00:02 - Good evening.

00:04 - Some of my many friends and heroes and every time I'm with a group of veterans.

00:11 - I always think that how you fit.

00:14 - The words of first lieutenant Travis mannion.

00:18 - What he said if not me then who

00:20 - and if not

00:22 - you

00:23 - then who

00:24 - and thank you

00:25 - and thank

00:26 - colonel

00:27 - Stacy Gary retire

00:29 - each and every one of you for serving us

00:32 - and protecting our liberties.

00:34 - That we as god's blessings

00:36 - the police god our father almighty bestow upon each and every one of our veterans

00:42 - and those serving today especially the war theater.

00:46 - That you continue to Grant them.

00:48 - Strength conviction.

00:51 - Loyalty and service and you protect in their hearts

00:55 - them and their families

00:57 - and you continue to strengthen in each and every one of us

01:00 - your prey essence

01:02 - to continue to lead our nation

01:04 - among all the nations

01:06 - to showcase

01:08 - freedom

01:09 - and Liberty

01:10 - and to make sure

01:12 - that each and every one of our men and women.

01:14 - Returned safely home.

01:17 - God we ask this in your name

01:19 - we ask you to bless all men and women in this room who have served us

01:23 - and colonel Stacy guarantee retired.

01:26 - Thank you for

01:27 - allowing them to be with us

01:29 - thank you for blessing them in their service

01:31 - we assess in your holy name

01:33 - amen.

01:37 - Wow.

01:42 - Please welcome the united states air force

01:44 - veteran Chuck holloway for a toast to the flag.

01:57 - What can I say

01:58 - offline.

02:00 - You are so great in every foe.

02:03 - Certainly

02:03 - the mighty deeds of all.

02:06 - So called

02:07 - so.

02:08 - Sure

02:09 - so true.

02:12 - Ok.

02:19 - That said.

02:23 - You.

02:29 - There's not a threat of it no nor a shred of it

02:32 - in all the spread of it

02:33 - from foot to head.

02:35 - For heroes blade for a

02:36 - face steel and lead for

02:39 - precious bloodshed for it bathing it red.

02:43 - The warrior

02:44 - thrilled by the sight of it

02:46 - who knows the right of it but feels that might've it

02:49 - through day and night.

02:50 - Womanhood cared for

02:52 - may man who would dare for

02:54 - pure his prayer for it

02:56 - keeps it so why.

02:59 - Adhere to the blooming

03:00 - beauty his view of it

03:02 - heavenly he will get

03:03 - star spangled do with

03:05 - Harrison and true

03:06 - diadem gleam for a

03:08 - state stand supreme for

03:11 - and liberties being bored

03:12 - brightens the blue.

03:14 - Adhere to the whole of it

03:16 - star striped and palpable

03:18 - body and soul solve it

03:19 - oh and the role of it's sun shining through.

03:22 - Hearts in a course for

03:24 - swear by the sword for

03:26 - thanking the lord for

03:28 - red

03:29 - white

03:30 - and blue

03:31 - god bless america.

03:33 - This.

03:42 - Ladies and gentlemen

03:44 - please welcome the united states army veteran Dave Christian.

03:51 - Laughs.

04:00 - Evening folks.

04:02 - Everybody ever find a parking place out there.

04:06 - I'm over a wawa.

04:09 - So if y y has a problem.

04:11 - I have a problem then.

04:14 - But I know Stacy

04:16 - sign I just want to share with him it's been a few years back.

04:20 - I was asked by please everyone sit down that hasn't said

04:23 - those you want to sit on the floor.

04:26 - That's all I can offer you as now more chairs

04:29 - but I was

04:29 - in Russia and the iron curtain had fallen

04:33 - and I just happened to be in Moscow.

04:36 - I got a coffin republican national committee

04:38 - and they had asked if I would come back

04:40 - to the states and do a show with Brian gumbo

04:44 - and pat schroeder

04:46 - and mad

04:47 - Max cleland

04:48 - all these different people

04:50 - but I was the only republican version they're

04:52 - coming back and I said well what's the issue

04:55 - and I had already stood on the steps of Moscow in steps of the white house there

05:01 - and that they call it the Billy dome

05:04 - and people were already praying

05:06 - for George bush sr

05:08 - the father to to be reelected

05:10 - and they thought he was going to be elected they said well the issue is.

05:15 - Whether a veteran

05:16 - serving your country help a person going into office

05:21 - over a non veteran who has no experience

05:24 - and my answer was it couldn't hurt.

05:27 - It's I shall get on a plane and explain back to new York

05:30 - you're gone on

05:31 - good morning america.

