Credit – Irreverent Warriors – Nashville – Used by Permission from Andrew Farrer
Andrew Farrer reached out to me on Instagram about coming on Oscar Mike Radio. Come to find out he had met Scott Libby who has been on Oscar Mike Radio and asked if I would talk with him about the Nashville, TN Silkies Hike.
Irreverent Warriors was founded by Captain Donny O’Malley USMC Ret., and Sergeant Ryan Loya in 2015. They believed that humor could heal a person. https://www.irreverentwarriors.com/about/ Read the story about how this organization is using comradeire to prevent Veterans’ suicide.
Andrew went on a couple of hikes and wanted to do one in Nashville. He has been working since January to coordinate the hike in Nashville. Right now he has 150+ hikers signed up. He is working to make the hike a great experience and is already looking for ward to doing on in 2020.
The first part of this podcast, Andrew was candid about his situation and how he got to certain places in his life. In a way, this hike is a way to leave the past behind and turn over a new life.
Listening to Andrew talk, I can tell you that this is the reason to Oscar Mike Radio. Andrew had bad things happen to him and made bad choices, but he is looking stay sober and show other people that you can change your life at anytime if you put in the work. It is a great story, and I can’t wait to meet Andrew one day. He is Oscar Mike.
You can go to www.facebook.com/oscarmikeradio/ to see something I am going to try doing more and more. 157 marks where I make a real effort to do video. I will always do the podcast, but video or a “TV” type feel is something I have been repeatedly asked to do. The podcast will always be first, but everyone wants to see my face.
After all this time, I am going to make a commitment to do more video work on Facebook and reassess in 2020. The feedback I have gotten is people will feel more connected if they can see my face. We will see. NOTE: Turn your volume up. I set it too low.
Also, I am going to see how embedding the SoundCloud Link works here.
Let’s see how this works!
Thanks to my sponsor Joyce Asack for supporting Veterans!
Megan Bruce is a Marine Veteran and talented artist, actress, and comedienne. The Movement is her current film project, but much more than a documentary. It is a way to change how Military Sexual Trauma is treated in the Marine Corps. I had talked with Megan Bruce for Episode 88 and 98, and learned a lot from collaborating with her. (Links to podcasts below).
We have talked off and on since then but never met in person. A couple weeks ago we tried to meet up when she came to my area, but things didn’t work out. Then, on a Sunday night, we had the oppurtunity to meet in Boston. I asked her if I could bring my recording gear and Megan said, “Sure, and I would like to talk with you about The Movement.”
I met Megan in a park in downtown Boston. It was a perfect night to be outside and I setup my rig in the part and we started talking.
Even before I hit the record button, it was plain to see that behind the smile, and the exhaustion from being on the road, there is an undercurrent of anger. It seemed that this anger, which has been building up for a while, has now found an outlet in the Military Sexual Trauma Movement. Megan began to talk about her experience with Military Sexual Trauma and why The Movement is going to work.
Military Sexual Trauma Movement as Megan described it is a group of people primarily made up of female Marines. These women have shared their stories with Megan and want to use their experience to make change to how rape is handled in the Marine Corps. Her film project is to capture these stories in a way that makes it impossible for change not to happen.
Listening to what Megan is doing and why in person made an impact on me as she talked about what we can do to end this problem. One can’t ignore the inaction from military leadership once you listen to Megan’s story.
I thanked Megan for her time and told her I am with my fellow Marines all the way. Semper Fidelis
Some people have asked me what “Oscar Mike” actually means for me. I wanted to share a bit about what that means at certain times. Here we go.
Braintree Rotary Golf Tournament
It was my pleasure to support the Braintree Rotary by doing a LiveCast at their Annual Golf Tournament. “Service above Self”, was said by everyone I talked with during the livecast. I feel that Veterans could benefit by participating or joining the Rotary. You can find out more about the Braintree Rotary by visiting their website – https://braintreerotaryclub.org/
69th New England Irregulars Summer Kick Off
I talked to Scott Libby in New Hampshire for Episode 97 – https://whoobazoo.com/oscarmike/2018/06/14/episode-97-new-england-69th-irregulars1/ – Getting to see the 69th take off with Cookout was amazing if you had seen all the work Scott has done behind the scenes. This is just the first of many events and it was so good to see the Veterans having a good time.
Wild Hearts Horses for Heroes 10th Anniversary Gala
10 years of being in existence is a major accomplishment for any non-profit. Julie Lovely has been working in equestrian therapy and it was amazing to see the demonstration conducted by one of the Veterans she works with. Happy for Wild Hearts Horses for Heroes.
Thanks to my sponsor Joyce Asack for supporting Veterans!
I had met Conor Sullivan during the Livecast at Jonathan Gosselin’s place of business, Veteran Owned Veteran Operated in December 2018. Sitting there talking live with everyone was going great when I was told to talk to this guy with a big smile.
Conor introduced himself as an Air Force Veteran, but the big surprise was was when he told me he had a heart transplant!
The story really went into overdrive when we started talking about training for the Boston Marathon. As a way to give back and celebrate life, Conor wanted to run the Boston Marathon with his new heart.
I started watching Conor prepare for the Marathon and couldn’t believe it when he posted an awesome time. This Air Force Veteran is a Savage!
Conor and I ran into each other at Scott Lobaido’s sculpture for PTSD in Weymouth, MA. It was just a week after the Marathon and I asked him if he would come on Oscar Mike Radio.
We met at parking lot in Braintree, MA. Conor is a member of the Veterans Brotherhood Motorcycle Club. He rode up on his Harley – Davidson and we started talking.
Listening to his story, I noticed that there never a time where he felt sorry for himself. He talked about how he went into the Air Force to work on C-130s. His health started to deteriorate at his duty station and he found out he would need a heart transplant. I learned a lot about the process.
To me it is what Conor has done after the heart transplant that makes this story special. He is a husband and father. He has run the Boston Marathon, and is training for the Marine Corps Marathon. As a member of the Veterans Brotherhood Motorcycle Club, he has found his tribe and a way to serve his fellow Veterans.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me Conor. Rubber down
Conor is a member of the Veterans Brotherhood Motorcyle Club
Conor is running the New England Center & Home for Veterans – Marine Corps Marathon – We want you to JOIN HIM!
Contact Nicole Hand – Nicole.hand@nechv.org
Thanks to my sponsor Joyce Asack for supporting Veterans!
I had met Conor Sullivan during the Livecast at Jonathan Gosselin’s place of business, Veteran Owned Veteran Operated in December 2018. Sitting there talking live with everyone was going great when I was told to talk to this guy with a big smile. 
