it simple terms yes sir.
Joe Lysaght:I told him. I said I can get 50, I can recruit 50 people. It never happened. I said okay.
Speaker 3:At the end of the membership year I had recruited 52.
Joe Lysaght:And I have a gold brigade patch for that. He had the nerve to tell me in front of the post you just got lucky. You couldn't, you know. And I said okay. So I said I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to do it one more time just to show you it wasn't luck. And then I challenge you to go out and just bring me 25 people, because I know you're not good enough to bring 50 well the next year I did get another 50, so I had over 100 people and you know, and that's.
Joe Lysaght:I'm not bragging, I'm just saying I used a.
Jerry Allhands:You're not going to get it if you don't ask.
Joe Lysaght:Nobody's ever came up to me Since 1998, no person has ever come up to me and said I want to join the American Legion, or you're in the American Legion, I want to join the American Legion, or I want to get one of those hats I'm going to join. Nobody has done that, nobody.
Jerry Allhands:A funny story for me, a past national commander who was a little guy. He was a ranger Helms, I think it was about five, ten years ago. I'm escorting him around the state and we were having this conversation about recruiting. I get out to fill the car up with gas. I'm talking to a vet, he comes around and steals him out from underneath me, recruits him while I'm there talking with him. Now how am I supposed to get mad about that? You know I love those stories, sir. I really appreciate you. Thank you so much for your time today. We've talked about your wife, but I've not heard her name. Can we give her credit?
Joe Lysaght:My wife's name is Letha Ann Maiden name was Prevatt. She's from Hamlet, north Carolina, and this is going to sound real bad okay. But in my eyes that's the most beautiful woman in the world both inside and out. Yes, sir, Her family is everything you know, for her. I mean, I talk to her two or three times a day when I'm on the road and she's always saying things like did you eat breakfast? Did you do this? The children call her almost every day.
Joe Lysaght:Wow and just chatting with her and stuff like that, the ones that are close. We have none of them that live in the state of South Carolina. So after the national convention we're going to come back home, but then we're getting in the car and we're driving back down to Florida to see some grandchildren. She's just Letha finds good in the smallest, tiniest little crack in something.
Jerry Allhands:You're a blessed man.
Joe Lysaght:Oh yeah, yeah, I got to say something, and don't take this to be, I'm not jumping off the building, but I hope that the good Lord will write my name in the Lamb's Book of Life before he writes hers.
Jerry Allhands:Yes, sir.
Joe Lysaght:I'm a grown man. I served in Vietnam. I've been very successful in business. I've owned businesses. I've sold businesses. God gifted me with the ability to be able to talk in public and stuff of that nature, and give me the levity of conversation that sparks a grin, but I don't know what I'd do without her.
Jerry Allhands:Well, you are a blessed man and I want to thank you for sharing her with us, and I want to thank her for sharing you with us.
Joe Lysaght:She does that? Yes, sir.
Jerry Allhands:Let's pause for a moment to hear from some of the people who have made this series possible.
Speaker 3:You can join in the mission to remember our fallen heroes, honor those who currently serve and their families, and teach younger generations about the value of freedom. A $17 donation to Wreaths Across America sponsors a fresh balsam remembrance wreath. These wreaths have become a symbol of America's American Legion Convention in.
Jerry Allhands:Natchez Mississippi to our visit with the Department of Mississippi's American Legion Convention in Natchez Mississippi. It's been a wonderful day at the mid, almost mid-winter at the Department Convention for the American Legion Department of Mississippi and Vice Commander, it is such an honor to be here with you. I enjoyed our visit yesterday. I'd like to know what your thoughts are on our convention, your convention was run very well.
Joe Lysaght:It really was. I'd like to know what your thoughts are on our convention. Your convention was run very well, it really was. I mean, you know, purpose is no good without a good plan, and I'm sure the purpose of the convention was to inform and educate, have a good time, you know, and Lord knows, we got to eat and it was obvious that you had a really good plan and I wish I could tell you every time I went into a post or especially a department, there were no hiccups. But even when you had a little hiccup here and there, you kept rolling with it. And to me that's part of the plan, because you've got to say look, I hope we don't have any problems, but if we do, we've got plan B.
Jerry Allhands:Or we've got plan C, or something.
Speaker 3:Now, I've enjoyed it, I mean.
