Son Survived Afghanistan and Iraq, Lost Life to PTSD

'What am I supposed to do now?' Veteran suicides persist despite national attention
Citizen Times
Alexandra Bordas
November 4, 2017

"He's the eighth out of his unit last year alone." Patty Best

"He said 'I put 12 on the helicopter and took 11 out in bodybags.'" Hugh Best

On the final day of 2016, Jared Best turned a gun on himself in his Haywood County home.

Family members said his death by suicide came with no warning that personal struggles had reached a crisis point. An Army veteran, what Best saw during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan troubled him, but there had been no medical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I don’t really remember that call," Hugh Best said of the day he learned by phone that his 26-year-old son was dead. The two had plans to meet on New Year's Day. "You just do what you have to do at the time, and I don’t think it will ever sink in."

"It was like a bomb going off when we got that call," said Patty Best, Jared's mother.

Best left the military in 2014 after six years of service, and he was living in Crabtree. He was married, working full time and taking welding classes at Haywood Community College.
read more here

Hardest Battle is After War And We Still Lose More

PTSD Ignorance Produced More Casualties After War
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 4, 2017

It isn't new. It is as old as war itself. You can read accounts of what PTSD does within ancient accounts of war and even in the Bible. Without reading the term itself, it is all there.

Today we read about veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq losing their battle after war, but the overlooked facts make it all the more heart-wrenching to anyone paying close attention to all of this.

Prior to the War on Terror, all generations of veterans came home to battle the terror of the night and flashbacks of combat. This generation is no different from them, but social media has made it seem as if it is all new.

These are all repeats of stories we heard over the last 4 decades from our community members. That is unacceptable considering this generation has received more than any other generation to fight for their own lives.

So why are they still losing that fight? 

I-Team: Scars run deep for war vets returning home
Las Vegas Now
Vanessa Murphy
November 3, 2017

"We had 20 that were killed in action in Afghanistan and we've already surpassed that in suicides since we've came back. It's terrible." Ryan Terrana

LAS VEGAS - A group of marines deployed nearly 10 years ago is known as one of the hardest hit battalions.

According to the U.S. Marine Corps, within just eight months in Afghanistan, more than 20 marines and sailors were killed and 80 were seriously injured.

But when they returned home, the loss didn't stop.

Ryan Terrana went to war at 19-years-old. First in Iraq in 2007. Then in Afghanistan in 2008.

He was part of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, a light infantry unit on the front lines facing combat.

"There's nothing else like that," Ryan Terrana said. I'll tell you that." 

Some in the unit returned home with injuries, others were killed in action.

"I lost a really good friend. It was actually his anniversary and he has three kids and had a wife and it's like, I struggled with that for a long time. You know, why him? Why someone that has a family and all that? I mean granted, I have my family and stuff, but they just lost their dad," Terrana said.

There's survivor's guilt and flashbacks. Terrana recalls when a Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device.

Terrana says he has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This year, he finally went to the Veteran Affairs for help, especially after the tragedy that unfolded within his unit not just overseas, but on U.S. soil. 

read more here 

The thing is this generation has hundreds of thousands stepping up for their sake. When asked why they do not help the older veterans with the highest percentage of suicides, they disregard the need. Is it that they think it is too late to help older veterans? Or is it a matter of older veterans are not on social media and are easily forgotten?

If not for the forgotten generations, nothing would have been ready for this generation. In the 70's the DAV commissioned a study called "The Forgotten Warrior Project" but it is doubtful they thought history would repeat and they would be forgotten all over again.

In 1976, DAV also funded the groundbreaking Forgotten Warrior Project, which first defined the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among war veterans.Vietnam veterans were experiencing serious postwar problems at the time. DAV hoped the new study would make it impossible for Congress, the VA and the American public to ignore what was going on.When Congress and the VA failed to act on the findings of the project, DAV initiated its own Vietnam Veterans Outreach Program. Fortunately, this DAV sponsored study and DAV’s clinical outreach work spurred other research that forced the government to realize the psychological impact of war on veterans of Vietnam and all wars.

All the public attention is on OEF and OIF veterans.

OEF and OIF veterans have received "training" in "resilience" as PTSD and suicide prevention for over a decade. Yet still they lose their battle.

They have received funding in the billions dedicated to their care from Congress, but still they lose their battle.

They have the Veterans Crisis line to call, and they do,

Since its launch in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered nearly 2.8 million calls and initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in crisis nearly 74,000 times. The Veterans Crisis Line anonymous online chat service, added in 2009, has engaged in more than 332,000 chats. In November 2011, the Veterans Crisis Line introduced a text-messaging service to provide another way for Veterans to connect with confidential, round-the-clock support, and since then has responded to more than 67,000 texts.

