Musician stands up for homeless vet who was kicked out of Waffle House
WSMV 4 News
Posted by Tracy Kornet
Posted: Aug 24, 2015
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV)
Nashville musician Jesse Brand and a friend stopped for a bite to eat after a late-night gig Saturday night when he saw a homeless man nearby and invited him to dinner.
“I saw this guy hobbling across the parking lot with a cane,” Brand said. “He had a Marine Corps tattoo on his arm.
“I had spent several years off and on homeless as well,” Brand added.
Brand said what happened next made him sick.
“Within 30-40 seconds, the gal behind the counter said, ‘You two can stay, he's got to leave,’” Brand said.
“She said, ‘His shirt's dirty. He can't be in here.’”
Brand said it got worse when the man, who later told him was a disabled combat veteran named Roger Hornsby, asked for some belongings back.
“I went over there to get my sleeping bag and wheelchair,” Hornsby said. "And they said, ‘You get out of here. Get out of here.’”
Brand picked up the story from there.
“The gentleman said, ‘Can I have my sleeping bag and wheelchair?’ They said, ‘We threw it away,’” Brand said.
Brand said he turned to Hornsby and said, “Come on, let’s go somewhere.” He then turned to the manager and told him he would never be back there again.
“We drove five to six miles to the next Waffle House, where we were treated like kings,” Brand said.
read more here
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Bogus Free Phones For Veterans Leaving 800,000 Unplugged
Government-funded phones issued to Central Florida veterans in scheme
800,000 approved veterans never eligible
Click Orlando
Author: Mike Holfeld, Problem Solver
August 24, 2015
From September 2014 to July 2015 an estimated 40,000 to 800,000 Florida vets were illegally approved for free cellphones under the government’s Lifeline program.
On Sept. 1 most, if not all, of those phones will be disconnected because the vets were never eligible to receive them in the first place.
Former employees with New York based Elite Marketing came to WKMG after they started getting complaints from veterans who were being told they didn’t qualify for the phones.
Letters from Safe Link, one of the largest distributors of the free phones, asked veterans for proof of eligibility.
The letter reading in part: ”We need to obtain copies of valid documentation that shows you are a qualified benefit recipient.”
Under the Lifeline program eligibility includes anyone receiving: food stamps, Medicaid, SSI, Section 8 housing or National School Free Lunch Program. Military service has never been on the list.
One former Elite Marketing employee identifying herself only as Carrie, was considered one of Elite’s top employees.
In 10 months dating back to September 2014, she said she must have given away 20,000 free phones to veterans.
Carrie says she was paid roughly $4,000 every two weeks. She was told Elite was making $150 per application.
read more here
800,000 approved veterans never eligible
Click Orlando
Author: Mike Holfeld, Problem Solver
August 24, 2015
The employees say 30 to 40 men and women were hired by Elite Marketing all of them told to take applications from veterans for free cell phones.
An email sent by Elite Marketing Group’s Director of Account Services to the Orlando supervisor last February included attachments of fliers announcing the Free Phones Program.
From September 2014 to July 2015 an estimated 40,000 to 800,000 Florida vets were illegally approved for free cellphones under the government’s Lifeline program.
On Sept. 1 most, if not all, of those phones will be disconnected because the vets were never eligible to receive them in the first place.
Former employees with New York based Elite Marketing came to WKMG after they started getting complaints from veterans who were being told they didn’t qualify for the phones.
Letters from Safe Link, one of the largest distributors of the free phones, asked veterans for proof of eligibility.
The letter reading in part: ”We need to obtain copies of valid documentation that shows you are a qualified benefit recipient.”
Under the Lifeline program eligibility includes anyone receiving: food stamps, Medicaid, SSI, Section 8 housing or National School Free Lunch Program. Military service has never been on the list.
One former Elite Marketing employee identifying herself only as Carrie, was considered one of Elite’s top employees.
In 10 months dating back to September 2014, she said she must have given away 20,000 free phones to veterans.
