May 24, 2026

REMASTERED | Remembering Casey Frankoski | Memorial Day Special Episode

REMASTERED | Remembering Casey Frankoski | Memorial Day Special Episode
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Season 1

From her childhood experiences as a middle child to her journey in the New York’s Army National Guard, Casey Frankoski’s story is one of resilience, competitiveness, and the impact she had on those around her. In this special Memorial Day episode of Exposed: Scandalous Files of the Elite, host Jim Chapman tells you the story of not how Casey died, but how she lived.

You can donate to the Casey Frankoski Memorial Fund via the below links Venmo: @caseyfrankoski-memorialfund
Paypal: @caseyFMSF

#CaseyFrankoski #ArmyNationalGuard #podcast

Chapters
01:42 She is a Triple Threat
04:28 The Story Behind This Episode
08:07 Casey's Early Years
11:49 Chasing Her Dreams
14:18 Joining the National Guard
16:31 Overcoming Challenges
19:02 Achievements and Service
21:28 A Tragic Loss
24:35 A Tribute to Casey
33:07 The Article
40:09 Keeping Casey Frankoski’s Memory Alive

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/exposed-scandalous-files-of-the-elite--6073723/support.

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The Army National Guard has a dual role, serving both

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the state and the nation. They respond to state emergencies

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like natural disasters or civil unrest, while also being ready

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for federal deployments for combat missions or homeland defense. On Friday,

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March eighth, twenty twenty four, at two fifty pm, members

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of New York's National Guard were protecting our southern border.

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Casey Frankoski, twenty eight, a pilot aboard a UH seventy

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two Lakota helicopter, tragically lost her life in addition to

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two others, including pilot John Gracia the third and Border

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Patrol Agent Chris Luna, when that helicopter crashed near Rio

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Grand City, Texas. Miraculously, crew Chief Sergeant first Class Jacob

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Pritt survived but was severely injured. On today's episode, I'm

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going to focus on one of these heroes, though they

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are all equally deserving. Today, my Memorial Day is all

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about remembering Casey. Welcome by to this Memorial Day special

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episode of Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. And in

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today's episode, it's going to be a little bit different

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than what you typically get out of Exposed, and I'm

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going to start off by telling you how this episode

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really came about and why. And I'll start off with

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the why. Now, many of you know I have a

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very deep affinity for military service. I have a long

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history in my family of military service, going back pretty

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much as far as you can go in United States history.

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I'm very proud of that. And most people I know

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they have a favorite holiday, and a lot of people

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love Christmas. I love Christmas. A lot of people love Halloween.

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I love seeing all these costumes on Halloween. But my

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favorite holiday is Memorial Day. Means a lot to me

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and I've always wanted to do a podcast centered around

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Memorial Day, and that is what we're doing today. So

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let me get into how this particular episode came about.

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And it all started with a fan of the show.

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She's a celebrity member, a supporter of this show, and

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her name is Lisa Frankoski and she has just flat

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out awesome peeps. She is a registered nurse in New York,

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the big apple, beautiful blonde, a smile that would absolutely

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light up a room, and she has that kind of

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addictive New Yorker attitude. Well, I had done an episode

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early on in exposed can't exactly remember which episode, but

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on that episode I mentioned my affinity for the military,

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how much respect I had for the military, and Lisa

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Private messaged me and she told me a little bit

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about a tragic event that had occurred in her face

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family with her niece. Now, I get a ton of

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messages on that exposed messenger system through Facebook, so many

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in fact, that sometimes I don't see a message for months,

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but I caught that one within ten minutes of her

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sending that message, and the second I opened it up,

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I saw a picture of her niece in a helicopter,

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and that is what led to this. So I dug

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my heels in and I did some research, and it

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became somewhat of a passion for me to someday do

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this story regarding her niece, Casey Frankoski, who she refers

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to as her triple thread, beauty, brains, and courage. I

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can't agree more with that description. This tragic event occurred,

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and I'm not going to get deep into what happened

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or even why it happened, but the coverage is out

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there if you want to learn more about it. My

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goal today is to tell you about Casey and who

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she was outside of this tragic event, because to me,

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that's where the real story is of this amazing hero.

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I've interviewed her father, Jim Frankowski, and I'm gonna tell

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you a little bit about him, and you're even gonna

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hear some clips of he and I as I do

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an informal interview. And likewise, I've interviewed Lisa Frankoski, who

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is the aunt of Casey. So let's get started now.

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Casey was born to parents Jim and Jill Frankoski. And

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let me tell you a little bit about Jim. This

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would be a guy that I would call my kind

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of people, the kind of guy I could sit down,

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we could have a couple of bits and have probably

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some of the most entertaining conversation ever in our minds.

