-- navy rotc students. that is the start. after 40 years of not having any kind of rotc, it is a great start. we are making progress. it will take work. if the military and civilian parts of society are not forcing themselves together, you build up here. you build up mistrust. you do not know. you have to find that. it is frightening for a veteran to go to a university or to go into business. this is a veteran who may have walked into danger in iraq but it is frightening to walk into a company and try to get a job because it is a different culture. the organizations, the institutions have got to open their arms. there will have to be an awful lot of veterans and some who will week bills behind them. it is different than after world war ii because the

smaller population, which makes it harder. they are more of a minority. it is important we do these things to reassure them and the organizations. >> i need a point of order. [laughter] >> you can go on this time. i do not want to through do that again. >> it is not as ivy league schools. my college -- public institution that serves the inner-city section of york -- did away with rotc about 16 years after i graduated because of the vietnam war. they have decided to bring it back this year. [applause] >> i want to leave you with one story and one thought. i was in minnesota. they have the military appreciation fund. they collect money for rehab,

college, and other things. it unifies the entire state. the speaker was a mother of a national guardsman who had gone three times to iraq. she is a big executive at the target corporation. she did not want to be involved with her son's activities. she went off to see him often. she was named the chair of the parents left behind. look at the young mothers with their children who were crying because her daddy had gotten on the airplane. she thought she owed it to her son and her country into the sun people. she gave me the most haunting line i have never heard -- i quickly learned when you are a military mother, you go home and draw the lines on the window that looked out across the driveway. you cannot bear the idea of the

military arriving and a chaplain will get out. that was a template for what military families go through. the rest of us do not have that kind of fear. what we do have is not just the opportunity but the application to reach out to those families and these returning veterans. we could not have had two better representatives of the military services than general powell and general mcchrystal. thank you all very much. [applause] [applause] one of the many privileges in my

life is the range of people i am able to meet. early on as these wars were not winding down, i have two young men talk to me about their mission. they had served in the military services. paul rieckhoff is the founder and executive director of iraq and afghanistan war veterans of america. he did not have to go into the army. he did not have to serve in iraq, he did as a first lieutenant. he went to am worse. -- he went to m. hurst. he served as an army first -- he went to elmhurst -- amherst. he was a platoon leader in iraq in 2003 and 2004. from september 7, 2001, he left his job on wall street after 911 happened. he went to serve.

he has dedicated himself to the issues that bring us here today. he will tell you firsthand what you need to know and we all need to know about the success they have had so far and the word that is still to be done. paul. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. i want to start by asking you all to please give a round of applause to mr. brokaw, who has been an incredible voice for us our own. he talked passionately about the greatest generation. he set the groundwork for what now we believe can be the next great generation of veterans who come home and surf. -- and serve. general powell and mcchrystal have an incredible voice for us. because of my unit said -- is

easier than being getting shot at. [laughter] that is true. my story began in another big city in new york. right before 9/11. i was working at j.p. morgan at 60 wall street. i was in the new york national guard. i never thought my first mobilization would be at ground zero. i have come from a military family. my grandfather was drafted in world war two in the bronx. he served three years in the south pacific. vietnam. back then, every family was a military family. i wanted to get back. -- i want to give back. i never thought it was dark in manhattan. -- i never thought it would start in manhattan. my story is not unique. many people have answered this call. this generation of veterans is not a charity.

they are an investment. it is one of the strongest investments we can make at a critical time in american history. i want to tell you a story via video about a man who grew up not far from chicago and is one of the many members of iava. >> i took the hard road. my story has been a story of success and survival. my name is nicholas. colgan. i deployed to afghanistan from january 2007 until april 2008. it is hard to come home. war can transform you. the military does not train you to come back home and be an american citizen. that is where groups like the iava step in.

on my right shoulder i carry my best friend's name that was killed in iraq. he transformed my life. i would not have joined if it were not for him. on the same arm i would get the iava logo. iava transformed my life since i got out of the military. i could have been a statistic. i could have committed suicide. i could still be unemployed. iava did a lot for me. >> are you sure you want this? >> yeah. >> this symbolizes everything that was great about the military and carrying it forward. you do not always see it every day. you see it in the veterans of our becoming leaders in their

communities, great husbands or wives, out there leading this nation and becoming the next greatest generation of veterans. >> that is nick. [applause] the tattoo shop that nick got that tattoo at was created by in iraq vet who use his g i bill money to get trained and started a small business that not the tattoos. -- that now does tattoos. both of their stories underscore the opportunity that exists in this dynamic, dedicated generation of young men and women. nick is one of 2.4 million men and women who served in iraq. they represent less than one- half of 1% of the overall population. in world war ii it was about 12%.

