Home Base Nation

Our Home Base Staff Pick this week is "The Service of Sesame Street – Featuring Rocio Galarza." You’ll first hear from Home Base's Family Outreach Coordinator, military spouse and military daughter Betsy Hart. Betsy was in this original episode in April 2021, and talked about the time when her kids were really little, how Sesame Workshop for Military Families was a saving grace for them and for the whole family during all their deployments and transitions. Rocio Galarza is Vice President of US Social Impact at Sesame Workshop, and she and Dr. Ron talk about Sesame's partnerships with the military community, DoD, and content experts, and how they create the energy behind those beloved "service-monsters" and their own military families.

Thank you, Betsy Hart, and to your whole family for the service you’ve provided for many years and that continue to provide for the patients and families at Home Base. Thank you to Rocio Galarza our guest and Brit Edwards, at Sesame Steet for Military Families.

Many thanks to Chuck Clough - editing and interviewing for Home Base Staff Picks, Justin Scheinert - photos and socials, Army Veteran Kelly Field – Communications, Steve Monaco Marketing, and Phebe Garver, coordination and consultation.

We will connect back in 2 weeks for more Home Base Staff Picks, remember this is Military Appreciation Month, thank you all who have served and all the families who serve with you. We are back with new conversations and stories in April, so please subscribe or follow, tell a friend about us. For more about the military family programs and team, and all things Home Base please go towww.homebase.org

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor and corresponded (Home Base Staff Picks): Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

For our 1st Home Base Staff Pick, Our very own Team Leader of Veteran Outreach Marine Veteran Ryan Casavant gives some love to fellow Marine Veteran and … Dancehall and Reggae artist Orville Burrell, AKA Shaggy. Ryan talks about his road to the Marines, his deployment experience, and what he does at Home Base to support his peers and families. And as we look at those making history, this month in Black History Month, you cannot find any other GRAMMY-winning Marines out there… Shaggy has released 'Com Fly Wid Mi which has 11 Frank Sinatra songs all done in his own Reggae style, produced by collaborator Sting. Cheers to these two Marines who have served and continue to serve in many ways.

Some news:

-As we know, it’s been 1 year as of Feb 24th since the War in Ukraine. It is hard to believe, and not only do we think of those Ukrainian troops when it comes to their needs body-mind and soul, we think of the trauma that the civilians have been enduring. There are many people around MGB who have been helping since the get-go like BWH Navy Veteran Dr. Eric Goralnick and MGH’s Dr. Jarone Lee and many others - and now there seems to be even more need when it comes to mental health, not surprisingly.

-In more celebratory news, Home Base was very happy to officially announce on Feb 22nd Last week, a first of its kind major federal funding of $5 million as we welcomed a visit from Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Stephen Lynch (MA-08) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) to our national center of excellence.

These funds will help support Home Base’s signature clinical programs serving families of the fallen - and active-duty special operations forces experiencing ongoing issues from traumatic brain injury – TBI.

Senator Warren who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke some familiar words, not unlike what our friend and colleague Green Beret Jillian Kitching said that always resonates with me…About the simple equation, that their service = our service to help them to take care of them, when they return.

Warren said, “I think of it this way - A lot of what we do is about military weapons and all the technology. But The other half is about the people.”- “If we are going to have a strong military, then we have to treat our people better.”

Thank you Shaggy, and Ryan for your service, and your ongoing service to your fellow comrades and families.

Special thanks to Tracy Bufferd for all your efforts and support in connecting Home Base with Dancehall, Reggae and all the genuine support of service from Shaggy and team. And… If you want more Shaggy at Home Base, check out the LIVE conversation at the Veterans Day Dinner we released February 2020.

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor and corresponded (Home Base Staff Picks): Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

In our last episode of Season 5, Dr. Ron Hirschberg talks with Survivor's Season 43 Winner Mike "Gabler" Gabler, the first winner to give their entire $1 Million to a deserving cause close to our hearts at Home Base. As a heart valve specialist from a military family, Gabler talks about the inspiration of service he’s had from his dad and friends in the military, and an unforgettable veteran named Lester who lived well into his 90s, following his team's transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. While thinking literally under the stars over the island for days, things started to come together for a guy who has served many people's hearts, about how a grateful civilian could best help many more veterans in need.

2.14.23

Remember that tomorrow 2/15/23 is the final day to take advantage of discounted fundraising minimums for the RUN TO HOME BASE At Fenway Park July 22nd, 2023 - GO TO – www.runtohomebase.org

It’s February, 2023 – It’s American Heart Month and today is Valentine’s Day folks… So it’s also the perfect time to talk about a special person who not only has shown his massive heart for giving to veteran mental health, but happens to work in the business of giving people new functioning hearts - Mike Gabler. Gabler is a heart valve specialist, who’s lived most of his life in Texas, and last year found his way from his family home base in Idaho to Fiji as one of 18 contestants on the CBS show Survivor. Gabler is the winner of this past season #43, he is 1 of 2 winners over 50, and is the first winner in Survivor history since its first year in 2000 to give the entire $1M dollar prize to charity. He is supporting the veteran community with this gift, specifically in PTSD and mental health, gifting under his dad’s name, Army Veteran and Green Beret Robert Gabler.

