Lead Balloon Ep. 71 - America's Brand: Reclaiming Patriotism for Regular Americans, with Dr. Joe Trahan

How did one side corner the market on branding patriotism?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDNMjAthkow

Every nation on the planet is its own brand.

And love of country plays a part in each one.

But here in the U.S., the very notion of patriotism has been polarized.

Culture warriors have attempted to unilaterally define what it means to be American, and they paint anyone who disagrees as unpatriotic.

Dr. Joe Trahan (APR Fellow PRSA)

So how did one extremist ideology corner the market on American patriotism? Why is it imperative for regular Americans to reclaim the American brand? And why is the so-called “opposition” SO BAD at branding and messaging?

A respected public relations leader, government PR trainer and service member Dr. Joe Trahan joins us to discuss.

Dr. Joe is the founder of Trahan and Associates, a recognized leader in media relations and crisis communications for more than 23 years. He's a former member of the PRSA national board. Earlier in his career, he achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel in the US Army Reserve, and commanded the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center. And as an instructor, he has taught media relations to thousands of pupils in 46 U.S. states, 5 NATO allies, Mexico and Paraguay, in addition to teaching PIO courses at FEMA for more than 20 years.

Together, we'll honor 250 years of American exceptionalism by doubling down on the principles that actually made this country great: service, civil discourse, and compromise.

Transcript:

Dusty Weis

Forgive me if this seems crass to say out loud.

But whether we openly acknowledge it or not, every nation on the planet is a brand.

Japan has high-tech and anime. Brazil has bright colors and beaches. And in France, they regularly and unabashedly celebrate the literal beheading of tyrants.

And love of country plays a role in the brand of each and every nation on Earth.

It's just that here in the United States, patriotism is such a big part of our brand that the very notion itself has been polarized.

Donald Trump

I believe they hate our country, okay? I believe they hate our country.

Ann Coulter

Some portion of the left just genuinely hates America. I mean, they've hated it for 50 years.

Tucker Carlson

In order to undermine a country that they hate, yes hate. America deserves to be in flames. That is their view.

Dusty Weis

The president, MAGA and other culture warriors have seized the branding initiative in this country, claiming only they can dictate what it means to be an American and painting anyone who disagrees with them as unpatriotic.

Dr. Joe Trahan

That's my flag. How dare you hijack my flag? I served my nation. We look at our constitution and it says we can do peaceful protest.

Dusty Weis

So on this episode, how did this extremist ideology corner the market on American patriotism? Why is it imperative for regular Americans to reclaim the American brand? And why is the so-called opposition so bad at branding and messaging?

A respected public relations leader, government PR trainer and service member, Doctor Joe Trahan joins us to discuss.

No, it's not our typical fare here on Lead Balloon.

But yes, as we look to the next 250 years of our exceptional republic, I think it's an important conversation for us to have.

I'm Dusty Weis. From Podcamp Media, this is Lead Balloon, a podcast about important stories from the worlds of PR, marketing and branding told by the well-meaning communications professionals who live them.

Thanks for tuning in.

Our guest today is someone with a demonstrated track record of both public relations success and service to his nation.

Doctor Joe Trahan is the founder of Trahan and Associates, a recognized leader in media relations and crisis communications for more than 45 years. A former member of the PRSA National Board, earlier in his career, he achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and commanded the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center.

As an instructor, he's taught media relations to thousands of pupils in 46 U.S. states, five NATO allies, Mexico and Paraguay, in addition to teaching PIO courses at FEMA for more than 20 years.

And his resumé goes on and on like this. But at some point, I just need to finish introducing the guy and start the show here.

So Doctor Joe Trahan, thank you for joining us here on Lead Balloon.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Thank you Dusty. It's an honor.

Dusty Weis

Doctor Joe, I invited you on the show here because I think that you're someone like me with a deep love of country, but also like me. I think that you're distressed in the year 2026 to see what patriotism has come to mean for some folks, but equally distressed that there seem to be other folks who appear to be giving up on the notion of national pride.

So we're going to roll up our sleeves and we're going to dig into these pretty heavy topics here. But before we do that, I'd like to dive in a little bit more into your remarkable background. Can you tell us about your career and how you got your start and how you came up?

