Fort Hood Families Holiday Express to Make Memories

Holiday Express: Train ride a treat for military families

Temple Daily Telegram
Melany Cox
December 3, 2017

“It’s important, because we get a chance to show the military families how much we appreciate all the sacrifices they make for all of us.” Carl Ice, President and CEO of BNSF

Santa hands out Christmas ornaments to the Wagner family during the annual BNSF Holiday Express train ride. Melany Cox Telegram

For the past 10 years, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has honored military families with the Holiday Express train trip, a free, festive train ride for families of servicemen and women. This year the train is making its way through Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. The tour included a stop in Central Texas.

On Wednesday afternoon nearly 350 members of families stationed at Fort Hood boarded the Holiday Express at the Santa Fe Depot in Temple for a round-trip ride complete with complimentary snacks, hot chocolate and a visit from Santa.

“It’s important, because we get a chance to show the military families how much we appreciate all the sacrifices they make for all of us,” said Carl Ice, President and CEO of BNSF.

The Holiday Express features 15 restored vintage railcars, and is powered by two of BNSF’s newest locomotives. Passengers exclaimed in delight as they boarded the passenger cars, which were lavishly decorated with garland and lights.
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Master Sgt. Joseph Schicker is a forgotten man

Wounded soldier who came back a hero from Afghanistan was then demoted
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By TONY MESSENGER
Published: June 3, 2017

In 2015, he found out the Missouri Guard had lied to him. At least two other soldiers — both higher ranks than Schicker — were granted exceptions to the rule the Guard cited in forcing him to take a demotion.

In January 2013, Sgt. Joe Schicker was Missouri’s hero.

A member of the Missouri National Guard, he had been injured while deployed in Afghanistan. When he returned to Missouri, none other than Gov. Jay Nixon pinned the Purple Heart on Schicker’s battle fatigues. Then Schicker stood in the House gallery in his dress blues as Nixon gave his annual State of the State address and received a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“Just hours after his team arrived at their base, Taliban insurgents attacked,” Nixon said of Schicker. “In successfully repelling the attack, several Missouri Guardsmen, including Sgt. Schicker, were wounded. … Sgt. Schicker, you represent every man and every woman who has ever fought to defend our great nation, in every era and on every field of battle.”

Four years later, Master Sgt. Joseph Schicker is a forgotten man.

“They paraded me around the state when I came back and said, ‘Look, he’s one of our heroes,’” Schicker said. “Now, they don’t care. I’ve been wronged and no one wants to help me.”
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Missouri Firefighter’s Suicide Highlights PTSD

Missouri Firefighter’s Suicide Highlights PTSD 
Death of firefighter raises attention towards awareness and treatment 02/23/2017

ST. LOUIS (KSDK) - Beth McMullin never imagined that someday, she would be married to a firefighter.

Vietnam Veteran Dennis Gray Laid to Rest with Honors

‘Unclaimed’ Vietnam veteran who died in December buried with honors in Higginsville
FOX 4 KC
BY MICHELLE PEKARSKY AND MARCUS OFFICER
FEBRUARY 15, 2017

HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. — A Vietnam War veteran who died in December and whose body remained unclaimed until a Missouri coroner got involved, was laid to rest with honors Wednesday afternoon in Higginsville, Mo., surrounded by some of his relatives.

Pettis County Coroner Robert ‘Skip” Smith found Dennis Gray’s discharge papers at Gray’s home in Sedalia, Mo., after the veteran passed away.

Initially, no one knew how to contact Gray’s family members but with the help of the coroner and other strangers, they were located and attended the service.
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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.
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Combat PTSD Veteran Tells How VA Saved His LIfe

Veteran says VA saved his life
Leavenworth Times
By MARK ROUNTREE
January 18, 2017

"We are all kind of our own special society. You don't have to give your whole story to explain it (to other veterans)." James Trumble

James Trumble sits on a bench outside of the domicillary at the Eisenhower VA Medical Center, reflecting on his military experiences and how the V has helped him deal with post traumatic stress disorder

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, James Trumble said he always wanted to join the Army. He remembers playing Army as a youngster.

"What little kid didn't play Army?" he said.

Trumble enlisted in the Army at the age of 24. In 2007, he was deployed near Baghdad, Iraq. It didn't take long before he was in the fight.

On his first mission, Trumble earned his combat infantryman badge as a result of a firefight.

"That kind of started PTSD for me," he said.

He said that in his first five months in Iraq, he was engaged in more than 20 firefights. He said those experiences and more led to his developing post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Combat is so unexpected," he said. "I don't know what is normal or what isn't. It was enough to affect me."

Trumble served for a little more than three years in the Army. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007-08 as part of the 101st Airborne, 1st 502nd infantry.
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Taylor Swift Surprises Oldest "Swifty" WWII Veteran!

