Oregon shooting: Gunman dead after college rampage
CNN
By Dana Ford
Updated 5:34 PM ET, Thu October 1, 2015
(CNN)The man who opened fire at Oregon's Umpqua Community College on Thursday is dead, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters.
No police officers were injured, but preliminary information indicates 10 people were killed and more than 20 others injured in the shooting, according to Oregon State Police spokesman Bill Fugate.
Officers and the gunman exchanged fire. The shooter was a 20-year-old man, according to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
"It's been a terrible day," said Hanlin. "At this point, it's a very active scene. It's a very active investigation."
read more here
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Train Hero Oregon National Guardsman to Receive Soldier's Medal
Oregon Guardsman Who Helped Stop Train Attack to Get Soldier's Medal
Associated Press
Aug 26, 2015
WASHINGTON -- Aleksander Skarlatos, one of three Americans who subdued a heavily armed gunman on a Paris-bound train, will be awarded one of the U.S. Army's highest honors.
Senior Army leaders say Skarlatos, a member of the Oregon National Guard, will get the Soldier's Medal -- the Army's highest award for acts of heroism not involving actual conflict with the enemy.
Skarlatos was traveling from Amsterdam when the gunman emerged from a train lavatory carrying an AK-47 and a Lugar pistol.
After hearing the sound of gunfire, Skarlatos called on other passengers to act, then charged the gunman, helped wrestle his firearms away and helped knock him unconscious with his own rifle.
"Spc. Skarlatos' actions that day epitomize what we mean by a soldier of character -- one who lives by a personal code where dedication to duty and taking care of others is sacred," said Army Secretary John McHugh. read more here
Associated Press
Aug 26, 2015
WASHINGTON -- Aleksander Skarlatos, one of three Americans who subdued a heavily armed gunman on a Paris-bound train, will be awarded one of the U.S. Army's highest honors.
Skarlatos was traveling from Amsterdam when the gunman emerged from a train lavatory carrying an AK-47 and a Lugar pistol.
After hearing the sound of gunfire, Skarlatos called on other passengers to act, then charged the gunman, helped wrestle his firearms away and helped knock him unconscious with his own rifle.
"Spc. Skarlatos' actions that day epitomize what we mean by a soldier of character -- one who lives by a personal code where dedication to duty and taking care of others is sacred," said Army Secretary John McHugh. read more here
Saturday, August 22, 2015
US Military Heroes Stop Attack on Train in Belgium
2 members of U.S. military stop Islamist attacker on train in Belgium
CNN
By Ralph Ellis, Jessica King, Peter Dailey and Archith Seshadri
August 22, 2015
Story highlights
Member of the Oregon National Guard was involved, Guard official says
Two members of the U.S. military overpower attacker on a train en route to France
Incident occurs on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris
(CNN)The train was speeding through Belgium when the man emerged from the train bathroom, shirtless with a rifle -- possibly an AK 47 -- slung over his shoulder, the Americans said.
The three men -- a member of the Air Force, an inactive National Guard member and a civilian -- responded quickly, possibly preventing a deadly attack on the high-speed Thalys train.
The suspect had a box cutter or some other bladed weapon, authorities said.
"My friend Alek (Skarlatos) yells, 'Get him,' so my friend Spencer (Stone) immediately gets up to charge the guy, followed by Alek, then myself," Anthony Sadler said in an interview with CNN.
"The three of us beat up the guy," Anthony said. "In the process Spencer gets slashed multiple times by the box cutter, and Alek takes the AK away.
read more here
CNN
By Ralph Ellis, Jessica King, Peter Dailey and Archith Seshadri
August 22, 2015
Story highlights
Member of the Oregon National Guard was involved, Guard official says
Two members of the U.S. military overpower attacker on a train en route to France
Incident occurs on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris
(CNN)The train was speeding through Belgium when the man emerged from the train bathroom, shirtless with a rifle -- possibly an AK 47 -- slung over his shoulder, the Americans said.
The three men -- a member of the Air Force, an inactive National Guard member and a civilian -- responded quickly, possibly preventing a deadly attack on the high-speed Thalys train.
The suspect had a box cutter or some other bladed weapon, authorities said.
"My friend Alek (Skarlatos) yells, 'Get him,' so my friend Spencer (Stone) immediately gets up to charge the guy, followed by Alek, then myself," Anthony Sadler said in an interview with CNN.