Joe Lysaght:I really did. I think I enjoyed most of all the response that I got back from the people you know you say something that you think is humorous, but then for everybody else to agree with that makes you feel 100% better.
Jerry Allhands:Kind of bad to give a. It makes you feel bad when you give a really good joke and you get no response from it.
Joe Lysaght:That's it, but no, I've really enjoyed it. I'm heading out tomorrow. I think my flight leaves around 2. I'll have a little time in the morning.
Jerry Allhands:Where are you flying out of?
Joe Lysaght:I'll fly out of here to Atlanta.
Jerry Allhands:Okay, going out of Jackson, or yeah, okay, and then from Atlanta to Charleston. You know, yesterday we had the opportunity to visit and talk a little bit about your past service and your history and I wanted to reflect back with you. You said all but six months of your service was enjoyable and if you're willing to talk, about it.
Joe Lysaght:Uh, yeah, I I can't tell you a lot about it. Uh, I probably could because it's been so many years, but I'm I will err on the side of caution by not doing it. But back then, um, and several of us were selected, I guess would be a good word to report to a detachment of guys in the. I call them the guy.
Speaker 3:I don't know what you call them but it was black ops.
Joe Lysaght:It was guys in the black pants with a white shirt and a black wall cap. And there was no rank and they didn't have a whole lot of conversations with you. In fact, our quarters were separate from theirs, um and uh. But uh, we were, I guess, jerry. I guess we were the grunts, if you will.
Joe Lysaght:I don't know you know, but not really because we, they, they had people. I was in logistics, so I had that capability, and so when we were going for briefings and what we were going to be doing and things of that nature, we had a couple of people that were demolition experts. I mean, you know, they could make something the size of a matchstick or something as big as a football. It didn't matter, you know, depending on what they wanted to do. And I grew up a lot, but I brought home a lot of that, and so I had to live through that.
Joe Lysaght:It took a few years, it's not easy and I know the veterans that have come after me and been in combat. They all go through the stuff. They go through it. Sure, Nobody is a Coca-Cola cowboy.
Jerry Allhands:Yeah.
Joe Lysaght:We just can't do it. We talk like we can, you know big bad, rub them uh-uh. Yeah. But I did have a situation where I had three targets and I took them out. It was just a reaction, but one of them was a kid and that kind of hurt me more than anything else, because I've always been active in scouting. I've been a scoutmaster.
Joe Lysaght:I've been active in YMCA, you know, teaching, going down there for the summer camp and when they wanted volunteers and stuff like that and working with kids and I just love kids. You know my wife always tells me you're going to get in trouble because I see a little kid or something. Hey, darling, how are you?
Speaker 3:And they start laughing and stuff like that and people look at me like he must be crazy.
Joe Lysaght:But you know that's to me a child is the most precious gift. Yeah, to me a child is the most precious gift.
Jerry Allhands:Yeah.
Joe Lysaght:The most innocent of us, our children. But you know I think that probably played into me being in the Legion. But, like I mentioned to you earlier when we were talking, is that you know I saw an opportunity in the American Legion to do more for veterans.
Joe Lysaght:And I did I took an opportunity in the American Legion to do more for veterans and I did. I took that opportunity and of course, I never envisioned that I would be at the level I'm at now in the American Legion. I'm one of five National Vice Commanders in the world and 1.6 million Legionnaires. I mean that's pretty wild and I joke talking with some of the guys here, I knew, and it worked with them and I said, yeah, it's amazing.
Jerry Allhands:I said you know, they all know me, but but I don't know they it's amazing how many people walk up to you and engage in a conversation and, like you've known you forever and you've got got to you know. Make that connection.
Joe Lysaght:But you know, over the years and not just with this position, but over the years the one thing I've heard is people would say you know you really are a people person. You are a people person because people walk up to you, people speak to you, people shake hands. You hug people, you cut food with them, people like to be around you. You know, and I, and I'm thinking well, I'm, that's all, I, that's the way I am, you know.
Joe Lysaght:But uh, uh, that's probably the next to marrying the most beautiful woman in the world. Okay, and, and why she chose me is, Ooh, I don't know. I'm just glad she did, but that's probably the second best compliment I think I've ever received, really and truly. And you've heard my resume.
