Veterans Breakfast Recap

The NWTF and America as a whole are indebted to our veterans, and it is always an honor to celebrate them in Nashville as we celebrate conservation achievements and the pursuit of the great outdoors … two things that would not be possible without their sacrifice and service.

Jason Gilbertson gave an update on how Winchester has been and will be involved in the great outdoors space, including the acquisition of White Flyer Targets last year and Winchester Pet, their new pet line. He also said Winchester has decided to continue with the theme Committed to Conservation on their Longbeard XR packaging.

Keynote speaker, Evangelo “Vann” Morris, a U.S. Navy retired Surface Warfare Officer and Afghanistan deployed Combat Veteran, took the stage and honored those in attendance while also issuing a challenge.

Morris, who has been a motivational speaker for more than two decades since his military retirement, is passionately on a mission to Heal America.

While as a veteran Morris certainly knows the sacrifices of military commitments, his wife (Rita) and their three sons are also all proud U.S. Veterans, a true military family.

Morris spoke from the heart and his passion to heal America was palpable.

“You are a veteran. That is a sacred title and no one can take it from you. It means something. When you feel something is not right, you want to take action.”

He said the thing that Americans don’t talk about are false perceptions.

“America can’t be brought down by any force outside of our country,” Morris said. “If America is to be brought down, it’s going to have to come from within, so that’s what we have to safeguard (against).”

He said he wants to have a counter-narrative, to all of the misinformation being promoted today.

He said, “America has a perception that we don’t love our police. America has a perception that the children don’t want to hear the national anthem or they don’t want to recite the pledge of allegiance. We have a perception in America that if you have a pickup truck and you have old glory flying in the back of your pickup truck, you are a racist. That’s the perception.

And it couldn’t be further from the truth,” Morris said.

He said Freedom in America is under siege and he is acting.

Morris said he speaks at events across the country, honoring America’s heroes as often as he can and has begun to partner with public school systems across the country to bring the teaching of American core values to their students.

More about Morris and his passionate stance to heal America can be found on his website, evangelomorris.com.