Dr. Joe Trahan

Well, initially I was an armor officer in the Army. Of course, I went to Tulane University for my undergraduate and degree in history, but I always loved communication. And then the Army found out after about a year and they said, man, you're impressive. You write well, you speak well. How would you like to go to the public affairs school?

I said, sure. So the rest is history. They sent me to Fort Ben Harrison in 1981. We chiseled then. I tell my granddaughter that, I mean, it's long before and the internet had been invented or anything. We had press releases that were actually typed out and faxed, and I just fell in love with it. I got to tell the story of the greatest military on the face of the earth, the the men and women that raised their right hand and said, and I think this is an important point.

I will defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And I fell in love with it. And then after that, I did nine years as a DoD civilian. I traveled the world. I did media training for all senior Pentagon people, NATO folks. I actually trained Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, failed miserably in that four hour block of instruction.

But it was just a wonderful thing. And I'd always been a servant leader. And then in 2023, I decided to open... I'm sorry, 2003. I just been, wow, 23 years since the business I started. I opened Trahan and Associates. I just fell in love with it. I mean, what better job to tell them? And the Army made mistakes.

I dealt with five crises, I mean. But but again, the important thing is telling their story.

And just like my father taught me, it's one of the few professions other, I think, than firefighter and police officers. You give your organization everything, including a blank check that says, I'll give you my life. If I have to. So that's where it all started.

I just fell in love with it. It's a wonderful career. I mean, it's just fantastic in my mind.

Dusty Weis

It's a remarkable career path that you've had, and certainly as strategic communicators, we are shaped by the stories that we get to tell throughout the course of our careers.

Yours includes presidential task Force Andrew, following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 1993, an organization near and dear to my heart and the 50th anniversary of Operation Overlord… That's D-Day… in 1994.

Those are all incredible stories that you got to have a hand in shaping. Certainly a good deal of your career has been rooted in public service.

And when you look around a boardroom in 2026, not everybody can say that. Is that just where your career took you, or did you feel called to serve your country?

Dr. Joe Trahan

I really think, you know, my my parents taught us and I'm an Eagle Scout as well. So was my brother. My dad was an assistant scoutmaster. And, you know, I think it started as a young age. I mean, I think my dad was a marine. My papa, my Italian grandfather was in the Navy in World War two. I mean, my uncle was in the Marines.

I mean, so the example started as a boy. I just sought out a career, of service. I wanted to serve first my country, my state. And of course, in Louisiana it’s a parish, it’s not a county. My city, my town. I just think giving back is part of what citizenship is about.

And I'm still involved in my community. I want to change my corner of the world and make it better for my daughter, my granddaughter, and and children yet unborn that I may never see once I once I go up with God at the big public relations firm in the sky, you know. And because he's got everything right, I don't think he’ll need my advice.

But, I just think it started as a boy. I think my parents ingrained all three of us for service.

Dusty Weis

And and certainly your credentials mean that your love of country is beyond question. It's unassailable. Yet when we chatted, we got introduced a couple of months back, you told me that you had been out protesting, right? Chanting, carrying signs.

Dr. Joe Trahan

No kings, no kings!

Dusty Weis

Raising some rabble.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Yeah, baby! Democracy!

Dusty Weis

There are those. I won't name names, but there are those who have tried to say that protesters are people who hate our country. So how do you reconcile your decision to protest with your love of country?

Dr. Joe Trahan

Well, you know, to me it is my love of country that I do it. Because if you look at our Constitution, it says we can do peaceful protest, and even our founding fathers said, if this nation, if this government is not working, we need to fix it. And I think that is what truly democracy is. I think it's the, the, the fact that we can protest peacefully without fear of retribution.

I think freedom of the press is critical. I mean, I don't believe this B.S. about fake news.

I'm sorry. I've worked with the media all my life. I've disagreed with stories and I've held them accountable. But they have the right to do that. But I go after them. I said, this is here's the facts.

I also believe in freedom of speech. I think those elements are so critical during democracy. It hurts my soul to see now that government entities that I respect that and have turned against our own citizens because they disagree with what they said, like Colbert coming off the air.

Every president since George Washington has had to deal with the media and people sniping at them. That's the nature of the beast. I mean, even Sherman said war is hell, but yet he talked to reporters anyway, and he didn't like reporters.

To me, I'm more of a American. I hate to guess I'm tooting my own horn. The fact that I've served my nation.

