AUTHOR

Andrew Biggio

History

Andrew has always had passion for history about the second World War since a very young age. Tragically, both of his grandfather's had a brother killed in action during the war. Andrew was taught about sacrifice since childhood. After graduating from Malden Catholic High School in 2006, Andrew enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He served as an infantry rifleman during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). He finished six years in the Marine Corps as sergeant and earned a bachelors degree in sociology from Suffolk university in Boston, Massachusetts. After college, Andrew felt the need to continue to serve. He was sworn in as a police officer in 2015 where he actively works in Massachusetts Law Enforcement. In 2017 he went on to earn a masters degree in Homeland Security from Northeastern University in Boston. Andrew is the founder of Boston's Wounded Vet Run, New England's largest motorcycle ride dedicated to severely wounded veterans. For the last ten year's Andrew saw the need to assist soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors who returned from Iraq/ Afghanistan with injuries. His non-profit has been responsible for housing modifications, new transportation, financial support, and basic living needs for some of America's most severely wounded combat veterans. No salary is collected from his non-profit. While helping his own generation of veterans for the last decade, Andrew saw the urgency to start honoring WWII veterans as they were vanishing at an alarming rate. He saw the need to link their methods of living a successful life after combat and pass it on to today's veterans. This sparked a five- year journey. Over two hundred veterans later, Andrew was fortunate to publish a written experience of the journey called "The Rifle." At the average age of ninety-four, there was one instrument that brought these men and women back to WWII, the M1 Garand rifle. Being the standard issued rifle of that time, each veteran had their own memorable experience with the weapon. Just by grasping the rifle, it acts as time machine bringing them back some seventy-five years. The most magnificent stories would be shared through this rifle.