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Exclusive: Konversations with Keeme: A Chat with Richard Olson
10K views
Oct 30, 2022
Fourteen year old Ajibola Tajudeen, better known as Keeme, is the host of New Paradigm Theatre's web series now in it's third season here on BroadwayWorld. 'Konversations with Keeme' is show where Keeme interviews seasoned television and film professionals like Tamara Tunie of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Renee Lawless of Tyler Perry's The Have and the Have Nots, as well as Broadway veterans such as Emmy and Grammy winner, Paul Bogaev, and Broadway pros Christine Dwyer, Kelly Grant, Juwan Crawley and more.
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hello, my name is Aja Vola, Tajirine, but you can call me Kimi
0:13
And today you're watching Conversations with Kini, a show we ask stuff and we make stuff
0:18
Today to go with our rock star theme by Bye Birdie, we're going to be decorating rocks
0:23
Today's guest is Commander of the American Legion Association Rich Olson. Hello
0:28
How did you become a member of the American Legion? It was based on my service in the U.S. Army after high school
0:38
And what is the mission of the American Legion Association? Well, there's a few main ones, but basically it's to help and support our veterans and their families
0:49
I read that you guys provide youth programs. What do you guys do in those youth programs
0:54
That is 100% correct. The American Legion, one of our first programs was the Boy Scouts
1:00
We worked closely with the Boy Scouts. We sponsor American Legion Boys State
1:06
One of our big areas is American Legion Baseball. And we have what they call, yeah, going back to Boy State, one of our presidents, past presidents, attended Boy State
1:17
And we just finished Boy State. And we had some guests from the Capitol in Hartford
1:22
And what is your job as the commander? As the commander, my title, I am supposed to be working on programs such as what we just named
1:32
but I'm more or less ex officio on all committees. I'm like the overseer, but I delegate
1:38
I do not have to do the actual step-by-step parts, so I just more or less make sure that they get done
1:45
What is the funnest part about being in the American Legion? Well, we have our flag of the month's ceremony once a month, and when we have the cadet
1:54
show up in their uniforms, it makes me feel so proud that these young people are, you know, dedicating their time
2:01
And while they learning at the high school level they also meeting the older veterans and they experiencing I call it hands I call it living history when you able to pick up an item To me that living history So I enjoy working with the youth which are the leaders of tomorrow
2:18
I know our community and we don't a lot of times take time to thank our veterans or think about our veterans
2:28
How can we change that and what can we do to help our veterans
2:32
Well, you are correct. A lot of people just think Veterans Day and Memorial Day is the time to honor and respect our veterans
2:40
but actually every day is important to honor and remember our veterans
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because we would not have the freedoms we have today if it wasn't for our veterans
2:50
What are some social challenges that you face as a veteran? Well, the biggest area is our new veterans coming home, many of them are female
3:00
and we have issues getting them to join our association because we're able to help them with VA issues, medical, post-traumatic stress
3:11
We can defer them to the VA area that can help them. But right now we're experiencing a disconnect between the veterans coming home
3:20
and getting out of the service versus the old days where it was a little different
3:25
And you put in your time in the military branches, that basically pays for your and assist you in any medical issues you have
3:35
Like you could come home with a disability. The VA is there to help you
3:39
And it's basically a medical system for our veterans, separate from the private side
3:46
And what did you do in the service? My MOS military occupation specialty
3:53
I was an 81B20 construction draftsman based on my tech school and drafting for four years, working in industry for over four or five years, full time in part
4:04
The Army recognized that, and they ended up sending me to school, and I became an instructor
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and I worked at the U.S. Army Engineer Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and I was teaching
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two and a half years there and it was highly enjoyable highly enjoyable to meet young soldiers from all over the country and working with them and training them And not only did you teach there
4:29
but you also taught in schools, am I correct? Correct. And what was that like
4:34
I, based on my tech training in drafting, I was hired by the state of Connecticut in 1979
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as a drafting instructor and of course drafting as you know left the triangles T squares and
4:49
compasses and now it's all AutoCAD it's all on the computer so I did CAD key I did
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solid work software I was at several different schools and because I knew the
5:02
drafting I enjoyed it and I was able to give it to pass it on to new students that
5:06
wanted to learn and go into engineering going into architectural going into
5:10
machine drafting etc so The tech schools train the students in the jobs and the areas of technology that are needed for today
5:20
And I'm a firm believer in tech schools, and many people say everyone's going to college
5:27
And that's fine. But there's a percent of students working with their hands, automotive, culinary, hairdressing
5:34
Those trades are available, and some people excel once they get in them and they learn and they have a job for life
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Like I said, our biggest issue is getting them to join these veterans groups and make themselves available
5:47
As we know, this summer, NPT is doing Bye Bye Birdie, August 16th, and 17th, and we're partnering with the American Legion Association
5:55
And as a veteran, what are some words of encouragement that you would give to our men and women in the service
6:04
Well, I think the unique thing about the production of Bye Bye Birdie versus our veterans, it's related
6:13
It's the story of a gentleman that went into the service and gave of his time and talents
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And I'm just so pleased that the production company is putting this on
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And it a good tie to our veterans service groups our veterans organizations plus the field of drama and acting I think it a win So what are some words of encouragement that you would give to the men and woman in the service
6:38
Oh, just to, you know, do your job, help out where you can. These are dedicated people that
6:46
have volunteered to go in. And as they say, it's less than 1% that defend our freedoms
6:53
And they're all over the world. They're stationed all over the world. They have all different jobs
6:57
And they are the ones that are allowing us to sleep at night
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You and I can sleep at night without worrying because our troops, soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines
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they're all out there working on our behalf so that we have our freedoms
7:14
As a young leader myself, what are some words of encouragement that you give to young leaders
7:20
Just to continue what you're doing, hang in there because, as I say, the youth are our leaders
7:27
of tomorrow and we cannot stress enough that our generation has not done great on several areas
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and we're hoping that you and your generation will do better. We were discussing climate change
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global warming. Now the big argument is over plastic bags and they're eliminating the plastic
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bags. It's the environment. I mean, it's true. If we do not deal with those issues now
7:56
down the road, the future generations, they're going to have problems. You know, the water's not going to be around, the air's not going to be clean and breathable
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So the generation of today, it's good that they're exposed to these issues
8:09
So much, Mr. Olson, for joining us in conversation with Kemi. It was an amazing time
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I learned so much from you about veterans and everything. And you young leaders out there, remember, your voice is your power
8:20
So use it. Kimmy out. Conversations with Kemi is produced with support from the Department of Exhibition
8:25
and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency
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