Navy veteran writes names of 2,200 killed servicemembers from memory
by TODD UNGER
WFAA
Posted on February 28, 2013
FORT WORTH -- Close to 7,000 words and more than 2,200 names later, Ron White finally did it.
The U.S. Navy veteran recorded the names of the military fallen from Afghanistan on a makeshift wall in downtown Fort Worth on Thursday. And he did it all from memory.
"I have pictures in my mind for each name," said White, who served one tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007.
read more here
Showing posts with label Afghanistan veterans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Afghanistan veterans. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
American Tragedy: Military Suicide
SPECIAL REPORT -- American Tragedy: Military Suicide
North Michigan News
Posted: February 21, 2013
Military suicide.
It's a growing problem in the U.S. -- an American tragedy, felt here in Northern Michigan.
A recent study revealed the number of veterans committing suicide each day is on the rise, as they struggle to adjust to civilian life.
In part one of our special report, you'll hear from the family of Eric Harm -- a soldier who took his own life in December, just months after returning home from war.
And in part two, we dig deeper into what the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is doing to help these struggling servicemen.
You'll also meet a Vietnam veteran trying to find peace and meaning in life after war.
9 and 10's Evan Dean and Photojournalist Jake Johnson have it all for you in American Tragedy: Military Suicide.
read more here
North Michigan News
Posted: February 21, 2013
Military suicide.
It's a growing problem in the U.S. -- an American tragedy, felt here in Northern Michigan.
A recent study revealed the number of veterans committing suicide each day is on the rise, as they struggle to adjust to civilian life.
In part one of our special report, you'll hear from the family of Eric Harm -- a soldier who took his own life in December, just months after returning home from war.
And in part two, we dig deeper into what the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is doing to help these struggling servicemen.
You'll also meet a Vietnam veteran trying to find peace and meaning in life after war.
9 and 10's Evan Dean and Photojournalist Jake Johnson have it all for you in American Tragedy: Military Suicide.
read more here
Monday, February 18, 2013
Loan program for veteran entrepreneurs
Loan program for veteran entrepreneurs
New legislation could offer small business loans
WPRI.com
Updated: Sunday, 17 Feb 2013
By: Stephanie Mangano
PROVIDENCE, R.I (WPRI)-- New legislation could help veterans looking to start a small business.
Legislation was introduced in the General Assembly last week to set up a loan program for veteran entrepreneurs
read more here
New legislation could offer small business loans
WPRI.com
Updated: Sunday, 17 Feb 2013
By: Stephanie Mangano
PROVIDENCE, R.I (WPRI)-- New legislation could help veterans looking to start a small business.
Legislation was introduced in the General Assembly last week to set up a loan program for veteran entrepreneurs
read more here
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Wounded veteran from Tallahassee robbed in Santa Fe
Vet says money for service dog lost in robbery
By Nico Roesler
The New Mexican via AP
Posted : Sunday Feb 17, 2013
SANTA FE, N.M. — Brian Ryder has undergone 23 surgeries to repair his spine and hips after a nearly fatal accident in July 2009, while he was deployed with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. He was saving his money to buy a service dog that he hoped could change his life.
One day after he moved to Santa Fe last week, however, he lost his savings of about $700 when two men robbed him at gunpoint just north of the city’s downtown.
Ryder, 38, said in an interview Wednesday that he had moved to Santa Fe on Feb. 6 to live with his mother and continue various treatments at the veterans hospital in Albuquerque.
He figured a service dog would help him in every area of his life — mainly with his mobility. He takes falls on a weekly basis, about nine of which have resulted in concussions. “I’m just scared to death of one of these days taking a fall, hitting my head and losing the memory and cognition I have left,” said Ryder, who walks with a cane.
Originally from Tallahassee, Fla., Ryder was walking back to his mother’s house at about 11:20 p.m. Feb. 7, after having a drink at The Rouge Cat bar on Marcy Street. “It was my first time off a base in four years,” he said. “I wanted to celebrate with a beer.”
read more here
By Nico Roesler
The New Mexican via AP
Posted : Sunday Feb 17, 2013
SANTA FE, N.M. — Brian Ryder has undergone 23 surgeries to repair his spine and hips after a nearly fatal accident in July 2009, while he was deployed with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. He was saving his money to buy a service dog that he hoped could change his life.
One day after he moved to Santa Fe last week, however, he lost his savings of about $700 when two men robbed him at gunpoint just north of the city’s downtown.
