Melissa Marino:
- She met Hometown heroes on the USS George H. W. Bush.
- There was a mandatory survival training in case anything were to happen, she opted in to another optional training to see what soldiers are typically presented with.
- She describes the optional training as "one of scariest things I've done in my life"- there was a simulated helicopter crash where she had to break a window and swim to the surface.
- She refers to it as a "city at sea". She stayed in the Ambassador to China's room, which was much larger than the typical quarters that include bunk beds and little overhead space.
- She spoke with multiple hometown heroes... Some Tampa Bay sailors were in their early twenties, others had been serving for over a decade. Some have children, and still manage deployments with an average of 7-9 months.
Howard Altman:
- He was invited to give a Veterans Day speech on WWI at the Veterans Memorial Park and Museum.
- Riverview Veteran Scot Mann thinks that veterans telling their stories can help them transition into civilian life.
- He wrote a play called 'Last Out', and focuses on struggles and the separation from family that vets go through. For more on that show, click here.