But far too many still lose their battle.

They have Veterans Courts to help them find the resources they need along with someone standing by their side throughout the process.

The first Veterans Treatment Court was founded by the Honorable Robert Russell in Buffalo, New York in January, 2008, after he noticed an increase in the number of veterans appearing on his Drug Court and Mental Health Court dockets. Judge Russell saw firsthand the transformative power of military camaraderie when veterans on his staff assisted a veteran in one of his treatment courts, but also recognized that more could be done to ensure veterans were connected to benefits and treatment earned through military service.

They have homes built for them and their families to take some of the financial burden off their shoulders, but still too many lose their battle.

If you think this country is doing all we can to help our veterans, try to tell them that next weekend when they are supposed to be honored for their service but a lot of their buddies are no longer here.

Three Wars, Ex-Double POW Marine Undaunted Life

Marine survives being a POW in two different wars, returns home to live the American dream

Department of Veterans Affairs

October 31, 2017

Undaunted and undefeated, despite years of imprisonment and brutality, Harrison continued to serve our country in Vietnam until he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel on June 30, 1969.

Charles L. Harrison was born outside Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. Barely out of High School, Harrison enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1939.By August 1941 he was on his way to Wake Island, a vital staging area for the coming war in the Pacific.

Of the 449 Marines who manned Wake’s defenses when Wake Island was bombarded by Japanese forces a few hours after the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, 49 were killed, 32 were wounded, and the remainder, including 20 year old Charlie Harrison, became prisoners of war.

For 45 long months, during which he contracted malaria and other assorted maladies, Harrison suffered under the hands of the Japanese until he was rescued at the end of WWII with less than 110 pounds on his 5-foot 9½-inch frame.

With his courage and love of country intact, Harrison returned home to marry his childhood sweetheart and start a family. He and his growing family enjoyed a peaceful existence until the morning of June 25, 1950, when ninety thousand North Korean troops pushed across the 38th parallel, thus commencing the Korean War.

On Sept. 15, 1950, U.S. Marines under the direction of General Douglas MacArthur made a surprise amphibious landing at Inchon, on the west coast of Korea. Harrison was one of those Marines. 

On Nov. 29, at the Chosin Reservoir Campaign, after a battle in which Harrison was wounded and for which he later received a Purple Heart, he was captured by the Chinese communist forces and again found himself held as a prisoner of war – one of only two Marines in U.S. history to hold the dubious distinction of being held as a POW in two different wars.

Harrison remained in captivity until he, along with seventeen fellow POWs, managed to escape six months later.

This great American hero passed away with little fanfare on Jan. 17, 2015.

read more here

Commander John Wells Stood Up to NFL, Turned Down Award

Retired Naval officer and military veteran's advocate turns down award at Saints game
USA Today
Paul Murphy
November 2, 2017

Wells, a disabled veteran claims protestors are dishonoring the military and the flag.

"They can do it," Wells said. "They have that right, no question. I've got the right to turn it off. I got the right to not go into an NFL stadium and I have the right to decline the award."

A retired Naval officer and military veteran's advocate has declined to be honored at the New Orleans Saints-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday.

Commander John Wells was to receive the Peoples Health Champion award for exceptional achievements after age 65.

"I admire them for what they're doing," Wells said. "I admire the award. I'm just sorry that the circumstances are such that I could not ethically accept it."

Wells added he won't walk into an NFL stadium while players continue to protest during the national anthem.

Some players around the league are taking a knee during the anthem to shine a light on social injustice.
read more here

And exactly how did they respond?
New York Daily News

"Unfortunately, he has chosen very publicly not to accept this honor and refused the opportunity to promote the very cause for which he was being honored and distract from awareness we hoped to build throughout our community."

Guess they didn't notice the Veterans Community has been very aware of how the NFL actually feels about veterans. When a 'PUBLIC STUNT' allowing players to take a knee during the National Anthem has been more acceptable THAN A VETERAN TELLING THEM NO THANKS! The damage done between fans and the owners may never be repaired. 


UPDATE

I tried to get back to work on something I'm working on for Veterans Day, but I could not get my mind to focus on it. Before this story makes my head explode, I need to go on a rant, so if you want to stop reading now, it is ok. I don't blame you.

I've read too many times on social media that some people do not see it as disrespecting the men and women serving this country. They can't understand how it is disrespecting the flag. 

