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Every Memorial Day, BJ replays this episode to reset how he thinks about what it means to lead. Dennis Zilinski was his West Point classmate, swim teammate, and one of his best friends. Dennis was killed in action on November 19, 2005, at 23 years old.

In this conversation, BJ sits down with Dennis's mother, Marion Zilinski (Mama Z), to talk about who Dennis was, how he led, and how his leadership continues to make an impact 20 years after his death. From his early instinct to serve and protect, to his decision to stay at West Point after 9/11, to the legacy his family built in his name, this episode is a reminder that real leadership shows up long before the title does. And its impact outlives the leader.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - What leadership costs when stakes are life and death

01:00 - Reading the foreword from The Strong Gray Line

03:00 - Why this conversation matters for Memorial Day

07:00 - Dennis the protector and the young volunteer

09:00 - Handling failure with maturity beyond his years

12:00 - The decision to go to West Point

14:00 - Why Dennis refused to leave after 9/11

17:00 - Leading among 4,000 future leaders at West Point

20:00 - Choosing church over the party on post night

23:00 - The generosity Dennis built into his will

28:00 - The night of the knock at the door

39:00 - Building the Dennis Zilinski Fun

40:00 - Dennis's promise to go meet the parents

48:00 - How service dogs are saving veteran lives

55:00 - What Memorial Day is really about

Connect with Marion Zilinski:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-zilinski