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From YouTube: Welcome Home Breakfast 2019
Description
Mayor Walsh thanks veterans and their families for their service to the country at the annual Welcome Home Breakfast, held at Umass Boston. It's a chance for the city to say two words that some veterans don't get to hear: "thank you."
A
B
A
B
At
this
time,
I
would
like
to
welcome
our
honored
guests,
mayor
Marty,
Walsh,
chief
of
health
and
human
services,
Marty
Martinez,
the
secretary
of
Department
of
Veteran
services,
secretary
Francisco,
Urena
UMass,
dr.
Lisa,
Johnson,
the
vice
chancellor
of
enrollment
management.
Here
at
UMass,
then
waltz
CEO,
city
of
Boston,
Credit
Union,
mr.
Tom
Lyons,
our
keynote
speaker
and
Vietnam
veteran
I
also
would
like
to
recognize
counselor
Ed
Flynn
was
a
navy
veteran
today
is
a
day
of
celebrating
and
welcoming
our
veterans,
not
just
in
words
but
in
action.
B
This
breakfast
is
for
veterans
and
their
families
in
an
effort
to
ease
their
transition
into
civilian
life,
either
from
separation
from
military
service
or
returning
from
deployment
and
provide
them
with
resources.
Whether
it's
been
four
years
of
service
or
40
years
of
service,
I
want
to
thank
the
city
of
Boston
Credit
Union,
who
have
been
sponsors
of
this
breakfast
for
the
past
eight
years,
and
without
them
this
event
would
not
be
possible.
B
Also,
I
would
like
to
thank
you
max
Barton
for
providing
this
wonderful
space
to
hold
the
mayor's
welcome
home
Rock
breakfast
for
a
second
time.
Lastly,
please
visit
and
connect
with
the
resources
provided
here
today
from
our
partners,
the
city
of
Boston
Credit,
Union,
mass
Boston
admissions,
UMass,
Boston,
admission,
Brighton
read
along
with
Wynn
management,
the
Boston
VA
health
care
system
and
the
mayor's
office
of
veteran
service,
the
American
Red
Cross
in
the
Welcome
Home
Bonus
Program.
D
Thank
You
Robin
good
morning,
mayor
Walsh,
chief
Martinez,
councillor,
Flynn,
gold,
star
families.
Let's
for
those
that
don't
knows
our
gold
star,
families
are
those
who
have
lost
a
loved
one
in
service
to
our
country.
They
deserve
our
support.
They
deserve
our
respect
and
today,
let's
give
them
a
great
round
of
applause.
D
And
to
our
veterans
and
to
our
families.
Thank
you
and
welcome
to
Commissioner
sterling
and
to
her
team
over
at
the
Boston
office
of
veteran
services.
Thank
you,
so
very
much
for
continuing
this
focus
of
tradition
to
our
partners
in
service,
whether
it's
federal
VA
with
the
vet
centers,
whether
is
the
focus
on
reintegration,
student
veterans
and
so
many
others
to
find
themselves
in
this
room.
D
Vietnam
veterans,
some
World,
War,
two
veterans
and
a
focus
of
connection
of
every
veteran
in
between
has
an
opportunity
to
have
a
sense
of
success
in
the
city
of
Boston,
and
that
is
what
the
focus
of
celebration
is
today
welcome.
Reintegration,
but
also
the
ability
to
know
that
you're,
not
alone
you're,
not
alone,
in
the
aspect
of
your
reintegration,
not
just
today,
but
whether
five
years
from
now
or
five
months
from
now,
you
have
a
question
office
of
veteran
services
in
Boston,
ending
across
communities
in
every
city,
in
town.
D
In
Massachusetts,
we
have
a
dedicated
veteran
service
officer,
a
veteran's
veteran.
Who
is
there
to
connect
you
with
community,
to
connect
you
with
services
and
to
connect
those
who
haven't
served
to
be
able
to
volunteer
and
give
back
to
those
who
have,
on
behalf
of
our
governor
Charlie,
Baker,
lieutenant
governor
bleeder
in
Massachusetts?
Three
hundred
and
sixty-five
thousand
veterans
and
families
held
this
Commonwealth
their
home,
and
we
owe
them
our
thanks.
D
I
congratulate
you
all
with
the
city
for
continuing
to
a
tradition,
that's
the
class,
a
way
of
welcoming
back
our
veterans
and
a
set
of
example
on
how
to
welcome
back
our
veterans
in
this
room.
We
have
Vietnam
veterans
that
some
50
years
ago
started
returning
back
to
our
communities,
did
not
receive
this
type
of
welcome
back
this
time.
To
welcome
home
I
want
to
ask
these
Vietnam
veterans
to
please
rise:
Tommy,
Lyons,
Tony,
Molina,
and
so
many
others
who
are
in
this
room.
