>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

THIS MEETING COMES AFTER A 30-DAY COMMUNITY INPUT.

THEY DISTRICTS AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE BUT THAT, QUOTE, THIS IS NOT ABOUT A SIMILAR NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC SEATS.

SHE ADDED, QUOTED, REASON IS WHAT IS GOING TO DRIVE DECISION-MAKING.

AND JUST 3,000 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 WERE REPORTED TODAY.

THAT TODAY, A NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR KNOWN OR EXPECTED COVID, HIT MORE THAN 2700, WHICH CONTINUES AN UPWARD TREND.

AND THE NUMBER OF ICU AVAILABILITY IS ANOTHER JUST OVER 6%.

AND MIXING AND MATCHING COVID VACCINES COULD INCREASE IMMUNITY.

THOSE WITH THE J&J BOOSTER HAD A SLOWER RESPONSE, BUT ANTIBODIES CONTINUED TO INCREASE AFTER FIVE WEEKS.

AND THE OMICRON VARIANT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TESTING, AND THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON CANCER DIAGNOSES.

COLONOSCOPIES DECREASED BY 45%.

RESEARCHERS SAY IT IS FRESH PROOF THAT COVID IS DELAYING CANCER DIAGNOSES.

>>> CONGRESSMAN RUBEN GALLEGO IS OUT WITH A NEW BOOK TITLED "THEY CALLED US LUCKY."

WE SPOKE TO CONGRESSMAN GALLEGO ABOUT THE BOOK AND HIS SERVICE.

CONGRESSMAN GALLEGO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS BOOK.

I READ IT COVER TO COVER, AND IT WAS FASCINATING.

IT WAS FASCINATING ABOUT MILITARY WORK IN GENERAL.

WHO DID YOU WRITE THIS BOOK FOR?

>> FOR THE MILITARY FAMILIES, AND A BOOK A LOT OF US IN MY UNIT TRIED TO WRITE FOR A WHILE.

IT WAS EMOTIONALLY DRAINING, BUT I WANTED TO DO IT, AND I REALIZED I HAD TO TAKE IT UPON MYSELF, AND I FELT I WAS IN THE RIGHT TIME TO DO IT.

>> "THEY CALLED US LUCKY," WHY THAT TITLE?

>> BECAUSE AT ONE POINT [ INAUDIBLE ] THAT'S WHAT WE WERE CALLED WENT THROUGH TWO MONTHS OF INTENSE COMBAT WITHOUT ONE CASUALLY.

AND THEN WE ENDED UP TAKING THE MOST CASUALTIES OF THE WAR, SO I WANTED TO -- THE PICKED THE TITLE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO BRING UP THE IDEA OF LUCK, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT SURVIVAL IS ABOUT LUCK MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

SO THERE IS A PLAY ON THAT AND THE IRONY TOO.

>> RIGHT.

ONE OF THE QUOTES IS WE ALL HAVE A FINITE STORE OF LUCK THAT EVENTUALLY RUNS OUT.

AND IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE JUST WAITING FOR THE INEVITABLE.

>> YEAH, ONE OUT OF THREE OF OUR MEN WERE WOUNDED, AND THEN AFTER I SAW ANOTHER TRACK BLOW UP IN FRONT OF ME, I ACCEPTED THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE, I ACTUALLY MADE PEACE WITH THAT.

I JUST WANTED TO DIE WITH DIGNITY, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY COMFORTABLE AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE IT WAS BETTER TO JUST ACCEPT THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE, AND I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE.

>> IN THE BOOK YOU START EACH EFFORT WITH A CHAPTER ON TRYING TO HELP A FELLOW MARINE.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THAT ROOT?

>> FOR YEARS I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW I WOULD PUT TOGETHER THIS STORY.

AND I REALIZED ONE WAY TO DO IT IS THROUGH TRUE INSTANCE WHICH IS WITH A CONVERSATION WITH MY GOOD FRIEND WHO WAS REJECTED FROM THE VA BECAUSE HIS PAPERWORK DIDN'T SHOW HE WAS IN COMBAT, AND HE CALLED ME, AND HE WAS CONVINCED THAT HE WAS GOING INSANE AND WAS NOT IN COMBAT, AND I WAS CONVINCED ABOUT HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO KILL HIMSELF TO I DRIVE TO NEW MEXICO ALL NIGHT TALKING TO HIM ON THE PHONE TRYING TO KEEP HIM FROM KILLING HIMSELF.

