Five veterans from Southwest Florida are sharing their stories through the Telling Project with performances in late April and early May. Friday at 1 p.m. on Gulf Coast Live, three of those veterans join the show to discuss how they shaped their experiences of life and the military into stories they can share.
Jason Calabrese is a combat veteran who was with the Army 1st Infantry Division in Iraq. He's now an English professor at Florida Southwestern State College.
Peter Slota was a medic in the Vietnam War when he was 18, and served as a surgical assistant in the Army, and also worked with a medevac helicopter unit. Now retired in Bonita Springs, he's involved in several veteran support groups.
Joseph Cofield retired after 21 years in the Army during the Cold War. He spent 14 years in Europe and became an educator. Now retired in Naples, he's also the founder and director of the nonprofit Constitution Project, Inc.
Also joining the program is Tyler Tarrant, program coordinator for the Florida Humanities Council, which is bringing the Telling Project to cities across Florida.
