Vote For Paragon
Hear my message, trust my vision
Welcome to my speeches page. Here, you will find videos and transcripts of my addresses to the esteemed members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of California. My aim is for you to trust the information presented and feel confident in my role as your Jr. Vice Commander. Together, let us advance the mission of our great organization.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
There comes a time in every organization when we must ask ourselves a very important question:
Are we here to serve ourselves… or are we here to serve veterans?
Far too often during campaigns, we hear voices trying to win support through fear, division, and negativity. We hear stories exaggerated beyond reality. We hear constant cries that the sky is falling. We hear accusations, rumors, and endless complaints about what is supposedly broken within our Department.
It begins to sound less like leadership… and more like Chicken Little running through the streets shouting that the sky is falling.
But leadership is not about creating panic.
Leadership is not about manufacturing outrage.
Leadership is not about tearing down the very organization we claim to love.
True leadership is about solutions.
If someone wants to become a Department Officer of the VFW in the great State of California, then the question should not simply be:
“What is wrong?”
The real question should be:
“What are you going to do about it?”
How will you increase services to homeless veterans?
How will you strengthen struggling Posts?
How will you recruit the next generation of combat veterans into our organization?
How will you support veterans suffering from PTSD, addiction, loneliness, and suicide?
How will you improve training for Post leadership?
How will you modernize communication while preserving our traditions?
How will you help veterans’ families who are struggling to survive in California?
Those are the conversations that matter.
Because veterans do not benefit from political theater.
A veteran sleeping in his car does not care about campaign gossip.
A widow trying to keep her home does not care about manufactured drama.
A young combat veteran battling depression does not care about rumors and division inside meeting halls.
They care whether we show up.
They care whether we help.
They care whether the VFW still stands for service above self.
We must remember that the VFW was not built by complainers.
It was built by veterans who faced impossible odds and still found ways to accomplish the mission.
Our predecessors stormed beaches.
They survived jungles.
They endured frozen mountains and burning deserts.
They did not spend their energy spreading fear among one another.
They solved problems together.
And that is exactly what we must do today.
We should not campaign by convincing members that the Department is hopeless.
We should campaign by inspiring members with a vision for the future.
Not fear.
Not division.
Not constant accusations.
But vision.
A vision where every Post has support.
A vision where Department leadership works together instead of against each other.
A vision where veterans know the VFW is once again the strongest voice for advocacy, compassion, and action in California.
The strongest leaders are not the loudest critics.
The strongest leaders are the ones willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work.
So let us reject the politics of fear.
Let us reject the endless crying wolf.
Let us reject negativity disguised as leadership.
And let us move forward with courage, professionalism, unity, and purpose.
Because at the end of the day, this organization does not belong to candidates.
It belongs to veterans.
And they deserve leaders focused not on drama…
but on service.
Thank you, God bless the Veterans of Foreign Wars, God bless the State of California, and God bless our veterans and their families.
PTSD Speech
“The Smile We Don’t See Through”
Ladies and gentlemen,
I want to tell you about a man I know.
You’ve seen him before. Maybe you’ve had a drink with him. Maybe you’ve shaken his hand at a meeting. He laughs at the right moments, tells a good story, and if you asked him how he’s doing… he’d look you straight in the eye and say,
“I’m doing just fine.”
He’s a combat veteran.
He lives alone now. The house is quiet. Too quiet.
The walls don’t talk back—but his memories do.
Every morning, he puts on that face. That smile. That armor.
Because that’s what he was trained to do… push through, carry the weight, never let anyone see you bleed.
But here’s the truth—when the door closes… the smile disappears.
Because inside, he’s still carrying the battlefield.
The sounds. The faces. The moments he can’t change.
The brothers he lost.
The guilt he can’t explain.
And the silence that follows him everywhere.
And here’s what should stop every one of us in our tracks:
In the most recent data, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in a single year—that’s about 17 veterans every single day. (military.com)
Seventeen.
That means while we sit here today… by the time this day ends… we will lose more.
And even more troubling—nearly 61% of those veterans were not connected to VA care. (VA News)
They weren’t in the system.
They weren’t asking for help.
Or maybe… they didn’t know where to go.
That man I told you about?
He’s not a statistic.
He’s not a number.
He’s one of us.
And the reality is—veterans are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide as non-veterans.
So when we say this is a crisis… we’re not speaking in general terms.
We are speaking about our brothers.
Our sisters.
Our family.
But here’s where this story changes.
Because that man… he doesn’t have to fight alone.
That’s why the Veterans of Foreign Wars exists.
We are not just an organization.
We are a lifeline.
We are the place where that man can walk in… sit down… and not have to pretend.
Where someone looks at him—not through him—and says,
“I see you. I understand you. You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.”
