Host Randy Miller discusses topics of interest to veterans and interviews guests on a wide variety of topics.
We welcome a very busy guy who works as the Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Josh D’Amaro, to the program to talk about his nearly quarter century work at Disney, and how he made his way up the Disney hierarchy. Josh gives us a peek behind the curtain and a preview of some of the updates and brand new experiences that guests can experience on Disney cruise ships as well as all of their parks worldwide.
We take a look at the fascinating world of Disney engineering, and how it’s story-driven attitude makes it “Imagineering” at the Disney properties. Randy welcomes Scott Mallwitz, Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, to talk about the ups and downs of creating some of the incredible worlds that Disney has created at their properties, and what we can look for in the future in “The Most Magical Place on Earth.”
Randy welcomes back Tracy Farrell, Vice President of Connection Program Management Wounded Warrior Project, to chat about a recent study on how female military veterans are coping with their transition to non-uniformed life. Tracy digs into the numbers and reasoning behind this trend, and how Wounded Warrior Project is putting together programs to address these serious feelings of isolation and depression in our women warriors.
We welcome Heritage and Brand Manager from Ford Motor Company, Ted Ryan, straight from the New York City Auto show, to talk about the historic link between Lincoln cars and the King of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley. Elvis owned a number of different Lincolns, and drove a Ford truck, but the story behind his famous Lincoln Continental Mark II has to be heard.
Kevin Smokler, author of three books about pop culture, and the director of the new documentary “Vinyl Nation” joins the show to talk about music, the medium of vinyl, and how important Record Store Day has been in revitalizing the music industry. With sales increasing every year over the past decade and a half, Randy and Kevin discuss how this medium is finding a toe-hold in the world of smartphones and mp3 players.
Documentarian Ken Burns is back yet once again on the show to talk about his newest documentary subject: Benjamin Franklin. Randy and Ken talk about the process in which these topics are identified and gives us a few morsels of what we can expect from this new series on PBS, the PBS website, and the PBS app.
Ben Kligler, MD, MPH Executive Director, Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation for the Veterans Health Administration. Randy and Dr. Ben talk about the VHA, and get an update on some of the current challenges being faced by the VA as well as the successes that the agency has seen in providing care to our veterans!
Jim Meskiman joins The National Defense to talk about his long-running acting career, his own REAL mother, actress Marion Ross (better known as Mrs. C from “Happy Days”) serving as America’s T.V. mom. Jim is an INCREDIBLY talented impressionist and shares some of his craft with us here on The National Defense.
We welcome reporter for Inside Edition, Lisa Guerrero, to the program to talk about her long-running time on the program, her work covering the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, as well as a recent piece on Dave Ramsey. Randy also speaks with Lisa about her hosting turn for two of the twelve episodes of A&E’s “Secrets of Playboy.”
This week we welcome Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarain to talk about his career in the food industry, his time on the Food Network, and his GREAT idea for a new show “Big Restaurant Bet.” Geoffrey fills us in on the details of the premise for this great new show that we can’t wait to watch on the Food Network and Discovery+!
