Iditarod Musher Gets Support From Veterans He Supports

Veterans suffering from PTSD cheer on Iditarod musher who supports them
Alaska Dispatch
Tegan Hanlon
March 7, 2016

"While Casillo isn’t a combat veteran himself, his wife is a lieutenant colonel in the Alaska Air National Guard."

Musher Rick Casillo checks the heat on his cooker. Mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race came and went from the Rainy Pass checkpoint for much of the day Monday. Marc Lester / ADN

RAINY PASS LODGE — Jeff Turkel traveled to the Rainy Pass checkpoint Monday to heal.

The 56-year-old once served in the U.S. Air Force and worked in Iraq in 2004 as an employee with the Department of Defense, he said. The jobs left him battling flashbacks. He said doctors told him the post-traumatic stress disorder triggered his seizures.

“Basically I lose all cognitive functions. My brain shuts down. I weaken,” Turkel said, standing in the snow Monday and awaiting the arrival of musher Rick Casillo. “I lose all touch with reality. It’s kind of like a fainting spell, but worse.”

Iditarod veteran Casillo started Battle Dawgs four years ago for combat veterans, aiming to “change and save lives,” he said. The nonprofit connects veterans with the outdoors and promotes teamwork in an effort to shrink suicide rates, Casillo said. He takes the veterans on glacier tours, ice fishing trips and asks them to help out with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
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Reminder: It is not "22 a day" and until folks stop repeating "just a number" they will continue to feel like they just don't matter enough.

Community Gives Final Tribute to Sgt. Turner's Life

Memorial held in Florala for fallen Alabama Marine 
WTVM News
By Allen Henry
Saturday, February 27th 2016

The two marine helicopters flew over Lake Jackson at the end of the service as a final tribute to Sgt. Turner's life.

Sgt. William Joshua Turner was 25 years old.

FLORALA, AL (WSFA) - Hundreds of friends, family and community members gathered in Florala on Saturday to honor the life of Sgt. Joshua Turner.

Two United States Marine Corps helicopters greeted Turner's family at the Florala Airport early Saturday morning.

Community members lined the side of Route 331 to pay their respects, some knowing the pain the family is feeling all too well.
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Amputee's Angel Showed Up As Marine

While we're all having a problem with Wounded Warrior Project right now, get past the hat the veteran is wearing because this is about a veteran doing something for another veteran in need.

Marine builds ramp for amputee veteran in Cullman Co.
WTVM ABC News 9
Vanessa Ariza
Posted: Jan 30, 2016

CULLMAN COUNTY, AL (WBRC)
Jeremy Hogan has a history of helping fellow Marines.

In his spare time, he makes American flags out of wood and gifts them to fellow soldiers and veterans.

And now he's a man on a mission. A mission to help a fellow brother. A man he has just met Thursday but one he shares an immediate bond with.

"I walked in. It was just one of those things where you know the gentleman is in straight distress and needed anything and everything I could do for him," Hogan said.

Hogan heard about former Marine Corporal Ken Beasley at a local grocery store. Beasley is an amputee veteran who is struggling with health and home issues. So, Hogan did what he knows best as a Marine.

"I didn't even tell my wife I was coming over here. I ran over here and was just going to see what supplies I needed and was going to get him help and build a ramp," said Hogan.
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WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather

Marine From Florida Among Missing After Helicopters Collided

Marines Identify 12 Missing After Helicopter Crash Off Hawaii
NBC News
by PHIL HELSEL
January 17, 2016

The Marine Corps on Saturday released the names of 12 Marines missing after two helicopters apparently collided in mid-air off the coast of Oahu Thursday, as the search continued for the missing air crew for a second day.

The missing air crew were identified as:

Maj. Shawn M. Campbell, 41, College Station, Texas.

Capt. Brian T. Kennedy, 31, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Capt. Kevin T. Roche, 30, St. Louis, Missouri.