Carrie says she was paid roughly $4,000 every two weeks. She was told Elite was making $150 per application.
read more here
US Navy "Moral Injury" Step In Healing Souls
Soldier’s journey to heal spotlights ‘soul wounds’ of war
Associated Press
JULIE WATSON
Published: August 23, 2015
He’d rarely spoken about his secret, the story of the little girl who wound up in his hospital during the war in Iraq, where he served as an Army nurse. Her chest had been blown apart, and her brown eyes implored him for help. Whenever he’d thought of her since, “I killed the girl,” echoed in his head.
Powell kept his eyes glued to the pages he’d written.
He recalled the chaos after a bombing that August day in 2007, the vehicles roaring up with Iraqi civilians covered in blood. Around midnight, Powell took charge of the area housing those with little chance of survival. There, amid the mangled bodies, he saw her.
She was tiny, maybe 6 years old, lying on the floor. Her angelic face reminded him of his niece back home in Oklahoma.
Back in the therapy room, saying it all out loud, Powell’s eyes began to fill just at the memory of her. “I couldn’t let her lay there and suffer,” he said.
A doctor had filled a syringe with painkillers. Powell pushed dose after dose into her IV.
“She smiled at me,” he told the others in the room, “and I smiled back. Then she took her last gasp of air.”
read more here
Associated Press
JULIE WATSON
Published: August 23, 2015
The Navy now runs one of the military’s first residential treatment programs that addresses
the problem — the one that Powell found.
This March 17, 2015 photo shows a photgraph of now-retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Marshall Powell standing with a U.S. Army MEDEVAC helicopter in Iraq during his last tour to the country, at Powell's brother's house in Crescent, Okla. Powell, who served as a military nurse in Iraq and Afghanistan, was deeply haunted by his experiences, and nearly lost his own internal war with depression before finding meaningful help.SAN DIEGO (AP) — “It was just another day in Mosul,” the soldier began, his voice shaking. Sgt. 1st Class Marshall Powell took a deep breath. He couldn’t look at the other three servicemen in the group therapy session.
(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
He’d rarely spoken about his secret, the story of the little girl who wound up in his hospital during the war in Iraq, where he served as an Army nurse. Her chest had been blown apart, and her brown eyes implored him for help. Whenever he’d thought of her since, “I killed the girl,” echoed in his head.
Powell kept his eyes glued to the pages he’d written.
He recalled the chaos after a bombing that August day in 2007, the vehicles roaring up with Iraqi civilians covered in blood. Around midnight, Powell took charge of the area housing those with little chance of survival. There, amid the mangled bodies, he saw her.
She was tiny, maybe 6 years old, lying on the floor. Her angelic face reminded him of his niece back home in Oklahoma.
Back in the therapy room, saying it all out loud, Powell’s eyes began to fill just at the memory of her. “I couldn’t let her lay there and suffer,” he said.
A doctor had filled a syringe with painkillers. Powell pushed dose after dose into her IV.
“She smiled at me,” he told the others in the room, “and I smiled back. Then she took her last gasp of air.”
read more here
Illinois Community New Home to Combat Veteran "Labor of Love"
Illinois community rallies around wounded veteran, gives him a new home
WKRN web staff
Published: August 24, 2015
HARMON, Ill. (KWQC) — An Illinois community has thanked a wounded veteran who survived injuries he sustained in Afghanistan by building him a new home.
Proud U.S. Army veteran, Sergeant Michael Shoemaker enlisted right out of high school and served in Iraq. He later toured Afghanistan where he was injured in 2012.
“We were moving ammunition and rounds that weren’t supposed to go off. Thirteen grenades blew up, wounded seven, and then killed one,” recalled Shoemaker.
He lost his best friend that day, but by strength and miracle, Shoemaker survived his own injuries.
“Broken left tibia. There is a rod in that now. Blew off my right knee cap, broke my right femur, deflated right lung, shrapnel all over my body, my brain. They removed half of my skull which is now titanium and bullet proof.”
