Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Vietnam Veteran Message on PTSD "There’s no need to suffer alone anymore.”

Iowa veterans speak out about getting service members the help they need
The DesMoines Register
Molly Longman
May 20, 2017

Vietnam veteran Larry Clayton approached a podium under the Iowa State Capitol Rotunda Saturday with a message for Iowans.

He wanted veterans, their families and their friends to realize the physical and mental health problems veterans face during and after their service — and to understand that there’s help.

“I am proud of the part I played in the Vietnam conflict, and I pray for all those soldiers who did not come home and those who came home physically or emotionally broken,” Clayton said. “And I thank God every day that he has seen fit to grant me peace during my life.

"Others haven't been nearly as fortunate."

Clayton talked about the effects of Agent Orange, a defoliant chemical sprayed over South Vietnam to eliminate forests and militia crops used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The chemical is linked to diseases such as B-cell leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

He talked about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the high rate of veteran suicides.

He wanted veterans to know this: “Admit to yourself that you or a family member might benefit from some medical attention.

"There’s no need to suffer alone anymore.”
read more here

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Illinois Veterans Missing in Suicide Data

Just to give you an idea of how many veterans the following article is about, here is the breakdown for the state of Illinois
721,575 Total
539,880 War time
206,504 Gulf War
241,854 Vietnam
65,381 Korean
37,506 WWII
181,695 Peacetime
54,707 Female
666,868 Male
Think about how many veterans from Illinois would not have been included in the suicide research.
Tom Cullerton advances measures to combat veterans' suicide epidemic
Daily Herald
March 8, 2017

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) has started tackling obstacles found during the Veterans Suicide Taskforce hearings.
Cullerton advanced Senate Bill 1693 to allow deceased veterans with military service to include their veteran status, branch of military and the period of time served in the military on their death certificate.

"We need to get to the cause of veteran suicide," Cullerton said. "The only way to tackle the problem is to have a complete picture. This is a simple way to collect statistics and honor Illinois' veterans."

The idea was suggested by DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgenson, who indicated that veteran suicide was under reported since Illinois death certificates do not include information on the history of U.S. military service.

"These are our nation's heroes. They took care of us, now it is our time to take care of them," Cullerton said. "Every life we save is priceless."

Cullerton also advanced Senate Bill 866 to require the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) to provide information and education on service animals to veterans.
read more here

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Vietnam Veteran Shot Robbers and Solved Other Crimes!

Vietnam veteran justified in killing robber
KSDK News
Jacob Long
February 04, 2017
Gibbons said both suspects were wanted for other violent crimes across the bi-state that could now see some closure.

"We're able to probably, I believe, able to solve possibly dozens of other armed robberies in the area."
An armed veteran from St. Louis killed one man and injured another during an armed robbery attempt in the metro east.

But, on Friday, prosecutors said the veteran's actions are justified, and could help solve dozens of other violent crimes in Illinois and Missouri.

Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said this case should serve as a warning to criminals. If you're coming to the Metro East to break the law, you could end up staring down the barrel of a gun.

Thursday morning, Venice police were called to the 200-block of Abbott Street for reports of a shooting. Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said it happened as a 70-year-old Vietnam Veteran from St. Louis was dropping off his friend.
read more here

Saturday, December 17, 2016

OEF-OIF Veteran With PTSD and TBI Amazed by High School Students

Naperville Army veteran feels at home, thanks to students' donations
Daily Herald
Christopher Placek
December 16, 2016
"I never imagined being in a high school full of kids cheering for me and doing something amazing like this for me. I don't know what someone could want more than to be honored like this."
Tony Chobanov
"Amazing," is how Army Spc. Tony Chobanov feels about the support he's received from a veterans organization that's building a house for him and his family, and the students who have helped raise funds to pay for it.

Some 2,000 students at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights stood and applauded Friday as Chobanov and his wife, Abbey, walked into the school gym for an assembly where they were presented with a $16,000 check and an oversized key that represents their new house to be built next spring in Spring Grove.

Chobanov, 32, served two tours of combat duty -- one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq -- that led to his diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury.

He's worked several jobs in the trades since returning in 2008, putting in long hours to provide for his family, but has struggled as half the family income has gone to pay the rent of their Naperville home.

This year, he learned he, his wife and three children had been chosen by A Soldier's Journey Home, an Arlington Heights-based nonprofit, to receive a new house. He said he's receiving treatment for his war injuries and no doubt has been helped by the support he's receiving.

read more here

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Army Veteran With PTSD Faces Deportation?