Taylor Swift Surprises 96-Year-Old Veteran with Home Visit and Performance
PEOPLE
BY DAVE QUINN
POSTED ON DECEMBER 26, 2016

Taylor Swift is known for surprising fans with one-of-a-kind experiences — showing up at weddings, bridal showers, and even inviting them over for dance parties at her house. And on Monday, she continued the tradition — surprising a 96-year-old World War II veteran with a visit to his Missouri home.

Cyrus Porter had made headlines for being the oldest “Swifty” — telling Ozarks First that he’s been to multiple Swift concerts, using his love for the 27-year-old singer to bring him closer to 20+ grandchildren.

“I’ve been to two concerts,” he said. “Memphis and St Louis. Look what she does… she puts on a show no one else puts on. I just enjoyed going to see ’em and her. I would as soon go see her right now as anybody!”
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Veteraan Navy SEAL Wins Missouri Governorship

Former Navy SEAL Wins Governorship as Vets Head to Congress
Military.com
by Hope Hodge Seck
Nov 09, 2016

In an election night that proved to be an unexpected nail-biter for the presidential race, a number of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars found their own paths to victory.

Missouri Republican Gov.-elect Eric Greitens delivers a victory speech Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, in Chesterfield, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Curry)

Some half-dozen fresh-faced veterans won seats in the House of Representatives by the wee hours of Wednesday morning as more remained locked in races too close to call.

One congresswoman, Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, who served honorably as an Army officer in Iraq, made a successful bid for a Senate seat. And in one of the most closely contested races, Eric Greitens, a decorated former Navy SEAL who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, won his election for governor of Missouri as a Republican against Democrat Chris Koster, the former State attorney general.

Tuesday's election underscored a growing trend of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan parlaying their military leadership skills in bids for national elected office. More than 30 veterans of the two wars ran for House Seats they had not held before.
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Vietnam Helicopter Survived Being Shot Down 4 Times, Vandalized in Kansas City

Helicopter shot down 4 times in Vietnam vandalized in Kansas City
BY FOX 4 NEWSROOM
SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 50-year-old helicopter that flew 3,500 hours of combat in Vietnam and was shot down four times, will need to be repaired before it can be used again at special events.

According to Arnold Swift, a Vietnam veteran who helps take the helicopter to various events, they were preparing to take the helicopter to the atrium in Overland Park for an event.

“The tow truck got here and realized that they had busted out the chin bubble, the side window and the back window and vandalized stuff inside the helicopter,” said Swift.

“It didn’t make any sense because all they got away with was a flight uniform, a Vietnam era flight uniform and a pair of combat boots and one other boot,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense because we’ve got mock-up weapons and everything in there that weren’t even touched.”
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Homeless Vietnam Veteran Eton Gilmore Honorable Burial

Woman who served in Vietnam fights to get honorable burial for veteran who died homeless
FOX4 WDAF
Megan Dillard
FEBRUARY 3, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- At the top of his career, he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. Two weeks ago, he died disabled and homeless in an abandoned house, with no family. Thanks to the efforts of a fellow disabled veteran, Mr. Eton Gilmore will get the burial he deserves.

A quick drive down Woodland Avenue, and the red house seems just like any other. But there's more to the abandoned home and street-side trash pile. Beyond the rubbish is the story of a homeless veteran who lived and died in the home, and the woman who is fighting to make sure he's buried with honors.

Maryannah Mosley is a disabled Vietnam veteran. She spends her time feeding the homeless.

"If they’re veterans, I really reach out. I’m a disabled veteran myself," she said.

FOX 4 put her in touch with the Department of Veteran Affairs. In a telephone conversation, a spokesperson for the VA said, "He will be buried at no cost to anyone at one of these cemeteries." The spokesperson said the VA wants to help quickly, he appreciates Mosley's efforts, and he's proud of her. "As soon as we’re off the phone, I’m going to push this email over to them."
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Joplin High School Won't Hold Empty Chair for Tornado Victim?

Anguished mom wants seat saved for son at graduation
WZZM 13 ABC News
January 30, 2016

"They should at least do something," he said. Williams is now 21 and a member of the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in North Carolina's Camp Lejeune. His unit is expected to deploy soon.

JOPLIN, Mo. — A woman whose son was killed almost five years ago in a monster tornado that struck southwest Missouri wants an empty chair saved for him at what would have been his high school graduation.

Officials at Joplin High School and the school district rejected the request, saying it doesn't comply with their policy. Now Tammy Niederhelman hopes to put pressure on Joplin School District officials through an online petition.

"I'll never see my son graduate. I know that. I'll never see him get married. I'll never hold my grandchildren," Niederhelman said. "This is very important to me — to have a seat for him."

