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From YouTube: Operation Thank-A-Vet Kickoff 2019
Description
It doesn't take long to thank a veteran for their service but, sometimes, it can make all the difference in the world. Mayor Walsh joins outgoing Veteran Services Commissioner Giselle Sterling at Urban Edge in Roxbury for the annual "Operation Thank-A-Vet", a citywide effort to thank our veterans for their service.
A
A
Good
morning,
everyone
good
morning,
everyone
I
want
to
welcome
everybody
here
to
our
very
first
operation,
Bank
of
it
of
2019
I
want
to
thank
you
all
for
being
with
us
today.
Boston
is
a
resilient
City
and
we
always
get
involved
and
show
up
for
one
another
too.
Many
of
us
sisters
enact
the
kindness
that
we're
doing
today,
but
there
is
great
power
in
the
effort.
One
doorknob
one
handshake
one
point
of
contact
is
all
it
takes
to
change
the
life
of
a
veteran
and
their
family.
A
Your
involvement
today
will
have
a
lasting
effect
for
many
years
to
come.
The
mayor's
office
of
veteran
services
has
always
been
a
place
for
veterans
to
receive
the
benefits
and
service
that
our
veterans
are
entitled
to.
But
when
we
as
a
community
reach
out
to
our
veterans,
it
is
a
service
that
goes
above
and
beyond
it's
a
service
that
can't
be
seen
on
paper,
but
only
felt
from
one
person
to
another.
It
is
because
of
the
power
of
your
volunteerism.
A
C
B
And
it's
been
amazing
to
see
this
program
grow,
the
way
that
it
has
he
said
2019
we
started
in
2015,
so
this
has
been
going
strong
for
that
body
every
month,
between
March
and
November
were
out
here,
nothing
on
our
patterns
door,
making
sure
that
they're
engaged
connected
and
getting
the
services
that
they
need
and
I
know.
Rob
mentioned
this
before
you're,
not
going
to
hit
every
not
going
to
see
every
single
veteran
on
that
list.
But
that
note
goes
a
long
way.
We
get
phone
calls
afterwards
si.
You
know.
B
Sorry,
we
missed
you
for
coming
to
the
the
fact
that
you
came
to
the
door
and
there's
a
presence
out
there.
It
was
important
to
me
want
to
make
sure
that
I
reached
out
and
and
expressed
that
too.
So
even
the
people
that
you're
not
seeing
they
know
that
our
presence
is
here.
We
can't
help
some
of
the
decisions
that
go
behind.
You
know.
B
There's
not
a
ton
that
we
can
do
behind
that
decision,
but
when
they
come
home,
this
is
what
we
can
do
for
them.
We
can
make
sure
that
when
they
come
home,
they're
getting
a
good
welcome
home
they're,
getting
that
knock
on
the
door,
they're
coming
back
and
they're,
getting
a
good
reintegration
to
a
society
and
a
community
that
cares
for
them.
B
B
C
C
They
just
do
the
job
they
do
it.
The
way
supposed
to
be
done.
I,
don't
hear
complaints
from
veterans
about
our
office
not
advocating
for
their
behalf.
You
know
it's
not
like
some
of
the
other
departments
we
have
in
the
city,
I
get
nothing
but
praise
and
stories
about
how
somebody
was
in
a
tough
situation,
whatever
that
situation
is
whether
it's
housing
or
addiction
or
finding
a
job
or
trying
to
kind
of
react,
homey
themselves
to
get
it
being
home,
and
but
the
office
connects
them
to
services
or
provides
their
own
services.
So
I
want.
C
Giselle's
last
day,
the
commissioners
last
day,
first,
it
was
yesterday
and
when
she,
when
she
came
in
to
me
about
a
month
ago,
I
had
heard
a
rumor
that
she
might
be
thinking
and
believing
which
came
in
to
me
I
said:
don't
rush,
we
talked
about
the
job
we
talked
about
what's
next
in
her
life
and
what
she
wants
to
do
and
I
certainly
encourage
her
to
do
whatever
she
wants
to
do.
Do
you
dream
like
too
many
people
today?
C
They
guess
they
did
they're
in
a
job
and
they
do
a
job
and,
and
they
think
that
that's
the
right
thing
to
do
for
the
rest
of
life
when
in
fact
you
want
do
something
else
and
I
encourage
her
and
support
her
to
try
whatever
she
wants.
She's
been
an
amazing
Commission
about
think
about
her
career.
She
talked
a
little
bit
about
her
family.