ARMY VETERAN FACES DEPORTATION
ABC 7 News
By Evelyn Holmes
Thursday, November 24, 2016
"He offered his life for this country for this nation and he has a right to live in the country that he fought for," said Miguel Perez, Sr.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- An Army veteran who served two tours of duty could be deported as soon as next week.

On Thursday, his parents joined with members of Rainbow Push and called for help to keep their son here.

Miguel Perez, Sr., and his wife Espranza said they have a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving although their son, Gulf War veteran Miguel Perez, Jr., could be deported soon.

"It's very hard for us," said Esperanza Perez, Miguel's mother.

Perez is one of the thousands of so-called green card soldiers, undocumented immigrant men and women who served in the American military, but still face deportation.

Relatives say the 36-year-old has lived in the Chicago area most of his life and is father to a 18-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son, who are both born U.S. citizens.

His family pleaded his case while attending the Rainbow Push Thanksgiving Day dinner for veterans, their families, the homeless and anyone else in need of a hot meal.
Miguel's parents said his troubles began after he returned home after completing two tours of duty overseas. They said after being diagnosed with PTSD, their son had a hard time finding a job.
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OEF-OIF PTSD Veteran and Family Get New Home to Heal In

EXCHANGE: Veteran given a new house as he confronts PTSD
Belleville News Democrat
Marie Wilson
November 26, 2016
"I was in shock," Chobanov said, recalling his reaction to the news he'd be getting a debt-free house and a lot fewer financial worries. "I didn't have words for it at first."
ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY, NOV. 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this Oct. 6, 2016 photo, Army Spc.Tony Chobanov, who served two tours of combat duty, one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, is seen with his wife Abby, right, and their children, from left, Olivia, 6, Milan, 8,and Faith,11, in Lisle, Ill. Chobanov can't wait to get his family into their new home. They will be a recipient of a new house to be built by a charity by an Arlington Heights-based nonprofit called 'A Soldier's Journey Home' with help from District 214 high school students. Daily Herald, via AP Paul Michna
NAPERVILLE, ILL.

The burden of spending roughly half his family's income on rent isn't even lifted yet, but Army Spc. Tony Chobanov of Naperville already feels better.

He's been working on getting better for the past two years, and this most recent step is proving a giant help.

An Arlington Heights-based nonprofit called A Soldier's Journey Home chose Chobanov, his wife, Abbey, and their three children as the 2017 recipients of a new house, built free for the family with donated materials and labor. The house, on 1.3 acres in Spring Grove donated by First Midwest Bank, should be complete by next June - just in time for the family's lease on a house near Abbey's parents in Lisle to expire at the end of the month.
Chobanov, 32, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury stemming from his four years in the Army, which took him through two tours of combat duty - one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.
read more here

Monday, November 14, 2016

4 Americans Killed in Afghanistan During Veteran’s Day Run

US Bagram airbase bomber was 'an employee' and ex-Taliban BBC

4 Americans Killed in Afghanistan During Veteran’s Day Run
ABC News
By JAMES GORDON MEEK LUIS MARTINEZ ALEEM AGHA
Nov 13, 2016
Afghan security personnel keep watch near the largest US military base in Bagram, north of Kabul, after an explosion, Nov. 12, 2016.
Four Americans were killed and 17 troops and contractors were wounded while participating in a Veterans Day 5K run when an apparent lone attacker managed to detonate a deadly bomb inside the sprawling Bagram military base in Afghanistan yesterday, counterterrorism officials told ABC News today.

The U.S. military's Operation Resolute Support provided few details beyond confirming that a blast inside the base had left two U.S. service members and two American contractors dead along with 16 American troops and a Polish trooper wounded.

Bagram Airfield is home to nearly 14,000 military forces and contractors.

But officials in Washington and various U.S. military commands have been told that the victims were participating in a 5K run celebrating Veterans Day, two counterterrorism officials told ABC News.

A coalition official later told ABC News that the attacker used a belt or vest bomb in the attack.

The attacker was a former Taliban militant who had joined the peace process in 2008 and had since taken a job at the base, Bagram District Governor Haji Abdul Shokor Qudosi told ABC News on Sunday.
read more here

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
Press Operations

Release No: NR-406-16
Nov. 14, 2016

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. They died Nov. 12 of injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device in Bagram, Afghanistan. The soldiers were assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Killed were:
Sgt. John W. Perry, 30, of Stockton, California

Pfc. Tyler R. Iubelt, 20, of Tamaroa, Illinois

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Is It Still Stolen Valor if Senator Does It?