"The three of us beat up the guy," Anthony said. "In the process Spencer gets slashed multiple times by the box cutter, and Alek takes the AK away.
read more here
Monday, July 6, 2015
Iraq Veteran And Student Pilot Killed in Helicopter Crash
FOX News
By FOX 12 Staff
Posted: Jul 06, 2015
NEWBERG, OR (KPTV) - An Iraq war veteran and his student pilot were identified as the two people killed in a helicopter crash in Newberg.
Precision Aviation Training said Anthony Gallerani was instructing Kristian Blackwell on a routine night training flight when the Schweizer S269C helicopter crashed less than a mile east of Chehalem Airpark at 10 p.m. Wednesday.
A National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson said the reason for the loss of control has yet to be determined and investigations like this typically take between six to 10 months.
read more here
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Remains of Staff Sgt. Warren Newton Laid to Rest At Arlington
47 years after being declared missing in action, local Vietnam veteran's remains interred in Arlington
Oregon Live
Jim Ryan
June 17, 2015
The remains of a local Vietnam War veteran and his crewmates were interred in Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, almost 50 years after the men were declared missing in action.
Warren Newton, an 18-year-old Army staff sergeant from Eugene, died in 1968 while serving as a door gunner on a helicopter flight that was shot down by Viet Cong fighters in Vietnam.
The ceremony honoring Newton and his crewmates was the culmination of extensive efforts from a division of the Department of Defense that is committed to accounting for missing veterans and providing information to their families.
read more here
Vietnam veteran from Eugene to be honored, his remains interred in Arlington National Cemetery
Oregon Live
Jim Ryan
June 17, 2015
The remains of a local Vietnam War veteran and his crewmates were interred in Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, almost 50 years after the men were declared missing in action.
Warren Newton, an 18-year-old Army staff sergeant from Eugene, died in 1968 while serving as a door gunner on a helicopter flight that was shot down by Viet Cong fighters in Vietnam.
The ceremony honoring Newton and his crewmates was the culmination of extensive efforts from a division of the Department of Defense that is committed to accounting for missing veterans and providing information to their families.
read more here
Vietnam veteran from Eugene to be honored, his remains interred in Arlington National Cemetery
Friday, May 15, 2015
Court Overturns Justice for National Guard Soldiers
Court overturns $85 million award for Oregon soldiers
AP
By Steven Dubois
May 14, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. — The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an $85 million jury award to a dozen Oregon National Guard soldiers who said they were sickened from guarding a water treatment plant during the Iraq War.
The military contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root successfully argued that Oregon was not the proper jurisdiction for the case. KBR is based in Houston, and similar cases filed by soldiers from Indiana, West Virginia and South Carolina are pending in federal court there.
“We are thrilled with the result; it is the right result and we look forward to a successful conclusion to this and all the legacy tort claims that relate to KBR’s work supporting the U.S. military in Iraq,” KBR attorney Geoffrey Harrison said by phone Thursday.
read more here
AP
By Steven Dubois
May 14, 2015
A federal jury in Portland found KBR guilty of negligence after a three-week trial in late 2012. Each of the 12 soldiers was awarded $850,000 in noneconomic damages and $6.25 million in punitive damages.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an $85 million jury award to a dozen Oregon National Guard soldiers who said they were sickened from guarding a water treatment plant during the Iraq War.
The military contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root successfully argued that Oregon was not the proper jurisdiction for the case. KBR is based in Houston, and similar cases filed by soldiers from Indiana, West Virginia and South Carolina are pending in federal court there.
“We are thrilled with the result; it is the right result and we look forward to a successful conclusion to this and all the legacy tort claims that relate to KBR’s work supporting the U.S. military in Iraq,” KBR attorney Geoffrey Harrison said by phone Thursday.
read more here
Friday, May 1, 2015
Police Officers Cleared After Killing Veteran
UPDATE
We’ll do all we can to avoid another vet tragedy
We’ll do all we can to avoid another vet tragedy
DA rules fatal shooting of Army vet was justified
By The Register-Guard
MAY 1, 2015
Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner announced today that the officer-involved shooting of Brian Babb was justified under Oregon law.
Babb, 49, a former Oregon Army National Guard captain who family members said suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was shot and killed by Eugene police officer Will Stutesman on March 30 after police say he pointed a rifle at the officer from the home’s doorway.
Police Chief Pete Kerns had said previously that the officer — who was inside of an armored vehicle and standing up through a roof hatch — was 100 to 200 feet away at the time of the shooting.