Zachary Zachary Allen Williams was 12 and hadn't finished middle school when he died May 22, 2011, as he huddled in a bathroom of the Niederhelmans' house; 160 other people died that same day.

"No parent should ever have to beg, plead, and fight for their deceased student to be honored with their own seat at graduation and for their name to be called," Niederhelman wrote in her Change.org petition, which more than 4,500 people had signed as of Friday. "Zach will not sit in the seat as he should have but he was, is, and always will be a Joplin Eagle Class of 2016."
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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

Paralyzed Veteran New Track Chair Gives Him Freedom

Paralyzed Veteran Receives Early Christmas Present
Navy Vet Says New Track Chair Gives Him Freedom In The Outdoor
Ozark First News
By Grant Sloan
Published 12/10 2015

ADRIAN, Mo.-- A group of veterans in the Ozarks delivered an early Christmas present to one of their own this week.

Members of the Vietnam Veterans of America 913 made the trip to Adrian, Missouri --near Kansas City -- to deliver a track chair to Navy veteran, Nate Beard.

Beard, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a swimming accident, says the gift allows him to enjoy his home away from home.

"I love everything about being outside, the trees, the sun, the sky,” says Beard. “I love it all. Freedom.”

Through benefit shows the Vietnam Veterans 913 normally assists veterans in Stone and Taney Counties, but with help from the College of the Ozarks, they had the opportunity to assist someone outside their own backyard.

Hearing Beard’s reason for wanting the high-tech track made it an easy decision for the organization to help him.

"I just wanted to spend time with my daughter outdoors," says Beard.
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Bruce Windorski Found Alive!

Missing Army Veteran Bruce Windorski Found Alive
NBC News
Rachel Trost
November 4, 2015

Army veteran Bruce Windorski, who vanished from his northern Wisconsin home on October 17th, has been found alive in Missouri.

The Oconto County Sheriff's Office confirmed Bruce was located safely in Missouri, but no other details have been released.

"The hug and kiss was long awaited," Bruce's wife, Courtney, told Dateline NBC Wednesday morning. The family is asking for privacy at this time.
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Family Searching for Missing Veteran

Chilling Reminder of Veteran Struggle With PTSD

UPDATE
Dozens gather to remember Marine, Missouri State student
Eric Hilt Eric HiltOct 22, 2015

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.
Friends, family members and fellow servicemen and women gathered at Missouri State's campus Thursday night to honor Kindall Johnson. Johnson shot himself in the Springfield Police Department parking lot on Saturday.

Johnson was a Missouri State student and a Marine. People close to him say he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday people lit candles in his honor and wore teal ribbons to raise PTSD awareness. Several people close to Johnson spoke to a crowd of more than 100 people.
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Weekend suicide is chilling reminder of veterans' struggles
Springfield News Leader
Jon Swedien
October 21, 2015

The suicide this weekend of a 22-year-old military veteran brought home to Springfield a statistic that has caused alarm nationwide.

Kindall Johnson

(Photo: Kindall Johnson's Facebook page)

Twenty-two veterans commit suicide every day, a 2013 Department of Veterans Affairs study found.

Kindall Johnson, a Missouri State University student fresh out of the Marines, joined their ranks when he killed himself Saturday afternoon while parked in a car near the Springfield Police station on Chestnut Expressway.

The quiet young man who grew up in Willard struggled with his return to civilian life and was reluctant to seek help, said his longtime friend and pastor, Jeffrey Chavez.

"He would never admit he had (post-traumatic stress disorder)," said Chavez, the senior pastor at The Catalyst Church, who knew Johnson since he was in the eighth grade.

Friends will hold a vigil for Johnson at 8 p.m. Thursday on the MSU campus The vigil will start on the campus's North Mall and people will walk to Trottier Plaza. In case of rain, the location will be in the Plaster Student Union Club.

More than 300 people have said they will attend on the vigil's Facebook page.

Stigmas associated with PTSD are a big part of the problem, said Debora S. Biggs, executive director of National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southwest Missouri.
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*Reminder, it is not "22 a day" but in general veterans commit suicide double the civilian population rate. Most of them are over the age of 50.

Grounded Pilot Sues VA After 10 Years Medicated For What He Did Not Have

Former Navy Pilot Sues US Government over Bipolar Diagnosis
Associated Press
by Bill Draper
Oct 06, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A former Navy pilot has filed a $35 million lawsuit against the federal government alleging that a Veterans Affairs doctor misdiagnosed him with a mental illness that caused him to lose his ability to fly commercial airplanes and be wrongly treated for the disorder for a decade.

William Royster, 53, of Kansas City, said in the lawsuit filed Friday that a doctor at the local VA medical center diagnosed him with bipolar disorder in April 2004 and said he could not work in any capacity. The doctor also said the condition was permanent, he contends.

