Don Bendell

Don Bendell travels the country to speak and has spoken all over the United States. He won his first speech contest in 1966, as a high school senior attending an Ohio state convention for Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. Don was entered in the Extemporaneous Speech competition, was given a subject and five minutes to prepare then deliver a speech. He won the Ohio State Championship. He has been a member, for years, of the prestigious International Platform Association, which counts as its notables the likes of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, many celebrities, and most former US Presidents. In 1992, he was the guest speaker in Kokomo, Indiana for a crowd of 12,000 at the nation's largest and oldest Vietnam veteran's convention.

 

Although a former US Army Special Forces officer, he was flown across the United States by the US Marine Corps to be the featured Guest Speaker for the combined officers wives clubs for New River, Camp LeJeune, and Cherry Point Marine Bases. After speaking in Oklahoma City, he was made an Honorary Oklahoman by then-Oklahoma State Lieutenant Governor, now Governor, Mary Fallin and state House of Representatives. Don is a very popular, entertaining, and controversial guest on radio talk shows, and has been interviewed by Martha MacCallum on Fox News.

 

He loves, and can often be seen, riding his horse in parades and similar venues. Bendell is very animated and pro-active at book-signings loving to meet and interact with fans. Don was a preliminary speaker for Superstar Wayne Newton at a banquet featuring several dozen living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. During the 2012 Presidential election, Don appeared several times with Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and VP candidate Paul Ryan. Close friend Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Roger Donlon asked Don and Shirley to stand in for  him and his wife Norma as Guest of Honor of the 10th Special Forces Group at the USAF-Army football game a few years ago (Now, two of Don's sons serve there as senior NCOs).

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In October, 2016, Don was the Master of Ceremonies to a packed house at the Veterans for Trump rally at the Centennial Institute, Colorado Christian University, Lakewood, Colorado (Denver area), introducing Eric Trump, the second oldest son of Donald J. Trump, as was well as Mark "Oz" Geist, the co-author of the best-selling Benghazi book and hit movie, "13 Hours," and other dignitaries.

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In November of 2016, on Saturday evening, 3 days before the Presidential election then-Republican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump personally requested that Don Bendell be the Master of Ceremonies of a giant Trump rally to introduce thousands to the nominee as well as Coach Mike Shanahan, Oz Geist again, and other celebrities. This was held at the Great Western Stockman's Complex in Denver.