05:33 - Brian gambles a moderator

05:35 - and we're going to ask these questions

05:38 - and

05:39 - believe it or not

05:40 - they twisted and turned everything that

05:43 - about serving a veteran

05:44 - and serving one's country

05:46 - and

05:48 - to trying to make bill Clinton look like the superstar

05:51 - and

05:52 - George bush

05:53 - the father.

05:54 - Who was shot down

05:56 - in the pacific

05:58 - and

05:58 - was rescued by a submarine

06:01 - they made like he was a bad guy

06:03 - so neither Brian gumbo or any of the pop folk in the audience there

06:08 - they really weren't receiving my words too well but.

06:12 - I want to tell you that.

06:14 - Having a veteran vs a non veteran.

06:17 - Means a whole lot

06:19 - to the veterans community

06:21 - to the

06:22 - gold star mothers

06:24 - to the spouses of veterans

06:26 - to those those that know a veteran

06:28 - to know that those that know the someone's been in the sting of battle.

06:33 - Stacy guarantee

06:35 - is a legitimate

06:36 - true veteran.

06:38 - A colonel.

06:40 - Someone who has given her service.

06:43 - For over thirty years.

06:45 - I have heard.

06:47 - Pretty exciting

06:49 - and to run against

06:52 - someone who doesn't know

06:53 - what veterans need.

06:56 - Veterans need

06:57 - now says you will know what post traumatic stress syndrome is

07:01 - Stacey will know

07:03 - what disabilities are

07:05 - Stacy will know

07:07 - what the absence of someone who is serving their country

07:10 - and what it means to love one's.

07:12 - The children

07:14 - the wives the husbands are left behind.

07:18 - Stacy will understand.

07:20 - She has felt the sting of battle

07:23 - and I know that Stacey knows

07:25 - because my mother served with general Douglas MacArthur

07:28 - in world war two

07:30 - and she

07:31 - happened to be his press

07:33 - person

07:34 - and doing press releases.

07:37 - Her typewriter broke she left the Philippines

07:39 - when under new Guinea and Australia she came back

07:42 - with MacArthur.

07:44 - When our typewriter broke back in the Philippines

07:47 - she called down to what was called a typewriting Paul

07:50 - there's no such thing today

07:52 - as a typewriting poll

07:54 - and they said this tall lanky guy

07:57 - and he happened to be from Alabama

08:00 - and he was about six three or six four

08:03 - and my mother was four foot eleven.

08:06 - They were smitten

08:08 - and I'm glad I came out in the middle.

08:13 - But I can tell you.

08:15 - Veterans'

08:15 - benefits weren't what they are today

08:19 - and my mother unfortunately my father had a substance abuse problem

08:23 - and he left my mother I was seven years old.

08:26 - My younger brother was seven months old.

08:30 - My mother was a veteran.

08:32 - In a combat zone.

08:35 - And had four children.

08:38 - And my mother died of stress

08:40 - at forty four years of age.

08:42 - A couple months after she pin my bars on

08:46 - as the youngest second lieutenant since the civil war.

08:50 - I was a young teenager.

08:53 - Going to lead men into battle.

08:55 - What is the difference.

08:57 - Between Stacey and her opponent.

09:00 - Stacey knows the needs

09:03 - of this veteran's community.

09:06 - I know

09:07 - the needs of those veterans community I've experienced the sting of battle

09:10 - and when I came back there's people in this room that will tell you.

09:14 - That we fought for veterans.

09:16 - We started what was called the governor's veterans outreach center

09:20 - the reason we caught a governor we had to to work a deal

09:23 - with governor thornburgh at the time.

09:26 - We were coming back

09:27 - we are all one in the service we didn't know where we

09:29 - go and some of us went to Vietnam some went to Germany

09:33 - some went to puerto rico

09:35 - but people came back

09:37 - we all had the same worry.

09:39 - Our families had the same worry.

09:42 - But they didn't know

09:43 - what was going to happen at the veterans administration

09:45 - they didn't want to go to the veterans administration

09:48 - so as a veteran I worked out a deal with the u s department of labor

09:53 - and the secretary of labor and the governor of Pennsylvania

09:57 - to start outreach centers

09:59 - we searched an outreach center in levittown Pennsylvania.

10:02 - The one

10:03 - in allentown we started one in Philadelphia

10:06 - we started one in dauphin county

10:08 - in west more land county

10:10 - and we started one in erie Pennsylvania

10:13 - we covered the stay we blanketed the state because

10:15 - we knew that veterans were somewhat intimidated

10:19 - by the bureaucracy of the veterans administration

10:22 - but going in and hell seeing another veteran.

10:25 - Across the desk

10:26 - and believe it or not in many places

10:28 - there are more of non veterans working for

10:30 - the veterans administration that are veterans.

