VET CHECK WITH VWHRC'S SCOTT DULEBOHN 6/24/26

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Thank you for your service on the Linux and the way you can with next number.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Hey, we have a combat veteran win.

SPEAKER_04 0:22

That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

He won the nomination for the GOP. Alan Wilson, his very favorite to win in November to be our governor.

SPEAKER_04 0:29

He better be.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

And he's a friend of uh the Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center. Have he's been he's come through, right?

SPEAKER_04 0:35

Yeah, he had uh he had his event over at the cafe um very well, very well spoken, engaged the crowd well. Um and then he even came back uh twice and just had breakfast uh with the veterans groups there. Um didn't really want to announce it to anybody, just wanted to show up and and have breakfast with everybody. That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Um did any other candidates do that?

SPEAKER_04 0:55

Both times. No, um not like that. They kind of like the event or had a private um event over at the cafe. Um, but they called a couple times and just asked if he could swing by and uh and have breakfast over there with the veterans, and that was really cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Did he ever get to come see the tiny homes?

SPEAKER_04 1:13

Uh he has not been over to the tiny homes. Um, but he he when he came in, it was the Agent Orange group. So it was a Wednesday morning with about 30, 35 uh veterans, Vietnam veterans, sitting in there. And uh he just sat down, pulled up a seat and hung out with them for uh without asking for fanfare or letting people know.

SPEAKER_03 1:31

It was pretty cool to watch. That's kind of genuine then.

SPEAKER_04 1:33

It was very genuine. It was cool. They just kind of reached out behind the scenes and said, Hey, is it cool if he just shows up and and has breakfast with the veterans? I was like, Absolutely, that's what the place is for. Please anybody can come do you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

You know, it's it's interesting because the the the thing that unites the veterans, what whatever it is that as an entity you have specific needs and things that you want to be heard on. Yeah. Um, and it's I think it must be so relieving to know that there's someone who actually gets it that's going to be leading the state. I mean, I can't even imagine how that feels.

SPEAKER_04 2:10

I haven't had a whole lot of thoughts about that, you know, because it w it hasn't been real. We didn't know who was gonna win or what was gonna happen. Um but that's really neat to think about here in South Carolina with having uh a veteran combat veteran that's uh been there and done that. Um and hopefully we get some I guess mission sp specific stuff with veterans and stuff going on. I mean, just today though, in 2026, like it's a completely different world from from where we were at veteran-wise, especially in Ory County and around South Carolina. Like this I've never been anywhere else that embraces military like we do here, um, with all the events and all the stuff going on for veterans. Like it it really is a one-of-one in Ori County and South Carolina. Um, so we throw this in the mix here for for South Carolina. I want to see the the education fixed. I want to see this a thriving, growing state, and I want to see a top five. I mean, that's what we should be. We have incredible people here. Um a lot of them are transplants. They are.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

You know, people tried to bring that up as a an a campaign issue. Don't Ohio. And you're from Ohio.

SPEAKER_04 3:17

I'm from Ohio.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

I like Don't Ohio, my California, my Carolina, no, South Carolina. And I'm like, that just stop already. And plus, I think Mike Rickenbach, the um uh lieutenant governing, he's also from Ohio. I think. And it's like that wasn't that shouldn't even be an issue here. There's so many transplants from here that are great people, um, and they try to make it a campaign issue all around. I mean, how do you see that? I mean, look at look at you're from Ohio. Look at all the things that you were able to accomplish here for veterans.

SPEAKER_04 3:48

I'm I'm kind of for though being from here, which is a little different. Um, but I I think you have to put those candidates up and you need to be grooming them, and they need to be um the ones coming up and and running that are are from here, and I think that's kind of an institutional problem where you're not bringing up the the best and brightest of your state um and doing that.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

This is a big so many people running were especially the AG race, they were talking about inbred corruption in the legislature. Yeah, and how many of those people are transplants in the legislature? Not many.

SPEAKER_04 4:25

And I say probably not.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

And they've been in there a long time.

