That they agreed to speak with me tonight about the book. Back. Host we were introduced a media local writer, years ago and ron, is been very encouraging and have a quite a bit with this book in terms of background and research and so forth. And of course with a vietnam veteran, most of the book that i wrote is about world war ii veterans and i just want to give you a little background before we start speaking. Before world war ii, if you are paralyzed, you are. Much a dead no hope for as they were called. Because the average lifespan was 18 months for somebody would do in world war i. World war ii was a game changer. The advent of penicillin, and other drugs. They had surgical units right behind the battlefield. Behind the frontlines. And they had evacuation back to the mainland. And so by the end of world war ii, you had a cohort of about 2500 u. S. Veterans who return home and there are paralyzed they had a chance at a normal life span. And this was the first cohort was quite have this. And presented a dilemma in a bit of an issue for the va, visions administration and the government in other words how do we take care of these men. Before, basically they were in full body, they shunted off to institutions are basically, if they were a family, they were in the family home and they had no mobility. The cliche or the term, confined to a wheelchair was true because you cannot move around. They were unwilling wheelchairs. Like living room furniture. And then again the game changer, world war ii. And there were blisters that were made locally and they were a game changer because they could fold. He could put them in the car. In the driveway and get a job and start a family and so forth. So these 2500 paralyzed veterans where pioneers. In one of the Key Attributes of rehabilitation and medicines in the va hospitals was recreation. And you will see one of the first will tear basketball games ever played. It was at Madison Square gardens in 1948. And you will see their using the jennings chairs which in todays world, we would think of as just incredibly oldfashioned and not very maneuverable but back then, those were stateoftheart. And this is a game featuring paralyzed veterans from hospital in massachusetts, they came down to new york city to play against attempt from staten island. And you can see the game was very sort of crude. Theres not a whole lot of offensive place and things like that. But this is the first time that paralyzed veterans and paraplegics are displayed in front of huge crowds. You had 15000 people admiring is pioneers, these veterans who have managed to start a normal life. And one of the key themes and we will see this in the next clip. One of the key themes and by the way, this is sort of the result. The event of media coverage. This was one of the players in the game. Jack from, he was wound and wounded and orbiting. Areas and that ever. Every media outlet cover disguise. From the communists worker to popular magazines. And out here in Southern California there was wheelchair basketball and this was out of the birmingham va hospital in the san fernando valley. This caught the attention of any people. And in a first hollywood movie, anyplace a paralyzed veteran. And he is rehabbing and some of this was spelled out in van nuys. These are some of the exercises. And for the reasons why basketball became so popular because of the veterans but also because it did help with the chest, the arms of the shoulder muscles which are so important for paraplegics because sort of helping them move around. And have the strength to be able to do this. Heres what i was mentioning the jennings. His coming into the car with his costar there. And it goes right into the second seat. And he could drive away. These are specially adapted cars for paraplegics and you will see the house that he is not walking in. His paralyzed veterans formed the pda, paralyzed veterans of americans. When this team from birmingham would go on the road. They would stop in washington dc and Lobby Congress for rights, for disability rights including adapted cars that isto build a house that was and so forth. Here we see playing will tear. Playing sports. And this was something shot of the pool there. Hand one of the veterans who i write extensively about in the book was in this film. They used a bunch of paralyzed veterans as background actors. And again you see obviously brendan which was a very attractive, his first role. And he became a star i should say. And of course your played like marlon brando. [laughter]. But. David press want to tell you that it is a pleasure to be here participating. My very first wheelchair, he made me feel very old. My very first chair was a jennings chairs. It and was the first chair ahead. It worked for me back then. It was 1968. Deutsch on january 20th 1968 in my second tour of duty as a United States marine vietnam. I was shot through the right shoulder and went through my right lung and paralyzed me. For my mid chest down and ive been paralyzed from my mid chest down for the last 52 or 53 years. I remember reading and looking yesterday and realizing that even after world war ii, a lot of the paraplegics in quattro public apology for not living past a year or 18 months as you said. I am so grateful to be alive keep to still be alive nicholas any friends along the way. This is not an easy disability, and easy physical challenge to do with. It is psychologically emotionally, is a great challenge. Host when you came back on the unit up at the bronx va. Ron ironically it was later investigated by life magazine. In the front cover, arthur got wounded was the title. It really shook up the whole v8. It was a story of neglect the young men coming from vietnam with some of the catastrophic injuries you can imagine. The quads. Young men paralyzed from the neck down. Some of the most severe injuries you can imagine they neglected and overcrowded conditions and im sure any of you are watching the strike now, mightve seen this in the movie tom cruise movie, born in the fourth of july. All of that was true. His head began my life at the age of 21. Im in this place and not only was i dealing with paralysis just the shock