10:34 - So you wonder why some of the veterans have a complain.

10:38 - That

10:38 - they've been treated with a cold shoulder

10:41 - and there's your answer

10:43 - and in the state of Pennsylvania

10:45 - you have contracts five percent of contracts are to be given out.

10:49 - Billions of dollars in contracts

10:51 - and they're saying they cannot find veterans.

10:54 - You also know everybody in here

10:57 - has come in a car

10:59 - and some was driving that car

11:01 - and someone had a driver's license in that car and when you renew your driver's

11:04 - license or do you want to check off

11:06 - and give three dollars or five dollars

11:08 - to the veterans fun.

11:11 - While veterans very rarely get that fun.

11:14 - He goes to everybody else.

11:17 - The veterans outreach centers that I started

11:20 - millions of dollars came into the state for veterans.

11:23 - Millions.

11:24 - Then governor rendell

11:26 - was elected

11:28 - and he thought it'd be better

11:30 - to take and put that money instead of going directly to veterans and an outreach center

11:34 - to go to health and welfare

11:36 - and veterans can go over there.

11:38 - Will all veterans are not street people.

11:41 - Most veterans have a tremendous amount of dignity

11:45 - they serve their country

11:46 - they served a proudly

11:48 - wherever they served.

11:50 - They got out.

11:52 - Most with honorable discharges.

11:55 - And they wanted to serve their community served their family.

11:59 - That's why you need

12:01 - Stacy

12:02 - that's why you need to fight for Stacy cause Stacy as the fight for us.

12:07 - She believes in us.

12:10 - I look at the history of our country here

12:12 - and you know we have veterans

12:14 - in the revolutionary war

12:16 - they had to fight.

12:18 - I was out at valley forge general hospital for almost two years of patients

12:22 - I was machine gunned across the chest I was paralyzed in this hand

12:25 - just kind of went like this the arm

12:28 - and I was

12:28 - burnt with napalm forty percent of my body

12:31 - second third degree burns.

12:34 - I was medically retired from the army

12:37 - but I went to valley forge general park all the time

12:40 - that I could get out of the hospital whenever I could get out

12:43 - they could they would take us there in a Van

12:46 - and

12:46 - you just think that you're you're in the

12:49 - midst of.

12:51 - The heroes a spirit of heroes

12:54 - and they were with us

12:55 - those that made our country

12:57 - and yet those that made our country they had to fight

13:00 - for years and years majority of people that fought in the revolutionary war

13:04 - died

13:06 - before they got any benefits

13:08 - and then all during the eighteen hundreds.

13:10 - People died

13:11 - before they got benefits

13:13 - and we started putting together

13:15 - we as I say veterans

13:18 - if a veteran

13:19 - can

13:20 - turn to another veteran for help

13:23 - then who can he turn to.

13:26 - Veterans need veterans

13:28 - we need Stacey.

13:30 - Stacey's walked in our shoes.

13:34 - So

13:34 - I share with you tonight.

13:37 - That

13:38 - it's very important that you're sitting here that you came out.

13:42 - Trough traffic getting here hopefully nobody got a ticket.

13:46 - You got a parking spot you're here

13:48 - to people that didn't get a parking spot or waiting outside

13:52 - but I share with you

13:54 - to call go home

13:56 - and share with others people

13:58 - we need veterans in office

14:00 - there's less and less veterans.

14:03 - People are fighting over property tax relief

14:06 - that is

14:06 - for veterans.

14:08 - Why.

14:10 - If a veterans wanted to give their service

14:11 - and the veterans willing to give their life.

14:15 - We don't know where we're going to be sent.

14:19 - And if you end up on the front lines

14:21 - you scratch your head and you think js.

14:23 - I'm too pretty to be here on the front lines they must have made a mistake.

14:29 - But unfortunately or fortunately and I think it was fortunate for me.

14:33 - I had a wonderful experience.

14:36 - Not in being shot non-being burn

14:39 - but in serving next

14:40 - to heroes

14:42 - and serving with

14:43 - heroes.

14:45 - In letting my mother looked down from the sky at her son

14:48 - leader men into battle

14:51 - and now today we have men and women.

14:54 - The sting of battle

14:56 - and my mother's looking down saying please David

14:59 - make sure the right people get into office

15:02 - that take care

15:03 - of those

15:04 - that are giving their all

15:06 - and Stacy guarantee is the right person.

15:10 - That note I see so so many veterans leaders in this room here

15:22 - but I'd like to turn it over to the next speaker because

15:25 - the real person we come to see

15:27 - is the person we're all talking about that Stacy

15:30 - god bless everyone for sure.

