In this recorded panel discussion hosted by The Museum of Kansas City, I sit down with three men whose lives have intersected with mine for over three decades: Air Force Col. Charlie Goetz, Army Lt. Col. Jon Godwin, and (Ret.) Green Beret Lt. Col. Rory O’Connor. Our history began thirty years ago on high school wrestling mats—as teammates and as rivals. This conversation marks an incredible "full circle" moment, as these men serve as the final subjects for the concluding painting in my 11-year collection, Wish You Were Here. Throughout this collection, my mission as an artist has been to humanize the deployment stories of Special Operations Forces (SOF) and the experiences of FDNY and first responders. By moving beyond the statistics and headlines, these paintings aim to capture the nuanced, personal realities of those who serve.