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Right off the bat, I felt like I clicked with

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this guy. And Jim is a hero in his own

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right now. He would be the last person to call

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himself that, but he is. He served three decades as

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a police officer in the city of Rensler. Not only that,

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but for his last five years he served his community

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as the chief of police of that city, which speaks

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to his leadership skills and something he would obviously pass

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down to Casey. Now, Jim and Jill had three children,

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with Casey being the middle child, and as someone who

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was also a middle child, I can kind of relate

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to that. Typically you're competitive when you're the middle child,

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but not arrogantly competitive, but you have a drive to

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you and certainly no exception. Early on in life, Casey

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didn't see a whole lot of limits. She challenged herself

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and she always seemed to persevere. So I asked Jim

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about that and he shared this story of when Casey

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was around the age of six, which speaks to her perseverance.

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Listen to this.

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She didn't let things get in her way. If she

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wanted something, she did it. She wanted to ride her bike.

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Actually I think it was younger than that. She ended

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up breaking her arm in the summertime, and she still

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learned how to ride the bike. It was that camp

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she went off the edge of the road, took a fall,

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went down and put her arms straight out and ended

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up busting her elbow. She had to have surgery and pins,

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But you know what, she learned how to ride that bike.

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And that's what it's all about, right You fall down,

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you get back up. You don't quit, and there was

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just no quit in Casey Frankoski, even at an early age.

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Now as she gets older she gets involved in other things.

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She gets very involved in bowling, absolutely loved to bawl.

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She played softball, She was a cheerleader, and interestingly enough,

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she was also a Girl Scout for thirteen years until

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she was eighteen years old. It was those early years,

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as a matter of fact, in the Girl Scouts that

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formed Casey's love for the outdoors. In the length of

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time that she was in the Girl Scouts, that speaks

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to Casey's dedication, which proves that when Casey started something,

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she finished it. Casey was also very independent, which is parents.

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It's kind of a double edged sword for us. We

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love independence in our kids. It's a great trait to have,

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but it's also a scary trait for parents because we

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want to keep them safe, right and people who have

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a great trait like independence, they're going to kind of

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go against that grain when it comes to that. In

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case he was no exception. She danced to the beat

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of her own drum, and Jim provided a fantastic example

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of that in this club.

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She went to her first overnight camp for the Girl

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Scouts and Mom and I are freaking out all week

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because we can't contact her. Back in the day, there

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was no soul phones and if you could, you couldn't

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have them anyways, And you know, we're just all right.

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At the end of the week comes we got to

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go pick her up. We go pick her up. We're like,

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you know, Mom's crying, how was it? You know, we

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missed you. She's like, I want to go back. First

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thing is that the first words out of her mouth.

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You know, I want to go back. And we're like, well,

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what did you do? And she's like, oh, we slept

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in the woods and you know, we made her own

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bathroom holes and just you know, she loved the outdoors

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from that day on.

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In any of us, as parents who have raised those

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independent kids, we can relate to that. We worry a

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lot more about it than they do. And as you

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just heard from Jim, she loved the outdoors and she

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loved to fish. They had a fishing camp. She would

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spend a lot of time there fishing, riding jet skis,

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playing corn hole, and most importantly, spending time with her family.

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That love of the outdoors would shape things later on

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in the future for Casey. Casey was also well traveled

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and wanted to see the world. While still in her teens,

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she traveled to Madrid, Spain. This was in twenty thirteen.

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She traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and saw Pope Francis.

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In twenty sixteen, she traveled to Poland and saw Pope

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Francis for a second time. But through all of this,

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her athletics, her traveling, Casey would give back and she

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worked as a counselor for the East Green Bush Town

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Park Camp in her youth. So, Casey graduates from high

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school and it's interesting and really speaks to who Casey

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was that even right out of high school she was

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wise beyond her years. Let me read you her yearbook quote.

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It said dreams are on the other side of fear.

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Now let that sink in and it's on to the

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next phase of life. But for Casey, she had a dream,

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She had a goal her whole life. She wanted to fly.

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I actually have an awesome picture of Casey in the

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cockpit of a Blackhawk at the age of four. What

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is her vision to fly? So she went to community

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college and she was dominating college like she pretty much

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did everything else, every other challenge in her life. She

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made great grades, was in the honors program, but that

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goal of flying never left her. Now, this college had

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a flight training program, and Casey of course was looking

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into this program, and look, these type of programs are

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not cheap, and the college had just went up on

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the cost of these programs. Flight time is really where

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you pay out of the wazoo, and you have to

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have a ton of flight time to become a certified pilot.