>> YOU ARE AT HARVARD, YOU HAVE SOME TIME, AND DECIDED TO JOIN THE MILITARY.

>> YEAH, I HAD TIME BECAUSE HARVARD KICKED ME OUT.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> I HAD A HORRIBLE SEMESTER, AND HARVARD SAID YOU ARE OUT, YOU NEED TO TAKE A BREAK, AND REAPPLY, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL LET YOU BACK IN.

SO THIS WAS PRE-9/11.

AND I WAS JUST WANTING TO SERVE MY COUNTRY, AND I FIGURED I AM GOING TO GO SERVE MY COUNTRY, AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD END UP WITH THE COMPANY OF THESE AMAZING MEN AND GO THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE WE DID.

>> AND YOU SAID THERE WAS A DEATH HOUSE, HELL HOUSE, AND YOU NEVER REALLY ANALYZED WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS HOUSE.

YOU GO INTO GREAT DETAIL OF THIS HELL HOUSE.

BRIEFLY, WHAT HAPPENED?

>> I WAS ONE HOUSE OVER, AND MY PLATOON ENTERED A BUILDING THAT HAD TUNNELS WITH INSURGENTS.

AND THEY WERE SHOOTING THROUGH THE FLOOR DOORS.

AND WE HAD BEEN FIGHTING FOR 8 TO 10 HOURS ALREADY, AND KILLED ABOUT 200 INSURGENTS.

AND THEY AMBUSHED OUR MEN AS WE WERE GOING IN.

AND MORE AND MORE KEPT COMING IN TO SHOOT OUR MEN, BECAUSE -- AGAIN, THEY HAD DUG TUNNELS UNDER THE HOUSE AND WERE JUST RANDOMLY SHOOTING THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS, AND THEN THE REAL HORRORS WAS, AGAIN, TWO DAYS LATER.

>> AND YOU WERE VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH GRANT, AND YOU SAID THAT ALMOST BROKE YOU.

WRITING THIS BOOK, DID IT HELP YOU DEAL WITH THINGS, WRITING -- ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE TOUGH STUFF LIKE LOSING YOUR FRIEND GRANT?

>> AT TIMES IT WAS GOOD TO TALK ABOUT STUFF THAT I HADN'T TALKED ABOUT, BUT I HAD A GREAT CO-AUTHOR, AND IN DOING THE RESEARCH, I REALIZED I BURIED A LOT OF STUFF.

THERE IS A PORTION OF THE BOOK WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT SHOOTING DOGS BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO EAT MY FRIEND AFTER HE HAD BEEN SHOT.

AND THAT TRAUMA, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT IT THEN AND NOW, IT REALLY CAME BACK AND HAUNTED ME, YOU KNOW?

BUT IT IS ALL WORTH IT, BUT ALL OF THE MARINES THAT I HAVE TALKED TO LOVE THIS BOOK.

AND PTSD DOES NOT GET SOLVED OVERNIGHT, BUT I'M GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH PTSD, AND WE'RE ALL BE BETTER FOR IT, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF MY UNIT.

>> YOU SAY, I DON'T DARE SAY I'M BEYOND DEALING WITH IRAQ, AND THE EXPERIENCES ARE NEVER REALLY DONE WITH YOU IS, EVEN THOUGH YOU WISH TO BE DONE WITH THEM.

WITH THAT IN MIND, WITH EVERYTHING CHRONICLED IN THIS BOOK, WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?

>> I WOULD DO IT AGAIN, IF I KNEW MY MEN I SERVED WITH WITHOUT DIE, AND IF YOU ARE ASKING ME IF THE MEN I WAS DEPLOYED WITH, WOULD NOT DIE, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

IF YOU ARE TELLING ME, IF I DO IT AGAIN, I WOULDN'TING BE ABLE TO SERVE WITH THESE MEN, THEN, NO.

I REGRET THE OUTCOME THAT OCCURRED, AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S THE SHAKES OF WAR, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO COMMUNICATE IN THIS WAR.

WAR IS A LOT OF TIMES ALL ABOUT LUCK, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THAT SMALL MAN LIKE MYSELF TRYING TO SURVIVE.