And I got to tell you, Dusty, when it all started. Well, really, the storming of the Capitol really hurt my soul in 2021. And I thought my flag had been hijacked. So for a brief moment, I thought, I fly my flag every day outside. I've got a light that comes on. My dad was buried under that flag.

I have his flag over there. I mean, that's my flag. How dare you hijack my flag. I served my nation. So I'm pretty adamant. Demonstrations. To me, it feels so uplifting to go. And there's a lot of veterans around me. When I did the first one and the other. So it's and it's a whole bunch of different people demonstrating. So it's really kind of cool.

Dusty Weis

And what, what I don't think gets talked about enough is the fact that when you're out there protesting, you're engaged in a very active form of patriotism and standing up for the principles upon which this nation was founded.

And that is, of course, opposed by what I would term performative patriotism for people that fly the flag, wear a t shirt with the flag on it, say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Do all of that, but then do everything that they can to undermine the principles that this country is supposed to have been founded on.

And I think that it's about time that there were more people who stood up and said, hey, love of country doesn't mean turning a blind eye to the faults of the nation, current and past, and celebrating it without question. I think that there is a deeper form of patriotism that is maybe a little more nuanced. It's maybe a little harder for some people to understand.

But unfortunately, and this is where we tie this conversation... I swore we would get here... This is where we tie the conversation to a show about marketing and strategic communication. Because it doesn't fit on a t shirt.

“America is the best,” is good messaging.

“America is great because of the ideals upon which it was founded, and while it has accomplished great things, it has also very often fallen short of those ideals, especially in this very moment... So we should acknowledge that and work together to help it live up to those ideals and become truly great...” Doesn't make me want to run out and slap that on a bumper sticker on my truck, Joe.

Dr. Joe Trahan

I agree with it, you know, and I'm driven by. I'm a big history buff, but you can't see it. I've got 3,000 pounds of books. I have a serious addiction. I don't smoke, I don't drink anymore. But Stephen Decatur's quote always struck me. My country. Right or wrong, it's my country. I mean, America to me is it's made mistakes, but it's still that beacon on a hill.

I mean, people come to our shores, because they believe in the ideals. And you're right, what you said about the Founding Fathers, they knew this wasn't a perfect one. I mean, even Franklin was asked by some lady after, what do we have here Dr. Franklin? He said, a republic, if you can keep it. Now we're letting down our allies and NATO.

We're turning against people that have been our friends. The French were our longest ally. They were the first one to recognize us, and now we wouldn't be here. I mean, and basically embracing our enemies. I mean, I just it blows my mind.

Dusty Weis

Can I tell you about a year back, I was up in upstate New York, Syracuse area, out on business with some clients, and it just so happened that there was a hockey game on between the U.S. and Canada. And of course, there's a border very, very close to there.

And so there were a lot of Canadians in the room with us while we were watching that hockey game.

I've known Canadians for all 41 of my years on this planet. They have always been the nicest, kindest, most accommodating folks. I got a couple of whiskeys in some Canadians that night and they let her rip. The way that the way that this country has turned on one of our oldest and closest allies to the north there, they have every right to be disappointed in the way that they have been treated here.

But getting back to the notion of messaging, then, how is it that the people that see nuance, that the people that really buy into the principles upon which this country was founded, how is it that we have so thoroughly lost the messaging battle for years now?

What are we doing wrong?

Dr. Joe Trahan

I think we're not. We don't have continuity and consistency. I think we've been, to me, cowards to speak our mind. I get in trouble in public. My my wife said, what do you do? It infuriates me. I mean, we hear the other side talk and we don't say anything. Well, guess what? I'm going to be 72. I don't care.

We have lost the messaging initiative to move forward. What do we stand for? What are our principles? I mean, to me, civility, courtesy, kindness. I mean, the words we hear by the so-called leaders that denigrate human beings. That's wrong. That's wrong. How dare you do that? So I think we need a campaign, a strategic campaign. If I was doing the political communicating for the the other party, so to speak, and I've got friends over there, I push them. We need to do...

Tell me, what are you going to do for the American people? Tell me, because right now what I mean, I mean my wife, you know, we're we're okay now financially. I mean, we built a lifetime. But, man, like people like you or my daughter or my son, you know, they I mean, I think we need to have messages said this is how are we going to do what we're going to do to help you with affordability?

This is what we're going to do to maybe help you buy a house. This is you know, what I see right now in our government is people don't care about anybody but their selves.