She
is
a
problem
Kovac.
C
But
she
didn't
get
the
job
because
she's
a
woman
and
she
didn't
get
the
job
because
she's
latina
she
got
the
job
she's
the
right
person
for
the
job
and
to
have
all
of
that
immune
disease.
It's
great
to
say
that
we're
able
to
break
some
barriers
here
and
break
some
glass
ceilings
as
they
say,
but
it's
also
understanding
I
mean
somebody
in
the
job
that
understands
the
job.
This
program
that
the
Commissioner
started
is
an
amazing
program.
C
It
amazes
me
that
there's
so
many
volunteers,
every
time
I
come
to
an
event
that
seemed
that
there's
more
and
more
volunteers,
some
similar
faces
and
some
new
faces
and
I
know
not
everyone
in
this
room
is
a
veteran
and
I
appreciate
the
fact
that
you
understand
and
recognize
the
importance
of
thanking
our
veterans.
I
do
want
to
thank
our
veterans
that
should
have
sat
down
all
of
our
veterans
that
are
here
to
just
raise
your
hand,
stand
up.
We
just
want
to
say
thank
you.
C
C
First,
let's
see
you
know,
that's
a
big
mark,
but
I
think
the
biggest
one
actually
gonna
leave
in
this
office
is
the
folks
staff
are
going
to
gather
in
the
room
once
every
or
two
or
three
times
a
year,
they're
gonna
put
on
a
shirt,
we're
gonna
go
up
and
represent
the
Veterans
Commission,
the
City
of
Boston
they're
gonna
knock
on
the
door.
They're
gonna
get
somebody
on
the
other
side
of
that
door.
We
have
no
idea
what
the
situation
that
person's
life
is
gonna
be
and
we're
gonna
thank
them
for
their
service.
C
We're
gonna,
listen
to
their
stories,
we're
gonna,
listen
to
what
they
have
to
say
and
because
of
the
commissioners
leadership.
This
program
will
be
able
to
allow,
through
all
the
bank
veterans
for
from
here,
till
until
eternity.
If
you
will,
this
program
won't
leave
the
city
of
Boston.
So
Trisha
this
is
your
last
name
and
your
last
America's.
When
you
went
in
fought
for
this
country,
you
probably
didn't
think
some
day
you'll
be
creating
a
program
that
would
be
paying
the
same
people
that
stood
beside
you
and
with
you.
So
congratulations.
C
The
work
that
we're
doing
today
is
really
the
work
you're
doing
today
is
really
important
and
I
want
to.
Thank
you
for
that.
Thanking
our
veterans.
Without
our
veterans
in
this
country
we
don't
have
anything
and
then
they
go
a
lot
of
people
who
don't
recognize
that
don't
remember
that,
you
know
whether
it
was
that
veterans
in
the
Revolutionary
War
whether
I
was
out
veterans
in
in
the
Civil
War,
whether
our
veterans
in
the
world
war,
one
world
war,
two
Korea
and
all
the
way
to
the
present
day.
C
Those
are
the
folks
that
put
their
life
on
the
line
for
us
to
allow
us
to
have
the
opportunity,
the
freedoms
that
we
have
today
and
we're
gonna
continue
to
to
make
sure
that
we
remember
them
and
thank
that
venema
more
license
as
well.
Both
of
those
have
lost
a
hero.
She
has
another
another.
Another
thing
that
came
out
of
mr.
Sterling's
leadership
is,
is
upgrading
I,
hear
well
squares,
clearer
squares
about
squares
are
on
the
corner
of
East
Street
and
there's
a
name
on
the
top
of
that
Street
and
oftentimes.
C
You
kind
of
know
there's
a
name
there,
but
you
don't
know
any
history
behind
that
name.
You
have
no
idea
who
that
person
is
and
what
that
person
did
and
what
we're
doing
is
we're
beginning
to
change
that?
What
we're
going
to
have
on
the
bottom
of
the
pole,
towards
the
middle
of
the
pole,
a
brief
write
up
a
description
of
what
that
person
did,
who
that
person
was
because
that
person
lived
in
your
street.
That
person
was
like
us.
They
grew
up
on
neighborhoods.
C
They
hunt
on
the
corner
they
hunt
in
the
park
they
played
whatever
they
played
and
they
went
off
to
war,
they
fought
for
their
country
and
they
didn't
come
back
and
that's
what
we're
gonna
be
doing.