Ryder, 38, said in an interview Wednesday that he had moved to Santa Fe on Feb. 6 to live with his mother and continue various treatments at the veterans hospital in Albuquerque.
He figured a service dog would help him in every area of his life — mainly with his mobility. He takes falls on a weekly basis, about nine of which have resulted in concussions. “I’m just scared to death of one of these days taking a fall, hitting my head and losing the memory and cognition I have left,” said Ryder, who walks with a cane.
Originally from Tallahassee, Fla., Ryder was walking back to his mother’s house at about 11:20 p.m. Feb. 7, after having a drink at The Rouge Cat bar on Marcy Street. “It was my first time off a base in four years,” he said. “I wanted to celebrate with a beer.”
read more here
Monday, February 11, 2013
Double Amputee Wounded Marine Will Get New Home
Wounded Marine Will Get New Home
February 10, 2013
by Jocelyne Pruna
5 News Online
Marine Sgt. Marshall Kennedy underwent 35 surgeries after an explosion overseas, and the organization Homes For Our Troops is building a home designed for his needs.
The hallways and doorways will be wider so his wheelchair can move around easily. The framing of his new home is almost complete and there’s a large sign at the front announcing the project.
“When I first got injured, you never expect people like this,” Kennedy said.
Homes For Our Troops is a national non-profit organization that builds houses for wounded veterans who give so much to this country. Marshall, his wife and two boys Caleb, 3, and Ethan, 5, stopped by Sunday to check on the progress.
“It’s a great feeling,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to be better for us to have this very nice house, it’s going to be a well-built home and it’s going to stand the test of time.”
Marshall’s life changed on June 13, 2011 in Sangin, Afghanistan. He stepped on an IED, an improvised explosive device.
He lost his left leg below the knee, right leg above the knee, and suffered lacerations on his left arm, a shoulder injury as well as internal injuries. Still, Kennedy considers himself lucky.
read more here
February 10, 2013
by Jocelyne Pruna
5 News Online
Marine Sgt. Marshall Kennedy underwent 35 surgeries after an explosion overseas, and the organization Homes For Our Troops is building a home designed for his needs.
The hallways and doorways will be wider so his wheelchair can move around easily. The framing of his new home is almost complete and there’s a large sign at the front announcing the project.
“When I first got injured, you never expect people like this,” Kennedy said.
Homes For Our Troops is a national non-profit organization that builds houses for wounded veterans who give so much to this country. Marshall, his wife and two boys Caleb, 3, and Ethan, 5, stopped by Sunday to check on the progress.
“It’s a great feeling,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to be better for us to have this very nice house, it’s going to be a well-built home and it’s going to stand the test of time.”
Marshall’s life changed on June 13, 2011 in Sangin, Afghanistan. He stepped on an IED, an improvised explosive device.
He lost his left leg below the knee, right leg above the knee, and suffered lacerations on his left arm, a shoulder injury as well as internal injuries. Still, Kennedy considers himself lucky.
read more here
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Andrew Baumgartner was a Marine, who served in Afghanistan
Surveillance video shows Marine, burglary suspect trying to get into Granger Twp home before suicide
Search ends after man turns gun on self
Posted: 02/01/2013
By: Bob Jones, newsnet5.com
By: Stephanie Ramirez, newsnet5.com
MEDINA, Ohio - Andrew Baumgartner was a Marine, who served in Afghanistan, and planned to become a cop, according to Medina County detectives.
But on Thursday night, the police were after Baumgartner after he scuffled with Sgt. Scott Schmoll on I-271 near State Route 94.
Baumgartner, 27, of Westlake, also tried to get inside a Granger Township home before disappearing into a wooded area and taking his own life.
The bizarre and tense chain of events unfolded shortly after 11 p.m., after concerned drivers called 911 to report a man walking along the expressway.
Sgt. Schmoll responded and offered to give Baumgartner a ride.
But when Schmoll patted the man down, he felt a pistol tucked inside his waistband. Schmoll didn't know it at the time, but the gun was loaded.
Suddenly, the two wrestled to the ground.
"The suspect turned on my sergeant and they were hands on and they were involved in a tussle. The sergeant told me as soon as he put his hands and felt the weapon, it started right then. It happened very fast," said Lt. Matthew Linscott.
read more here
Search ends after man turns gun on self
Posted: 02/01/2013
By: Bob Jones, newsnet5.com
By: Stephanie Ramirez, newsnet5.com
Investigators wondered how the Marine, who had served in Afghanistan, had found so much trouble just a few months after he was discharged.
