Knights HistoryCast

3. "Still Paying That Sacrifice" | The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series

In Episode Three, Sergeant Major (Sgt Maj) Ray Fullard recounts his experience taking his JROTC cadets to Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. Throughout the school year, Sgt. Maj tasked his JROTC cadets to research and write a biography of a Veteran interred at Bushnell who served during the Gulf War (1990-91), Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2014), and Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2011). Sgt Major is a Marine Corps Veteran from those same conflicts, meaning he served—directly or indirectly—with many of the Veterans the cadets researched and visited during their trip to Bushnell. Such personal insights—and Sgt. Maj’s experience with UCF VLP last year—allows us to better understand how the deliverables and outcomes of UCF VLP ultimately materialize and why this work of honoring and memorializing Veterans' legacies proves paramount and necessary.
For those interested, Sgt. Maj Fullard was featured in Episode Five of The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia and featured Sgt. Maj Ray Fullard.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF History Department and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

2. "A Human Being to Be Remembered" | The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series

In Episode Two, Andrew Carroll’s herculean efforts to seek and collect over 210,000 war letters—that span since the American Revolution—demonstrate how others are as seriously committed to preserving the legacies of the men and women who served and fought for their country. Andrew shares several letters from his impressive collection, allowing us to be as close as possible to the Veterans—engaging with their own words, thoughts, and emotions. The roughly 210,000 war letters Andrew has preserved for over twenty-five years often exemplify themes central to UCF VLP.
Andrew Carroll is an award-winning historian and author who founded and directs the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University. He was the second keynote speaker invited to share his extraordinary work during the 2024 UCF VLP Institute.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia and featured Andrew Carroll.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF History Department and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

1. "To Restore People's Names" | The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series

In Episode One, Dr. Amy Giroux’s groundbreaking research on recovering the identities of previously unknown Native American prisoners and lost Union soldiers buried in St. Augustine National Cemetery enables us to understand the centrality of space and place in Veteran memorialization and legacy with tremendous clarity.
Dr. Amy Giroux—a co-principal investigator (PI) and the technical lead for UCF VLP—was one of two keynote speakers invited to present their research during the 2024 UCF VLP Institute.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia and featured Dr. Amy Giroux.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF History Department and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

0. "Prologue" | The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series

The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series explores the UCF Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) and its mission to honor and memorialize Veterans buried in Florida’s national cemeteries in innovative and engaging ways, primarily through the experiences of the participating K12 educators. For the past two years, UCF VLP has been specifically designed to instruct K12 educators how to teach Veterans' history to K12 students by learning how to create grade-level appropriate classroom projects that focus on Veterans’ service within itself and within the context of local (Florida), national (American), and international (global) histories. The K12 educators who applied and were accepted to the program work with UCF history professors and students year-round on three specific deliverables (Veteran biography, national cemetery mini-tour, and lesson plan) that result in the grade-level appropriate classroom projects and that reflect the overall objective of highlighting Veterans, their service, and their sacrifice in K12 instruction and to a K12 audience.
Unlike the prologue episode from last year’s award-winning 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series, this episode focuses on a conversation with Dr. Amelia Lyons—Associate Professor of History and the Director and Principal Investigator (PI) of UCF VLP. As Sebastian repeatedly asserts, Dr. Lyons is the “most qualified person” to provide a larger year-long portrait of UCF VLP. Indeed, the conversation appropriately and effectively synthesizes and previews the major themes throughout all six episodes of this year’s podcast series. Before the conversation (13:27), Sebastian briefly explains essential concepts and features that define The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series.
Click here for a direct link to last year's award-winning 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series.
Click here for a direct link to the UCF VLP website, where numerous Veteran biographies, mini-tours, and lesson plans covering various topics and conflicts are available.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia and featured Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2024 UCF VLP Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF History Department and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

Episode 49: The 2024 ZORA! Afrofuturism Conference with Dr. Julian Chambliss and Dr. Scot French. Plus, Reflections on the 2020-2024 ZORA! Afrofuturism Conference Cycle

The Department of History's Sebastian Garcia spoke with Afrofuturism Academic Conference curators Dr. Julian Chambliss and Dr. Scot French about this year's edition of the ZORA! Festival Afrofuturism Academic Conference which was grounded in the theme of the space of Afrofuturism. This thematic approach was incredibly timely as Dr. Chambliss and Dr. French discussed thoroughly how they used the conference as a public platform to widen attention and draw support for the Robert Hungerford School in Eatonville, Florida, which is currently in a complex legal battle to retain its historical and cultural significance to Eatonville in the face of gentrification and urban renewal. In addition, since this was the final year of the 2020-2024 Afrofuturism Academic Conference Cycle, Dr. Chambliss and Dr. French reflected on the half-a-decade experience of developing, leading, and curating this tremendous scholarly and public event. 
 