Capt. Steven R. Torbert, 29, Florence, Alabama.

Sgt. Dillon J. Semolina, 24,Chaska, Minnesota.

Sgt. Adam C. Schoeller, 25, Gardners, Pennsylvania.

Sgt. Jeffrey A. Sempler, 22, Woodruff, South Carolina.

Sgt. William J. Turner, 25, Florala, Alabama.

Cpl. Matthew R. Drown, 23, Spring, Texas.

Cpl. Thomas J. Jardas, 22, Fort Myers, Florida.

Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, Hingham, Massachusetts.

Lance Cpl. Ty L. Hart, 21, Aumsville, Oregon.

Coast Guard and other aircraft and ships spent a second day searching for the missing Marines, but weather and high swells were hampering the effort.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, searchers had scoured more than 5,000 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard said.
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Sergeant Dillon Semolina

‘He Was Just A Fun-Loving Kid’: Missing Marine Left Mark On Community

Corporal Christopher Orlando
Family of missing Hingham Marine speak about son

Sgt. Adam C. Schoeller
PHILADELPHIA MARINE AMONG 12 MISSING AFTER HELICOPTER CRASH IN HAWAII

Mike Gilotti Survived Iraq But Not Going to Alabama Gym

UPDATE January 15, 2016
16-year-old charged in murder of Hoover husband, father, Iraq war veteran

Private funeral services, public support for slain Iraq war veteran
HOOVER, AL (WBRC)
A private funeral services were held Sunday for Mike Gilotti, an Iraqi War veteran who was shot on Tuesday in front of his Hoover home as he left for the gym.

Police say it was possible that Gilotti encountered someone trying to break into cars during the early morning hours.

While the funeral services were private, there was a public showing of support for the veteran who his wife says served 15 months in Iraq as a tank commander and First Lieutenant.

UPDATE From WBRC News January 8, 2016
Hoover PD needs help identifying 2 males in connection to fatal shooting of Iraq war veteran
WBRC FOX6 News - Birmingham, AL - WBRC.com

Police find stolen pickup truck used in murder of Hoover father, husband, Iraq veteran
AL.com
Carol Robinson
January 5, 2016

Mike Gilotti, 33, was killed just before 5 a.m. Jan 5, 2016 as he was leaving his Lake Cyrus home to go to the gym. (Facebook)

Mike Gilotti, a 33-year-old husband, father and Iraq war veteran, was shot to death about 4:55 a.m. just outside his home in the 5500 block of Park Side Circle in Hoover's Lake Cyrus subdivision. He was heading to the gym for a morning workout when police believe he encountered one or more suspects breaking into his car. One shot was fired, and Gilotti collapsed on his doorstep. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

Gilotti served as a U.S. Army tank commander, first lieutenant and platoon leader in the 12th Cavalry Regiment. An Avon, Connecticut native, Gilotti worked at the State Farm claims office on Lakeshore Parkway. He and his wife had two young sons, ages 5 and 1. Co-workers said they were not authorized to speak about Gilotti but said the entire office is devastated. "Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and coworkers and he will be greatly missed," said State Farm spokesman Roszell Gadson.
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Hoover husband, father, Iraq veteran shot to death leaving Lake Cyrus home for gym

DOD Released Names of 6 Afghanistan Fallen, 1 From Florida

6 killed in Afghanistan suicide bombing identified
By The Associated Press
Dec. 23, 2015

The deadliest attack in Afghanistan since 2013 killed six U.S. troops on Monday, including a family man from Long Island, New York; a South Texan; a New York City police detective; a Georgia high school and college athlete; an expectant father from Philadelphia; and a major from suburban Minneapolis with ties to the military's LGBT community. They were killed when their patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base, the Defense Department said. Here is more about them:

STAFF SGT. LOUIS MICHAEL M. BONACASA
Bonacasa, 31, of Coram, Long Island, was a member of the Air National Guard. He was assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York.