MEDINA, Ohio - Andrew Baumgartner was a Marine, who served in Afghanistan, and planned to become a cop, according to Medina County detectives.
But on Thursday night, the police were after Baumgartner after he scuffled with Sgt. Scott Schmoll on I-271 near State Route 94.
Baumgartner, 27, of Westlake, also tried to get inside a Granger Township home before disappearing into a wooded area and taking his own life.
The bizarre and tense chain of events unfolded shortly after 11 p.m., after concerned drivers called 911 to report a man walking along the expressway.
Sgt. Schmoll responded and offered to give Baumgartner a ride.
But when Schmoll patted the man down, he felt a pistol tucked inside his waistband. Schmoll didn't know it at the time, but the gun was loaded.
Suddenly, the two wrestled to the ground.
"The suspect turned on my sergeant and they were hands on and they were involved in a tussle. The sergeant told me as soon as he put his hands and felt the weapon, it started right then. It happened very fast," said Lt. Matthew Linscott.
read more here
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Fort Carson 1st LT faces 100 years in prison
Alabama police release new details on Fort Carson soldier arrest
Emily Allen
General Assignment Reporter
Jan 03, 2013
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.
Alabama police released new details on Thursday behind the charges on an arrest warrant for a Fort Carson soldier.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrested 1st Lt. Aaron G. Lucas on Thursday on an arrest warrant from Madison, Ala., with charges of enticing a child and sexual child abuse of a child less than 12 years of age.
Emily Allen
General Assignment Reporter
Jan 03, 2013
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.
Alabama police released new details on Thursday behind the charges on an arrest warrant for a Fort Carson soldier.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrested 1st Lt. Aaron G. Lucas on Thursday on an arrest warrant from Madison, Ala., with charges of enticing a child and sexual child abuse of a child less than 12 years of age.
There are still a lot of unfinished cases involving Lucas. He faces 23 charges of sex crimes against young girls in El Paso County. He was arrested on Oct. 23, 2012, in connection with an El Paso County kidnapping case, a separate enticement of a child case and his connection to similar cases from other area jurisdictions.
He is accused of crimes in 14 incidents dating back to 2010. The charges he faces could put him in prison for more than 100 years. He was free on a $730,000 bond when the latest warrant was issued.
Lucas is an Afghanistan veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star.
read more here
Friday, January 4, 2013
Dragoon Guardsman found hanged at home
UPDATE
"He was on top form over Christmas": Devastated family of soldier found hanged speak about tragedy
By Andy Rudd
6 Jan 2013
Trooper Robert Griffiths, who had survived a Taliban bomb blast on the frontline in Afghanistan, was found dead at his home
"He was on top form over Christmas": Devastated family of soldier found hanged speak about tragedy
By Andy Rudd
6 Jan 2013
Trooper Robert Griffiths, who had survived a Taliban bomb blast on the frontline in Afghanistan, was found dead at his home
Afghanistan soldier found hanged at his Swansea homeI get emails from other countries on military suicides. This is just one more example of how very human these men and women are. It doesn't matter where they live as much as they just don't want to live anymore. No nation has taken care of their veterans properly and no nation can claim they really support their troops.
Friday, January 04, 2013
South Wales Evening Post
By Liz Perkins and Jason Evans
A HERO soldier who served on the frontline in Afghanistan has been found hanged at his Swansea home.
Trooper Robert Llewellyn Griffiths, of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, also known as the Welsh Cavalry, was discovered at the property in Oldway, Bishopston, on Saturday evening.
He was only 24.
An Army spokesman said: "Police are investigating the death of a soldier who was serving with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.
"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."
The regiment returned from a challenging seven-month tour of Helmand Province last April.
read more here
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Afghanistan veteran serving at Ground Zero because of it
Afghanistan vet finds a new way to serve
By Jeremy Bradley
CNN
January 1, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ricardo Benejam was born and raised in New York City and saw the twin towers fall
Benejam enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2009
He now works at the 9/11 Memorial as a visitor services host
Benejam: It's like you're continuing to serve because you're telling the story
(CNN) -- Ricardo Benejam is a born-and-bred New Yorker. He grew up with a view of the World Trade Center from the window of his childhood apartment in lower Manhattan.
On September 11, 2001, he was a freshman in high school when the twin towers fell.
"I had actually blurted out, 'We'll be going to war,'" he recalls. "You knew it wasn't an accident. That was my first thought at 14 [years old]."
He witnessed the devastation firsthand as he walked home that day.
"I saw cars that were littered with dust," he said. "I saw people in business suits that were littered in dust."