Let's
get
down.
D
This
gentleman,
we,
oh
you,
are
so
much
not
only
for
your
service
to
our
country,
but
the
leadership
Tommy,
the
mentorship,
Tony,
there's
so
much
that
you
all
have
done
weathers.
The
South
Boston
Viet
of
Memorial
weather,
the
Puerto
Rican
Veterans
Memorial,
whether
it's
your
leadership
and
VFW,
and
so
many
other
organizations
that
Vietnam
veterans
have
have
shared
that
passion.
That
leadership.
Thank
you
for
your
continued
mentorship.
D
Thank
you
for
your
service
and
know
that
it
is
all
of
our
jobs
to
reach
out
to
veterans
who
do
not
find
themselves
in
opportunities
like
what
we
have
here
today
at
UMass
Boston,
in
this
great
breakfast,
in
this
great
sense
of
community,
to
connect
them,
ensure
that
us
as
fellow
veterans
and
as
caring
citizens
and
as
Patriots,
that
we
give
further
opportunities
to
our
veterans,
to
our
families
and
to
those
left
behind
our
gold
star
families.
God
bless
you
all
and
please
enjoy
the
rest
of
the
day.
B
E
Well,
I'm
so
proud
to
be
able
to
give
greetings
from
UMass
Boston
to
this
beautiful
community.
We
are
so
proud
to
host
this
event
in
sponsoring
with
the
city
of
Boston.
Utest
Boston
for
the
sixth
year
in
the
row
has
been
awarded
as
a
veteran
friendly
institution.
We
have
721
veterans
here
and
we
have
put
a
full-force
effort
into
increasing
that
number
for
the
coming
years,
so
we
are
actively
putting
the
things
together
to
get
more
veterans
to
come
here.
We.
A
A
E
A
F
E
Want
to
be
able
to
let
you
know
how
your
veterans
credits
will
apply
toward
a
bachelor's
degree,
so
you're
coming
in
with
credits
earned.
We
want
you
to
understand
the
great
supports
we
have
here
to
make
you
successful,
and
we
would
like
you
to
take
advantage
of
the
benefits
that
you
have
earned
by
serving
our
country.
F
B
G
Good
morning,
everyone
first
and
foremost,
I
would
like
to
say,
on
behalf
of
the
City
of
Boston
credit
union,
welcome
home
to
our
veterans,
and
thank
you
so
much
for
your
service
to
our
country.
Without
you,
we
would
not
be
here
today.
We
wouldn't
be
looking
at
this
great
view
of
the
city
of
Boston.
We
wouldn't
be
here
a
new
mess
and
to
enjoy
the
freedom
and
liberties
that
your
service
has
secured.
For
us.
We
are
extremely
humbled
to
be
able
to
honor
you
through
this
breakfast
and
thank
you
so
much
for
that.
G
The
mayor's
office
of
veteran
services,
commissioner
sterling
mayor
Walsh,
thank
you
for
this
opportunity
to
be
a
part
of
this.
We
are
extremely
humbled
to
be
here.
We
love
doing
this
and
the
other
event
that
we
love
doing
is
the
Saturday
the
first
one.
This
year
is
operation
to
thank
event
which
the
mayor
and
the
office
started
a
couple
years
ago,
and
for
those
of
you
that
have
ever
wanted
to,
we
have
a
first-hand
experience
of
banking
of
that
person-to-person
in
their
home.
G
It's
a
great
opportunity
and
I
really
encourage
you
to
participate
in
that
program.
It's
wonderful
and
I
appreciate
the
city's
outreach
to
the
122
thousand
veterans
that
are
in
this
city.
There's
a
lot
of
necessary
information
that
needs
to
be
disseminated
to
these
veterans,
who
are
unaware
of
that
and
for
us
to
be
able
to
participate
in,
is
wonderful
but
again,
I
want
to
thank
you
all
for
the
purpose
that
we're
here
today
to
thank
you
for
your
service
to
our
country,
Thank,
You
veterans.
We
very
much
appreciate
your
service.
Thank
you.
B
B
F
F
I
also
want
to
not
only
welcome
you,
but
I
also
want
to
thank
the
families
that
are
here
as
a
son
as
a
son
as
a
brother
as
a
nephew
as
a
grandson
of
veterans.
I
know
firsthand
the
sacrifice
that
families
make
the
sacrifice
that
families
make
to
not
only
support
the
men
and
women
in
our
military.
But
the
sacrifice
you
make
to
be
here
and
do
what
you
need
to
do,
why
our
veterans
are
off,
making
a
sacrifice
and
working
hard
every
day.