of having lost three quarters of my body. Everything from adjusted down. Never be able to make children. I must say from the moment i left the field of battle, and received less price from the Catholic Church. They didnt really know if i would make it or not. And i am so, i have never not help not been so grateful everything today, no matter how hard it is gotten so grateful to be alive. Really difficult moments especially in the yearly years. Depressing from us. Moments when i drink way too much, moments when i came close to giving up and leaving this world way too early. I was always, there was a part of the the nail that i had made it out of there. It just barely paraded somehow gotten out of there. Now after i was shot, and my right foot, and went through my foot and blew up the back of my heel. He could no longer walk. When into a composition in the night turnaround in my right shoulder and i severed my spine from the mid chest down. Cannot live. In my rifle was in santa. My rifle would fire anymore it was jammed. In the first marine to come up from behind, was shot in the heart. Right behind me and was killed instantly. Kill front and back of me. And then another drinking back a few moments later came up from behind and grabbed me and through me over his shoulder and remi back under heavy fire and save my life. I have never forgotten the day and ive not forgotten how lucky i am to have survived. So even during the most difficult times. Those early years worked very very difficult. Any of the young men severely wounded paralyzed veterans, quattro collegiate some of those first few years were too much for them. For some of us decided to go on. I remember sitting in my room in my wheelchair and all alone and i remember having this feeling, how am i going to make it through another day. I had just met who would have some of the veterans from world war ii and korea. They would come into her room at the bronx va they were inspiring. Just to see these guys who had been vultures for five years, ten years. Even longer. I cannot believe it is i was just trying to make it through every single day which psychologically and emotionally physically overflowing for me. I had no idea how is going to live with this thing. How i would deal with it everyday. Could never imagine that i would have a future that i eventually had that i was to address the Democratic National convention in new york and i was able to write a book that became a best seller and run around the world and i was able to eventually have a movie made of my life. So i feel very blessed. My life in any ways is been a blessing in disguise. Athleticism. They talk about the old wheelchair basketball. When i got out of the hospital david, i decided to the g. I. Bill, had the opportunity and i was not a great student believe me. I had to go to Summer School and the High School Just to get a general diploma which was mailed to me. So i was not going to college. I had decided i would join the marines make my mom and dad proud. And ended up coming home paralyzed. Within remember. David how did you get started after you came out of the via a content va hospital. To play basketball yourself. David will first wives able to go to college. Speech of my academic standing was on the most of the time. They give me opportunities to go. And they had a Basketball Team at the university. Its called the rolling dutchmans. You know, i wanted to play for the new york yankees. Little league and basketball or football and wiffleball. He came from new york you know, you are heavily into sports. And we were in our neighborhood and the yankees and Mickey Mantle and Roger Garrison and all of these dreams of being an athletic hero. I was very strong and athletic. I was a gymnast in high school. And even before i joined the rolling dutchmans, the wheel chair Basketball Team, which was quite an experience for me. I used to shoot baskets when i would have some time. There was a court at the va just down this little hill. There was little basketball court. I would go down by myself for hours. Two or three hours and i would just shoot. And i loved it. Anna did that by myself until i found out they had this organized wheelchair Basketball Team at the university. And i decided to join. Now what led me to join was i had my First Political organization that i decided to join very interestingly enough is called push. People united to support the handicapped. So my First Political organization and as the years and followed, i was to be involved in a lot of politics. A lot of protests. But this organization was made of exclusively paraplegics. Not just veterans as sarah paulson, the blind, sight impaired. You name it, we had it. And back then, and understand is a very tumultuous time. There were people in the streets and devastations and even this group met once a week in Oxnard University which of eventually led me to join the vessel team, this group was filled with passion and filled with vigor. In a certain sense of rebellion. The school was that way, the country was extremely polarized. If you have lived during a time a good portion of living through than extraordinary time in history. With the war and the country was split, very similar in any ways to what is going on right now. In fact, i have to say that this organization push, that was the First Organization they give me a certain confidence. In a particular woman that event who ironically, she had been in my high school. She eventually became an author later in life. But she since passed away. Connie who i dedicated for the fourth of july 2. I remember leaving the va one day and going, had the day off and led me together so that i can make the dean. It was owing to allow me to go to this school. I can still remember his name. Sigurd. When into the office and there was a girl in the office in a wheelchair, connie was her name. She had a severe disability that had occurred at birth. And i said you look familiar. I said did you go to the high school and she said will, high school, university sweater walking past me in high school. I said remember you, youre the only person in a wheelchair in the entire select and prayed and she said yes. And