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To Dori Monson Show listeners, popular guest and World War II Army combat veteran Phil Sulman is best known for his longevity and life of adventure.

The Bellevue man is a 1943 graduate of Seattle鈥檚 Garfield High School who survived 195 consecutive days of Nazi Germany shelling, helped liberate a concentration camp, and pitched post-war coins against Frank Sinatra to see who paid for their weekly coffee.

For his 97th birthday, “everybody-knows-him-as-Phil鈥� shared yet another never-before-revealed chapter from his intrepid life. This one involves a then-teenage country singer who just was just breaking into the music business: Dolly Parton.

鈥淵ou scamp!鈥� Dori taunted the nonagenarian. 鈥淵ou told me about how you had weekly breakfasts with Frank Sinatra, but you never told me about this before.鈥�

Bravery, tears, and flipping coins with Frank Sinatra: Reflections of a WWII veteran

“Dolly was an 18-year-old youngster. A cute gal. Just cute. She doesn鈥檛 look any different today than she did then,鈥� Phil thoughtfully revealed.

How did they meet?

Phil recalls working for ABC Records in Chicago, where he was assigned to a 鈥渓ittle town near the Ohio border 鈥� Poplar Bluff, Missouri.”

“It was a small town where you could drive right through it and not know it,鈥� he said.

Phil鈥檚 job was to set up a record department in the town鈥檚 likely one-and-only store. The highlight? Hosting Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, who were singing at a rodeo or outdoor concert at the time. They were invited to the department store to sign album covers 鈥� which they accepted. Dolly Parton was just breaking into the music business at the time.

鈥淒uring the day, I got to talk to her several times,鈥� Phil recalls. 鈥淚f I remember right, we all went out to dinner. She talks today just like she did then, … 18 years old.鈥�

Indeed, in the late 1960s, Dolly was touring with Wagoner 鈥� a few years before her 1973 hit 鈥淛olene鈥� skyrocketed her to singles fame. Her iconic music, acting, business, and Dollywood Theme Park career have soared ever since.

Now, Phil鈥檚 once-dinner date is launching her first novel. Dolly Parton鈥檚 book, 鈥淩un Rose Run,鈥� with bestselling author James Patterson, has a local promotional event through .

The book coincides with the release of her new album, also titled 鈥�.鈥�

To wrap up Phil鈥檚 97th birthday interview, Dori compared him to a real-life movie character: 鈥淵ou fought the Nazis, you had breakfast every week with Frank Sinatra, and you had dinner with Dolly Parton. You鈥檙e like Forrest Gump.”

“She wouldn鈥檛 know me any more than Frank Sinatra would if he was alive,” Sulman replied. “… I鈥檓 sure glad I can remember all those things, Dori.鈥�

Listen to Dori鈥檚 entire 97th birthday interview with Phil Sulman here:

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.