Rally Point Radio 44

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rally pointers fun.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
In good afternoon and morning wherever you're going to be
in the world today across the world. This is James
the Sartima with Amena Machiato Mikano here with you at
the rally point. And of course we have the man
behind the microphone zaying the brain. How are we doing today, folks.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Doing good, loving life and folks.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
We have an outstaying show today.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
And now, ladies and gentlemen, for this segment, we have
with us once again in the studio Shannon and Mitch
Messenberg with Operation Solid seven, and they are here today
to talk to us about a very a cause it's
very dear to them. Sadly, they're gold Star parents, and
so for our listeners that don't know what it means
to be a gold Star parent, it means that they

(00:46):
lost a child who was serving on active duty. And
so we're here with them today to talk about the
upcoming gold Star Families Day. So, Shannon Mitch, thanks for
being in the studio. We're glad to have you back.
Thanks for having us, and so we just want to
help our listeners understand. I think a lot of US
veterans understand what a gold Star Family is and what

(01:11):
the significance of that is. But I think gold Star
Family's Day is something that we might not fully be
familiar with. So could you kind of help educate our
listeners as far as what that's about. How it came
to be.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
Well, it started back in nineteen thirty six, and you
want to carry on.

Speaker 5 (01:31):
Congress dedicated to last Sunday of every September as gold
Star Mother's Day to honor the surviving families of those
that died in service to our country. And in twenty
eleven it was amended to be gold Star Mothers and
Family's Day. So it's the one day a year to
really bring awareness to the suffering that we face every

(01:53):
single day and just honor those families that made the
ultimate sacrifice.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
Yeah, and a lot of people you know, don't don't
know about, you know, gold Star Family Day. And in fact,
we really didn't know about it either until we were
invited to a event up at McDill Air Force Base
and they asked me to speak to this group and
I spoke and the new Commander was there, and afterwards

(02:18):
he came up to me and he was in tears.
He just hugged me and he said please, I need
you to come back and speak to the rest of
the base. And was about a month later. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
it was right right after Ian. Yeah, so we went
up there and and yeah, he had the whole base there,
and I did the whole speech to those guys too,

(02:40):
and it was amazing. You could have heard a pin drop.
These guys were very respectful. They came up afterwards and
just thanked us for doing it and just getting the
word out.

Speaker 6 (02:53):
Yeah, it's really a lot about educating.

Speaker 5 (02:55):
I mean people don't, like you said, they don't realize
and we didn't.

Speaker 6 (02:57):
I mean even.

Speaker 5 (02:58):
Blue stars and blue stars is a fam somebody on
active duty. I had a blue star, mom asked me
how do I get to.

Speaker 6 (03:03):
Be a gold Star?

Speaker 5 (03:05):
So again, it's it's just patience and understanding and educating
so people understand.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's lost on a
lot of you know, non veterans, even military parents, like
you said, I mean, they're so excited to learn about
what their child does, but they don't always fully understand
the full scope of like what a blue star, gold star,
you know what that what those designations mean. So what
is kind of a common observe, like way to observe

(03:33):
the day. I would never ever say celebrate. I mean
that bothers me with Memorial Day too. How people are like,
how are you celebrating Memorial Day? Yeah, I'm not, I'm
observing it.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
So so what it sounded like the event up at
McDill was, you know, kind of an observance for a
gold Star Family's Day.

Speaker 4 (03:51):
But and that is the first time that, like I said,
we really never even knew there was such a thing,
got it? So I don't think it's really.

Speaker 5 (04:00):
You know, they don't sell mattresses to honor gold Star family, right.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
I was gonna say, are there events scheduled though ahead
of time that maybe even the public can come out
and support.

Speaker 4 (04:11):
I'm not sure about that.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
It's primarily just for the family, just for the families, okay.

Speaker 5 (04:18):
But what they do do just kind of an offshoot
on up at Sarasota National Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend
they do a service, just a ceremony on the Saturday
of Amoral Day weekend. It's just for the golds to
honor the families, which is really awesome.

Speaker 6 (04:33):
It's for Nate Gilmore, she's a broadcaster.

Speaker 5 (04:35):
With ABC seven up in Saracen, Nice and she's just
an amazing lady, and so they honor the family. So
it's really a day just to honor the families, remember
the sacrifice, but to honor the sacrifice the families make
every day since the loss of their loved one.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Absolutely, but we don't.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
Know of any actual scheduled things that are around here.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
No.

Speaker 5 (04:56):
I think they sometimes do that the national cemeteries, but
there's not an.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Got it for now. Yeah, hopefully, hopefully that changes. I
was going to say, because I'm sure I know in
our community we're considered like a purple heart community in
the sense that we have such a strong veteran population.
We would love to be able to support or just
honor those families, you know, and kind of maybe not.

(05:23):
I'm sure. I'm sure a lot of folks don't want
a lot of recognition or emphasis put on them. So
I wouldn't want to say, like put us ball, I
mean necessarily, but it would be nice to see the
community be able to come around to support you and
other families that have been impacted this way, because I
do believe there's a degree of healing that can come

(05:45):
out of that not just for the families affected, but
for the community as well, you know, especially God forbid,
if anyone in the community is also feeling that loss
of you know, maybe they share a loss in common
with a gold Star family, maybe that was a friend
of theirs or somebody they served with. It would just
it would be nice to see a cultural shift with

(06:08):
that to where it wasn't this thing that's kind of
hidden below the radar, or a day that's given to
just kind of placate people, because it's almost kind of
what it sounds like. It would be nice if there
was a little bit more you know, observance, reverence for
the gravity of why that day has been designated.

Speaker 5 (06:29):
Now, I was just going to say, there's kind of
an offshoot honoring the gold Star families. We met a
wonderful gentleman, Keith Campbell. He actually he's a veteran and
he started the PTS Awareness Summit.

