We believe veterans are our nation’s heroes and our Beacon Pointe team is proud to support veterans and military families. May we never take for granted the courage and sacrifice of the men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces who have served to protect our peace and freedom.
To our clients who have served our nation, you have our deepest gratitude. We are grateful to be your financial advisor and we hope that each of you, your families, and your communities have a wonderful Veterans Day.
Additionally, we would like to take a moment to thank our Beacon Pointe team members who also happen to be veterans, Chuck Carrick, Garth Flint, John Gray, Mark Moehlman, Scott Plamondon, Liam Powell, Ryan Quigley, and Raul Marquez for their dutiful service to our country. We are excited to share their stories below.
Beacon Pointe Veterans
Garth Flint
Co-Founder & Partner
U.S. Navy
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Ensign
Rank Held at End of Service: Commander
Service Dates: November 1963 – April 1968 Regular, November 1968 – November 1976 Reserves
Work You Did: I flew as a Naval Aviator in the F-4 Phantom, carrier based with two cruises to North Vietnam. I had 217 missions, was shot down and rescued on the 194thmission. While in my raft in Ha Long Bay, one of the rescue aircraft, flown by a good friend of mine, made a very low pass over me then did a couple of rolls and went back to orbit with the other rescue aircraft. When we returned to the carrier, my friend asked me how I liked his aerobatics and I said, “they scared me more than being shot down!” Most of our missions were flak suppression (bomb the anti-aircraft sites) and then converted to fighter coverage (prevent engagement by enemy aircraft) for the jet attack bombers we were escorting. The balance of the missions was combat air patrol flown next to the coastline to protect the aircraft carriers from enemy aircraft.
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: (in conjunction with the above…) My co-pilot and I were conducting a routine weather reconnaissance flight mission in our F-4 Phantom over Vietnam, and we were shot down in the icy waters in the Tonkin Gulf. We survived our emergency ejection from our jet, and we were rescued! A short story on our harrowing experience was published by Tom Wolfe, in “The Truest Sport: Jousting with Sam & Charlie.”
Charles (Chuck) E. Carrick, CFP®, ChFC
Partner, Managing Director
U.S. Army
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Private E-1
Rank Held at End of Service: E-5 in the National Guard, upon later graduating from college and achieving 2nd Lieutenant status.
Service Dates: 1977 to 1981 Regular Army, 1981-1984 National Guard and Reserves
Work You Did: 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Ft Myers, Virginia, spending 2 years as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: I was fortunate to serve in a time of peace, however many of the leaders I served under were Viet Nam veterans. They taught me about dedication, honor, sacrifice, and teamwork. These soldiers helped to ensure that we truly understood the incredible honor we had to be sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A place where families from across the country came to connect and honor those who sacrificed everything so that we could enjoy our freedoms.
Mark Moehlman
Managing Director & Partner
U.S. Army, Finance Corps
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: entered military service as a draftee (private)
Rank Held at End of Service: exited as a Specialist 4th Class
Service Dates: April 15, 1969 to January 14, 1971
Work You Did: Basic Training at Ft. Ord, CA, April-June, 1969; Payroll specialist at Ft. Hood, Texas from July, 1969 to April, 1970; Payroll specialist at DaNang, Vietnam from May, 1970 to January, 1971. I paid the troops that did the actual fighting.
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: The highlight of my Vietnam tour was coming home for a two-week leave in November of 1970, and seeing both the SC-UCLA and SC-Notre Dame football games in the L.A. Coliseum.
John Gray
Chief Financial Officer
U.S. Marine Corps
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Private
Rank Held at End of Service: Corporal
Service Dates: 1989 – 1993
Work You Did: Military Police Officer
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: I participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Our MP unit provided security for a very strategic base that was approximately 50 miles from Kuwait. The base provided water and fuel to all the Marine ground units and aircraft positioned along the front lines. After the start of the air campaign, Iraqi military began to launch scud missiles over the course of 3 nights trying to hit our base. On the 3rd night, our military identified the location of where the missiles were being launched and destroyed the launch sites. Two missiles hit our base but fortunately there were no casualties. We felt like sitting ducks but knew it was only a matter of time before we would locate and take out the enemy.
