I enjoy talking to civilians on Oscar Mike Radio. It reminds me why I served and that there are people who love America. I got to talk with Andy Ross and his for America clear as the sky over his farm in Tennessee.
In some ways, Andy reminds me of a lot of us Veterans. He has reinvented himself several times. From starting out doing hunting shows on TV, music production, and his company, American Rebel, Andy has a can-do spirit that will inspire you.
I listened to All American Heart, and I think you would agree that song represents America. Yes, we have our faults and flaws, but if you are an American with an American heart regardless of where you are then you know that this country is a great place to be.
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 100 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
As I was talking with Spencer Emch for number 325, I became interested in Tactical 16 Publishing which published, “Time of Flight”. I reached out to Chris Schafer, who is the CEO of Tactical 16 Publishing and we started talking. I liked how the power of writing helped Chris through his journey after transitioning out of the military.
Chris Schafer spent over 25 years in the Army and saw a lot during his service that he worked to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Writing proved to be an effective way to heal from trauma, and Chris wants to share that with other Veterans.
It is an understatement to say there is a lot of work in getting a story written. Chris uses his experiences as a writer and leader to bring Veterans’ stories to life in a way that keeps the Veteran’s voice intact throughout the process. There are many stories and each one is a legacy of the service that Veterans rendered to their country.
Go to https://tactical16.com/ to learn more and get started on your writing journey. Thank you Chris for talking with me and giving me guidance.
Veterans Administration – Public Service Announcement View and cancel health care appointments, view claims and appeals status, upload documentation to VA, securely message your doctor, locate VA facilities, retrieve your vaccine records, access the Veterans Crisis Line, and more—right from your phone—with VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app. The app also makes it easy to prove your status as a Veteran so you can take advantage of available retailer discounts. Join nearly 700,000 users in the Veteran community who are accessing their benefits and services, safely and securely, wherever and whenever they need them: https://bit.ly/3O43Yoe
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
was a HAWK Missile Operator in the Marine Corps. HAWK is a mobile, medium-range, guided surface-to-air missile system. When I served it was designated MIM – 23 HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer). Made by Raytheon, HAWK was and still is used in several countries around the world. And this is how I got introduced to Ulrich.
I was looking for a video of the missile leaving the launcher when Ulrich Kroemer reached out to me on Facebook. As we talked, I discovered that not only was he a fellow HAWKer but had collated information about every HAWK unit past and present. As with other HAWKers I have run into over the years, there is a real sense of kinship when you meet anyone who has crewed this system. There isn’t a lot of us and in the case of Germany and the U.S. HAWK is no longer being used. Ulrich and I talked over Zoom and the amount of information that Ulrich had gathered was simply amazing, and then Ulrich told me his story.
He joined the military and was attached to FlaRakBtl 36, his unit a MOS 24C. There he got certified for the HPIR radar, LCHR radar, the Missile Loader, Missile Crew, and Missile Pallet. Ulrich spent time at Fort Bliss, Tx at the Army’s Air Defense Artillery school. Ulrich left the military with the rank of Master Sergeant and went to work for the German Post Office. Now, he is arguably the single greatest source of HAWK information in the world.
I had a great time talking about differences in radars, target engagement, and site setup. He had static radars, ours we always towed from site to site.
Currently, Ulrich enjoys time with his grandchildren and when is not chasing them around keeps HAWK alive by being a part of the Reservisten Arbeitsgemeinschaft (RAG) Flugabwehr, a private group composed of HAWK Veterans who keep HAWK alive by displaying a working battery for people to see. You can find out more by checking out these links:
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Four years ago I went to Massasoit Community College to learn more about podcasting. I have said before that podcasting appealed to me because I could use my voice and I could create my path for Veteran’s Advocacy. Over the last couple of years Keith Hayes of Whoobazoo has asked me to come along to watch and participate on some level. The 4th Annual Media Day proved to be memorable in so many ways.
LiveCast for 4th Annual Media Day
The 4th Annual Massasoit Radio and Digital Arts and Media Conference took place on April 25th. This year Keith asked me do my podcast live. I was excited. This was chance to showcase my “rig” and make it work for us.
I brought my streaming PC, Zoom H6, Microsoft Web Cams, and microphones. The goal was to show that all these items can work together to make the experience good for those watching and listening.
The room started filling up and during the livecast people came in and out. Keith and I got asked some great questions. I thought it was awesome that Massasoit and high school students were making their own podcasts! Four years ago podcasting was nothing like it was today.
A big thanks to Keith Hayes and Anthony Arnold of Whoobazoo for taking the time with me those years ago. Dr. Lisa Zinsius Supka, I appreciated the opportunity to present what Oscar Mike Radio is to an interested audience.
Make sure you go to – https://www.facebook.com/RadioMassasoit/ and check out all the photos and information about Radio Massasoit. I am already looking forward to 2020. I can’t wait to see what will happen before year five.
Bill reached out to me on Facebook Messenger about coming on Oscar Mike Radio. He asked me if I would come out and talk to him at his headquarters in Worcester, MA. I headed up on cold morning in February and found the office pretty easily.
I met Bill and said introduced myself. The first thing that stood out were all the coats and toys in his office. He explained that they were a donation from UNUM Insurance Company https://www.unum.com/ and would be given to children of Veterans in need.
Bill got a laugh out of me with some good natured ribbing about me being a Marine. I had learned about Bill’s Air Force Career and gained a massive amount of respect for what he did when he served.
We moved the conversation to how Bill got Project New Hope off the ground. There is this desire that Bill has to serve and be of service. Meeting the other volunteers who popped in and out to work the mission was one of the highlights of the day.
There is also a Project New Hope Office in Westfield, MA. By car is it 60 miles one way to Westfield. That is a lot of ground to cover for any non profit organization. Bill and his team are committed to Veterans and I was glad to make the trip to meet everyone. A big shout out to BOSE for supplying headphones to troops. Thanks for my pair Bill, they sounded great!
