I talked with Rob Montminy, who along with others, used social media to create groups for Veterans to connect with each other.
The private Facebook Groups Masshole Marines and Masshole Veterans are proving effective for Veterans in the New England area to assist each other, socialize or support Veteran owned and operated businesses.
I feel this kind of advocacy is going to be normalized more and more versus a static location where the Veteran will need to travel to in order to feel connected to others who have served in the U.S Armed Forces.
Thanks Rob for sharing with me how this all works and what it takes to build successful relationships between people groups and regions. I am proud to be a Masshole Marine and Veteran. Semper Fidelis
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
“Don’t lick anything Weird and Wash your Damn Hands!” that is what the shirt says, but it means so much more.
Mistress Carrie was on #62 and #100 for Oscar Mike Radio. Mistress Carrie had worked at 107.3 WAAF in Boston for almost 30 years when the station was sold in early 2020. Combine that with COVID-19 and she realized she needed to adjust to a new reality fast.
Mistress started doing cellphone livestreams over Facebook Live called “Cocktails in the War Room” in March of 2020. It caught on and before you know it people like me who had listened to Mistress Carrie on the radio were tuning in to get connected. There were jokes, serious talk, Wednesday the Goth Pug doing her thing, and Mail Call. Before I knew it, it was the place to be during a time when there was no place to go.
Then one day Mistress had this idea. What if she had T-Shirts made and the sales of those T-Shirts went to help a Veterans Cause? The images below were made into T-Shirts. Mistress thought that she would sell maybe 300…… She sold almost 1000! The money went to the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation Food 4 Vets Program. This program provides food for Veterans in need. It was a great moment that showed how good can come out of anything.
That wasn’t all Mistress Carrie was doing from March when Cocktails in the War Room started till now. She has been working on putting together a company and get her podcast off the ground. You can catch her podcast on https://mistresscarriepodcast.simplecast.com/.
We spent time talking about the transition from WAAF DJ and Radio Personality to having to re-invent herself in today’s world where nothing is stable right now. In many ways her journey is like many of us transitioning out of the military. You have to make a plan, coordinate resources and network with other people who can help you achieve your goal. It doesn’t happen by itself.
As of this writing, her 7th podcast will have dropped. Even now Mistress Carrie’s podcast has been heard in almost every country on the planet. The Mistress is truly in flight.
It was an honor to have Mistress Carrie on for #200. I learn something each time and take a minute to think about how far I have come. I can’t wait to see what is next for her and hope to see you during Cocktails in the War Room! Thank you again Mistress.
On May 31st, the Shaw Memorial was defaced. This monument was created to honor the memory and service of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment was an all black infantry unit that served honorably during the Civil War.
I talked to Shawn Quigley from the National Parks Service in Boston. I learned so much about the Massachusetts 54th, and what this monument means to the African American community.
There are lessons around the Massachusetts 54th and the Shaw Memorial that resonate in today’s world. The Shaw Monument is being renovated at this time. I am looking forward to seeing its unveiling in 2021.
Thank you Shawn for talking with me, I hope people will get a better appreciation of the service and sacrifices made by those who served in the Massachusetts 54th.
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I watched a show with Coach Danielle Rocco (www.devotedtoasoldier) and Sarah Fausett of Sevins Grace Creations. It is always good to learn about Veterans who are working at growing their own business. Sarah served in the U.S. Navy.
After serving, Sarah used her G.I. Bill to get get her degree and masters. However, she got into making custom cups that started taking off. She made one for me and I wanted to talk to Sarah about what it takes to start a business. This is where the conversation got interesting. Sarah said it is up to us Veterans to be proactive in our medical care, education and professional development. Being proactive will get us further than complaining about what we can or can’t do about a situation. This is a message that we in the Veteran Community need to listen to as we go through our lives after we serve.
Sevins Grace is a place where you can get some unique custom gifts for yourself or someone else. I love my cup and it keeps my iced coffee cold for hours.
Check out the links below and get on the order list for Christmas!