SPEAKER_04 4:30

It is, you kind of see the changing of the guard happen. Um, I think you have problems with long-term people being here, and then you also have problems with transplants. Some of them will act completely different to get in the office, and then as soon as they get in, they start doing exact opposite of what they said they were gonna do, and we better not see that happening here. Um, because that's not okay. We we want everything fixed, we want this state thriving, we want it to be the best, we want it top five in every category, as it should be, because there are incredible people here. It's an amazing state. People are f just flying here left and right. I mean, we are growing leaps and bounds every day. Um and y'all better jump on board and and make sure you vote red here because if this and keep people accountable. Yeah, if this state turns blue, I think I'm gonna find somewhere else to go.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

But sometimes when we vote red, yeah, I mean, we're it's like a bait and switch. I'm not saying that that's what we're gonna get with Wilson, but that's what's happened.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

And so because they put a fake letter next to their name, or you know, they're just a you know, wolf in sheep's clothing and it is how many people have you been paid for and told what to say and how to speak.

SPEAKER_04 5:41

Um, and we need to get away from that. We need to get people in that are I mean, these people are all really good. Any one of those folks that we're running, I mean, like I said earlier, they're thoroughbreds, like they are very hard workers, they're very good at what they do. Um, so it's not dismissing any of them. Like they are all very good. You're splitting hairs at this point of trying to figure out who you want and um what direction to go because every one of them is gonna work their butts off. It's just here's what you you have to choose from. And it's it's tiny little things that uh change people's minds and get them going different directions.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Demeanor, how they say things, and then it it boils down to track record.

SPEAKER_04 6:18

Um, you know because I guarantee you everybody on that ticket works nonstop. Like that's what they do, that's who they are, that's why they're in that position, is because they are gonna work their butts off of whatever they do, and they're very good at it when they grab something and go.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

And it's interesting because um you know, you were in favor of Alan Wilson because of your personal interaction with him through the through the cafe conversations you've had, the fact that he was a combat veteran, and that mattered to you.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

And I I voted uh for Rom Reddy the first time because I love that he had no um donations.

SPEAKER_04 6:55

I loved that.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

It is um because and that was you know why I love Trump so much. Was because he wasn't burdened by unburdened by his burden, yeah. Yeah. But it's true.

SPEAKER_04 7:08

I mean he doesn't. He beats to his own drum and he's good at it, and and it shows like I always say that when people come in our office, like you can sit here and spew anything you want to me of how you're gonna fix everything and get back on track, and and it wasn't my fault. And I'll get though and I said, show me, get up, get your butt out there, go get a job, clean the house up, make sure your room's clean. Like, don't sit here and tell me that everything's gonna be fixed and you're gonna go do this. Get up and go do it. Um and if you can sit there and talk about it and do it, I mean it's very good. Some people don't like the talking part, it it rubs them the wrong way. But when your record is what his is of this is what's gonna happen, and he makes it happen and um and then still gets blasted for making it happen, you know, and he's like, on to the next. He's already 15, 20 steps ahead of whatever the news is coming out. That's what's it's so incredible with that man.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:07

Um, he he is, he's already 20 plays ahead right now of anything that's coming out in the news, and you don't even know what he's doing in the background because he doesn't have to tell you about it, he's gonna tell you after it happens.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

He always about it too. A little a little window into it, and then you're like, I think he said something about that on truth social like seven months ago.

SPEAKER_04 8:26

He did, you know, and he does, he'll give you a little snip and you're like, eh, and then you go and you don't think really anything of it. He'll never be any other person. No, it's amazing, and he just works nonstop and and he donates all of it. Like, people, I he doesn't have to do any of this. That man could just be relaxing and chilling somewhere, but he loves this country, he loves the people.

SPEAKER_03 8:46

Um look how he's cleaned up VC, man.

SPEAKER_04 8:48

It's it's amazing, and no, nobody will talk about it. They don't want to talk about it.

SPEAKER_03 8:52

There's like 60 fountains that are now pumping water again after a lot of people.

SPEAKER_04 8:59

And just keeps going, and they're like, I can't believe this guy. Look at this terrible pond. Now the inside's broken, and like come on, folks, running around in their blow-up suits with out like anything he said they're gonna go again. Team algae. He should tell everybody.

SPEAKER_02 9:16

Team algae, I saw that.

SPEAKER_04 9:17

He should tell everybody.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Rogs love algae.