15:32 - That

15:39 - ladies and gentlemen

15:40 - please welcome the united states Navy veteran Liz ferry.

15:44 - Three.

15:58 - Good evening everyone so nice to see you all here.

16:01 - Wow what outstanding remarks captain thank you random applies for captain.

16:06 - Hi so for those of you I haven't met Emily's ferry and I'm chair of the Montgomery

16:15 - county republican committee so thanks for inviting me to bucks county

16:19 - it's great to be here

16:20 - and

16:21 - I am a naval reservist

16:23 - and I'm also.

16:26 - My husband served in the army for twenty

16:27 - three years as a warrant officer so I'm also a

16:30 - a

16:30 - Army wife.

16:32 - Might yep my son

16:34 - served in the fourth infantry division just got out of

16:36 - Syria about a year ago.

16:39 - So I'm Ari mom.

16:41 - That

16:46 - and my dad was in the Navy

16:48 - and.

16:49 - So I tell you this because he used to quote me

16:53 - various things

16:54 - and

16:55 - one of the people he liked to quote a lot was Winston Churchill

16:58 - and I'm going to paraphrase so forgive me

17:00 - but it's somebody dfs dove

17:02 - and men and women don't follow leaders

17:05 - who keep their ears to the ground

17:08 - and sadly Josh shapiro is somebody who keeps his ears to the ground.

17:14 - I've never witnessed in my and I won't tell you how old I am many years doing this.

17:20 - Somebody who waits as long as he does

17:23 - to see which way the wind is blowing

17:25 - before he makes a decision.

17:27 - It's really

17:29 - atrocious.

17:30 - The man has no core beliefs or core convictions.

17:35 - We know

17:36 - that Stacy garrity

17:37 - has strong core beliefs and core convictions and will

17:40 - work on our behalf as pennsylvanians and veterans.

17:45 - Joshua peril first said

17:47 - he was for

17:48 - data centers and now he's against them

17:50 - he first said he's for school choice

17:53 - to get kids into better schools

17:56 - and now he's against it.

17:58 - He just recently said he's for law enforcement and last week

18:03 - you didn't hear a peep

18:04 - out of him.

18:06 - Letting second degree murderers out of jail.

18:09 - The man has no core beliefs and it's so important we all work so hard

18:14 - to get Stacey garrity elected as governor

18:17 - and I know in Montgomery county and I know bucks

18:20 - and Chester and Delaware and even Philly

18:23 - are going to work as hard as they can to get Republicans out to vote

18:26 - because when we vote we win.

18:28 - So please I

18:29 - am asking you talk to your neighbors your family your friends

18:33 - and make sure they vote have a plan to vote whether by

18:36 - mail in ballot or in person please make sure you vote.

18:40 - It's my pleasure to be here I'm thrilled thank

18:42 - you so much for letting me speak for a minute

18:45 - and

18:46 - go Stacy guarantee.

18:48 - This ladies and gentlemen

18:55 - please welcome bucks county glp chairman

18:58 - Ted Christian.

19:00 - Then.

19:10 - How they

19:11 - welcome the bucks county.

19:13 - Most of you are from here so I appreciate your turn it out on a soggy steamy evening

19:18 - and

19:19 - thank you for being here

19:20 - p reshade all you do appreciate your support for Stacy and.

19:24 - I am the new bucks county republican chairman bucks

19:28 - county arguably the most important county in the country

19:32 - and we we

19:34 - we intend to stay that way hopefully in a different way as

19:37 - we go for more purple the more read here in coming years.

19:41 - I.

19:42 - Wanted to again thank you for being here thank you for all the hard work

19:46 - that you put in

19:47 - and want to ask you to just lean in a little bit more this year very important year

19:50 - for us you know our local races our congressmen

19:52 - and our state senate and state legislators

19:55 - running as well as some of our challenger races and

19:58 - everyone's going to be watching.

20:01 - I had the pleasure of meeting Stacey back during the

20:04 - not so fortunate days of covert

20:06 - in two thousand and twenty.

20:09 - I ran for treasure and.

20:11 - Faced

20:12 - large odds against a much better funded candidate

20:16 - and overcame those odds

20:17 - and beat him.

20:19 - Did so again

20:21 - four years later and her reelection

20:24 - and this time not as the insurgent

20:27 - as the top vote-getter.

20:30 - In political history in Pennsylvania.

20:33 - Though she is

20:38 - not only the hardest worker I know.

20:40 - She's the best

20:42 - civil servant

20:43 - and government.

20:45 - Minded person I've ever met

20:46 - and I think that we need to

20:49 - recognize that the work that we do here in bucks county is going to show out

20:53 - on a election day I ask you to keep pushing hard for us work for the entire ticket

20:58 - thank you for being here for Stacey tonight and I'll

21:00 - see you out in the crowd here in a little bit thank you.

