This town wants to be the friendliest vet town in America

June 12, 2014

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The government has done a great job proving just how terrible they are at actually taking care of people, especially veterans. We all know that true solutions don't come from the top down - they come from individuals. Welcome Home Montrose is a true grassroots group that wants to turn Montrose, CO into a support system for veterans to come home, heal, and transition back into society. Hopefully, they can be a model for other towns across the country. The people who volunteer at Welcome Home Montrose are tired of admiring the problem, and are actively looking to do something to change it.

The program was conceived by Melanie Kline, a local businesswoman who saw a gap in services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and what veterans needed to truly return to their community after active duty.

"Well, the right thing is for the members of the community, any community, and it started in Montrose, to be able to reach out and create like a bridge that would be helpful for those that are leaving military life and entering civilian life so that they can be more successful and have an opportunity to thrive," Kline said.

"I think that the truth is the VA takes really good care of them physically and their training and that kind of thing and then doesn’t give a lot of help for integrating back with your family, back with your children, into a community where you’re going to be a community member," she added.

One way that Welcome Home Montrose helps veterans integrate back into the community is through their Dream Pilot Program. The website explains: "The Dream Job Pilot Program is a living feasibility study, creating job training through mentorships in a safe no-fail environment for medically retired service members while they guide our efforts to create a No Barriers community for their specific needs.

"People come out of the military, and they often have a G.I. Bill, an opportunity for education, but the dropout rate in college is really high. What the Dream Job program [veterans] try it, live it for six months with someone whose life is that career. Follow them around, let them tell you, let you see if you’re really going to like it before you spend your G.I. Bill, before you sit down in a classroom with people who don’t have anything in common with you or know where you’ve been. Make sure that you have that will to do it. Make sure it’s really going to work for you," Melanie explained.

Judi Boyce is one of the veterans who has been lucky enough to have gone through Welcome Home Montrose's Dream Job Program.

Boyce said, "I fall under the forgotten ill category of Wounded Warriors, being a female and not being injured in combat. I had been overseas and had started having issues where my arm and leg were going numb and thought it was a pinched nerve, and about six months after that I ended up having a stroke and was told I had a very rare brain disease that the only way to fix it was brain surgery. So I’ve undergone two brain surgeries, the second one in which I had to learn to walk all over again."

From a young age, she always wanted to be a cook, a party planner, or a photographer. Welcome Home Montrose was able to help get Boyce an apprenticeship at City Hall, where she was able to help with local event planning.

"I helped plan a picnic for the city hall workers and their families and stuff, and I love kids. I enjoy working with kids. I was a camp counselor and everything before I joined the military, so I kind of made sure that I was put in charge of helping out with kids games and kind of I know a lot of teambuilding things, but we had a blast with that," Boyce said.

"I had spent seven years in foster care from the age of 7 to 14, and the only person that was steady with everything was my CASA worker, and I was approached about them doing a dodgeball game to raise awareness and money for both CASA and the Boys and Girls Club," she said.

How can you help Welcome Home Montrose?

"Take a look at what we’re doing and understand that it’s not rocket science and that something just like what we’re doing could happen easily in their community and get in touch with us and learn how to do that," Melanie said.

As for donations, Welcome Home Montrose prefers to look to the local community rather than the government. In fact, they turned down an offer for a million dollars that came from the government.

"When you keep it organic, and you keep it in the community, the money you do raise is more personal. There’s more involvement from the local community. And any individual or any businessperson needs to meet the veterans so they understand why they want to help," said Kirk Hartman, a board member on Welcome Home Montrose and a local businessman.

Who will be Kamala Harris' VP pick?

JIM WATSON / Contributor, Chris duMond / Stringer, Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Over the weekend, President Joe Biden officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential election and put forward his endorsement behind his Vice President Kamala Harris.

Glenn recently predicted that Biden would step down due to the mountain of pressure within his party to do so. But now that we are here we are faced with an all-new line of questions, like, who will be the candidate on the Democratic ticket? Who will be their pick for vice president?

