Congressional Gold Medal Recipient And Montford Marine, Ambassdor Theodore R. Britton, Jr. to Speak at Nashville Rotary Club

The Honorable Ambassador Theodore R. Birtton Jr. is distinguished among his fellow Montford Point Marines by his presidential appoint as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. The former Chief of Mission to Barbados and to the State of Grenada, hails from Augusta, South Carolina, where his early upbringing in good manners prepared him for global achievement as "Ambassador For Peace."

From 1974 to 1977 Britton served as Ambassador, (Chief of Mission) to Barbados and the State of Grenada, while simultaneously serving as the U.S. Special Representative to the States of Antigua, Dominica, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.

 Ambassador Britton has maintained a life-long interest in diplomatic affairs and international activities from 1971 as shown by his extensive participation in US Information Agency programs and the Paris based Group on Urban Affairs. He has served as Co-chair of the US-China Agreement on Housing and Planning and Executive Secretary to similar agreements with Mexico, Canada, Japan, and the former Soviet Union (USSR) Longtime Vice-Chair.

His degrees in banking and finance enabled him to serve as an officer and director in the savings and commercial banking arenas. He earned a B.S. degree and graduate diploma from New York University and from the American Savings and Loan Institute, respectively.  And as a specialist in housing and finance, his civilian service also includes a career at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

After a career in banking, Ambassador Britton was elected president of the American Baptist Management Corporation. Then later, entering into Government Service, his housing expertise was put to use as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. His mission was to improve the production of housing and the delivery of housing services.

A veteran of World War II and Korea, The Ambassador offers a historically unique perspective on health, housing, education and veteran's affairs. He is a Life Member of the Second Marine Division Association, the Association of former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), and the Montford Point Marines. He is an advisor to the Hampton University Minority Men's Health Initiative and the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the ranking recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, which honors 20,000 African American Marines who trained at the segregated Montford Point boot camp in North Carolina from 1942-1949.

Ambassador Britton is married to the former Vernell Elizabeth Stewart of Jacksonville, Florida. They live Atlanta, Georgia.

Ambassador Britton will speak at the Nashville Rotary Club on October 31, 2016 for the club's annual Veterans Day Program beginning at noon. Rotarians are welcome to attend. Members of the public luncheon fee is 35.00.

All Things Marine Week on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations, leaders, and volunteers who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations, leaders, and volunteers  embody, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Join us Saturday, September 10, 2016, to hear from behind the scenes during #MarineWeek in Nashville. Hear from active duty Marines who are on the front line serving our country. They will sharing amazing stories about planning an event that has captivated not only Nashville and the Middle Tennessee Region but thousands who have traveled to see the world's strongest military force engaging with the community and glimpses of a day in the life of The Few, Proud.

The five-day free, public event kicked off with an opening ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at Public Square Park in Nashville. Mayor Megan Barry, daughter of a Marine, gave opening remarks. There were also performances by Darryl Worley, Mike Corrado, Marine Band San Diego and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. The crowds were mesmerized!

Tune in to hear 1st Lt. Johnny Henderson share his Marine story. Listen to why Nashville was chosen to host this wonderful event. We will hear highlights from this week and the exciting scheduled slated for Saturday, September 10 and Sunday's 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony. 


· Wreath-Laying Ceremony from 9–9:30 a.m. at John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
· Mural Unveiling Ceremony, 9:30–10:30 a.m., Douglas Corner Cafe'
· Dragon Boat Festival, 10 a.m.–12 p.m., Cumberland River
· Vanderbilt Universityt vs. Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Football Game, 3 p.m., Vanderbilt Stadium
· Marine Band San Diego’s “Sound Strike” at the Tin Roof Broadway, Marine Week Nashville 2016, 7–10 p.m.
· The Frist Center for the Visual Arts exhibition Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance 1945-1975. Museum's Saturday hours are 10:00 a.m-5:30 p.m. Special recognition for World War II Montford Point Marine, Mark H McCann Sr.

Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance 1

We will also hear a musical tribute performed live in the studio from Belmont University Senior, Jason Earley!

 Living Your Best Life is heard on 760AM in the Nashville-Middle TN Region, Inspirational Networks, in military homes, and Ustream.TV worldwide.

More about #MarineWeek in Nashville!