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It's just flat out expensive. So she unfortunately had to

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put it off. She graduated from this two year college

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and then she registered at the University of Buffalo, where

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she was going to get a degree in business. Now,

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now her cousin owned a local PR firm, and he

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knew how talented and smart Casey was and he definitely

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wanted to hire. So he offers her an internship for

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the summer, which she accepted, and a week or two

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before school started, she goes to her mother and she

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tells her mom she had other plans. She just didn't

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see herself as someone that would be happy behind a desk,

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cooped up in an office every day and She definitely

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didn't want to waste money on something she knew would

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not be her thing. Now, her brother at this time

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was in the National Guard. He was a mechanic on

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Blackhawk helicopters, and he knew Casey had a dream of flying,

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and he had been talking to her about joining the

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National Guard. So Casey meets with the recruiter that recruited

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her brother, and together they see a path for Casey

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to realize that life long dream of flying, and that

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path was with the New York Army National Guard. So ultimately,

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this is what she does. She joins the New York

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National Guard. This is in October of twenty sixteen. And look,

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this is a young lady that seems to always find

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a way. Her aunt, Lisa shared a comical story with

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me about Casey doing just that, and she even shared

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a little bit about her trick to better seats at concerts,

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which were another one of Casey's things. She loved to

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get a concerts. Lisa explains in this club.

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Story, her cousin told like it was Thanksgiving, all the

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bars are packed and her cousins were dropping her off

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this bar and this line is out and down blocks

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and they're like, Casey, how are you gonna get in?

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Like this isn't safe, We're not leaving you. She's like, oh,

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trust me, I'm gonna be fine. Within five minutes they

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called her. She goes, I'm in, and they're like.

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How did you get in?

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She goes, I walked in through that door and through

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the kitchen. She loved her concerts, and when she went

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to concerts, she might have bought the back seat, she

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might have bought the seat up in the balcony, but

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she landed in the front pit or on the backstage

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in every concert she went to. I've got pictures of

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her on her phone and it's all these big country concerts,

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Kane Brown. She's like, I'm drinking backstage with Kane Brown.

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I'm doing this.

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I mean, if she wanted it, she did it.

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She's like, oh, come on, let's go.

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And she just was magically at the stages, like she

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did that in every part of her life.

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So eventually she achieves her dream. She gets into and

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gets through flight school. No easy feet for anyone, but

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I would imagine even tougher for a female. Let's face it,

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the vast majority of black Hawk pilots are not female,

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and It's also true that if you're a female in

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a male dominated industry, typically you have to prove yourself

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double when a man would have to prove himself in

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many ways. But you know, Casey took that like she

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took everything else in life with a grain of salt.

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It was just enough challenge to Casey. She was going

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to overcome it. And overcome it she did. And her

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father Gemini also discussed Seer School, and I was familiar

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with Seer School, but I didn't realize Casey had went

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through that Sear school. So if you're not familiar, let

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00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:48.200
me tell you what it is. The acronym which is

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00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:55.799
SERE stands for survival, evasion, resistance, and escape. And it's

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00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:00.919
a training school that is very rigorous. The school teaches

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00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:08.319
you skills for evading, capture, resisting interrogation, very intense school

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and this school has a very high attrition rate. As

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proud as Jim was for Casey achieving Flight school, he

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was absolutely blown away with pride that she completed Seer training.

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And y'all, I can't begin to convey how impressive that is.

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Now along the way, Casey lifted up others. It wasn't

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just about Casey. That's just who she was. Her father, Jim,

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00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:45.279
shared a story with me where she had a friend

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00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:48.200
in the National Guard and this guy was struggling to

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do his boards and get chosen for flight school, and

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00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:57.319
she worked with this kid NonStop to help him achieve

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his goal. Ultimately, he was chosen to good flight school,

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and later he would speak to the Frankoskis and say,

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the only reason he was in flight school was because

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of Casey. That's the difference she made in other people's lives,

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and to me, that speaks volumes about who she was

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00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:23.039
as a person. And it's also important to mention that

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Casey's service did not stop with the Army National Guard.

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At home, Casey was a volunteer firefighter as well as

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a member of the Environmental Conservation Corporation. And look through

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all these accomplishments that she had, she had to persevere

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through a lot of it. It didn't come easy to her.

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Not everything came easy, but she never quit. And it

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00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:54.000
just seemed like every goal put in front of her,

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00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:59.680
some way, somehow she was going to achieve it. She

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just worked as hard as she had to do to

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make it happen. She rises so far in the Army

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National Guard. As a matter of fact that in twenty

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nineteen she's appointed as a warrant officer and then promoted

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to a Warrant Officer iiO in twenty twenty one. Along

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the way, she becomes a pilot of the UH sixty

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00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:27.480
Blackhawk helicopter and the UH seventy two Lakota helicopter. In

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November of twenty eighteen, she deployed to Kuwait and she

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remained there until September of twenty nineteen, and while there,

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she was with Detachment five Company, C, second Battalion, two

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hundred and forty fifth Aviation Regiment as a mission planner

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00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:51.079
in that unit, which flew the Army's C twelve transport aircraft.