Joe Lysaght:I mean, if you saw my prominent legionnaire file in Indianapolis, I mean I got a lot of awards, a lot of certificates, a lot of plaques and stuff like that, and I appreciate them and I'm very grateful and I thank people for it. But you know you shake my hand, look me in the face and say listen, I enjoyed having you here, I enjoyed seeing you and you know you can come back any time you need a place to stay. That guy was talking to me at the end yeah, he was in the Navy and he said if you get back this way now, just give me a call. He said you know, I got a planning room at the house and I'm thinking I don't believe I'm getting back this way, but you know yeah, and they don't know.
Joe Lysaght:A lot of people don't know that this is a one-year tour in this position. Yeah, tour, okay on this in this position. Yeah, and so you get somebody new next time. And they the ones that found out and knew about it. They said we don't know who that guy's gonna be, but he's got a rough road to go following you, and that's true, that's true.
Jerry Allhands:We've enjoyed having you as our vice commander for the south and it's a pleasure. You know it's uh, there's a lot of folks that we get to meet a lot of folks that we get to meet and a lot of folks that we go hmm, you're one of those ones we go. We're just glad to see you.
Joe Lysaght:You know I mean I was teasing the guys in Tennessee about spaghetti.
Speaker 3:I mean I get on a plane.
Joe Lysaght:They said well, you got to come back now. Bring your wife, come back, come on, go to Nashville, do what you want to do, stuff like that, you know, call us, we'll take care of you. Boom, boom, boom, boom. And I said no, I'm not. And he said why? I said because I've had enough spaghetti. I said that's not even the dish in Tennessee, okay.
Speaker 3:And they laughed. They said, no, that's the American Legion dish.
Joe Lysaght:I said I can't argue that, but I'll see everybody at the National Convention, not only this one but hopefully the next one, you know, and stuff like that, and you get to see people, I'll see you in Indy.
Speaker 3:I'll run across you in.
Joe Lysaght:Indy, you'll get on a committee or something like that, and I'll be up there. I'm not leaving the American Legion. I'll just be doing different things now. I need a little bit of rest. I can use a little bit of rest.
Jerry Allhands:Nice to put that blue cap on for a minute and take a deep breath. Yeah yeah, and Mama's going to be glad to have you home for a while.
Joe Lysaght:Oh, yeah, yeah, she said that the other day. She said you know I know you miss me because I miss you. She said but what you do is you know you've never. You don't say no to veterans. I said I can't baby I just can't do it.
Joe Lysaght:Yeah, you know uh and I said, uh, but I'll be. You know a couple and that was a couple months when I said, well, in a couple of months I'll be finished and you know, we'll be able to do what we want to do and all this kind of stuff. She said, well, I'm looking forward to it, but at the same time time, I know you're going to miss it. I said yeah, but we'll be together, We'll be doing some things.
Jerry Allhands:Take a long extended vacation, maybe.
Joe Lysaght:Yeah, after we come back from Tampa, we get back home. A couple of days after we get back home, we're going to take a road trip down to Florida. I see my daughters down there and I have a granddaughter down there and I have a great-grand Two of them. Be nice now. Yeah, two of them down there.
Jerry Allhands:Young man like yourself with a great-grand, oh yeah, yeah absolutely.
Speaker 3:And it's like Letha said.
Joe Lysaght:She said I was talking to her earlier this afternoon and she said well, if you get a chance, give me a call. If you don't, then if you can remember old man, give me a call. She said you'll be an old man tomorrow. I said no, I'm not, I'm not old. I said old's nothing. Who came up with that?
Jerry Allhands:anyway, I said you know she laughs. As old as you feel right.
Joe Lysaght:That's right, that's right.
Jerry Allhands:Well, commander, I know that you told me before where was home, but if you would please tell me again where's home in your home post, and if somebody wanted to stop and visit you at the post, when do you all meet?
Joe Lysaght:My home is Charleston, south Carolina. Okay, but my post is 147. It's located on James Island, which is in Charleston County. Okay so it's on Highway 174, like you're going to Folly Beach. If you come to Charleston, you're going to go to the beaches Well, one of the big going to Folly Beach. If you come to Charleston, you're going to go to the beaches Well, one of the big beaches is Folly Beach and the post sits off the road there. It's post 147. You can look it up, but it's a fantastic post.