Speaker 6 (06:40):
It's a nonprofit as.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
Well as a coalition for patriots, and he usually does
an event every Veterans Day weekend that with the ever Blades,
the hockey team down that plays at Fort Arena, and
they're doing on a Veterans Day weekend. They're honoring the
veterans on that Friday, but on the game on Saturday,
they're honoring the American Girls Summer Mother's Peace River Chapter,
which is my chapter in the Southwest Florida Chapter. They're

(07:02):
actually having special jerseys that has all of our heroes
names on it, and we got the approval so they
could put the American goal some other emblem on it,
and they're gonna be the players are going to wear
the shirt, the jerseys during the game and then auction
off after the game, and so we're actually going to
get to go out on the ice. But it's awesome
that they're taking that weekend to also honor the gold Stars.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
So absolutely I would agree, and.

Speaker 5 (07:24):
We've partnered with them now we do a lot of
events together with with those nonprofits.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
The you know, the other thing is about you know,
the gold Stars, you know oftentimes, I mean, we've we've
met several Goals Star parents that really don't want to
be recognized at all. I can imagine, And that's how
it was for my parents when when we lost my
brother in Vietnam. They didn't want to talk about it.

(07:52):
They just they just wanted to forget about it. And
of course that was a different era too. The war
was you know, now.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well definitely contentious. Yeah different, Yeah, dudes are much different.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yeah, so.

Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, I think that that has changed a little bit.

Speaker 6 (08:08):
But yeah, it's going to say the same thing. There's
families that.

Speaker 1 (08:11):
Don't want and that's what I figured. They wouldn't want
a spotlight put on them because they probably they honor
that family member every single day of their lives. So
for them, it's like they don't they don't want fanfare,
they don't want attention or anything like that. But at
the same time, it'd be nice to find a respectful
way to kind of bridge that gap, to let them

(08:32):
feel that love.

Speaker 5 (08:33):
Those of us that do participate, it's it's a way
we honor our our child, our honored our lost levels.

Speaker 6 (08:39):
So it's differently right and.

Speaker 4 (08:42):
Deal with it ourselves. I mean that's absolutely because you know,
I know anybody that has lost a child, they no
matter what, they deal with that every day. They think
about it every day. And you know, you got friends
and family that say, oh, just you know, it'll pass.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
No, it doesn't.

Speaker 4 (09:00):
It doesn't pass. But if you can channel that grief
into something, and that's what.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
We chose to do, and for me, your work is
so important into that direction that to take a tragedy
and the pain and turn into a passion, and then
take that passion and turn it into a cause that
is basically uniform to anybody living and breathing in our country,

(09:28):
is an act of i'd say, a miracle onto itself, because,
as you said, when we lose one of our own,
especially a son, a daughter, mother, or father, it doesn't end,
it doesn't change. The days get shorter in the grief,
but the thought never goes away. And when and unfortunately,

(09:51):
in the world that we live in now, a lot
of our veterans and a lot of our communities don't
have the wherewithal of how to deal with it. And
like we had pointed out early in earlier times, people
don't want the recognitions of being a gold being recognized
as a gold star parent or mom, because it associates
with pain and exceptional loss. That's why from the rally point,

(10:15):
your work is godsend because it shares a burden that
many have but don't want to talk about it. And
by not talking about it, we put ourselves in silos,
suffering in silence.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
You give it a voice.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yes, basically, Our country needs to come with terms with
the disease, and we cannot just say it doesn't exist.
It happens to a few. If it happens to one,
it impacts a community. And if you put many communities
next door to one another, you have a cluster of
people suffering in silence. And then the world turns a

(10:50):
little bit darker. And it takes courage and bravery to
take that pain and put it before people saying, you
know what you're at day zero in your loss. I
wish I could tell you it's going to get better.
It will in time, and there's no watch to set,
and when you live with it, the burdens there, but

(11:12):
you get stronger to handle it better than you did
the first time it happened.

Speaker 5 (11:16):
That's like one of the things that our nonprofit operations
Old seven did, as you guys know and Jay, thank
you donating the patches. They remember the thirteen because that
was horrible that day that those thirteen gold Star families
were created, in such a horrid, avoidable situation in the community.
We challenged the chamber, and the community really rallied behind us.
We sold nineteen of those kits. That's all ten of

(11:38):
them were along seven seventy six, so it was and
people honking as you try.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
I saw several of them around the community.

Speaker 5 (11:45):
It was incredible, and there's so many people that wanted more.
But I mean we made them by hand.

Speaker 6 (11:50):
I say we. I mean Mitch, I've just brought him.
I brought him, you know.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
Co Well, maybe next year we can be some of
your very little elves create out waste.

Speaker 5 (11:59):
But it was even made it on Fox News because
we sent it to Fox and Friends and they the
morning pictures. I don't about you, guys. I tape it
every Saturday and Sunday at six am. They did the
national anthem with all the pictures of people that are flags,
and it was the first one that they air WO.
So it was just heartwarming to see the community. And
a lot of people didn't know about the thirteen, which
is shocking.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
But so again American conscience, their American memory is so short.

Speaker 5 (12:22):
Yes, and that's why we will never forget that day,
August twenty six. I will always honor them. So I
think it's going to be really big next year.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, I want to thank you because the last time
you're on our show, and I had committed to the
patch we committed to the patch. Well A had a
sudden embarrassed courage. I said, well, do you want to
know something, This wouldn't be right for me to have it,
for us to have a patch at the thirteen and
not get the actual parents of the thirteen involved. There

(12:49):
are two parents which'll I'm hopefully to have them on
our show sometime soon. They're a little skittish particular. I
understand the fact that I reached out or we reached
out to them to say we want you to be
a part of this. And I talked about charging the storm.
I said, don't take it from me. It's not my idea,
but it's the concept of don't suffer in silence with

(13:09):
your loss and Operation Solid seven can help them out
manage to the storm that they're going through right now.
And one of the fathers of the one of the Marines,
I'm not going to drop any names, said he's he's
on board.

Speaker 5 (13:26):
He goes, I think one of the parents too, from
one of the Marines, she could get you their contact.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
We want to make sure that we can embrace them
in our family. And I have to say this the
first the patches are all so from one through thirteen,
they're taken. They would go through the families of those
people who lost their lives.