21:03 - This

21:09 - ladies and gentlemen

21:10 - please welcome

21:11 - lieutenant governor Jim cawley.

21:14 - That

21:22 - math.

21:24 - During the round with gm but.

21:27 - Got that re.

21:29 - So while the introduction was generous

21:33 - let me point out as

21:34 - many of you who are paying attention to our state government

21:38 - you actually should have been former lieutenant governor Jim cawley but

21:42 - proud bucks county native and still a proud resident

21:46 - of bucks county and is so great to be here with all of you in our beautiful bot

21:51 - traffic

21:55 - and as I look around

21:56 - this room.

21:58 - I see a lot of familiar faces a lot of friendly faces

22:02 - but a couple that I think deserve

22:04 - our special recognition

22:07 - are running for the state senate gregg bank coast is here with us.

22:11 - Am running for state representative right here

22:15 - in this district Mike Murphy is here whether.

22:26 - You know.

22:29 - When we think about this race for governor.

22:33 - The choice.

22:34 - Is actually pretty simple

22:36 - and I'm not talking about partisanship

22:39 - and I'm not talking

22:41 - about ideology.

22:43 - Look we know what's at stake

22:45 - ideologically.

22:47 - On one side.

22:49 - You have someone who's committed

22:51 - to lower taxes

22:53 - affordability

22:55 - in our daily lives.

22:58 - Lower.

23:00 - Prices.

23:03 - Making sure that we have a limited government

23:07 - and that we rely on the engine that heads always fuel

23:10 - our great nation.

23:13 - We rely on one another.

23:15 - We rely on the private sector.

23:18 - And on the other side.

23:21 - We have somebody that we very well know loves to raise taxes.

23:25 - Believes that the state.

23:28 - Is the answer

23:29 - to all of our problems.

23:33 - And does not believe.

23:35 - In the power and strength.

23:37 - Of the individual.

23:38 - We know that

23:39 - we know that

23:41 - but let's take that out of it

23:42 - let's take partisanship out of this election let's take

23:45 - ideology out of this election

23:48 - and let me invite you

23:50 - to join me in an exercise for a minute.

23:53 - Imagine yourselves

23:55 - each one of you individually.

23:57 - As the chairman of the board.

24:00 - Of a pretty large size corporation.

24:03 - In fact

24:04 - it's a fifty billion dollar

24:06 - corporation.

24:08 - Now

24:09 - your current ceo his contract is expiring

24:13 - and there are a lot of people saying yeah just keep the guy

24:16 - but you say now let's go out and see who else is available

24:21 - and you find this candidate.

24:23 - This great dynamic

24:25 - candidate.

24:27 - Who has spent her life.

24:30 - In service.

24:32 - To our country.

24:34 - Two commonwealth.

24:36 - Into our community.

24:39 - And she's living breathing dedicated every day

24:43 - to making your company.

24:46 - Stronger

24:47 - better

24:48 - more prosperous.

24:51 - And then you look at the guy that you have.

24:54 - Who really is saying to yeah you know

24:57 - I'd like a new contract

24:58 - not sure I'm going to be around to finish it.

25:01 - See I got my eyes on this other job

25:03 - at a bigger company.

25:06 - And when you look at

25:07 - the performance.

25:09 - Of your current guy.

25:12 - You realize that your costs are through the roof.

25:15 - Your revenues are next to nothing

25:17 - and that you're moving in the wrong direction.

25:20 - Now folks

25:21 - of those two candidates.

25:23 - You as chairman of the board who you're going to hire.

25:27 - You're going to hire the person who is dedicated.

25:30 - Who is committed.

25:32 - Who has been working every day.

25:36 - To make

25:37 - your company

25:38 - stronger.

25:40 - You're going to hire stacie guarantee.

25:43 - Now

25:44 - when you look at.

25:46 - What Stacy has done.

25:48 - Over the last five and a half years

25:51 - as our state treasurer

25:53 - there is another stark difference

25:55 - as well.

25:56 - Stacy has worked tirelessly

25:59 - to return hard earned money.

26:03 - To the people of Pennsylvania.

26:06 - She's been more aggressive

26:08 - and more dynamic about that than perhaps any of her predecessors.

26:12 - The other guy.

26:14 - As we all know.

26:16 - Just wants the

26:17 - dig deeper and deeper and deeper into your pocket

26:21 - for more taxes.

26:23 - Again as I said at the beginning.

26:26 - The choice

26:27 - is clear.

26:28 - We need Stacy garrity

26:30 - to be our governor

26:32 - and the fact.