And that infuriates me. I just I was taught totally different. So, you know, I, I do my little bit that I can do, but I think that's where the messaging is.

I think we need to be aggressive and proactive and tell them what we're going to do to help fix this. That's what I think. I'm a football fan.

Dusty Weis

I know you're a football fan too. My old man, also a Packers fan, he likes to say that you can't win if you're playing not to lose. And right now I would say that the opposition, quote unquote, is playing not to lose when it comes to messaging, when it comes to their strategy. But, here's the thing.

I'm a former journalist, and so I try to see why people say and feel the way that they say and feel all the time. Empathy is is a blessing and a curse for me. And so sometimes I have to turn a critical eye to our side, quote-unquote, and admit that there are shortcomings. For instance, I saw a headline a couple of weeks back that hit me really hard, and it was in the New York Post, which is owned by the Murdochs.

So take it with a grain of salt, because but they were crowing on the front page of the New York Post, fewer than 1 in 5 Dems feel proud to be American. And this, of course, was bandied about by the Tucker Carlsons and the Ann Coulters and every other hack pundit whose sole purpose in life is to try to paint liberals as the bad guys.

But the fact of the matter is, it's not wrong, Joe. I know people like this. You know, people like this. Why do they feel that way? And is it the same as “hating America” as it's portrayed?

Dr. Joe Trahan

I don't I wonder why. I mean, you know, there's things about my country I don't like that, you know, like, and we look at, but, and I, we've traveled, I've traveled, you've traveled. I mean, I love other places and got friends all over the world, matter of fact. But I'm proud to be an American. You know, I think some of the people feel that they're not being respected.

I think that's the bottom line. I think my Italian grandfather had this adage about dealing with human behavior. Of course, he carried two pistols, but he was the nicest man I ever knew. He had blond hair, blue eyes. He was only about five foot seven. I'm six foot. And he would say, it's not what you say to people.

It's what they feel when you walk away about you. And that is really following me through life because I don't think these people who are the 1 in 5 or the four that don't like it, I don't think they feel respected. I don't think they feel that our country or at least our country leaders have said, you're respected here.

We're glad you're here. Whether you're black, yellow, red, homosexual, gay. Whatever. Like that's what I think. I think that's so they don't feel, And of course, I was taught citizenship as a young age, but I was also taught inclusion with that, even though being Cajun and Italian. I mean, you know, you were kind of an outsider anyway, on both of those counts.

So, that's what I believe. And I could be totally wrong, but I think it's all about respect. It's all about respecting people. And I think that those four people that the New York Times said don't feel good about America, they don't feel good about an America that doesn't respect them. That's what I think.

Dusty Weis

Well, and I think that's a perfectly rational reaction in a short term sense. Yeah. But if I'm feeling like I'm being shut out of my own country, that's where I think the rational response is to step up and double down on your patriotism. To step up and say, no, this is my country. You won't shut me out of the promise that's made in the Constitution.

Dr. Joe Trahan

I agree with that. And I think people don't want to get involved to do that. I mean, you know, what's the old adage you got to change it from the inside? I agree with that. And I think the Democratic Party needs to be doing it. You know, we're part of America, and this is what we're going to do to bring our ideals back in.

I mean, if America stands for anything, it stands for bringing all those immigrants together and making a nation. But we have to have common beliefs, common values. I mean, I know the history of our country. I know the people that have suffered. But that history includes blacks, women, Indians, I mean, young, old, gay. I mean, I served with gay soldiers in the army.

I mean, that was before don't ask, don't tell. I knew that, but I looked at a person. If you're going to put on a uniform and raise your right hand and say, I'll defend it, I'm fine with that. I mean, you know. So I think you're right, Dusty. I think civics education would be a good thing. Probably in grammar school.

I think that's when I had it, middle school, and I remember we had a civics course in high school that was taught by a black man. And you know what he said? He said the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star-Spangled Banner is propaganda. I remember people rose up. My dad thought that was great and he had been a marine.

My dad said, he's right. This is propaganda. But it's OUR propaganda. You know? And so I think, I think an education with civics may help. Of course, I'm not a political leader, but I think that's where it needs to be taught... a respect there for inclusion.

Dusty Weis

And critical thinking too. But I do think that there is a tendency among people who think deeply about things to want to shy away from things that feel shallow or hollow.