Speaker 5 (13:42):
Yeah, the one marine Weath flew his family in for
an event on the second anniversary.

Speaker 6 (13:46):
So I think they're just a lovely, beautiful family.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
And the pain is still as fresh if it was.

Speaker 1 (13:52):
Oh absolutely, I don't think that ever goes away, especially
not in the manner in which their children died.

Speaker 5 (13:59):
I mean, and so horrible out in the world, I
mean the whole world. It played out in front of
the world, and for us it was at least.

Speaker 6 (14:07):
It was private.

Speaker 1 (14:08):
Yeah, I was going to say there was no privacy
to grieve. It was all over the news. It was yes,
their pictures, their names. I mean, they really didn't get
to have that. You know, you usually see with public
statements they'll be like, the family request privacy. At this time,
they didn't really get that because you know, I'm sure
the media was wanting to talk to them. People in

(14:28):
their community were probably at a loss to try to
figure out, like, how how do we help them? And
sometimes although it's it's well intended, sometimes unfortunately it's either
misguided or just not well received. And so I can't
imagine that it would be nice to try to help
make that right for a lot of these families, For us.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
To have witnessed that situation play out on tving of
millions of how millions of people saying that, I think
there's an obligation for those viewers, or for us as
veterans and veterans related community, to share that burden with them,
because it's okay to watch it unfold, but to sit
there and suffer by yourself, I think it's kind of
we're cheating them of the obligation that we owe them.

(15:11):
We saw, we felt it, But where they need, we
should be able, willing, and capable to help them out
when they're ready.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yeah, my dad says, do the right thing, because it's
the right thing to do. But I think in the
situation of observing gold Star Family's day, it's a matter
of finding out what right looks like and what that
means to you know, different gold Star families, Because for
some they might appreciate an observance memorial type ceremony or
something for their child, or they might appreciate an event,

(15:42):
but some of them they may not. So it might
just be a light touch, like send them a heartfelt
letter or something like that.

Speaker 5 (15:49):
With the names, we had to get approval from all
the months because some people look at it as you're
using my child's name to make money.

Speaker 1 (15:54):
Correct under percept, you definitely have to be cautious in
how you navigate it because everybody's everybody's grieving process is different.
So like you said, yeah, what somebody might look at
as they're honoring my child, someone else might look at
it as they're trying to do it for gain, And
so yeah, I would agree that's definitely worth making sure

(16:15):
that if you're going to do it, that you do
it right.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
Oh definitely.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
And that's why with our patch, the thirteen Stars is
one of those individuals. It's just not just an a
happens that symbol of having thirteen on the patch. There
are literally thirteen stars of which from now on we
look at that patch, you're looking at one of them.
They'll never be forgotten and their families won't be forgotten,
and that's our obligation to make sure we don't.

Speaker 5 (16:39):
Leave them behind exactly, And we're honored to have that
where the patch.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
It's an honor for you to educate the our public
what that stands for. And like we said before, it's
not about it's about recognizing and making people understand mainstream
what we go unfortunately as a gold Star mom or
gold a gold Star family, and it's not it's not easy.

(17:08):
It doesn't go away spontaneously. It just becomes we become
stronger to handle that same burden over time.

Speaker 1 (17:14):
Absolutely. But I think by putting a voice to it
and opening a conversation, it helps everyone because then it
gives the gold Star families an opportunity to educate people
on what it means to be a gold Star family
and how best to help them as a gold Star
parent or a gold Star sibling to cope with their loss.
But it also benefits the person, you know, the civilian

(17:38):
or maybe even sometimes they're veterans, you know, But the
person who is learning from that gold Star family, it
benefits them too because then they learn something new, they
find a new pathway to, you know, maybe be supportive
or at least be sympathetic, understanding and try to help
that family along and kind of walk beside them in
a way that works for them. I think it's kind

(18:00):
of a twofold. It's a win win because you either
learn or you're able to educate or in the end
of it all. It's like everybody is better for it
for being able to, you know, have more of an
awareness of it, but also recognize how best to honor
the fallen. And that's what it's all about.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
And we hope and pray that our leadership and our
government can become educated and that some of the policies
and decisions that they may make have real consequences that vibrate.
Like a pebble and a lake. It happens over here,
but the ripples of that stone in the water goes

(18:41):
a mile down the stream, and they need to understand
that after that event takes place, there's still time and
healing that's needed, and resources are needed to deal with
the people who will left behind. And hopefully God willing
and time, we'll put people in office that have an

(19:02):
appreciation for our military, the servicemen, and the families that
serve with that service person.

Speaker 3 (19:10):
During those times.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Absolutely it's needed, and hopefully that culture is shifting too,
because I think a lot of people who are in
positions that are elected, you know, their job is public
opinion and appealing to the people. Let's be real, you know,
I mean it really is, so hopefully some of them
become more sincere or at least are more willing to

(19:34):
be vocal about it or to act on showing their
support genuinely and sincerely.

Speaker 5 (19:40):
Speaking of genuine support from elected officials. As you know,
we have our Dice run coming up on October twenty sixth,
and the Trump campaign had donated to autographed hats. They
reached out to see how it was going, and we
said it was phenomenal.

Speaker 6 (19:58):
The response for raffling the off.

Speaker 5 (20:00):
They sent us two more hats, so we now have
fours to raffle off along with the locker. Yeah, yeah, right,
He's just amazing, amazing, and they were so sweet they
sent an extra run, a pink one with.

Speaker 6 (20:11):
His autograph on.

Speaker 5 (20:12):
It's just a little note shame in this one's for you.
So but yeah, but again, like we have the flag
that was parachuted into Normandy on the eightieth anniversary of
D Day. That so we've got amazing raffle items.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
Very cool and can you tell us more about the
Dice run When is that taking place?

Speaker 4 (20:29):
That'll be taking place on October twenty sixth. We're going
to be starting at Birt's Black Little Harley and ending
at Birt's Black Little Harley kickstands up at eleven o'clock,
but you get there early and get signed up, meet
some people and make some friends.