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Thank you Gabler, for your serving those who’ve served through this more than generous gift, and the chance to make a difference in an ongoing way. Survivor has been right in our living rooms around the country for almost 23 years and getting the chance to lift awareness about the needs for returning and all recovering veterans is huge, so thank you sir.

Special thanks to Betty Diaz at Paramount and Jennifer Mendez-Ruiz at CBS for bringing us together and for all you do to support mental health, veteran and other efforts!

For all returning Survivor fans and for anyone who’s never seen it, it’s never too late to start - Survivor 44, which has been the twelfth consecutive season to be filmed in Fiji is set to premiere on March 1, 2023, onCBS, coming right up in 2 weeks.

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

In this episode, Navy Veteran Montel Williams sits with Dr. Ron Hirschberg to discuss his three 17-year long careers, the first of which as Navy Intelligence Officer, followed by his prolific and award-winning talk show, which led to work and support in veteran trauma, a multiple sclerosis foundation, and bringing service and giving to military families together with Lifetime's Military Makeover. Among other decorated honors, Mr. Williams holds two Navy Commendation Medals, two Humanitarian Service Medals, and...two Emmys, and has shown the world many forms of service with interwoven themes of leadership, storytelling, wellness, and always giving back.

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Thank you Navy Veteran Montel Williams for your service and ongoing service in many ways - shining the light on veterans and families with the Military Makeover crew, and for all you do in health advocacy and growth. We look forward to more conversations with you on veteran and military family needs as someone who really walks the walk.

Check out Military Makeover on Lifetime and of course we will tune in especially for Lynn, MA family this summer.

Remember for that Early Bird discount for the 14th annual RTHB, NOW through February 15th

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Photo Credit, Montel Williams: Joe Wallace Photography

Clip: Pepsi Salutes the Glory of Black History, with Montel Williams - 1989

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

WWII Marine Veteran and Navajo Code Talker Peter MacDonald reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service, and at the same time points out that Dr. King would not simply want a day of service, but a way of service. As one of the only three living Code Talkers of more than 400 from WWII, Mr. MacDonald embodies grace and gratitude, and teaches us that although these codes may have been used as weapons, war is never the goal. His ongoing wish is for peace, balance and being one together with the world among all cultures – With one Navajo word that sums this up, and what Dr. King was all about: Hozho.

Thank you for joining this conversation with Marine Veteran and Navajo Code Talker Peter MacDonald, and wishing you all to be in Hozho not only on this day of service, but everyday.

Special thanks to Charity MacDonald for making this conversation with your Dad possible. You have served as a military family member and obviously helping to carry his, Navajo and other Native American Veterans' torches in order to educate generations.

And many thanks to Army Veteran Regan Hawthorne, son of the late Marine Veteran and Code Talker Roy Hawthorne for your service, support of the upcoming Navajo Code Talker Museum, and for your stewardship in connecting with Home Base, and Marine Veteran Andrew Appleton, for all your ongoing service to veterans and your support of the Navajo Code Talker Museum.

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

Today on the show, host Dr. Ron Hirschberg chats with friend and colleague Dr. Eddie Phillips, Whole Health Medical Director at the Boston VA, and Associate Professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, about asking not what's the matter with you - but what matters to you, about Eddie's "Bike Desk" that keeps him moving while working, moderate and vigorous intensity exercise, and learning while laughing with his cohost Juna Gtata on PRX's Food, We Need To Talk.

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I first met Dr. Eddie Phillips back in… 2003 (gasp), which is officially now 20 years ago when I was a resident, training at Spaulding Rehab Hospital and he was an attending physician. Eddie was then in the process of essentially grass roots education to not only patients but all healthcare workers - that exercise is medicine. Something was catching on in looking at not only exercise, but patient lifestyle more than before - such that in 2007 he founded the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Before long, Eddie and team were developing multiple Harvard CME courses around the world…

So it was no surprise to me that in 2016 Dr. Phillips was approached by WBUR the NPR Boston affiliate to host The Magic Pill along with cohost WBUR’s Carey Goldberg – This show won an Edward R. Murrow Award which is basically like getting an Emmy for broadcasting. Very cool. Fast-forward a couple years and Eddie joined the very talented Juna Gjata – on a fantastic new podcast produced with PRX call Food We Need to Talk – essentially educating and entertaining us all about nutrition and food and how it relates to our lives - Make sure to check out this show, perhaps as your New Year’s resolution (and hint-hint that’s the topic of their episode this week – all you need to know about New Years’ resolutions, including the science behind it)…

-Cheers all and Happy New Year! - Ron

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

On our last episode of 2022, Dr. Ron Hirschberg talks with Journalist Sarah Sicard about growing up in a military family, and growing an interest in shining light on the 1% military community through stories on culture, humor, history and all things entertainment in the military and veteran space. Sarah writes for Military Times and you'll find her work in Task and Purpose, National Defense News, and stay tuned of course for her upcoming first novel. Happy Holidays and we look forward to connecting back soon in 2023!

