PTSD Veteran Scott Farnsworth, Killed by Police Won't Be Counted

We don't know how many lives are claimed by PTSD caused by combat. What we do know is that when the end comes as "suicide by cop" they won't be counted at all.

Family, friends mourn Valley veteran's death after he was fatally shot by police

ABC 15 News

Melissa Blasius

September 28, 2017

PHOENIX - Friends and family will bury a Valley veteran Friday at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, one week after he was fatally shot by police.

ABC15 is learning more about 28-year-old Scott Farnsworth. His mom, Pat, says the Army veteran served in Iraq and medically retired because of severe PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.

"He's so compassionate, so kind, and he's been that that way since he was a little boy," Pat said.

Family members said they tried and failed to get Scott proper medical and mental health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"They bleed red, white, and blue, and we do nothing except say, "Oh, how tragic," Pat Farnsworth said.

Mesa police say officers shot Scott Farnsworth after he pointed a gun at them, while in the area of Crismon Road and Southern Avenue Friday night.

read more here

Why Is The VA Cutting Funding For Homeless Veterans?

Phoenix program for homeless veterans could get funding reprieve from VA
The Republic
Brenna Goth
Aug. 9, 2017

Officials at Phoenix's largest homeless shelter for single adults are encouraged by — but wary of — a national reprieve in funding cuts for programs serving veterans.

A grant program run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently shifted focus from funding temporary, transitional housing to paying for permanent housing. The changes have elicited concerns throughout the country in recent months from programs that no longer qualify.

Roughly $500,000 is at stake for Central Arizona Shelter Services, or CASS, near downtown Phoenix.

The organization has received the money for at least a decade to provide hundreds of veterans with services to end their homelessness, according to CEO Mark Holleran.

But earlier this year, Holleran said VA officials told him the department would no longer fund the program.

The VA would not confirm the status of CASS' grant to The Arizona Republic.
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Arizona Homeless Shelter Caring For Veterans Losing Funding--Write Congress!

Homeless shelter that helps veterans losing thousands in funding

ABC 15 News Arizona 
Sonu Wasu 
Aug 1, 2017

Limbs described it as "rock bottom" and said the staff at CASS helped save his life.

PHOENIX - State lawmakers and veterans groups are rallying around a Phoenix homeless shelter that provides services for homeless veterans in need.

It's a fight for those who fought for the country.

State Representative Mark Cardenas (D-AZ), a veteran himself, said he knows many vets who have received shelter and services at Central Arizona Shelter Services, also known as CASS.

"These are people that have put their lives on the line for you, gave up their best years for the community, and gave up their best years for the country," said Cardenas.

Mark Holleran, the CEO for CASS said the most frustrating part was not knowing why they were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The shelter had received the $550,000 in funding for more than the last decade.

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Iraq Veteran Meets His Family Through MyHeritageDNA

NJ Iraq War veteran meets his birth family

ABC 6 News

Jeff Chirico

July 29, 2017

After years of searching Kyle learned about Melissa in November through MyHeritageDNA dot com. Their DNA matched and so did their personalities.

WESTAMPTON, N.J. (WPVI) --

A New Jersey veteran who was adopted got the thrill of a lifetime when he was reunited with his birth family.

It took years of searching, but this brother and sister finally met for the first time Friday in Burlington.

"I feel like I'm standing outside my body looking at someone else's story unfolding," Melissa Galatas of Arizona said.

Action News was there with Melissa as she waits to meet the brother she only recently learned she had.

"I hope I don't cry, but it's definitely a possibility," Melissa said.

The emotional hug, years in the making for Kyle Gulden,from Pemberton who's never met his father despite years of searching.

The Iraq War veteran is married and has two daughters. His wife says the not-knowing weighed on him.

read more here

Jimmie Smith, Homeless Veteran Laid to Rest

update

Hundreds honor homeless vet at Sierra Vista funeral

Hundreds gathered at the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista to honor the life of a homeless veteran.

Pfc. Jimmie Smith, from Tennessee passed away at the age of 60. He served in the U.S. Army from 1975 to 1977. Smith was discharged from Fort Bliss.

According to officials with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, not much is known about Smith’s background or family.

Dee Foster and Arthur Parson, both Sierra Vista residents, remember Smith as a man with a gentle heart.

Strangers gather to give homeless Arizona veteran proper burial 
The Republic
Cydney Henderson
July 27, 2017

Smith served in the U.S. Army from September 1975 until August 1977 before getting discharged from Fort Bliss in Texas, according to the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services.