After Stutesman shot Babb, officers entered the residence.
According to the district attorney’s announcement today, the rifle Babb was holding was determined to be unloaded and the ammunition was sitting on a nearby dining room table next to Babb’s personal effects.
Babb’s therapist had called Eugene police to Babb’s West Eugene home and reported that he was suicidal and fired a handgun inside his home.
read more here
Eugene Oregon Police Reach Out After Suicidal Veteran Killed by Officers
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Eugene Oregon Police Reach Out After Suicidal Veteran Killed by Officers
Eugene police reach out to vets
The chief is seeking their help with training after an officer fatally shot a veteran in crisis
The Register Guard
By Christian Hill
The Register-Guard
APRIL 30, 2015
The Eugene Police Department is reaching out to veterans and enlisting their help to train officers in the wake of the March 30 fatal shooting of a war veteran in crisis.
Police Chief Pete Kerns outlined those and other steps he said his department is taking in an email he sent out before the publication in Wednesday’s Register-Guard of a lengthy opinion essay by Becky Higgins, the veteran’s therapist . The essay was highly critical of the police response.
Higgins was on the phone with her client for about 45 minutes before he was killed.
An as-yet-unidentified officer shot and killed Brian Babb, a 49-year-old former captain in the Oregon Army National Guard, after Higgins called police to Babb’s west Eugene home because he was suicidal and told Higgins he had fired a gun in his home.
Kerns has said the officer fired after Babb, who had moved to the doorway, pointed a rifle at the officer.
Higgins wrote in her op-ed essay that she felt “used by the police” and that officers approached the situation as if Babb “was an enemy combatant, instead of a wounded military officer.”
Higgins questioned the police department’s show of force and asked why officers were in a hurry when Babb appeared to her to be calming down. Engaging a traumatized combat veteran with startling commands from a bullhorn, she said, “begs common sense.”
read more here
Hundreds attend memorial for slain veteran
Eugene man killed by police was an Army veteran
The chief is seeking their help with training after an officer fatally shot a veteran in crisis
The Register Guard
By Christian Hill
The Register-Guard
APRIL 30, 2015
“In the long run,” Kerns concluded, “our goal is that our department will have an expertise in the unique skills of working with veterans that will be ideal to the needs of our community.”
The Eugene Police Department is reaching out to veterans and enlisting their help to train officers in the wake of the March 30 fatal shooting of a war veteran in crisis.
Police Chief Pete Kerns outlined those and other steps he said his department is taking in an email he sent out before the publication in Wednesday’s Register-Guard of a lengthy opinion essay by Becky Higgins, the veteran’s therapist . The essay was highly critical of the police response.
Higgins was on the phone with her client for about 45 minutes before he was killed.
An as-yet-unidentified officer shot and killed Brian Babb, a 49-year-old former captain in the Oregon Army National Guard, after Higgins called police to Babb’s west Eugene home because he was suicidal and told Higgins he had fired a gun in his home.
Kerns has said the officer fired after Babb, who had moved to the doorway, pointed a rifle at the officer.
Higgins wrote in her op-ed essay that she felt “used by the police” and that officers approached the situation as if Babb “was an enemy combatant, instead of a wounded military officer.”
Higgins questioned the police department’s show of force and asked why officers were in a hurry when Babb appeared to her to be calming down. Engaging a traumatized combat veteran with startling commands from a bullhorn, she said, “begs common sense.”
read more here
Killing of suicidal veteran likely avoidable
The Register Guard
By Becky Higgins
For The Register-Guard
APRIL 29, 2015
Monday, April 27, marked a month since Brian Babb was killed at his home by Eugene police. The Interagency Deadly Use of Force Investigation Team (IDFIT) has given its report on the incident to Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner, who will determine whether the shooting was justified. Regardless of that decision, the shooting likely could have been avoided.
I was Brian’s therapist. I was on the phone with him until minutes before he was shot dead in the doorway of his home. In this column, I can share the information from the 911 call, which is a public record, and I can share my opinions. Everything else about Babb as my client is privileged, even after his death.