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Casey then graduated from flight school in July of twenty

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twenty one, and shortly thereafter, as I mentioned, she was

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promoted to Chief Warrant Officer two. On October eleventh of

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00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.920
twenty twenty three. Casey was then deployed as a pilot

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00:20:09.079 --> 00:20:14.960
to Texas to patrol the US Mexico border. Then, while

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on that deployment, on Friday, March eighth of twenty twenty four,

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at two p fifty pm, members of the New York's

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00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:29.759
National Guard were protecting our southern border. In Casey, at

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00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:33.319
this time twenty eight years old. A pilot aboard a

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00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:38.200
UH seventy two Lakota helicopter, as well as a pilot

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00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:42.200
by the name of John Gracia, who incidentally was also

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00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:47.880
a New York State policeman, a Border Patrol agent by

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00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:51.680
the name of Chris Luna, and a crew chief Sergeant

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00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:58.960
first Class Jacob Pratt were involved in a helicopter crash. Sadly,

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00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:10.160
John and Chris passed away in that helicopter crash. Only

295
00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:15.640
Jacob Pritt survived, but he was severely injured. Now I'm

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00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:20.400
not going to discuss anything further on this tragic event

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00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:23.960
that occurred eighth March of twenty twenty four, except to

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00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:29.960
say that the crash was not pilot air. Throughout her

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military career, Casey garnered many awards, including the Army Accommodation Medal,

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00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:43.920
the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the

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00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:49.079
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, as well as the

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00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:55.640
Global War on Terrorism Expeditiary Medal. She earned the Army

303
00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.960
Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Non Commissioned

304
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.359
Officer Professional Development rib it, the Armed Forces Reserve Metal,

305
00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:12.039
and the Basic Aviator Badge and Basic Aviation Badge. Her

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00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:18.000
funeral drew thousands to pay their respects, and even the

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00:22:18.039 --> 00:22:22.400
governor of the state of New York spoke during her funeral.

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00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:26.119
But it was her cousin Leah who really got me.

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00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:31.720
As she spoke, she did a phenomenal job of telling

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00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.000
who Casey was in the eyes of someone that knew

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00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:40.519
her so well. It was so amazing. In fact, then

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00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.480
I'm going to play it for you now so you

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00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:44.000
can hear it.

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00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:48.279
Hello everyone, my name is Leah and I am Kesey's cousin.

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00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.920
I'm also her former fifth grade teacher, but we will

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00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:53.759
get to that leader. I'd like to thank each and

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00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:56.359
every one of you for your support, your love, and

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00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:00.720
your kindness. It means the world to our family, especially

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00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:04.240
to my aunt Jill, uncle Jimmy, and my cousins Tyler

320
00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:08.640
and Jetsey. It's so hard to think of a world

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00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:12.920
where we are here and Casey is not. Casey was

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00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:18.440
a beautiful, intelligent, vivacious, and spirited soul. Her smile was

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00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:23.400
infectious and she lit up every room she entered. She

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was a natural born leader, a role model and someone

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00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:30.440
you could always count on. To say, the world has

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00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:36.079
lost a bright light is an understatement. Casey was as

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00:23:36.119 --> 00:23:39.000
wonderful and amazing as she was because she had the

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00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:43.039
best family. My Aunt Jill and Uncle Jimmy are two

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00:23:43.079 --> 00:23:46.880
of the most loving and compassionate people I know. They

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00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:50.759
always showered Casey with love. They believed in her, They

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00:23:50.839 --> 00:23:54.920
cherished her, and they knew she was destined for great things.

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They never discouraged her from doing anything. When she decided

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00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.839
she was going to en live in the army in

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00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:04.480
twenty sixteen, they trusted that this decision was the best

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00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:07.839
and could not have been more proud of her. They

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00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:10.720
knew she would give it her all, and give it

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00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:16.400
all sheepit. From basic training, a nine month tour in

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00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:21.519
Kuwait pilot school up to her most current deployment to Texas,

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00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:25.519
Casey grew in ways we never imagined. She was a

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00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:30.079
role model to her fellow soldiers, dubbed the aviation Mom,

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00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:32.200
and someone her regiment could count on and call on

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00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:37.279
whenever they needed anything. Whether she was in the pit

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00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:41.119
at a country music concert or the cockpit of a helicopter,

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00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:44.400
she was always doing the things She was passionate about

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00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:49.839
and loved. Speaking of concerts, Casey had this special talent

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00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:50.680
of being.

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Able to upgrade her seat.

348
00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:56.079
She had a knack of getting much closer than her

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00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:59.200
tickets said she should have been. Whether it be front

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00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:03.640
row or a floor, Casey always found a way. Not

351
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:06.799
only did this apply to concerts, it also applied to

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00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:11.240
other establishments. A couple of years ago, Casey wanted to

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00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:15.319
meet friends out at Ryan's Wake on Thanksgiving Eve, And

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00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:17.799
if you know bars on Thanksgiving Eve, then you know

355
00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:21.319
the line was wrapped around the building. My cousin Bubber's

356
00:25:21.720 --> 00:25:25.240
or Bobby, and his fiance Skuyler dropped her off and

357
00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:27.880
when they saw the line was long, they laughed and

358
00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:29.799
told Casey that it was going to take hours to

359
00:25:29.799 --> 00:25:30.160
get in.

360
00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:33.440
Casey assured them that she would find a way.