By Jeremy Bradley
CNN
January 1, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ricardo Benejam was born and raised in New York City and saw the twin towers fall
Benejam enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2009
He now works at the 9/11 Memorial as a visitor services host
Benejam: It's like you're continuing to serve because you're telling the story
(CNN) -- Ricardo Benejam is a born-and-bred New Yorker. He grew up with a view of the World Trade Center from the window of his childhood apartment in lower Manhattan.
On September 11, 2001, he was a freshman in high school when the twin towers fell.
"I had actually blurted out, 'We'll be going to war,'" he recalls. "You knew it wasn't an accident. That was my first thought at 14 [years old]."
He witnessed the devastation firsthand as he walked home that day.
"I saw cars that were littered with dust," he said. "I saw people in business suits that were littered in dust."
Benejam visits ground zero several times a week now, not just to pay respect to his fellow veterans or to reflect on the events that inspired him to serve his country. He works at the 9/11 Memorial.
"Working down there, it's like you're continuing to serve because you're telling the story of what happened and what was there before," he said.
Part of what makes his job so special is the bond he shares with other veterans visiting the site.
"You meet a veteran, and it's almost like seeing a brother or sister," Benejam said. "A lot of us have deployed (as a result of) what happened on 9/11."
read more here
Monday, December 24, 2012
As veterans return, PTSD could become more common in workplace
If you learn nothing else from this report, I hope you keep this part in mind.
Combat veterans and civilians exposed to traumatic events share two things. The first is they are humans and the second, they survived something most humans never have to go through.
PTSD affects about 7.7 million adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Combat veterans and civilians exposed to traumatic events share two things. The first is they are humans and the second, they survived something most humans never have to go through.
As veterans return, PTSD could become more common in workplaceThe last thing you should take away from this is PTSD is not a "relatively new issue" and it would be great if people stopped saying it was.
By KELLY YAMANOUCHI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published: December 24, 2012
At a recent weekly staff meeting, human resources manager Zetta Ferguson noticed that one of her employees wasn’t sitting at the conference table.
She encouraged the employee who was sitting against the wall, Corey Michael McGee, to join the rest of the group at the table, but he declined. After the meeting, McGee explained: “I sit against the wall where I’m safest. Or in my mind I feel I’m safest.”
An Army veteran who was struck by an improvised explosive device and gunfire in Fallujah, Iraq, McGee says post-traumatic stress disorder and some remaining effects of his injuries affect him in some ways in the workplace, but “it’s gotten a lot better over the years.”
Many employers have not delved deeply into how they might address PTSD, a relatively new issue, but they could face it more frequently as more veterans return to the workforce.
About 2.4 million members of the military have been deployed in the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, and tens of thousands are returning home. The influx is expected to continue until 2016.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates as many as 11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan and 20 percent of Iraqi war veterans are afflicted by PTSD, which can generate both sympathy and fear.
read more here
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Cage fighting for Combat PTSD?
We tell them to take care of their mind, body and spirit so they can heal but I am not sure about this one. Yoga is advised because it teaches the body to calm down naturally. Tai Chi works the same way and so a long list of other things but Cage Fighting? How would that work?
Kyle Dubay said it helps him get rid of "negative energy" but he does it fighting. Will this work for some? Dubay thinks it does. Will it work for everyone? No, nothing works for everyone.
If they take care of the "whole" veteran that works. The mind therapy usually requires talking to a mental health professional and often medication. The spirit requires they talk to someone about where this wound attacked and lives, the soul. The body requires they relearn how to calm down again.
So how does fighting do that? Just as with computer games like Call of Duty is played by a lot of younger veterans, it is something they like to do but it does not help them.
If it helps, then do it. Find what works for you. Just don't do it because it worked for someone you know. There is no one size fits all in any of this. Above all, don't give up finding exactly what you need to heal.
Kyle Dubay said it helps him get rid of "negative energy" but he does it fighting. Will this work for some? Dubay thinks it does. Will it work for everyone? No, nothing works for everyone.
If they take care of the "whole" veteran that works. The mind therapy usually requires talking to a mental health professional and often medication. The spirit requires they talk to someone about where this wound attacked and lives, the soul. The body requires they relearn how to calm down again.
So how does fighting do that? Just as with computer games like Call of Duty is played by a lot of younger veterans, it is something they like to do but it does not help them.
If it helps, then do it. Find what works for you. Just don't do it because it worked for someone you know. There is no one size fits all in any of this. Above all, don't give up finding exactly what you need to heal.