Mark Kirk campaign site falsely calls senator 'veteran' of Iraq war
CNN Digital Expansion DC Manu Raju
By Manu Raju, Senior Political Reporter
Updated 1306 GMT (2106 HKT) September 21, 2016

A once public, now private webpage on Mark Kirk's official campaign website touted his record on veterans' issues, Kirk was listed as a "veteran of the Iraq war."
(CNN)Sen. Mark Kirk's campaign falsely asserted on its website that the Illinois Republican was a veteran of the Iraq war, a misstatement that comes six years after exaggerations over his military record nearly cost him his state's Senate seat.

The Republican, now battling for a second term in a tight race in Illinois, stayed in the United States during the Iraq War when he served in the Navy Reserves. But on a public webpage on his official campaign website touting his record on veterans' issues, Kirk was listed as a "veteran of the Iraq war."

While Kirk campaign officials said it was a staff error, the issue resembles the controversy that nearly caused his 2010 Senate campaign to implode. Moreover, Kirk is now running for reelection against Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a military veteran who lost both of her legs during combat in Iraq.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Fort Hood Soldier Found Dead in Barracks

FORT HOOD SOLDIER FROM MAYWOOD, ILL., FOUND DEAD IN BARRACKS
ABC 7 News Chicago
Associated Press
August 22, 2016

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a Fort Hood soldier from Illinois.

Spc. Dion Shannon Servant, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
(Fort Hood Press Center)
Spc. Dion Shannon Servant was found unresponsive in his barracks room at the Texas military base on Aug. 19.

The 24-year-old entered active-duty service in June 2014 as a petroleum supply specialist. He was assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since December 2014.
read more here

Saturday, August 20, 2016

PTSD Vietnam Veteran Became "Brother's Keeper"

Reynolds helps PTSD veterans out of the dark, into the light
MyWebTimes
Steve Stout
August 20, 2016

"This a not a social gathering. This group is designed for problem solving. We talk about things that many of us haven't even shared with our families. There is no pity or shame given here. There is only compassionate understanding and genuine support. Here, at these meetings, we provide each other with the tools, the courage, we vets need to live our everyday lives." Roger Reynolds
As a young U.S. Marine in the late 1960s, Roger Reynolds, of Ottawa, fought for his country in the jungles of Vietnam.
"The time I spent in Vietnam turned me into a crazed, heartless killer," admitted Reynolds.

"I caused a lot of death and destruction while I was over there and, on Valentine's Day, 1969, I shot and killed my best friend during a night fight in the jungle. That mission — my buddy's death — has become my eternal nightmare. I know it will never leave me."

With little memory of his last days in Vietnam, Reynolds came home to La Salle County — like many returning combat servicemen and women — suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Part of his personal salvation came years later, as he helped form a peer-led, community-based group at the Veterans Administration Clinic in Peru for local veterans affected by PTSD.

These days, as a steel-minded leader of that group, Reynolds, 68, fights for the proper mental and physical care of fellow former servicemen with the men themselves and the VA.

At weekly meetings, he is the organizer of discussions that range from personal family problems to medical issues, from recurring nightmares of combat trauma to dark depressions.

In the private gatherings, the veterans share their fears, pain, heartaches and, perhaps most importantly, fellowship.


"I have become my brother's keeper and that is just fine with me."
read more here

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Task Force Listens To Veterans Families About Suicide

Fox Valley military families share stories with task force studying veteran suicide
Aurora Beacon-News

Linda Girardi
June 18, 2106

Andy Weiss said his son completed three tours in Afghanistan and was preparing for his fourth deployment when he died from suicide.

"I knew there were risks associated with serving," the Naperville father said. "They told me my son died from suicide. I thought it was not possible."

Andy Weiss said son 1st Lt. Daniel A. Weiss enlisted in the U.S. Army infantry at age 17. His death March 4, 2012, at age 25 suddenly thrust his father into having "to grapple with the stigmas" associated with suicide, he said.

"I thought suicide wasn't possible in my family. It's possible in any family," Weiss said.
State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego A task force headed by State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, aimed at preventing suicides among veterans convened at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove. Kifowit listens to testimony from veterans and family members of veterans. (Linda Girardi / The Beacon-News)
Max Ludwig, 66, of Aurora, said he enlisted in the Army in 1969 and served 26 months in Vietnam. He spoke with emotion about how difficult it was to make the transition from the military to civilian life.

"Back then, if you talked about how you felt, you were not a man. There was no help," he said. "All I wanted was the hurt to go away."

Ludwig said he eventually reached out to a crisis hotline. "I came to understand I am worth something," he said. Ludwig said he is receiving counseling that is helping him.
read more here

Vietnam Veterans Honored At Special Ceremony

Vietnam veterans commemorated before Hank Williams Jr. concert
WSIL ABC News 3 
Jun 18, 2016
MARION -- The Marion VA honored Vietnam veterans with a special ceremony ahead of the Hank Williams Jr. concert Saturday night.