361
00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:37.559
And not five minutes later, Bubber's got a text message

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00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:41.119
from Casey her usual selfie of her and her drink

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00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:45.559
inside Ryan's Wake. How did she get in? In great

364
00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:51.279
Casey fashion, she simply snuck in the back door. If

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00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:53.160
you know Casey, then you know how much she loved

366
00:25:53.160 --> 00:25:56.680
camping at Alpine Lake with her family and her friends.

367
00:25:57.240 --> 00:25:59.400
There was nothing more she loved than spending time with

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00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:03.720
my aunt, my uncle, and my cousins. Alpine link was

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00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.039
one of her absolute favorite places in the world. She

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00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:10.200
forged so many wonderful relationships over the years.

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00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:12.160
Casey was always.

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00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:15.319
Down for anything, especially a good came of cornhole.

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There was nothing more.

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00:26:17.160 --> 00:26:19.519
She loved to play a camp and she loved it

375
00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:23.119
even more when she won. Casey was known for being

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00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:25.519
the life of the party and you could always count

377
00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:28.559
on her for a good time, even if that meant showing.

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00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:29.640
Up to camp as Joe dirt.

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00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:33.359
She could always find the fun and she lived it

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00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.000
up to the fullest. I cannot mention camp without her

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00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:39.359
mentioning her prize possession, her jet ski.

382
00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:42.559
She was so happy when she finally got one.

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00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.119
She would spend so much time out on the water,

384
00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.480
riding solo or with a companion. There was nothing more

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00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:50.680
she loved to do in the summer than spend her

386
00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:54.920
time with her alpine family. As I said in my introduction,

387
00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:57.839
not only am my Casey's cousin, I was also her

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00:26:57.839 --> 00:26:58.680
fifth grade teacher.

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00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:01.599
And I'm sure you're asking yourselves how could you have

390
00:27:01.640 --> 00:27:06.480
been her teacher? Leah, You're so young? First off, thank you.

391
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:09.559
Secondly, I didn't mention this, and I'm sure you'll be

392
00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:11.680
floored by this, but Casey and I are actually twelve

393
00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:15.400
years apart, so it is possible. I actually was a

394
00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:18.799
student teacher at the school the year she was in

395
00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:22.319
fourth grade. Missus Bishop, the teacher I taught with, was

396
00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:24.640
due to have a baby the following year, and she

397
00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:26.559
asked me to fill in for her while she was out.

398
00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:30.079
And I remember viewing your class roster and seeing Casey's

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00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:33.319
name on it, and I freaked out because A I

400
00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:36.039
didn't know if you could teach her cousin, and B

401
00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:38.759
I didn't want to create any problems for Casey, meaning

402
00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:42.000
I didn't want anyone thinking I was giving her special treatment,

403
00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:43.880
and I didn't want her getting any slap because we

404
00:27:43.880 --> 00:27:47.000
were related. I still remember the first time she called

405
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:54.160
me miss Nerdacci. Actually she said Lee, miss Nerdocci. Yeah,

406
00:27:54.160 --> 00:27:55.519
it was a little awkward for the both of us

407
00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:58.519
in the beginning, but that year I was so blessed

408
00:27:58.559 --> 00:28:01.519
to see a side of Casey I never saw. She

409
00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:04.720
excelled in school and she was a role model student.

410
00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:07.799
She had great friends and friendship she still has to

411
00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:12.480
this day, and was an all around great kid. I'm

412
00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:15.039
so happy I was able to have that special experience

413
00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:18.240
with Casey. It's something I will always hold near and

414
00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:22.799
dear to my heart. Casey and I always joked that

415
00:28:22.839 --> 00:28:24.559
we would be the crazy single cat ladies.

416
00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:30.880
We both have not one, not two, but three cats.

417
00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:34.440
Casey would jokingly become the third wheel on many of

418
00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:38.720
her brother Jesse and sister in laws Regan's dates. In fact,

419
00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:41.400
she didn't have to be invited along with them, She

420
00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.519
would just show up. On one specific date to red Lobster.

421
00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:49.440
It happened to be endless shrimp night. Casey went all

422
00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:51.519
in and had about nine helpings, and she probably would

423
00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:54.079
have went for a tenth, but decided to stop because

424
00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:56.279
Jesse and Reagan were making fun of how much she had.

425
00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:57.079
Already scarfed down.

426
00:28:58.599 --> 00:29:02.160
However, her days was single um short, and last year

427
00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:05.720
she met a very special man, Anthony, who quickly became

428
00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:09.000
her person. Actually, I think it was the moment after

429
00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:12.640
their second date, when she met his entire family and

430
00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:14.559
when he rinsed his hands off outside in a puddle

431
00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:16.519
after they had eaten wings all night at the Glens

432
00:29:16.519 --> 00:29:20.160
Falls wing Fest that she knew he was the one

433
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:23.119
Anthony from the bottom of our hearts. We thank you

434
00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:25.839
for loving our Casey and for showing her what true

435
00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:31.720
love really is. Casey loved to travel. She has been

436
00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:34.880
all over the world, from traveling all around the USA

437
00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:39.599
to Europe, South America, and Asia. She's seen more things

438
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.079
and been to more places than your typical twenty eight

439
00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:42.480
year old.