I called 911 on March 30 from my cellphone, reporting that I was a therapist in private practice, I had a client on my office phone who was suicidal, he was a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), he had a handgun, and he was not willing to take the clip out of the gun or the round out of the chamber. The 911 operator told me to place my cellphone next to me while I talked with my client on my office landline. The recording, which picked up only my end of the conversation, lasted about 45 minutes. The 911 operator could hear me; I could hear her.
read more here
Wanda McBride Hollaway 3 weeks ago
Oh my son. I never knew pain until now. When you were four, you told me that when you grew up, you were going to marry me and take care of me. I hugged you and told you that would be great, but mommy would take care of you too. I have failed horribly. The only thing I can do now, is to make every effort to change prodigal on the VA RESPONSE to suicidal veterans. A trained team from the VA should be dispatched - not police! I will miss you every day of my life and look forward to our reunion in heaven. You are my heart, son.
Hundreds attend memorial for slain veteran
Eugene man killed by police was an Army veteran
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Vietnam Veteran Built Missile In Backyard
A missile in his backyard: Vietnam veteran in Medford builds replica of MIM-23 Hawk
Veteran will showcase replica of MIM-23 Hawk in Pear Blossom Parade
Mail Tribune
By Nick Morgan
Posted Apr. 8, 2015
"It's much bigger than we thought," said Mike Halverson, the Oregon state representative of CVMA, as he stared up at the replica Vietnam-era MIM-23 Hawk missile in Bloom's backyard, along with about 10 local members.
Halverson rode his motorcycle from Marion to see the replica in person.
"It's built to scale — 16 feet, 8 inches long," Bloom said. "Young or old, they love to look at it."
read more here
Veteran will showcase replica of MIM-23 Hawk in Pear Blossom Parade
Mail Tribune
By Nick Morgan
Posted Apr. 8, 2015
"Homeland Security knows about it," Bloom said.
Ron Bloom of Medford will premiere his replica Hawk missile at the Pear Blossom Parade Saturday.When Ron Bloom of Medford approached fellow members of Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association about premiering his replica missile at the Pear Blossom Parade, they had a difficult time wrapping their minds around just what Bloom had built.
Mail Tribune / Jamie Lusch
"It's much bigger than we thought," said Mike Halverson, the Oregon state representative of CVMA, as he stared up at the replica Vietnam-era MIM-23 Hawk missile in Bloom's backyard, along with about 10 local members.
Halverson rode his motorcycle from Marion to see the replica in person.
"It's built to scale — 16 feet, 8 inches long," Bloom said. "Young or old, they love to look at it."
read more here
Monday, April 6, 2015
Oregon Marine Killed In Motorcycle Accident Escorted Home
Community Shows Respect for Fallen Soldier's Return Home
KDRV News
KASEY KERSHNER
April 5, 2015
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- Dozens of people lined Highway 99 in Central Point on Saturday night to honor the homecoming of a fallen soldier.
The body of Corporal Nicholas Hart with the U.S. Marine Corps was escorted to a Central Point funeral home by local police, military groups, and civilians who wanted to show their respect.
Last Friday, March 27th, 21-year-old Hart was in an accident on his motorcycle and died near San Diego.
On Saturday, his body was flown to Portland so it could be brought to Southern Oregon through a dignified transfer.
read more here
KDRV News
KASEY KERSHNER
April 5, 2015
The body of Corporal Nicholas Hart with the U.S. Marine Corps was escorted to a Central Point funeral home by local police, military groups, and civilians who wanted to show their respect.
Last Friday, March 27th, 21-year-old Hart was in an accident on his motorcycle and died near San Diego.
On Saturday, his body was flown to Portland so it could be brought to Southern Oregon through a dignified transfer.
read more here
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Congressional Candidate’s Veterans Health Care Plan Plagiarized
GOP Congressional Candidate’s Veterans Health Care Plan Plagiarized From Fox News Article
It’s an article about a proposed overhaul of VA health care.
Buzzfeed
posted on Oct. 21, 2014,
A Republican congressional candidate in Oregon appears to have plagiarized her plan for veterans from a Fox News article about proposed changes to the troubled Veterans Affairs health care.
Tootie Smith, a Republican running against Oregon Democrat Rep. Kurt Schrader in the state’s 5th Congressional veteran’s medical care plan uses nearly-identical language to a Fox News article from July on action taken by House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees.
The campaign for Smith, who currently serves as Clackamas County Commissioner, didn’t return emails or phone calls about the similar text.
read more here
It’s an article about a proposed overhaul of VA health care.
Buzzfeed
posted on Oct. 21, 2014,
A Republican congressional candidate in Oregon appears to have plagiarized her plan for veterans from a Fox News article about proposed changes to the troubled Veterans Affairs health care.
