Wisconsin National Guard Soldier Saved Toddler

Wisconsin National Guard soldier saves choking toddler at O'Hare

NBC 25 News

Sgt. Katie Eggers

December 19, 2017

CHICAGO — A Wisconsin National Guard Soldier traveling on military orders performed the Heimlich maneuver on a toddler, saving the girl’s life Dec. 7, 2017 at O’Hare International Airport.

Spc. Jasmyne Harris, a supply specialist with the Milwaukee-based 32nd Military Police Company, was waiting for a flight to Oklahoma City to learn about new protective masks her unit would be receiving, when she decided to grab some food before her flight.

“I was going to stop at one restaurant, but then something told me to just keep going, so I found another restaurant that’s actually by the gate,” Harris said.

Right as Harris sat down there was a commotion. A waitress yelled that a girl was choking. Harris saw that the toddler wasn’t making a sound, and the mother was unsure of how to properly help her child.

“I just went straight into reaction mode,” Harris said.

Harris went straight over to the family and began performing the Heimlich maneuver on the child until the girl was able to breathe again and started crying.

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Wisconsin Old Glory Honor Flight Greeted by 1,500

Thousands give veterans a warm welcome home after Old Glory Honor Flight

WBAY ABC 2 News
By Cearron Bagenda
Oct 18, 2017

GREENVILLE, Wis. Thousands gathered at the Appleton International Airport Wednesday night to welcome local veterans back home after a trip to the nation's capital.

People at the welcome ceremony shake a veteran's hand

This year is the 43rd mission for "The Northeast Wisconsin Old Glory Honor Flight,” the organization providing the trips for the local veterans. Airport officials say about 1,500 people attended the ceremony, welcoming 89 veterans back from their trip to Washington D.C.

The mission of the Old Glory Honor Flight is to give World War II, Vietnam and Korean War veterans the trip of a lifetime at no cost.

Veterans head to Washington D.C. touring a number of monuments all in one day. When the veterans came back they are shocked to see the welcome ceremony. American flags, welcome signs and cheering lined the airport concourse as the veterans walked through.
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Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Honor Flight of Remembrance

Wisconsin Vietnam veterans visit D.C. with Stars and Stripes Honor Flight
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Meg Jones
September 16, 2017

Photos: Stars and Stripes Honor Flight
A group of Vietnam veterans visiting the Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.C., pose for pictures. The Port Washington-based Stars and Stripes Honor Flight brought its first planeload of Vietnam veterans to the nation’s capital as the ranks of World War II and Korean War veterans dwindle. Meg Jones / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WASHINGTON - They came because they wanted to visit their buddies.

They wanted to see the names of men forever 19 or 20, men who never aged or grew gray or started families or got on with the rest of their lives after serving their country.

They came to experience the camaraderie only people who have served in combat, no matter how many decades ago, feel when they come together. And though they weren’t expecting it — they also received the heroes’ welcome veterans of other wars had gotten but was cruelly denied to many of them.

A group of 80 Vietnam veterans traveled to Washington, D.C., Saturday on the first Stars and Stripes Honor Flight dedicated to men and women who served during that conflict.

Stewart Johnson came to visit Johnnie Vaught Jr. John Phelan wanted to see Bob Gasko. Ted Peller Jr. was paying his respects to Danny Sikorski.

Johnson, 68, a retired Milwaukee police officer, planned to leave a medal awarded to him for saving someone’s life in Vietnam. His daughter, Kelly Becker, encouraged him to instead take a picture of his medal and leave that at the memorial at the spot where Vaught’s name is listed among 58,000 others who lost their lives in Vietnam.
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Is Congress Trying to End Finding Homes For Homeless Veterans?

From Journal Times

Federal cut forces scramble to help homeless veterans

DOVER — The Racine County area already struggles to provide housing for homeless veterans, advocates say.