440
00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:45.880
She truly knew how to live life to the fullest.

441
00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:50.319
Casey was happiest when traveling alongside her friends and family.

442
00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:53.359
This summer, Casey and her family took a cruise to

443
00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:58.200
Alaska to celebrate Reagan and Jesse's honeymoon. They loved Alaska,

444
00:29:58.920 --> 00:30:02.440
specifically Juno, so much that Casey and Jesse jokingly said

445
00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:04.920
they would move there, where Jesse could become the police

446
00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:06.880
chief and Casey would become.

447
00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:08.839
The helicopter pilot tour guide for the Glacier.

448
00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:12.319
Although they were joking, I feel like that could have

449
00:30:12.359 --> 00:30:16.759
become a reality. Casey could have and would have absolutely

450
00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:20.079
made that happen. Not only did Casey love traveling with

451
00:30:20.119 --> 00:30:23.880
their family, she loved spending time with her friends and

452
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:27.160
they loved spending time with her. Dubbed the life of

453
00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:29.759
the party, Casey knew how to have a good time.

454
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:33.279
She also knew how to push people out of their comfort.

455
00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:36.759
Zones, like the time she dragged her best friend Liz

456
00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:40.359
to New York City to a rap festival. Liz does

457
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:43.839
not listen to rap music with people Liz had never met.

458
00:30:44.279 --> 00:30:47.359
Even though the experience wasn't an ordinary one for them,

459
00:30:47.640 --> 00:30:49.359
the two of them have the time of their lives.

460
00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:52.519
Speaking of Liz, we can add matchmaker to the list

461
00:30:52.519 --> 00:30:53.000
of titles.

462
00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:57.279
Casey held. She introduced Liz to John, and this May

463
00:30:57.519 --> 00:30:58.200
they'll be married.

464
00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:03.039
Excited to be standing by Liz's side as her maid

465
00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:07.960
of honor. She may not physically be standing by Liz,

466
00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:10.920
but I know she'll be there celebrating you just as

467
00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:16.240
much as you both celebrated in life together. Casey loved

468
00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:19.319
nothing more than serving her country. She enlisted in the

469
00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:23.559
Artmy National Guard in twenty sixteen. Casey graduator from Chief

470
00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:27.079
Warrant Officer School in November twenty nineteen. She was then

471
00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:30.000
promoted to Chief Warrenant Officer IWO in twenty twenty one.

472
00:31:31.319 --> 00:31:34.319
Casey had dreams of becoming a pilot, so it was

473
00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:36.799
no surprise when she decided she wanted to go to

474
00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:41.039
flight school in Alabama. Casey graduated in July twenty twenty one,

475
00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:44.839
and then trained to become a UH sixty Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

476
00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.920
Casey was deployed this past October to patrol the United

477
00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:53.039
States Mexico border along with fellow soldiers and close friends

478
00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:57.000
John Gracia and Jake Pratt. Our support is with the

479
00:31:57.000 --> 00:31:59.880
Gracia family as they mourn the loss of their beloved John,

480
00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:03.240
and with the Pratt family praying that Jake makes a

481
00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:07.400
full recovery. We extend our support to Border Patrol Agent

482
00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:08.720
Christopher Luna's family.

483
00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:12.160
Casey was one in a million.

484
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:20.240
She was the best daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, sister

485
00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:24.920
in law, friend, pilot, soldier, and human being. She was

486
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:29.240
taken away from her loved ones way too soon. I

487
00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:34.079
know Mama, Grandmammy, Grandpa or Dachy and so many other

488
00:32:34.119 --> 00:32:36.400
loved ones that have passed are taken care of her

489
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:40.640
for all of us. My Anchel loves the song see

490
00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:42.000
You Again by Carrie Underwood.

491
00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:43.319
So I will.

492
00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.759
Close with this, and I also have Casey's favorite drink

493
00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:50.400
with me. Don't worry, I'm not going to open it.

494
00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:55.519
Sorry, Casey.

495
00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:59.039
We will see you again. This is not where it ends.

496
00:32:59.559 --> 00:33:02.440
We will always carry you with us until we see

497
00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:02.960
you again.

498
00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:09.720
What a beautiful tribute from cousin Lea Now. On March

499
00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:14.759
twenty third of twenty twenty four, a writer for The

500
00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:18.839
Post Star, a guy by the name of Andrew Valenza.

501
00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:23.680
He wrote an article titled what is Memorial Day About?

502
00:33:24.119 --> 00:33:29.200
And this article was centered around Casey Frankoski, whom he knew.

