Gunnery Sgt Roy Brady Jr: Walking 4 Warriors on Living Your Best Life Radio with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life as we celebrate our military heroes' journeys before and after their service to our country. Hear from men and women who are sons and daughters; husbands and wives; fathers and mothers; grandparents; siblings; and loyal friends. Hear from members of the Marines, Army, Air Force, and Navy share personal stories and highlights from their military careers. All have roles that made them the "first" in many endeavors throughout their lives and in the military. We will hear about their rarely discussed acts of courage and sacrifice that embody servant leadership that will empower, inspire, and motivate listeners.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015, tune in to hear from Rt. Gunny Sergent Roy Brady Jr, USMC. Listen to Gunny Brady share about his twenty two years in the Marine Corps and his short stint in retirement before on embarking on a new venture to serve his country by walking 3,000 miles cross country. 

Brady who became a Marine after graduating from high school missed the routine of being in the military and decided after few months into retirement, he wanted to walk across America to bring awareness to the sacrifices of our military veterans, what they face after returning home and to share what Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge does for warriors of all branches. Brady begun his walk in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 1, 2015.

Brady's family members shared his story with Lt. Colonel, Army (Rt.) Daphne Young, DDS and she reached out to Living Your Best Life Radio. Since that initial call from family, audiences have been tuning in weekly to hear updates from Gunny Roy Brady's journey and sharing with others his mission to raise funds for a worthy cause. 

Gunny Brady with Lt. Colonel, Army(Rt) Daphne Young, DDS

When Brady arrived in Nashville he visited with Korean Veteran Joel McKissack (USMC), and WWII Montford Pointer, Mark H. McCann, Sr. The fellowship of brothers greatly encouraged Brady during his time in Nashville as well as hearing history straight from the history makers. He visited with the MUSIC CITY DET 378 MARINE CORP LEAGUE the next day.

Korean Veteran Joel McKissack (USMC) with Roy Brady, Jr.

Montford Point Marine Mark H. McCann

The local and national media have been interested in Brady's story. He stopped by WMSV and TSU WTST studios. He plans to spend a few days with family and more time with Mr. McCann and Mr. McKissack before restarting his travels across country.


Living Your Best Life Radio, radio that empowers, inspires, and motivates you to live your BEST life can be heard on 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In Radio, streamed live on the web at UStream.TV  on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am CST and on military bases.

 More About Walk For Warriors

 On March 1, 2015, retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt Roy Brady, Jr., embarks on a cross country trek from the heart. It’s dedicated to his fellow warriors. As a veteran himself, the concept for the “Walk For Warriors” grew out of his love for the military, families of those that serve and awareness of the difficult challenges faced by returning personnel as they transition from war front to home front. 

His walk began in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina with a send-off courtesy of the local Marine Reserve Unit and will wind its way through the roads and highways of Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, before ending at Camp Pendleton in California approximately 6-8 months from when he began.

Roy Brady’s “Walk For Warriors” journey celebrates the heart of every soldier, with recovery as the mission, the objective remains leaving no one behind. Join Roy in honoring our military by contributing to his Challenge Fund at Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge.

Roy’s goal is to raise $35,000 to go towards one of our programs* such as The Adaptive Sailing Boot Camp for Novices in Galveston, Texas or our  SCUBA challenge that takes place to not only advance the work being done on prosthetic limbs, but also works in cooperation with MOTE to rebuild the reefs, including the Memorial Reef started during our 2014 SCUBA Challenge.

 

Remember Political Pundits Praising Putin's Craziness In March? Words Have Consequences

I was in Atlanta interviewing Civil Rights Leader, Xernona Clayton, when I received a text message that a plane was blown up over the Ukrainian skyline. Turning on the news later that evening, I was in disbelief at the way innocent lives could be slaughtered to justify political power.  As I was viewing the carnage of Malaysia Airline flight MH17, I wanted to shut out the commentators and pundits but they were as much a part of the news coverage as the crash site itself. 

As I listened to the possible links between pro-Russian rebels and the downing of the plane, I scrambled through my purse looking for a small journal I had written in back in March for a possible story about Russian President Vladimir Putin being glorified by several media pundits and cable network talking heads. The oddity of American pundits doing lap dances over Russia’s Putin was beyond crazy to me. “Do they not know he is a bad guy with big guns?” I wrote in large letters next to quotes by the talk show pundits. Their words in March came rushing back as I sat in disbelief that another Malaysian Airline tragedy is in the news again.

With the MH17’s wreckage being held hostage by the very rebels that international intelligence agencies sighted with a surface to air missile that was capable of bringing down a plane above 10,000 feet, the words and actions of the cable news pundits should be scrutinized just like other contributing factors to this horrific organized crisis. 

When Vladimir Putin tested international peacekeeping by threatening to invade Ukraine, European leaders like Germany’s Angela Markel questioned Putin sanity and stated she believed for so time he was “living in another world.” Men who live in altered reality are notorious for wanting to be in the news cycle, for any reason. Contrast world leaders who have questioned Putin’s leadership and his determination to go to war with Ukraine with cable pundits and talking heads like half term Governor, Sarah Palin, and former New York Mayor, Ruby Giuliani, who actually praised Putin’s aggression in Europe calling him "a leader.” 

During late February and early March when Putin’s allowed pro-Russian militants to rein terror in Ukraine, several U.S. media outlets’ talk show hosts stroked this mad man’s ego with statements like: “Russian has a real leader;” “He makes a quick decision and everyone reacts;” “Putin wrestle bears and drills for oil while our president wears mom jeans;” and “Putin tells the west and us that if you mess with me I will kill you all.” These words touted with glee by pundits a few months ago; ring with evilness when we see the bodies and personal effects strewn over a field in the Ukraine.

