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Presentation by Colonel Ben Findley, USAF-Retired December 14, 2024 Thank you Captain Newman, Buster, and my other Wreaths Across America friends. It is my privilege to be here today for this Wreaths Across America Ceremony and to lay wreaths here to honor our heroes. Thank you both for what you do. It has been 55 years since I volunteered for my 30 years of military service and took the Commissioning Oath: · to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign & domestic, and · to bear true faith & allegiance to the same. This Oath of Allegiance is more than a formality for commissioning or a promotion ceremony, it provides the foundation of our military and our nation as a whole... and our freedom. Those laid at rest here took that Oath and made the ultimate sacrifice to DEFEND OUR COUNTRY against all enemies, as they promised. Sadly, some of my friends and yours in arms took this Oath and sacrificed their lives for our great country and this Oath and our freedoms, like so many here did as well. If I could put today's ceremony in ONLY 3 WORDS, it would be REMEMBER, HONOR, and TEACH. Today, not only here in Pensacola, but all across our United States of America, we show national unity as we Remember the Fallen, Honor those Who Serve, and Teach our children and others The Value of Freedom. This is also the MISSION of Wreaths Across America TO: 1) Remember the FALLEN, 2) Honor those WHO SERVE, and 3) Teach the NEXT GENERATION the value of freedom. Like some of you, I have visited Newark, OH, Galveston, TX, Stillwater, OK, Prescott Valley, AZ, Ft. Pierce, FL, and even here in Pensacola. All of these cities have about 50,000 net civilian population. Can you imagine if each of these cities and their citizens were gone? What a terrible tragedy! Well here are some facts for you. There are well over 50,000 INTERMENTS of heroes on the 95+ ACRES here at Barrancas, including 4 MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS (one each from the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air force), about 700 UNION and CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS, the WIFE OF APACHE CHIEF GERONIMO from 1887, and several casualties from the Second Seminole War of 1835. Plus so many more brave men & women from many wars & conflicts. Here at Barrancas for this NATIONAL Wreaths Across America Day, we join the almost THREE MILLION VOLUNTEERS and SUPPORTERS who will gather today to Remember, Honor & Teach at about 5,000 participating locations, Cemeteries, and Memorials IN ALL 50 STATES, at sea & abroad. This program has been granted permission to place Wreaths at Normandy in France to honor those who died during World War II's D-Day invasion. We place Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes, in memory of those who served and serve in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, Reserve components, and servicemen and women whose last known status was as a prisoner of war or missing in action. THANK YOU for attending and participating in this honorable, respectful, and patriotic event. Quoting our 40TH UNITED STATES PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.” MOMENT OF SILENCE My fellow Americans, please join me in a MOMENT OF SILENCE to Remember the fallen, the prisoners of war, the missing in action, and to Honor those who have served and are serving our great nation’s armed services. THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGE A WREATH PROVIDES The traditional and simple message for a Wreath, like in a memorial ceremony, is: · May your HEART & SOUL FIND PEACE AND COMFORT, · May you REST IN PEACE & IN OUR LOVING MEMORY, and · GONE FROM OUR SIGHT, BUT NEVER FROM OUR HEARTS. FREEDOMS WE ENJOY COME WITH A PRICE The precious freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Lying here before us and in cemeteries throughout our nation are men and women who GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY OUR LIBERTY, LIVE IN FREEDOM, and WITHOUT FEAR. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE: Such Simple Words, But so honorable and very meaningful. Many of you here are veterans of wars and conflicts that America has had to fight to protect the innocent and oppressed. America has always been the first nation to stand up for the freedom of people from around the world. Many of you here today have answered that call and served your country well. You have VOLUNTEERED TO REPRESENT ALL OF US and left loved ones for various periods of time for a greater good, our nation and its freedoms. We are here today to say “Thank You” and we are honored to know you. Such simple words, but they carry a grateful message and a deep meaning of honor and respect. When you see or meet a veteran or an active duty member of the armed services, take a moment to say "Thank You." I know myself as a retired military veteran that it means a lot to me. And the simple gesture of wearing an American Flag pin proudly communicates so much to veterans... the respect and honor to those who have served. Our heroes at rest here served under that flag with pride & honor. When I get a thanks, I always respond with "YOU ARE WORTH IT." Remember, that wreaths and flag pins are tangible symbols of gratitude, honor, and respect... and a visible public reminder of freedom and liberty for Americans. They recognize all military lives lost in defense of our national freedoms... and all those who NOW serve our country. They are real Americans with families, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, rather than just statistics. These heroes have and are VOLUNTARILY standing in your shoes to represent you. Let this ceremony remind us of the TRUE COST OF FREEDOM and how FOREVER FRAGILE it is... and inspire us to live in a way that honors the memory of these heroes and MAINTAINS OUR CONSTANT VIGILANCE and COMMITMENT to preserve it. I have been a member of the Sons of the American Revolution for 58 years and at every meeting we say the AMERICAN'S CREED: It is our duty to those heroes and to our country: 1) To Love it 2) To Support our Constitution 3) To Obey its Laws 4) To Respect our Flag, and 5) To Defend it against all Enemies. Let us never allow the memory of their service to fade and our commitment to waiver. To all those who attend today, volunteer their time, efforts and money to Wreaths Across America, its Mission, and all the Veterans' causes to help preserve the freedoms of our nation, WE AND OUR GRATEFUL NATION THANK YOU! AND SALUTE YOU! (Hand Salute rendered.) Dr. Ben Findley, Colonel, USAF- Ret Colonel Ben is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force with 30 years of service, including experience as the Reserve Provost at Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, where he taught at Air War College and other schools there. He is the author of the first Air Force Supervisor's Course at Air University. As a Psychological Operations Staff Officer with HQ, U.S. Special Operations Command, Ben wrote the Department of Defense book "Psychological Operations," used by all military departments. Colonel Ben received a teaching excellence award as a PSYOP instructor at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field, FL. Ben was selected by Florida's Governor and Cabinet for the Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2023. He was awarded the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Outstanding Counselor award for Academy liaison officers where he served as Deputy Commander for NW FL & AL. He was also awarded the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Tallman Outstanding Leadership/Service Award & the Department of Defense's Legion of Merit medal. He is a Vietnam Era, Persian Gulf War Era, Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosov War Era veteran. Ben helps veterans by serving on the FL Department of Veterans Affairs' Ambassador Council, the Florida Veterans Foundation Board, the FL Veterans' Hall of Fame Society Board as President, the Sons of the American Revolution Pensacola Chapter as President, the Veterans Memorial Park, Pensacola, Board- 2023, and other veterans' organizations. Ben's doctorate degree is in Business and Education. He taught financial and human resources management, serving as Dean of the College of Business and Professor of Management at the University of Sarasota. He retired from Pensacola State College FL where he served as Dean of the School of Business, Human Resources Director, & Director of Legal Affairs & Risk Management.

