#226: Marine Corp Veteran Scott Stump, President and CEO, National Desert Storm Memorial Association
This week’s Borne the Battle episode features Marine Corps Veteran Scott Stump, who discusses his military career to becoming President and CEO of the National Desert Storm Memorial Association.
Stump became intrigued with joining the military while in college and soon decided to follow in the footsteps of several family members who served before him. Stump discusses serving 4 1/2 years in the Marine Corps Reserve, being activated for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, learning valuable lessons in the military, and transitioning into civilian life.
While on active duty, Stump was so dedicated to finish his college degree that he would complete assignments right in the fighting hole. In the episode, he shares an interesting story about the conversation he had with the dean of his school on a field phone while serving overseas. Stump also provides a surprising fact about how Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield reshaped the relationship between the American public and those who serve in the military. Later on, Stump talks about how the air campaign's effectiveness helped save his life and many American soldiers' lives in Desert Storm also referred to as the 100-hour ground war.
Also, Stump discusses how he got the idea for building the memorial in 2010, after actively serving in Kuwait for six months and working in business for many years. He would soon begin devoting his time to lead the project and in its 11th year, became the CEO and president. He shares the importance of selecting the right board members for the project, honoring Desert Storm Veterans with a memorial, and the process for getting the memorial approved and funded.
The memorial is set to break ground this year and will be near the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. Stump explains that the goal of the memorial is to encourage visitors to educate themselves about the events of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, support the nearly 700,000 Desert Storm Veterans and honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to their country.
Finally, Stump shares advice on how Veteran volunteers can become actively involved in the project, how larger Veteran Service Organizations have been major contributors in its funding, and how potential donors can have public recognition on-site at the memorial.
Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:
Marine Corps Veteran General Walter Boomer
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