Tootie Smith, a Republican running against Oregon Democrat Rep. Kurt Schrader in the state’s 5th Congressional veteran’s medical care plan uses nearly-identical language to a Fox News article from July on action taken by House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees.
The campaign for Smith, who currently serves as Clackamas County Commissioner, didn’t return emails or phone calls about the similar text.
read more here
Saturday, October 11, 2014
US Airways Passengers Angry over treatment Army Ranger received
UPDATE Oct 13, 2014
Airline Apologizes for Flight Attendant's Treatment of Soldier
Airline Apologizes for Flight Attendant's Treatment of Soldier
Outrage as U.S. Airways attendant refuses to let veteran hang up his medal-filled jacket to stop it creasing - telling him closet service is for first-class passengers only
First Sergeant Albert Marle boarded plane wearing a jacket lined with medals
Asked US Airways attendant if she could hang up his 'Dress Blues' uniform
But she reportedly refused, saying coat closet was for first-class fliers only
Outraged passengers offered Sgt Marle their seats, but he politely declined
After fliers spoke of the incident online, social media users hit out at airline
US Airways has since apologized and launched investigation into incident
By SOPHIE JANE EVANS FOR MAILONLINE
10 October 2014
US Airways has sparked outrage after a flight attendant allegedly refused to hang up an Army Ranger and combat veteran's jacket to stop it from creasing.
First Sergeant Albert Marle was wearing a jacket lined with medals when he boarded Flight 1930 from Portland, Oregon, to Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday.
But when he asked an attendant to hang up his 'Dress Blues' uniform, she reportedly refused, saying the coat closet was for first-class passengers only and he was seated in coach.
read more here
Friday, July 4, 2014
Oregon VA taking donations for suicide prevention?
WTF! Now they want donations? For what? Suicide Prevention? Any idea how much money has been spent on what they have already been doing thanks to Congress funding what did not work? Read my book THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR, and know what they don't want you to remember. Everything in it comes from the press and government reports.
ODVA now accepting online donations for four funds benefiting Oregon veterans
Corvallis Gazette Times
July 2, 2014
SALEM - The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) is now accepting online donations to support four funds aimed at improving programs and supporting efforts that benefit Oregon veterans.
One of the funds, the Veteran Suicide Awareness and Prevention Fund, was established in 2013 when the Oregon Legislature passed SB 762 creating a public information campaign to raise awareness and prevent suicide by veterans in Oregon. Part of the awareness effort partnered ODVA with the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles and the Oregon Charitable Checkoff Commission to raise money for this effort.
Federal U.S. efforts have also turned to raising awareness about suicides by veterans. In 2007, a law required the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase its suicide prevention efforts by educating the public about suicide risk factors, providing additional mental health resources for veterans and tracking veteran suicides in each state.
In Oregon, between 2008 and 2012, suicide rates among veterans were significantly higher compared to non-veterans. According to the Suicide Among Oregon Veterans report published by the Oregon Health Authority in May 2014, more than 150 Oregon veterans or service members took their lives in 2012. Nationally, it is estimated that there are 22 veteran suicides per day, nearly one every 65 minutes.
read more here
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Double Amputee Afghanistan Veteran Earns Pat Tillman Award
Josh Sweeney earns Tillman Award
Associated Press
June 25, 2014
PORTLAND, Ore. -- When retired Marine Sgt. Josh Sweeney recounts his inspirational journey following an explosion that took both his legs in Afghanistan, he leaves out an important detail: His gold-medal winning goal.
Sweeney played on the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team that beat the Russians 1-0 earlier this year in Sochi. He shot the game's lone goal in the second period at Shayba Arena, giving the Unites States its second straight gold medal in the event.
Chided about omitting the detail, Sweeney laughed.
"I still feel pretty lucky to be able to have done that," he said. "I try not to take too much credit for it."
He also doesn't mention that he's been honored with a Purple Heart for his service in the Marines.
Sweeney will receive the inaugural Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2014 ESPY Awards on July 16. The award is being presented in conjunction with the Pat Tillman Foundation, which invests in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships.