F
We're
committed
to
making
sure
that
you
have
the
services
and
resources
necessary
to
support
your
loved
ones
that
have
made
this
commitment
and
we
want
to
make
sure
we
continue
to
do
that.
The
veteran
service
office,
the
Veterans
Affairs
Office
of
the
administration,
has
worked
hard
to
make
sure
that
we're
meeting
people
where
they're,
where
they're
at
and
making
sure
that
all
veterans,
the
diversity
of
our
community,
our
vet,
that
get
the
veterans
get
what
they
need
from
us.
F
We
could
not
do
what
we're
doing
today
without
the
leadership
of
our
mayor,
who
continues
to
prioritize
the
needs
of
veterans,
prioritize
the
services
of
veterans
and
making
sure
that
we're
reaching
that
diversity
of
also
all
Bostonians
have
access
to
the
resources
they
need
to
thrive.
So
please
join
me
in
welcoming
our
great
mayor,
Martin,
J,
Wolfe,.
H
Welcome
everyone,
and
thank
you
for
being
here
this
morning,
I,
want
to
thank
my
team
at
Tina's
and
and
his
staff
had
held
him
in
services.
They
worked
very
closely
with
our
veterans
office
because
a
lot
of
times
it's
sharing
ideas
and
sharing
services,
so
I
want
to
thank
Marnie
and
his
team
I
want
to
thank
see,
council,
a
flame
who's,
a
strong
advocate
for
veterans
on
the
City
Council
and
before
that
obviously
was
a
very
strong
advocate
for
veterans
in
his
community.
H
I
want
to
thank
you,
secretary
Rena,
for
your
words
and
support
on
behalf
of
the
state,
the
credit
union.
Thank
you,
Dan
Thank,
You
Gus
as
well
for
having
us
here
today.
I
want
to
thank
you,
Miss
Boston,
who's,
helping
us
host
today's
breakfast.
This
is
one
of
the
best
events
that
we
do
in
the
course
of
the
year,
thanking
veterans
and
walk
in
them
home
from
service
I
want
to
thank
you.
H
Miss
I
want
to
thank
20
lions,
keynote
speaker
today,
Tommy's
a
friend
for
a
long
time
and
has
dedicated
his
life
to
advancing
the
veterans
and
veterans
causes
he
shows
up
in
places.
You
don't
realize
and
he's
involved
in
everything
thank
you
to
the
gold
star
families
I
just
want
to.
Let
you
know
that
our
thoughts
and
prayers
are
with
you
every
day
for
your
sacrifice
to
this
country
to
allow
us
to
have
the
freedoms
that
we
have
today.
So
thank
you
as
well,
and
to
all
all
the
people
that
are
here.
H
There's
a
lot
of
people
I
could
I,
could
recognize
and
and
on
an
honor
here
and
book
I'll
get
to
in
a
minute,
but
there's
one
person
that
I
wanted
special
recognition.
It's
commend
Commissioner
Australian,
Veterans
Commissioner
in
the
city
of
Boston,
as
everyone
in
this
room
knows
or
we
don't
know,
the
Commissioner
is
leaving
us
after
four
years
of
serving
as
veteran
services
to
the
City
of
Boston.
H
You
know:
is
it
just
amazing,
she's,
the
first
Latina
woman
to
ever
play
this
position
in
the
city
of
Boston.
She
initiated
operation.
Think
of
that
which
we
have
been
able
to
think
over
3,000
veterans
in
the
city
of
Boston
and
one
of
the
stories
that
I
heard
the
very
beginning
that
actually
moved
me
was
I,
think
it
was
the
first
operation
think
of
an
operation,
someone
knocked
on
the
door
over
Vietnam
death
and
the
Vietnam
vets
that
a
crime,
because
he
had
never
been
thanks
for
your
service
and
Gisele.
Just
that
one
started.
H
It
shows
that
this
program
was
a
success
and
it's
gonna
continue
on
I
want
to
thank
you
for
everything
you've
done
on
behalf
of
the
city
of
Boston,
on
behalf
of
our
veterans
and
think
and
wish
you
luck
in
what
you
do
next.
That
was
probably
have
a
teacher
bunch
of
young
kids,
and
you
might
want
to
come
back
to
this
after
that.
But
I
want
to
kick
back.
I
want
to
congratulate
yourself.
She's
done
an
amazing
job
to
all
the
veterans
that
I
hear
today.
H
Francis
Corey
said
this
probably
has
all
the
veterans
in
this
room.
Please
stand
up,
including
you
Lucas
Crowley,
and
whether
it
was
World
War,
two,
whether
it
was
Vietnam,
whether
it
was
Iraq,
Afghanistan,
Korea
or
any
other
anything
else
that
you
were
able
to
do
to
protect
our
country.
We
want
to
say.