Speaker 5 (20:47):
The stops we have is Bar seventeen down in Pantagorda.
We have Haities Hounds, Law Enforcement, motorcycle Club, their clubhouse,
the End Zone, White Rabbit Saloon, and the Shipwreck Salution.

Speaker 1 (20:58):
Very cool, and so the raffles will happened the same day.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
Yeah, so four o'clock we're going to start pulling tickets,
and uh, we're telling everybody. You know, if you don't
have to be there, but you do have to answer
your phone because.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
If if you don't answer your phone, they go to
the next.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
Telling everybody put it, put it, you know, something alert
on your phone. Answer the phone.

Speaker 5 (21:18):
We also have a surfboard and a with the people
to counter set with.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
Nice real nice, very nice. So I have a question,
if people are not here locally, is there a way
that they can contribute to be able to participate in
these raffles from a distance. How do they do that?

Speaker 4 (21:36):
I just had that happen. A guy from our hometown
in Ohio reached out and said, hey, I want some
of those tickets, And I said Okay, just you know,
make a donation to Operation Solid seven. Then message me
on Facebook. We'll check it out and then give me
your phone number.

Speaker 6 (21:54):
We'll write the tickets so I'll take a picture of it.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
Okay, So folks can go to Solid seven dot org
and make a donation, and then once they do that,
do they find the organization on Facebook or look for
you personally or how should they do that to message you?

Speaker 6 (22:09):
They can do it? Okay, great, the Facebook page personally.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Perfect. So if you're listening and you want to be
able to contribute to this, and it's October twenty sixth,
you said, then you've got some time. Just make sure
you go to Solid seven dot org give a donation,
and then make sure that you message Shannon or Mitch Messenberg.
Their last name is spelled m E s E nbu

(22:33):
rg wow bamn spelling champion baby, So you can message
them on Facebook, or you can go to the Operation
Solid seven Facebook page and send them a message that
way to let them know that you've donated and that
you wish to be entered into a raffle for prizes,
at which point you need to make sure you answer
your phone as Shannon and Mitch said, if you don't

(22:55):
answer your phone and you put in for these raffles,
it's literally you snooze, you lose, which I'm guilty of that.
So I entered some raffles as well. For you guys.
I'll have to make sure I answer the phone no
matter who it is. Usually I'm like, I don't know
who this is. How do I know this isn't a
robocallar And I just send it to void smell yes,
so that.

Speaker 5 (23:13):
Your listeners know some of the things we've done, Like
just last week, we've been doing a lot with Veterans
Village down in PANTAGRDA awesome and reached out to Nancier
Tser program director and I said, you know, do you
need anything? She was, we haven't had any sheets or
betting or anything for two months or paper towels. And
what they do is they they help homeless veterans get
on their feet, learn life skills, and they find them

(23:34):
permanent homes.

Speaker 6 (23:34):
So with Epic Community.

Speaker 5 (23:36):
Resource Center and my gold Star Chapter, we got thousand
dollars together with operations out seven and we bought sixteen
sets of sheets, comforters, thirty two pillows, ninety six rolls
of paper towels, one hundred pairs of bomb of socks
nice and they also take furniture.

Speaker 1 (23:53):
I love them and they have so they have bees
on them. My career field in the Air Force was
bio environmental engineering. We were the killer Bees. So when
I got these socks and they had a Queen Bee
on the top of the foot, I was like, these
are meant to be my socks.

Speaker 5 (24:05):
We also worked with at the Community Resource Center when
we found out about a homeless veteran that had passed
and his family wouldn't even claim the body, and so
we arranged for him to be cremated. We got the
Patriot Guard riders, we got to ride together and had
a service for him up at Sarasota.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
Yeah, my husband and I were there. That was a
wonderful thing that you did for him. That was so
just respectful and kind, Like that's what our community is
all about. Shouldn't no, not at all, But that's I mean, y'all,
God bless you, because I mean the fact that, like, yeah,
neither one of you are veterans, but you're still very
much a part of the military family for obvious reasons,

(24:43):
by honor of Shin WANs service, and so I just
I love that you guys took the time and made
sure that that was like a class act of you know,
that was just a first class ceremony all the way.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
Through the question.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
And all right, folks, Sergeant him was going to bark
some orders out right now. If you're listening here in America,
listen up and take note. First of all, the people
in our studio today are agents of change. And the
importance of these agents of change Operation Solid seven is
that they see US veterans, they see our veteran families

(25:17):
in our communities, and they don't talk about getting things done.
They get it done and from them and they're rocking
the pond effect.

Speaker 3 (25:26):
The ripples that they've had.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
In our community in Charlotte County has been nothing shy
of gravin metric, which basically means possibly I met them
a while ago. I was at the American Legion once
or twice a couple events.

Speaker 3 (25:42):
Memorial Day.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
Ceremonies, and then I had this idea of a rally
point show. And the only reason I'm bringing this up
is because agents of change for us means that we're
being noticed more and we have bigger impact and without them,
we wouldn't be in the studio right now. So I'm
going to say thank you for being an agent of change.
And that being said, here are your orders. You're going

(26:08):
to go online. You're going to find operationsolid seven dot org.
You're going to support them, and by god, you're going
to charge the storm and as a veteran community, unite
us all dismissed.

Speaker 1 (26:21):
Awesome. Thanks for being on the show today, Shana Mitch.
We so appreciate you and we wish you all the
best with the raffles. Will definitely have you on again
soon to talk about, you know, the wrap up and
how the Dice run went and all that good stuff.
And thanks again for being on the show.

Speaker 6 (26:37):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
Well, thank you very much, and we're back and in
the studio today we have with us Nancy Danko. Nancy
is an Army veteran retired MP and she is a
volunteer coordinator for both Treasures Thrift Store in Venice, but
more importantly the Tidewall Honors Program, which is what we're
probably going to discuss more so today. So welcome to
the show. Nancy, Thank you here, thanks for having me,

(27:00):
and thank you for your service as one woman veteran
to another. Truly appreciate you and we love on the
Rally Point show. We love being able to highlight women veterans.
So thank you for taking time to come on the
show and come talk to us about you know, your
service in the military, but also how that's led you
to where you are now.