Thank you Sarah for coming on Oscar Mike Radio! Sevins Grace on
I saw Fran Capo on Coach Danielle Rocco’s show (www.devotedtoasoldier.com). I was struck by Fran’s passion for life. Also, there was this drive to work through things to create opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise. Fran also had some cool stories about performing for our troops.
We talked after Coach Rocco’s show and Fran listened to my voice-over demo. I asked her to come on Oscar Mike Radio because like Veterans it seems like Fran is continually re-inventing herself.
Once you get past Fran being a 9-time Guinness World Record Holder, you appreciate that there is willingness to embrace the unknown in a way that doesn’t accept anything less than action towards a goal. There is a lot to learn here, and I appreciated Fran coming on to talk with me.
You can check out Fran on Facebook Live every Monday & Wednesday 11 AM Eastern / 8 AM Pacific . To find out more about her books and other work go to www.francapo.com.
Thank you Fran!
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
In April 2018, Elizabeth McAlister age 80 was caught trespassing and trying to vandalize government property on Kings Bay Submarine Base. It is kind of funny, but not really. Elizabeth was one of seven defendants caught carrying hammers and baby bottles filled with their own blood. Baby bottles filled with their own blood? That right there made me ask several questions that didn’t go anywhere good.
I am all about protest, but I don’t see how this moves any kind of change forward. The truth is stranger than fiction, and never underestimate the will of an older woman. Mission in Flight
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I had a hiring manager reach out to me in frustration that Veterans did not show up to job interviews. Did some reading and this article by Saxon Mardsen – Huggins of Recruit Shop(https://recruitshop.com.au/why-people-dont-show-up-for-interviews/) laid it out pretty well.
Looking for a job after active duty service can be tough and nerve wracking. Believe me, there are many people pulling for you when your resume comes across their desk. Nothing is more frustrating than getting a group of people to look at a military veteran’s resume, coordinate an interview only to have the veteran candidate not show up with no explanation. It happens more often than one thinks, and it is a bad look.
As I said in the show, there are many different resources out there to help you get ready for an interview. You completed military service. A job interview is a conversation. SHOW the ______ UP!
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Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
it is always good getting to talk with other podcasters. Especially podcasters who are starting out with their craft. Matt Cameron is the creator and host of Mattie C’s Sports and You and Me Podcast.
Seeing Matt grow and talking with him about sports and the military is one of the best things about being a podcasters. It is always good to talk with civilians about how they feel about the military and veterans.
Matt was authentic about his respect and admiration for those who serve and have served our country. I like where Matt is going with his podcast and he is getting some great guests on his show. Go to https://www.facebook.com/MattieCsSpor… to get connected with what Matt is doing. Let’s do our next show at Article XV Brewing!
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Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I read this article (https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news…) in the Marine Corps Times by Geoff Ziezuiewicz. It was about Robert Remus who portrayed the professional wrestling character, Sgt Slaughter. The article goes into great detail about the fact that Robert never served in the military despite his claim that he did.
Next to taking advantage of a disabled Veteran, stolen valor is something that angers me. Claiming to have served in the Vietnam War is a slap in the face to all that did serve and the Gold Star Family Members of that war.
I feel that Robert should apologize and not do any appearances on military bases or for any military organization. He can be Sgt Slaughter, but he didn’t serve. I wonder if certain entities let this slide because having him at events was seen as a good look for the military and the WWE. I am going to try and ask him some of these questions. What do you think?
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Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I want say thanks to Ben Biddick, US Army Veteran, host of the Get Up Nation Show who recommended the book – The Warrior’s Book of Virtues
I got to talk to two of the three authors of a book that has had a positive impact on me. Richard Bryan and Matt Bloom recounted their military experience and how this shaped their focus to write this book. The Warrior’s Book of Virtues is written in a way that anyone military and civilian can benefit from reading it.
Talking with Richard and Matt, I thought about how individuals with different backgrounds in life and the military came together to create something that is needed now more than ever. Thanks for talking with me an Semper Fidelis
Find out more about The Warrior’s Book of Virtues at – https://www.facebook.com/warriorsbook… You can buy the book on Amazon for $10.99 (Kindle) and $14,99 (Hardcover)
Sponsor Information
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
