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| Murray likes the reunion even though it is a long ride to get there! |
Showing posts with label Melbourne FL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melbourne FL. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Melbourne Vietnam Wall Escort into Wickham Park
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Retired Firefighter Honors Brothers Lost to Cancer
Retired Orange County firefighter walks across state for fallen brothers
Click Orlando
By Amanda Castro - Reporter/Anchor
Posted: 12:18 PM, April 14, 2018
Tom "Bull" Hill raising awareness for cancer-related death benefits
MELBOURNE, Fla. - A retired Orange County firefighter is carrying the burden of his fallen brothers while walking hundreds of miles across the state to raise awareness for cancer-related death benefits.
Tom "Bull" Hill started his 700-mile journey in the Keys March 20. The 58-year-old has walked up the state and made his way to Melbourne Fire Station 74 Friday night.
On Saturday, he continued his journey up the Space Coast.
"It's an honor to carry these guys. That's the truth," Hill said.
Hill called it an honor and a burden as he stood over a table covered with photos of fallen firefighters and members of law enforcement. On the table were three large backpacks filled with more than 500 badges, shields and names of first responders who passed away.
The retired Orange County firefighter said he's keeping a promise and walking in memory of two fellow brothers who died from work-related cancer.
read more here
Click Orlando
By Amanda Castro - Reporter/Anchor
Posted: 12:18 PM, April 14, 2018
Tom "Bull" Hill raising awareness for cancer-related death benefits
Tom "Bull" Hill started his 700-mile journey in the Keys March 20. The 58-year-old has walked up the state and made his way to Melbourne Fire Station 74 Friday night.
On Saturday, he continued his journey up the Space Coast.
"It's an honor to carry these guys. That's the truth," Hill said.
Hill called it an honor and a burden as he stood over a table covered with photos of fallen firefighters and members of law enforcement. On the table were three large backpacks filled with more than 500 badges, shields and names of first responders who passed away.
The retired Orange County firefighter said he's keeping a promise and walking in memory of two fellow brothers who died from work-related cancer.
read more here
Friday, April 13, 2018
Veterans Reunion Missing Far Too Many
Vietnam Veterans Forgotten Again?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 13, 2018
When I read that there will be a display to remember veterans lost to suicides at the Veterans Reunion, I thought they would get it right. Considering this reunion began for Vietnam Veterans, their lives should matter here at least.
After reading the article on Florida Today, it is sickening to discover yet again, they just do not matter enough.
When will reporters ever correct something as serious as veterans committing suicide? What made this one even worse was that apparently, now they can use "troops" and "veterans" lumping them together in a mashed up number like 660?
That number is supposed to be how many veterans commit suicide every month. Too bad no one thought to actually do the work to figure out that there are far too many more not being remembered at all.
OK, harsh reality check here. These are the numbers of the "troops" we lost in 2016 and 2017.
No, they are not even mentioned in the numbers people pass around like a treat. Too bad it is a wicked trick since even the numbers of veterans committing suicide are wrong too.
That 660 is supposed to be from "22 a day" but they did not mention that report involved just 21 states. So, no, nowhere close to what is real. That report also said that among the known suicides, 65% of those veterans are over the age of 50, but since they are escorting the Vietnam Memorial Wall into Wickham Park to honor Vietnam veterans, guess they thought that these older veterans do not deserve even honorable mention!
Then within the report from the VA is this reminder that the known suicides have not gone down since 1999 however the number of living veterans has gone down by over 5 million.
Am I pissed off ? Yes. When I film the riders coming in this year, I think I'll shed more tears knowing how they have been forgotten all over again!
They are killing themselves in higher numbers and none of these new groups pulling stunts will lift a finger to help them or even remember they started everything available for all the other generations!
I feel terrible for Robin Thomas, who lost her husband to suicide, because she had no way of knowing, what she had been told, was not the truth. She wants to honor her husband at the same time, save another family from going through the same thing.
Lord I hope to give her a hug and tell her how sorry I am that after all these years, veterans like her husband are still taking their own lives.
This is from last year.
Imagine if he had been told that he could heal and actually knew where to go to get it? Too many were too busy yelling about something veterans already knew...how to kill themselves.
This video is from 2015 before I got my hands on the report itself and saw where the data came from. At least we knew that Vietnam veterans were the majority of the veterans committing suicide. Would have been better if the rest of the country bothered to actually care.
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 13, 2018
When I read that there will be a display to remember veterans lost to suicides at the Veterans Reunion, I thought they would get it right. Considering this reunion began for Vietnam Veterans, their lives should matter here at least.
After reading the article on Florida Today, it is sickening to discover yet again, they just do not matter enough.