Marketers, for their part, have fully embraced patriotism as a means of hocking everything from beer to trucks to the NFL. We got we got a full dose of that with the 250th anniversary celebration for our nation here, but how has would you say the commercialization of patriotism evolved over time, and how has that changed our relationship with it?

Dr. Joe Trahan

I think it's in every part of our of our world now. Everything to me is commercialized. Not that it's bad, but again, everything's marketing. I mean, like this recent celebration of 250 years. I mean, I, you know, to me, the best celebration would be to read the Declaration of Independence. That's what I did on the 4th of July.

I mean, how many people have read that? But I think I think the commercialization and marketing, it really has taken away the true meaning of what it is. That's why one of the best things we did... we did it a few years ago, we moved here in 2020. A friend of mine is named Jim Ogden. He's the historian park historian at Chickamauga Chattanooga, and he led this torchlight walk in the Chattanooga Veterans Cemetery.

And we went to the graves of a few soldiers, and he talked about them. And that was on Memorial Day. And to me, the real meaning of something like that is those who have fallen. Because people say, “Happy Memorial Day.” No, it's not Happy Memorial Day.

We're paying homage to those who have died. So I think the commercialization is taking it away from the true meaning.

I mean, every, every sport does it? I mean, the World Cup even had stuff for the 250 and that thing swept by. I don't know if it ends. How does it end? People jump on that wagon and buy things for commercialization, you know?

Dusty Weis

Well and like you said, lose sight of what it's really about. You know, this branding of, oh, it's America's 250th birthday. It's not a four year old kid. We're not going to put on funny hats and have a clown dancing around. We're recognizing the 250th anniversary of an epochal moment in history, born of turmoil and blood and big ideas.

So I really don't have a whole lot of interest in going to the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, or seeing a bunch of UFC fighters beat the crap out of each other on the White House lawn. That ain't what it's about.

Our nation is recognizing another anniversary this year, and this one's a little more somber. It's the 25th anniversary in September here of the 9/11 attacks.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Oh my God.

Dusty Weis

How did that event change Americans' relationship with patriotism, would you say?

Dr. Joe Trahan

Well, I was, I'll give you where I was going to be. I was at the Defense Information School, a school I graduated from in 1981 and trained all officers, enlisted NCOs, civilians and allies currently friendly with the United States in public affairs. I was the master of Public Affairs instructor, DoD Media Relations trainer.

On that morning, I was supposed to be going to the Pentagon to meet with the Navy Public Affairs Office. I started out the door to to go to the door to go to my car and, and hit the one of the metro lines into the Pentagon, and I my phone rang my landline. And I, for some reason, I walked back to get it and it was a master chief.

There was saying, “Dr. Joe, meeting's been postponed today.” We're going to meet the next day and talk about public affairs training for the Navy. I said, “Okay, chief, I'll see you tomorrow.” So as I put the phone down, one of the other instructors came around, said, hey, doctor, you got to come see there's an accident in New York.

I mean, we all thought the first plane was an accident. And then as we stood there, the second one came around and hit the other building and you went, that ain't an accident. I'm an intelligent, and I thought to myself, what else is going on? So later in the day, about nine something, the Pentagon got hit. The exact spot I was supposed to be was where the plane hit.

And those 13 people I was meeting with were sitting there. They died. I would have been one of them. I mean, it was it the by the grace of God, I'm here. So that afternoon, they sent us home at 4:30. I can vividly remember they brought us all together for an all hands meeting. They canceled all the classes. Everybody go home.

I remember coming out of a building at Fort Meade, which is near the BWI airport, and usually it's full of traffic because it's an airport. And you know what was overhead, Dusty? There were five fighter jets fully armed. And they were they were cruising at 1000ft and they had rockets on and I had goosebumps. And then the next morning they told us to come in, and the security was so tight that people got in their cars.

They didn't complain. We sang American patriotic songs for three hours waiting to get through security, and I think that moment galvanized our country. There was no red states and blue states. There was only American states, and the whole world, at least the ones that were allies and some people like, even Saudi Arabia and Egypt, even joined us in the crusade to strike back.

So, yeah, I think that was a that was a moment that I got goosebumps right now thinking about the American flags. Every, every, every person flew an American flag, every person.