H
This
this
breakfast
is
about
you.
This
is
about
thanking
you
for
your
service.
This
is
about
letting
you
know
that
your
city
loves
you.
The
people
in
your
city
loves
you.
The
people
in
your
city
appreciate
what
you've
done
to
allow
all
of
us
to
live
with
freedom
and
opportunity
until
disable,
we
won
and
love
what
we
love
and
do
we
do
every
single
day.
So
I
want
to
thank
you
for
that.
Who's
already
mentioned
Boston's
home
to
tens
of
thousands
of
veterans,
and
we
knit.
H
We
can't
forget
that
we
have
to
continue
to
make
sure
that
we
let
our
veterans
know
every
single
day
that
we
appreciate
them.
We
also
want
our
veterans
to
know
that
we
are
here
with
you
to
help
you
transition
back
into
civilian
life.
We
work
with
other
organizations,
Mass
General,
Hospital,
another
home
base
and
other
programs
to
make
sure
that
you
are
respected.
You
know
the
supports
that
you
need
we're
working
with
the
New
England
home
for
veterans
in
2015.
H
H
That
doesn't
mean
that
we
don't
have
almost
veterans
on
the
streets
because
we
do
have
homeless
veterans
on
the
streets,
but
we
need
to
continue
to
make
sure
that
we
work
with
those
folks
that
they
understand
that
their
life
means
something
that
somebody
loves
them,
that
we
need
to
help
them
and
guide
them
into
an
opportunity
to
be
a
good
housing
and
live
with
dignity
and
respect
that
they
deserve
and
that
they
earned
in
so
many
different
ways.
So,
I
want
to
thank
you
for
that.
H
Quite
honestly,
when
we
adjusted
our
city
contracting
a
couple
of
years
ago,
we
made
sure
that
we're
looking
at
creating
opportunities
for
businesses
of
color
for
women,
and
we
added
veterans
to
that
to
make
sure
that
veterans
have
an
opportunity
to
get
part
of
city
contracts
and
to
be
able
to
help
people
stop
businesses
and
move
forward,
we're
going
to
continue
to
make
sure
that
we
have
resources
not
only
for
you,
but
also
for
your
families.
It's
something
that
is
really
important
for
us
to
do.
H
We
need
to
make
sure
that
all
veterans
are
not
forgotten,
even
the
ones
that
are
on
the
street,
that
they're
not
alone
and
they're,
not
forgotten,
so
we're
gonna
continue
to
work
out.
I
was
I
want
to
thank
everyone
here
today.
It
was
mentioned
operation
think
about
I
mentioned
it
as
well.
We
visited
over
3,000
veterans,
this
Saturday
I'd
like
to
ask
all
of
you.
H
H
H
Memorial
Day
is
just
a
couple
of
months
away,
so
we
stopped
planning
our
flag
planting
project,
we're
placing
flags
at
the
headstones
of
every
single
veteran
in
grave
to
help
beautify
their
final
resting
place.
What
happened
in
the
last
couple
of
days
in
the
City
of
Austin
I,
said
last
night
is
a
disgrace.
H
What
I
said
it
wasn't
on
TV
I
called
them
Cowley's,
because
the
men
and
women
who
are
on
all
of
those
memorials,
including
the
police
memorial,
stood
for
something
they
put
their
life
on
the
line.
Literally
for
us
they
about
freedoms
for
those
collards
that
did
that
to
have
their
freedom.
They
didn't
do
it
to
have
those
commas:
go
into
a
graveyard,
go
into
an
area,
a
council
island
and
throw
oil
and
other
other
stuff
on
the
memorial
there's
two
ways
of
reacting
to
that
one.
We
can
get
angry
and
talk
about
it
or
two.
H
We
can
take
action
and
what
did
the
veteran
community
do?
They
took
action,
they
went
down
to
the
memorials,
they
went
to
the
police
memorial
and
they
started
to
think
of
ways.
How
do
we
clean
the
memorials
and
how
do
we
move
forward?
The
response
the
question
I
was
asked
yesterday
by
the
press
was:
should
we
put
cameras
up
at
our
memorials
and
I
Chuck
a
little
bit
I
thought
to
myself.
We
shouldn't
have
to
put
cameras
up
at
a
memorial
that
represents
people
that
put
their
life
on
the
line
and
lost
their
life.
H
H
But
it's
important
for
us
to
tell
the
young
people
that
live
on
that
Street
when
they
walk
by
the
corner,
the
name
on
the
top
of
that
Street.
That
person
lived
on
your
street
at
one
point,
an
understanding
who
they
were
and
what
they're
all
about
and
what
they
did
to
make
sure
that
their
memory
is
not
forgotten.