FLA-MOM is a first come, first served clinic.  We can ONLY take pre-registration appointments for the Veterans Dental Event (Veterans’ First Initiative) during the afternoon of Thursday, May 30, 2024 beginning at 2pm.  Veterans can register via the QR code listed on the Save the Date Veterans Dental Clinic Flyer, or by calling 800-877-9922.  Patients at the Veterans’ First Initiative will arrive at their appointment time and begin the registration process at the clinic but they will NOT receive treatment at this appointment.  The appointment will allow the veteran to complete all necessary paperwork and visit with the following departments: Medical triage Radiology Dental triage Routing – a dental treatment will be presented at this time Veterans will need to return at 6:30am on Friday, May 31 to begin treatment. If a veteran is not able to attend the Veterans’ First Initiative during the afternoon of May 30, they may still receive dental treatment at the clinic, but they will need to arrive with the general public and will be seen on a first come, first served basis on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, June 1.  The clinic doors will open at 7am on May 30 and June 1.  The clinic will treat patients until capacity is met.  Patients are encouraged to arrive early and plan on being at the clinic for several hours.  Complete information can be found at www.FLAMOM.org  Patients are encouraged to click on the blue “Patients FAQs” button.  Additional information can be obtained by calling 800-877-9922.

Saturday, February 24, 2024 8:00 a.m. | Lake Leon Pavilion at Tom Brown Park Proceeds benefit the Florida Veterans Foundation. Join Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez for the Race for Our Heroes 5K on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. EST at Tom Brown Park. Start and Finish Line Activities will take place at the Lake Leon Playground Pavilion in Tom Brown Park (off Conner Boulevard). Bring the family and your four-legged friends to run, walk or ruck with us and help honor Florida's military Veterans, first responders and their K-9s! Registration Pre-registration closes Friday, February 23, at 5:59 p.m. EST The first 100 registrants are guaranteed a T-shirt. - $25: Pre-registration with T-shirt (First 100 registrants are guaranteed shirt) - $35: Onsite Registration Challenge Coins will be awarded to the top three male/female runners, walkers, ruckers and K-9s. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Florida Veterans Foundation, which serves Florida Veterans and their families.