Pat Tillman died in action in Afghanistan in 2004 after leaving the NFL's Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army with his brother Kevin.
read more here
Associated Press
June 25, 2014
Joshua Sweeney
Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images
Sgt. Josh Sweeney (center) will receive the inaugural Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ESPY Awards on July 16.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- When retired Marine Sgt. Josh Sweeney recounts his inspirational journey following an explosion that took both his legs in Afghanistan, he leaves out an important detail: His gold-medal winning goal.
Sweeney played on the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team that beat the Russians 1-0 earlier this year in Sochi. He shot the game's lone goal in the second period at Shayba Arena, giving the Unites States its second straight gold medal in the event.
Chided about omitting the detail, Sweeney laughed.
"I still feel pretty lucky to be able to have done that," he said. "I try not to take too much credit for it."
He also doesn't mention that he's been honored with a Purple Heart for his service in the Marines.
Sweeney will receive the inaugural Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2014 ESPY Awards on July 16. The award is being presented in conjunction with the Pat Tillman Foundation, which invests in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships.
Pat Tillman died in action in Afghanistan in 2004 after leaving the NFL's Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army with his brother Kevin.
read more here
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Extreme Truck Makeover for National Guardsman
Friends, family provide secret service for Guardsman from Central Point
Mail Tribune
By Sam Wheeler
May 24, 2014
Two-dozen years in the military and a tour apiece in Iraq and Afghanistan haven't made Sgt. 1st Class Mike Walker a big fan of surprises, but that's just what he got on Friday.
Walking into Bob Thomas Automotive with his wife Christa, Walker was expecting to drive out with his old Chevrolet pickup that he dropped off months ago to get the four-wheel-drive switch fixed.
Walker took his old Chevy back to his Central Point home — with a bumper-to-bumper, wheels-to-roof overhaul thanks to nearly 20 local businesses that donated time, labor and materials to spruce up the truck as a "thank you," for his service.
Bob Thomas led Walker from the front office to the shop where about 50 people and the made-over 2000 Chevy were waiting for him.
"I am a first sergeant and I am speechless. That's not supposed to happen. I get paid to yell at people," said a stunned Walker. "I am just so grateful, humbled, a little embarrassed. ... Thank you."
The reupholstered pickup was sprayed with fresh paint, sitting high on a new lift kit and shiny new wheels and tires, sporting a new custom-made front bumper and winch and ready to roll with an engine tune up. Oh, the four-wheel drive switch was fixed too.
The back window displays a design to memorialize Capt. Bruno Giancarlo de Solenni, a Southern Oregon University student who, along with Walker, served with the Oregon Army National Guard in Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 2008.
De Solenni, a Crescent City native, was killed Sept. 20, 2008 by a roadside bomb. The 32-year-old and Walker were working on an anti-drug task force near Kandahar when he died.
read more here
Mail Tribune
By Sam Wheeler
May 24, 2014
Two-dozen years in the military and a tour apiece in Iraq and Afghanistan haven't made Sgt. 1st Class Mike Walker a big fan of surprises, but that's just what he got on Friday.
Walking into Bob Thomas Automotive with his wife Christa, Walker was expecting to drive out with his old Chevrolet pickup that he dropped off months ago to get the four-wheel-drive switch fixed.
Walker took his old Chevy back to his Central Point home — with a bumper-to-bumper, wheels-to-roof overhaul thanks to nearly 20 local businesses that donated time, labor and materials to spruce up the truck as a "thank you," for his service.
Bob Thomas led Walker from the front office to the shop where about 50 people and the made-over 2000 Chevy were waiting for him.
"I am a first sergeant and I am speechless. That's not supposed to happen. I get paid to yell at people," said a stunned Walker. "I am just so grateful, humbled, a little embarrassed. ... Thank you."
The reupholstered pickup was sprayed with fresh paint, sitting high on a new lift kit and shiny new wheels and tires, sporting a new custom-made front bumper and winch and ready to roll with an engine tune up. Oh, the four-wheel drive switch was fixed too.
The back window displays a design to memorialize Capt. Bruno Giancarlo de Solenni, a Southern Oregon University student who, along with Walker, served with the Oregon Army National Guard in Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 2008.
De Solenni, a Crescent City native, was killed Sept. 20, 2008 by a roadside bomb. The 32-year-old and Walker were working on an anti-drug task force near Kandahar when he died.
read more here
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Iraq veteran committed suicide, Dad accused of using death as rip off
Father of Iraq veteran who committed suicide accused of defrauding donors
Oregon Live
By Michael Bamesberger
May 13, 2014
Authorities believe Michael Andrew Brennan, 50, was accepting donations online for what he called the "Matthew M. Brennan Foundation," a non-profit founded in honor of his late son, an Oregon National Guard veteran who committed suicide in 2011. Brennan claimed the donations would benefit soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, but authorities allege the money went into his personal bank account.