SPEAKER_04 9:20

They do like it's wild. Like, that's where we're at. Uh-huh. Um and I don't think the other side's gonna get better any soon. Like, they they've got some special folks coming up that they're they're pushing into these positions.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

Yeah, that momdani slate is very special folks.

SPEAKER_04 9:37

It's not good. Like, it's not a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

Can I just play this really quick clip of Mam Dani after he won? Oh, darn it. Is it gonna be this?

SPEAKER_04 9:48

You break it.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

No, I wanted to get his actual quote.

SPEAKER_05 9:52

We're talking about a status quo where children are being killed on a daily basis. And when I am speaking about APAC, I'm speaking about an organization that has been supportive of the status quo, that has fought any attempt to actually deliver safety to people not just in Palestine, but frankly, um, through much of the region.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

So um they were saying that you know him talking against APAC is not talking about Jewish people, but rather the government and um the pro-Israel lobby that is supportive of genocide in uh Palestine, in Gaza, whatever.

SPEAKER_04 10:30

Uh they hate us, they hate this country and they want to do their thing here. Um and our laws and rules allow it with how everything is is worded and written. So I think it's on us, it's on this group to put things in place because our stuff was not written for for some of the.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

You know what they say about free speech, right? Is more free speech corrects poor free speech. So if you don't like free you don't like what someone else is saying freely, just you need to also say your piece.

SPEAKER_04 11:00

You can go try that in any other country around the world and it will not work. This wouldn't be this wouldn't even happen.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

No, this would not even happen. Nope. And that's what they don't realize. They're they're operating and advocating for the opposite of what they're actually doing. Absolutely. So, you know, it it's so crazy.

SPEAKER_04 11:19

We could not go to any other country and talk like this about their country or oh no, they'd be they'd be coming in and taking us. Or not celebrate our country. Like you see, and even soccer, like you see all these folks showing up and they all celebrate and they all have these crazy celebrations and they love their country.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

See the Vikings rowing on the subway. Awesome.

SPEAKER_04 11:37

It was so cool, and you're like, man, we don't do that. Like, I mean, we got some stuff, but it's not like that where we show up in droves and you know what I like about it, um, about this whole World Cup thing.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

I think like I never really bought into the World Cup, but I am just loving it. I'm just loving seeing people, regular people. I mean, I know they're athletes.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

Um, but I just love the fact that there's this um this common thing we're all cheering for all at the same time. I just think it's so awesome to see the world like that. And no other thing brings people together other than sports and music.

SPEAKER_04 12:18

Yeah. And as long as we have that I dislike soccer, but I'm even watching some of it now. This is cool. Like seeing all the countries showed up and doing all their stuff like in the in the middle of the cities, like this is pretty neat. And everybody's happy and and and peaceful and enjoying it.

SPEAKER_03 12:35

Like and Iran gets to come play. That's wild. And it could be the United States, I hear. They're gonna call it their the battle to the death or something or something.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

Like the death match.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

But then, but then as soon as it's over, they're out of here. I think that's a good match has already happened.

SPEAKER_04 12:54

It's yeah, it's over.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

All right, Scott Dilvine, you have a couple of events coming up. We want to make sure you get them in. I shared them on our Facebook page as well.

SPEAKER_04 13:04

Yeah, Friday uh we're we're doing our stand down. So we've got uh two left this year. So this will be uh, what is that, June 26th is uh the next one here this Friday from 11 to 1. Uh J29 is hosting. Uh they've got uh Chick-fil-A and public subs coming for everybody. Uh nice. So that will be very cool.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

And then it's gonna be at the Tiny Home Village 909.

SPEAKER_04 13:30

Third Avenue North Beach. Um, if you know of a veteran that's struggling um that might not want to say something or come out, please bring them with. We're gonna have so much stuff at this one from uh uh starting to empty out the thrift shop. So we've loaded up our stand down trailers. We'll have all that, uh all the supplies. The VA has just dropped off. Man, they uh the the carry-on to go bags, like we've got so many of them um for these veterans this week. Wow, uh it's packed. We've got all kinds of gear from them, camelbacks. Um what's that? It's a little water fountain, pretty much, that you wear on your back. Yeah um so you don't pass out, but we still do. It's good for them.