Joe Lysaght:I mean it really is. I mean, a lot of people over the years have put a lot of work into it. We've got a beautiful hall you can rent. It comes equipped with bathrooms and a beverage-serving area, two doors, so you're fire-protected on that, you know and you've got a stage and everything else. So we rent that out a lot and use it. We use it for our meetings, in fact, and then on the other side of the wall, uh, we have our canteen and, uh, some games that are in there and memorabilia on the walls and stuff like that, and we also have our office and we have our security, and we have security all the way around outside and inside the building.
Jerry Allhands:Wow, okay so charleston, south carolina charleston, south carolina I was at fort bragg. I'm sure I was over there quite a bit because I was finding some cold water someplace. Bragg didn't have a lot of cold water. It had a lot of sand and fleas and ticks and mercy.
Joe Lysaght:We called Charleston the holy city. The holy city because of all the churches, the city of Charleston proper. If you didn't know better and nobody told you any better and you woke up, opened your eyes, you would easily think you were in New Orleans. The architecture is so much the same, savannah is a little bit, but not to the level that Charleston and New Orleans, and sometimes the dialect.
Jerry Allhands:See, I was going to ask you about that because you do have almost a New Orleans tinge to your accent.
Joe Lysaght:I got along good down in New Orleans. When we was down there for the convention they thought I was one of the guys. But I have people, it's not uncommon. But somebody will say you know where are you from? And I'll say I'm Charleston, south Carolina. And they say no, were you born there? And I go, yeah, and they go man, you sound like you're from New Orleans.
Jerry Allhands:And the humidity in Charleston is just about like it is in New Orleans.
Joe Lysaght:It really is you, and we enjoyed.
Speaker 3:New.
Joe Lysaght:Orleans down there. I had been down there before I took my wife to the Bennigan's. That's the home of where they make the the beignet. Well beignet, but they also make bananas, foster.
Jerry Allhands:Oh yes.
Joe Lysaght:Now, they didn't create it, but the grandmother, the guy that it's a family business, the family that's running it now, she went to that restaurant to get something I can't remember the name of it. She went there to get something to eat. She her grandson was in the restaurant when we were there.
Joe Lysaght:And we got to talking and a waiter brought him over and he introduced us and so forth and he told a story about how she saw him make that dessert and she said wow. So she ordered one at the table and she watched how he made it because they make it right at the table fire and all the whole nine yards and nothing fake about it.
Joe Lysaght:And so that night she came back to their restaurant and worked on it and created it and it stayed with them. I mean, that is a, what do you say? I mean, that is their premium dessert so my mouth is watering right now. Let me tell you, I love it oh god, we went down and got it but uh, and the food is excellent there to start with, like it is in so many restaurants around the world. But Louisiana, you know most of your places in Louisiana. They're just superb places to eat, you know.
Jerry Allhands:Have you had the alligator cheesecake yet?
Joe Lysaght:No, but I've had alligator, Ooh son.
Jerry Allhands:What did the man say?
Joe Lysaght:Yeah, I'm a banana pudding guy. Look pig out right over here.
Jerry Allhands:I know.
Joe Lysaght:I know I went over and got the chicken already.
Jerry Allhands:Man got the banana pudding last night. Checked my sugar this morning it was still high. Yeah, Commander, what do you see for yourself in the future as far as the American Legion goes?
Joe Lysaght:I would think that in all probability, I'll be put on some commission or committee. My background and my knowledge and my years provide that, and so specifically I don't know for sure.
Speaker 3:I know.
Joe Lysaght:I will be appointed to the media and communications committee, but that's done through the department my department and Jim Hawk is the national executive committeeman now. He took my place when. I moved up and he said I need somebody. I said okay, and I'm also now. I have a lifetime appointment to the department executive committee as a past department commander, but I'm on the committee now to find an adjutant. I'm also on the finance committee in the department.
Jerry Allhands:Are you going to be busy even?
Joe Lysaght:Oh yeah, all that takes place in Columbia and that's a 90-minute drive for me if the traffic lets me get there.
Jerry Allhands:I've never seen the traffic cooperate no.
Joe Lysaght:So you know, yeah, I'll still have that activity, but I'll have some activities in the national yes sir, yeah.
