This is Part Three of a Five Part series about Irreverent Warriors in Tennessee. Part One was with Bobbi Smith – Taylor from Chattanooga, and Part Two was with Zack Jenkins from Nashville, Tennessee.
I met Nick Sawall earlier this year in a short trip to Nashville. In talking with Nick, he told how me how important Irreverent Warriors was to him at certain points in his life. The aspect of camaraderie is the foundation for the outreach Irreverent Warriors does. Nick has lived this and found it works.
Nick has worked hard to prepare for this event. The number of sponsors and volunteers that are supporting the 2020 Memphis Hike speaks to the effort Nick and his team have done for this hike.
This is part two of my series on Irreverent Warriors Tennessee Silkies Hikes. The first show in this series was 204 – Irreverent Warriors – Chattanooga (https://whoobazoo.com/oscarmike/204-i…) with Bobbi Smith Taylor.
207 had me talking with USMC Veteran Zac Jenkins. Zac is the coordinator for the Nashville hike and it was great talking with him about his military experience, civilian transition and setting up the Nashville Hike.
Zac got out of the military and eventually started his own business. Zac owns Semper Sliders (http://www.sempersliders.com). Owning a business has allowed Zac to be active his community and be an effective advocate for Veterans.
The Nashville Silkies Hike is on September 12th, 2020 starting at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN. Go to https://www.irreverentwarriors.com/ to learn more and sign up for a hike near you!
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I met Ben back in 2018 and he came on Oscar Mike Radio for #109 (https://whoobazoo.com/oscarmike/episode-109-get-up-nation/). At the time Ben, had published the book “Get Up” (https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B071P4FWDG&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_ICfuFb2F4W1MC) and talked to me about that experience.
In the last year Ben has been focused on the concept of Get Up Nation. This is where a group of people who have had to be resilient share their stories on his podcast, “Get Up Nation Show”. What is happening is there are many stories that one can draw from to understand how to overcome adversity. Stories that when you down or feeling hopeless, you and listen and get some light in your life.
This has worked for me and I want to thank Ben for sharing what he has been doing and how this all works. Because as a nation, together we can GET UP. Go to https://www.getupnationpodcast.com/ to find out more.
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
Sean started his outreach in 2016 where he would give out guitars to Veterans after taking 60 – 90 minutes to show us the basics. I had come to the cookout and I was encouraged to give it a try. I had never really taken to the guitar. My background was piano and when I tried playing bass or guitar, I would get frustrated and put the bass away and wouldn’t even think about trying the guitar
So it was cool to be sitting there with other Veterans just learning the basics with someone who wanted to share their love of music with us. I was hooked, and the other Veterans had a great time as well.
I talked with Sean later and said that I don’t know what the future holds, but I hope to really do something with this. Music is a gift and has so many benefits to everyone. Thanks Sean, I am looking forward to learning more.
The President of Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 got a hold of me and said I should check out the Cookout at The Veterans Garden Sunday, August 30th. I went down to Bridgewater, MA and was impressed by the work done.
Veterans grow vegetables for themselves and for a food back in southern Massachusetts. The place is beautiful and seeing all the support out for the cookout underscored how important this was to so many people. Great job today everyone!
Aaron Lawrence is a Marine Corps Veteran who had Explosive Ordnance Disposal as his Military Occupational Specialty. After he left the Marine Corps, Aaron studied for his law degree and now is practicing at the Law Office of James M. Wilkerson in Ruston, LA. (https://www.rustonlawyers.com/).
I have talked to many veterans who have re-invented themselves when they left active duty service, but not the degree Aaron has. Going from enlisted to passing the bar exam and running his family’s law practice, there has been an progressive arc of continual transition and growth.
Practicing law, and running the business of a law office outside a metropolitan area presents challenges that one doesn’t see on television and the movies. A lawyer in this area must wear different hats and develop relationships that are needed to build a successful practice.
I learned a lot about the business of law, and I feel that those looking to start their own business would do well to explores the services that the Law Office of James M. Wilkerson provide. Thank you Aaron, looking forward to talking with you again.
Semper Fidelis
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I talked with Marine Corps Veteran Bobbi Smith Taylor. Bobbi is the coordinator for the Irreverent Warrior Chattanooga hike that is taking place Saturday, August 22nd.
Learning about Irreverent Warriors and Bobbi’s journey opened my eyes to how important it is for Veterans as well as all of humanity to stay connected to each other.
It was impressive to hear how Bobbi and her team of volunteers and supporters worked to make the Irreverent Warriors happen with all the challenges of COVID-19.
Just like other cities, I learned things about Chattanooga I didn’t know. Chattanooga is a beautiful city and can’t wait to visit.
This is the first in a series of shows about Irreverent Warriors in Tennessee. The next Irreverent Warriors Hike is in Nashville on September 12th, 2020.
Go to Irreverentwarriors.com to learn more about this growing Veterans Service Organization. Thank you to Andrew, Momma Bear, Stephanie, and Bobbi for making me feel part of the family.
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
Continuing the “My Military Story” Series, I talk about the end of Second Phase in Boot Camp. There is a hump at the end and everyone is supposed to do to make it up “The Reaper”.
This is a 700 Foot mountain that all MCRD San Diego Marines must go up. While not a hard graduation requirement, your squad mates and Drill Instructors won’t consider you a Marine unless you climb “The Reaper”. It was a brief moment in my life, but a moment I was happy to experience once I got to the top.
Many lessons can be learned from going up that hill. The one that sticks with me is simply, “Don’t Quit”. That lesson applies today as it did all those years ago.
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
Really enjoyed doing this show. I like getting to learn about Veterans who have started their own business or non-profits. John Currie is no exception. John flew helicopters in the Marine Corps and after getting out he and his wife Stacy started Semper Savage.
They make homemade salad dressings and marinades that are focused on quality and taste versus cost. I tried out the dressings and even though I am more of a carnivore, I enjoyed using the dressings to prepare meals. So much so, that once I looked at the label on dressings in the grocery store, I knew I couldn’t go back.
Listening to how John worked to bring this product to market and how Stacy helped him is a lesson in teamwork and leadership. The business landscape is challenging right now with COVID-19, but that is not stopping the Curries from moving forward with their product offerings. 2021 is shaping up to be a good year for Semper Savage. Thank you John for coming on to talk with me.
See below for more information on how you can connect with Semper Savage.