H
So
I
was
not
just
a
name
on
a
corner,
but
a
story
to
talk
about
who
that
name
is
and
what
that
name
represents,
and
what
that
name
represents
is
an
American
who
grew
up
in
a
city
of
Boston
neighborhood
hung
the
street.
There
hung
up
the
parks,
like
a
lot
of
us,
did
once
or
the
schools
that
we
did
and
at
some
point
decided
to
sign
a
dotted
line
to
put
their
life
on
the
line.
H
So
we
could
have
the
freedoms
so
that
project
is
moving
forward,
as
we
continue
to
make
sure
to
make
sure
we
honor
the
legacies
and
recognize
people
all
across
that
neighborhoods
we're
going
to
continue
to
move
forward
I'm
going
to
stop
talking
because
I
know,
there's
some
father
speakers
here
today
and
termini
is
probably
one
of
the
people
every
time
he
speaks
I
hear
something
new
I
just
want
to
say
it
simply.
Thank
you,
the
family's
mighty
mightiness
thank
the
families.
I
want
to
thank
you
as
well.
H
B
Thank
You
mayor
Walsh
for
everything
you
do
for
our
veterans
also
and
for
your
passion
in
taking
care
of
all
of
our
veterans,
I've
seen
firsthand
the
work
that
you
have
done
and
it's
greatly
appreciated
as
a
veteran
myself
and
everything
that
you
do
and
I
also
want
to
mention.
The
mayor
mentioned
this
Saturday
operation.
Thank
of
it
more
information.
B
Please
see
any
of
our
staff
members
that
is
here
today,
fellow
Jim
Bustos
back
there
PR
Darius
young
Lee,
it's
going
to
be
at
a
urban
edge
in
Roxbury
and
it's
a
great
event
right
now
we
have
close
to
50
volunteers,
but
we
could
always
use
a
whole
lot
more
and
the
food
will
be
provided
when
you
come
back
at
this
time.
I
would
like
to
welcome
our
Commissioner
of
Veterans
Services
and
someone
who
is
a
mentor
to
me.
Commissioner
Gisele,
Stirling.
I
I
I
You
thanking
us
for
something
that
we
feel
was
the
right
thing
to
do,
but
we
take
that
things
and
take
that
gratitude,
knowing
that
it
was
it's
just
in
the
core
of
our
belief
system
and
thank
you
for
that
and
I
am
so
appreciative
of
everything
and
beyond
grateful
for
everything.
I'm
getting
sentimental
come.
E
I
But
we
know
that
we
can't
do
this
work
alone.
It
doesn't
happen
in
a
bubble,
a
lot
of
the
programs
that
you've
heard
our
continuations
of
people
that
have
come
before
me,
especially
our
Vietnam
vets
people
like
Frances,
Grady
Reyna,
who
started
this
breakfast
with
five
families
at
the
Parkman
house.
I
And
now
it's
grown
to
this
from
the
night
of
last
nine
years,
and
people
like
Tom
Lyons,
who
are
always
there
as
mentors
to
guide
us
in
the
right
and
make
sure
we're
doing
the
right
thing
by
a
veterans
and
it's
a
privilege
and
a
pleasure
to
be
able
to
introduce
him.
As
our
keynote
speaker
and
you'll
have
to
forgive
me
for
reading,
because
the
man
has
been
helping
veterans
for
a
long
time
and
so
proud
to
have
him
here.
I
He
is
a
founding
member
of
the
committee
that
created
the
South
Boston
Vietnam,
Veterans
Memorial,
and
the
founder
and
president
of
the
Semper
Fidelis
Society
Boston,
Semper
Fidelis
is
which
every
November
hosts
the
nation's
largest
annual
marine
corps.
Luncheons
all
the
reigns
in
the
room
take
note
of
that
which
the
proceeds
benefit
veterans
and
their
families
through
various
programs
and
scholarships
in
2014.
He
was
honored
by
the
Marine
Corps
scholarship
foundation
for
his
many
years
of
work
on
behalf
of
veterans
and
their
families,
with
a
scholarship
named
as
an
honor.
I
J
Ladies
and
gentlemen,
only
commissioner
still
it
could
get
me
out
of
retirement
to
come
dinner
to
drive
into
the
city
of
Boston
in
the
morning
which
I
haven't
done
for
four
months
and
I
have
to
tell
you
what
I
don't
miss
it
at
all,
but
when,
when
the
Commission
asked
me,
if
I
would
speak
particularly
to
the
younger
veterans,
who
would
be
here
at
the
breakfast
I
asked?
What
would
what
would
you
like
me
to
talk
about,
and
she
kind
of
sent
me
a
list
of
how
do
you?
J
How
did
you
use
military
experience
when
you
get
home?
How
did
you
get
involved
in
public
service?
