This is the VIC 4 VETS, Weekly Honored Veteran. SUBMITTED BY: JOE RUSCH  Jim Mayerwho is a US Army veteran that served in Vietnam. He will be inducted in the Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame on Friday, October 24th. The ceremony will take place in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Jefferson City. Just two months into his Army service in Vietnam, Jim was on patrol when he stepped on a land mine.  He ended up losing both of his legs below the knee.   April 25th, 1969 is the day that changed his life and in turn, it has changed the lives of hundreds, if not  thousands of other veterans with whom he came in contact.   Every April 25th, Jim celebrates his  “Alive Day” with family and friends to note this turning point in his life. The “Milkshake Man” was born in the early 1990s.  He has had an impact on many veterans who have  suffered similar injuries.  During visits to Walter Reed Hospital, Jim started bringing them McDonalds  milkshakes to make them feel more at home and give them a feeling of comfort.  Jim worked at the VA from 1978 to 2007 and then moved to the Wounded Warrior Project as the  Director of Peer Mentoring from 2007 to 2016. Jim was inducted into the Affton (MO) High School Hall of Fame in 2009.  Jim was a member of the Affton H.S. class of 1964.     https://afftoneducationfoundation.org/hall_of_fame Below are links to various articles about Jim that highlight his story and service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVQws0Gzy0 https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/PersonOfWeek/story?id=131829&page=1   Jim has worked with the Aleethia Foundation to help provide thousands of free steak dinners to injured veterans and  their families as part of their recovery. https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/troops/2013/october/ocw-among-wounded-warriors-dinner-sponsors Jim’s service was immortalized in a Doonesbury comic strip. https://news.va.gov/press-room/emissary-of-hope-honored-for-aid-to-combat-veterans/ ________________________________________________________________  This Week’s VIC 4 VETS, Honored Veteran on NewsTalkSTL.With support from our friends at:Alamo Military Collectables,  and Monical’s PizzaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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