Cage fighting possible treatment for PTSD
by Sybil Hoffman
AZ Family.com
Posted on December 3, 2012
MESA, Ariz. -- The ultimate fighter series on Spike TV has catapulted mixed martial arts, or cage fighting, into the national spotlight. Now a group of Valley fighters say the violent, often bloody, sport should be classified as therapy.
At the American Pankration Academy, a mixed martial arts studio in Mesa, Kyle Dubay is a regular. But behind his warm smile looms a level of darkness, remnants of his three tours in Iraq.
"Every time that we were hit, it was always an ambush," he said. "It became the norm to get blown up, to get shot at."
When the former combat medic returned, he found himself spiraling out of control. It took months to realize he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"I get a lot of energy in my chest and it's a negative energy, but it builds up and it's powerful and I don't know how to get rid of it until I come in and I fight," Dubay said.
read more here
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
NCIS takes on PTSD in "Shell Shock"
NCIS Round Table: "Shell Shock"
TV Fanatic
November 26th, 2012
by Steve Marsi
Our NCIS review broke down the conclusion "Shell Shock," last week's episode of TV's #1 show, in detail.
Now, TV Fanatic staff members Steve Marsi, Mary Powers and Eric Hochberger have assembled for our weekly Round Table Q and A discussion of various events from this week's solid installment.
Join in as we analyze the outstanding PTSD-centric two-part story arc and all things therein!
1. Describe this episode in one word (or two, or three, or four).
Steve: Personal and powerful.
Mary: Mucho-fabulous! Both parts, but especially Part II due to the character development for Gibbs.
Eric: More intense than I expected.
read more here
TV Fanatic
November 26th, 2012
by Steve Marsi
Our NCIS review broke down the conclusion "Shell Shock," last week's episode of TV's #1 show, in detail.
Now, TV Fanatic staff members Steve Marsi, Mary Powers and Eric Hochberger have assembled for our weekly Round Table Q and A discussion of various events from this week's solid installment.
Join in as we analyze the outstanding PTSD-centric two-part story arc and all things therein!
1. Describe this episode in one word (or two, or three, or four).
Steve: Personal and powerful.
Mary: Mucho-fabulous! Both parts, but especially Part II due to the character development for Gibbs.
Eric: More intense than I expected.
read more here
Monday, November 26, 2012
Marine's Dad surround by love and more Marines
Yesterday I posted this story. Dad of Marine killed in accident wants stolen memories back I couldn't imagine how this Dad felt. By the response around the country, it looks like it really pulled at our hearts.
Marine's dad gets nationwide support
Photos of late Marine Gregory Courtney stolen
Monday, 26 Nov 2012
By Ken Kolker
GOBLES, Mich. (WOOD) - A Marine dad who made a desperate plea to burglars to return the memories they stole of his son said he has received support from around the country since telling 24 Hour News 8 his story.
Many of his son's Marine buddies have offered to gather up their videos and photographs and send him those.
read more of this great story here
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Deputies had no warning man had history of mental health crisis
Baldwin sheriff: Deputies had no warning before man with mental health history started shooting
AL.com
By Brendan Kirby
November 24, 2012
The Friday evening shooting in this community east of Fairhope resulted in the deaths of both Ward and Michael J. Jansen, and left a second deputy critically wounded.
“A number of gunshots were fired by Mr. Jansen and the deputies. Both deputies were shot numerous times. I don’t have the number of gunshots,” Mack said. “We’re still working the scene even today.”
Mack said autopsies had been performed on both Ward and Jansen, but he added that he has not seen the report.
Ward, 47, was a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and previously served as a Prichard police officer. He also was a Coast Guard Reserve officer who had served in Afghanistan.
Citing an ongoing internal affairs investigation, Mack would not release the names of the other deputies involved. He said the wounded deputy is a sergeant who was the shift supervisor. The sheriff said that the third deputy, who was not hurt, has been with the Sheriff’s Office for about a year.
read more here
Baldwin County Deputy Killed Served In Afghanistan
By Brendan Kirby
November 24, 2012
Baldwin County Deputy Scott Ward, left, died on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, during a violent confrontation with Michael J. Jansen, right, according to law enforcement officialsMARLOW, Alabama – Deputy Scott Ward and two other law enforcement officials had no warning before a man with a history of mental health problems started firing shots from a 9mm handgun, Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said today.
The Friday evening shooting in this community east of Fairhope resulted in the deaths of both Ward and Michael J. Jansen, and left a second deputy critically wounded.