Speaker 7 (27:18):
Thank you for having me and likewise, thank you for
your service.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
Thanks. So let's kind of just dive right in. Tell
us about your background and you're with your service in
the army. How long did you serve where were you stationed?

Speaker 8 (27:31):
Well, I started in the Ohio Army National Guard, nice
and I was there for twelve years. And actually it
got out of the Guard, but after nine to eleven,
like most people, I was trained, I was ready and
I wanted to do it, so I signed back up
and I was deployed for two years. We help shut
down four Bragg because it was an open post, and

(27:53):
then we went to Iraq.

Speaker 7 (27:55):
We thought we were going to Peel with w missions.

Speaker 8 (27:57):
We did more of a convoy security and that thing
route reconnaissance.

Speaker 7 (28:01):
I ended up staying for twenty four years.

Speaker 8 (28:04):
Wow, and I loved every minute of it.

Speaker 7 (28:08):
Definitely changed the trajectory of my life.

Speaker 1 (28:11):
Very cool. So how would you say that your experiences
as an MP in the Army and a combat veteran
that have kind of guided you to your path currently
with Tidewell.

Speaker 7 (28:21):
Well, I have.

Speaker 8 (28:22):
I'm a spiritual person, and after I retired I continued
to serve veterans as a civilian contractor. I did like
substance abuse, suicide prevention and that sort of thing, and
this position opened up. And I've never dealt with senior,
our senior veterans, and I had a calling to go
and do this, So I accepted the position when it

(28:43):
was offered, and I'm learning a bunch of things very cool.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
So with the Tidewall Honors Program, I have a little
bit of insight in that for our listeners. Tidewell is
a hospice facility here in southwest Florida in Charlotte County,
primarily if I'm not mistaken, and they do a lot
to recognize those living in their facility who are veterans
as well as recognizing those veterans caregivers. So when I

(29:11):
was part of Charlotte County Veterans Council as their secretary,
there was a representative that would come from Tidewall and
talk about pinning ceremonies and just how you know, important
and meaningful that was not just for the veteran but
also for the staff, for the volunteers. Can you kind
of walk our listeners through what the pinning ceremony is

(29:35):
about and kind of how it goes, how it plays out,
and just absolutely details.

Speaker 8 (29:42):
Last year we penned five hundred terminally ill veterans and
over a thousand community veterans. So we have end of
life pinnings, and that's anyone in hospice, whether they're in
the house, at home, or wherever they identify as home,
that's where we go. And and a lot of veterans,
you never think for their service, especially our Vietnam veterans,

(30:05):
they're never welcomed home. So we really try to take
that opportunity to honor them in the best way possible.
We present them with a certificate and we give them
a pin and a final salute. It's a very beautiful ceremony.
We also recognize their caregivers at that time. We've had
people in the hospice house that haven't really been responding

(30:28):
for days and days and at the pinning, they will
return a salute.

Speaker 1 (30:32):
Wow.

Speaker 8 (30:33):
We have the American flag in there and it's represented,
you know, with all the family members.

Speaker 7 (30:37):
So it's a beautiful, beautiful ceremony.

Speaker 8 (30:39):
And that's what we do for the single end of
life veterans and that's all done with veteran volunteers.

Speaker 1 (30:45):
Very cool. So with the veteran volunteers, since you are
the volunteer coordinator, how does that work for people to
become involved as a volunteer.

Speaker 8 (30:53):
You can go to the Tidewell Hospice website and click
backslash veterans.

Speaker 7 (31:00):
You can join that way, or you can reach out.

Speaker 8 (31:02):
I'll leave my contact information here, please do Okay, you
can reach out to.

Speaker 7 (31:06):
Me directly and I'll guide you.

Speaker 8 (31:07):
There's a short training program and a Level one background check,
but it's not that in test. If you're going to
do anything with the patients, you'll have to do a
Level two and a TV test.

Speaker 7 (31:18):
That's just for their safety.

Speaker 8 (31:20):
But it's a very small time to volunteer for the
training piece of it, and then when we have somewhat
end of life we'll call and ask who's available for
that pinning. We also do community pinnings and that's where
we go into organizations where hospice is and we honor veterans,
multiple veterans at the same time. And what we do

(31:42):
is we call them, you know, we recognize each one
their branch of service, what they did their Vietnam time,
if they did serve then and we pen each one individually.

Speaker 1 (31:53):
Wow. Where do those usually take place? The community pinnings?
Those happen at tide Well or.

Speaker 7 (31:58):
No, we go to Yeah, we go to the community organization.

Speaker 8 (32:01):
We'll go to an assisted living facility, or just that
we did one at town Square, which is an adult
day care center.

Speaker 7 (32:10):
We do a lot. We go to where the veterans
are outstanding.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
And I wanted to say thank you for your sacrifice
both as a veteran and as a volunteer for this program,
because I will say that from my experience of pinnings
for the veteran and their family, I've had both scenarios
whereby things come kind of full circle for the veteran.

(32:37):
And again I've said as a thousand times, I cannot
speak for the behavior of my government in the past,
but we can start the healing today and by giving
them that welcome home fifty years later, it has a
significant impact and real impact. And sometimes if you do
more than one simultaneously, we'll take two strangers and then

(32:58):
become and then there have a conversation on the spot
and just picked up a battle buddy in your facility.
And one of the things that I appreciate your your
other work is given the responsibility of the veteran to
kind of go on their terms. I've always felt that

(33:21):
my children, spouse significant other won't have that burden to
deal with because at that time they're going through their
own grief and the whole basket of emotions and scenarios.
And for me, having your establishment helped me have that
plan in advance. I get it my way. All my

(33:42):
surviving spouse and children can do. Just hand over my paperwork,
you know what to do, and that way they can
pick up my uniform and all that good jazz. And
also on a note, being an MP, assist, protect, defend you,
you you've trans you've transcended the military and slipped into
the the the role effortlessly and it's like another day

(34:06):
in the military.