Shoemaker is grateful he is alive and is able to watch his kids grow up. “I died four times on the table.”
read more here
WKRN web staff
Published: August 24, 2015
HARMON, Ill. (KWQC) — An Illinois community has thanked a wounded veteran who survived injuries he sustained in Afghanistan by building him a new home.
Proud U.S. Army veteran, Sergeant Michael Shoemaker enlisted right out of high school and served in Iraq. He later toured Afghanistan where he was injured in 2012.
“We were moving ammunition and rounds that weren’t supposed to go off. Thirteen grenades blew up, wounded seven, and then killed one,” recalled Shoemaker.
He lost his best friend that day, but by strength and miracle, Shoemaker survived his own injuries.
“Broken left tibia. There is a rod in that now. Blew off my right knee cap, broke my right femur, deflated right lung, shrapnel all over my body, my brain. They removed half of my skull which is now titanium and bullet proof.”
Shoemaker is grateful he is alive and is able to watch his kids grow up. “I died four times on the table.”
read more here
Monday, August 24, 2015
Indiana Axemen Motorcycle Club and Firefighters Team Up for Homeless Veterans
Firefighters host cookout fundraiser for homeless veterans
WNDU 16 News
Christine Karsten
Updated: Sun 7:18 PM, Aug 23, 2015
Clay firefighters teamed up with a motorcycle club today to fire up the grill and feed homeless people in South Bend.
The firefighters, along with the Indiana Axemen Motorcycle Club hosted a cookout At Robert Miller Veterans Center for the Homeless.
Volunteers served up burgers, brats and potato salad to hungry vets.
The groups were raising donations to give to Miller Veterans Center and Jesse's Warriors.
read more here
WNDU 16 News
Christine Karsten
Updated: Sun 7:18 PM, Aug 23, 2015
Clay firefighters teamed up with a motorcycle club today to fire up the grill and feed homeless people in South Bend.
The firefighters, along with the Indiana Axemen Motorcycle Club hosted a cookout At Robert Miller Veterans Center for the Homeless.
Volunteers served up burgers, brats and potato salad to hungry vets.
The groups were raising donations to give to Miller Veterans Center and Jesse's Warriors.
read more here
Canadian Candidate Pushes for Restored Veterans Care
Justin Trudeau promises lifelong pensions for injured veterans
CBC News
Posted: Aug 24, 2015
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau promised to "reinstate" lifelong pensions for Canada's injured veterans during a campaign announcement in Belleville, Ont. that pledged $300 million annually to expand and create military support programs if elected on Oct. 19.
Trudeau said that after "10 years of neglect" under the Conservative government, he would implement changes immediately, including a new fund to cover post-secondary education costs for veterans, two new veterans' care centres and more support for the families of veterans.
"For 10 years, Stephen Harper has been nickle-and-diming our veterans, lacking the respect and the support that Canadians have earned through service to country and that's something that we have to fix as a priority," Trudeau told supporters in the southern Ontario riding Bay of Quinte, which is home to CFB Trenton.
"This is about doing right by people who have offered everything in service of our country."
Trudeau said a "fully costed platform" would be released in coming weeks to show how the Liberal plan would be funded should he form government.
The plan includes:
CBC News
Posted: Aug 24, 2015
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau promised to "reinstate" lifelong pensions for Canada's injured veterans during a campaign announcement in Belleville, Ont. that pledged $300 million annually to expand and create military support programs if elected on Oct. 19.
Trudeau said that after "10 years of neglect" under the Conservative government, he would implement changes immediately, including a new fund to cover post-secondary education costs for veterans, two new veterans' care centres and more support for the families of veterans.
"For 10 years, Stephen Harper has been nickle-and-diming our veterans, lacking the respect and the support that Canadians have earned through service to country and that's something that we have to fix as a priority," Trudeau told supporters in the southern Ontario riding Bay of Quinte, which is home to CFB Trenton.
