At 11:00 am on Thursday, November 11, 2021, the Combined Veterans Council of Berks County will host the annual Veterans Day ceremony in Veterans Grove, City Park, Reading.
Keynote Speaker will be Jason Matisse-Nauman, He is a Marine Corps veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq. He currently serves as the Deputy Director and County Services Officer at the Berks County Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Jason graduated from Conestoga Valley High School located in Lancaster, PA in 2002. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on June 14, 2001 prior to the beginning of his senior year of high school and left for Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island on June 9, 2006, six days after graduating. Upon completing recruit training and the Infantry Training Battalion at Camp Geiger in North Carolina he was assigned to the Third Battalion Forth Marines located in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. Jason deployed to Iraq in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2003 he crossed over the southern border of Iraq and took part in combat operations. Once his unit arrived in Baghdad, he witnessed other Marines attached to his unit pull down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square. In 2004 he took part in combat operations in Rawah and Anah, Iraq until his unit received orders to Fallujah, Iraq where he took part in Operation Vigilant Resolve. In 2005 he again deployed to Fallujah to provide security for the first democratic elections in Iraq in roughly 40 years.
After returning from Iraq, Jason worked various jobs before deciding to go back to school. Jason graduated with his Associate of Arts in Social Sciences from Harrisburg Area Community College in 2015. In 2017 Jason received his Bachelor of Social Work, graduating with Cum Laude honors, as a member of the Tau Sigma Honors Society for transfer students, and as a member of the Phi Alpha Honors Society for Social Work majors. In 2019 Jason graduated with his Master of Social Work from Widener University. While at Widener Jason participated in the High Impact Practices Research Symposium and the Graduate Students Research Symposium. At both symposiums he presented his findings after conducting a meta-analysis on current PTSD treatment methods being utilized by the Department of Veterans Affairs. As a graduate student Jason also created and implemented the Support Up Veterans Mental Healthcare Initiative, which provides free mental health care to veterans in Chester, PA and the surrounding areas. Prior to going back to school to complete his master’s degree, Jason worked on the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Unit at the Coatesville VA Medical Center as a Mental Health Technician.
Jason now serves veterans as the Deputy Director and County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO) of The Berks County Department of Veterans Affairs. As Deputy Director, Jason supervises staff to meet the needs of veterans, their spouses, and their dependents. As Deputy and CVSO, Jason educates veterans and/or family members about what types of benefits they are entitled and the eligibility for the benefits. Jason also coordinates with the Veterans Treatment Court, Berks County Jail Initiative, and the Berks County Homelessness Coalition.
Organizations who would like to participate with a color/honor guard or place a wreath should contact the Council at 610-413-0020, or at [email protected].