Speaker 3 (34:07):
Yes, sir, and number two, I'm sergeant here.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
I love that he works for a living right, I
would say, for once I'm like outnumbered and and I
know that's a.

Speaker 2 (34:20):
Term of endearment, but for me, it's as you know,
in the military, if you're a sergeant, you called the slerp,
you're immediately stopping your track.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
And go what did you just say?

Speaker 7 (34:28):
Yeah, I'll drop later there you Oh no.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
There's no dropping here.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
But I want to say that I've had the opportunity
to observe some of your ceremonies from AFAR and you're
inspired well be at the American Legion and other veteran
organizations kind of wanted to help you in that in
that in that journey, there are over forty thousand veterans
in Charlotte Cally alone, So I'm pretty sure the burden

(34:54):
that we can share to make the families and caregivers
of our veterans have a new appreciation.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
For mom or dad absolutely in service. Thank you.

Speaker 8 (35:04):
I'd also like to add that, you know, we offer
these pinnings, but they don't have to be accepted. We
you know, honor and respect the veteran. If they they
want someone to just sit with them and not do
a ceremony, we'll do that as well. So it's really
depending on what the veteran wishes for if they want
to talk, they can. If they don't, that's fine too.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
That's wonderful that you meet them where they are and
you kind of let that ceremony be about them, not
even so much. I mean, it is about their service,
but it's about them and their service on their terms,
which is really nice. We were actually we had a
previous segment where we were kind of talking about that
how sometimes what the community feels might be helpful, the
person being honored might not find it that way and

(35:44):
they may not see it like that. So sometimes it's
more important to just meet them where they are and
be able to give them something that for them feels
good and honoring and helps, you know, helps them feel
good about that.

Speaker 2 (35:58):
And I wanted to also say that one of the
things that I'll ask you if you have this experience
when you're speaking with the veteran prior to depending, we
have found that they are like a little shelsh look like,
what are you doing? You're pending me for what?

Speaker 7 (36:13):
Right?

Speaker 3 (36:14):
They still remember fifty years ago?

Speaker 8 (36:16):
They absolutely do, And I think it's so important that
not only are we honoring them, we're saying welcome home.

Speaker 7 (36:21):
Yes, they never heard.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
That and they close that door. I mean, I've seen
the hardened and the most hardened soldier.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
Seemen, you name it.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
And when they say those words about face and have
an audience recognize them for their sacrifice. And I use
the word sacrifice because when they left, they took their lives,
stopped it, became a different beast or individual, soldier, marine,
what have you, and came home different. Absolutely, and judgment

(36:53):
is always one of the things on our mind is
being judged who we are when we show up at
the door, because we're the same person. Absolutely, but I
want to uh for my understanding and correct me if
I'm wrong. I think our producer has a testimonial to
what you guys do.

Speaker 3 (37:10):
Well.

Speaker 9 (37:11):
My dad was a veteran World War two D Day
and I had a wonderful life with him. He adopted
me when I was ten years old, and so when
it was his time to go to hospice, we chose
Tidewell Hospice. My family and I we're really glad we
did because they went so far as to provide not

(37:33):
only comfort for him by playing his favorite music and
you know, having a very very serene and nice comfortable
room that was just like beyond a resort. Even they
they made it very easy, you know, they explained everything,
the process. And the only regret that I have is

(37:55):
that I when Dad passed and I wasn't with him
he went. I think he left because he didn't want
me to be with him, I really do, because he
knew I was going to come Sunday night and he
departed Sunday morning. And yeah, it's one thing. My only
regret is that I didn't take advantage of any of

(38:16):
the bereavement services the Tidewall offers. I should have because
here we're on fourteen years later and I'm still having
a lot of trouble with it, really am. I just
heard a song the other day that it just popped
into my head. Didn't even hear it on the radio.
I was dreaming and sleeping and I heard Broken Hearted

(38:36):
Me by Anne Murray. And my dad loved that song,
and so you know, I could say, maybe that was
my dad talking to me, you know, whenever I hear
one of his songs, I think that's what it is.
But I urge everyone take advantage of the bereavement services
that they offer at Tidewall. I wish I had, so.

Speaker 3 (39:00):
Thank you for sharing.

Speaker 2 (39:00):
And remember one of the things about grief and healing
is that one and it never stops, and it can
start any time. And number two, remember from the moment
it happens to now, you're becoming stronger to deal with
the same pain. It doesn't go away, we just become stronger.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
To deal with it.

Speaker 9 (39:22):
You know what I tell anyone who's lost a loved one,
and I firmly believe in this. I firmly believe in this,
and I've heard accounts of near death experiences, and you know,
I'm sure nurses can tell stories about, you know, people
who have departed in their care. But what I tell
everybody is, this is not goodbye. This is until we

(39:44):
meet again. And that is what I tell anyone who's
lost someone. Like on Facebook, if a friend of mine says,
you know, I just lost my dad or my mom,
or that's what I said. I said every single time
to them, and that's my I think that's the best
comfort I can offer is to say, this is not goodbye.
This is until we meet again.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
Amen to that, brother.

Speaker 8 (40:07):
You know, if I can add when we have a
new patient in hospice, our clinical team and our social
workers do it like a military history assessment, and that's
just to make sure that they have all of the benefits.
They're hooked up with the VA or veteran service officer,
and that's where I also play a part. I try
to get them connected if there are any benefits available
that they don't know about or haven't received or asked for,

(40:30):
to get them connected with those people. Our clinical team
is trained in like moral injury PTSD, so we do
an assessment right from the beginning so we know which
direction to move into.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
Outstanding Again, folks, I'm being a little you know, jaded.
MPs are for multipurpose and again, as you can see
again if she transitioned from military to this like it
was Monday to tuesday. But the value that you've provided
our community and the families is probably invaluable and priceless.

(41:07):
And we're thankful to have you with us on this
program and a part of our veteran community.

Speaker 3 (41:12):
As a veteran.

