Petty Officer Second Class Vincent Lynch – A Story to Tell
“Believe in yourself, your visions, and dreams, and stay consistent. Beat your craft every day and keep your faith.”
–Petty Officer Second Class Vincent Lynch
Petty Officer Second Class Vincent Lynch has an incredible story to tell.
It is a story marked by pain, uncertainty, and difficult trials … but most of all, it is a story marked by perseverance and finding hope, even in the hardest moments.
Vincent followed in the footsteps of his father — a fellow service member — and joined the Navy while in college. A double major in Music and Sociology, he always felt called to serve our country, and at nineteen, he enlisted, went to boot camp, and found himself in “singing my heart out all the way through A school [ascension training],” said Vincent.
Three special combat schools later, Vincent deployed to fight piracy in Somalia for an unforgettable 10-month deployment, serving as an operations specialist and on the security reaction force and VBSS (visit, board, search, seizure) team. This experience overseas proved life-changing for Vincent as the peril these Sailors experienced firsthand later inspired the movie Captain Phillips. While there, Vincent suffered shoulder, knee, and back injuries, and returned home with very difficult memories to process.
In 2011, Vincent deployed to Cuba to serve as a prison guard, a yearlong assignment which was a constant physical and mental struggle. From securing detainees to meeting the intense demands of daily operations, Vincent maintained a heroic level of composure throughout it all, and upon returning to the States, he was diagnosed with PTSD, chronic pain, and nerve damage, and Vincent’s family also faced a new battle — homelessness.
That is when The Fund stepped in to support the Lynch family by finding new housing and offering “FULL 360 help, whether it be financial, emotional or transitional help,” said Vincent. “They gave me hope and the push to keep on going and be something great after my service when I didn’t even want to or even see how.”
To transition into civilian life, Vincent joined Semper Fi & America’s Fund Apprenticeship Program and upon his graduation, The Fund provided grants for studio equipment for this hero to open his own record label. He has since created a unique platform for artistic veterans and active service members, produced music and recordings for many artists, and attended red carpets events, including the Grammys.
“The Fund actually listened to my story and helped me,” said Vincent. “No matter how broken you think you are, you can achieve your goals and dreams after service.”
Vincent’s incredible positivity, endless creativity, and passion for music have driven this husband and self-proclaimed “girl dad” to extraordinary heights, and The Fund will always be beside this wonderful family, from the smallest moments to the ones that forever change a life.