The nonstop praise of a tyrannical leader made by political opportunists who are dogged determined to show the weakness of the U.S. President is no longer political; it is deadly. Words have consequences. This praise of Putin came at the expense of the rest of the world and possibly the lives of 298 individuals. Putin being praised by American media pundits, makes an inflated ego with a dangerous world view, even more uncontrollable. If pundits love Putin as much as they have idolized him, can you imagine the praise they would have heaped on Hitler? When world leaders are dealing with more and more rebels with agendas who are hell bent on getting anything they want and will stop at nothing to get it, we must stop to see how our country’s toxic political punditry adds more poison to the brew. 

Our country has moved from being a political divided country, to a country that pundits hold civility hostage while bedding politics to further fan the flames of any and every situation without being affected one way or the other by what comes out of their mouths. With our factless checking media, half of what the public is told are lies, and the other half are half truths. Pundits spin garbage without being challenged and are invited back night after night. When our pundits encourage our politicians to invade other countries, shut down the government or encourage the U.S. military to back the terrorists-of-the-day with weapons, the pundits' family or livelihood is not affected by their paid for rhetoric. They will get a check or a bonus because the very acts or actions they are commenting on feeds the propaganda they are getting paid to promote. The politicians who debates the weakness of the President, will never be president of any country, or county Mayor for that matter, so the decisions that are demanding or actions they are screaming to be taken comes with no accountability. Speaking of no accountability, remember Iraq's war hawks? They are back.

The war hawks who basically held our country’s hands right into Iraq, are now back on TV discussing Iraq. There is no record of any pundit who demanded war with Iraq having a child or grandchild on the battlefield. Iraq was one of the worst decisions made by our country and our children’s children will be repaying our debts, morally and financially, for the rest of their lives. Yet, recycled talking points that worked to get us into war then are back on TV. But this time, those irresponsible words that lead to deadly actions from previous years have consequences. The mess in Iraq today is the mess our government created when we invaded Iraq knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction. 

Like the rush to invade Iraq, the praise of the Russia’s Vladimir Putin should be met with skepticism. The public should give a colonic examination of why would any pundit admire an oppressive dictator who ideas of democracy is not in line with our constitution that many pundits wrap around themselves like a holy shawl. It is time for avid viewers of news, progressives, independents, and conservatives, examine what is said and push back on narratives that are leading our country down dark alleys without exits. It is time for media outlets to be held accountable for who they put on their programs. Whatever happened to fair and balance? Words really have consequences.

Photo credits: LA Times, Reuters, AP

 

A Conversation With A Marine

(photos Lance Corporal T. Hoffman with his mom moments before he is deployed to Afghanistan. Last summer photo with his younger brother, Turner)
My dear friend Jennifer is the mom of Lance Corporal T. Hoffman. Two weeks ago, he was deplored to Afghanistan. He has the dangerous mission of searching for roadside IEDs with his dog. Prior to his departure last month, I asked him about his decision to join the USMC. Especially, when he had many other doors open for him. His words let me know that being a solider is an honorable career.

He shared his honest feelings about the questions I asked. The questions were off the top of my head and there was no agenda in asking him about his faith, freedom, and serving our country. A few were about government policy that affect who can and cannot serve in the US Military. That interview was seen in numerous newspapers and posted at www.Blogcritics.org. I wanted to hear from solider and shares his point of view about serving when he did not have too. On www.blogcritics.Org, there were some strong opinions about what was said in the article. There were several who personally attacked the right of an individual to serve in a volunteer military and share his views. Not once did the young solider criticize our country or our country leaders.

Behind computer screens with made up names, some insults were leveled about policy, why we are in Afghanistan and various other comments heaped on a young man who decided to serve. None of those questions could he have answered even if he wanted. I was discussing his commitment to serve while a few weighed in on why we were in Afghanistan. Two different issues all together. Several made it very personal. The article has been one of the most read on www.Blogcritics.org since Thursday and was posted on several other sites. After reading the comments, here is what I know for sure; Lance Corporal Hoffman did not pick the war he was asked to fight in. Nor did he decide where he was going to be stationed. He does not make up the rules of engagement and he does not pick who serves with him. He votes in one state, one election at a time. As a solider, his political views are not considered when he serves our country. When I last saw him, he showed not sign of being brainwashed to join the Marines nor was he "looking for adventure" because he chose to join. Adventure can be found climbing Mt. Everest, not looking for IEDs.

What he was in control of was his heart to serve our country. He is brave and courageous. He is young and faithful. He is married to a beautiful wife and loved by many. He is a Marine. He is the same age that many of our current and former military leaders of today were when they enlisted in our military. That list includes Generals Powell and Honore’. No one would call their decision to serve anything less than honorable.

THIS post is to say thank you to Tyler and thousands of other brave men and women who are serving our country. THIS post is to remind me that our freedom comes with a price. Cliché or not, I would not be able even to post differing views if I lived in many other countries. Remember Iran last summer? How quickly we forget. If anyone wants to debate issues about our government policy, countries where soldiers are station, wars tactics and rumors of wars…there are blogs for that. There are many policies regarding the military that our government has made over the years that I have not agreed with but one thing I keep separate; my appreciation for the those serving and debating political issues that a solider has no have power over.

Let me say again, thank you Lance Corporal Hoffman for serving our country. Thank you to every solider who has worn a uniform. Thank you to my uncles, cousins, in-laws, my brother and numerous friends for CHOOSING to serve our country.

Happy Fourth of July! Happy Birthday America

http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/why-i-serve-a-conversation-with/