Blackbeard’s Ride 2017 | Special Forces NCO Remembered

Blackbeard's Ride 2017 - This annual event is in memory of SSG Matthew A. Pucino and raises funds to assist wounded or injured combat veterans and their families. (Photo from video by Matthew A. Pucino Foundation, LTD).
Blackbeard's Ride 2017 - This annual event is in memory of SSG Matthew A. Pucino and raises funds to assist wounded or injured combat veterans and their families. (Photo from video by Matthew A. Pucino Foundation, LTD).

Blackbeard’s Ride 2017 – The Matthew A. Pucino Foundation, LTD provides for the physical and emotional needs of combat wounded Soldiers and their families. The foundation runs a number of events in New England and across the country to raise funds for its activities. One of these events is the annual Blackbeard’s Ride – a motorcycle ride that helps to keep the name and memory of Matthew Pucino alive and raises funds for a worthy cause. [1]

Matt Pucino was a Special Forces Soldier who lost his life at age 34 during a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2009 while deployed with his Special Forces team. He was serving with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), a National Guard SF unit based in Glen Arm, Maryland. Matt was serving on his third deployment in support of the Global War on Terror. During a previous tour in Iraq he was serving with the 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. [2]

SSG Matthew Pucino of 20th Special Forces Group died on November 23, 2009 in Afghanistan. (Photo USASOC Fallen Heroes Memorial)
SSG Matthew Pucino of 20th Special Forces Group died on November 23, 2009 in Afghanistan. (Photo USASOC Fallen Heroes Memorial)

Ride Events. The motorcycle ride took place on Saturday, July 8th in eastern Massachusetts. It began on Main Street in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts and ended at the Plymouth, Massachusetts Veterans for Foreign Wars (VFW). Activities included a BBQ, entertainment, and raffles. This was the 7th Annual Blackbeard’s Motorcycle Ride.

About the Foundation. The Matthew A. Pucino Foundation, LTD is a tax-exempt and tax-deductible 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The foundation has assisted with travel to and from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, provided for rehabilitation needs, traumatic brain injuries, and depression. The foundation also supports the Green Beret Foundation and other veterans service organizations. [3]

Video of Blackbeard’s Ride 2017. Watch a three-minute long video of Blackbeard’s Ride 2017 posted on YouTube.com by the SSG Matthew Pucino Foundation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ5SzLbr9SI

Footnotes:

[1] Matthew A. Pucino Foundation, LTD
www.matthewpucinofoundation.org

[2] Read a biography of SSG Matt Pucino posted on United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Fallen Heroes Memorial Page.
www.soc.mil/Memorial%20Wall/Bios/Pucino_Matthew.pdf

[2] Read more information about the Matthew A. Pucino Foundation.
www.matthewpucinofoundation.org/about-the-foundation/

About John Friberg 198 Articles
John Friberg is the Editor and Publisher of SOF News. He is a retired Command Chief Warrant Officer (CW5 180A) with 40 years service in the U.S. Army Special Forces with active duty and reserve components.