i started to drive her home because she needed to drive home. But she said she didnt. But i would drive her home and she was not far from my town. I would drop her off my got to know her parents. One thing led to another just me to join this people of the united to support the handicapped. For everything but you must know that this university was really at the forefront back then. Prided itself in the fact that it was catering and welcoming the disabled and welcoming. This was a big change in the early 70s. In individually but the americans the disability act. She was the one who led me to this First Political organization of physically challenged people. And then from there, she said well you know, weve got a wheelchair Basketball Team here at the university. Shes wanted to go down in i know that you are an athlete in high school. And you are a diversity wrestler. And he loved sports. When she got out and see. So i went down and they love me me and and fully accepted me. My injury, so high i had no balance. But it was thrilling. It really was. It was exciting to be with other young men like myself with very similar disabilities to be competing. To actually be competing. There was a feeling of transcending transcendence were far moment you forgot the moment you were thinking of your entire life, the moment that you were shooting a basket. Youre trying to make a hook shot. It was exciting for his great and wonderful. He felt great inside. Physically, whatever depression he mightve had or whatever doubts or feelings. When i was dealing with a lot of not just physical but because of what he had gone through, during the second tour of duty, was dealing with a lot of psychological, from what i had gone through during that second tour. I was struggling with us. Im struggling with whether i had a right to stay alive 40 above. I held a tremendous amount survivors guilt. And i wondered if i deserved to be alive. Because others had died and i had survived i felt responsible. They had been killed yet im still alive even though i was paralyzed. I felt a terrible guilt and a link to a long time. Its a long journey to move through that. And to be able to emerge fermented to be able to forgive myself and to give those who and forgive those who mightve sent me to network. And forgive myself and others. David wanted to circle back about when you mentioned about the va, and you had a guess in a sense the support of the world war ii and korea, for the veterans who had gone through all of this. Ron yes, i was laying on my bed any of these guys come in here with this cocky, very positive attitude. How you doing and i was ignoring. And Collis Rodriguez things. Whether real inspirations and one of the founders pda, paralyzed veterans of america. A real character had that thick new york accent. How are you doing. What is going on. How can we help you. And you know, how long have you been in the wiltshire. Night had a difficult day and i wondered if i could make it through that 19 oh. Jason ive been in the wiltshire for 12 years. I was wounded in korea. And these guys were an inspiration. Then we come into our rooms they were very important to us back then. Of course i was a cross from willie. London paralyzed so severely that he was paralyzed from the neck down if you could imagine. And he, there was a hold his throat. With the park on it. Wrote about it. Once again they would both work and put a tube in their and i would have to listen to this and all the rest of the guys come there about three or four others, they would be suctioning to climb out of his lungs. So he would not get pneumonia. I heard that every single day. It was just so moving. I felt so lucky to be alive. Near the guy across from me is just trying to live in all he had was ahead. How can these people not inspire you. And then people at the world war ii vets. Telling you can do something with your life its not over. It for a long time, i remember a guy we come in. He was recruiting the paraplegics to make watches. To organizers. This were a lot of the guys were sent. To the watchmaking company. Honey is to say to myself, is on me. I always had big dreams as a kid. And maybe it was not a good thing to drink something. But i always thought my life could have a much greater meaning. Im not knocking people working on the watches. Theyre having a job. I just wanted to do more. I wanted my wife to really count than to really stand for something even before i was paralyzed. I was inspired by john f. Kennedy area did i wanted to be like john f. Kennedy. Our john wayne. [laughter]. Maybe it was unhealthy. Maybe that was a dreamer but thats who i was and i was an american. Think it is very much had grown up in american boy in this country. Having dreams beyond all dreams. And believing you could be anything you wanted to be no matter what happened to you. And that sustains me even back then. I want to do something great with my life even paralyzed. I did say those things yes. David audit interrupt for just a second. There was a program started through the World War Two vets. She built a watchmaking tools including when you going to john f. Kennedy airport you will go by some of those buildings there. And eventually the had another place where the watchmakers are ron they had a Wheelchair Place there. I had no idea. Its. David anything about it, not that far away there was another company team called the pan him jets. It was mostly post polio. So anyway, that is part of the story about the watchmakers. And as you mentioned ron, that was part of rehabilitation was the vote and vocational. In the va administrators exit okay thats just can these guys in a job in a wheelchair so they can do watchmaking repair. And connected in that regard. In any of the veterans took that route. And i admire the watch company to do that. I loved the name of the team by the way. Ron the name is really catchy. I have to send this. I probably took the wrong turn. I was grumpy and i had an attitude. Under no, mom and dad never put up with me. I used to go out to the bar and i came home drunk. And you mightve seen the scene on the fourth of july. One of the fourth of july. Near member. I was terrible.