When asked to do a 9/11 show on WRKO, my first thought was that I wanted to do something positive. It is such a horrible day to relive, the ceremonies and service had gone on all weekend and I just thought it would be good to hear from regular folks who had their lives forever changed by September 11, 2001. People who could have never imagined they would be doing today what they are doing. People who have turned war and personal loss into amazing good works.

I first welcomed Patti Patton Bader, founder of Soldiers Angels. Patti has been our guest many times over the years. Patti’s force of will has built a 100,000+ strong Angels network that extends from Germany, where they support patients medevaced to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from Iraq and Afghanistan to small towns all across this country. Patti’s realization that those deployed with her son Brandon were not getting the same basic supplies he was in his care packages is all it took. Today, thousands of good deeds are occurring because of that.

Patti Patton Bader, founder Soldiers Angels

I then welcomed Paul Monti, father of Jared C. Monti, who was killed in Afghanistan and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama last year. Through our show, and helping raise attention for a scholarship in his honor, I have seen firsthand how Paul has taken that personal tragedy and his grief and channeled it into so many good deeds. Visiting Jared at the Cape Cod veterans cemetery, Paul noticed there there weren’t many flags around. He set out to fix that. On Memorial Day 2011, 1500 volunteers showed up to help Paul plant more than 50,000 flags. As he told us last night, he’ll be back next year too.

Paul Monti, father of Medal of Honor recipient SFC Jared C. Monti

Finally, we welcomed Matt Burden, the man behind Blackfive. Few people have impacted me the way Matt has. I went from not really understanding anything about the military and military life to having access to dozens upon dozens of blogs written by deployed soldiers and the families they leave behind. The Someone You Should Know series that we have brought to WRKO for six years started at Blackfive. So too did my education and appreciation for the men and women in uniform. Blackfive started after Matt’s friend, Major Mathew E. Schram was killed in Iraq. Since then, it has grown into the hub of the milblog universe, supporting hundreds of great causes along the way.

Matt Burden, aka Blackfive

From September 11, 2006, Matt joined us to tell us about Rick Rescorla, definitely Someone You Should Know

These are amazing people. Touched in very different ways by September 11. People who have stepped up and created an amazing legacy for their loved ones and their communities.

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On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.