Guest Bios:
Dr. Julian Chambliss is a Professor of English with an appointment in History and the Val Berryman Curator of History at the MSU Museum at Michigan State University. In addition, he is a core participant in the MSU College of Arts & Letters’ Consortium for Critical Diversity in a Digital Age Research (CEDAR). His research focuses on race, culture, and power in real and imagined urban spaces. His recent writing has appeared in the American Historical Review, Phylon, Frieze Magazine, Rhetoric Review, and Boston Review. Lastly, Dr. Chambliss was the curator of the 2020-2024 ZORA! Festival Afrofuturism Academic Conference Cycle.
Dr. Scot French is an Associate Professor of History, Director of Public History, and Associate Director of the Center for Humanities and Digital Research at the University of Central Florida. He is the author of The Rebellious Slave: Nat Turner in American Memory and has published extensively on African American history, cultural landscapes, and sites of memory. His research on Eatonville and its Hungerford School has been featured in the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, Winter Park Magazine, WUCF’s Central Florida Road Trip, and CBS Sunday Morning. Dr. French chairs the ZORA! Festival Academics Committee and serves as UCF’s lead organizer for the conference in collaboration with Afrofuturism Cycle curator Dr. Julian Chambliss.

9. ”Given Me More than I Could’ve Asked For” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the final episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” we return to an “after-hours” edition as Sebastian Garcia spoke with Nicole Bennett (2nd-grade Teacher at Webster Elementary), Erika Grant (Physical Education Teacher at Webster Elementary), and Judy Lindquist (K-5 Gifted Teacher at Andover Elementary), at the hotel after the entire Day 8 program. This includes the events of Episode 6 (“meta” field trip) and Episode 7 (subsequent roundtable discussion), in addition to afternoon workshops titled “Themed Explorations: Putting together your Mini-Theme Tour of SANC” and “Trying Tech: An Introduction to Using Google Maps, Cilo, and StoryMaps for Veterans History.” What ultimately ensued was a tremendous reflective exercise for these teachers as they had A LOT to process and decompress. Given this, in addition to the teachers closing in on Day 8 and approaching the final two days at the Institute, the conversation carried an unintentional finality—a beautiful way to close this podcast series.
At the end of the episode, Sebastian brings it to the present, as he briefly spoke with Dr. Amelia Lyons about her reflections on Year 1 of UCF VLP executing an educational Institute for K12 teachers about teaching and memorializing Veterans’ history. Dr. Lyons even shared with us some exciting details about the future of this initiative.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia, and featured Nicole Bennett, Erika Grant, Judy Lindquist, and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Executive producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by UCF’s Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

8. ”It Puts a Face to It” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the eighth episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” we return to a sit-down conversation with K12 teachers Alecia Bryant (7th Grade Civics Teacher at Meadow Woods Middle School), Angie Hubbart (4th Grade Teacher at Orlando Gifted Academy), and Heaven Wilson (10th Grade World History Teacher). However, having gone through such a transformative morning, the “meta” field trip (Episode 6) and the subsequent roundtable discussion (Episode 7) produced a different conversation we’ve listened to thus far in the series that was exceptionally passionate, reflective, and evocative.
The conversation’s descriptive imagery allows us to further understand who the Veterans assigned to Alecia, Angie, and Heaven were. This imagery also extended into the pedagogical side of this series—as they got deeply personal with their thoughts and feelings towards this Institute’s impact on their profession…ultimately giving this episode an inimitable identity and “face.”
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia, and featured Alecia Bryant, Angie Hubbart, and Heaven Wilson.
Executive producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by UCF’s Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