As of now, the answer to the first question seems to be Kamala Harris, who received the support of the president and several prominent democrats. It's still too early to call for certain, and Glenn doesn't think it's likely, but assuming Kamala becomes the Democrat nominee, who will her VP pick be? There are endless possible options, but there are a 5 big names that could prove beneficial to Harris' campaign:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Bill Pugliano / Stringer | Getty Images

Governor Newsom has spiked in popularity within his party since his taking office in 2019 due to his scathing criticisms of President Trump and other Republicans. Newsom has been a popular contender as a possible Biden replacement, and a future presidential bid seems likely.

His widespread recognition may be a boon to Kamala's ticket, but the California governor comes with a dark side. Newsom was famously nearly recalled as Governor in 2021, hanging on to his office by a narrow margin. He also faced criticism for his hypocrisy during the COVID lockdowns, attending large gatherings while the rest of his state was locked inside. There's also the issue that both Newsom and Kamala are from California, meaning that if they were to appear on the same ticket, that ticket would lack geographical balance and would potentially lead to a Constitutional issue that would force the duo to forfeit all 54 of the states' Electoral College votes.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

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Another prominent Democrat Governor, Josh Shapiro has also been floated as a potential VP pick. Governor Shapiro has become a viable pick due to his well-received performance as Pennslyvania's Governor. The governor has good support within the swing state due to his handling of the I-95 bridge collapse, the train derailment in East Palestine, which had effects on his state, and the assassination attempt on the former president last week. Shapiro would bring much-needed support from the swing state if he was put on the ticket.

That being said, Shapiro has little time to build nationwide name recognition before the DNC in August and the November election. This would be Shapiro's debut on the national stage, and he would find himself in the most unforgiving situation possible.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg

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Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and opponent of Biden during the 2020 Democratic primaries, "Mayor Pete's" name recognition might be what Kamala needs on her presidential ticket. Buttigieg rose to popularity during the 2020 election due to his youth and status as "openly gay." Buttigieg has served as the Secretary of Transportation during the Biden administration for the past four years and has formally endorsed Harris.

Nevertheless, Buttigieg has some dark spots on his resume. The East Palestine train derailment disaster has besmirched his reputation as Secretary of Transportation. And while his youth may work in his favor when compared to the other elderly members of our federal government, it also means Buttigieg lacks the experience and prestige that other politicians enjoy.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

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Yet another governor of a crucial swing state, Whitmer was elected in 2018, two years after President Trump was elected, helping secure the state for the Democrats. Whitmer is known for her strong opposition to Trump, both during his presidency and his reelection campaign. Whitmer serves as co-chair for the Biden-Harris campaign and as vice chairperson of the DNC, which gives her influence over the Democratic party, something that would come in handy as a Vice President. Gov. Whitmer also established the Fight Like Hell PAC, which is dedicated to helping Democrats get elected and to stopping Trump by any means.

On the other hand, in a statement following Biden's resignation from the election, Governor Whitmer stated that her role “will remain the same.” It is also worth noting that if she were to be chosen as Kamala's VP, that would make their ticket all-female, which may foster some "woke points," but is politically risky.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

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Andy Bashear has seemingly beaten the odds twice, having been elected and reelected as the Governor of Kentucky, despite the deep-red nature of the state. Beshear, who has moderate tendencies, would be a boon to the Harris campaign as he has a track record of reaching rural, typically conservative regions where Democrats tend to struggle. He is also known for his propensity to talk about his Christian faith and willingness to work with Republicans, which are traits that might help win over moderates.

But, like Gov. Shapiro, Bashear has very little time to whip up national support and recognition. He also is unlikely to be very much help for the Harris campaign in winning over important swing states.