not everyone has someone in their household, classroom, but these people are coming home and facing challenges. not everyone comes home from war wounded. everyone does come home changed. some of them are stronger for it. they do not view themselves as victims or villains. they are a tremendous resource waiting for this country to give how mr. them opportunities to excel. 15% are women. 30% of them used the g.i. bill. over 700,000 are graduating across the country. they want to continue to serve. that is something you hear from the veterans. we want to continue to serve. that is the opportunity. we have challenges. over 40,000 have been physically wounded. the unemployment rate for

returning veterans is 12.1%. 12.1%. that is what we can track. in states like michigan, it is close to 20%. not everyone else comes home with stress disorder. they want to get involved. they contribute to our nation and communities. what they need more than anything else is a connection. they need an on ramp into society when they return. that is what we can do. we cannot do it alone. challenges. there are almost a million disability claims backlog.

folks are waiting to find out if they will get care, if they would get payment, what is next. that can be a burden. these are all solvable problems. the challenge is isolated to the veteran community. these conversations are branching out. you do not have to be a veteran to support the movement. it does not matter who you voted for or how you feel about the war. we can be united and reassured that we do not repeat the mistakes of vietnam. last week there was a high- profile debate on domestic policy. the two presidential candidates that together as americans watched. there was one word you did not hear in that debate -- veteran. veterans w not considered a domestic policy priority. that has to change. in order for us to galvanize the country and around this

issue, you need to get involved. the va cannot do it alone. a lot of folks tend to think maybe they will be robotic. i was an infantry guy. i have the stereotype. people assume -- wall street, turn left, turn right. they do not appreciate the entrepreneurial string of that come out of these folks. they are dedicated. they do adapt, improvise, and overcome. if you really want to support the troops, hire them. they are a tremendous work force that will not only serve communities. we have been working with different industries who understand that. we were in new york city for

advertising. week. understood this was a tremendous resource for them to utilize. they did a job fair. we were in silicon valley where leaders are realizing this is the group they want in their workforce. when you leave, you will see incredible speakers. remember that we are not a charity. we are an investment that can lead this country to do great things through tough times. george washington said -- and we assume a soldier, do not lay aside the citizen. that is what the lead. -- that's what we believe. we are not partisan. we are frustrated with the in action and what looks like slow things happening in washington. these are the types of folks that can pass through and take this country to the next level. we need your help. when you leave, take this with you and think about veterans day.

it is november 11. every city will have a parade and events. please step up and join. be a part of this movement. help us deliver a return from this generation. we are not a charity. we are an investment. now is the time to invest. thank you very much. [applause] >> imagine what it is like when paul comes into my office with one of his friends. i sit up at attention when he comes in. you have seen now three distinguished american male military officers who returned home on damage from this service. i want you to meet melissa stockwell. she was a lieutenant in iraq in april 2004.

she was hit by an i.e.d. it was on her home. it was on herin a way, her new life began on that day. she is an expert on prosthetics, having lost her leg and had it replaced by what you would not describe as an artificial leg but just a different leg. ladies and gentlemen, melissa stockwell. [applause] how did you go into the army? >> i love our country. i wanted to be in the military. >> did you go in before or after 9/11?

>> after. i was in rotc at the university of colorado in boulder. we were told it was more a matter of when we were deployed. it became real. >> we were making the transition at that point -- women serving downrange in combat conditions. was it difficult to be a female in a military? >> i was in a service support unit. i was transportation corp. we all wear the same uniform. everybody got treated the same in the same uniform. >> let us go back to that april day in 2004. it is cathartic.

we ought not to be afraid to ask about these episodes. >> april 13, 2004. i was on humvee. i was behind the driver. we had no doors, no armor. 10 minutes into the right, a belasco's off. -- a big blast goes off. what you see today is the last day i have ever stood, two legs. there was the last of the i.e.d. a lost my left leg above the knee. >> how did they treat to in the field? >> there was a medic. they were two vehicles back. they got and iv started. they did not tell me my leg was gone. i found that out later. i was flown to a hospital. i was rushed into a surgery. i woke up without my leg.