7. ”That Felt so Personal” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the seventh episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” we pick back up where we left off last week: the conclusion of the “meta” field trip and into the roundtable discussion about it. At the zenith of the Institute’s pedagogical and emotional significance, this roundtable discussion was remarkably reflective, insightful, and cathartic for several reasons. First, the roundtable discussion format established a fluid and open dialogue between the K12 teachers and the UCF VLP Team that the Institute had not seen previously. Second, the K12 teachers’ perspicacious remarks on how indispensable the meta-field trip was for them and could be for their students demonstrated the success and mastery of UCF VLP’s time-tested pedagogical model in teaching Veterans’ history. Lastly, the emotions released during this 45-minute discussion showcased the profound investment made by these educators to memorialize Veterans in and out of the classroom. As with the previous episode, this is a poignant reminder that academia is as much heart as it is mind.
This episode was directed, produced, written, and edited by Sebastian Garcia, hosted by Dr. Amelia Lyons, and featured the UCF VLP Team and the 2023 UCF VLP Institute K12 Teachers Cohort.
Executive producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by UCF’s Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

6. ”I Hope He’s Appreciating the Presence” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the sixth episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” we’ve reached the climax. At this point in the series, you have heard seven teachers, ranging from 2nd grade to 11th grade, profoundly reflect on their experience at the Institute—from their Veteran bios, to their mini-tours, to their lesson plans, to even how rewarding it has been to collaborate with other educators in the pursuit to memorialize Veterans and improve their craft. All the momentum we’ve built up in the past five episodes has led us to this pivotal moment—the “meta” field trip on Day 8 out of 10 of the Institute.
This experience differed from when the teachers initially explored St. Augustine National Cemetery because they have been engaging with their mini-tours, lesson plans, and, more importantly, their Veterans. So, when they participated in these field trip activities, for example, rubbing the headstones, they connected with their Veteran and their work in a completely surreal and transformative way that would not have been possible if they hadn’t been vehemently putting in that work from before. Therefore, this “meta” field trip took all the separate components the teachers have been working on for over a week and converged them into this holistic, all-encompassing experience.
Just as impactful of this “meta” field trip is the pedagogical element to it—it’s why the label “meta” is put in front of “field trip.” The teachers occupied a dual role in this enterprise—rather than being just passive receivers of the action, they were also challenged by the UCF VLP team to actively engage with the pedagogy behind constructing such an experience for students. Lastly, to add another layer of uniqueness to this episode, Sebastian recorded the field trip LIVE, allowing you as the listeners to get an authentic capture of what was going on—from the content that was being given to the genuine comradery that was displayed by the teachers, to even the beautiful soundscapes you hear when you’re at a national cemetery. Sebastian also narrates throughout the episode to provide better context to a dynamic and metamorphic event at the zenith of the Institute.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia, and featured UCF VLP Team Members Dr. Amelia Lyons, Dr. Amy Giroux, Dr. Barbara Gannon, Sarah Boye, Jim Stoddard, and Harrison Smith. This episode also featured the 2023 UCF VLP Institute K12 Teachers Cohort.
Executive producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay) and “Glossy” by Coma-Media (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by UCF’s Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

5. ”Now He’s My Guy” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the fifth episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” the “after-hours” edition continued as Sebastian Garcia spoke with two other teachers, Anne Makay (11th-grade U.S. history teacher at Clearwater High School) and Sgt. Maj. Ray Fullard (JROTC Instructor at Edgewater High School) at the hotel after the Day 7 program of the Institute.
Anne Makay’s fascinating candor throughout the conversation further revealed with remarkable clarity the indelible impact and significance the Institute had on the K12 teachers for their profession and in memorializing Veterans. She shared her takeaways on learning how to teach Veterans history, its relevance, and how this Institute has given her tremendous confidence to do so. Sgt. Maj. Ray Fullard’s experience as a Marine and participation in this Institute undoubtedly transformed the episode, as it was a completely different and unique perspective not heard of previously. Conflating their distinctive views ultimately provided greater insights as to why the work being done by UCF VLP matters.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia, and featured Anne Makay and Sgt. Major Ray Fullard.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

4. ”To Bring This Person Back to Life” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the fourth episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” Sebastian spoke with three K12 teachers: Sharon Forand, Ryan Dane Rasmussen, and Alexis Wood. Sharon is an ELA and Social Studies teacher at Enterprise Elementary, Ryan is a high school teacher at Freedom High School, and Alexis is a fourth-grade teacher (all subjects) at Azalea Park Elementary.
In the first “after-hours” conversation of the series (recorded at the hotel once the day’s itinerary was over), the three teachers went into great detail about their overall experience at the Institute, specifically with their Veterans. Given that the teachers had just finished Day 7 out of 10 of the Institute, which included a workshop titled “Mapping Memories: Outlining your Biography,” they could clearly articulate the progress they have made with their Veteran bio. Also, being at the Institute for a week, these three teachers emphatically expressed its impact—both professionally and personally.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia, and featured Sharon Forand, Ryan Dane Rasmussen, and Alexis Wood.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

