U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton hosted his 10th Annual Vets Town Hall on Monday as a place for veterans to share their experiences and non-veterans to listen.
Rick Jakious, Moulton’s chief of staff, said the Annual Vets Town Hall is his favorite event of the year.
“This event is unlike any other event we hold,” he said. “We have set aside at this time in this space to bridge the divide between the veteran and civilian population, and we invite veterans to share their stories the way they want to tell them.”
Moulton, who served in the Marine Corps, shared his own experiences to begin the event.
The annual town hall is a “modern reincarnation of an ancient tradition” of warriors sharing their experiences. He thanked his fellow veterans for coming to the event, but highlighted the importance of non-veterans that came to support.
“You’re the reason why we were willing to do what we did,” he said.
He shared his memories of a fellow Marine who he said “by his resume… was not the most remarkable guy,” but is one of the best leaders he has met in his life. Moulton said he was a high school graduate who had a different background from him, but he taught him what it meant to find a leader in unlikely places.
“We need to spend more time listening. We need to spend more time learning from people who may not share our background or experience or perspective. But we’ll be stronger as a country,” Moulton said.
Navy, Army National Guard, and Air Force veteran Debra Prudhomme shared her challenge as a member of the LGBTQ+ community while serving in the Navy.
“I believe this is important to mention in efforts to highlight the progress that our country has made. And to understand how far we’ve come, it’s good to reflect and understand where we have been today,” Prudhomme said.
Her experiences in the military taught her skills she uses in her life and she said she is thankful she had the opportunity to serve.
Marine Corps Capt. Connor Flynn is still an active duty infantry officer and is the selection officer for Boston.
He recognized his father, a veteran who served in Vietnam from 1967-68 and 40 years later in Iraq in 2007. Flynn’s father was in the audience and stood when his son honored him.
Flynn shared a story of meeting a woman from Afghanistan who his unit helped evacuate the country during a mission. She approached him to thank him for his service and after a series of questions, he introduced himself as a member of the unit who saved her.
“It is seldom that service members see the impact of their service. And there it was, right in front of me. And admittedly, it brought tears to my eyes,” he said.
Air Force veteran Alan Weary said his service has given him the opportunity to travel and live throughout the country, but the impact on service member’s children often goes unnoticed.
Weary said transitioning away from 25 years of active duty is a mix of emotions – of anxiety and excitement. He reflected on what those 25 years have taught him about himself and how he has grown.
“In the transition from active duty to veteran status, I’m reminded of our responsibility to support and uplift those who have served and continue to serve. We must ensure that their stories are heard,” he said.
Air Force veteran and Marblehead VFW Commander Ronny Knight shared his experience of recently being diagnosed with PTSD and encouraged fellow veterans to take care of their health after their service.
Christine Tron, Veterans of Foreign Wars junior vice commander, shared her experiences of the adversities she faced as a woman serving in Operation Desert Shield.
She said she and the other women faced discrimination from the Saudi Arabian people, even though they were allies against Iraq, because of their religion. The Saudi Arabians did not allow her to interrogate the Iraqi prisoners of war because they were both Muslims.
“My military service produced resilience based on personal experiences involving various types of adversity,” she said.
Veterans Service Officer Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli encouraged all veterans to connect with their local VSO to take advantage of community and government support.
After the list of speakers, Moulton opened the floor to veterans in the audience to share their experiences.