A homeless Arizona Army veteran is going to get the funeral he deserves today, after a call for help on Facebook.

Pfc. Jimmie Smith has no family. Despite bravely serving his country, the 60-year-old died alone.

The Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services is doing its part to make sure the veteran is not alone during his memorial service in Sierra Vista, near Tucson.

The department asked community members to attend Smith’s Thursday morning funeral in place of his family, to give a man who fought for his country a proper send-off.
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Dying Iraq Veteran Just Wants to Know Someone Cares

UPDATE from USA Today July 19

"The 47-year-old is under hospice care in New Braunfels, Texas. His dying wish is to receive text messages and phone calls from anybody willing to talk to him. So far, his wish has been granted thousands and thousands and thousands of times over."

How many times have you heard someone died and thought how nice they were to you? Remembered some times you shared? Thought about how they mattered to you? How many times have you been to a funeral and regretted not letting them know any of it?

In this country we talk a lot about how much our veterans matter to us but over and over again, they discover they do not feel as if they do matter. 

We build homes for some disabled veterans and feel good about it, but others lose their homes and we do nothing for them.

We run around the country screaming about "raising awareness" on veterans killing themselves, write checks, do pushups, take walks, whatever makes us feel as if we did something. Hey, as long as it doesn't take too much time out of our lives, that's all that matters. And then they kill themselves and we wonder why.

We talk about a lot of things, but as they say "talk is cheap" when we don't have to invest anything to back it up. Well here's your chance. Let this dying Iraq veteran know he matters!

ARMY VETERAN'S DYING WISH: CALL OR TEXT ME
WSB RADIO 95.5
By: Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
July 14, 2017

A dying Army veteran from Texas has a final wish: He wants to hear from you.

Lee Hernandez, who is in hospice care at his home in New Braunfels, has undergone three brain surgeries and has suffered several strokes, the Arizona Republic reported.

His wife, Ernestine Hernandez, said she found a therapeutic way to brighten her husband’s day: Phone calls and text messages from others. Lee Hernandez asked his wife to hold his phone one day “in case someone calls,” the Republic reported. Two hours later, he was despondent.

“I guess no one wants to talk to me,” said the 47-year-old veteran, who served 18½ years in the Army including a tour in Iraq.

“It broke my heart,” Ernestine Hernandez told the Republic. “(Lee’s) speech is not very well, so many people didn’t take much interest or want to talk with him.”

That is, until she contacted Caregivers of Wounded Warriors.
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Tucson Fire Department Fighting PTSD "Firefighters are normal people, too!"

Tucson Fire Department taking strides to ensure mental, physical health of troubled employees
Arizona Daily Star
By Caitlin Schmidt
May 13, 2017

“Firefighters are normal people, too, and people have stress in their lives. Those things are what we’re trying to deal with.” Assistant Chief Joe Gulotta.

Kelly Presnell Arizona Daily Star 2016

Tucson Fire Department offers first responders a medical plan that addresses post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues

For years, Tucson-area fire departments have been working with a local health-care program to create a comprehensive medical plan that addresses stress and mental health in first responders.

April was a difficult month for the Tucson Fire Department, with a murder-suicide perpetrated by one of its own taking place days before the sentencing of a former captain for three murders.

On April 15, Frederick Bair, a captain, shot and injured his ex-wife and fatally shot her friend at Firebirds restaurant at La Encantada. Bair killed himself in the incident. Days later, former Capt. David Watson was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his ex-wife, her mother and her mother’s friend.

Bair’s shocking act of violence hit department members hard. Firefighters and paramedics across the department were shaken by the incident. But it also affected Dr. Wayne Peate, who’d known Bair for decades.

“One of the things that firefighters do well is work as a team. I could see them grieving, but I could start to see the team forming to support those who needed help,” said Peate, who has worked as a doctor with the Tucson Fire Department since the 1990s and started a company that subcontracts with the Fire Department to provide health and wellness programs.
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After 45 Years "The army recognized what we did that day."

Glendale Vietnam veteran awarded Silver Star 45 years after rescue
The Republic
Perry Vandell
May 9, 2017

Smoke and fire enveloped the afternoon of April 18, 1972.

The town of An Lộc in South Vietnam was under siege by the Viet Cong, who had the area surrounded. Hercules C-130s tried dropping supplies to the defenders, but the Viet Cong’s anti-air weaponry often shot at them before they could make the drops.

Spc. 4 Leonard "Bruce" Shearer, who now lives in Glendale, was part of a four-man crew manning a Bell UH-1H Iroquois or "Huey" helicopter tasked with reporting enemy troop movement. The helicopter crew had to cut its reconnaissance mission short, however, when Shearer noticed a C-130 engulfed in flames as it streaked across the sky.