Veterans from the Member Chimers perform the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" on Nov. 11, 2016, during the Veterans Day ceremony at the Wisconsin Veterans Home-Union Grove. The state Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it lost a $500,000 federal grant for a program providing housing for homeless veterans at the Union Grove facility. GREGORY SHAVER, Journal Times file photo

Things won’t get any easier with the end of a homeless program at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, 21425 Spring St., at the Southern Wisconsin Center campus in Dover. The state Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it lost a grant of about $500,000 for its Veteran Housing and Recovery Program, which serves 28 people.


From Journal Times

Wirch blasts cuts to homeless veterans program

RACINE COUNTY — State Sen. Bob Wirch blasted federal cuts to a homeless veterans program in the county, calling it "shameful."

Wirch, D-Somers, issued a statement Tuesday after the state Department of Veterans Affairs announced it lost federal grants for its Veteran Housing and Recovery Program at its Union Grove and King veterans homes. The program serves 28 people at the Southern Wisconsin Center, 21425 Spring St.

"Homelessness, unemployment, addiction and suicide statistics among veterans are much higher than the general public. This is a population that needs and has earned our help," said Wirch, who served in the Army Reserve from 1965-71. "We should be doing all that we can to help them get back on their feet. This cut in federal funding is just unbelievable."

From Waupaca County Now

No funds for homeless vets

The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs will fund the program only through December 2017. “WDVA solely funding King and Grove VHRPs beyond December 2017 is not feasible,” Zimmerman said. The Wisconsin Veterans Home at King houses 19 veterans in its homeless program. Union Grove has 28 homeless veterans. The VHRPs will no longer accept new admissions and will begin transitioning program participants into new housing, Zimmerman said. Jesse Cuff, the Waupaca County veterans service officer, said he was sad to see the VHRP end. He noted that Wisconsin’s program for homeless veterans is more than 20 years old and has been successful at reintegrating veterans back into the community.

"Take Me Home Huey" Honoring Vietnam Veterans

Vietnam Memorial Helicopter "Take me home Huey", visits Oshkosh

NBC 26 News
Shara Taylor
July 2, 2017

"I know a lot of Vietnam vets don't like to talk about it, but for me being able to share it with other people it kind of lifts it away," said Ruby.

OSHKOSH, Wis.
A Vietnam war helicopter, transformed into a work of art, will be on display at the EAA Aviation Museum beginning this July 4th weekend. The exhibit honors Vietnam veterans and brings awareness to PTSD.

"They never really got the proper welcome home and we're trying to fix that," said EAA Programs Coordinator Chris Henry.

Henry said the helicopter was shot down in 1969. It was refurbished and later used for training at Fort Rucker in Alabama.

The aircraft was originally used in the Vietnam War for medical evacuations. Saturday it brought back memories and created dialog for veterans.

The display is called "Take me home Huey". A veteran said the helicopter had many uses.

"This was a life line to get inserted or extracted out of fire bases in Vietnam," said Vietnam War veteran Stephan Ruby.
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PTSD Veteran Donating German Shepherds to PTSD Veterans

Marine veteran helps other vets with PTSD through his charities
NBC 26 News
Marisa DeCandido
Apr 6, 2017

WHITE LAKE, Wis. - A Marine veteran in Wisconsin is helping vets across the country overcome their PTSD through his multiple charities.

Karl Klimes owns Moo-Lon Labe Home for Veterans and Semper Fi farms.

Part of his work involves breeding German Shepherds, donating them to military veterans with PTSD. Right now, he has four puppies he's looking to donate to veterans in need of a service dog. One of those dogs is already heading to a veteran in Georgia.

Klimes said his service dog has helped him through his own struggles after deployment.

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Daring Dog Rescue by Iraq Veteran

Iraq War veteran rescues dog that fell through ice
Dog fell through ice 150 yards from shore
Channel 3000 News
Dave Delozier
Posted: Mar 10, 2017

“When the deed is done, then you realize, OK, boy, I really could have lost him. So you get a little different appreciation for things.” Justin Neumeier

BRIGGSVILLE, Wis. - When Justin Neumeier’s dog, Charles, fell through the ice on Lake Mason, the instincts he developed as a U.S. Marine serving Iraq kicked in and he went out to rescue the black lab.

