Stories of Heroism and Sacrifice Shape America’s Character

On Monday, May 26, 2025, Kim Monson honors Memorial Day with two extraordinary conversations: retired Air Force Colonel Bill Rutledge, 96 years young, shares the inspiring story of WWI Medal of Honor recipient Eddie Rickenbacker, while Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix reflects on sacrifice, heroism, and the Center for American Values in Pueblo, Colorado.

The Remarkable Life of Eddie Rickenbacker

Start listening at 02:29 – Hour 1

Colonel Bill Rutledge traces Eddie Rickenbacker’s journey from a poor immigrant family in Columbus, Ohio, to becoming America’s greatest WWI fighter ace. Born in 1890 to Swiss-German immigrants, Rickenbacker left school at 13 after his father’s death, becoming an apprentice machinist and eventually a pioneering race car driver. His mechanical genius caught the attention of General Billy Mitchell, leading to pilot training and a combat record of 26 German aircraft shot down in just four months.

Rutledge draws parallels between Rickenbacker and other self-made American innovators like Edison, Ford, and Bell, noting that none had formal educations yet became leaders in their fields. After WWI, Rickenbacker saved the Indianapolis Speedway from development, briefly manufactured automobiles, and later built Eastern Airlines into America’s largest commercial carrier. His 1942 ordeal surviving 22 days adrift in the Pacific after a plane crash, including catching a seagull that landed on his head to feed eight survivors, demonstrates the same resourcefulness that made him an American legend.

“But all these people did not have formal educations, but they were leaders in their field.”

Colonel Bill Rutledge, Retired U.S. Air Force

A Family’s Ultimate Sacrifice

Start listening at 10:00 – Hour 1

Jody Hinsey of Mint Financial Strategies brings personal weight to Memorial Day by sharing the story of his father’s sacrifice. His father served in the Coast Guard flying E2 Hawkeye surveillance missions over the ocean during the war on drugs in the 1990s. During one mission, the plane caught fire and crashed, killing all four servicemen aboard. Hinsey was 14 years old when he lost his father, and his older sister now serves in the Navy, continuing the family’s military legacy.

“My family has been in the military for many years. In fact, my dad was in the Coast Guard and gave his life for our country, serving our country in the Coast Guard.”

Jody Hinsey, Mint Financial Strategies

The Center for American Values and Memorial Day’s True Meaning

Start listening at 60:44 – Hour 2

Drew Dix, Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the 1968 Tet Offensive, co-founded the Center for American Values in Pueblo, Colorado, with Brad Padula 15 years ago. The center honors the four Medal of Honor recipients from Pueblo, the only city in America with four living recipients at one time, through Nick DelCaso’s powerful portrait photography and the “Beyond the Metal” documentary that earned two Emmy Awards.

Dix emphasizes that Medal of Honor recipients are recognized for saving lives, not taking them. During his 56-hour battle in Chau Doc, he rescued 14 civilians and captured 19 enemy soldiers, including a general. Yet he credits the indigenous troops who fought alongside him for saving his life. The center focuses on teaching young people that they too will have moments requiring courage and sacrifice, using the portraits and accompanying quotes to inspire the thousands of students who visit annually.

Dix shares the story of neighbor Sergeant Glenn English, who felt awkward around Medal of Honor recipients but later died heroically rescuing soldiers from a burning armored personnel carrier in Vietnam, proving that extraordinary courage exists in ordinary people. Dix reminds listeners that Memorial Day honors specifically those who gave their lives in combat: young draftees who learned to love each other and fight for something greater than themselves.

“And all of us that were veterans in combat can probably have faces that come, in our view, from the recesses of our mind about those that fell next to us and gave up their life for us and this country.”

Drew Dix, Medal of Honor Recipient