realized it? >> it sounds so cheesy -- i have always been positive. i remember thinking and knowing that everything was -- it was ok. i knew i had a strong support system. i would be able to get through it. i wanted to do that. i wanted to start the healing process. >> you transferred from baghdad to germany. how long were you there? >> for about five days. i was stabilized before making the long trip back. >> you are back to walter reed. you get the prostatic. the bad news is we have too many young people losing limbs. we have learned about how they

can be replaced. is this the latest model? is it different from what you got from the first time? >> yes, it is the latest model. at walter reed, we get the best prospects. -- prosthetics. when i first got to walter reed, the prostatic i got was the latest and greatest. i was able to stand, walk, do pretty well early. in the american public, there are perceptions -- someone sees me walking and they say -- look at her. poor her. her life most be horrible. they think i said in a dark room and cry. -- they think i said in a dark room and cry. but they do not know is that i wake up the next day, put on my leg, and i do more in my life than i would have done with two.

my life is more fulfilled. that day in 2004, it changed my life for the better. that's one perception and the other perception is we have the power olympic games. -- the power-olympic games. they claim that those prosthetic legs gave him an unfair advantage. that is not really the case. they think it is a robot leg. i can do everything i want to do, but i have to work at it. thanks to the media, you have heart breaking stories and the wonderful stories and the reality is somewhere in the middle. >> were you a good athlete? myself as athletic. i want to be an olympic gymnast when i was younger. >> you are a swimmer. >> yes. it started out good.

>> what about the people with you? is there a different kind of bond as a result of the experiences you are going through? >> take anyone in the games. they all have inspiring stories. each one of them has gone through an incredible obstacles themselves better. you know that you have overcome hard obstacles. >> having the prosthetic and having improved your life, what is it that they should know about them and how they can

approach them and talk about it? >> treat them like you would treat anyone else. we want to be part of reality. we want to be integrated back in life. we do not want to be treated differently. if you start talking across something i do not want to talk about, i will let you know. treat them the way you would treat anyone else. >> do you have a job? >> i do. what do you do? >> i work in prosthetics. those who were born without limbs or due to trauma or disease. it is the visible spectrum. >> when you talk about your work, is it a demonstration of how life is much better?

>> absolutely. it is kind of an unknown field unless you know somebody or you have it. when i first joined the military, my dad asked if they let girls into the military. it was very unknown. it was a wake-up call butthey loved it. a lot of times it was reassuring them that life is ok and that i will be ok. we grew and thrived together. i think that they are proud. >> i think i can say on behalf of all of us that it is ok and we are glad to have you here and share your story with us. [applause]

>> part of the big idea of this conference and the subject is that we want you to have exposure to a full range of people who have experienced the triumphs and the traumas of the war. this there is nothing harder than having lost someone. michael davis.

was killed with their roadside bomb. his wife was back here in the united states, taryn davis. she was his high-school sweetheart and became his wife. she was stricken into solid grief, but she also knew there was a calling for her as well. their other military widows. -- but there were other military ritas. she founded the american widow project. dedicated to providing a wide range of services and support for those who have lost their spouses. her project has served 1100 women altogether. she was named one of newsweek magazine's 150 women who have shaped the world and a top 10 cnn hero. we're very pleased to have her as a guest here at the chicago conference on big ideas. [applause]

>> can i talk? >> yeah. as she describes her project, i want you to in some way to put yourself in her shoes. britain you got the call in the -- to have gotten that call often in middle of the night, sometimes from a disconnected voice, and you are 21 years old. life. expand the moment into the to you. the audience is yours. >> on may 21, 2007, my life ended.

it started out like any other day. i woke up to the ding ding of instant messaging. i ran to my computer and got to see my husband, michael, on the screen. i met him when i was a socially awkward clarinet player in the high school band. it made no sense to me that this gorgeous trombone player would talk to me, let alone to ask me out. but he did. we eventually did it all through high school and college and parted ways to until i received a call from him knowing that he decided to join the army. total surprise to me. we wrote letters every day during his training. three months after we got engage.

a month up to that, we got married. he was the kind of person that if you walked up to him and said he would not laugh at you. he will look at you sternly in the eyes and say to bring back a rock. he was the kind of person who made you believe in yourself. he loved "star trek" and frozen pizzas and he was my "shark week" companion. he would watch "antique road show" with me even though i am pretty sure he hated it. he was my soul mate. we talked about mundane things. that morning. we did not talk about the missions that he was going on. we talked about what i ate for

dinner the night before and what happened on "grey's anatomy." in this instance, we were talking about a laptop computer. after a month of deployment, you say i love you in so many ways. i typed it out. i do not know why, but i typed out, i hope you know that i love you more than life itself. i am glad that i wrote that. an hour-and-a-half later, my husband would be leading a convoy of vehicles to baghdad. there was stop over. when they stopped, they said up. there were explosives that killed my husband and a few other soldiers.