Unlike when their Moms told them they are special, the protestors seem to think they simply deserve respect for being born. Anything they want to do should be acceptable to the rest of us without ever earning any of it other than getting thousands of people to follow their postings.

I wonder if they ever listened to the words of the National Anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight'

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream;

'Tis the star-spangled banner: oh, long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand,

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation;

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued landv Praise the Power that has made and preserved us as a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust";

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Written by Francis Scott Key on 

September 14th, 1814.

Are there some police officers who should not have joined the force? Sure, but the protestors seem to want to blame all police officers. The thing is, the good ones are the majority and they still show up to put their lives on the line for people who hate them.

Now the NFL is being grouped because a minority of the players seem to think it is ok to disrespect the Anthem that was written in tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line in defense of this country. 

If they cannot understand what those words mean, or why they have the right to protest, then how would they know what respect is when they see it? If they cannot see what disrespect is to others, perhaps they never will.

Should people fight for justice? Absolutely! That is the foundation of this nation when it began in Massachusetts and has not stopped because brave people stand up and risk everything for the sake of others.

Taking a knee during a football game informs the public of how little they matter when players seem to believe their opinion matters more than what the fans may personally think about a subject. 

It is like going to a deli and hearing someone behind the counter defending the livestock. Really bad for that business! 

The right to protest is theirs but it also the right of those who disagree with them to also protest in a way the NFL will understand. They are taking their money, and their limited free time, to do something other than support the NFL.

 

Trusted to Care for Veterans, Going to Jail for Abusing Them

15 yrs in prison for former physician’s assistant who sexually assaulted vets at Leavenworth V.A. Hospital
FOX 4KC
BY MICHELLE PEKARSKY
NOVEMBER 3, 2017

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — A former physician’s assistant found guilty of sexually assaulting patients at the Leavenworth Veterans Administration hospital was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison.

In August, Mark Wisner, 66, was found guilty on one count of criminal sodomy, one count of aggravated sexual battery, and three counts of sexual battery.

Court documents say Wisner admitted to V.A. special agents investigating sexual abuse claims that he performed genital exams on men that were ‘excessive and unnecessary.’ Documents also state that Wisner said he ‘lost control’ and it became an ingrained habit.

During his trial, victims testified that Wisner groped their genitals, forced them to get prostate and genital exams they didn`t need, and had even made sexual advances. Some said Wisner would withhold medication if they didn`t go through with the exams.

The judge sentenced Wisner to 15 years and 5 months in prison (187 months) for the combined charges. Wisner will also have to register as a sex offender. Fox 4’s Kera Mashek was in the courtroom and reports Wisner could be eligible for parole after three years.
read more here

New Smyrna Beach Officer and Veteran Killed in Car Crash

Off-duty New Smyrna Beach police officer killed in crash

WESH 2 News

November 2, 2017

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — An off-duty New Smyrna Beach police officer was killed Thursday morning after his car went off the road, rolled over and struck a tree. The Florida Highway Patrol said Josh Calverley, 29, was traveling northbound on U.S. 1 around 1:45 a.m. when he veered off the road and into the median. 

Troopers said he overcorrected, rolled over and hit a tree. Calverley, who lives in South Daytona, was an officer for the New Smyrna Beach Police Department and a U.S. Army veteran. 

He would have been with department for two years in December. Calverley was in his personal vehicle at the time of the crash. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
go here for updates

Iraq Veteran Got Second Chance Being Good Dad Because of Good People

In crisis after Iraq tour, Kansas City veteran given second chance at fatherhood

KSHB News
Steven Dial
November 2, 2017

He felt he was out of options, so Brown put a call into the VA for help. He received a PTSD diagnosis after his military service, and workers moved to get him into a rehabilitation program through KVC Health Services.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- After returning from serving in Iraq, James Brown’s life went in a downward spiral. He got addicted to pain pills, went to jail and lost custody of his children.

“It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters.” The old saying rings true for Brown.

He served our country, then came home to a broken family. His troubles went out of control when his wife left him. Brown was arrested multiple times after his return from Iraq in 2015, once on a weapons charge.

“I tried to commit suicide, then I got addicted to pain pills, which also got me in trouble with the law,” said Brown. “I was on my way to try and commit homicide -- kill me and my kids.”

His two young children, Jayden and Adrianna, went to live with Cathy and Stu MacFarlane as part of the foster home program. While the couple has children of their own, they’ve also spent the past four years opening their home to children in need.
read more here

VA Tried to Get Refund from Veteran, News Crew Stepped In

7 On Your Side: VA wrongfully claims veteran owes thousands

WJLA News
Nathan Baca
November 1, 2017

“When I was diagnosed with PTSD, it took me almost 10 years to submit myself to the VA and say look, can you help me?’ Not until my wife said, ‘if you don’t ask for help, I’m going to take the children and I’m out,’” recalled Sabino. “More than once or twice… the thought process of killing myself – it’s always there.”