"This is about doing right by people who have offered everything in service of our country."
Trudeau said a "fully costed platform" would be released in coming weeks to show how the Liberal plan would be funded should he form government.
The plan includes:
$20 million to create two new veterans' care centres.
$100 million annually to expand support for families of veterans, including education and counseling.
$25 million to expand the Permanent Impairment Allowance for the most seriously wounded.
$40 million to increase the Earnings Loss Benefit from 75 per cent to 90 per cent of a soldier's pre-release salary.
Increase the veteran survivor's pension amount to 70 per cent from 50 per cent.
Double funding to the Last Post Fund for the burial of veterans.
read more here
Vietnam Veterans Unaware of Agent Orange Benefits
VA wants all veterans exposed to Agent Orange to apply for benefits
Salisbury Post
By Rick Johnson
August 24, 2015
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The first U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam in March of 1965.
More than 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam conflict. Many who survived are fighting diseases the U.S. government now recognizes were caused by a very powerful toxic chemical used in the jungle war zone.
Since 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized a list of diseases, cancers and illnesses caused by the chemical Agent Orange. The VA is now making a renewed push to ensure everyone knows about the benefits available to veterans sickened by Agent Orange.
read more here
List Of Diseases Connected to Agent Orange
AL Amyloidosis
A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
Hodgkin's Disease
A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
Ischemic Heart Disease
A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain
Multiple Myeloma
A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
Parkinson's Disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset
A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma) A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
Children with birth defects
VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans are associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.
Veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease
VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure.
Salisbury Post
By Rick Johnson
August 24, 2015
Many Vietnam veterans aren’t aware of the Agent Orange presumptive diseases. Furthermore, some veterans choose not to go to the VA for their treatment or some veterans have never thought to apply.Rowan County Veteran Services
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The first U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam in March of 1965.
More than 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam conflict. Many who survived are fighting diseases the U.S. government now recognizes were caused by a very powerful toxic chemical used in the jungle war zone.
Since 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized a list of diseases, cancers and illnesses caused by the chemical Agent Orange. The VA is now making a renewed push to ensure everyone knows about the benefits available to veterans sickened by Agent Orange.
read more here
List Of Diseases Connected to Agent Orange
AL Amyloidosis
A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
Hodgkin's Disease
A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
Ischemic Heart Disease
A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain
Multiple Myeloma
A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
Parkinson's Disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset
A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma) A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
Children with birth defects
VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans are associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.
Veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease
VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure.
Louisiana State Police Officer Killed, Witnesses Took Down Gunman
Louisiana trooper dies after being shot in head, police say
FoxNews.com
Published August 24, 2015
A Louisiana state trooper died Monday from injuries he suffered when he was shot in the head Sunday afternoon by a man whose pickup truck had run into a ditch, and who got out of the truck with a sawed-off shotgun.
"As an organization, we are heartbroken over this senseless and tragic death," the police department wrote in a Facebook post.
Police video showed 43-year-old Senior Trooper Steven Vincent, a 13-year state police veteran in southwest Louisiana and member of a law enforcement family, trying to talk a man out of the vehicle stuck sideways in a ditch, Col. Mike Edmonson said Sunday night.
FoxNews.com
Published August 24, 2015
This undated photo shows Louisiana State Trooper Steven Vincent(Louisiana State Police)
A Louisiana state trooper died Monday from injuries he suffered when he was shot in the head Sunday afternoon by a man whose pickup truck had run into a ditch, and who got out of the truck with a sawed-off shotgun.
"As an organization, we are heartbroken over this senseless and tragic death," the police department wrote in a Facebook post.
Police video showed 43-year-old Senior Trooper Steven Vincent, a 13-year state police veteran in southwest Louisiana and member of a law enforcement family, trying to talk a man out of the vehicle stuck sideways in a ditch, Col. Mike Edmonson said Sunday night.
He said two or three drivers stopped immediately, one of them making a quick turnaround on the two-lane highway.