“Maybe it was my Marine Corps mentality, just get it done,” Neumeier said.

Serving with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine, Neumeier saw some of the wars toughest combat in the battle for Ramadi in 2004.
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Veteran Jumped From Veterans Assistance Foundation Shelter

Shelter Addresses Safety After Veteran Jumps From Window
WPR.org
VA Officials Say VAF Has 'Serious Problems' At Homeless Shelter
Monday, December 5, 2016

Officials at a nonprofit homeless shelter say they're working to address safety concerns after a veteran jumped out of a window at the facility last week.

A resident jumped from a third floor window at the shelter, according to the Veterans Assistance Foundation. VAF Executive Director Don Roach said the individual was alive when transported to the hospital.

This is the second incident this year involving the nonprofit shelter, which leases space at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center. After a veteran died at the facility in September, the VA announced they would be ending the nonprofit's lease agreement.

"The VAF has some very serious problems that it needs to address within its program and just the physical safety of veterans within their program is just part of that," said VA Public Affairs Officer Matthew Gowan.
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Veteran Army Ranger's Suicide Gets Senator's Attention?

How many times does this have to happen before things really change and veterans get proper care? 

When do politicians actually face the families and apologize for all the years veterans have been left waiting while they make speeches? 

When does our Congress actually fix the VA instead of trying to sell our veterans to private for profit corporations?

How many more years of pain and suffering do they intend to let us go through watching our veterans suffer while they pass bill after bill that only repeat what has been proven to have already failed them?

Colorado veteran’s suicide prompts call for investigation into VA wait times
Denver Post
By MARK K. MATTHEWS
PUBLISHED: September 20, 2016

Specifically, the whistleblower said the situation in Colorado Springs could have contributed to the death of an Army Ranger who was awaiting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. senators are calling for an investigation into wait times at VA facilities in Colorado following the suicide of a 26-year-old U.S. Army Ranger who did not receive PTSD counseling in time.

The request by Republican U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin also asks that an internal watchdog at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs examine allegations that VA officials forged documents after the service member’s death and then threatened a whistleblower who raised these issues with authorities, according to a letter dated Monday.

Without specifically addressing the accusations, the VA released a statement in response that said the agency would work with Congress and investigators “to determine the facts of the situation and take appropriate action should any wrongdoing be uncovered.”
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Florida Air Force Fire Chief accused of stealing $133,000 intended for charity

Air Force Fire Chief accused of stealing $133,000 intended for charity and using it for vacations
Washington Post
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
September 9, 2016

A Wisconsin district court has indicted the chief of the U.S. Air Force Fire Service, accusing him of stealing more than $130,000 intended for charities and using those funds to pay for vacations, gambling and paying off credit card debt.

James E. Podolske Jr., 59, of Panama City, Fla., faces up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines on two counts of fraud, U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced Thursday in a Department of Justice news release. According to the release, Podolske used his position in the Air Force to defraud about 25 businesses’ funds that were meant to go to charity.

He is also accused of disclosing proposal information to give a defense contracting company a competitive advantage. The Justice Department did not name the company in the news release.

Between 2009 and 2013, Podolske organized charity banquets and a golf outings in association with an annual conference put on by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
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Brian Rossell Was Found in Lake Wausau

UPDATE
Loved ones gather to remember veteran Brian Rossell
By WSAW Staff
Oct 01, 2016

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- Loved ones of fallen veteran Brian Rossell looked for comfort and healing as they gathered to remember him at the DC Everest Park in Wausau Saturday afternoon.

Rossell's body was found in Lake Wausau in September.