i would be a my parents' house and later and getting ready to head home. my mom was asleep and my dad was out of town. when the phone rang, my little sister would pick it up and handed to me. they said, you need to come home. that there are men that need to talk to me. who are the men? i cannot tell you. you need to come home. my heart dropped as a drop the phone. we asked a neighbor if they could drive me to my house. it was the longest 10 minutes of my life. dear lord, please let it be an injury. i stopped when returned on to my street. i saw the two man wearing the same uniform that my husband

wore on our wedding. i got quiet. at that point, it was like a movie scene. i got out of the car and walked to our patio. i remember seeing two men. they were shaking. in my mind does said i can't wait to talk to michael tomorrow to -- about these two people. michael was killed and i was the wife they were notifying. after that, it was a whirlwind of memorial service and writing the obituary. it became apparent to me that the world would keep turning. i could not die of a broken heart. i like to say that with time it

became easy, but months later i hit rock bottom. people disregarded my grief is due to my young age of 21. it seemed better than being in a world where people this regard my husband's sacrifice because of their political views or because of his young age at 22. i thought about michael and what he would want. it would be the ability to stand here with me today and fulfillment teams to have for each other. -- fulfill the dreams we had for each otheri had to try to live for michael until i could find a reason to live for myself. in doing that i would be embracing this title i had been given -- widow. i went to the one place where i could find answers. i went to google. [laughter] i typed in "widow." i hit enter.

google came back with the response i will never forget -- did you mean "window"? that was a catalyst to me. i found out that the average age of a soldier killed was 26. 56% of those serving are married. in the past 24 hours, a service member has taken the lead due to posttraumatic stress disorder. -- taken his life to do to post traumatic stress disorder. their other young men and women out there like me who are grieving and trying to grasp onto any life out there. there are individuals of or behind the statistics. i want to bring those people together. that is what i wanted to start

a nonprofit. i wanted to create a place where women could come together, men and women together and give the peer support that is necessary to see others like them. we have served many through the american river project. we allow them to overcome mental and emotional problems. it has been amazing. we push them outside their physical boundaries. it has been an honor for me to look at them in the face and see perseverance and to see their legacies being carried on through their actions. we are taking the program is the further. as a nation, it is our duty to recognize these men and women. you cannot see it, but they are there.

they have wounds that are not visible to the eye. it is our duty through our new program to allow these women to see not only can we show them the they can survive, but to thrive. given the tangible tools to pursue education and overcome obstacles. these women had given me hope. they are the reason i am standing here today. they have given me purpose. i want to give them that, too. i saw on may 21, 2007 that my life ended. -- i thought on may 21, 2007 that my life ended. i have learned through each one of their stories and their heroes that the day has not ended, but has only just begun. thank you. [applause]

[cheers and applause] [applause] >> we're going to move up in rank. we have major general marcia anderson. been in the army for 32 years. when to university in omaha, nebraska. went into service. recently let the u.s. army as a general. -- recent left the u.s. army as a commanding general. she said -- at her service,we

are a leader, an officer, a warrier, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. that some of the great american. at a citizen soldier, she is employed by the u.s. courts where she serves as a clerk of the bankruptcy court in western wisconsin. she serves as in wisconsin, wisconsin been her home. she has served as a deputy chief of army reserve. that's the highest ranking african-american woman in the united states military. these three women are one more demonstration of the changing face of the united states of our society. i honestly believe and not just because i am the father of daughters and granddaughters, the 21st century will be the century of women. there's no better demonstration of that than[applause]

general anderson. [applause] >> thank you. i appreciate that a standing ovation before i said anything. i appreciate that. i also want to thank and i am very honored to be part of this discussion we are having, the conversation of a community about our transitioning service members. i am going to talk to in the next few minutes about what i know best -- what we are doing in the army reserve for our soldiers. we stayed. we took an oath. many of us never expected to serve. we stayed andyou may not realize this, but the army reserve has

over 200,000 citizens soldiers. over 200,000 of them have deployed. some of them have deployed four or five times. they are still joining. they still expect to be utilized because they love this country. they have something special to offer. you may know whether someone who is in the reserve, a family member, because these community. we go to work every day. we work on your car. as a reserve soldier, there are working on tanks and really cool stuff. they may be your dentist. my dentist is a member of the army reserve. she joined late in life.

