Memorial Day Special: We Talked to Veterans
Many rural veterans join the Hot Dish for this special Memorial Day episode. Marine Corps Infantryman and North Dakota Army National Guard First Sergeant Bradley Aune discusses issues veterans face when rejoining civilian life. North Dakota Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Jessica Petrick offers her perspective on what Memorial Day means to her. And One Country Project board member and former Senator and Member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, Joe Donnelly, leads a discussion with Brigadier General Art Austin, Master General Frank Morales, and Staff Sergeant Sean Coulter about their experience with VA services.
On this Memorial Day week, gain a deeper understanding of what it means to transition from military to civilian life and how vital public programs and support systems are for veterans. Hosts Heidi and Joel Heitkamp emphasize the need for collective action and listening to veterans’ voices to improve systems meant to serve them. This episode will remind us all of the ongoing cost of service, the importance of advocating for continued funding, and the strength found in rural communities as they support their own.
Join us on The Hot Dish every other week, where we serve up hearty conversations that resonate with every corner of the country.
The Hot Dish is brought to you by the One Country Project, making sure the voices of the rest of us are heard in Washington. To learn more, visit https://onecountryproject.org or find us at https://onecountryproject.substack.com/.
On this Memorial Day week, gain a deeper understanding of what it means to transition from military to civilian life and how vital public programs and support systems are for veterans. Hosts Heidi and Joel Heitkamp emphasize the need for collective action and listening to veterans’ voices to improve systems meant to serve them. This episode will remind us all of the ongoing cost of service, the importance of advocating for continued funding, and the strength found in rural communities as they support their own.
Join us on The Hot Dish every other week, where we serve up hearty conversations that resonate with every corner of the country.
The Hot Dish is brought to you by the One Country Project, making sure the voices of the rest of us are heard in Washington. To learn more, visit https://onecountryproject.org or find us at https://onecountryproject.substack.com/.
Creators and Guests
Host
Heidi Heitkamp
U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp served as the first female senator elected from North Dakota from 2013 – 2019. he is the founder and Chair of the One Country Project, an organization focused on addressing the needs and concerns of rural America. Heidi was recently named the Director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, a university she has long been committed to and a place where she enjoys engaging with students over civic discussions while encouraging them to seek opportunities in public service to our country. Heidi also serves as a contributor to both CNBC and ABC News.
Host
Joel Heitkamp
He is an multi-award winning talk show host both regionally and nationally. Before radio, he served in the North Dakota Senate from 1995-2008.
Guest
Art Austin
Brigadier General Austin served in the Army from 1977-2014 and served during the Cuba Refugee Crisis, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Operation Enduring Freedom, and for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Austin has also received numerous medals and awards and is an inductee in the Michigan State University ROTC Spartan Battalion Hall of Fame.
Guest
Bradley Aune
Bradley Aune served 22 years in the military as an active duty Marine Corps Infantryman, and member of the North Dakota Army National Guard. He was a past Commander and current executive board member of the Fargo Legion Post #2. He has received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Operation Earnest Will – Persian Gulf 1987 and the Bronze Star Medal for his actions in Iraq leading 100 North Dakota Soldiers in combat as the Unit’s First Sergeant.
Guest
Frank Morales
Master Sergeant Morales is currently the Director of the Military Aligned Student Program at St. Bonaventure University. He was awarded the Silver Star medal, which was bestowed for his heroic actions on Aug. 26, 2006, when Morales’s unit was ambushed. He was inducted in 2024 by State Sen. George Borrello in the Senate Veteran Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding service and dedication to the nation and fellow veterans.
Guest
Jessica Petrick
Jessica Petrick is a business leader, Army National Guard veteran, and dedicated community advocate from southwestern North Dakota. She holds an MBA in Business Management from the University of Mary, served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and currently serves as Vice President of People Operations at HIT, Inc a large nonprofit that serves people with disabilities and low-income families.
Guest
Joe Donnelly
He is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013 and as a U.S. Senator from 2013 to 2019.
Guest
Sean Coulter
Lieutenant Colonel Coulter served honorably for 23 years with assignments that included Chief Operations for the 25th Infantry Division, Commander of Logistics for the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment 1st Armored Division in Iraq, as well as Senior Advisor to the Afghan Army. He was the former Professor of Military Science at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY.