Marine Week, hosted by the United States Marine Corps in one city per year, is a celebration of Community, Country and Corps – providing the American public the experience of directly connecting with hundreds of Marines.

From Sept. 7–11, Marine Week Nashville will feature hands-on static displays, live demonstrations, time-honored Marine Corps traditions, musical performances and other events to showcase the history, military capabilities and community involvement of the Corps. 

More about United States Marine Corps:

The United States Marine Corps was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 10, 1775, and has been America’s expeditionary force in readiness since. Marines are forward-deployed to respond swiftly and aggressively in times of crisis from the air, land and sea.

There are approximately 182,000 Marines actively serving today, with another 38,900 Marines in the Reserves.

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Judge David D. Watkins on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations, leaders, and volunteers who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations, leaders, and volunteers  embody, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
 
On Saturday, March 26, 2016, we will continue to discuss the series on organ donations and transplants. We will be joined by the Honorable Judge David D. Watkins to hear him talk about making the decision, along with his wife, to donate his kidney to Clint Smith, Jr. in 2012. Clint Smith, Jr. was recently featured in the New York Times.

Clint Smith, Jr. Transplant Recipient

Judge Watkins will share how his faith was the catalyst to him waking up one morning and asking, "Why not? Why not me becoming Clint's donor?" Listen to Judge Watkins chronicle his journey to becoming an organ donor and how that journey made him intimately aware of the cultural notions in minority community that keeps more minorities, especially the Black community, on the wait list longer than other groups.

Judge Watkins and his wife, Angela, made the decision together to become donors. Both were tested and Judge Watkins decided to be go through the process first and if he was not a match then his wife would donate. Hear how two families who have known each for many years decided to make a life alternating gift that changed both families forever.

Tune in to hear all the amazing details. This show will empower, inspire, and motivate you to do more. Love more. Give more.  This show will also show you the power of faith in God and the belief in the mankind.

Living Your Best Life, a radio show that empowers, inspires, and motivates us to live our BEST life, is heard on 760AM The Gospel in the Middle-TN area, Tune In,  military bases and on Ustream.TV worldwide from 9:00-10:00am CST.

More About Judge David D. Watkins
 

Judge David D. Watkins, Kidney Donor

David D. Watkins is a Judge in the State Court of Augusta, Georgia and has served for 18 years.  Judge Watkins obtained his basic education in the public school of Glenn Hills High and graduated in 1977.  He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta and graduated with a B. A. degree in History.  He was accepted into Law School and received his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1986. Following Law School, Judge Watkins joined the United State Marine Corps where he served as an attorney from 1986-1990. After serving his country, Judge Watkins returned home and practiced law until 1997 when he was appointed a State Court Judge in Richmond County by then Governor Zell Miller.  The following year on July 21, 1998, voters, by an overwhelming majority, re-elected him to this position. Judge Watkins has been married for 34 years to Miss Angela Cumberlander-Watkins. They are the proud parents of two children, Daniel and Christina and the grandparents of twins (girl and boy), Mason Logan and Harper Elizabeth.

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.

 

General Dennis L. Via to Speak at Nashville Rotary

The Nashville Rotary will have a special Rotary Veterans Day celebration honoring men and women who served in the military. The program will include a special recognition of Rotary member veterans, a presentation of colors by Vanderbilt NROTC Color Guard & a baritone soloist will deliver the national anthem. Additionally, we will honor guest WWII African-American veterans (now in their 90’s) who recently received medals for their heroic service in segregated units in WWII.

The special speaker for the Nashville Rotary on November 3, 2014, will be speaker, GEN Dennis L. Via, who became the 18th Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) August 7, 2012. AMC is the Army’s premier provider of materiel readiness to ensure dominant land force capability for the U.S. Warfighters and our allies.