So
you
know:
did
he
go
back
to
school
and
as
I
thought
about
that
I
said
both
this?
Is
it
more?
This
isn't
a
speech.
This
is
just
telling
you
what
I've
done
since
I
returned
from
Vietnam
50
years
ago
next
month.
I
know
it's
hard
to
believe,
but
yeah
50
years
ago
next
month,
I
come
back
from
Vietnam.
Like
most
of
my
Vietnam
comrades
came
home
to
a
country
of
a
difference
in
some
communities
they
were
hostile.
J
J
And
I'm
so
so
proud
to
be
here
this
morning
you
know
to
see
good
friends,
Kevin
Jaime
Tony,
who
are
in
the
trenches
with
me,
not
only
in
Vietnam,
but
in
the
trenches
back
here
in
Boston
as
we
we
got
involved
early
on
and
helping
to
change
the
image
of
Vietnam
veterans.
It
wasn't
popular
to
be
a
Vietnam
veteran,
let
alone
to
build
a
memorial
to
Vietnam
veterans.
We
we
were
stigmatized
by
Hollywood
in
the
medium.
J
It
was
something
that
took
a
long
time,
I
think
for
many
Vietnam
veterans
to
understand,
but
I
think
the
me
personally
I
I'm
torn
about
those
Vietnam
veterans
that
never
have
got
the
kind
of
welcome
home
that
we
got
this
morning.
So
many
who
serve
and
sacrifice
went
on
a
raise.
A
family
redonk
went
on
to
jobs,
but
never
heard
those
two
words
that
we
continue
to
hear
this
morning.
J
And
I
think
if
I
were
to
talk
to
the
younger
veterans
here
today,
when
I
got
back
from
from
Vietnam
in
1969
my
dad
God
rest
him.
I
was
home
a
month.
He
said:
ok,
what
he
gonna
do
with
the
rusty
lights.
You
know,
you're,
not
working,
you
know,
get
up
and
do
something
and
I
was
out
in
downtown
Boston.
The
Boston
Edison
had
a
store
on
Tremont
Street.
They
had
a
sign.
Hiring
I
went
in
just
to
say
that
night
at
dinner,
yet
you
know
I
applied
for
job.
J
I
got
hired
two
days
later
to
my
shark,
but
what
happened
along
the
way
was.
I
use
my
military
experience
in
ways
that
I
think
younger
veterans
need
to
maybe
understand
and-
and
that
is
when
I
went
to
work
for
the
Edison
I
used
that
structure
and
discipline
that
I
got
in
the
Marine
Corps
and
that
many,
if
not
all,
of
you
get
by
being
in
the
mode
and
that
struction
discipline
cut
me
up
every
morning,
go
into
work.
I
had
a
boss
who
said
the
truck
is
leaving
at
7:30
you're,
not
in
the.
J
If
you're,
not
in
the
truck.
We're
gone,
you
know
it
doesn't
do
any
good
to
pull
in
the
parking
lot
at
7:30
and
run
to
the
truck
because
we're
gone
so
that
structure
and
discipline
really
really
helped
me
understand
my
first
full-time
job
in
the
workforce
and
the
other
thing
that
struck
me
was
that
I
try
to
use
my
Vietnam
experience
in
ways
that
were
positive.
You
know
in
trying
to
understand
the
nightmare
that
I
went
through
in
1968.
J
You
know
I
I
try
to
get
through
that
by
being
positive
and
nothing
other
than
losing
a
loved
one.
Nothing
was
gonna,
be
as
bad
as
any
day
in
Vietnam.
Nothing
was
gonna,
be
bad,
so
you
know
what,
if
you
have
a
bad
day,
move
on,
you
know,
strap
your
boots
up
and
just
keep
moving
and
I
use
that
in
a
positive
way
and
I
know
for
some
folks.
That
may
be
hard
to
understand
how
you
go
through
your
worst
nightmare.
J
How
do
you
go
through
what
young
men
and
women
go
through
at
a
young
age
and
try
to
use
an
impossible
way,
but
you
got
to
dig
deep.
You
got
to
find
a
way
to
use
that
and
to
be
able
to
move
forward
and
I
worked
at
the
Edison
digging
ditches,
installing
cable,
all
over
the
city
of
Boston
and
Greater
Boston
for
16
years,
and
it's
a
great
experience.
J
But
ten
years
after
I
was
home,
I
started
thinking
about
the
friends
who
didn't
come
home.
I
joined
the
Marine
Corps
with
five
friends,
three
were
killed
in
68
and
so
I
organized
a
breakfast
to
remember:
Johnny,
Joe
and
Donnie.
Nothing
big,
just
get
the
old
deal
crowd
together,
get
their
families
together,
have
a
mass
and
have
a
breakfast
afterwards.
