RELEASED BY:Lt Col. Greg Hapgood

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
OFFICE:   (515) 252-4582
CELL:       (515) 971-6385
HOME:     (515) 986-5725

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

JOHNSTON, IOWA…
 

IOWA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS
FEATURED ON TALKING WITH HEROES PROGRAM

Iowans’ humanitarian efforts lauded

Talking with Heroes, a worldwide, one-hour weekly talk show, will feature members of the Iowa Army National Guard on this week’s program. The program will be broadcast live at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 26 on Channel 18, Public Access Television in Iowa City, and will also be posted to the internet and aired on Sunday August 27, 7 p.m. at www.talkingwithheroes.com .

Host Bob Calvert will interview four Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan:

-Staff Sgt. Mark Matteson, Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (Dubuque), a combat veteran of the Afghanistan theater of operation. Matteson, a resident of Harvard, Ill., is one of the organizers of Shoes for Kids, an initiative that provided more than 1,000 pairs of shoes for Afghani children;

-Warrant Officer Al Kakac, a combat veteran of the Afghanistan theater of operation. While serving with Task Force 168 in Afghanistan, Kakac, a resident of Garrison, taught Afghani farmers modern farming methods which increased their corn yield from 30 bushels an acre to 100 bushel an acre yields and also provided guidance on growing alternative crops;

-Capt. Dan Maeder, a former member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 224th Engineer Battalion (Fairfield) (now a member of the 185th Regional Training Institute), a combat veteran of the Iraq theater of operation. Maeder, a resident of Richland, organized Backpacks for Kids, an initiative that provided more than 1,300 backpacks full of school supplies for Iraqi school children; and

-Lt. Col. Jon Kerstetter, a combat veteran of the Iraq theater of operation and a field surgeon with Company A, 109th Area Support Medical Battalion (Iowa City). During his three combat tours in Iraq, Dr. Kerstetter provided medical care to coalition servicemembers, Iraqi police and military personnel, and Iraqi civilians. Kerstetter is an Iowa City resident.

Additionally, Karen Fisher, widow of Sgt. Paul Fisher, will also appear on Saturday’s show. Sgt. Paul Fisher, a member of Detachment 1, Company F, 106th Aviation (Davenport), Iowa Army National Guard and a Cedar Rapids native, was injured when the CH-47 “Chinook” helicopter on which he was the flight engineer was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq on Nov. 2, 2003. Sgt. Fisher later died from his injuries.

Originally created by Bob Calvert in Colorado Springs, Colo., Talking with Heroes showcases humanitarian and community outreach programs in the countries where U.S. servicemembers serve and also tells the stories of sacrifices made by military families and various civilian groups that have provided critical support to members of the U.S. military. Since the program’s inception in Dec. 2005, more than 35 Talking with Heroes shows telling the untold stories of more than 100 servicemembers, military family members, and Americans providing support have been broadcast worldwide. Calvert plans to do a series of shows from Kuwait and possibly Iraq later this year.

For more information about the Talking with Heroes project or to schedule an interview with program creator Bob Calvert or the Iowa participants, contact Calvert at (719) 310-7814 (cell), (319) 337-8665, room 204 (Temporary Iowa City number), or via email at bob@youngheroes.us or bobc9246@yahoo.com . Additional information is also available online at www.talkingwithheroes.com ; click on “Talk Show Schedules” and then on the Aug 27, 2006 Talk Show date. Stewart, Ga. on Thursday for outprocessing from active duty and arrived in Iowa late this morning in time for the Vice President’s visit.

For questions concerning this news release as well as additional information about the operations, training, and activities of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, please contact Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer by e-mail at gregory.hapgood@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4582 (office), (515) 971-6385 (cell), (515) 986-5725 (home), or Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden at duff.mcfadden@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4666 (office) or (515) 480-7647 (cell).

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IOWA NATIONAL GUARD
Americans at Their Best