When will reporters ever correct something as serious as veterans committing suicide? What made this one even worse was that apparently, now they can use "troops" and "veterans" lumping them together in a mashed up number like 660?
That number is supposed to be how many veterans commit suicide every month. Too bad no one thought to actually do the work to figure out that there are far too many more not being remembered at all.
OK, harsh reality check here. These are the numbers of the "troops" we lost in 2016 and 2017.
That 660 is supposed to be from "22 a day" but they did not mention that report involved just 21 states. So, no, nowhere close to what is real. That report also said that among the known suicides, 65% of those veterans are over the age of 50, but since they are escorting the Vietnam Memorial Wall into Wickham Park to honor Vietnam veterans, guess they thought that these older veterans do not deserve even honorable mention!
Then within the report from the VA is this reminder that the known suicides have not gone down since 1999 however the number of living veterans has gone down by over 5 million.
Am I pissed off ? Yes. When I film the riders coming in this year, I think I'll shed more tears knowing how they have been forgotten all over again!
They are killing themselves in higher numbers and none of these new groups pulling stunts will lift a finger to help them or even remember they started everything available for all the other generations!
I feel terrible for Robin Thomas, who lost her husband to suicide, because she had no way of knowing, what she had been told, was not the truth. She wants to honor her husband at the same time, save another family from going through the same thing.
Lord I hope to give her a hug and tell her how sorry I am that after all these years, veterans like her husband are still taking their own lives.
This is from last year.
Melbourne Vietnam-veterans reunion to feature 660-flag display for troops lost to suicide
Florida Today
Rick Neale
April 12, 2018
MELBOURNE — An array of 660 American flags will silently flutter along the north shore of Back Lake in Wickham Park during next week's Florida Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion, standing somber testimony to the estimated 660 U.S. troops and veterans lost to suicide every month.
The "flags for forgotten soldiers" display is a new addition to the 31st annual reunion lineup, which is billed as the largest of its kind in the nation. Flag installation begins at 1 p.m. Sunday.
"We just thought we had an issue with one person. Well, after Terry died, his suicide was tragic to our family — it's inconceivable. But he acted the same as many PTSD veterans," said Merritt Island resident Robin Thomas, who is spearheading the 660-flag display.
Thomas is a former Air Force staff sergeant who served from 1979-88. She gave birth to her son, Terrance O'Hearn, while stationed at Patrick Air Force Base. He later served combat tours as an Army specialist from 2006-10 in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he committed suicide at age 30 in 2016 in his California apartment. It was his fourth suicide attempt.read more here
Imagine if he had been told that he could heal and actually knew where to go to get it? Too many were too busy yelling about something veterans already knew...how to kill themselves.
This video is from 2015 before I got my hands on the report itself and saw where the data came from. At least we knew that Vietnam veterans were the majority of the veterans committing suicide. Would have been better if the rest of the country bothered to actually care.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Veterans Court gives PTSD veterans a fighting chance
Torres: Veteran mentors continue to serve in court with pride
Florida Today
John A Terres
February 12 2018
You hear the cliches in just about every war movie ever made about this special band of brothers or no man left behind.
You may never hear "never stop serving" on the big screen but its sentiment is just as important to the health and well-being of those who have served our country as evidenced in Brevard County's Veterans Treatment Court.
Just ask someone like Melbourne native and former Marine Theodore Doukas, who returned from a couple of tours in Iraq with a back injury that led to a painkiller addiction. Paired up with veteran mentor Harry "Skip" Taylor, Doukas is getting the help he needs and will soon graduate from the program.
"He's shown me the path," Doukas said about Taylor. "He's really stayed on me about going to the V.A. Some things in this program have really changed my life."
read more here
Florida Today
John A Terres
February 12 2018
You hear the cliches in just about every war movie ever made about this special band of brothers or no man left behind.
Circuit Judge Judith Atkin honors the veteran mentors in Veterans Court.(Photo: Courtesy 18th Judicial Circuit)
You may never hear "never stop serving" on the big screen but its sentiment is just as important to the health and well-being of those who have served our country as evidenced in Brevard County's Veterans Treatment Court.
Just ask someone like Melbourne native and former Marine Theodore Doukas, who returned from a couple of tours in Iraq with a back injury that led to a painkiller addiction. Paired up with veteran mentor Harry "Skip" Taylor, Doukas is getting the help he needs and will soon graduate from the program.
"He's shown me the path," Doukas said about Taylor. "He's really stayed on me about going to the V.A. Some things in this program have really changed my life."
read more here
Saturday, May 6, 2017
WIckham Park Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion
I don't think we could have asked for a better day to be out at the Veterans Reunion in Melbourne.
I found this of the Last Patrol....
It is from 2014
Our dog Murray paid his respects to his heroes.
And we paid our respects to ours.
It is from 2014
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