"Our goal is to educate, raise awareness, be an advocate and help advance and establish much needed solutions" to post-tramautic stress disorder, stated an entry on the "Saving American's Heroes" website, run by Brennan and his wife Maria.
Investigators have not found evidence that any funds donated through the website went toward the stated mission, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
Brennan is also accused of stealing from his 65-year-old paraplegic father-in-law's bank account and using the money for personal purchases, including a Happy Valley home.
read more here
Oregon Live
By Michael Bamesberger
May 13, 2014
In this 2011 photo, Mike and Maria Brennan visit Matt's grave with his younger brother and sisters, from left, Aiden, 5, Isabella, 1, Ariel, 7 (back to camera), Christina, 9 (standing with her mother), and Sophia, 3 (back to camera). (Beth Nakamura / The Oregonian)A Happy Valley man was arrested on Tuesday and accused of committing food stamp fraud, defrauding his disabled father-in-law and accepting charitable donations for a non-existent non-profit organization.
Authorities believe Michael Andrew Brennan, 50, was accepting donations online for what he called the "Matthew M. Brennan Foundation," a non-profit founded in honor of his late son, an Oregon National Guard veteran who committed suicide in 2011. Brennan claimed the donations would benefit soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, but authorities allege the money went into his personal bank account.
"Our goal is to educate, raise awareness, be an advocate and help advance and establish much needed solutions" to post-tramautic stress disorder, stated an entry on the "Saving American's Heroes" website, run by Brennan and his wife Maria.
Investigators have not found evidence that any funds donated through the website went toward the stated mission, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
Brennan is also accused of stealing from his 65-year-old paraplegic father-in-law's bank account and using the money for personal purchases, including a Happy Valley home.
read more here
Saturday, March 15, 2014
ABC Tribute to Iraq Veteran Paralympic Athlete
ABC Pays Tribute to Iraq War Amputee Turned Paralympics Hockey Athlete
News Busters
By Matthew Balan
March 14, 2014
ABC's World News named Rico Roman, a member of Team U.S.A. in the Sochi Paralympics, its 'Person of the Week' on Friday. Roman, an Iraq War veteran who lost his left leg after his Humvee struck an IED, is now the "the star forward of the U.S. Paralympic hockey team." Amy Robach spotlighted how the Oregon native "discovered sled hockey – an outlet from the confines of a hospital room."
The correspondent also pointed out how a significant percentage of the American Paralympics team come from the military: (watch video)
Anchor Diane Sawyer introduced the segment on Roman by noting how "the Paralympic Games are underway in Sochi – Team U.S.A. including more of America's armed forces than ever before, showing every person in this country how you fight to win – and then, you win again."
Robach led by trumpeting how Roman does "the equivalent of three able-bodied athletes at the pinnacle of their game at once. He's skates on a metal sled at speeds up to 30 miles per hour; navigates across the ice using poles, with the same techniques as an expert cross country skier; checks opponents with the same velocity of a car crash.
read more here
News Busters
By Matthew Balan
March 14, 2014
ABC's World News named Rico Roman, a member of Team U.S.A. in the Sochi Paralympics, its 'Person of the Week' on Friday. Roman, an Iraq War veteran who lost his left leg after his Humvee struck an IED, is now the "the star forward of the U.S. Paralympic hockey team." Amy Robach spotlighted how the Oregon native "discovered sled hockey – an outlet from the confines of a hospital room."
The correspondent also pointed out how a significant percentage of the American Paralympics team come from the military: (watch video)
Anchor Diane Sawyer introduced the segment on Roman by noting how "the Paralympic Games are underway in Sochi – Team U.S.A. including more of America's armed forces than ever before, showing every person in this country how you fight to win – and then, you win again."
Robach led by trumpeting how Roman does "the equivalent of three able-bodied athletes at the pinnacle of their game at once. He's skates on a metal sled at speeds up to 30 miles per hour; navigates across the ice using poles, with the same techniques as an expert cross country skier; checks opponents with the same velocity of a car crash.
read more here
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Marine deserter accused of murder and beating another woman
Marine deserter's motive for Ore. attacks remains a mystery
The Associated Press
March 3, 2014
PENDLETON, ORE. — Although he talked freely about how he committed the crimes, it’s still unclear why a Marine deserter from California fatally stabbed an Eastern Oregon motel maid and beat another woman with a metal pipe, an investigator says.
