I read the story about the defacement of a WWII Monument in South Boston, and got mad. Really mad. This podcast was to express my frustation with this cowardly act.
The men and women who served in WWII, answered to call to defend our country from people who were trying to destroy us. They deserve better than this disrespect.
I am going to go to the monument this weekend. It is my desire to see the ones who did this brought to justice. Nothing more to say.
I was asked about Netflix’s Punisher. Was it good and accurate to the military? Well I didn’t really like it, I thought it dragged on and was a little too emo.
I also didn’t really like how certain aspects of military service seemed to be slammed. It was like the producers looked up almost every negative stereotype of the military and went with it.
Also they really veered from the source material to make this happen which made it seem like there was a point they were trying to make that wasn’t exactly flattering to the Marine Corps or the United States as a whole. I liked the Ray Stevenson Punisher movie the best.
The Word
I wanted to do something different this year for Pearl Harbor. I have the utmost respect for those who died on December 7th. 76 years later, the effect of Pearl Harbor can still be felt in our nation’s fabric and how we approach warfare. As I started looking at Pearl Harbor I realized that there was a part of the story that is rarely discussed.
There is this theory that Pearl Harbor was setup to force the United States to join the war. After an attack like we suffered on this day 76 years ago, people wanted answers. How was the United States caught so totally unprepared?
I realized I could not give this story all the attention in this episode. I will do a 3 to 4 part series starting in January. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about Peal Harbor until I started researching it from this angle.
USS Arizona
So I hope you will join me for this story arc. If you have anything to add, email me – travis@oscarmikeradio.com . It is my desire that we never forget what was lost on that day.
Upcoming Events
There is still time to help out for Operation Wreaths for Veterans! Check out their Facebook Page. Just Checking In is getting started this Friday.
Source D-Day Museum and The National D-Day Memorial
I looked at that image and tried to wrap my head around it. More Americans died on June 6th than in the Afghanistan over 10 years.
I don’t know what else I can add to what has been already said, written and filmed about D-Day. I do know that without D-Day it would have been next to impossible for the Allies to win WWII.
73 years later, D-Day still resonates across the world. I don’t think we should ever forget what was done. It is highly unlikely that we will ever see an operation on that scale ever again.
I think seeing the film D-Day: Over Normandy a couple weeks ago really drove all this home. I hope this story never gets old, and that we never forget what was done this day.
For Episode 45 I had the honor of interviewing Tim Gray who the President and CEO of Tim Gray Media. Tim has many years experience in television and film.
Credit – WWII Foundation
Tim is a two-time New England Emmy Award winning producer and writer. He started WWII Foundation as a way to tell the personal stories of the Veterans who served during this time.
We talked about this latest project, D-Day: Over Normandy, and how it came together. It was his first project that he filmed entirely with a drone. The trailer looks cool, and I want the Blu-Ray to see it in High Def. Tim told me about his experiences doing other films and why this means so much to him. He was candid talking about working the Bill Belichick. I didn’t know how passionate Bill was about our military and veterans. I am a Saints fan and have to give him a solid Who Dat for how he supports us.
Tim Gray at the World War II Memorial in Providence, RI
D-Day over Normandy will premiere May 27th at 1:00 PM at TheVets in Providence, Rhode Island. Check the links below for more information.
I was asked about Syria and what President Trump did. Well, the truth is I am still trying to figure out where the “red line” is that President Obama talked about. In short, I need to educate myself on what is actually going on. I will say that NOT putting troops on the ground was a good thing. When I feel like I can talk about it without recycling mainstream media, I will do a podcast on it.
The Word
This all got started when I watched the 1944 black and white movie, The Fighting Sullivans. It was a true story about five brothers who were all killed at the same time in WWII. They were serving on the USS Juneau and the ship went down around November 13th 1942.
If you can watch the movie on Netflix or Tuner Classic Movies you should. One thing that struck me was how different America was almost 100 years ago. Mothers stayed home with the children, and Dad could work at one place for many years. Family dynamics, dating and opportunities were very different. Probably not in a bad way…..
The Sullivan Brothers petitioned the Navy to all serve together. The Navy had policy that did not allow that, but it was not actively enforced. So ranging from 20 – 27 years of age, all the brothers went to basic training and served on the USS Juneau. It is my understanding that the movie captured the spirit of the Sullivan family during this time.
November 13th, the Juneau was hit by Japanese and sank. I think the chilling line from that movie as, “All Five”.
I can’t imagine losing one of my sons, much less all of them at one time. As a result of this the DoD instituted the Sole Survivor Policy, which was put into law into 1948. When I hear the words, “All gave some, and some gave all.” I will never think of it as a catch phrase. The Sullivan family’s destiny was changed forever. I don’t know if I could give any of my sons, much less all of them. This was an old movie, but it hit home for me.
The Complaint Department
POG is worried that there are no Air Force movies coming out. He has a point. Not since Iron Eagle have there been any good Air Force flicks….. You would think with the F22 Raptor costing more than a summer blockbuster that they would get busy.
Unit Shout Out
I got this from Fox News. Christopher Garza was arrested for doing nearly 160 MPH in his Dodge Challenger Hellcat. His car was impounded, he was put in jail and now he is out on bail. He says he has no regrets because he was giving a wounded vet a fast ride to cheer him up. Now of course I would never tell anyone to break the law, but it is special kind of friend who will do this and say that he has no regrets. Chris, I don’t know you, but I do that Vet will never forget that nig
Chris Garza
Upcoming Events
In Honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month the Manchester Vet Center is Proud to Present THE INVISIBLE WAR
From Oscar-and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick comes this investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military. Profoundly moving, the film follows the stories of several idealistic young service members who were raped and then betrayed by their own officers when they came forward to report.
RSVP by April 18 to Mearlene Filkins, LICSW at 603.668.7060
I was asked about Netflix’s Punisher. Was it good and accurate to the military? Well I didn’t really like it, I thought it dragged on and was a little too emo.
This all got started when I watched the 1944 black and white movie, The Fighting Sullivans. It was a true story about five brothers who were all killed at the same time in WWII. They were serving on the USS Juneau and the ship went down around November 13th 1942.