a person behind in the grocery line might be in the army reserve and you do not know it. i will talk about the programs we have for the special members of our communities. start thinking about things we can do to make these programs better and to expand their reach. as we e-book after these 11 -- as we evolve after these 11 years of war, we cannot remain static. they need to evolve. we need to support them. i will talk about our partnership program. back in 2008, the army reserve created an employer partnership office. its sole purpose was to link soldiers with employers. we felt very strongly the

soldiers bring something very special to the table. you may see them as an infantry soldier, but that does not explain what they have done and the responsibilities they have had and the equipment they have been responsible for. they do more than supervise people, but they are expected to mentor the soldiers that work for them. talk about professional career goals and sometimes help them out when they have family challenges. you might see a soldier, but i see someone who covers an immense amount of responsibility and touches of the people that work for them. employer partnership leverages those skills. it allows them to connect with employers that need some of those talents. we all winning.

-- we all win. they understand about being a member of a team and the importance of dedicating yourself to something that is greater than to. -- > new and polling is all across the finish lineit is important that we all across the finish line. i want to talk about kanai drilling. company talks about why they need soldiers. he says, soldiers are good at drilling because it is hard, dirty work, and away from home. soldier? it does. i'll talk about timothy thomas. he was one of the outstanding soldiers have benefited from this partnership. timothy was laid off in 2008. he was having difficulty

finding employment. he joined the army reserve in 2010. he took advantage of the employer partnership offered. you probably cannot tell, but that is antonio banderas. you probably cannot tell, huh? [laughter] he took the opportunity to leverage the partnership office and is working for kanai drilling and they're happy to have him. it were extremely happy to have him. he was a soldier who was an asset to the company. uh, i never got to meet antonio. [laughter] there are other companies. a major partner in the employer partnership office is a national trucking company. schneider trucking,they have hired 1800 veterans. they have 180 in one of their programs.

-- their apprenticeship program. think about it. you have someone driving an 18 wheeler. they are driving a route in afghanistan or i ran. there is no reason they cannot come here and navigates. -- the kennedy expressway. [laughter] [applause] no way. they value the skills and work ethics that the soldiers bring to the table. that is what they are awe're talking about noncommissioned officers who are transitioning from acts of duty. maybe they decided to go back to school. we want to repay those individuals and their talents in the army reserve. we have invested a lot in their training. i feel strongly about repaying those individuals. -- retaining those individuals.

we want them to transition to the army reserve. this program is a way to do that. find them a job in whatever community decide to move to. link them up with the army reserve unit said they can continue to support and help the army reserve remains strong. we also need to take care of our families. that is a priority in. the army and the army reserve. our families make a strong. all of us together can make our nation stronger if we support them and their families. i will talk about a couple of programs we have. i will describe these programs in general. i want you to thank about what we can do to improve what we're offering. we need to evolve and change i recognize there are different needs than originally thought. we have armies from the immediate centers and families.

-- we have are made-strong community centers and families. there is an 800 number you can call for assistance. information on how to contact aright office. the community centers it takes all. it is not a member in your member of any branch of our military service. there was a veteran who was bipolar and homeless. in rochester, new york. he needed assistance getting food and medicine. and finding a place to stay. the rochester center was able to help him. he also needed a place to stay. the center was able to help him and connected with people who could help them move forward with his life. if we talk about our families, we cannot forget some of our youngest heroes, the children. the yellow ribbon program which some of you might be familiar with is a program designed for reserved soldiers to assist in pre deployment, during deployment, and when they come

back after deployment. there are various programs provided for them to help with their legal issues and employment and educational benefits to be explained. we bring in everyone. we bring in this house and -- we bring in this house and single soldiers and child care so they can focus completely a bigger health specialists and opportunities that are being provided in terms of counseling. we make a holistic approach to the entire family. for our children, as army children -- especially the army children -- iowa has a military installation. live on of them don't military installations. we need to rely on the army reserve resources to support our soldiers and take care of them and address their needs.

children are an integral part of that. what is provided for army kids? tutor.com is for the kids. it is an opportunity for them to connect with appears online. -- with tutors on line. there have been over 8 million sessions with army kids and this particular program. i call this a success story. we also a partner with the small business administration, the department of veteran affairs, and the department of labor to provide other opportunities. you have to be pretty of entrepreneurial when you're out there away from resources and try to make do with very little. you need to think on your feet and be created. -- and be creative andbe innovative. soldiers rock.