26:34 - That was an applause line by the way you can you can craft

26:42 - and the faq kt that I have the great honor.

26:46 - Of standing here in this room

26:48 - with so many

26:50 - veterans

26:51 - and in particular.

26:53 - I want to again recognize and thank for his inspiring words captain Dave Christian.

27:03 - I not only have the honor of knowing

27:08 - this American hero.

27:09 - I have the honor of calling in my friend.

27:12 - In fact

27:13 - we grew up in levittown right around the corner from one another.

27:17 - Although.

27:18 - Admittedly

27:19 - Dave was the scene

27:20 - when I was a freshman but.

27:24 - But the fact that Stacey.

27:27 - Has placed emphasis

27:29 - on this coalition.

27:31 - Being one of the most vibrant.

27:33 - Being modern the most important

27:36 - to her campaign.

27:38 - Speaks volumes about her integrity

27:41 - and her character.

27:43 - Now you can tell a lot.

27:46 - About a community.

27:48 - By the way it treats its veterans

27:50 - and I know that in a garrity administration.

27:53 - The veterans are going to get what they need and they deserve

27:58 - and so now ladies and gentlemen

28:04 - I ask you to join me in welcoming to the stage

28:08 - the next governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania

28:11 - Stacy

28:13 - a

28:14 - Three three.

28:48 - Hello.

28:51 - You guys thank you all so much for coming out it truly means the world to me

28:56 - I love bucks county

28:58 - but.

28:59 - Thank you jan for that incredible introduction

29:03 - said gm collie served our commonwealth so proudly as lieutenant governor

29:08 - and he has been an incredible supporter

29:11 - counselor

29:12 - a friend

29:14 - and our victory this November will be in large

29:18 - part thanks to the work of James mccauley.

29:21 - That he does for us every day thank you jan

29:24 - dekker gem.

29:25 - Then another unsung hero is Matt Jacoby

29:35 - who did the pledge thank you he not

29:37 - yes.

29:39 - That man is truly being a leader of the veterans

29:43 - coalition so thank you Matt for everything you do

29:47 - and

29:47 - Liz ferry

29:49 - now only a proud Navy veteran back chair of the Montgomery county.

29:54 - Republicans to lead that's great

29:57 - and tagged Christian brand new county chair of bucks and

30:04 - both he and les

30:06 - are working so hard

30:08 - to get good Republicans elected up and down the ballot thank you for what you're doing.

30:14 - That.

30:21 - Priscilla that was a beautiful rendition of the anthem every time I hear you do that

30:26 - it gives me goosebumps I absolutely love this woman.

30:30 - That

30:34 - and our toast.

30:39 - Great job

30:41 - and what can we say about captain Dave Christian right

30:50 - he was awarded you guys

30:52 - seven purple hearts.

30:54 - Two silver stars

30:56 - two bronze stars

30:57 - the distinguished service cross

30:59 - youngest

31:00 - most decorated good

31:02 - service smart person

31:03 - in the Vietnam war

31:05 - thank you Dave you truly a hereafter

31:15 - and of course we have so many veterans out there the less than one percent

31:20 - that put on the unify forum but are responsible

31:23 - for all the freedoms that we all enjoy today

31:25 - give yourselves a round of applause thank you guys.

31:29 - Three

31:34 - but two

31:35 - hundred and fifty years ago

31:37 - right

31:38 - right down the road from where we're standing tonight

31:40 - our nation's founders stood up

31:43 - and they did something

31:44 - that the world had never seen

31:46 - stood up to the largest empire in the world and what did they say say.

31:50 - Enough

31:51 - and out of that moment.

31:54 - Our commonwealth became the birthplace of freedom

31:58 - and Liberty the place where america's enduring dream of life

32:03 - Liberty and the pursuit of happiness began

32:05 - a movement that has freed

32:07 - more people economically

32:10 - and socially

32:11 - than in the history of mankind

32:13 - and

32:14 - yes that

32:21 - and wasn't it disgraceful

32:23 - when our governor

32:24 - didn't want to celebrate.

32:27 - At the great American state fair.

32:29 - I went there the day before our senators in a bipartisan

32:32 - way open it up I went with congressman g t Thompson

32:35 - you're standing there

32:37 - and the mall looking across the mall you see California you see new Jersey

32:41 - you see Massachusetts behind us

32:43 - I was standing there with no flag

32:45 - and the doors were locked

32:47 - they are actually yeah so very disgraceful

32:49 - but it's because of our veterans who have fought off tyranny

32:53 - around the globe for two hundred and fifty years

32:56 - the revolutionary war

32:57 - civil war

32:58 - two world wars.

33:00 - Korean war.