“A number of gunshots were fired by Mr. Jansen and the deputies. Both deputies were shot numerous times. I don’t have the number of gunshots,” Mack said. “We’re still working the scene even today.”
Mack said autopsies had been performed on both Ward and Jansen, but he added that he has not seen the report.
Ward, 47, was a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and previously served as a Prichard police officer. He also was a Coast Guard Reserve officer who had served in Afghanistan.
Citing an ongoing internal affairs investigation, Mack would not release the names of the other deputies involved. He said the wounded deputy is a sergeant who was the shift supervisor. The sheriff said that the third deputy, who was not hurt, has been with the Sheriff’s Office for about a year.
read more here
Baldwin County Deputy Killed Served In Afghanistan
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Baldwin County Deputy Killed Served In Afghanistan
Baldwin County Deputy Killed Served In Afghanistan
By: WKRG Staff
WKRG
Published: November 24, 2012
More information is coming out involving a Baldwin County Deputy who died in the line of duty. Deputy Scott Ward served with the department for 15 years and was also in the Coast Guard Reserves. According to al.com, Ward was deployed to Afghanistan a little more than a year ago. He also served at one time as a Prichard Police officer.
read more here
By: WKRG Staff
WKRG
Published: November 24, 2012
More information is coming out involving a Baldwin County Deputy who died in the line of duty. Deputy Scott Ward served with the department for 15 years and was also in the Coast Guard Reserves. According to al.com, Ward was deployed to Afghanistan a little more than a year ago. He also served at one time as a Prichard Police officer.
read more here
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Driver of parade float hit by train is combat veteran too
I cannot imagine the kind of pain he is going through or anyone else that was there.
Driver in Texas parade crash an Army veteran
By Betsy Blaney
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 20, 2012
MIDLAND, Texas — A 50-year-old Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was driving a parade float that investigators say edged across a railroad crossing in Texas despite warning signals of a fast-approaching train, an attorney said Tuesday.
Four veterans were killed in the resulting collision in Midland on Thursday. Sixteen people were injured.
Dale Andrew Hayden was driving one of two flatbed trucks carrying wounded veterans and their loved ones in the procession to honor the war heroes, said Hal Brockett, Hayden’s attorney.
“Words can’t express the sorrow and remorse for the people who got hurt and killed,” Brockett said in an interview Tuesday.
Investigators say the float began crossing the train tracks even though warning bells were sounding and the crossing lights were flashing. A Union Pacific train travelling at more than 60 mph ran into the truck as the occupants scrambled to jump to safety.
Hayden, who has a military career spanning more than three decades, now works as a truck driver for Smith Industries, an oilfield services company. Brockett said the company placed Hayden on medical leave.
read more here
Veteran survivor of train crash plans lawsuit
Friday, November 2, 2012
Double amputee jumps into a brave new life
Double amputee jumps into a brave new life
Patriot Charities to help double amputee from 101st Airborne finally taste the skies by tandem parachute
By Karen Garloch
Posted: Friday, Nov. 02, 2012
Army Corporal David Bixler never got the chance to jump out of an airplane when he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.
Friday, he’ll get his chance.
Bixler, who lost both legs while saving his platoon from an explosion in Afghanistan in 2010, will take part in a tandem skydive over Charlotte Latin’s football stadium.
“I want to show people what’s left for guys like me,” Bixler said in an interview from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland, where he is undergoing rehabilitation.
“Just because you’re busted up doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.”
Friday’s jump is sponsored by the Patriot Charities, a Charlotte-based nonprofit that supports wounded members of the military and their families from the Carolinas.
The group raised $3,500 to pay for Bixler’s jump with Mike Elliott, an Army veteran who has made more than 9,000 parachute jumps, including two tandem jumps with former President George H.W. Bush.
read more here
Patriot Charities to help double amputee from 101st Airborne finally taste the skies by tandem parachute
By Karen Garloch
Posted: Friday, Nov. 02, 2012
After multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation, Army Corporal David Bixler is able to stand without assistance on his X2 prosthetic legs. The X2 is a microprocessor-controlled device that reacts to subtle changes in terrain or the wearer’s gait, allowing Bixler to walk and even climb stairs.
Army Corporal David Bixler never got the chance to jump out of an airplane when he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.
Friday, he’ll get his chance.
Bixler, who lost both legs while saving his platoon from an explosion in Afghanistan in 2010, will take part in a tandem skydive over Charlotte Latin’s football stadium.
“I want to show people what’s left for guys like me,” Bixler said in an interview from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland, where he is undergoing rehabilitation.