STAFF SGT. MICHAEL A. CINCO
The 28-year-old from Mercedes, Texas, was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 11th Field Investigations Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

TECHNICAL SGT. JOSEPH G. LEMM
Lemm, 45, a 15-year veteran of the New York Police Department, was on his third tour of duty in the Middle East. He was assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York.

STAFF SGT. CHESTER J. MCBRIDE JR.
McBride, 30, of Statesboro, Georgia, was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.

STAFF SGT. PETER W. TAUB
A 30-year-old Air Force sergeant from Philadelphia, Taub was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 816 at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. He'd been in the service for eight years and had recently re-enlisted.

MAJ. ADRIANNA M. VORDERBRUGGEN
The 36-year-old from Plymouth, Minnesota, in suburban Minneapolis, was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 9th Field Investigations Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
read more about the fallen here

Marine Reservist in Hot Water For Wearing Uniform at Trump Event

Marine Rebuked for Performing at Donald Trump Rally in Uniform
Military.com
by Hope Hodge Seck
Dec 01, 2015

The Defense Department allows troops to participate in political and campaign activities as private citizens, but does not allow them to represent the military or associate the Pentagon with any specific candidate, issue or cause. Participation in political activities in uniform is prohibited.

A Marine who recently performed the national anthem at a Donald Trump presidential campaign rally has been told to cease further uniformed campaign activities. Cpl. Jason Perkins, a reservist with Combat Logistics Battalion 451 out of Charlotte, North Carolina, awed crowds at a Nov. 21 campaign rally for the Republican candidate in Birmingham, Alabama, with a booming rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," which he performed in his dress blue uniform.

But when a video of the performance began circulating online, members of the military quickly pointed out that he was in violation of regulations prohibiting troops from wearing their uniforms to political events.

Marine Forces Reserve spokesman Capt. Andrew Chrestman said the command had reached out to Perkins after his campaign performance.

"Cpl. Perkins is now aware that his conduct violated long-standing DoD policy," Chrestman said in an email. "[He] has been informed of the appropriate ways to participate in the political process as a member of the Marine Corps."
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Vietnam Veteran Died Trying To Save Family

“He’s our hero” – Vietnam veteran dies trying to save his family from their burning home 
WHNT 19 News Alabama
BY LAURA CHRISTMAS
NOVEMBER 10, 2015

"He was a hero then, he was a hero trying to save us that night," Dana Hayes

ROSALIE, Ala. (WHNT) -- A Jackson County man nearly died while fighting in the Vietnam War; injured so badly medics didn't think he'd make it when they found him all those years ago. Jim Hayes' family says he was a hero then and say he's a hero now - because he died trying to save their lives. 

"He was a wonderful man," says Jim Hayes' wife Dana. Jim Hayes was sent over to Vietnam as member of the U. S. Army. "He was very proud to serve," Dana explains, "He would have even gone back if they let him."

She recalls how Jim would always thank veterans every time he saw one, even though he was one himself. He was wounded in the war, earning him a Purple Heart. "He was a hero then, he was a hero trying to save us that night," Dana says. read more here

Fort Campbell Charity Bookkeeper Kept Funds

Bookkeeper pleads guilty to defrauding Fort Campbell charity 
WKRN web staff
Published: November 5, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A woman pleaded guilty to defrauding more than $54,000 from a Fort Campbell charity on Thursday.

Anita Marshall, 43, of Daphne, Alabama and formerly of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to a charge of bank fraud association with her theft and subsequent use of checks from the Fort Campbell Thrift Shop.

Marshall served as the thrift store’s assistant manager and bookkeeper. She admitted that she stole blank checks from the thrift shop, issued these checks to herself, forged the signature of the thrift shop manager and then deposited these checks into her own accounts.