THIS IS A REAL BOOK ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN WAR ALL THE TIME.

>> CONGRESSMAN RUBEN GALLEGO CONGRATULATIONS ON WRITING THIS BOOK.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

>> THANK YOU, >>> UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF ISOLATION DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

>>> THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE, AS IS ANOTHER COVID-INFLUENCED WINTER.

THAT ASK ADD TO ISOLATION, ESPECIALLY AMONG OLDER ADULTS.

DANA KENNEDY, THE STATE DIRECTOR OF AARP HAS SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO BE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY HEALTHY THIS TIME OF YEAR.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> THE FEELING OF LONELINESS AND ISOLATION THIS TIME OF YEAR ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE EXACERBATED THIS TIME OF YEAR, HUH?

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

THERE IS EXPECTATIONS AS FAR AS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, BUT IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

>> AND PEOPLE STILL AREN'T ALL THAT COMFORTABLE RUSHING OUT.

THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE BACK TO NORMAL, DO THEY?

>> NO, NOT AT ALL.

I KNOW I AM THE ONLY ONE BACK IN THE OFFICE.

AND I THINK IT'S THE IMPACT OF WHAT THIS HAS DONE TO US AS A SOCIETY IS TERRIBLE.

>> AND YOU MENTIONED HEALTH ASPECTS.

HEART DISEASE, STROKE AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

>> OBESITY, AND POTENTIALLY DEMENTIA.

I HAVE A FRIEND WITH A DAD IN A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY, AND EVERY TIME SOMEBODY GETS COVID, THE FACILITY GETS LONGED DOWN FOR TWO WEEKS.

SO HE HAS DEMENTIA, AND DOESN'T RECOGNIZE HER ANYMORE.

>> OKAY.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BEST WAYS -- IF YOU ARE FEELING LONELY OR ISOLATED, WHICH WITH THE PANDEMIC IT IS ADDED TO, SO WHAT ARE SOME TIPS.

>> SO YOU CAN DEFINITELY CONNECT ONLINE.

HAVE A GREAT OF FRIENDS AND CHECK IN ON EACH OTHER, AND GET OUTSIDE.

THE SUN IS SO IMPORTANT.

ARIZONA IS GREAT FOR ME, BUT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET OUTSIDE, AND THE WEATHER IS GREAT RIGHT NOW.

SO WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.

>> AND KEEPING A ROUTINE?

>> YES.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE EATING, GETTING UP, AND TAKING A SHOWER.

YOU STILL WANT TO KEEP UP YOUR NORMAL ROUTINE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THINK VIRTUAL CONTACT IN KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH FOLKS, DOES THAT WORK WHEN IT COMES TO LONELINESS?

>> IT CAN.

TOMORROW WE HAVE A COACH THAT GIVES US HEALTH AND WELLNESS TIPS.

WE HAVE HIP HAPPY HOUR, AND WE HAVE DONE COUCH CONCERTS AND COOKING CLASSES, AND THEY CAN BE INTERACTIVE, ABSOLUTELY.

>> AND, AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF FOCUSED ON SCENE YOURS HERE, BUT THIS HAPPENS TO A LOT OF FOLKS.

>> ABSOLUTELY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING A LOT OF ANXIETY AS WELL.

>> DO YOU FIND THAT THAT IS EASING A LITTLE BIT OR GETTING WORSE?

>> I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE IT IS GETTING WORSE.

>> HOW COME?

>> THE PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER, AND IT IS SPREADING, SO I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE STILL DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, AND CHECKING ON YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.

THAT IS IMPORTANT.

>> IS THERE A PLACE TO GO WHERE THESE KINDS OF IDEAS AND TIPS ARE LISTED SOMEWHERE?

>> YEAH, WE HAVE A TOOL CALLED CONNECT FOR EFFECT.

AND WE HAVE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, WHERE IF YOU ARE LONELY AND WANT A PHONE CALL, YOU CAN CALL.

BUT THE GREAT THING IS, WE'RE DOING THINGS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY NOW.

SO MAKE SURE YOU GO TO AARP.ORG AND LOCAL EVENTS, AND FIND OUT THE DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT WE DO.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>>> IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCES FROM THE PHOENIX BOYS CHOIR.