503
00:33:29.400 --> 00:33:33.079
It's absolutely amazing, very well written, and I'm going to

504
00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:37.559
read it for you quickly now, and it starts before

505
00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:40.759
you get the grills ready. This weekend, I'd like to

506
00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:46.240
give a respectful reminder that Memorial Day isn't about celebration.

507
00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:49.920
This weekend is not about the fourth of July or

508
00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:54.279
even Veterans Day in November. In fact, Memorial Day isn't

509
00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:57.440
even about the vets you will be seeing in the

510
00:33:57.480 --> 00:34:03.480
parades this weekend. No, Memorial Day isn't a day of parties.

511
00:34:03.880 --> 00:34:07.880
It is first and foremost a day of reverence. You

512
00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:10.880
won't be sharing Memorial Day with the people This day

513
00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:15.239
is about. You won't laugh over cheeseburgers and beer and

514
00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:17.440
go out on a boat with these veterans, and you

515
00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:22.079
won't be able to hear their often way too dark jokes.

516
00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:25.880
For some families, this won't be anything new. For others,

517
00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:29.639
this will be the first Memorial Day without someone from

518
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:33.960
their family who served at their party. Back in March,

519
00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:39.679
James and Jill Frankoski lost their daughter. Casey Frankoski was

520
00:34:39.719 --> 00:34:43.679
a UH sixty black Hawk helicopter pilot with the New

521
00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:49.559
York's Army National Guard's forty second Combat Aviation Brigade until

522
00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:53.599
deploying to patrol the Texas border with first Battalion, two

523
00:34:53.639 --> 00:34:57.440
hundred and twenty fourth Aviation Regiment, where she lost her

524
00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:04.119
life alongside another pilot, John Gracia, and a border patrol agent.

525
00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:07.480
I knew Casey since college. We were in the Guard together,

526
00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:11.679
though in different units, but our dads, who were also

527
00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:15.719
in the Guard were friends. On summers and weekends like this,

528
00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:19.239
we would bring our boats up to where the Hudson

529
00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:24.079
River meets the Sacondaga. I think I'm pronouncing that correctly.

530
00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:27.519
And Hadley, her friends and family, will tell you how

531
00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:30.320
obsessed she was with her jet ski. I like to

532
00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:33.079
think I started that obsession when I took her for

533
00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:36.320
first ride on one. In return, she taught me how

534
00:35:36.360 --> 00:35:40.960
to shotgun a beer. In twenty eighteen, Casey deployed to Kuwait,

535
00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:44.159
and when I deployed in twenty twenty, she became a

536
00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:48.840
very close friend, texting me every single day. She knew

537
00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:50.920
what it was like for someone to be so far

538
00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:54.280
from home and didn't want anyone to fill alone. Even

539
00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:57.280
when you have your unit there with you, and in

540
00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:01.840
my case, your family too, it means everything knowing someone

541
00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:04.679
back home is still checking in on you on a

542
00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:08.320
daily basis. I got the news of Casey's death while

543
00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:13.320
driving through a rainstorm, just getting off the Tacoma Parkway.

544
00:36:13.719 --> 00:36:16.119
My mom called to tell me what she'd heard, and

545
00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:19.000
for a long time I just didn't know what to

546
00:36:19.079 --> 00:36:22.480
think or how to feel about it. It was both

547
00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:26.320
a very matter of fact feeling and a this isn't

548
00:36:26.360 --> 00:36:29.039
real feeling. A big part of me felt like I

549
00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:32.159
didn't deserve to feel strongly about it, because her family

550
00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:36.119
suffering would be so much greater. Who was I but

551
00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:39.039
someone that saw her here and there in the summer,

552
00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:42.599
but mostly just talked over text. In almost nine years

553
00:36:42.599 --> 00:36:46.320
of military service, I've been to many military funerals, but

554
00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:52.119
never for anyone I knew personally, much less someone I

555
00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:54.599
could call a friend. I didn't know what I was

556
00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:59.719
allowed to feel as if any morning I did took

557
00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:02.360
away from the families. It felt like there was a

558
00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:06.960
finite supply of morning available. And if I said quote

559
00:37:07.079 --> 00:37:10.639
I lost a friend, then I was taking away from

560
00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:14.559
Casey's parents loss of their daughter. It's not until writing

561
00:37:14.599 --> 00:37:17.760
this now that I think I know how to feel.

562
00:37:19.239 --> 00:37:22.280
Since joining the Guard, I've tried to carry myself with

563
00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:26.599
military bearing and inform people on what military service means,

564
00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:30.599
whether that's by working as a public affairs non commissioned

565
00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:34.519
officer in the forty second Infantry Division, or just simply

566
00:37:34.679 --> 00:37:38.960
explaining the difference to people between Veteran's Day and Memorial Day.