3. ”Even with the Younger Ones” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the third episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” Sebastian Garcia had his first conversation with the K12 teachers. The teachers he spoke with were Lisa Bostick and Kristen Reilly, both second-grade teachers at Union Park Elementary and Clay Springs Elementary, respectively. Several key themes get talked about in conversation for the first time in this episode, such as the three deliverables the teachers worked on during the Institute—the Veteran biography, a themed mini-tour of St. Augustine National Cemetery, and a lesson plan that integrates the Veteran experience within the context of American and local history. More importantly, however, these teachers represented the youngest grade levels of the Institute—second grade—and thus had a unique perspective and approach from their peers. Lisa and Kristen explained the delicacy of implementing Veteran history teaching materials for a young audience. However, they also stressed why it’s ultimately worth pursuing.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia, and featured Lisa Bostick and Kristen Reilly.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

2. ”History versus Heritage” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the second episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” Jim Stoddard, a reoccurring guest on KHC (Ep. 27 and Ep. 28), hosted the conversation with Dr. Heather P. Venable, an Associate Professor of Military and Security Studies in the Department of Airpower at the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College. Given her successful career in researching and teaching military and Veterans’ history, Dr. Venable was invited to give a special presentation on Day 6 out of 10 of the Institute titled “My Intellectual Journey Trying to Understand My Veteran Dad’s Experience.”
Dr. Venable is one of Jim’s Ph.D. dissertation committee advisors. Their shared personal connection and professional interest in military and Veterans history produced an incredibly dynamic conversation that ranged from Dr. Venable’s special presentation to her 2019 book (How The Few Became The Proud: Crafting the Marine Corps Mystique: 1874-1914) to the complexity of teaching military history to currently serving members of the Armed Forces, and to their personal experiences in converging both worlds—military and academia.
This episode was directed, produced, written, and edited by Sebastian Garcia, hosted by Jim Stoddard, and featured Dr. Heather P. Venable.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

1. ”A Very Historic Property” | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

In the first episode of “The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series,” Sebastian Garcia spoke with Allison Simpson, Command Historian of the Florida National Guard, about the historic St. Francis Barracks, which hosted The 2023 UCF VLP Institute. Currently, the Florida National Guard headquarters, the characteristic coquina building, has an extensive and rich history that extends back to when the Spanish occupied St. Augustine in the 1500s. Alison also talked about the history of the Florida National Guard—extensive in its own right. The St. Francis Barracks is also adjacent to the St. Augustine National Cemetery, where all the Veterans of this Institute are interred. Hosting the Institute at such a historic military landmark was essential in establishing the appropriate attitude for the K12 teachers—and subsequently for the opening of this podcast series.
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia and featured Alison Simpson.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay)
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

0. Prologue | The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series

Welcome to The 2023 UCF Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) Institute Podcast Series, a limited narrative podcast series directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia. The series focuses on a 10-day educational workshop created by UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program to honor and memorialize Veterans through powerful pedagogical teaching methods given to K-12 teachers across the state of Florida to ensure that the legacy of Veterans can be appreciated and shared for generations to come.
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute was hosted at the historic St. Francis Barracks (headquarters of the Florida National Guard) and the adjacent St. Augustine National Cemetery (SANC). The Institute was incredibly versatile in profile and content. The UCF VLP Team comprised UCF History Professors and graduate and undergraduate students. The subjects of the participating K-12 teachers ranged from history to English Language Arts to Civics to JROTC to Physical Education. A myriad of activities, from interactive workshops to informative lectures to special presentations given by acclaimed veteran history researchers to field trip activities at SANC, remarkably fulfills the UCF VLP and broader Veteran Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration (NCA) mission to honor Veterans in perpetuity in innovative and engaging ways.
Sebastian Garcia joined the Institute on Day 6 out of the 10 Institute. At this point, the K12 teachers had been at the Institute for almost a week, and the conversations Sebastian had with the teachers reflected that impetus. But before we get to those conversations, in this prologue, Sebastian does an extensive “historiography” (literature review) to provide context so that anyone can understand how and why this Institute came to be and how it was a product of tremendous collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA). Situating the Institute in this historical context undoubtedly reveals its significance with sharp clarity.
 
