At Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery – Agawam, MA.
I have lived in Massachusetts for a while. Well, a long while at this point. I am still surprised when fellow Veterans tell me they don’t know their Veterans Service Officer. Massachusetts has taken many steps to ensure Veterans have access to services and benefits. One of the ways this is accomplished is via the Veterans Service Officer. The person in charge of VSOs as they are called is the Secretary of Veterans Services. It was an honor to speak with the current Secretary of Veterans Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Francisco Urena.
This was a great oppurtunity to get information that Veterans can use from the person who is in charge of taking care of us. Secretary Urena went through what VSOs and his office do to address Veteran’s needs in Massachusetts.
We also talked about a recent event where the Town of Weymouth worked with their VSO and Department of Veterans Services. The event was Scott Lobaido’s sculpture to raise awareness about PTS and Veteran’s Suicide. This was an example of a lot of people coming together to present this impactful sculpture to across the entire state of Massachusetts.
I wanted to get Secretary Urena’s perspective on Veteran’s Non-Profits. There is always a concern of how effective an organization can be when there are so many who are working in the same space. Secretary Urena said that resources are not the problem in Massachusetts. The issue is connecting Veterans to those organizations and resources that can provide assistance.
Whether it is an organization or individual looking to help Veterans, the Department of Veterans Services exists to ensure all Veterans in Massachusetts have a “hand up” when needed. Every Veteran in Massachusetts has an advocate where they reside to assist. We are not alone.
I want to say thank you to Secretary Urena and his staff for working to make this interview happen. I learned a lot and gained a better appreciation for how Veterans are served in Massachusetts. Semper Fidelis
What is this craft called? Listen to find out!
Thanks to my sponsor Joyce Asack for supporting Veterans!
This podcast will sound raw. That is what I wanted though. I recorded right after the candlelight vigil at the Whitman, MA VFW. I purposefully didn’t apply a lot of editing because I wanted it to reflect I how felt, mistakes, sound, and all as we remember the Jarheads Fallen Seven. These were members of a Marine Corps Motorcycle Club who were killed in a tragic accident.
At the Whitman, MA VFW Candlelight Vigil
Number 154 is dedicated to the memory and service of the following people who were members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club. My condolences to the families who are experiencing this tragic loss. Please know that you are not alone.
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The Jarheads Fallen Seven
Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, N.H.
Albert Mazza, 59, of Lee, N.H.
Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside R.I.
Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, N.H.
Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, N.H.
Joanne and Edward Corr, both 58 of Lakeville, MA
I wouldn’t call this podcast my typical kind of podcast. I sat on a park bench in Whitman, MA and recorded this as a way to try to get how I felt out there about the situation. The fact is, the tragic accident could have been avoided.
It is my desire that the memory of the Jarheads Fallen Seven will never be forgotten. Semper Fidelis.
Thanks to my sponsor Joyce Asack for supporting Veterans!
Now, I don’t know if this is for real. I haven’t seen where the Marine came forward. So again, I have no way to know if what happened in the article is true.
Many people weighed in on the bride’s question. Some said she was right to ask him to leave, others thought she was in fact an a$$ho!3.
What do you think? Was this bride right to kick this Marine out? Let me know!
As I said in the podcast, I was watching a Sopranos episode when this got me thinking. Tony, Paulie, and Christopher were in Italy, and when an Italian found out Paulie was an American, he said something to the effect, “Your plane cut our ski lift.” and walked away.
That got me thinking, and then looking around. I remembered this happening while I was in the Marine Corps. A USMC EA-6B Prowler cut a ski lift line in Italy and killed all 20 people on the lift. It was significant because the pilots were found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marine-jet-severs-ski-lift-cable-in-italy
Not guilty? No guilt at all for killing 20 people? The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby was flying about 300 feet off the ground. 300 feet was well below the mandated 2000 feet for operating in that area. Also, the pilot, Captain Ashby and navigator, Captain Schweitzer destroyed the video flight recorder.
While they were acquitted of the charges for manslaughter and homicide, they were found guilty of obstruction of justice. The end result being they were kicked out of the Marine Corps.
Captain Ashby argued that equipment failures on the aircraft led to the ski lift being compromised. Suffice to say, the Italian government did not see it the same way. I would say that an experienced pilot knows the difference between 300 and 2000 feet altitude wise.
The fact that the flight video recorder was destroyed leads me to believe that there was some measure of guilt. I don’t know, and I can’t really understand how these pilots were found to be not guilty. I am sure the families involved still have a difficult time answering that question. OMR sends
I have known Mark Tyo for a long time. Mark has seen me at my worst and my best. I consider him more than just a friend. He is my brother. About 10 years ago, he told me he was going to join the Army. He wanted to take his skills as a nurse and work with a patient population that he considers the best in the world. These patients are servicemembers in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Mark joined the U.S. Army Reserves as an officer. He was assigned to the 402 Forward Service Team. Check out this article that goes into more depth with Captain Tyo’s unit. US Army Article about 402nd Forward Surgical Team
In movies, books and other places the Military Medical doesn’t get a lot of attention. It was interesting to hear Mark talk about the differences and similarities of practicing medicine in the civilian and military hospitals.
Talking with Mark was an honor. He has supported Oscar Mike Radio since day one. I thought back to when he started this journey that many people thought he was nuts for doing this at an age when most guys think doing the back nine after lunch is a major accomplishment.
I didn’t have any way to quantify what Mark has done in the Army for this podcast. There is no way to share with you how many lives he saved or helped save. All I know for sure is he was there when someone needed him. Captain Tyo was there for his team even when it didn’t matter. Last but not least, sure as sure, he has been there for me. Love you brother.
Mugzy Brady – Can’t Stop Us
You can listen to “Can’t Stop Us” by Mugzy Brady. He is a rapper and hip hop artist from Australia. Mugzy was on #128. I am dropping his track, “Can’t Stop Us”, at the end of this podcast. Go to https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMugzy/
Oscar Mike Radio
Go to the Oscar Mike Radio to check out other podcasts.