Five times Glenn had J.D. Vance on his show and where he stands on key issues

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We finally have an answer to the long-awaited question of who Trump will pick for his running mate, and it's none other than Ohio Senator and friend of the show, J.D. Vance. At the RNC in Milwaukee, Trump officially accepted the party's nomination as the Republican candidate and announced J.D. Vance as his running mate.

Glenn has had Senator Vance on the show several times to discuss everything from DEI to the Southern Border. If you are looking to familiarize yourself with the next potential Vice President, look no further, here are five conversations Glenn had with Trump's VP pick:

Why Biden Won't Stop "Racist" Government DEI Programs, But Trump Would

How Trump’s Trials Could HELP Him in the 2024 Election

Could THIS new Senate bill DOOM a Trump presidency?

MIDTERM UPDATE: What Republicans must do to WIN BACK the Senate

'Greatest risk of a terrorist attack in 20 years': Senator SLAMS 'atrocious' Biden move

How RFK's example can help our nation in the wake of Trump's attack

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How did you feel last Saturday when you heard the news that a former president of the United States narrowly avoided an assassin's bullet by a mere few inches? Were you angry at the media for their constant demonization of Trump and his conservative contingency? Did you blame the left for curating a political climate that fostered an assassination attempt?

In his immediate reaction to the news, Glenn pointed us back to a similar moment in American history: April 4th, 1968—the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

"The best speech I've ever heard given was by RFK Sr. on the day Martin Luther King was killed" - Glenn

Robert F. Kennedy, the father of current independent presidential candidate RFK Jr., was en route to Indianapolis when he heard the terrible news. His security team, expecting violent outrage across the country, asked RFK Sr. to turn around and head back to safety. But as Glenn said, RFK Sr. believed in the good in people and demanded to give his speech. He arrived in Indianapolis Park late in the day, and he addressed the crowd of predominantly black campaign supporters.

There were no riots in Indianapolis that night.

The message RFK Sr. gave that night wasn't one of vengeance, hatred, or hopelessness, but of calm and goodness. He appealed to the best in people. He called for people to set aside their differences, anger, fear, and confusion and instead express love and compassion towards one another. RFK Sr. asked for wisdom and the pursuit of justice so that we might be resolute in our unity as the country faces another difficult chapter.

What we need in this country is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another.

Glenn has made a similar plea to our nation—a plea for unity and not to lash out in fear and anger. Don't use this time to blame your friends and family who disagree with you politically for what happened or to tell them "I told you so!" Instead, reach out with compassion and grace. This is a turning point in American history. Let's turn it upward, away from hatred and violence and towards unison and compassion.

Remembering Corey Comperatore: The man who died at the Trump rally protecting his family

Allyson Comperatore | Facebook

Fortunately, President Trump walked away from his attempted assassination with very minor injuries. The bullet that wounded Trump's ear could have just as easily ended his life, and his survival is nothing short of a miracle.

Sadly, that miracle didn't extend to everyone attending Trump's ill-fated Pennsylvania rally. Three other people were shot. David Dutch and James Copenhaver, both Pennslyavia residents, are thankfully in stable condition. Corey Comperatore, however, tragically died after being shot while protecting his wife and daughter from the hail of gunfire.

“Corey died a hero."

Camperatore, a 50-year-old loving father and husband from Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania leaves behind his daughter Allyson, his wife Helen, sister Dawn, and many other friends and family. Camperatore was a man of service, having spent 43 years as part of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company and had worked his way to becoming the fire chief when he stepped down to spend more time with his daughter.

Corey Comperatore's firefighting gear outside the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company. The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Corey's friends and family have nothing but good things to say about him, and judging by their testimonies, Corey's final heroic act was consistent with how the volunteer firefighter lived his life.

According to many people who knew Compertore, he was a true patriot who loved his country. He was a fan of President Trump. Compertore was very excited to attend Saturday's rally, which he expressed in his last social media post.

Corey_Comper/X

During his speech addressing the shooting, President Biden expressed his condolences to the Comperatore family, stating that "He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired.”

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