His family says he was dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Members of the American Legion and the veterans support group, Souls of Honor gathered to show support.
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Wisconsin Veteran heartbroken after Police Discover Fellow Vet's Body
CBS News 58
By Christie Green
Updated: Sep 09, 2016

29-year-old Brian Rossell was found in Lake Wausau Thursday afternoon. Police said evidence shows he took his own life. A person bird watching located his body which was found 150 feet from shore near the Eagles Cub landing. An autopsy will be conducted Friday.

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- Though the exact circumstances of Brian Rossell's death remain uncertain, veterans in our area mourn the loss of a man they consider a brother.

Martin Glenn wants all veterans to know they're not alone. "I'm just numb right now," he said.

He returned home Thursday after dedicating three days and nights to searching for Rossell.

"The look on the mom's face when it came over the radio. Like that's just heartbreaking," he said, describing the moments after he heard Rossell's body was found in Lake Wausau.

His heart heavy for a veteran whom he did not know, but whose pain he did.

"Dad gets sad, dad gets angry and dad gets upset certain times of the year because he misses his friend." That's how Glenn explains his post-traumatic stress disorder to his four-year-old.
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Missing Veteran Alert Brian Rossell PTSD Service Dog Led Searchers to River

SAD UPDATE
29-year-old Brian Rossell was found in Lake Wausau Thursday afternoon. Police said evidence shows he took his own life. A person bird watching located his body which was found 150 feet from shore near the Eagles Cub landing. An autopsy will be conducted Friday.



Police searching for man in Wisconsin River
USA TODAY NETWORK
Arielle Hines, -Wisconsin
September 6, 2016

WAUSAU - Police were searching the Wisconsin River Tuesday morning for a Wausau man who has been missing since Sunday night.

Brian Rossell
(Photo: Wausau Police Department)

Brian Rossell, 29, left his home without his keys, wallet, ID and phone, near The Store in Wausau with his service dog at around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, police said. Rossell never leaves home without his service dog, but the dog was found in the parking lot of his apartment complex with no collar or leash at 11:30 p.m., police said.

Rossell has a service dog because he is a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and the dog is used as a companion for the man, said Wausau Police Lt. Andrew Hartwig. Rossell's girlfriend also told police he suffers from depression, paranoia, anxiety and schizoaffective disorder, a release said. 

Search crews have been looking for Rossell along the Wisconsin River because the dog led his girlfriend to the river and started whimpering, Hartwig said.

Search crews were searching for Rossell at the Wausau Dam on Tuesday morning, Hartwig said. Police will also search for Rossell at the downtown islands, parks and river until he is found, according to a release.
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Homeless Vietnam Veteran Not Forgotten or Nameless

Donor Buys Headstone for Homeless Vietnam Veteran
KRGV 5 ABC News
Posted: Jul 01, 2016

“Gregory” was found dead behind a convenience store. It wasn’t until after his death that the Raymondville community found out who “Gregory” really was. His name was Kent Karl Kauten. He was from Wisconsin and a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

RAYMONDVILLE — A Vietnam veteran will now be forever remembered in Raymondville. An anonymous donor bought a headstone for a homeless man buried in the city cemetery.

Until Friday, the grave was marked with a small, simple, not-so-permanent marker.

“We’d see him every day for five years panhandling at our streets, and we didn't know him. He was like an unknown soldier,” said VFW Commander George Solis.

Solis said the man would’ve been buried as a John Doe if it hadn’t been for a group of five Raymondville teens.

In 2013, CHANNEL 5 NEWS reported about a duo that was part of a church group that was doing a project on poverty. They interviewed the man with a shopping cart, who seemed to live under the highway over pass. The man called himself “Gregory.”