The fraudulent activity occurred from August 2009 until November 2010 and involved 91 checks totaling more than $54,000.
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Another PTSD Iraq Veteran Killed By Police During Standoff

Fiancee believes Edgell fired at officers to end own life
Times Daily
By Bernie Delinski Staff Writer
October 7, 2015

Tiffany Braitling, left, said she thought fiancee Eric Edgell

suffered from PTSD after his military stints in the Middle East.

TUSCUMBIA — The last time Tiffany Braitling spoke with Eric David Edgell, he was upset about the fact his work schedule afforded little time to see her.

But Braitling said many more things were troubling her fiance, who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, stemming from his U.S. Army service in the Middle East.

“I knew he’s had depression and anxiety and PTSD,” Braitling said.

In the end, she believes Edgell’s distress was too much for him to cope with and led to Sunday’s incident in which Edgell held a handgun to his head on the Tennessee Valley Authority Reservation.

Police tried to talk with Edgell, but he turned the gun on the officers and fired shots, according to reports. Police returned fire, striking Edgell, who died later that day at Shoals Hospital in Muscle Shoals.

Braitling said she believes Edgell’s emotional state at that moment was compounded by the realization he had landed himself in such trouble.

“I think he did it on purpose, to be honest, because he knew if he fired at them, then they’d have to fire back,” she said. “I don’t think he wanted to go to prison. If he had, he’d have ended up killing himself within a week.”

“We didn’t really talk about it much, because it upset him so much,” Braitling said. “The only time we had talked about it and he could actually tell me anything, he told me he was taking some supplies somewhere with other Humvees and this friend he had gone through everything with — boot camp and all — they went over a mine and it blew up and he saw his friend’s head roll down his back.”
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Patriots' Headstones Used As Patio Pavers

A Missouri patio paved in military headstones? Veterans mad, VA investigating
St. Louis Post Dispatch
By Tim O'Neil
16 hours ago

A patio and staircase apparently built out of military gravestones at a property in southern Missouri has sparked a firestorm of criticism on social media.

Navy veteran Ed Harkreader of Mountain Home, Ark., posted photographs of the arrangement on Facebook last week. The post triggered scores of outraged comments and was shared thousands of times.

“This isn’t the way you should use military headstones,” Harkreader told the Post-Dispatch in a telephone interview Monday. “This is disrespectful of military veterans.”

Harkreader, 55, said he served in the Navy for 22 years. He said he heard about the use of the stones from a friend and drove the short distance from his home in Arkansas to the property in Ozark County, Mo. The property is near Lake Norfork just north of the Missouri-Arkansas line.

Harkreader took pictures and tried without success to reach the property owner. His photographs show a patio and staircase fashioned from what appear to be military headstones, some with the names of veterans and spouses clearly visible. A check of Internet grave services indicates that some of the stones were for grave sites in California, Alabama and Texas.
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This is just one of the pictures that will turn your stomach!

Go here to see the others, Ed Harkreader

Decorate Vietnam Veteran Getting Help Instead of More Jail TIme

UPDATE: Decorated war veteran, jailed for 22 months in Madison County, now getting help
WHNT News 19
BY AL WHITAKER
JULY 11, 2015

“There was a unique situation here for somebody that needed help. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened and I appreciate you,” Taylor told WHNT News 19’s Al Whitaker following Friday’s hearing.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Important results on a story we’ve been pursuing for months. In February, WHNT News 19 covered the story of Ron Buis, a Vietnam veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has spent the last 22 months in jail with no treatment for his condition.

We promised then we would not rest until Buis got the help he needed. And now we can report we’ve made good on that promise.

Ron Buis may have survived the Vietnam War but there was never a ceasefire declared with the voices in his head. His PTSD and related symptoms only got worse over the years until 2013 and he began shooting at them, and at the faces that haunted him still. His mobile home depicts the war that Buis was still fighting, some of the bullets landing in his neighbor’s mobile home. As a result, in September of 2013, Buis was arrested on charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling. He has sat in jail, without treatment, for 22 months.