Recognizing
those
folks
I
want
to
thank
the
commissioners
well
for
that
idea,
because
that's
an
incredible
idea:
I
have
to
address
we're
honoring
our
veterans.
Today,
this
week,
people
vandalized
our
memorials.
It's
shameful.
C
It's
not
what
our
city
stands
for
and
seeing
the
outpouring
of
support
and
the
respect
of
the
men
and
women
whose
names
are
on
those
on
those
on
those
memorials
was
amazing
to
see
use
a
horrible
situation
that
I
feel
not
happy
about
it
and
I
said
to
the
press.
I
can't
say
how
I
really
feel
but
to
see
how
the
people
came
around
and
on
Castle
Island
and
in
our
Mount
Hope.
In
other
places,
people
came
out
and
draw
draw
flowers
off.
C
C
It
was
one
of
the
first
ones
to
go
to
Castle
Island,
so
world
war
ii,
memorial
and
I
want
to
thank
you,
kept
consular
for
your
support,
and
will
you
do
for
the
veterans
and
again
you
to
the
whole
community,
we're
going
to
continue
to
respect
we're
going
to
continue
to
respect
the
people
and
services
and
police
officers
who
walks
down
line
in
the
line
of
duty
or
any
public
service,
or
anybody
for
that
matter.
My
message
is
clear
today.
Thank
you,
you're
thanking
somebody
I
want
to.
Thank
you.
C
Some
of
the
best
conversations
I've
had
as
a
mayor
of
Boston
is
talking
to
our
veterans
to
particularly
stand
out
and
I'm
not
going
to
get
into
them
today.
But
one
was
a
gentleman
who
live
right
near
Mission.
Hill
was
a
World
War
two
vet
and
he
was
it
was
a
left-handed
pitcher
and
just
he
was
he
probably
came.
C
You
know
a
couple
draft
picks
away
from
being
known
as
Jackie
Robinson
before
Jackie
Robinson,
and
he
was
bragging
about
how
he
struck
Jackie,
Robinson
up
and
then
the
hitting
in
brought
this
newspaper
out
from
when
he
was
pitching
and
showed
me
that
you
struck
Jackie
Robinson,
oh
so
it's
true
and
the
other
was
a
World
War
II
vet,
who
was
bring
Pearl
Harbor
and
he
was
very
proud
of
the
service
of
promise.
So
thank
you
all
of
you
today
for
doing
what
you
do.
C
Thank
you
for
being
kind
of
the
veterans
community
today,
especially
they're.
Not
next
I
mean
I
know
a
lot
of
us.
I
did
I
wasn't
in
the
service,
and
you
know.
Sometimes
you
have
a
little
guilt
of
that
and
when
I
was
growing
up
in
our
era,
a
lot
of
us
didn't
go
on
the
service.
It
was.
It
was
a
very
peaceful
time
for
the
most
part,
but
the
fact
that
we
can
do
a
little
bit
by
putting
on
hand
now
and
thanking
somebody
for
this
service.
C
It
never
gets
old,
some
veterans,
it
never
gets
old
to
the
veteran.
That
is
probably
one
of
the
biggest
parts
of
their
life.
So
I
want
to
thank
you
all
for
being
here
today
and
I
think
that
this
I
want
to
thank
mr.
sterling
for
incredible
work
as
part
of
the
veterans
community
here
in
the
city
of
Boston,
joining
our
veterans
office,
doing
an
amazing
job.
One
thing
you
go
team
while
being
in
today
and
then
thank
you
and
have
a
great
day.
D
Right,
thank
you.
Everyone
for
being
here
I
just
want
to
take
a
minute
to
welcome
everyone
to
this
space.
We
are
very
proud
of
this
community
room.
Here
we
have
37
units
of
affordable
housing.
Above
us,
urban
edge
has
about
1,300
units
of
affordable
housing,
Jamaica
Plain,
Roxbury
Dorchester.
We
are
at
the
intersection
of
Jamaica
Plain
on
one
side
of
Roxbury
on
the
other.
We
have
Liz
maleo
district
right
here.
D
A
Again,
today's
theme
is
thank
you.
Thank
you.
Non
veterans,
thanking
our
volunteers,
thanking
our
our
mayor
was
a
great
champion
of
pressure
causes
and
also
thank
you
to
Commissioner
Gisele
started
for
all
the
work
that
she
did
in
the
past
seven
years
doing
the
office
of
veteran
services
right
now
before
everybody
takes
off,
we
would
like
to
get
one
big
picture.
So
if
we
could
just
move
on
up
here
and
take
a
picture.