“We knew ‘Gregory’ as the man under the bridge, the homeless man who pushed around a cart,” said Ralia Cortinas, a member of the church group.
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Feds Blame Pilot Error, Lack of Oversight in Marine's Death

Feds Blame Pilot Error, Lack of Oversight in Marine's Death
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOENIX
By BOB CHRISTIE
May 25, 2016

FILE - This March 11, 2015 file photo officials check the scene of a T-59 Hawk aircraft crash at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz. In a report released Wednesday,

Federal investigators blame the Marine Corps, the Air Force and the pilot and operator of a privately-owned military jet for the death of a Marine killed last year when the jet crashed into his truck in Arizona.

The National Transportation Safety Board report said the pilot of the BAE Systems Hawk jet took off too early, noting that he lifted off while traveling more than 10 mph below normal takeoff speed on March 11, 2015. The British-built jet flying on a mission for the Air Force wobbled, veered off the left side of the Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma runway and eventually hit a pickup occupied by Lance Cpl. Anthony T. DuBeau. The 23-year-old from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was providing safety oversight for a construction crew working alongside the runway.

The pilot, an active-duty Air National Guard A-10 pilot flying as a contractor for Quincy, Illinois-based Air USA, Inc., told investigators the aircraft's nose "became light" as he approached takeoff speed.
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As Son's Service Ends, Family Wants To Remind All About Sacrifice

Roller-coaster ride ends with son's last day as Marine
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jim Stingl
March 19, 2016

"I want this last chance to remind people that families and these military people are still sacrificing. People forget," said Trish, an administrative assistant at Marquette University.

Trish Johnson (front) and her husband Curtis remove the yellow ribbons around the tree in their front yard now that Trish's son Colin Glavan is out of the Marines and done with his wartime service. Each ribbon represented one of Colin’s three deployments. Credit: Michael Sears

As his family looks back, the time slipped by surprisingly fast since Colin Glavan joined the Marine Corps, went off to boot camp and then to war.

Last week, his parents, Trish and Curt Johnson, snipped three yellow ribbons from the large oak tree in front of their Brookfield home, one for each of Colin's deployments. And they removed the service flag and its blue star from their front window.

Colin's last day as a Marine was Wednesday.

Rain fell softly as the tattered ribbons released their grip, leaving behind ghostly rings. "I cried on the day he left," Trish said, "and I'm feeling kind of pitiful crying on the day he gets out."

I followed this one family's journey in three previous columns, the first in 2006 when Colin, fresh out of Brookfield East High School, headed to boot camp in California. "I'll be honest," Trish said then as our country waged war in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I didn't want him to do it."

The second was in 2008 as Colin, then 20, left for seven months in Iraq. "It's just one of those things I have to do," he said during a trip home to say his goodbyes.

The mood was happier in 2011 when I wrote about Colin surprising his youngest sister, Kailee, at her middle school. He had just returned home from Afghanistan.

For nearly a decade, the emotional ups and downs for this military family — for any military family — had Trish comparing life to a roller-coaster ride. The final terrifying twists and turns are behind them.
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Community Steps Up For Vietnam Veteran

FOX 11 Investigates report leads to help for Appleton veteran
FOX 11 News
BY MARK LELAND
FEBRUARY 21ST 2016

Appleton — An Appleton Vietnam Veteran is celebrating his new home with many of the volunteers and companies that made it possible.

Jerry Monson's mobile home on his Appleton lot was destroyed by a government program looking to make it more energy efficient. That happened back in 2014.

FOX 11 Investigates uncovered the problems and held government officials accountable for the destroyed mobile home. The program's insurer paid for the lost mobile home.

The money was used along with community donations and volunteer labor to build a 1,200 square foot, 3-bedroom, 2-bathrooms home on his lot. Replacing the mobile home with another mobile home was not an option due to zoning laws.
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Community Plays Santa for Iraq Veteran's Family

Family grateful for gifts
WISC News
Terri Pederson Daily Citizen
January 7, 2016

Tom was deployed in Iraq in the infantry unit, Ramona said. The two met in Germany and Ramona moved back to Beaver Dam with Tom.