Speaker 7 (41:13):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
I appreciate that you deserve, I mean, you serve and
you deserve and thank you for being a mentor to
other veterans in our community. And I'm not really I'm
very gender orientated but your leadership as an MP alone

(41:34):
and folks, remember we're MP Corps, but the Marine Corps
as an MP corps, so many people don't make it.

Speaker 3 (41:43):
But thank you very much.

Speaker 10 (41:44):
And can I add to what you were saying about
losing your dad and wishing you would have taken up
on that bereavement service. You know, we also want to
make sure that we keep our families.

Speaker 7 (41:54):
At the focus of it.

Speaker 10 (41:55):
So we offer free grief counseling to anyone at any
time who's lost anybody in Tidewall services or just loss
in general. So if you're still seeking and wanting grief services,
we offer that free to our community.

Speaker 3 (42:08):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (42:11):
That's what it's all about. I mean, it's definitely a
very thorough and multifaceted approach at Tidewell for sure. So
for the for the volunteers, if people do want to
get involved in volunteering for this, because I have a
feeling people will I know you mentioned like they have
to go through a background check things like that, How

(42:31):
like how long is a normal pinning ceremony? Can they
kind of pick and choose which ceremonies are able to
come help support? Is there a requirement where it's like
you can only say no so many times before they
drop you off the list. I'm just trying to come
up with like all the different questions to ask for that,
because I do suspect that. I know I want to

(42:52):
get more involved with it. There's a tide wall facility
like around the corner and down the street from my house,
so it would be nice to be able to get involved,
but maybe even just helping people understand what that looks like.

Speaker 8 (43:02):
Okay, yeah, sure, you can go onto the website MPATH
volunteers dot org and get all the information you need.
But there, as a volunteer, you pick and choose. We
have seasonal volunteers, you know, the snowbirds. We have a
year round residence. If it's in your schedule and you
would like to do it, you're more than welcome to.

(43:23):
I reach out to my veteran volunteers. I send out
a mass email and ask who's available on this date,
at this time at this facility. If it's a single veteran,
you know, we can we coordinate that. But if it's
a community event, how many pinners we need depending on
how many veterans we're pinning. But there's there's No, you
don't have to volunteer any specific amount of time. We

(43:44):
never close a door and were always are thankful for
anyone who wants to volunteer, even once.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
Got it very cool now as far as volunteering, because
you're also the volunteer coordinator at the thrift store, and
the reason I kind of want to talk on that,
I know we were kind of like, well, we're going
to keep this more to the honors program. But for
those of you that don't know, if you live in
Southwest Florida, the Tidewal Treasures thrift store in Venice. Are
there other locations in Sarasota, Okay and Sarasota because I'm

(44:12):
only aware of the one in Venice, But these are honestly,
they live up to their name. And I'll say that
because not only do they provide really wonderful items for sale,
but when you walk in the door. The thing that
struck me the most because I'm like an avid thrift
shopper person, but when you walk in the door, there's
a sign up that tells you last I think it's

(44:34):
last calendar year is what I saw it said in
the last calendar year, and there's a blank and they
filled in a number and it was like almost six
hundred or more than six hundred hospice residents were benefited
through the proceeds from that thrift store. So if you're
looking for a place to shop to find good deals,
but also do some really good things in the community,

(44:55):
that is a fantastic way to put your dollars to use.
Is to help take care of people who are in
hospice who need that help. And we all know that
is not cheap, it's not easy. So to help, you know,
be a blessing to the person that needs the hospice care,
but also to the family that loves that person that's
in hospice to kind of help eliminate some of that

(45:17):
financial burden for them. That's huge. But now I find
you can also help volunteer at the thrift store. Absolutely no,
I'm curious. What does that entail.

Speaker 7 (45:28):
The thrift store.

Speaker 8 (45:29):
You do go through a small orientation that's a level
one background check. The thrift store runs completely on volunteers.
There are three managers, but everyone else in that store volunteers,
and one hundred percent of the proceeds go to patient
care for those who don't have insurance. Medicaid, Medicare or
can't afford it.

Speaker 7 (45:47):
That's one hundred percent tide Well Foundation.

Speaker 8 (45:50):
It's wonderful and we're always looking for volunteers for that
thrift store or if you'd like to make a donation,
a monetary donation or donate goods. Always always looking for things.

Speaker 1 (46:02):
Absolutely. Yeah, that's just I mean, that's another wonderful layer
for tide Well to be able to kind of keep
everything going as smoothly as possible. So with the Tidewell
Honors program, I guess back to that kind of So
with the pin that they get, I'm just curious, what
does the pin look like or what does it say?

Speaker 8 (46:23):
I should have brought one, and I apologize, but there's
it's a pen that says veteran and then it says
Tidewell Honors.

Speaker 1 (46:30):
Oh that's awesome.

Speaker 7 (46:31):
Yeah, and then we give an.

Speaker 8 (46:32):
American flag a certificate, and then we have a special
Vietnam pin for our Vietnam veterans.

Speaker 6 (46:38):
Very cool.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
Yeah, I've seen the Vietnam pins. I gave one to
my father and one to my best friend's dad because
he also served nice in Vietnam. And so they, yeah,
they all kind of react differently for sure, but you're
definitely right. It's like when you actually recognize it and
tell them welcome home and you give them that pin,

(46:59):
like their whole countenance changes, and like like Jay said,
you know, even the hardest most, you know, the gruffest
guy in the room, when you start talking to them
about that and you take the time to recognize that
and put a voice to it, it's like they kind
of they melt a little inside. I think the heart
grows a couple sizes. I had. I had an interaction

(47:21):
with a man at a gas station one time. I
was doing a fundraiser where we would pump people's gas
or like wash their windshields or whatever, and and so,
and we were on a military installation. I was still
in the Air Force, and so I came across this
man and he's, you know, I'm like, can I pump
your gas for you? And he's like, well, he's trying
to act like he's too tough, like I'm not going
to let girl pump my And I was like, well, listen,

(47:42):
it's for a fundraiser. You know, we're just trying to
raise money, so it's just something nice we can do
for you. And so I love asking people like, you know,
what branch were you in, when did you serve? Where
did you serve? I love hearing people's stories about their
military service. And so this guy started talking and he
mentioned that he was a Vietnam veteran, and he kind

(48:03):
of said it, you know, a little bit gritty, and
I was like, oh, I could tell he was still
kind of bitter, because it's true, like if that's one
thing that America got wrong, which we get a lot
of things wrong, but that was definitely something that we
got wrong where we did not welcome these service members back.
We did not, you know, at least thank them for serving.

