MAJ (R) Bruce Tyler

MAJ (R) Bruce Tyler sat down with me for Heroes Live.

We were going to tell stories about the old Third of the Fourth Air Defense Artillery Regiment. We did. I laughed more than I have in a long time. My cheeks were sore.

He grew up in LA. Englewood. A ghetto kid. You do not move up in LA. You move out. He lived across the street from Hollywood Park and the Forum. They built SoFi Stadium there. He went back for the Super Bowl and watched the Rams win right across the street from where he used to live.

Grandfather was 82nd Airborne. World War II and Korea. All the major jumps. Bruce wanted that path. High school was beer and football. Tight end. Outside linebacker. 1.6 GPA. They told him to get a trade or he was going to jail. He did not have many other ambitions. Limited options. That is what that place does.

First day in the Army was April Fool's Day. Duffel bag shuffle. Some of the air defenders snuck cigarettes. Everybody got smoked. Fort Sill. Then Bliss. Waiting on the classes to align. He asked an AIT student for a can of dip. Stairwell. Boots. They got caught. Bags smoked all damn long. Five-gallon water pail. One of his best smokings.

Third and Fourth. Stories for days. Charlie Battery. We lived a full life over there. Paratrooper. Air defender. Lawyer. One of the good guys.

Phone battery died on us. Technical difficulties. I still had a good time. That is why we hit record. Get the story on tape before we are too old or too sick to tell it.