Dusty Weis

And that's an incredible story. And, and certainly I think a lot of us look back at, you know, people talk about 9/12 as being one of the finest moments for Americans. George W Bush, giving that speech through the bullhorn in the wreckage of the World Trade Centers and all of that. And we were we were all united.

But I'll tell you this. What followed in the 2 or 3 years that came after 9/11, actually stands out to me as one of the first times that I ever felt conflicted about my love of country because that unification that patriotism that had been mobilized was redirected.

It was manipulated into something where we didn't need to be the invasion of Iraq. And I felt conflicted for the first time in my life because I saw that patriotism, while good, can still be used by people to do bad things in its name. And then this notion that as long as you slapped a support our troops yellow ribbon on your SUV, that you could vote to send our young men and women to fight this needless war and still be a good American...

But anyone who spoke out against that needless bloodshed, folks like the Dixie Chicks, somehow they were the bad guys?

Dr. Joe Trahan

I'm with you. I think there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. That's that's my. And I was working for DoD at the time, and I'd worked for General Powell, and they made poor General Powell go before the U.N. and say they were there. And that man, I would have followed that man through hell. And I thought to myself, this is wrong.

Dusty Weis

I would have voted for him for president.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Oh, you and I both. It’s sad, they just put him out there. Bush and those those folks, Rumsfeld and all, they just pushed him out there. They knew he would be a person that could carry the water because he was so believable by both parties. I mean, you're right, Dusty. He would have been a tremendous president of the United States.

I mean, and people tried to get him to run. I was part of a group that tried to get him to run. And he, you know, I thought, man, I get to work in the White House. That man had the ability to bring people together. But I think the conservatives in the 2003, they captured it and said, well, if you're not for us, you're against us and you're bad.

Dusty Weis

And I think it's been that way ever since. So what do I do about it, doctor Joe? Why is it imperative for the opposition, the liberals, the Democrats, or whatever you want to call them? I don't like having labels slapped on myself. Why? Why is it imperative for regular folks who aren't these ideologues to take back this notion of patriotism?

And how do they do it?

Dr. Joe Trahan

Well, I think we do it through civil discourse. I think we we sit down together and say, I disagree with you. You give me your points, I'll give you mine, and we know what I like.

Dusty Weis

Then let's pump that notion up. Let's call it radical civil discourse. Let's be in your face about how civil we are.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Well, I'm, you know, but we need we need to be able to sit in some kind of way. We're going to find commonality. I think the labels hurt us. I, I, I can't stay in this red and blue state thing. I can't stand it. It just troubles me greatly. I mean, I look for people to vote for that are going to take care of people that are good servant leaders.

You mentioned empathy. If they don't have empathy, I don't want them as a leader, I really don't. And what I'm seeing now at the top job, I see nothing, I see, I don't even see a leader. I see a person interested in one thing themselves. And I remember in my Army career as an officer, I commanded three times.

I would be the last one to go through the chow line. And sometimes there wasn't enough food. And matter of fact, that's why I love SOS... chip beef so much, because I never forget that when we were out in the field, the sergeant said, sir, all I have is cream beef and biscuits. I'm fine. Yeah. I love that dish now to this day.

But that's the way to be. And my dad taught me to lead from the front and lead by example. Never ask someone to do something you wouldn't do yourself. So I think first we need a civil discourse between people. We need to sit down and agree to disagree. And then we need to say, okay, how do we fix this system?

How do we move America forward in 2027, 2028? And do it with respect and dignity for each other? This calling names of people that has got to stop. It's got to stop. I just think we need to be more empathetic. I'm just rambling on. I'm sorry.

Dusty Weis

No, no, but I think the notion is right. But it's like we said at the beginning here. It's also it doesn't fit on a bumper sticker. But I also think that there are there are little things that regular people can do to take back that notion of patriotism from the political ideologues who would use it as a weapon.

What would you say some of those things are?

Dr. Joe Trahan

I think, get active in your community. I think, I'm going to be a poll worker for this coming election. I think, encourage people to get out and vote, become educated voters, get involved in the community, don't have an apathy towards what's going on. I mean, I volunteer, I work at the Medal of Honor Museum.

I mean, maybe help somebody reach out to somebody and help somebody, I think change your little corner of the world. I think we could do that as as every day citizens of our country and then uphold our traditions. I mean, my my dad died two years ago. We had a marine Corps ceremony and, you know, full military honors and everything.