Lukah Chang pleaded guilty in January and has been sentenced to life in prison for the two attacks that unnerved Pendleton.
In an extensive story that also reported on an interview with Chang’s sister, the East Oregonian described law enforcement authorities as still puzzled about Chang’s motive.
“I don’t think even he can answer that,” said Police Chief Stuart Roberts. “If he could, he would have.”
In July 2012, Chang got on a bus and left the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. He arrived at Pendleton in Eastern Oregon in August.
read more here
The Associated Press
March 3, 2014
PENDLETON, ORE. — Although he talked freely about how he committed the crimes, it’s still unclear why a Marine deserter from California fatally stabbed an Eastern Oregon motel maid and beat another woman with a metal pipe, an investigator says.
Lukah Chang pleaded guilty in January and has been sentenced to life in prison for the two attacks that unnerved Pendleton.
In an extensive story that also reported on an interview with Chang’s sister, the East Oregonian described law enforcement authorities as still puzzled about Chang’s motive.
“I don’t think even he can answer that,” said Police Chief Stuart Roberts. “If he could, he would have.”
In July 2012, Chang got on a bus and left the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. He arrived at Pendleton in Eastern Oregon in August.
read more here
Friday, February 14, 2014
Sgt. First Class Roberto C. Skelt from Florida KIA in Afghanistan
Release No: NR-084-14
February 14, 2014
DOD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died Feb. 12, in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when they were struck by enemy small arms fire.
Killed were:
Spc. John A. Pelham, 22, of Portland, Ore., and Sgt. First Class Roberto C. Skelt, 41, of York, Fla.
Pelham and Skelt were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Army and Air Force veterans team up to save lives
Hiking Hero promotes awareness, understanding
DVIDS
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District
Story by Michelle Helms
FebruARy 5, 2014
PORTLAND, Ore. - A John Day Lock and Dam crane operator set out for a hike one day on the Appalachian Trail. It was a long hike. Six weeks and 1,100 miles later, Kevin Kitchen, an Air Force veteran, and his hiking partner Army veteran Eric Bourquin reached the marker at end of the trail, adding their names to the list of people who have made the same trek.
Their journey, sponsored by the Hiking Heroes Foundation, was intended to bring awareness to two issues many veterans struggle with: unemployment and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“It’s amazing,” said Kitchen. “You go through parts of Virginia and they have never been around people in the military. All they know is what they see on the news; they have no idea what PTSD truly is.”
Bourquin began the hike July 11 at the northern end of the trail at Mount Katahdin, Maine, with Army veteran Sean Niquette. It’s not an easy hike; the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website reports the trail is about 2,180 miles long and stretches through 14 states, from Maine to Georgia. Halfway into the hike Niquette had to fall out; that’s when Kitchen stepped up to support Bourquin’s quest to finish the trail.
“This is something I firmly believe in,” said Kitchen. “Eric needed someone to hike with him and I couldn’t leave him out there on his own.”
read more here
DVIDS
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District
Story by Michelle Helms
FebruARy 5, 2014
PORTLAND, Ore. - A John Day Lock and Dam crane operator set out for a hike one day on the Appalachian Trail. It was a long hike. Six weeks and 1,100 miles later, Kevin Kitchen, an Air Force veteran, and his hiking partner Army veteran Eric Bourquin reached the marker at end of the trail, adding their names to the list of people who have made the same trek.
Their journey, sponsored by the Hiking Heroes Foundation, was intended to bring awareness to two issues many veterans struggle with: unemployment and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“It’s amazing,” said Kitchen. “You go through parts of Virginia and they have never been around people in the military. All they know is what they see on the news; they have no idea what PTSD truly is.”
Bourquin began the hike July 11 at the northern end of the trail at Mount Katahdin, Maine, with Army veteran Sean Niquette. It’s not an easy hike; the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website reports the trail is about 2,180 miles long and stretches through 14 states, from Maine to Georgia. Halfway into the hike Niquette had to fall out; that’s when Kitchen stepped up to support Bourquin’s quest to finish the trail.
“This is something I firmly believe in,” said Kitchen. “Eric needed someone to hike with him and I couldn’t leave him out there on his own.”
read more here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)