567
00:37:39.239 --> 00:37:42.920
And every Memorial Day I drive down to DC to

568
00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:46.639
watch the Memorial Day show hosted by Gary Smie on

569
00:37:46.840 --> 00:37:50.239
the Capitol Building lawn. It's one of the most emotionally

570
00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:54.559
moving experiences you will ever have, hearing the stories of

571
00:37:54.599 --> 00:37:58.239
fallen friends and family members. This year, I won't be

572
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:02.000
at the show. I'll be hind and maybe my dad,

573
00:38:02.119 --> 00:38:05.119
fiance and I will take a boat ride up the Hudson.

574
00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:08.320
And this summer, Casey won't be taking any rides on

575
00:38:08.360 --> 00:38:12.159
that jet ski or shotgunning any White Claws She'll still

576
00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:14.440
be there though. This year, for a lot of people,

577
00:38:14.599 --> 00:38:18.920
Memorial Day will be about Casey. I'm going to miss her.

578
00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:21.840
I do miss her, but I'm going to be thankful.

579
00:38:22.760 --> 00:38:27.000
I'm thankful for the time we had, the friendship she

580
00:38:27.159 --> 00:38:31.440
gave me. I'm thankful that the country had someone like

581
00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:35.960
her fighting for it. We'll celebrate this weekend, but celebrating

582
00:38:36.039 --> 00:38:39.719
the time we had with her and with everyone we've lost.

583
00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:44.000
You may have heard someone say it's not happy Memorial Day. Well,

584
00:38:44.159 --> 00:38:47.800
it's not a party. It's not about welcoming in summer

585
00:38:47.880 --> 00:38:50.800
and getting good shopping deals. It's not about you, and

586
00:38:50.840 --> 00:38:55.639
it's not about your veteran friends. It's a time to celebrate. Yes,

587
00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:58.800
have your burgers, have your beers, take a dip in

588
00:38:58.840 --> 00:39:02.280
the pool, but do it in celebration of the lives

589
00:39:02.320 --> 00:39:05.800
of those that can't come to your party. Celebrate their memory,

590
00:39:06.440 --> 00:39:09.719
keep them alive in your hearts. One of the most

591
00:39:09.880 --> 00:39:13.079
well written articles on Memorial Day I have ever laid eyes

592
00:39:13.119 --> 00:39:16.199
on from that guy, Shout out to you, sir. Now.

593
00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:20.559
Ever since that tragic day March eighth of twenty twenty four,

594
00:39:20.679 --> 00:39:23.639
the community has come out in support of the friend

595
00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:29.800
Coski's and really keeping the memory of Casey alive. In fact,

596
00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:33.480
in January of this year, a bridge in her community

597
00:39:33.639 --> 00:39:39.920
was named the Casey In Frankoski Memorial Bridge. And even

598
00:39:39.960 --> 00:39:44.800
though Casey may no longer be with us physically, she's

599
00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:50.559
still making a difference. In addition to the Casey Frankoski Scholarship,

600
00:39:50.679 --> 00:39:55.599
which provides financial assistance for active duty military and veteran

601
00:39:55.719 --> 00:40:00.400
students that focus on pursuing degrees in public service, there's

602
00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:06.800
also a community based fund titled the Casey Frankoski Memorial

603
00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:11.000
Fund and that provides community based support. This fund most

604
00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:15.360
recently was able to provide a new scoreboard for the

605
00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:18.480
local football team and does all kinds of other amazing

606
00:40:18.719 --> 00:40:22.960
projects in the name of our hero Casey. And I'm

607
00:40:22.960 --> 00:40:27.360
going to do something personally for this particular fund, and

608
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:29.840
it requires all of our help. I'll put the link

609
00:40:30.280 --> 00:40:35.320
in the description of this podcast of the Memorial Fund itself.

610
00:40:35.719 --> 00:40:41.119
Casey Frankoski was gone too soon from this world, and

611
00:40:41.639 --> 00:40:45.239
it's hard to not feel robbed. The world just seems

612
00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:49.199
not quite as bright without her in it. And I

613
00:40:49.239 --> 00:40:54.599
want to thank the Frankoski family for allowing me to

614
00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:59.039
get to know Casey, who she was and most importantly,

615
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:06.239
how she left special thanks to Lisa Frankoski, my favorite

616
00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:11.400
New Yorker, and my deepest condolences to all the families

617
00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:17.639
affected by this tragedy, including the Grisia family, the Luna family,

618
00:41:18.480 --> 00:41:21.199
and the Prime family. And I would like to close

619
00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:26.199
with this short quote from Ronald Reagan that stuck out

620
00:41:26.280 --> 00:41:30.800
to me. Reagan, when speaking on the Challenger shuttle disaster,

621
00:41:31.039 --> 00:41:35.760
said this quote, we will never forget them. During the

622
00:41:35.840 --> 00:41:41.079
last time we saw them as they prepared for this

623
00:41:41.159 --> 00:41:46.239
journey and waved goodbye and slept the surly bonds of

624
00:41:46.280 --> 00:41:52.639
earth to touch the face of God. We will always

625
00:41:53.440 --> 00:41:58.920
remember you, Casey Frankoski. Much love,