Jerry Allhands:Well, I hope you'll consider Mississippi your second home and come back and visit us. Listen, I really am, I'm serious now I've been to 11 of the 12 departments and.
Joe Lysaght:I've had fun in all of them. I'm going to have fun, you know, but I've got to tell you I really thoroughly and I hope they appreciated the fact that I made that statement to them tonight or this afternoon I really have enjoyed being here. I really have. It was a lot of fun. We've had a lot of laughs, Some of them guys, they hadn't changed over the years.
Joe Lysaght:I mean gee and some of the new people you know. I think the thing too is, jerry, when the guy that was sitting in the district commander, that was sitting there in place of one of the vice, commanders, something couldn't be okay.
Joe Lysaght:He came up and was talking and everything and he said you're just full of knowledge. And I said not really. He said yes, you are. I said how do you know I'm telling you the truth? He said, commander, I can tell when you. How do you know I'm telling you the truth? He said, commander, I can tell when you're telling me.
Speaker 3:I know you tell the truth.
Joe Lysaght:He said you know, you've already, so we joke around about it, but that's, that's another one is it you know, he said I've never met a people person like you. Yeah, and I said well, you'd be surprised to know and that's my wife always gets on me because when he said that, here's my reply you'd be surprised to know that I also wear my underwear backwards and he's doing what you're doing now. People start laughing. I just know that the more you smile, the happier you are.
Jerry Allhands:I'd rather walk away with a smile on my face than a frown on my heart the more you smile, the happier you are.
Joe Lysaght:Yes, sir, I'd rather walk away with a smile on my face than a frown on my heart.
Jerry Allhands:That's right, and it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown there you go and you feel a whole lot better, smiling.
Joe Lysaght:Yeah, I'm feeling good. I love my life. I love the people in my life that I've yet to meet and I love the ones that's been in my life. I love the people in my life that I've yet to meet and I love the ones that's been in my life. I don't have a negative vibe about anybody, and there's been some real losers that have danced through my shadow, but I don't know. I still think I got things to do. I think there's still things that need my attention certainly in the American Legion.
Joe Lysaght:So I'm good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise, as they say, I'll be able to do it.
Jerry Allhands:Well, once again, I want to say thank you to your bride for sharing you with us. Thank you for her support of you, because you know we can't do it without our brides.
Joe Lysaght:No.
Jerry Allhands:Now my wife might disagree with me a few times.
Joe Lysaght:Well, they want to frown. A couple of times you get one of them like are you kidding?
Speaker 3:me.
Joe Lysaght:But you know, I can confide in her and do with anything. There's no negatism there you know it may be caution. She may say are you sure you want to do that or something like that. But I mean Lisa's so supportive, I mean, and I tell you if she's got a fault is she always finds some good in the worst situation. And I tell her I said she's worse than my mother.
Joe Lysaght:My mama used to be like that, you know. Sometimes I said baby, sometimes she'd say no. Now, you know, and she's not overly religious, she is religious, but I mean, mean, it's just the way she was raised, the way she was. Her daddy was that way he was. He knew everybody, he loved everybody and it could be raining outside but he could find a reason to go out there and get a glass of water or something I don't know.
Jerry Allhands:Yeah, exactly, he'd do that, definitely, but I've and go out there and get a glass of water or something I don't know. Yeah, exactly, yeah definitely.
Joe Lysaght:You need to do that Definitely, but I've enjoyed you, my friend, well thank you, sir, I really have.
Jerry Allhands:It's been an honor and a privilege to meet with you and to visit with you and to have you on the podcast here and you know, on behalf of the Department of Mississippi and the American Legion here, thank you so much for coming and being our guest, my pleasure. We look forward to seeing you in Tampa.
Joe Lysaght:I'll be there with that yellow tie on at some point.
Jerry Allhands:Woo, shoot that thing, sir. Appreciate you very much. Have a great night. Let's go get a piece of cake, huh. Be sure to join me next week for more from the American Legion Department of Mississippi Convention right here in Natchez, mississippi. And don't forget to hit the follow button to subscribe to this podcast and drop us a text message and, if possible, please consider supporting this show. All the buttons are right here on our page, so don't forget to subscribe, sponsor and leave a text message. Hey, we'll see you next time on the Veterans Sound Off Podcast, a production of All Hands Media LLC, with offices inar Mississippi. All rights reserved.