This episode was directed, produced, written, edited, and hosted by Sebastian Garcia.
Executive Producers: Sebastian Garcia and Dr. Amelia Lyons.
Music: “Bugatti” by prazkhanal (Pixabay), “Honor and Glory” and “Real Heroes” by SergePavkinMusic (Pixabay), “Suspense Intro” by SegreQuadrado (Pixabay)
Sound Effects: “Birds chirping” and “Shotgun” by Pixabay
UCF VLP WEBSITE: https://vlp.cah.ucf.edu
UCF VLP K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: https://vlp.cah.ucf.edu/k12.php
Veteran Biographies: https://vlp.cah.ucf.edu/biographies.php
Podcast Cover Artwork: Sebastian Garcia
 
References:
https://vlp.cah.ucf.edu/about.php
https://vlp.cah.ucf.edu/index.php
https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/history/timeline/timeline-1862.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/history/timeline/index.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/history/timeline/timeline-1867.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/alexandriava.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/facts/Dates_of_Establishment_1.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/facts/Facts_About_NCA.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/facts/NCA_History_and_Development_1.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/facts/NCA_History_and_Development_2.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/facts/NCA_History_and_Development_3.asp
https://www.cem.va.gov/legacy/
https://www.cem.va.gov/legacy/colleges.asp
https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1867?amount=750000
https://www.nps.gov/frla/learn/historyculture/memorials.htm
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-to-help-k-12-teachers-create-veteran-focused-classroom-projects/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQzXXjW5FLI&t=7s (INAUGARAL UCF VLP TRIP IN 2017)
Tom Howard, Chief of Staff for the NCA, “Veterans Legacy Program memorializes service, stories” (July 27, 2016). https://news.va.gov/29367/veterans-legacy-program-memorializes-service-stories/
 
The 2023 UCF VLP Institute Podcast Series is brought to you by the UCF Department of History and UCF’s Veterans Legacy Program—a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

Episode 38: Dr. Cecilia Rodríguez-Milanés and Dr. Lisa Nalbone, Coordinators of the “Operación Pedro Pan: Honoring the Cultural, Historical Legacy of Cuba’s Child Exodus” Two-Day Event

In the final installment of “Operación Pedro Pan: The Voices and Stories of Cuba’s Child Exodus—A Knights HistoryCast Mini-Series,” the Department of History’s Sebastian Garcia talked with Dr. Cecilia Rodríguez-Milanés, a Professor of English with a specialty in Latinx Literature at the University of Central Florida, and Dr. Lisa Nalbone, a Professor of Spanish and Coordinator of the Latin American Studies BA Program at the University of Central Florida. Both of these women were the coordinators of the esteemed, conspicuous, beautiful, and powerful “Operación Pedro Pan: Honoring the Cultural, Historical Legacy of Cuba’s Child Exodus” Two-Day Program that Florida Humanities, UCF’s Department of English and Department of Modern Languages and Literatures sponsored (see https://cah.ucf.edu/pedro-pan/ for more details on sponsors and the program in general).
Sebastian wanted the “brains” behind this event to be highlighted in this mini-series as well, so their conversation focused on the responsibilities and expectations that come with creating and organizing an event like this, why it matters, and so much more.
If you could not attend the event, listen to the previous episodes of this mini-series (ep. 35-37) to get a more intimate perspective from the panelists involved with this event. Also, WATCH a live recording of the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQbQYS0NzIQ (Day 1) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xHEtLE1Kek (Day 2).

Episode 37: Senator Mel Martinez - An Operación Pedro Pan Survivor

In Part 3 of “Operación Pedro Pan: The Voices and Stories of Cuba’s Child Exodus—A Knights HistoryCast Mini-Series,” the Department of History’s Sebastian Garcia talked with former U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2005-2009. Mel Martinez was the first Cuban-American to serve in a presidential cabinet (President George W. Bush, from 2001-2003) and the first-ever Cuban-American to serve in the United States Senate. Before his career in Washington D.C., Mel Martinez was the Mayor of Orange County (Orlando, Florida) from 1998-2001. As if the résumé was not already astounding, Mel Martinez arrived in the United States at the age of 15 via Operación Pedro Pan.
Like other Pedro Pans, Senator Mel Martinez is a testament to the success and power of Operación Pedro Pan (and of immigration more broadly). One of the most prestigious and acclaimed guests this podcast has ever seen, he walks us through his life, his story, and how this historic event forever shaped him.

