By: John Cuddy – 9-26
Jason Gilbert, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Serving His Fellow Veterans!
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Jason Gilbert currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Veteran Pathways of New England Inc., dedicating his career to serving Veterans and their families throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Jason grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and attended Greater Lawrence Technical High School in Andover, where he studied automotive repair and graduated in 1994. Before and after his military service, he worked as a mechanic for Driscoll Tire, VIP Autocare, Stop & Shop, and United Parcel Service.
In 1998, Jason enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served four years on active duty, attaining the rank of Corporal, pay grade E-4. His Military Occupational Specialty was 1341, Engineer Equipment Mechanic. Marines in this specialty train at the U.S. Army’s Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, learning to maintain and repair the heavy engineering equipment essential to Marine Corps operations.
Following his military service and mechanical career, Jason continued his education at Northern Essex Community College and later Cambridge College, earning a degree in Human Services with a focus on nonprofit organizations.
His professional path eventually brought him back to serving those who served, including work as a Congressional staffer assisting Veterans before moving into nonprofit leadership. That combination of education, lived experience, military service, and direct work with Veterans helped prepare Jason for his eventual leadership as Chief Executive Officer of Veteran Pathways of New England.
Today, Veteran Pathways of New England provides housing, peer support, food security, wellness, employment assistance, benefits navigation, and family support. When I recently walked into Veteran Pathways’ Lawrence location on Parker Street without an appointment, two Veteran staff members greeted me warmly and immediately asked whether I needed food. After introducing myself, they asked if I needed help finding a job. That interaction demonstrated the organization’s approach: meet Veterans where they are and determine what they need.
The Lawrence Veterans Drop-In office, at 54 Parker St., is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Veteran Pathways also operates in Manchester, New Hampshire, and provides services through additional locations across the region. Through these sites and its main campus at the former Fort Devens, the organization distributes thousands of pounds of food each month to Veterans and their families.
The Veteran Pathways of New England Main Campus is located at 84 Antietam Street in Devens, Massachusetts. Housing placement and family stability are major priorities. Staff coordinate assistance for unhoused and at-risk Veterans seeking safe, long-term housing while providing intensive Veteran case management to help navigate financial, administrative, employment, benefits, and other challenges.
The campus also provides wellness programming designed to support the whole Veteran. Services include movement therapy, yoga, acupuncture, massage, fitness activities, and creative programming. Partnerships further connect Veterans and first responders with important health and wellness resources.
Veterans often need support in several interconnected areas: housing, health care, career development, legal and VA guidance, food security, and perhaps most importantly, camaraderie with fellow Veterans. Veteran Pathways of New England’s core mission is to meet these needs.
At Devens, Community Canteen lunches on Thursdays and breakfasts on Tuesdays provide free meals while creating opportunities for Veterans to reconnect and build relationships. Pantry and emergency food assistance are also available to Veterans and military families experiencing food insecurity. At my table during lunch was a World War II Veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, and a Korean war Veteran of the Inchon landings. Walking out, I was stopped by a Vietnam Veteran, (who I later learned earned a Silver Star) who asked what assistance I needed.
Veterans needing immediate housing can also turn to the Journey Home Campus at 99 Church Street in Leominster. The facility provides structured emergency and transitional housing for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Bedrooms, meals, communal areas, case management, and supportive services provide Veterans with more than a roof over their heads. They provide a pathway toward stability and permanent housing.
For Jason, this mission is deeply personal. His own US Marine Corps service remains an important part of his life, and military service continues throughout the Gilbert family.
Jason is married to Melanie Gilbert, who has been a strong supporter of her husband’s continuing mission of serving Veterans.
His oldest daughter, Bethanie, is the mother of Jason’s grandchildren. His daughter, Samantha, is currently serving in the United States Air Force, while his son, Jason Jr., is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps, following in his father’s footsteps.
The Gilbert family’s commitment to service provides Jason with perspectives that extend beyond his own experience as a Marine. He understands the Veteran and military community as a Veteran himself, as a father of two children currently serving their country, and as someone who has dedicated his professional career to ensuring Veterans and their families have somewhere to turn when they need help.
Jason’s military awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.
From his own service as a Marine to his leadership of an organization helping Veterans find housing, food, wellness, employment, benefits, and community, Jason’s commitment to service has continued long after leaving active duty.
For Jason, serving Veterans is not simply a job. It is a continuation of a lifetime of service and a belief that those who served their country deserve a community prepared to stand beside them when they return home.
Serving Veterans throughout the Merrimack Valley and beyond, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Jason Gilbert is truly a “Hero in Our Midst.”
Reminder, the U.S. National Park Service is inviting all Veterans to stop by any U.S. National Park with their Military ID or DD 214 to apply for a free lifetime U.S. National Park Pass.
The nearest U.S. National Park for a Merrimack Valley resident is in Lowell, Massachusetts, at our Lowell National Historical Park, on 246 Market Street. Once obtained, the U.S. National Park pass will be accepted at all our Nation’s National Parks.
The Catholic War Veterans of America asks all Catholic Veterans, all eras, all branches, all ranks, to visit their website and join an organization that supports our Nation’s Veterans. The Values of our men and women in the Catholic Veterans are faith, loyalty, and patriotism. To join the Catholic Veterans, visit the organization’s website, at www.thecwv.org.
The Merrimack Valley’s American Legion Posts ask all World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Veterans to call (603) 518-5368 and sign up for an Honor Flight to the National Memorials in Washington DC!
The Valley Patriot staff asks Veterans of all eras, to go to the American Legion’s web site www.legion.org, and join the American Legion. The American Legion’s mission is working with our elected officials, our Nation’s Veterans, and our communities, preserving our Veteran’s Benefits for future generations and serving all Veterans and their families.
Our core values in the American Legion include, selfless service, devotion to mutual helpfulness, community engagement, and promoting patriotism, while operating under the motto “Veterans Strengthening America”. Veterans can join by visiting www.legion.org.
John Cuddy served in the US Navy’s Construction Battalions (also known as the Seabees) after retiring from the US Navy; he earned a bachelor’s in history/political science and a master’s in economics from the University of Massachusetts on the Lowell Campus. He has been employed in Logistics at FedEx for the last 29 years.
If you know a Merrimack Valley Veteran, of any rank, serving during any era, with any branch of service, who would like their story told, preserved for future generations, please email him the Veteran’s phone number, send to John.Cuddy@Yahoo.com. ◊