“He’s also been emotionally traumatized and mentally traumatized by the ravages of war, the bombings, the friends and companions that’s he’s lost as a result of being in the war,” Says Buis’ attorney, John Taylor.
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Vietnam Veteran With PTSD Needed Hospitalization, Got Incarceration Instead

Vietnam veteran Ron Buis remains jailed, demands trial
WHNT 19 News
BY AL WHITAKER
JUNE 11, 2015

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – A follow-up tonight to a story we’ve been watching for several months now. Ron Buis is a decorated combat veteran, but he cannot enjoy the freedoms he nearly died for. He’s been in jail for almost two years as a direct result of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he brought back from Vietnam.

Buis was arrested in September, 2013 after he started shooting at the voices in his head. His closest friends confirmed Buis had been acting differently in the weeks leading up to the event, claiming to see and hear people who simply were not there. The bullet holes in his mobile home bear out the conflict. Some of the bullets hit the trailers next to his resulting in charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling.

And so Buis has sat in the Madison County Jail since his arrest awaiting trial and awaiting treatment for the condition that put him there.

At a preliminary hearing Thursday morning, some 21 months after his arrest, his attorney got the court to order a mental evaluation. John Taylor says Buis needs hospitalization instead of incarceration.
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Alabama VFW Gave Vietnam Veteran New Wheels to Heal

Vietnam Veteran Gets Wheelchair
WTVY News
By: Toneshia Watkins
May 29, 2015

You may remember, Thursday, we told you about Joe Parrish. The Vietnam Veteran unable to get out of bed because of his broken wheelchair.

After seeing his story, many of you reached out wanting to help.

And thanks to the local VFW, Joe Parrish may no longer be tied to his bed.
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Former Marine Charged with Murder in Shooting Death of Wife

Former Marine charged with murder in shooting death of wife at Jemison doctor's office 
AL.com
By Carol Robinson
April 13, 2015

A domestic shooting on Monday, April 13, 2015 led to the fatal shooting of Leaj Jarvis Price, 24. Her husband, 26-year-old Eric Heath Price, is charged with murder. Facebook

Authorities late this afternoon charged a man with murder in the shooting death of his wife at a Jemison doctor's office earlier today.

Eric "Heath" Price, a 26-year-old former U.S. Marine, was taken to UAB Hospital where he remains under police guard.

Price's family members say he was wounded during the takedown, but law enforcement officials say Price shot himself in the head and is expected to survive.

Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer identified the victim as 24-year-old Leaj Jarvis Price. She died on the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.

Price apparently posted on Facebook shortly after the shooting of his wife. "im sorry everyone, its been real, good bye and i love you all" and "I dei today."

The Facebook page was taken down just before 11:30 a.m.
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Man Convicted of Killing Fort Stewart Soldier for Insurance Money

Jasper man convicted of beating soldier to death for insurance money 
The Associated Press
March 27, 2015

A federal jury took less than an hour to convict an Alabama man of murder in the 2013 baseball bat slaying of a Fort Stewart soldier found beaten on government property near the southeast Georgia Army post.

The U.S. District Court jury returned its guilty verdict Thursday against 43-year-old Carl Evan Swain of Jasper, Alabama. Prosecutors say Swain killed his brother-in-law, 29-year-old Army Spc. John Eubank, in a plot with the defendant's sister to collect $500,000 in life insurance and benefit payments from the soldier's death.

"He is penniless. He is desperate, and he is willing to kill her husband if she'll pay him," Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Rafferty told jurors in his closing argument.

Swain didn't testify at during his trial, the Savannah Morning News reported. His defense attorney, Edward Tolley, asked jurors to consider Swain's statement to FBI agents after he was arrested in December 2013. read more here

Ex-Veterans Affairs Hospital Union President Accused of Embezzling Over $132,000

Former Birmingham Veterans Affairs hospital union president accused of embezzling more than $132,000 
AL.com
By Jon Reed
March 12, 2015

The former president of the union for federal employees at Birmingham's Veterans Affairs hospital has been indicted on charges that she embezzled more than $132,000 in chapter funds.

