The Spirit of America “Here At Homeâ€
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - When Boston businessman and Salem resident John P. Mulkerrin, was recently asked to honor a soldier by driving him in his 1984 Mercedes SL450 he didn’t blink an eye. Mulkerrin simply offered the car to the visitor he had never met before. The unique request, presented by Brookline resident Brian Powell, originated some two hundred and thirty miles away in the City of Pittsfield.The Pittsfield “Here at Home Committee” a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the City of Pittsfield, seeks to welcome home and celebrate Berkshire County residents who have returned from oversees military deployment. One of the celebration activities is the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade. The parade has a historic reputation dating back to 1824 when the procession consisted of Revolutionary War survivors.
Today, thousands upon thousands of citizens line the parade route waiting to yell out a huge, “thank you” to the returned soldiers. Committee Co-founder and singer/songwriter Mary Verdi typically accompanies the soldiers on a fire truck, singing the love song she wrote to a soldier being deployed, entitled “Here at Home”. The song speaks to the pride and love a family holds in their hearts here at home, while their loved one serves our country. Verdi’s “Here at Home” CD is used as a fundraiser for the committee’s activities.
This year, Verdi worked with new committee member Mary Hynes-Drumm to incorporate the parade theme, On The Move. The idea of “dream cars” for the soldiers to ride in evolved and became a goal.
Verdi and Hynes-Drumm had two days to find the cars needed. Hynes-Drumm sent a text message to Powell who works in the U.S. Attorney’s Boston Office. Powell mentioned seeing a SL450 one hundred steps away in the parking lot of the James Hook Company and stopped in on his way home from work to find the owner. Thanks to John Mulkerrin’s benevolence the first car was acquired within hours.
Verdi and Hynes-Drumm, who will pick up the Mercedes SL450 on Friday, agree “From the North Shore to the heart of the Berkshires the Spirit of America is alive and well in Massachusetts.”
To learn more about the “Here at Home” Committee contact Mary Verdi at www.maryverdi.com or the City of Pittsfield Office of Veterans.