I
was
so
moved
by
the
response
that
we
got
from
the
families
that
ten
years
after
their
loved
one
was
killed.
It's
someone
remembered
someone
actually
took
that
time.
J
If
you
forget
my
death
that
I
got
in
today,
but
on
the
back
of
the
memorial
and
I'm,
never
one
to
say
so,
Boston
memorial
was
the
first
Memorial
I
just
said
it
is
it's
one
that
at
the
time
we
built
it,
which
was
just
one
of
the
many
that
was
probably
built,
but
on
the
back
of
the
memorial
we
had
two
words
underneath
to
all
the
men
and
women
who
served
during
the
Vietnam
War,
because
we
wanted
to
include
everyone
who
served
welcome
home.
Those
two
words
1981.
J
J
Those
two
words
have
really
would
have
made
a
difference
and
I'd
like
to
think
that
the
lessons
learned
from
Vietnam
are
the
lessons
learned
that
Viet
Vietnam
veterans
have
taught
anyone
who
listened,
that
we
will
never
send
our
young
women
off
to
war
again
without
the
complete
support
of
the
community,
and
we
will
welcome
them
home
when
they
do
get
home
and
I
really
take
great
pride
in
being
part
of
Vietnam
community
to
help
make
that
happen
and
I
think
to
the
young
men
and
women.
Today
you
can
move.
J
J
And
along
the
way
of
working
yet
at
the
Edison
I
wanted
a
little
too
far
down
the
road
I
found.
I
was
suffering
from
PTSD
for
all
the
letters
that
no
one
even
know
what
they
meant
back
in
1969
or
1970.
But
I
was
going
through
it
and
way,
I
cook
what
it
is.
I
I
asked
to
go
on
night,
so
I
can
go
to
college
full
time
days.
J
So
I
was
literally
going
at
breakneck
speed
for
a
lot
of
years,
but
I
found
out
later
that
that
helped
me,
but
they
get
to
those
difficult
times
there
that
I
was
going
through
and
by
getting
my
degree
in
getting
that
education.
It
helped
me
to
start
thinking
about
what
I
wanted
to
do.
The
typical
you
have
to
be
both
the
memorial
and
for
some
of
the
room.
They
know
my
love
of
baseball
and
it
is
a
movie.
J
It's
called
the
Whitney
and
in
the
movie
there's
the
lead
actor
is
a
schoolteacher
teaching
he's
coaching
baseball
and
the
kids
challenge
him
to
try
out
for
the
pros
and
he
does
and
in,
and
he
was
a
pitcher
and
he
could
throw
the
ball
100
miles
an
hour
and
he
had
to
make
a
decision.
The
pros
called
us
and
we
want
you
to
come
and
play,
and
he
went
by
his
father's
house
seeking
advice
from
his
father.
J
His
father
said
to
him:
it's
ok
to
think
about
what
you
want
to
do
until
it's
time
to
do
what
they
were
meant
to
do
and
I
put
myself
in
that
position,
because
when
I
was
chairman
of
the
Vietnam
Memorial
Committee
and
I
was
looking
at
what
it
is.
What
is
it
that
I
want
to
do?
I
made
that
decision
I
found
my
passion
was
not
just
building
and
being
part
of
the
soul,
parts
of
Vietnam
Memorial
Committee,
but
my
passion
and
commitment
was
helping
veterans
and
helping
their
families,
and
so
I
say
to
you.
J
J
Many
of
my
friends
came
home
and
became
police
officers
in
firefighters,
but
if
you've
got
a
passion-
and
you
really
believe
in
something
that
you
want
to
do-
don't
hesitate
take
advantage
of
it
because
you
don't
want
to
ten
years
later,
five
years
later
say:
geez
I
wish
I
had
taken
that
opportunity,
because
I
can
tell
you
you
you
you
young,
they
don't
you
have
so
much
to
give.
You
have
so
much
to
give
you
a
community.
J
You've
got
so
much
to
give
this
school
and
you
give
so
much
to
be
able
to
look
back
and
say
you
know
what
I
served
my
country
I
did.
What
I
was
asked
to
do
and
now
I'm
taking
that
to
wherever
I
want
to
go
and
I'm
gonna
be
doing
the
things
that
I
always
wanted
to
do
and
help
people
I
would
say,
get
involved,
get
involved
in
your
community.
J
Get
involved
in
your
school,
be
politically
active,
not
political,
be
politically
active
because
he
had
leadership
like
mayor
Walsh
that
not
only
does
he
sponsor
these
kinds
of
events,
but
he's
the
kind
of
leader
that
you
see
out
on
the
street
that
you
could
go
up
to
and
talk
to
him
and
you
can
share
your
thoughts,
your
interest,
whatever,
whatever
it
may
be,
that's
just
being
politically
active
being
involved
in
your
community.