Vietnam War Veteran, Mike Gunter, was one of the many honored at the event.

"We feel especially proud that we're going to be honored tonight as Vietnam veterans. It's taken America a long time," says Gunter. "We must never turn our backs on another generation like we did the Vietnam veterans."
read more here

WSIL-TV 3 Southern Illinois

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

WWII Veteran's Family Wins Settlement After Being Shot By Police Beanbag

Family Agrees to $1.1M Settlement in WWII Veteran's Death
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MARKHAM, Ill.
May 24, 2016

Court documents show relatives of a 95-year-old World War II veteran who died after being shot with a beanbag gun by a police officer, who was trying to disarm him, have agreed to a $1.1 million wrongful death settlement.

Park Forest Police Officer Craig Taylor responded in July 2013 after an assisted-living facility staff member reported John Wrana Jr. had become combative. Wrana was shot five times with the beanbag gun before he dropped the knife he was wielding. He died hours later of internal bleeding.

Sharon Mangerson, Wrana's stepdaughter and executor of his estate, had filed a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit in 2014 alleging, among other things, that Wrana's civil rights were violated.

Park Forest recently agreed to a $1.1 million settlement, with $800,000 covering legal fees and costs and the rest going to family members.
read more here

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Vietnam Veteran Navy Corpsman Already Felt Lucky Before Lottery Win

Carterville grandfather, Vietnam War veteran wins $3 million from Illinois Lottery
The Southern
Molly Parker
April 5, 2016

“I survived the Vietnam War and I have a wonderful family,” he stated in the release. “I considered myself a very lucky man even before I won the lottery.”
CARTERVILLE — A 70-year-old Vietnam War veteran, retired nurse and grandfather from Carterville has won a $3 million Illinois Lottery prize, the state reported on Tuesday.

According to an Illinois Lottery news release, Bill McCamish recently purchased the winning $3,000,000 Jumbo Bucks ticket at Farm Fresh, 209 N. Division St. in Carterville.

The release said that McCamish picks up his youngest grandchildren on weekday mornings, and drives them to school. After dropping them off one recent morning, he stopped at the store to buy a copy of The Southern Illinoisan and the instant ticket, which cost him $20.

During the Vietnam War, McCamish was a Navy hospital corpsman. Back home, he worked as a registered nurse for 44 years until his retirement. McCamish, according to the release, said he plans to share his winnings with his son and daughter, make investments to help his six grandchildren pay for college, and put the rest in the bank for now.
read more here

Friday, March 4, 2016

Tom Young Committed Suicide After Waiting for Help

"There is no voice mail today, I can assure you of that. That's unacceptable. That was done by a contractor," said Dr. David J. Shulkin, Undersecretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Pretty much sums up why veterans like Tom Young turned to the VA for help to live only to be left waiting.

It happened to Tom Young when he called and when they called him back the next day, it was too late to listen to him.

SUBURBAN VETERAN FELL THROUGH VA CRACKS FOUR TIMES BEFORE SUICIDE
ABC 7 News Chicago

By Chuck Goudie and Christine Tressel
Thursday, March 03, 2016

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A staple of the American military is to "leave no man behind" on a foreign battlefield.
Army veteran Tom Young was left behind by the VA, according to his family. They say Young asked the Veterans Administration for help on four occasions, but only received phone calls back after he was dead.

This is a story that we begin at the end. July 23rd, 2015. Tom Young is struck and killed by a Metra train headed to the northwest suburbs.

"He took his life," says Will Young, Tom's brother. "And, uh, the day after, we got a call from the VA that, um, a bed was available and then about 20 minutes later, we got a call from the suicide hotline returning his call."

The 30-year old had apparently called the VA'S suicide hotline, leaving a message that he needed help. Someone from the hotline called him back a day later, after he had put himself in the path of the Metra train.
read more here

Monday, February 29, 2016

Vietnam Veteran's Daughter Fights For Justice

Daughter Believes Dad Was Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder 
FOX ILLINOIS 
BY LINDSEY HESS 
FEBRUARY 28TH 2016
"He's wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder. There was no intent here. He didn't wake up in the morning and say 'hey, I'm going to kill my brother today.' He simply tried to stop his violent brother," said Thompson.
The nation's top legal experts believe up to 100,000 U.S. prisoners are innocent.

The issue of wrongful convictions has been thrust into the spotlight recently after the wildly popular Netflix documentary 'Making a Murderer' took the nation by storm.

A Springfield woman claims her father was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder, and now she's fighting for justice.

