Out!
"For Franconas, military family cause hits home" November 02, 2011|By Bella English, Globe Staff
While it was all imploding, Jacque and Terry Francona doubtless had more on their minds than the crash landing of the 2011 Red Sox season.
Related: Globe Investigates Collapse
Their only son, Nick, was commanding a sniper platoon in Afghanistan. Their son-in-law - Michael Rice, Nick’s best friend in the Marines - was dismantling homemade bombs in Afghanistan. And their youngest, Jamie, a senior at Brookline High School, has been considering applying to the US Naval Academy.
“Absolutely, it’s been very unsettling for all of us,’’ says Jacque (pronounced “Jackie’’) Francona, 51.
She and her husband are reportedly separated, but she makes it clear before an interview that she won’t talk about either her marriage or the Red Sox. “I am currently married,’’ is all she will say. Terry Francona, who is out of state, could not be reached for comment.
What Jacque Francona wants to talk about is the Home Base program, a nonprofit organization that treats and supports veterans and their families affected by “the invisible wounds of war’’: post-traumatic stress disorder, combat stress, depression, and traumatic brain injuries....
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Related:
"New chair of the Joint Chiefs is sworn in; Dempsey is less concerned over role of US debt" by Robert Burns Associated Press / October 1, 2011
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration welcomed Army General Martin Dempsey as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday and said farewell to Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, whose final day as the top American military officer was punctuated by the killing of a key Al Qaeda figure.
In a ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., President Obama lauded Mullen for his steadiness, resilience, and humility.
“Be assured, our military is stronger, and our nation is more secure because of the service that you have rendered,’’ the president told Mullen, who is ending a 43-year military career. Obama called Dempsey one of the military’s most battle-tested officers.
Hours earlier, officials confirmed that radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen and prominent figure in Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, was killed in an airstrike there.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also praised Mullen and welcomed Dempsey as the next chairman. Of Dempsey, he said, “He knows about people; he knows about hard work; he knows about sacrifice.’’
In his final speech as chairman, Mullen urged Americans to do more to help returning war veterans. “War has changed them and their loved ones forever, but it has not changed their dreams,’’ Mullen said. “You can help make those dreams come true. Hire them. Help them buy a home. Get them started on the path to an education. Give them a chance.’’
Then why does the military stiff 'em on discharge pay and health benefits?
After his swearing-in, Dempsey delivered brief remarks pledging that on his watch the military will remain strong, despite the pressure of budget cuts.
“We’ll change, and we’ll be challenged,’’ he said. “But when I complete my tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I intend to be able to say exactly the same thing: We will be the joint force the nation needs us to be, so help me God.’’
God has nothing to do with your business, sir.
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