A local family is grateful for the gifts they received from the Beaver Dam Police Department‘s Santa run Christmas Eve, as well as the feeling of support.

“It was a very big surprise,” Ramona Werner said.

On Dec. 24, Werner said she heard the fire truck and police car coming down the road and wondered where they were going when they stopped in front of her house.

Santa Claus coming out of the truck made Werner realize that it wasn’t a normal stop.

The police department, with assistance from Beaver Dam Fire Department and a company in Randolph, raised $700 to provide presents and gift cards for the family.

It was a tradition the police department resurrected after it started Beaver Dam Police Charities — an outreach to address community needs.

Werner said her husband Tom has post traumatic stress disorder, as well as dealing with the loss of a son. The couple has two other boys, ages 4 and 9.

“He also just lost his job in October,” Werner said. “We’ve been struggling to just stay above water.”
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PTSD Disabled Veteran in Wheelchair Charged After Police Standoff?

Baraboo man charged in October standoff
Baraboo News Republic
Tim Damo
December 11, 2015

A Baraboo man has been charged in relation to an armed standoff with police that took place in late October.

The Sauk County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges Tuesday against 55-year-old Kenji K. Kakugawa for failing to comply with officers who attempted to take him into custody and for pointing a gun at an officer.

According to the criminal complaint, Kakugawa is a wheelchair-bound veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Police were called to his Baraboo home Oct. 21 after an employee with a veteran affairs hospital in Madison notified authorities that he was suicidal and had a weapon.
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Vietnam Veteran Killed in Wisconsin "Hostage" Standoff

Attorney: Man Killed in Wisconsin Standoff Was a Hostage 
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEENAH, Wis.
Dec 6, 2015,

While White said he could not answer whether Funk had a weapon or not, he said Funk was a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was "terrified" of police.

A man killed during a standoff at a motorcycle shop in Wisconsin was a hostage who died while fleeing the gunman, according to an attorney who said he represents the man's family.

Milwaukee lawyer Cole J. White on Sunday identified the dead man as 60-year-old Michael Funk of Neenah. White said he got the identification from the Wisconsin Department of Justice and from Funk's wife. Neenah police have not identified the dead man.

Police were called Saturday morning about shots fired at Eagle Nation Cycles in Neenah, about 85 miles northwest of Milwaukee, and a report that hostages had been taken. Police said a man left the building holding a weapon but would not comply with officers' instructions to drop it. Officers fired at the man but he also may have been shot at from a suspect inside the building, police said on Saturday.
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Wisconsin Veterans Social Security Numbers Unauthorized Release

Investigation launched into VA handling of Social Security numbers
News 3 investigation highlights email issue
Channel 3000 News
Published On: Nov 20 2015

MADISON, Wis.
The inspector general's office at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an official review of how hundreds of Social Security numbers of Wisconsin veterans were emailed last April to an unauthorized individual from a VA.gov email address.

The move comes after a News 3 investigation highlighting the April incident and a request to the VA's inspector general from Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) to look at whether the personally identifiable information of veterans is being sent unprotected nationwide. Federal privacy laws and multiple VA regulations require all emails with personally identifiable information to be password-protected.

Current VA software flags emails with nine-digit numbers separated by dashes, but not for nine-digit sequences that don't have dashes. In the U.S. military, since Vietnam, veterans' identification numbers have been their Social Security numbers without dashes to separate the numbers.

In a letter to Baldwin, VA Deputy Inspector General Linda Halliday wrote: "Before undertaking a nationwide review, we first need to understand what happened in Wisconsin." Halliday indicated that inspector general's office was also looking at a "potentially related situation" in another unnamed state.

"I am pleased that the VA inspector general is taking action to review what happened in Wisconsin," Baldwin said in a statement emailed to News 3. "The accidental and unintended disclosure of personal information can put our veterans and their families at risk for fraud and identity theft, so we need to make certain that the VA has the tools in place to prevent that from happening."
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