33:01 - Vietnam

33:03 - desert storm operation Iraqi freedom operation enduring freedom

33:08 - and many other conflicts

33:09 - thank you

33:10 - thank you.

33:11 - Though

33:17 - so I served for thirty years

33:19 - and as part

33:21 - of the army reserves are three deployments now I'm going to age myself

33:25 - so operation desert storm operation Iraqi freedom

33:28 - operation enduring freedom.

33:30 - My last deployment was as in two thousand and eight

33:32 - two thousand and nine I was acting battalion commander

33:35 - at camp buca which is in southern Iraq which was the largest.

33:39 - Internment facility for enemy combatants

33:42 - and I have to tell you

33:43 - so you all veterans know this so I hit my mandatory retirement day

33:47 - in two thousand and sixteen

33:48 - had I not hit my mandatory retirement day I would not be standing here

33:53 - as your state treasure

33:54 - or a nominee for governor I would still be serving because surveying was and is

34:00 - the honor

34:01 - of my lifetime.

34:02 - That in uniform and now out of uniform.

34:12 - I do my best to live my life

34:14 - following the army seven.

34:17 - Principles so

34:19 - loyalty

34:20 - duty

34:21 - respect

34:22 - service us

34:23 - honor

34:24 - integrity

34:25 - personal courage that's right

34:28 - and.

34:30 - This are the values that I bring to the chargers office in Harrisburg every day

34:38 - and those are the values that I will bring to the governor's

34:43 - office next January.

34:46 - Though so as your treasure I am the fiscal

34:52 - watchdog for one hundred and eighty billion dollars

34:57 - your taxpayer dollars every dollar was earned by somebody

35:00 - but you know what

35:02 - being the treasure

35:03 - allows me also to do some things.

35:06 - For veterans I get to give back military decorations

35:09 - that come in from abandoned safe deposit boxes

35:11 - that's one of my very favorite things so since

35:14 - being in office I've returned five hundred and eighty two

35:17 - military decorations including

35:19 - thirteen purple hearts three bronze stars and a gold star medal

35:24 - and you not Pennsylvania's veterans

35:26 - they deserve a governor who will fight for them

35:29 - as hard as they have fought for us

35:32 - but you know what today there is a little bit lacking sometimes.

35:37 - For those

35:38 - who deserve our greatest thanks our veterans

35:41 - okay

35:42 - so.

35:43 - What you do think about it these heroes

35:45 - are the most disciplined

35:47 - mission driven

35:49 - and proven job applicants and that's why under a guarantee Richie administration

35:54 - we are going to make hiring

35:56 - veterans a priority.

35:58 - Though so we will provide a three thousand dollar

36:05 - tax credit to businesses that hire full-time

36:11 - veteran

36:12 - fifteen hundred dollars for a part time veteran

36:14 - and that is renewable every single year

36:17 - that that veteran is employed

36:19 - buy your business

36:20 - and speaking of veterans coming home with world class skills

36:31 - and you know there's a lot of times at licensing boards they don't give them credit.

36:36 - For the skills that they've earned and that is going to

36:39 - yeah that's absolutely going to change on

36:40 - day one we're going to expand via qualifying

36:43 - certification tests we're going to enforce

36:45 - existing credentialing laws and we're going to make Pennsylvania the top

36:49 - destination

36:51 - for veterans pursuing higher education

36:53 - now

36:54 - okay we can applaud for that.

36:56 - This so I'm going to give you a couple examples so one example is.

37:03 - When you are going to get your lpn.

37:06 - Okay under our program

37:08 - we will take ten months off the licensing time and you know what

37:12 - it's going to save veterans over eighteen thousand dollars

37:15 - and gee I bet bill b benefits

37:17 - and here's another example

37:19 - so cd ls

37:21 - wouldn't it be great to allow veterans who have worked with heavy machinery

37:27 - to be driving a semi instead of illegals that can't speak English.

37:31 - Though so these are truly real world benefits

37:45 - impacting

37:46 - Pennsylvania heroes.

37:48 - So we will work

37:50 - to provide veterans with the employment

37:52 - opportunities also the healthcare that they deserve

37:55 - and we're also going to make sure that no veteran

37:57 - who served our country

37:59 - ever sleeps without a roof over their head.

38:03 - Though

38:10 - we've seen successful programs like these what they can deliver so

38:14 - to our west along the turnpike

38:16 - tunnels to towers put up

38:18 - a facility in Harrisburg

38:20 - eighty

38:21 - veteran home

38:22 - okay

38:23 - so not only do they house these veterans they

38:25 - provide job training mental health support

38:28 - addiction treatment

38:30 - there is no reason that this model can't be replicated across the state and we will.

