Military Hero to Keynote Heartland
Twenty-year veteran will speak on “dedication, pride and commitment.”
- By David Kopf
- Apr 28, 2011
A hero of the Battle of Mogadishu who was portrayed in the movie “Black Hawk Down” will be the keynote speaker at VGM’s 2011 Heartland Conference.
Matthew Eversmann, whose character was played by Josh Hartnett in the movie about the 1993 battle in the most hostile part of Somalia, will speak to conference attendees from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on June 7 at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.The 10th Heartland Conference runs June 6-9 in Waterloo, Iowa, VGM’s hometown. To register and view the schedule, visit www.vgmheartland.com.
Eversmann’s topic will be “Dedication, Pride and Commitment.” He has lectured on his Somalian experience throughout the world, represented the Army on “Larry King Live” and “Dateline with Stone Phillips,” and has spoken to students and faculty at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy. Eversmann has also appeared before audiences at Ford, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, Merck, RAND and USA Today.
Eversmann enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1987, and later spent eight and a half years in the Third Battalion , 75th Ranger Regiment. He was a squad leader, a weapons squad sergeant, the battalion air operations sergeant, the battalion liaison sergeant and a platoon sergeant. He was also in charge of the regiment’s pre-Ranger course that helped train solders to pass the grueling Army Ranger School.
He has trained soldiers across the globe and was deployed to Mogadishu in support of Operation Gothic Serpent. In addition to attending many military schools, he received numerous awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medial with Valor for his service in Somalia.
Eversmann recently returned to the U.S. after serving 15 months in Iraq, and retired from the Army as an infantry company first sergeant after 20 years of service. He is the founder and president of Freeman Phillips LLC, a leadership development company, and the author of “The Battle of Mogadishu” (2004).
About the Author
David Kopf is the Editor of HME Business.