All my life I fought for the UNDERDOG! People picked on, told their life is worthless, told them they should quit. Mary told me many times, to give up on my Crusade to Stop the 50 Veterans and First Responders that commit Suicide every 24 hours. Most First Responders are Veterans. They must serve. In battle, saving our Freedoms, saving our Lives, from everyday accidents, being there when we need them.
The first year I was setting up lloydsrides.org Mary had to loan me the $750.00 to start the paperwork. She said "Do not ask for any more money for your Charity EVER!!" About six months later a rebate check arrived from our medical insurance, $148.00. It came in my name. Mary said sign this, you can put the money in your Charity, but no MORE! You know she did the same again, each time "this is the last."
My underdogs now are the 50 that die every 24 hours. Female, Male, Black, White, any background, any nationality. PTSD cares not how rich you are, how good you are, how many lives you saved, or how many family members will miss you. GOD gave me a big mouth, Lloyd my Father gave me the genes to Never, Ever QUIT. Everyone I run into, the first question I ask is are you a Veteran? If yes, I give them info about my Ministry. If not a Veteran, do you want to help a PTSD suffering person? After our Meet-up breakfast last week I asked a lady with a cane like myself. She is a Veteran, but not PTSD damaged, she has brain Cancer, not operational. We hugged when I gave her the info. I work about 90 hours every week with no thought of pay. That hug was worth $1,000,000 to her, and of course me. Yes, I was 6' 2" about 250 lbs, very muscular, when I was young, but I always teared up easily. I got in my van and cried for that lady. She was over 70 too. She knew her time was shrinking, but she said to me, keep up the great work, and Never, Ever QUIT!
Randy "Hoss" Caldwell is my name. UNDERDOG MANIAC is my title. In the TV show Bonanza, Hoss was a mountain name for a very big mountain man that had a very big heart. Little did I know that the Police Officer that called me Hoss, that the name would follow me 55 years so far. And yes, Mary my wife of 47 years knows to put HOSS in my obituary or 95% of the Susquehanna Valley will not know it is me.
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