Episode 36: Barbara Palacios Wessels - An Operación Pedro Pan Survivor

In Part 2 of “Operación Pedro Pan: The Voices and Stories of Cuba’s Child Exodus—A Knights HistoryCast Mini-Series,” the Department of History’s Sebastian Garcia talked with Barbara Palacios Wessels, a Pedro Pan, who arrived in the United States from Cuba via Operación Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan) on September 27, 1962, with her two younger siblings. Barbara was also a panelist from Day 1, Panel 2, which featured “community experts (survivors) that shared their personal perspectives to aid our understanding of the profound impact of Pedro Pan on their lives” at the esteemed, conspicuous, and powerful “Operación Pedro Pan: Honoring the Cultural, Historical Legacy of Cuba’s Child Exodus” Two-Day Program that Florida Humanities, UCF’s Department of English and Department of Modern Languages and Literatures sponsored (see https://cah.ucf.edu/pedro-pan/ for more details on sponsors and the program in general).
In one of the most personal, emotional, riveting, and powerful Knights HistoryCast episodes ever, Barbara recounts her life, her story, and how she is a part of the history of Operación Pedro Pan forever.

Episode 35: Alexis Castellanos, Author of “Isla to Island”, and Her Panel Presentation during the Operación Pedro Pan Two-Day Event

In Part 1 of “Operación Pedro Pan: The Voices and Stories of Cuba’s Child Exodus—A Knights HistoryCast Mini-Series,” the Department of History’s Sebastian Garcia talked with Alexis Castellanos, an author, illustrator, graphic novelist, and a panelist at the esteemed, conspicuous, and powerful “Operación Pedro Pan: Honoring the Cultural, Historical Legacy of Cuba’s Child Exodus” Two-Day Program that Florida Humanities, UCF’s Department of English and Department of Modern Languages and Literatures sponsored (see https://cah.ucf.edu/pedro-pan/ for more details on sponsors and the program in general).
Sebastian structured this specific episode on Alexis Castellanos’ Isla to Island, a wordless graphic novel grounded by her personal family history and the history of Operación Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan). By analyzing such a historic event through the medium of fiction, Sebastian argued that this is one of the most unique Knights HistoryCast episodes of all time. Naturally, their conversation expanded to what she talked about during her panel presentation in Panel One, Day 1 of the event that featured “internationally renowned scholars that discussed the political, historical, and cultural legacy of Operación Pedro Pan (1960-1962).” (https://cah.ucf.edu/pedro-pan/)
To purchase Isla to Island (strongly recommend), check out: https://islatoisland.com/.
To find out more about Alexis and her professional work, check out her website at https://alexiscastellanos.com/

Episode 34: History Research Projects/Posters at the 2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Event

The Department of History’s Sebastian Garcia attended the 2023 UCF Student Scholar Symposium Event, UCF’s most prominent showcase event of the year, where students from all disciplines can present their research. Sebastian talked with all the students of this year’s program who did historical research, regardless of the student’s major/discipline. Sebastian recorded these interviews LIVE at the event, hence the ambiance in the background of all the conversations. Below are the names of the students who talked with Sebastian, the title of their research project, and the timestamps in which the conversation takes place during the episode.
Marena Montes-Colon, Las Floriquenas: Puertoriquenas’ Experiences in Central Florida Presented Through a Historical Framework (00:02:21-00:13:31)
Julia Condes, Juan De Pareja: The Portrait That Preceded Freedom (00:13:37-00:22:50)
Glenn Ritchey III, Ancient Defenders in the Modern Body Politic: The Ulster Cycle’s Boy and Man Heroes (00:22:56-00:40:45)
Cameron Garrow, Protection or Control? The History and Impact of the Major Crimes Act on Native Americans (00:40:50-00:51:42)
Jacqueline Houser, Relocate the Original Bumper Missile Blockhouse (00:51:47-01:01:21)
Jochen Riehm, The Dreyfus-Affair in the Alsatian Press: Politics, Society, and Religion in a German Borderland Region, 1906-1914 (01:01:26-01:10:03)
Sarah Boye, Southern Justice and the Cultural Legacy of the Civil War in Orlando (01:10:08-01:18:39)
Here is a link to this year’s virtual program, where you can find and see the posters that these students presented during the event: https://virtual.oxfordabstracts.com/#/event/3315/program