Stephanie Hicks, 43, of Birmingham, was indicted on bank fraud, forgery and aggravated identity theft charges, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance.

"Union members elect officials to represent them and protect their interests," Vance said in a statement.

"A labor union official who chooses, instead, to live the high life by stealing from local members has committed a crime and should prepare to go to prison."
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Wheelchair Bound Vietnam Veterans Gone Fishing

Off-road wheelchair with gun rack allows Vietnam vet to hunt and fish again
ABC
By Robert Richardson
Updated: Feb 17, 2015

CALHOUN COUNTY, Ala. - After two decades of putting other veterans first, a Vietnam veteran in Calhoun County got a surprise from an unexpected source.

Ken Rollins received an all-terrain wheelchair Monday from the Birmingham-based non-profit Support Our Soldiers. It has tank tracks instead of wheels, and unlike his regular electric wheelchair, it does not need pavement to work outside.

"I've always been on the giving end, and so for somebody to do this, wow," Rollins said.

"I get a lot more out of doing than I put in it. It's a blessing you get when you're able to help somebody by making a phone call or something like that."

Rollins was in the Army during the 1960s, and served two tours of Vietnam. He said exposure to Agent Orange resulted in peripheral neuropathy, which makes it hard for him to walk.

After his retirement from the military, he worked in the music industry for a few years before coming to Calhoun County to take a job at the Anniston Army Depot. Rollins then became a veterans advocate and serves on the state board of Veterans Affairs.

"Veterans in need seem to come to me. This was a blessing out of the sky," he said about getting the wheelchair built for outdoor activities.

"All of a sudden I get a phone call and it's from a fellow over at the VA hospital in Birmingham who had helped me with my power chair. He told me this foundation possibly had some track chairs available."
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Central Alabama VA Healthcare System Director Removed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2014
Central Alabama VA Healthcare System Director Removed

Permanent Director Sought

Montgomery, AL – Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) formally removed the Director of the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHCS) from federal service. This decision followed an investigation by the Office of Accountability Review (OAR) in which allegations of neglect of duty were substantiated.

This removal action underscores VA’s commitment to hold leaders accountable and get Veterans the care they need. OAR, which reports directly to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, assists VA facilities in accelerating leadership accountability actions and ensuring that such actions are applied consistently across the Department.

The Veterans Health Administration will begin recruiting a Director for CAVHCS. To ensure continuity of care for Veterans and leadership for VA employees during the recruitment period, Dr. Robin Jackson, Deputy Network Director, VISN 7, has been designated acting CAVHCS director.

Firefighters and Vietnam Veteran Rush to Save People Trapped by Fire

Huntsville firefighters, Vietnam veteran rescue residents trapped in apartment fire
Al.com
By Jonathan Grass
September 26, 2014

Huntsville firefighters rescued two people from an upstairs unit when a fire broke out at Redbrick Square Apartments on Friday. Some residents fled the building by jumping from the upstairs windows.
(Jonathan Grass/jgrass@al.com)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- A fire in a north Huntsville apartment complex left residents fleeing the building anyway they could, even if that meant through the second story windows. When two of those residents didn't get out, firefighters went in and pulled them to safety.

Fire crews arrived at Redbrick Square Apartments at 2216 North Memorial Parkway at about 6 p.m. to find heavy smoke coming from a downstairs unit. That smoke traveled the halls throughout the building. Huntsville Fire and Rescue spokesman Capt. Frank McKenzie said everyone had gotten out at that point except two women in the unit directly above the one on fire.

A neighbor in the complex came to the rescue of another woman trying to escape to the ground below. Billy Smith said he smelled the smoke and followed it to the building where his friend lived. He saw his friend had already made it out safe but a woman was trying to get down to the ground. The Vietnam veteran said he grabbed her legs and helped her down.
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