The Oak Lines

Sergeant Major (Retired) Mark Reilly spent 20 years in the U.S. Army as a rudimental drummer with the Old Guard, the oldest active duty infantry unit in the Army. Today he leads The Washington Tattoo, a 501(c)(3) using music to fight veteran isolation, heal trauma, and connect communities. In this conversation we talk about the drum as the commander's voice on the battlefield, what music does...

Colonel (Retired) Herbert Irving Stern, West Point Class of 1941, is 107 years old — the oldest living graduate and the last surviving member of his class. His call sign is Dockyard Six. He still answers to it. In this conversation, Herb shares stories from his time at West Point, the Battle of the Bulge, and the decades that followed: earning his appointment through a competitive exam, commanding...

Lieutenant General (Ret.) John Dubia, West Point Class of 1966, and his wife Maureen join Ted Adair at the Oath and Oak Outpost for a conversation about 58 years of partnership, 25 moves, and the shared commitment that held it all together. John commanded an artillery battery in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division, served as the 39th Chief of Field Artillery at Fort Sill, and later became Direc...

From Brazil to the Navy to Lamborghini to Jiu-Jitsu: Charles Gomes' Veteran Entrepreneur Story | The Oak Lines Ted Adair interviews Charles Gomes—Brazilian immigrant, Navy veteran, former Lamborghini sales leader, and co-owner of Gracie Baja jiu-jitsu in Leesburg and Ashburn, VA. Charles shares his journey from a dirt-floor home in Brazil to California at age eight, joining the Navy after 9/1...

In this episode of The Oak Lines, Ted Adair sits down with Abraham and Stephanie Avila, a veteran couple who built a new life together through food, family, and service in Leesburg, Virginia. They share the path from military life to opening Casa de Avila, tracing their story from Colorado kitchens and family traditions to the difficult decision to start a taco business during the pandemic. Abraha...