“Just because you’re busted up doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.”
Friday’s jump is sponsored by the Patriot Charities, a Charlotte-based nonprofit that supports wounded members of the military and their families from the Carolinas.
The group raised $3,500 to pay for Bixler’s jump with Mike Elliott, an Army veteran who has made more than 9,000 parachute jumps, including two tandem jumps with former President George H.W. Bush.
read more here
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Marine Double Amputee told to stop using wheelchair as crutch!
This was over the Marine and his family going out to eat while wearing the wrong sports team jersey!
Marine amputee taunted at south Charlotte grill
by STEVE LYTTLE
Charlotte Observer
Posted on October 25, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The owner of a south Charlotte restaurant says he is “heartbroken” over an incident Sunday in which bantering between football fans got out of control, resulting in a U.S. Marine who lost both legs in Afghanistan being forced to leave the eatery with his wife, parents and friends.
Chris Neilsen, owner of the Moosehead Grill on Montford Drive, has been in contact with family members of Marine Garrett Carnes, of Mooresville, following the incident that Neilsen says “was awful.”
“I want to somehow make it right by them,” Neilsen says.
During a verbal altercation that some witnesses said almost came to blows, one patron told Carnes he was using his wheelchair “as an excuse.”
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Sunday, October 21, 2012
Courage and Combat PTSD
Courage and Combat PTSD
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
October 21, 2012
During and interview with Union Squared Studio for a promo on my book, FOR THE LOVE OF JACK HIS WAR/MY BATTLE we talked about one of the issues I have with the DOD. These young men and women are getting the wrong message on resiliency and what it actually is.
Being resilient comes after trauma and only comes with the right kind of help.
I have faced death in "normal" life as a civilian many times. For years as I tried to help veterans, I was also searching for that one thing that prevented me from ending up with PTSD. We all know that one event in our lifetime can alter everything, yet after many of them from the time I was 4 until well into my adult life, I made peace with each time.
The answer for making me resilient was talking about it as soon as it happened and not stopping until I was done talking. Stop dying a slow death and start living is the best message I can give and it can be done but first you have to understand "you" and all that comes with you.
I have never been in combat but for all these years of talking to veterans the simple fact that unites every human is the ability to understand yourself especially when abnormal things happen. Soldiers and Marines say that they didn't train right and then they blame themselves for PTSD thinking they were mentally weak. They didn't see how strong they actually were when even with all that pain inside of them, they pushed on, did their duty, risked their lives many more times, until they were all out of danger. That is when they allow themselves to "feel" it.
Listen to what I say in this video and then think about what it was like after the first time you faced something horrible during your deployment. Think about what it felt like during it. Think about how much pain you were in but then remind yourself that even if you wondered and worried about your own life, you worried about the men you were with.
That's one of the parts most of you forget about. PTSD didn't happen to you because you are "mentally weak" but because your courage and compassion made you care enough to act. That is not weakness. That, that comes from strength of character.
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
October 21, 2012
During and interview with Union Squared Studio for a promo on my book, FOR THE LOVE OF JACK HIS WAR/MY BATTLE we talked about one of the issues I have with the DOD. These young men and women are getting the wrong message on resiliency and what it actually is.
Being resilient comes after trauma and only comes with the right kind of help.
I have faced death in "normal" life as a civilian many times. For years as I tried to help veterans, I was also searching for that one thing that prevented me from ending up with PTSD. We all know that one event in our lifetime can alter everything, yet after many of them from the time I was 4 until well into my adult life, I made peace with each time.
The answer for making me resilient was talking about it as soon as it happened and not stopping until I was done talking. Stop dying a slow death and start living is the best message I can give and it can be done but first you have to understand "you" and all that comes with you.
I have never been in combat but for all these years of talking to veterans the simple fact that unites every human is the ability to understand yourself especially when abnormal things happen. Soldiers and Marines say that they didn't train right and then they blame themselves for PTSD thinking they were mentally weak. They didn't see how strong they actually were when even with all that pain inside of them, they pushed on, did their duty, risked their lives many more times, until they were all out of danger. That is when they allow themselves to "feel" it.
Listen to what I say in this video and then think about what it was like after the first time you faced something horrible during your deployment. Think about what it felt like during it. Think about how much pain you were in but then remind yourself that even if you wondered and worried about your own life, you worried about the men you were with.
That's one of the parts most of you forget about. PTSD didn't happen to you because you are "mentally weak" but because your courage and compassion made you care enough to act. That is not weakness. That, that comes from strength of character.