Representative Joesph A. Casello United States Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Originally from Massachusetts, Representative Joe Casello and his wife Josephine reside in Boynton Beach. A lifelong public servant, he served as a Boynton Beach City Commissioner from 2013 through 2018 for District 4. He was appointed as the Vice-Mayor and then elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. Born in Worcester, Rep. Casello attended public schools in his community. He graduated from Worcester Industrial Technical Institute in 1972 and Quinsigamond Community College in 2002, where he earned an Associate in Science. The son of a Navy World War II veteran, Rep. Casello honorably served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force in the early 1970s. Assigned to the 212th ANG Unit, he was responsible for installing radio transmission sites throughout the country. In 1974, he was appointed to the Worcester Fire Department and promoted to Lieutenant in 1984. Within the Fire Department, he served in many capacities, including arson investigator, working closely with the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Rep. Casello is a business owner and licensed electrical contractor. He operated Casello Electrical Services, specializing in residential and commercial electrical design and installation. His civic engagement includes time spent on the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, as President of the Knollwood Homeowners Association, and as a member of the Palm Beach Sober Home Task Force as well as the Municipal Retirees Association. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for JFK Hospital and has volunteered with Feeding South Florida during the pandemic. Drawing on his past experiences as a firefighter and service in the Air Force, Joe has been a strong and vocal champion for first responders, police, and firefighters, as well as military veterans. He has sponsored legislation strengthening medical benefits for firefighters who contract cancer in the line of duty. He also worked with his colleagues to pass a joint resolution allowing the surviving spouses of deceased, disabled veterans to continue claiming the same tax credits to which their families were entitled before death. Rep. Casello is married and has one daughter. << Back to Veteran Legislators

Representative Spencer Roach United States Coast Guard Retired Commissioned Officer Rep. Spencer Roach is a retired Coast Guard Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officer who spent his first ten years in service as an enlisted man, serving as a search and rescue coxswain and counter-narcotics officer before earning an officer’s commission. He grew up in a proud blue-collar household, working with his father and uncles in a 4th-generation family-owned plumbing company. From an early age, he gained an appreciation for the trades and an unwavering belief that a superior personal work ethic is the great equalizer in pursuit of upward mobility. Rep. Roach enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1996. During his two decades of service, Spencer’s assignments included tours of duty in Alaska, a six-month combat deployment to the Middle East enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq, and service in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. He was selected for the prestigious Judge Advocate General Program and attended the University of Miami School of Law on a military scholarship. His most recent assignment as a JAG was representing returning soldiers and sailors injured in the line of duty to ensure they received the medical care they deserved. He retired from the Coast Guard in 2016. His actions earned him the Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medals, Coast Guard Achievement Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, all with Operational Distinguishing Device. While serving on active duty, Rep. Roach attended Edison Community College and Florida Gulf Coast University, earning a degree in Political Science and graduating summa cum laude from FGCU. He is licensed to practice law in Florida and Texas. After retiring from the Coast Guard, he returned to Lee County, where he had been a resident since his assignment to Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach in 2000. The Representative has always had a passion for public service and served as the District Director for Congressman Francis Rooney. He is a certified ESL teacher and has been active in various volunteer work for well over a decade, although his passion is helping children in foster care. While in law school, Spencer managed a program that provided Financial Literacy classes to children aging out of foster care, and currently, he serves as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem in the 20th Judicial Circuit. Representative Roach said: “My career in the Coast Guard, first as an enlisted man, then as a junior officer, and finally, as a JAG shaped my character and developed my work ethic. I traveled the world & experienced different cultures. It paid for both my undergraduate degree & a law degree at a private, tier-one law school. I made lifelong friends who endured emotional and traumatic experiences alongside me. The Coast Guard gave me a commitment to public service and the leadership skills to be an effective advocate for our community…Semper Paratus.” << Back to Veteran Legislators

FVF Dental Grant Program Are you a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving Florida's veterans? Do you have a passion for providing essential dental care to those who have sacrificed so much for our country? The Florida Veterans Foundation is now accepting grant applications to support organizations that offer vital dental services to veterans in need. We understand the challenges many veterans face in accessing quality dental care and are committed to making a positive impact on their lives. Grant funding will be used to: · Provide dental exams, cleanings, fillings, and extractions · Support dental dentures · Assist with specialized dental procedures To qualify for a grant, your organization must: · Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Florida · Have a proven track record of serving veterans · Demonstrate a clear need for funding to support dental services To apply please review the dental rules linked below before filling out the dental grant application. Send your completed application to fvf@fdva.fl.gov for final review. Dental Rules Dental Grant Application Please note the following: Definition of Veteran: According to Chapter 1.01 of the 2023 Florida Statues, “the term ‘veteran’ means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. The term includes all members of the Florida National Guard and United States Reserve Forces who were discharged or released under honorable conditions only, or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions. Veteran Eligibility: Qualifying veterans must also meet the following requirements: · Been issued a DD-214, NGB 22 or Certificate of Discharge. · Residency requirement - eligible veterans must reside in Florida. · Be at a 300% Poverty Level or below as defined by the federal government at the time of their application. · Be less than 100% service-connected disabled. For more information please contact us at fvf@fdva.fl.gov .