We are the ones who reach out when he goes quiet.
We are the ones who notice when he stops showing up.
We are the ones who pick up the phone… knock on the door… and refuse to let him disappear.
Because losing even one more… is unacceptable.
Not one more chair empty.
Not one more flag folded.
Not one more family asking “why.”
So I ask you—every one of you here today:
Be vigilant.
Be present.
Be the one who reaches out.
Because sometimes… the strongest soldier you know…
is the one silently asking for help.
And together—through the VFW—we will stand in that gap.
And we will make damn sure…
we don’t lose one more.
By the way. That man was me.
Thank you.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Once upon a time, a young service member raised their right hand and swore an oath—not for recognition, not for reward, but for something greater than themselves.
Once upon a time, that same spirit carried men and women through hardship, through sacrifice, and through moments that would define the rest of their lives.
And once upon a time… those warriors came home.
But the story didn’t end there.
For too many veterans, the next chapter became one of isolation, uncertainty, and navigating a system that didn’t always understand them. That is where organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars step in—not just as a place to gather, but as a force to advocate, support, and lead.
Today, we are writing the next chapter of that story.
A chapter where we don’t wait for veterans to find us—we reach them.
A chapter where posts are not just buildings, but hubs of purpose, connection, and action.
A chapter where leadership is not about titles—but about responsibility.
I stand before you not just as a candidate for Jr. Vice Commander, but as someone who has lived the journey—from service, to struggle, to rebuilding, and now to serving again in a different uniform.
My mission is clear:
To grow our membership—not just in numbers, but in engagement and purpose.
To strengthen our posts by equipping leaders with the tools, training, and support they need to succeed.
To ensure every veteran—especially our post-9/11 brothers and sisters—knows there is a place for them here.
And to lead with accountability—because leadership is not about pointing fingers, it is about owning the outcome.
We cannot afford division. We cannot afford complacency. And we cannot afford to forget why we exist.
The future of the VFW will not be decided by circumstance—it will be decided by us.
So I'm asking for your vote:
Let’s write this next chapter together.
Not as individuals.
Not as separate posts.
But as one unified force—committed to those who have borne the battle.
Because once upon a time, someone answered the call.
Now it’s our turn.
Please elect me as your next Jr. Vice Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
Livermore Speech
Comrades,
I want to tell you about a man I know.
You’ve seen him before. Maybe you’ve had a drink with him. Maybe you’ve shaken his hand at a meeting. He laughs at the right moments, tells a good story, and if you asked him how he’s doing… he’d look you straight in the eye and say,
“I’m doing just fine.”
He’s a combat veteran.
His wife has passed, He lives alone now. The house is quiet. Too quiet.
The walls don’t talk back—but his memories do.
Every morning, he puts on that face. That smile. That armor.
Because that’s what he was trained to do… push through, carry the weight, never let anyone see you bleed.
But here’s the truth—when the door closes… the smile disappears.
Because inside, he’s still carrying the battlefield.
The sounds. The faces. The moments he can’t change.
The brothers he lost.
The guilt he can’t explain.
And the silence that follows him everywhere.
And here’s what should stop every one of us in our tracks:
In the most recent data, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in a single year—that’s about 17 veterans every single day.
Seventeen.
That means while we sit here today… by the time this day ends… we will lose more.
And even more troubling—nearly 61% of those veterans were not connected to VA care.
They weren’t in the system.
They weren’t asking for help.
Or maybe… they didn’t know where to go.
That man I told you about?
He’s not a statistic.
He’s not a number.
He’s one of us.
And the reality is—veterans are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide as non-veterans.
So when we say this is a crisis… we’re not speaking in general terms.
We are speaking about our brothers.
Our sisters.
Our family.
But here’s where this story changes.
Because that man… he doesn’t have to fight alone.
That’s why the Veterans of Foreign Wars exists.
We are not just an organization.
We are a lifeline.
We are the place where that man can walk in… sit down… and not have to pretend.
Where someone looks at him—not through him—and says,
“I see you. I understand you. You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.”
We are the ones who reach out when he goes quiet.
We are the ones who notice when he stops showing up.
We are the ones who pick up the phone… knock on the door… and refuse to let him disappear.
Because losing even one more… is unacceptable.
Not one more chair empty.
Not one more flag folded.
Not one more family asking “why.”
So I ask you—every one of you here today:
Be vigilant.
Be present.
Be the one who reaches out.
Because sometimes… the strongest soldier you know…
is the one silently asking for help.
And together—through the VFW—we will stand in that gap.
And we will make damn sure…
we don’t lose one more.
This is why I am running for Jr. Vice Commander of the VFW.
So we can do our best not to lose one more comrade.
Thank you.