My work ripped off for Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser!
My work ripped off for Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser!
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
October 21, 2012
The first thing to point out is that I DO NOT SUPPORT WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT! To see something I did tied to fundraiser for them makes me sick to my stomach.
This morning I was working on a report and needed data on amputees. (If you read this blog, you know I link to everything I find that belongs to someone else.) I figured I'd start out with a graphic report, so I went into images.
At the top I saw these two pictures.
This is where both pictures linked to. Xcellimark a "Performance-Driven Digital Agency"
This is where they outright stole my work from! I was using the video camera and not taking pictures.
This video and post were for the Orlando DAV! I belong to that Chapter in the Auxiliary. I spent the time talking to these veterans, shooting the footage, editing it and putting it up on the web because I BELIEVE IN WHAT THE DAV IS DOING! The link goes to the post I put up which shows the video and not pictures so someone deliberately went to great lengths to turn video footage into a jpeg.
If anyone donated to this group thinking it was for me, for the DAV or Point Man Ministries, get your money back!
Click on the link they have and you end up with this.
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
October 21, 2012
The first thing to point out is that I DO NOT SUPPORT WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT! To see something I did tied to fundraiser for them makes me sick to my stomach.
This morning I was working on a report and needed data on amputees. (If you read this blog, you know I link to everything I find that belongs to someone else.) I figured I'd start out with a graphic report, so I went into images.
At the top I saw these two pictures.
This is where both pictures linked to. Xcellimark a "Performance-Driven Digital Agency"
Yahoo Daily News 2012-06-08: Help Donate $10,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project by voting for Orlando Interactive Digital Agency Xcellimark in the Social Madness Contest sponsored by the Orlando Business Journal. Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) June 07, 2012 With employee family members currently serving in the Armed Forces and retired military within the group, Orlando Interactive Digital Agency Xcellimark is very supportive of the troops. That is why Xcellimark is hoping..
This is where they outright stole my work from! I was using the video camera and not taking pictures.
This video and post were for the Orlando DAV! I belong to that Chapter in the Auxiliary. I spent the time talking to these veterans, shooting the footage, editing it and putting it up on the web because I BELIEVE IN WHAT THE DAV IS DOING! The link goes to the post I put up which shows the video and not pictures so someone deliberately went to great lengths to turn video footage into a jpeg.
If anyone donated to this group thinking it was for me, for the DAV or Point Man Ministries, get your money back!
Click on the link they have and you end up with this.
Your Vote Helps Donate $10,000 to Wounded Warriors – Vote Xcellimark
PRWeb – Thu, Jun 7, 2012
Help Donate $10,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project by voting for Orlando Interactive Digital Agency Xcellimark in the Social Madness Contest sponsored by the Orlando Business Journal.
Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) June 07, 2012
With employee family members currently serving in the Armed Forces and retired military within the group, Orlando Interactive Digital Agency Xcellimark is very supportive of the troops. That is why Xcellimark is hoping to have $10,000 donated to the Wounded Warrior Project by winning the Social Madness Contest sponsored by the Orlando Business Journal.
The contest started on June 1st and will run throughout September 19th. The first round is called “Open Phase” in which all businesses can compete within their local market (i.e. – Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, etc.). Each local market is split into three (3) categories: small companies (less than 100 employees), medium companies (100-499 employees), and large companies (500 or more employees). After June 18th, the top eight (8) companies will go on to the regional round and continue competing with the other top eight (8) companies from other local markets within the region.
In addition to bragging rights and increased online exposure, there is more up for grabs. After a couple more rounds of competition, the top three companies in the nation will be able to designate $10,000 to a charity of their choice.
"If we’re fortunate to win, our choice of charity is the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). WWP is a 501(3)(C) non profit organization that serves military service members who incurred service-connected wounds, injuries, or illnesses on or after September 11, 2001 and their families,” said Scott Lambert, President of Xcellimark.
Voting helps troops who put their lives on the line every day for America’s freedom. To vote for Xcellimark, click on the following link and vote for Xcellimark under the Small Business tab: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/exclusives/socialmadness About the Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life. About Xcellimark
Xcellimark focuses on increasing its clients’ revenues and profits by improving their online image and performance, increasing online leads and closure rates, and improving branding through custom website design, search marketing, social media, email marketing and campaign optimization. For more information on how Xcellimark can help you improve your bottom line, contact Scott Lambert at 407-678-3062 ext. 210 or visit http://www.xcellimark.com.
Scott Lambert
Xcellimark
407-678-3062 210
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