Dale “Mad Dog” Messmer, medically/honorably discharged United States Marine, former mercenary, bounty hunter, body guard, pilot, stuntman, Screen Actor’s Guild member and actor, and ex-convict was the guest speaker at Abbott Tech on Thursday, May 3, 2007 speaking to students, staff and guests about a subject that he is very familiar with... "Choices..."

Messmer spent over a decade in prisons in four states after having been convicted of a laundry list of crimes ranging from drug smuggling and distribution of cocaine to possession of automatic weapons and explosives, as well as money laundering and The Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (R.I.C.O.) Act. After an honorable military career, which was abbreviated by physical injuries and resulted in an early medical discharge, Messmer involved himself in various legitimate business enterprises which eventually led to him smuggling drugs in his own aircraft for the infamous Pablo Escobar Cocaine Cartel. When arrested he jumped bail and vanished for over a year, until he came back on his own and turned himself in to the authorities. He served 10 years, 8 months and 11 days in prison before being paroled in 1994.

After his release from prison, “Mad Dog” founded The Straight Talk Outreach Program (S.T.O.P.). He has taken his message to over 800,000 young people in over 1400 schools and youth oriented organizations across the country, in hopes of giving them an example of what NOT to choose in life, so they won’t have to learn about the dangers of drugs, gangs, violence, prison and death the hard way.

He has spoke at over 600 schools and youth oriented organizations in California and garnered the accolades of The United States Congress, The California State Legislature, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, The Los Angeles Police Commission, The Los Angeles Police Department (Juvenile Impact Program “Gangbusters”), The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (VIDA Program), The Ventura County School Board, The California Police Athletic League and a number of others.

Mad Dog is a regular on The Maury Povich Show, taking "at risk teens" to the Boot Camp in Oswego, KS (Labette County Correctional Facility). He is a member of The Screen Actor's Guild and has appeared in numerous programs, and now lives in Missouri near Branson, where he is the co-founder of America’s Youth Ranch and travels the United States speaking to kids.

He doesn’t have to do what he does. It was NOT part of his parole, or any other court conditions. He does it simply because he feels that it desperately needs to be done, for the good of all communities and for the future of the young people of America.