Photo of Petty Officer Zaldy Sabino in Bosnia. Thursday, Nov. 1, 2017. (Nathan Baca, ABC7) 

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. (ABC7) — Seven On Your Side intervened in the case of one Maryland Navy veteran, leading the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to reverse claims that veterans owed the government more than $22,000. 

The problem identified by ABC7 News affects an unknown number of veterans nationwide, according to veterans support organizations. The House Veterans Affairs Committee recently held a hearing on the subject of VA errors in benefits adjustments.
read more here

Is that service dog a fake?

 Is that service dog a fake? Under federal law, you can’t even ask
Kansas City Star
Mark Davis
November 1, 2017

Fake service dogs are essentially untrained pets wearing vests or tags purchased online so Fido can tag along, too. They’ve become the bane of those who rely on trained service dogs to deal with disabilities.

The unleashed dog lunged from the woman’s lap and right at Andy, Michaela Chase’s dog.

“It was going for blood,” Chase said, thinking back to the narrow waiting room at her physical therapy gym in Lincoln, Neb. “It was in full attack mode.”

Shielded by Chase’s wheelchair, Andy avoided the other dog, which had a tag on its collar that said “service dog.” But though there was no fight, the damage was done.

“It really ruined Andy,” Chase said of her service dog trained by Paws for Freedom Inc. in Tonganoxie, Kan. Andy — the victim of a fake service dog, Chase said — now distrusts other dogs. He’ll even bark at other service dogs. 
read more here

VA and ‘Got Your 6’ Announce StorytellersX

Aimed at strengthening civilian-military relationships, VA and ‘Got Your 6’ Announce StorytellersX Events Across the Nation
VA News
November 1, 2017

WASHINGTON — On the eve of Veterans Day, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in collaboration with Got Your 6 and local Community Veteran Engagement Boards, will host a nationwide series of StorytellersX events in November and December, featuring Veterans sharing their stories of post-military life.

Adapted from Got Your 6's national Storytellers programs — which have included a former VA Secretary, elected officials, filmmakers, entrepreneurs and educators — StorytellersX events are TEDx-type local activities featuring key Veterans connecting Veterans with their communities, all to help bridge the civilian-military divide.

“Research shows that the percentage of Americans who currently serve in the military is at its lowest point in history,” said VA Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin. “StorytellersX will showcase the exemplary talents and experiences of some of our nation’s brightest Veterans and shift the conversation to more accurate perceptions of Veterans. The reality is that most Veterans are exceptional citizens with life experiences that few understand. Veterans vote and volunteer more and serve their communities at higher rates than their civilian counterparts.”

During StorytellersX, audiences will hear Veterans share how military service prepared them for civilian life and personal and professional success. The 2017 StorytellersX dates and locations are:

• Hebron, Connecticut — 9-5 p.m. Nov. 4, Easter Seals Camp Hemlocks, 85 Jones St., Amston, Connecticut 
• 
  
• Montpelier, Maine — 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, The General Henry Knox Museum, 30 High St., Thomaston, Maine
• 
  
• Colorado Springs, Colorado — 3-5 p.m. Nov. 9, Mount Carmel Center of Excellence, 530 Communication Circle, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• 
  
• Lake County-McHenry County, Illinois; — 4-5 p.m. Nov. 15, Grayslake, Illinois
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• Marion, Illinois —  6-7 p.m. Nov. 9, Varsity Theater in Carbondale, 418 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, Illinois
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• Mooresville, North Carolina — 4-5 p.m. Nov. 9, 215 N. Main St., Mooresville, North Carolina
• New York, New York — 3-5 p.m. Nov. 11, 4 W. 43rd St., New York, New York
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• Grand Junction, Colorado —3-5 p.m. Nov. 11, Avalon Theater, 645 Main St., Grand Junction, Colorado
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• Cleveland, Ohio — 3-6 p.m. Nov. 17, American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio, Myers Room, 3747 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, and
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• Tucson, Arizona — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 8, Military/Veteran Community Network-Southern Arizona 4^th annual Community Summit University of Arizona, 1303 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona.

Additional events, updates and live video streams can be found at: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/42467/va-got-6-announce-storytellersx-events-across-nation/

Got Your 6 unites nonprofits, Hollywood and federal government partners to empower Veterans. For more information, email David.Francavilla@VA.gov.