we also have an opportunity for people who may not have thought of joining. i will talk about a person named sandra. coast. she decided to join the army at 51. i'm 54, so i give her a lot of respect for making that decision. her son during the marine corps. -- her son joined the marine corps andthe completed basic training at the same time. i looked at her in the front. her son is the man behind. [laughter] she is ready to go. i want to do my part. she's a citizen who had a friend who deployed about three times

and saidi want to do my role. i want to add value. that is what she did. she is still serving as far as i know. i think that is great. from my own personal experience, how did you get into the army? it was not a plan. it was kind of serendipitous. i went to a small catholic university in the midwest. i needed a science credit. being a liberal arts majors. i did not want to take anything involved in getting messy. i was working my way through college. a gentleman said, rotc. military science department. too good to be true. i'm still here. one of the best decision i ever made. i do not look back and anything

i did with regret. it has been an honor to serve. i will continue to serve until they tell me to go home. as i talk to you this afternoon, i want to highlight a few programs. do not have programs out there that are serving our soldiers. we do, but we need your help. we need continued support for those programs. we need you to get involved and get educated. find out where we have gaps in services. come together as a community and provide the support we need for our veterans. this is our next greatest generation. there will be the next members of our state and local legislature. they will be our doctors and attorneys and engineers to help improve our infrastructure. their kids and their spouses will continue to add value. we need to support them. we need to give them everything

opportunities. one of the things we do know is that we have mental health and behavioral challenges, but you cannot be afraid. they just need to know that you care. it goes beyond, how are you doing today? you really do not want to know, but that is what you need to know. you have to get to know these soldiers. they are in your church. they lived next door to you. you run into them at the grocery store. the pump gas. they are your neighbors. just say, how are you doing? and buy them over for dinner. -- invite them over for dinner. take care of their families when you are gone. -- when they are gone. we can do this. i know we can do it. one thing i wanted to remember

is the h2h.jobs. everyone needs to sign up for this. -- every employer needs to sign up at this website. everyone needs to put the jobs that have out there and post them and hire a soldier, a sailor, a marine, hire a hero. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> i want to introduce the real commander of the mcchrsytal family. annie, would you stand up please? annie but crystal --

mcchrystal. [applause] she runs the home front. she was deployed for months and years on end in special forces. could not imagine what it would have been like. this is been a remarkable you. the whole idea was to the big ideas before you and carry out of here and that will help knit this country together when we feel too divided. the most important thing you can do is not just take the lessons from these remarkable speakers, but make a pledge to yourself and your friends that there is never been a more important time in american life than right now to re-enlist as citizens. thank you. [applause]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] ♪ ♪ ♪ >> if we turn away from the needs of others, we align ourselves with those forces which are bringing about this suffering. >> the white house is a bully pulpit and we should take advantage of it. >> obesity in this country is nothing short of a public health crisis. >> i just have little antennas that went up and told me when

someone had their own agenda. >> it is just a shame to waste the position of the office. >> i think they serve as a window on the past to what was going on with american women. >> becomes the chief confidante. she is the only one in the world they can trust in many ways. >> many of the women who were first ladies were writers. the road books and were journalists. >> they are, in many cases, more interesting as human beings than their husbands. if only because they are not first and foremost defined and limited by political ambitions. >> dolly was socially adept and politically savvy. >> dolley madison loved every minute of it. mrs. monroe hated it. >> she warned her husband that you cannot rule without including what women want and what women have to contribute.

>> during the statement he was a little breathless and there was thomas looking down and i think it was a little too fast. >> he's probably the most tragic of all of our first ladies. >> she later wrote in her memoir that she never made any decisions. i only decided what was important and went to presented to my husband. you stop and think about how much power that is. >> part of a babble against cancer is to fight the fear that accompanies the disease. >> she transformed the way we look at these bugaboos and made it possible for countless people to survive and to flourish as a

result. i don't know how many presidents realistically have that kind of impact on the way we live our lives. just >> walking a wound -- around the white house grounds, i am constantly reminded about all the people who have lived there before and particularly all the women. >> first ladies, influence and image, a new series on c-span, produced in cooperation with the white house historical association, coming in february, 2013. >> coming up on "washington journal," we will discuss the potential impact of pending fiscal clip budget cuts on the federal work force. a cq roll call on the future of the postal service. the postal service.