38:36 - That

38:43 - now Mathis one's near and dear to your heart

38:45 - we need to make sure veterans can stay in their homes

38:50 - so right now because of our state constitution

38:53 - it limits property tax exemption to veterans

38:56 - ii even disabled veterans

38:58 - so we are going to change that

39:00 - so we will advance a constitutional amendment.

39:05 - Though so will expand eligibility protect surviving spouses how about that

39:16 - and ensure

39:17 - no disabled veteran ever has to worry about losing their home

39:20 - simply because of where life takes them.

39:24 - Now listen I don't pay attend to be this all

39:25 - knowing governor like some governors you know.

39:29 - And I promise you there are common walls veterans will

39:33 - always have a c at the table on any veterans issue

39:36 - in fact

39:37 - since I first announced the retro coalition in June

39:40 - I heard from a lot of veterans and they said you know we have all these great

39:44 - programs but some times there are a little bit

39:46 - difficult to navigate so they had this idea

39:49 - which I'm adopting and it is to procreate a veterans

39:53 - ambassador program and that person will work with veterans

39:57 - and make sure

39:58 - that they know all the benefits that they're entitled to for serving

40:03 - now.

40:04 - Yup

40:05 - though

40:09 - finally this is what the last one I'm going to talk about although we have a lot more

40:13 - so we're going to follow the charge issued by president Lincoln

40:17 - one hundred and fifty nine years ago

40:20 - and that is to care for him

40:23 - who shall have borne the bath but also

40:27 - for his widow

40:28 - and his orphan.

40:30 - We owe our gold star families

40:33 - to our deepest gratitude

40:35 - appreciation

40:37 - and thanks

40:38 - and you know what they deserve a commonwealth that recognizes

40:42 - their sacrifice in return

40:45 - but Pennsylvania Kenya does not have a formal gold star registry did you know that

40:50 - and so we're not recognizing families of those who gave their full.

40:54 - Measure of devotion to our nation.

40:58 - So we're going to establish the commonwealth's first gold star registry.

41:02 - Then

41:09 - we're going to guarantee

41:11 - annual outrage and we're going to make sure that we have a gold star families day

41:15 - every September at the capitol so I told you earlier

41:19 - one of the favorite things about being treasure

41:21 - doesn't have anything to do with money at all

41:24 - it has to do with giving back military decoration so I thought I would end

41:28 - up with this story about a return that was really

41:31 - meaningful to me if you guys want to hear one story

41:34 - okay

41:34 - alright

41:35 - so you know many military medals and decorations there are rightfully awarded to the

41:40 - veteran who were in them or their family but this metal

41:43 - stands as a testament to families

41:46 - and the metal have been presented to Agnes

41:49 - Morrison of school hill county

41:51 - she visited the grave of her son private first class

41:54 - Joey Morrison in nineteen thirty three in France

41:57 - so Joey was in the army's five hundred and fifty fourth

42:01 - ambulance service when his field high hospital was hit

42:04 - by artillery fire

42:06 - so he was killed in action

42:08 - September first

42:10 - nineteen eighteen ten

42:12 - days before the end of world war one.

42:16 - So I was able to return this metal

42:19 - to.

42:20 - Joey's great niece Christine at a ceremony that we did at school hill county

42:25 - and she shared Joe his letter that he wrote to his

42:27 - parents and I I'm going to read part of it to you

42:30 - so it sat in part father I clearly understand the step that I am taking

42:35 - and very likely early I will have to endure hardships

42:39 - and in the end

42:40 - receive very little thanks

42:42 - but someone

42:43 - has got to do it

42:44 - and why should I be the slacker.

42:47 - It is the least of my thoughts

42:49 - and I can feel that I have done my part in defense of humanity

42:53 - and bringing this terrible war to an end.

42:57 - So it's in moments like this I always think about my favorite

43:00 - Bible verse which is John fifteen thirteen greater love hath no man than this that a

43:06 - man lay down his life for his friends.

43:09 - So whether a second

43:10 - thank you

43:12 - to her how

43:19 - so whether it was a century ago

43:21 - in the trenches in Europe or today in the deserts in the middle east.

43:26 - The sacrifice our nation's veterans make on the battlefield are worthy

43:31 - of honor

43:33 - in solemn remembrance

43:35 - and honoring our veterans means ensuring that they're taken care of

43:39 - not just when they're on the battlefield but when they come off the battlefield

43:43 - and as your next governor

43:45 - that is the solemn vow that I make to all of you.

43:50 - Thank you for coming out

43:51 - god bless all of you

43:53 - god bless Pennsylvania

43:54 - and god bless the united states thank you three.

44:07 - Remember.

44:22 - I don't.

44:27 - I don't.