"Anyone that knows him knows he loved his brother. And there's no way he intended to do this. There's no way," said Kelly Thompson.

But that's not how the jury saw it.

"There was no forensic experts. No one testified about his post-traumatic stress disorder from being a Vietnam vet. No one testified about how drunk he was. No one testified about any of the forensics of where my uncle was on the couch compared to what the state was trying to say," said Thompson.
read more here

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Marine Veteran Stops Intruder Twice

Former Marine Stops Burglary, Holds Intruder at Gunpoint 
News Channel 20
Brendan Cullerton
January 29, 2016
"He did an outstanding job of defending his castle, and had the restraint to know not to shoot because he didn't feel his life was in danger at that point."
Josh Crammond said when he first heard the break in Thursday night, he thought it was his girlfriend.

"I was awake and then I heard glass break," Crammond said. "I thought she fell in the kitchen and dropped something and it scared me, and then I heard somebody kick in my door."

24-year-old Christopher Price had busted through the glass in Crammonds door, but he picked the wrong house.

"My father was a police officer, and I spent four years in the Marine Corps."

So Crammond pulled a gun on the intruder, scared him off, called 911 and went upstairs.

But Price tried breaking in again.
read more here

Army Captain Back from South Korea Meets 4 New Babies

FATHER MEETS NEWBORN QUADRUPLETS FOR FIRST TIME WHILE HOME FROM DEPLOYMENT 
ABC 7 News Chicago
Will Jones
January 29, 2016
HINSDALE, Ill. (WLS) -- Four newborn quadruplets are meeting their father - home from his deployment in South Korea - for the first time.

Anthony Burch and his wife Mary Pat are now the parents to Henry, Molly, Nathaniel and Samuel.

"I can't wait to hold them," Anthony said.

This is the moment this Army captain has been waiting for.

The quadruplets are getting stronger every day in the neonatal intensive care unit at AMITA Adventist Medical Center at Hinsdale.

Although Anthony couldn't be in the delivery room last Sunday morning to welcome them into the world, he wasn't too far away thanks to FaceTime.

"Perfect timing. Everything clicked together I was able to see the babies as they were getting cleaned off in the room," Anthony said.

"He got to see them before I did even though I was right there and he was 12,000 miles away," Mary Pat said.
read more here

Judge Regrets Sending Veteran to Prison

With regret, judge gives veteran 6 years for home invasion
Pantagraph
Edith Brady-Lunny 1 hr ago
Saying he appreciated the state's willingness to support the minimum sentence of six years, Luckman said "I wish our legislature had shown the same thoughtfulness."
BLOOMINGTON — Thanking an Iraq War veteran for his service and bravery, a McLean County judge expressed regret that no sentencing option other than prison existed before giving him a six-year term for home invasion.

Lawyers for Sam Siatta spent Friday afternoon arguing the psychological aftermath of his service with the Marines in Afghanistan was behind his out-of- control conduct in April 2014. Siatta, 26, of Diamond, a small town near Joliet, was convicted in November of breaking into a man's home in Normal and hitting the man with a frying pan. Siatta was stabbed nine times by the victim during the altercation.

The situation Siatta and other veterans find themselves in was not contemplated by lawmakers when they approved a mandatory prison term of six to 30 years for home invasion, said defense lawyer Kerry Luckman.

"This is an issue we are going to be dealing with more with the veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan," said Luckman.

In his brief comments to Judge Scott Drazewski, Siatta apologized to the victim. He said he has no memory of the incident that occurred while he was a student at Illinois State University.

With day-for-day good time credit, Siatta will serve about three years of the sentence.
read more here

Friday, January 29, 2016

Seat Saved At Soldier's Field for Missing in Action

Empty seat at Soldier Field dedicated to POWs, MIAs
Chicago Tribune
Brianna Gurciullo
January 28, 2016
The open seat, which is fenced off between an American flag and POW/MIA flag, honors prisoners of war and service members declared missing in action.

Rolling Thunder, Illinois Chapter One, members Kandice Jacobs, from left
Gary Bills and Dina Derman look at a chair dedicated to prisoners of war
and missing in action military personnel after a ceremony at Soldier Field
on Jan. 28, 2016. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Rolling Thunder members, donning leather jackets with biker patches, hats and sunglasses, filed by a lone chair, plaque and set of flags Thursday afternoon at Soldier Field.

Some stopped and saluted. A man and woman stood arm in arm and looked at the arrangement.

"America the Beautiful" played over speakers. Later, snow flurries began to fall as several members posed for a photo together.
More than 83,000 military personnel remain missing from conflicts as long ago as World War II, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
read more here