General Dennis L. Via

General Via’s prior assignment was as AMC’s Deputy Commanding General. He deployed to Southwest Asia in October 2011 as the Commander, AMC Responsible Reset Task Force with the mission of leading the strategic integration of the Materiel Enterprise for the Retrograde of equipment and materiel out of Iraq at the conclusion of Operation New Dawn. Prior to that, he served as Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems, J-6, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

USMC Mark McCann, Sr.(WWII Congressional Gold Medal Recipient), Mark McCann, Jr.(Iraq) and Bert Watkins (Vietnam Purple Heart)

Mr. Henry Shaw (WWII)

Along with WWII Veterans, other special Veterans in attendance to hear General Via will be the Triple Nickels, the first Black Paratroopers in the U. S. Army; Bert Watkins, USMC Purple Heart Recipient who fought courageously in the Operation Swift; Don McCasland, Army Veteran from Desert Storm, OIF, OEF, and co-founder of SAFE (Soldiers and Families Embraced) along with Co-founder, Veteran Rev. Jodi McCullah; Rick DelaHaya, Air Force Veteran who assisted communications for President Clinton and President Bush during 9-11.

 

It is worth noting that many of the guest veterans were hosts to thousands active duty members of the military, veterans, and their families who visited the Steve Mumford's War Journals 2003-2013 exhibition at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. They gave moral support and counseling while sharing their experiences with others.

Montford Point Marine Mark H. McCann, Sr. on Living Your Best Life 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 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, January 11 will hear part 1and January18, 2014, we will hear part 2 interview with, Montford Point Marine and 2012 Congressional Gold Medal Recipient, Mark H. McCann, Sr. who turned 92 this week. Mr. McCann will share about his early start in life and why he enlisted in the USMC which was segregated at the time. Listen as he shares about fighting two wars, the one abroad as well as the one at home, civil rights. He will also share how his military training prepared him to become a professor and later an administrator at Tennessee State University.

Bert Watkins, Mark McCann, Jr. and Mark McCann, Sr.

Mr. McCann is joined in the studio by fellow Marines; Bert Watkins (Vietnam) and McCann's son, Mark McCann, Jr.(Iraq). Watkins and McCann, Jr. will share how McCann Sr.'s integration of the Marine Corp paved the way for them to become Marines and how they still fought for the Right To Fight in other ways long after McCann Sr. help opened the doors for them. 

Tune in to hear from "The Few. The Proud. The Marines."

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 More Mark H. McCann, Sr.

Mark H. McCann was born on January 8, 1922 in Waynesboro, Mississippi. He received his early education through eighth grade in Mississippi.  His ninth through twelfth grade years were spent at Wilcox High School in Miller Ferry, Alabama. Shortly after graduating from high school, Mr. McCann attended Snow Hill Institute in Alabama under the War Power Training Program. “I signed up because that was what you did back then. You fought for your country,” reflected Mr. McCann.

When Mr. McCann joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) on August 16, 1943, he was unknowingly making history. During World War II, McCann was one of the first of approximately 20,000 African Americans who enlisted to become a Marine. This was unprecedented at the time because of Jim Crow that existed even in the Armed Services. Executive Order 9981 issued by President Roosevelt, required the armed services to recruit and enlist African-Americans. The USMC was the last branch of the military to desegregate.

The Montford Point Marines were crucial to many of the battles fought during World War II, especially the battles of Iwo Jima, the Chosin, Reservoir, and the Tet Offensive. Despite having to overcome much discrimination to become a Marine, then fight for the right to fight alongside their fellow Marines,  Mr. McCann along with other Montford Point Marines served our nation bravely while fighting for freedoms abroad even though they were not able to experience those same freedoms, like the right to vote, in their own country.

Mr. McCann served in the Marines until 1946. As a Marine, he was trained in communications and experienced combat. After witnessing the horror of war and grateful for his life, he was determined to make the most of his training as started his post combat life in Nashville. With an honorable discharge from the Marines at the rank of Corporal, Mr. McCann enrolled at Tennessee State University, then known as Tennessee Agriculture and Industrial College. While attending college, he met his future wife, Quinnetta Evelyn Bugg. He received his Bachelors in 1949 and his Masters in 1951. After receiving his Masters, Mr. McCann became Professor McCann at Tennessee State and taught Business and Economics until 1975.

Mr. McCann training in Marines made him a natural leader at the university. In 1975, he later became Director of Personnel and Human Resources. In 1980, he was promoted to Budget Director. In 1983, he was promoted again to Director of Auxiliary Services and V.P. of Business Affairs and finally, Senior Analyst. Mr. McCann served in that role until his retirement from Tennessee State University in1992.

Photo Credit: Mark McCann, Jr. and Genma Holmes