(48:23):
We didn't at least respect the fact that, yeah, it
wasn't popular, but you know what, it was dangerous and
they were willing to go. So when I was talking
to him and I kind of told him that, I said,
you know what I said, Please know, like my generation
because I came in just before nine to eleven, you know,
we truly we want to love on y'all because we

(48:45):
realize that we are getting the love that y'all didn't get.
And he kind of stopped for a minute and he
started talking and he's like, you know, he took a
deep breath and I could see his eyes kind of
welling up, and he stopped himself and he's like, no,
He's like, I'm not ready to talk about it yet,
and okay. I was like, I understand, but you know,
just so you know, like we truly do appreciate what

(49:07):
you did. I was like, I'm sorry it went the
way it did at the time, but you know, we
we care and I think people have woken up and
realized it, and I think he appreciated that. So I'm
glad to see that that Tidewell is able to kind
of restore some of that faith and goodwill with these
veterans and make it right, as you know, maybe one

(49:27):
of the last things that happens for them on this earth,
but at least we're able to make that right. Wonderful
that Tidewell is willing to kind of lead the charge
and do that, for sure, I'm speechless.

Speaker 3 (49:44):
That takes a lot.

Speaker 2 (49:48):
It takes a lot, and one, like I said, one
of the best things I've ever seen ceremonies when you
have people who didn't know one another before you're throwing
them information and you have him about face falling when
you start throwing them fall in all the commands.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
It all snaps back.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
It does fifty years, forty five, could be sixty. They scrambled,
they're like that shock looked. But for those who can't,
you know, the commanding officer would go to them and
you ask them what they were, and that sense of
they may not remember a lot of things, but I'll
tell you they remember their designation and what they were

(50:26):
to a t, whether it be fifty or sixty years later.
And after you after it's done and you have them
about face and you have a crowded staying ovation for him,
I will tell you right now, I've yet to see
one veteran that was grumpy before all of a sudden
the chatter box thereafter, and there's a little pep in
their step for the from that from that point on,

(50:49):
there's a little pep going like it, and they keep that.
Some of them will keep that little pin on like
my pen.

Speaker 6 (50:54):
Don't touch it, right, that's right.

Speaker 1 (50:57):
It lights them up. It probably lights up part of
them that they kind of stuffed down absolutely and let
it lie.

Speaker 7 (51:03):
To a lot of them.

Speaker 6 (51:04):
Had to.

Speaker 7 (51:05):
They didn't have a choice. So we're giving that opportunity.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
Absolutely to let it out. We hear stories all the
time where people came home from Vietnam and like kind
of had to sneak back in the back door, Like
they didn't.

Speaker 7 (51:16):
Wear the uniforms.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
We were very quiet, kind of kept their head down
and just tried to absorb themselves back into the community quietly.
And that's so it's a shame for what they went through.
And like you said, Jay, like they come home and
they're changed, they're different. I'm just I'm glad that we're
taking the steps now to make that right. So and
I think it's wonderful what you're doing with Tidewell. Nancy.

(51:40):
We really appreciate you being on the show and your
colleague Kelly, thank you for putting in the plug for
their grief services. That's wonderful to know. So if you're
in the community and your family has received any kind
of support through Tidewall Care, Hospice, anything like that, if
you're still grieving and you need help air free counseling services,

(52:01):
that's wonderful to know.

Speaker 10 (52:02):
And if anybody has lost anybody, So even if you
don't go through tide well and you're just dealing with it,
and that's for children too. We also have our Blue
Butterfly program for kids from four to eighteen as well,
so they can receive services for anyone they've lost at
any time, and we cover Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, and DeSoto
counties for our Honor Our Wee Honors Veteran program and

(52:25):
grief services.

Speaker 3 (52:25):
Can you touch on that Butterfly program?

Speaker 10 (52:27):
Sure, So we have a Blue Butterfly program. It's for
kids who have lost anybody from four to eighteen. Children
from four to eighteen they can receive services. It's group
therapy services, and then they also work with the parents
to kind of teach them how to work with children
who are grieving. We often think kids are resilient, but

(52:48):
really they are going through their own grief and they
need to know how to work with those big emotions.
So we offer that also free to any kid who's
lost anyone, and that includes their pets as well. So
if they've lost a pet even and they're really having
a hard time dealing with that, they can come and
seek those services.

Speaker 2 (53:05):
Well, I'm thankful that you inform me of that, because again, again,
learn some of the new folks write this down. I
want to say that the impact you're having in our
veteran community is definitely seen and appreciated, and I'll we
will say that anything that you need from us to

(53:26):
continue that mission so that people can utilize your services,
welcome to the RATA point Network.

Speaker 7 (53:34):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (53:37):
And anything else I forget about, I don't think so.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
Just thanks to our sponsors. Thanks to one hundred point
nine WCCFFM. Thank you to reach across America Radio as well.
We're having us on their radio broadcasts. Appreciate all the
opportunities to put visibility on organizations that are veteran centric.
You don't have to be a veteran to listen to
this show or to be on this show. So if

(54:00):
you support us, if you love us, so just thanks
and please continue telling people about our show and how
they can listen, whether it's locally in Southwest Florida on
one hundred point nine FM or on the free iHeartRadio app.
If they pull that up and they search WCCF on
Fridays at nine am, they can find our show. And

(54:21):
then also we are aired on reats across America Radio
on Fridays at three pm, so you can find both
retes across America Radio and WCCF via the iHeartRadio app
rally pointers fall out