SPEAKER_03 14:09

We usually back in the day when we could go to a NASCAR race and carry in those. Yeah, we went with margaritas loaded in the camel back. You have to make those special. And the people were the sitting behind us, like, what do you all have in those you know, hoses you're drinking out of? And it's like margaritas, and it went through the stands like crazy.

SPEAKER_04 14:25

We're just waiting for you to fall down and then they're gonna steal your camel back off.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

Now, last time I had you here, you mentioned that you guys lost some sort of grant to another organization.

SPEAKER_04 14:35

We just weren't selected from from the county for this one. So um that was last year we were on, so that actually ended January. Um, so we'd kind of already eaten it for about six months while we reapplied um to happen in July. So we were already behind a little bit, and then I was like, it should be fine, we'll be good. Um that'll kick in. Um then we didn't get selected, and I was like, all right, uh, we're gonna have to fix the boat because you can't keep going down that same path.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

So the thrift store wasn't making enough money to make sense.

SPEAKER_04 15:09

It was there for all the veterans to come in and uh house all the donations and make sure just make sure these veterans had all this stuff so they didn't have to go out and purchase it because my whole goal here is I want to see your savings account grow, not purchasing all these items. So um I guess when we first started the thrift shop, like we were probably making a couple thousand dollars a month, but at that point it was a massive operation. We had probably 15 to 20 volunteers, we had two people dedicated just being at the thrift shop. We had a vehicle that would go and pick up donations and bring them back. Um, and after you do that for about a year and then you damage people's houses from moving the furniture out, and you have to pay and fix that, and then the insurance for the veterans coming and showing up to your house, um, the the the cost goes extremely high. Yeah. Um, and especially all the liability with the vehicle going to the house and picking up the furniture. We had some furniture fly out of a trailer before, and then that goes out, and you're like, Okay, all right, you gotta tamp that down. So we backed off of picking stuff up, and then at that point, people started getting mad at us because we couldn't come get the furniture out of their home for free. Um, and why why can't you come get the furniture for free if if I'm giving it? It's like, well, there's a lot to this that you don't understand. Like, there's a whole lot that goes into that thrift shop. Um, and then the insurance on that building that just alone over there was about six thousand dollars a year with because of everything you're doing with the furniture and the donations, um, it starts adding up quickly, and we were kind of already like, is this worth keeping?

SPEAKER_00 16:54

So now you have do you still have a lot of stuff in there?

SPEAKER_04 16:57

Uh it's almost empty. Okay. Um, we've donated to a lot of the other thrift shops in the area. Um, we've we've packaged a lot of, we've had a lot of veterans come in. We're like, hey, this is gonna happen, so you can kind of have a lot of stuff today. Um they get excited about that, so they get a lot of the things. Um, we've still got some stuff on marketplace, but as you know, that's a losing battle as well, because you have 50 people say they're coming to get the item, and then not one person shows up. So um, I spent Sunday sitting over there, and I I think there was 14 people supposed to show up, and I didn't have one, and I was like, Yeah, I'm not spending my Sunday sitting here all day, so nobody can show up. Um, but we're just moving that operation back over to the Huddon House, kind of where it started. So we've got our offices over there already. Um, and then we have two large storage units, um, kind of like uh a shed, but they're I think they're 12 by 20. So once we have those filled up, that'll kind of be when we stop taking donations and we'll just keep replenishing it with uh personal care items, really, is our number one. So they're they're to keep preparing for these stand down. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

All right, so the next stand down is this Friday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the tiny home village. Now, if you're not a veteran, you want to come and check it out.

SPEAKER_04 18:13

It's gonna be a good day. It's supposed to be beautiful out. We're gonna hang out. Um, that is the number one thing with these stand downs, is somebody to talk to with these veterans because that might really be all they need to get back on their feet, is somebody to have a positive conversation with them uh instead of gloom and doom.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

Absolutely. All right, Scott Dylan, if you want to check out the website, it's VWHRC.org. If you're a veteran or a spouse of a veteran and you need some help, um they have help with uh navigating paperwork and getting all sorts of everything you need.

SPEAKER_04 18:48

I will find a resource for you if we do not have it.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

All right. Thank you so much, Scott, for everything, and we'll talk to you next time.