I also noticed that three people/organizations I admire and follow also follow Sarah – The Bob Woodruff Foundation, Marine Veteran Kate Mannion from Barstool Sports, and Veteran supporter, CNN Anchor Mr. Jake Tapper. I thought that was pretty cool and spoke to her work on culture, humor and the ability like some creatives and leaders like Sarah, to bridge that military-civilian divide in a unique way.

If you are interested in learning more about Sarah, check out her work at Militarytimes.com and follow her @smsicard on Twitter.

And speaking of Twitter, please follow us on Twitter @homebaseprogram, and you can find me @DeerMountainRH (Deer, like the animal).

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

Army Veterans Caleb Green,Christal Rheams, Ron Henry, and Jason Hanna join host Dr. Ron Hirschberg for a conversation about the love of music, singing and one another as brothers and sisters that runs as deep as their harmonies, backstage at the Home Base Veterans Day Dinner on November 12th 2022. Their mission to help others heal those invisible wounds through song and bringing people together in both the military and civilian community hit a new level in 2019 when they became Top 5 finalists in the 14th season of America's Got Talent. They continue to tour, create and inspire wherever they go.

Thank you to Army Veterans Caleb Green,Christal Rheams, Ron Henry, and Jason Hanna of Voices Of Service for joining us on Home Base Nation, and for all your talents. Thanks for your service and how you continue to serve others with inspiring music and song.

Now during this holiday month, make sure to check out their new EP – “Deck The Halls”

Many thanks for Cathie Lachereas of CAMMO and the whole VOS team.

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

In this episode, host Dr. Ron Hirschberg sits on the bank of the Charles River in Cambridge, MA with Navy Veteran and Rowing Coach Patrick Johnson, at the famous Head of The Charles Regatta. Coach Johnson is National Director at Athletes Without Limits (AWL), and DC Strokes integrated rowing program, a USRowing Freedom Rows designated adaptive program for the Armed Forces. Ron and Patrick talk about his joining the Navy as a musician, finding a new family in the military music community, and how his band of military-music brothers and sisters decided to partake in a Learn To Row program in DC, which led to Patrick’s impactful coaching at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with disabled veterans. Patrick talks about healing others and himself after experiencing lung injury, TBI and anxiety, through both the arts and athleticism, and how there is something about being on the water that can be the right medicine for the soul.

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Thank you Navy Veteran Coach Patrick Johnson for your service, and your ongoing service to all the adults, kids, both in and out of the military that you mentor in many ways. I wish we could have talked longer and hope we have a chance to meet again perhaps in your neck of woods in DC someday. The two themes that come to mind after meeting you are: Family and Healing - And whether through military, music, or rowing, you embody both. To learn more about Patrick and AWL, please go to www.athleteswithoutlimits.org

And a special thanks to Marylin Koblan for all you do for rowers of all abilities, who is the executive director of Para Rowing Foundation, and who introduced us to Coach Johnson prior to the Head of The Charles. Please check out the great work being done by Marylin and her team at www.pararowingfoundation.org

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org.

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

Home Base Nation Thanksgiving Message from host Ron Hirschberg

11-23-22

“Thank you sir, for your service.” I said this to a Marine Veteran in the hospital the other day who was admitted with a bad pneumonia, and he was getting back on his feet to get home hopefully for Thanksgiving. He said Thank YOU doc for yours. I nodded and lifted my brow, knowing that like every other day I would still take the train home to my suburban neighborhood, sleep in a comfy bed and feel safe at home.

As doctors we sign up to help treat disease, help function - but we don’t sign up to get in harms way to keep others safe and free. Covid changed things around the hospital, and in the thick of things the real and raw emotional and physical struggles many healthcare workers went through changed the conversation – Yes, do no harm, Yes, heal the sick… But risk your life in the process? We are amazingly almost 3 years from the start of the pandemic. Things are different now, mostly for the better. Sports are back. Music is back. Politics aside, we are also safer due to vaccines. However, we lost many people, the world lost many people. Today on Thanksgiving, I am thankful for a kind of new normal.

But most of all, I am thankful for the men and women who have served - out there right now and every day around the world who wake up every morning and genuinely not only think of others welfarebut to do it while their own safety or life may be at risk. That’s why we need to take care of them. Our Home Base friend Green Beret Julian Kitching said at Fenway this summer something I will never forget – He summed this up in what he calls The Equation – He said, “This is about simple math: When we sign people up to go do difficult things for all of us – We need to automatically sign up for that other side of the equation, which is making sure we are taking care of those families and servicemembers when they come back. We must pour in as much as they have given.”

We are grateful for all of you who support this great program to address the other side of The Equation. If you want to make a donation during this holiday season, Home Base thanks you! Go to www.homebase.org/donate

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Thank you to Matt Battaille for your service and all you continue to do.

To learn more about how you can help your Ukrainian refugee neighbors, please go to www.cuttingthered.com

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Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Home Base Nation Teamis Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Phebe Garver, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/podcast

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.