Councilwoman Linda Ragsdale

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Councilwoman Linda Ragsdale of O'Fallon, Missouri!   Gold Star Families go through a lot. While they may not attend Basic Training or feel the mixture of terror and thrill when heading into a combat zone, they do know suffering. They know the stomach-churning anxiety of waiting for details about their loved one's well-being. They know the desperation of being left in the dark and praying for updates. They know all about those emotions. But there's one thing they don't know in those moments. There's one thing they cannot know until it's too late. And that's the fact that they have become a Gold Star Family. Being a Gold Star family member is complicated. You are proud of the dedication and service of your loved one, while also feeling angry, devastated, and indignant. You love your country, but you hate that death took your kin in the name of it. These emotions were felt and are still felt to some degree by Linda Ragsdale and her family. Linda now serves as a councilwoman for O'Fallon's 5th Ward, but before she was born, her Uncle Joe died while serving in Vietnam. Even though Linda never met Uncle Joe, she knows him. In fact, she knows him quite well. Thanks to his legacy as a fun-loving, jovial man, Uncle Joe lives on in family stories. Conversely, stories of service are not always easy to relate, as evidenced by Linda's father's reluctance to share his. Here at the Mid America Veterans Museum, our motto is, "Every veteran has a story," and that's true, but it doesn't mean that story will always be told. We are so grateful to Councilwoman Ragsdale as she shares the story of her heroic Uncle Joe and educates us as to why it's ok that some veterans may never fully share theirs.   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:22) Introduction (17:15) Uncle Joe's Story (33:39) Finding Closure (36:40) Part II (44:27) A Patriot's Heart (47:15) Closing (50:12) Remembrance Gala Ad