Raul Marquez
M&A Analyst
U.S. Air Force
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Airman Basic (E-1)
Rank Held at End of Service: Senior Airman (E-4)
Service Dates: May 7, 2012 – May 7, 2018
Work You Did: I worked in the Maintenance Group in the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory (PMEL) flight. The following is a description taken from the USAF website. “Any time a piece of equipment or machinery is used, there are an infinite number of things that need to work perfectly. Responsible for calibrating equipment used in virtually every phase of maintenance, Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory specialists ensure that every piece of equipment is in precise working order. These experts must utilize exacting attention to detail as they take measurements in increments as small as millionths to ensure everything is safe for our Airmen to operate.”
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: My time stationed in Misawa AB, Japan was special. This was an amazing opportunity to travel and experience the active-duty Air Force in a fighter base. I was stationed in Japan for two years from 2013 -2015 and this was my first assignment out from training. My flight (workplace) was small, we had about 15 personnel assigned and there was a consistent change of personnel. A brief story that stands out is during a war exercise, I was part of a team that successfully accomplished building out an F-16 fuel tank and traveled to Tokyo twice.
Scott Plamondon, CLU®, ChFC®
Vice President, Insurance Services
U.S. Air Force
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Airman
Rank Held at End of Service: Senior Airman
Service Dates: 1984 to 1987
Work You Did: Crew Chief on a KC-135 Air Refueler
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: I joined the Air Force to help pay for college and got to travel the world on the plane. I was able to finish 3 years of college at night. I loved my time in the Air Force and it was an honor to serve my country.
Liam Powell, CFP®, CRPS®
Wealth Advisor
U.S. Marine Corps
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Private First Class (PFC)
Rank Held at End of Service: Sergeant
Service Dates: 2006 to 2012
Work You Did: Coordinated supply logistics and served as platoon sergeant for C Co. 4th Combat Engineer Battalion.
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: Our engineering unit was deployed to Kotzebue, Alaska (in the arctic circle) to survey a build site for a road to the town, as the people who lived there currently relied solely on barges for their supplies. For the entire time we were there, the sun never set, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of sponge-y moss over the permafrost. The sleep deprivation made for a surreal experience, and it was very interesting to interact with the Inuit tribespeople that live there, and to see how even though we are all citizens of the same country, our lives could not have been more different. I believe military service gave me opportunities early in life to interact with cultures outside my own and craft a larger worldview than I would have experienced otherwise.
Ryan Quigley, CFP®, CRPC®
Wealth Advisor
U.S. Marine Corps
Rank Held at Beginning of Service: Private
Rank Held at End of Service: Lance Corporal
Service Dates: January 2005 – January 2009
Work You Did: Heavy Equipment Operator- Convoy Security during Iraq Deployment
Brief Story that Stands Out from Your Service Time: During a deployment to Iraq, our platoon was returning to base from a night patrol in search of IED’s and ensuring the main supply routes were secure. Our team was exhausted from a long day that turned to night, traveling hundreds of miles in our 4 Humvee (HMMWV) patrol. As we waited at the gate to enter back into base, our platoon leader shot a small pin flare into the desert night sky, he then got on the radio and told everyone happy 4th of July and to remember how good we have things back home. As I watched this flare go up like a “firework” it really put things into perspective for me how great it is to call the United States home and the many things I take for granted. The greatest part of serving was having people of all different backgrounds and walks of life, coming together for a common mission/goal.
Resources for Veterans
Exiting the military and returning to life as a civilian is an exciting time, but also not without its challenges. If you are a younger veteran or are close with friends or family who are retiring from service, taking steps to preparing your financial future is critically important. To help adjust, our Beacon Pointe team has put together the following financial planning steps as a general guideline to start out on the right path.
A Veterans Day Tribute Podcast Episode
In a special Veterans Day tribute, Beacon Pointe’s Dollars & Sense podcast host, Coby Cress, sits down with Beacon Pointe co-Founder and Vietnam Veteran, Garth Flint. Garth flew F-4 fighter jets for the U.S. Navy while assigned to several carriers, including the U.S.S. Coral Sea. In 1967, right after Christmas, his recon plane was shot down over Haiphong in the Gulf of Tonkin by a North Vietnamese AAA anti-aircraft gun. In this episode, Garth shares his story, providing insight into what life as a civilian and investment consultant has looked like since that fateful day, and more.
Important Disclosure: This report is for informational purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Beacon Pointe has exercised all reasonable professional care in preparing this information. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however, Beacon Pointe has not independently verified, or attested to, the accuracy or authenticity of the information. Nothing contained herein should be construed or relied upon as investment, legal or tax advice. All investments involve risks, including the loss of principal. Investors should consult with thier financial professional before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
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