♪ >>> THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE PHOENIX BOYS CHOIR HERBERT WASHINGTON AND HE SPOKE WITH US TODAY ABOUT THE CHOIR AND ITS SCHEDULE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THE HOLIDAY CHOIRS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY, CORRECT?

>> YEAH, WE JUST COMPLETED TWO WONDERFUL HOLIDAY CONCERTS AND WE HAVE THREE MORE TO GO.

>> AND IT'S A TRADITION THIS TIME OF YEAR?

>> IT IS, FOR SURE.

THIS IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON, WHERE THE ALUMNI COME BACK, AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE MIGRATE HERE AND IT IS GREAT TO FEATURE THE CHOIR.

DECEMBER 18TH IS OUR TRADITIONAL CONCERT AT 5:00.

AND WE SERVED OVER 4,000 ALUMNI THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE BROTHERS AGAIN.

>> IS THIS IS THE HALLELUJAH CHOIR?

>> THEY WILL SWING ONE SILENT NIGHT WITH THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.

>> WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE PANDEMIC AND HOW IT HAS EFFECTED THE CHOIR.

HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU?

>> AROUND MARCH 15TH IS WHEN WE CLOSED OUR DOORS TO IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE REHEARSING.

HOWEVER, WE HAVE NEVER CLOSED OUR DOORS TO REHEARSING, SO WE SWITCHED TO ZOOM CALLS, HAH ENGAGED STUDENTS ONLINE, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN'T HAVE A SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING VIA ZOOM, BUT IT IS A GREAT DISCONNECT.

>> YEAH.

BUT IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO KEEP THE SINGERS UP TO SPEED.

>> YEAH, WE STILL HAD TO TRUDGE ON, AND WE LEARNED ALL OF OUR MUSIC VIRTUALLY ONLINE, AND THEY WOULD COME IN INDIVIDUALLY, AND I WOULD RECORD THEM, AND WE PRODUCED FOUR VIRTUAL VIDEOS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.

>> IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD CHANGE THE WAY YOU DO THINGS IN THE FUTURE?

>> WE WERE VERY INNOVATING WITH THE WAY WE WERE ENGAGING THE STUDENTS, SO ABOUT THE SECOND HALF OF THE PANDEMIC FOR US, WE WENT TO ON-LINE SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING THROUGH OUR CAR CHOIR INNOVATION.

SO OUR BOYS WOULD DRIVE IN AND WITH THEIR BROTHERS, BUT IN THE CARS WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

>> THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.

>> WELL, IMAGINE WIRING RUNNING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, BUT THE BOYS WERE VERY EXCITED TO SEE AND SING WITH THEIR BROTHERS.

>> YEAH, THAT CONNECTION OF BEING CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.

>> EXACTLY.

>> JUST HEARING AND FEELING IT WITHIN YOURSELF, NOTHING CAN REPLACE THAT.

>> WELL, CORAL MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT BEING TOGETHER AND SHARING OUR STORIES AND VOICE WITH EACH OTHER.

>> AND YOU ARE AN ALUMNI.

>> I AM.

I STARTED WHEN I WAS NINE -- I WON'T SAY THE YEAR -- [ LAUGHTER ] >> BUT MY FIRST DIRECTOR IS THE FOUNDER OF THE PHOENIX BOYS CHOIR, AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM.

>> DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN SOME OF THE MEMBERS?

>> EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THERE ARE SO MANY BOYS THAT NEED ME IN DIFFERENT DAYS.

EITHER MUSICALLY, OR THEY JUST NEED SUPPORT RIGHT NOW WITH SO MANY ISSUES.

WE'RE SEEING A RAMP-UP IN DEPRESSION DURING THIS PANDEMIC, AND THE BOYS CHOIR IS A VITAL PART IN THEIR SANITY.

>> HOW CAN PEOPLE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PHOENIX BOYS CHOIR.

>> THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS THERE.

THEY CAN ALSO CALL AND REACH OUT TO US IN THE OFFICE.

>> IT MUST FEEL GREAT TO GET BACK OUT THERE, HUH?

>> IT IS.

WE'RE MASKED.

AND WE'RE SAFE.

THE AUDIENCE IS MASKED AT WELL.

>> ALL RIGHT, HERBERT WASHINGTON GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE.

I APPRECIATE IT, TED.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

♪