And when we were growing up, we would raise the flag every morning. We played to the colors and we saluted with law in the afternoon. He taught us how to how to fold it. So we're standing there at his funeral. He's like 25 yards away in his casket. And this Marine Corps detachment is folding the flag wrong. And I could swear he's whispering in my ear, my brother's two seats away from me.

My dad is saying, Joe, you and Tommy, re-fold that flag before it goes to your mother. I swear, we both heard him say that. So they end up giving the flag to her and it's wrong.

So my mother has it. And I told my mom, I said, we're going to take it and refold it, too. And I thought to myself, that's just a simple act.

I mean, how many people know how to fold the flag, right? More in the tradition of the flag. What does it stand for? I think they all need to be to be at a ceremony when the flag is is sacredly destroyed because they talk about each part of the flag? I think that that to me would be it.

I think we as Americans need to find out our history, where we’re from, who we were, where we've come from. So I'm a big believer in that too.

Dusty Weis

Get some skin back in the game. I love your notion of doing public service, of giving back to the community. And you mentioned the the flag retirement ceremony. We had, I've, I have been, strong armed into becoming a, leader in my kids’ Cub Scout troop. Well, it was it was bound to happen, I suppose.

Our cub master is a good fella, and he served in the Air Force back in the day. And so at the end of the year, we had our campfire this year, and we had a flag retirement ceremony. And we've done a few of these ceremonies, now, at camp, and the kids sit attentively and they listen and they learn something.

But we live in a very, very privileged neighborhood, Doctor Joe. Really nice suburb of Milwaukee here. And so when our cub master, started this flag retirement ceremony, he did, like they do a camp and said, anybody who has served your country, please come up and join me here for the flag retirement ceremony.

And then the most awkward thing, Doctor Joe, there was crickets. Because not a single person, not a single parent who was at this flag retirement ceremony, had served their country.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Oh my gosh.

Dusty Weis

And that made me sit and think that we could live in a place so privileged that nobody there had put on the uniform of their country. Now I didn't serve my country in that way.

But I worked as a journalist for a number of years, which I consider a form of public service.

Dr. Joe Trahan

I agree.

Dusty Weis

I, I worked as a civil servant, working for the city of Milwaukee for a couple of years. Certainly my life was not on the line there, but I was giving back to my community in that way right there..

Dr. Joe Trahan

You were serving other people.

Dusty Weis

And I would love to see more people take a public service mindset. It's about time that we started putting skin in the game. Even if we come from a nice neighborhood, even if we have a lot to lose. Start flying the flag again and I'm going to have people who I know come up to me and they're going to say, oh, what a what a, you know, are you are you making a political statement?

I'm going to say I am, I'm going to say I fly that flag because it belongs to all of us and the people who I disagree with don't get to define what my flying the flag means. That is the sort of radical civil discourse that we need to start.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Bravo. Absolute bravo. I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud to, again, serve my nation. I will continue to serve my nation, probably to the last breath I have in my body.

And just like Stephen Decatur said, my country. Right or wrong, it's my country. And, again, even with all our mistakes, it's still a great nation.

And thank you for the opportunity, Dusty, to join you. It's been a privilege.

Dusty Weis

Well, and you mentioned Thomas Jefferson and it's a republic, if you can keep it.

If we want to keep our republic, if we want to keep our principles, if we want to keep a reasonable definition of patriotism, we need to be willing to use the means at our disposal to tell the folks who would warp those tenets to their own ends to stick it. “You don't represent a majority. You don't get to define what this country is.”

Your willingness to do just that is why I was looking forward to having this conversation with you, and I appreciate you making time for it.

Doctor Joe Trahan, founder of Trahan and Associates, former PRSA National Board member and retired lieutenant colonel, United States Army Reserve.

Thank you so much for joining us on Lead Balloon.

Dr. Joe Trahan

Honored.

Dusty Weis

Special thanks as well to Cindy Wooley from C2 Communications in Florida for putting us in touch with Doctor Joe. Cindy, you are absolutely right. I do like that guy a lot.

And of course, thank you for tuning in.

Here on Lead Balloon, we tell the interesting tales of prolific communicators like Doctor Joe, and we hope to see you back here in this feed again sometime soon.

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Music for this episode by Famous Cats.

And until the next time, folks, thanks for listening. I'm Dusty Weis.