This is an I-Heart podcast.

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And we're back with our American stories.

Up next, we're hearing from a listener and the author of Who I Am, the Man Behind the Badge.

Jeff Shaw was a police officer in South Florida for 24 years, and he's here to share

us some stories about his time in the line of duty and all that comes with it. Here's Jeff.

In high school, I got my first regular job. with it. Here's Jeff.

In high school, I got my first regular job. I started out as a busboy for a restaurant.

I was called Ranch House Restaurant. It's kind of a combination between a Denny's and Texas Roadhouse. I worked for them on and off until I was 26 years old. Eventually I became a cook and then I was made manager.

During those years, in fact, right after high school, I started taking flying lessons. I went to Opelaca Airport and I stepped inside a Cessna 150 with the instructor,

and that was my first flight ever in an airplane,

and I was flying it.

I eventually got my license, my private pilot license,

in July of 1972, and I thought, okay, I'm on my way.

I'm going to be a pilot.

And about that same time, Vietnam was winding down,

and thousands and thousands of pilots and mechanics were all coming back from the war and looking for jobs with the airline.

So I pretty much didn't have a chance at that. You know, me with my 50 hours of flight time in a little Cessna,

I was competing with these pilots with thousands of hours in complex jets.

So I had to look elsewhere.

And one night, while I was at ranch house cooking, I was sitting at the counter.

I remember it was a slow night, and I was sitting with a friend of mine.

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