After he had been treated and medicated for more than 10 years for the disorder, Royster said a different psychiatrist at the medical center told him last November that he was not bipolar.

"From the review of the records, he (Mr. Royster) never had any manic symptoms and he never met the criteria for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. ... Thus in my professional opinion, I do not believe that Mr. Royster has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder," Dr. Shreeja Kumar wrote on Nov. 18.

Royster was flying a fighter jet on a training mission associated with Desert Storm on June 4, 1996, when he was shot down, the lawsuit says. He was injured when he ejected from the jet and honorably discharged from the Navy that November.
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Siege of Vicksburg Confederate Soldier Laid to Rest After 152 Years

Confederate soldier gets proper funeral 152 years after he died 
By The Associated Press
 October 01, 2015

More than 150 years after his death, Pvt. Preston C. Wall has finally gotten a proper funeral.

John C. Pemberton Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans members Wayne McMaster and Bryan Skipworth unveil the tombstone of Pvt. Preston C. Wall, during a funeral ceremony, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015 in Vicksburg, Miss. The Confederate soldier from Company C of the Missouri Infantry, died June 29, 1863, during the Siege of Vicksburg.
(Josh Edwards/The Vicksburg Evening Post via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (Josh Edwards)

The Vicksburg Post reports Wall, a Confederate soldier from Company C of the Missouri Infantry, died June 29, 1863, during the Siege of Vicksburg.

He was 23, but was already a seasoned combat veteran. Wall was never married and left behind no descendants.

John C. Pemberton Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans recently put up a stone in Cedar Hill Cemetery in his honor and formally unveiled the white granite stone Tuesday during a private ceremony with the family.

"It's just nice to have a family member that finally has a marker and some way of memorializing him. We're celebrating the life Preston had," said John Wall of Washington, a descendant of one of Preston Wall's brothers.

More than 5,000 Confederate soldiers are buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, though most were buried in mass graves. There were nearly 20,000 Confederate and Union soldiers listed as missing dead or wounded during the Siege of Vicksburg.
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Army Reserve Captains Attacked Outside Restaurant

UPDATE: Army captain assaulted on Plaza out of hospital, back at Ft. Leavenworth
He is at Leavenworth for 12-week course
KSHB 41 News Kansas City
Shain Bergan, Nick Sloan
Sep 26, 2015

The man punched the soldier, according to police. The other five individuals then piled on and began punching and kicking the soldier while he was on the ground.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - UPDATE, 9/28: The Army captain who suffered serious injuries after being assaulted on the Country Club Plaza on Sept. 19 was released from the hospital Monday. He is back at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., being examined by on-base medical crews, according to officials there.

The 37-year-old man was admitted at St. Luke's hospital in Kansas City after being jumped by six assailants outside of the Zocalo Mexican restaurant on the Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. Another Army captain he was with was also assaulted, but was treated at the scene and released, according to Fort Leavenworth officials.

Both captains serve in the Army Reserve with the 151st Theater Information Operations Group at Fort Totten, New York. They are at Fort Leavenworth for a 12-week qualification course

Officials said the severely injured captain met with family at the base and was released from on-base medical care Monday.
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Veteran Navy SEAL Wants Top Job As Missouri Governor

Former Navy SEAL Greitens running for Missouri governor
The Associated Press
By Alan Scher Zagier and Summer Ballentine
September 28, 2015

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, a political newcomer who was once courted to run for Congress as a Democrat, on Saturday launched a Republican campaign for Missouri governor in 2016.

Eric Greitens

Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens smiles at a rally where he announced his candidacy into the

2016 race for Missouri governor onSept. 26, 2015, at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights, Mo.

(Photo: uy Mach/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Greitens, 41, is already the top fundraiser in a crowded GOP field thanks to an exploratory campaign committee that's raised more than $1 million in recent months, boosting his total haul to more than $2 million.

He touted both his military background and lack of political pedigree before a crowd of several hundred supporters at an announcement in suburban St. Louis near his childhood home.

"I'm running for governor because we need a political outsider to move Missouri forward," Greitens said. "We have a political class of corrupt consultants, well-paid lobbyists, and career politicians who have been in Jefferson City for decades. They have produced nothing for us but embarrassment and failure."

Greitens grew up in St. Louis County, was a Rhodes Scholar after graduation from Duke University, served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and as White House fellow. He's written three books that combine stories of his military service and humanitarian work with lessons on leadership. He founded the nonprofit group The Mission Continues, which connects veterans with volunteer work to ease the post-military transition.

He drew the loudest cheers with a call to extend term limits to all statewide offices and ban lobbyist gifts to state lawmakers.

"I will defeat you, I will expose your lies, I will root out your corruption, and I will see you out of the people's Capitol," said Greitens, adding his own lifetime pledge to never lobby government.
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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