That driver wrestled the shotgun away from Daigle, and, with the others, got him to the ground, and snapped Vincent's handcuffs on his wrists, Edmonson said. As far as he knew, he said, the good Samaritans were unhurt.
read more here
Kansas Veteran Became PTSD Suicide Statistic
Parents, wife of veteran talk about PTSD-related suicide
The Capital Journal
Ann Marie Bush
Saturday, Aug 22, 2015
Keith and Norine Holtsclaw hold a photograph of their son, Mark Allen Holtsclaw, 43, of Kansas City, Mo. Mark committed suicide earlier this month.
Items throughout Keith Holtsclaw’s Topeka living room remind him of his 30-year military career.
Medals. Patches. Photographs.
At one point in time, Holtsclaw was proud of his service.
“That is me,” Holtsclaw said as he pointed to a shadow box filled with his patches. “I have given so much time to a country I love. What good did I do? What good did my son do?”
Holtsclaw’s 43-year-old son, Mark Allen Holtsclaw, committed suicide earlier this month in Kansas City, Mo. Mark’s body was discovered Aug. 7 in his apartment.
Mark joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He spent 22 years serving and did tours in Panama, Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt. He also served in Somalia and Haiti.
“We could tell when he came back from Iraq something was wrong,” Keith said. “We couldn’t get him to come out of it.”
The soldier — who was described as a loving son, father and brother — battled post-traumatic stress disorder.
He became a statistic.
read more here
The Capital Journal
Ann Marie Bush
Saturday, Aug 22, 2015
Items throughout Keith Holtsclaw’s Topeka living room remind him of his 30-year military career.
Medals. Patches. Photographs.
At one point in time, Holtsclaw was proud of his service.
“That is me,” Holtsclaw said as he pointed to a shadow box filled with his patches. “I have given so much time to a country I love. What good did I do? What good did my son do?”
Holtsclaw’s 43-year-old son, Mark Allen Holtsclaw, committed suicide earlier this month in Kansas City, Mo. Mark’s body was discovered Aug. 7 in his apartment.
Mark joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He spent 22 years serving and did tours in Panama, Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt. He also served in Somalia and Haiti.
“We could tell when he came back from Iraq something was wrong,” Keith said. “We couldn’t get him to come out of it.”
The soldier — who was described as a loving son, father and brother — battled post-traumatic stress disorder.
He became a statistic.
read more here
Colorado Doctor Wants Medical Marijuana Approved For Veterans
Doctor Says Board Of Health Approving Medical Pot For Vets With PTSD Is ‘Crucial’
CBS Denver
August 23, 2015
The board voted against adding PTSD to the list of eight other medical conditions that are approved for medicinal marijuana treatment. Board members said there was not enough research to prove that pot helps people with PTSD.
The cost to buy recreational marijuana is a lot more expensive than medical marijuana due to the taxes and sufferers say the quality is lower.
“I was a sniper in the Army, so I saw a lot of combat and I saw a lot of awful things,” veteran Curtis Bean said.
Bean suffers from PTSD from his service overseas and uses pot to treat his symptoms.
read more here
CBS Denver
August 23, 2015
“It is crucial that the Board of Health add PTSD as a qualifying condition for a medical card so that these veterans and other PTSD sufferers can obtain those specialized formulations of marijuana,” Sisley said.DENVER (CBS4) – In July the Colorado Board of Health denied veterans access to medical marijuana, and now veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder are suing the state.
The board voted against adding PTSD to the list of eight other medical conditions that are approved for medicinal marijuana treatment. Board members said there was not enough research to prove that pot helps people with PTSD.
The cost to buy recreational marijuana is a lot more expensive than medical marijuana due to the taxes and sufferers say the quality is lower.
“I was a sniper in the Army, so I saw a lot of combat and I saw a lot of awful things,” veteran Curtis Bean said.
Bean suffers from PTSD from his service overseas and uses pot to treat his symptoms.
read more here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)