Let
you
leave
this
know
because
they
don't
know
everything.
J
Certainly,
the
man
was
was
was
always
one
of
them,
but
I
may
be
retired,
but
I'm
still
active,
I'm
still
involved
in
certainly
anything
I
can
ever
do
that
help.
Anyone
in
this
room
I'll
always
be
available
and
I'll
just
leave
you
with
this
tomorrow
morning,
hopefully
with
the
weather
I'm
flying
down
to
New
York.
Thanks
to
the
mayor,
I'm,
making
the
presentation
to
the
gory
Congressional
Medal
of
Honor
Society
to
come
back
to
Boston
in
2021
the
only
city.
J
Umass
Boston
was
a
great
supportive
in
2015
the
city,
the
state,
so
they
opened
up
their
hearts
in
their
arms
to
really
arrived
nation's
heroes,
so
I'm
hoping
to
go
down
tomorrow
and
make
that
presentation.
But
let
me
leave
you
with
this
and
it's
a
quote
that
we
use
each
and
every
confidence
to
the
Medal
of
Honor
recipients
pour
is
the
nation
that
has
no
heroes.
J
B
Thank
You
Tommy
lights,
I
also
want
to
say
thank
you
very
much.
Also
for
your
leadership
as
a
board
member
of
the
Massachusetts
Veterans
Service
Office,
Association
I
know
you
work
very
closely
closely
with
the
legislature
ensuring
that
where
our
voices
are
heard
in
the
Statehouse,
so
thank
you
for
that.
At
this
time,
I
would
like
to
call
up
the
UMass
board
of
directors
of
Veterans
Affairs.
Mr.
Gus
Saint
Silva.
K
Well,
thank
everyone
for
being
here
this
morning,
pleasure
and
a
privilege
to
host.
For
the
second
time,
I
I
would
like
to
say
thank
you
Tommy
corporal
Lyons
I
do
remember
the
movie.
The
book
II,
like
you
I,
did
place
myself
in
the
shoes.
Thank
you
for
those
wonderful
words.
The
mayor,
thank
you
for
being
here
two
weeks
ago,
I
had
a
call
from
the
commissioner,
so
she
was
gonna,
give
me
instructions
and
tired
of
all
this
breakfast.
Instead,
she
told
me
she
was
leaving.
I
was
saddened.
K
K
A
K
J
K
L
Sergeant
sterling
host
hey
good
afternoon
nope,
not
yet
almost
water
folks
just
want
to
say
thank
you
on
behalf
of
the
federal
government
and
a
grateful
nation.
Thank
you
for
serving
for
doing
what
all
of
you
have
done,
the
world
in
uniform,
hey
and
our
community
partners
too.
That
really
empowers
everyday.
All
of
you,
state
federal
local
nonprofits
to
school
that
really
make
our
lives
worth
living.
Allow
us
to
enjoy
these
incredible
blessings
of
liberty.
L
We've
got
what
I
call
the
one
team,
one
fight
approach
right,
folks,
you've
got
federal,
state,
local
and,
of
course,
our
hometown
community
agents
that
make
life
worth
living
so,
and
none
of
those
is
a
greater
warrior
for
these
benefits
that
makes
life
so
empowering
to
be
able
to
get
up
every
day,
keep
living
that
life
keep
giving
back
to
the
country,
and
none
of
them
are
really
lead
away.
So
much
as
just
all
has
right
for
us
here
in
the
homefront
and
Boston.
L
This
is
from
the
United
States
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
for
exceptional
service
presented
to
Giselle
Stirling,
commissioner
city
of
Boston's,
Veterans
Services,
and
recognition
of
your
outstanding
support
to
our
military
veterans
and
their
families.
Your
dedicated
service
and
leadership
and
an
out
of
uniform,
is
a
representation
of
our
highest
American
values.
Because
of
you,
countless
former
servicemen
service
members
have
been
empowered
in
their
efforts
to
fight
the
good
fight
and
that's
signed
by
Penson,
a
director
of
the
VA
Boston
healthcare
system
and
myself.
I
L
B
So
this
actually
concludes
our
welcome
home
breakfast
this
morning.
I
just
want
to
say
thank
everybody
to
be
here,
the
Commissioner
sterling
had
mentioned
earlier,
or
that
it
started
with
four
families,
and
it
has
grown
to
this.
We
would
like
to
see
it
grow
even
further
for
next
year
and
years
to
come
again
welcome
home
to
all
our
veterans
from
all
our
eras
as
a
veteran
myself.
Thank
you
also
for
your
service
and
on
behalf
of
Mayor
Walsh
and
the
veteran
services.