It never happened — until the Air Force got involved.

In 2005, the Air Force held a ceremony in Little Rock, Ark. where it awarded Silver Stars to the six U.S. C-130 crewman. It also recognized Shearer and his former crewman — who were in attendance — for their efforts, but was surprised to learn the Army hadn’t done the same for them. Air Force officials began asking questions the rescuers had kept to themselves for decades.
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Veteran Documents Lives of Others with PTSD

Phoenix Veteran Uses Photography to Document PTSD
SCOTTSDALE, AZ, UNITED STATES 
DVIDS 
Story by Alun Thomas U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion - Phoenix 
 04.21.2017

“One of the veterans is my nephew, who’d contemplated suicide. Before he sat down to work with me, five of his fellow Marines had previously committed suicide,” he said. “A year after I photographed him he came up to me and said ‘thank you.’ I asked him ‘for what’? He said if I hadn’t taken those photos of him he would not have gone out and gotten help.” 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – There’s a noticeable tremble in the voice of Christopher O’ Shana as he recounts his experiences dealing with veterans afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Christopher O’ Shana, waiver analyst, Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, talks about his photographic project ‘The Invisible Scar’ at a Community Action Committee meeting, April 12, Scottsdale Marriott Old Town, Scottsdale, Ariz. For the last three years O’ Shana has, has been documenting the struggles of veterans traumatized by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with a series of photos intended to bring awareness to those afflicted by PTSD. (Photo by Alun Thomas, USAREC Public Affairs)

For the last three years O’ Shana, a waiver analyst for the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, has been documenting the struggles of those traumatized by PTSD, in a photographic project titled ‘The Invisible Scar.’ 

He recounted the story behind his project at a Community Action Committee meeting, held by the Phoenix Rec. Bn., April 12, Scottsdale Marriott Old Town, Scottsdale, Ariz. O’ Shana said he developed a passion for photography upon leaving the Navy and pursued it through a variety of courses, leading to being awarded a grant and working space at a studio called The Monorchid in Phoenix.  

“I was looking for something unique to use as a subject when a lightbulb went off in my head,” O’ Shana said. “What about PTSD? 

Very few know what PTSD looks like. That’s when I developed the ‘Invisible Scar’ concept.” O’ Shana said he was overwhelmed initially, having to find veterans for his project and learning to how use a studio correctly, in order to enhance his photos for public release. “It was a daunting task. I was going to school and married with five kids,” O’ Shana continued. “But I began the project and its one that continues today.” read more here

Homeless Veteran Rescued Swimmer in Arizona

Homeless veteran rescues distressed swimmer from Phoenix canal
The Republic
April Morganroth
March 17, 2017

A man who identified himself as a homeless veteran jumped into a canal to rescue a swimmer in distress Friday morning in Phoenix.

(Photo: April Morganroth/The Republic)

"I don't think any of us really thought about the dangers of helping him," said Richard McNeil, 41. "Where I came from, you just helped people — doesn't make a difference if I'm homeless or not, I still help people when I can."

McNeil said as he waited for a bus on 16th Street near Indian School Road at about 8 a.m. he heard splashing and a man crying for help.
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Sgt. First Class Brian Mancini Lost His Own Battle

Hundreds pay their respects to founder of Honor House veterans organization
FOX 10 News
Linda Williams
March 14, 2017

Earlier this month, the man who helped so many took his own life. While shocked, veterans say his death has galvanized them to continue the fight SFC Mancini was so dedicated to.

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - An Iraq war veteran who made it his life's mission to help other troops returning from war has died. Brian Mancini co-founded Honor House, a place where wounded veterans could go for therapy and counseling. But sadly, the man who helped so many others heal couldn't find peace himself.

A retired Sgt. First Class, Mancini was just 38 years old and he left the Honor House organization he founded a year ago.

Mancini, who had two Purple Hearts, worked tirelessly to save veterans who were hurting. On Tuesday, the community came to salute, honor and thank him. With the Patriot Guard standing by, hundreds crowded into the Christ Church of the Valley to say goodbye to the Army veteran. Many here call him hero.

His family is devastated, but also his fellow veterans. He may not have served with them, but they say he saved their lives once they came home mentally and emotionally wounded.

"Brian literally met with me five to seven times a week, gave me a healing, counseled me, he pulled me away from the abyss so many times," said Budd Gilbert, a veteran.
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Sergeant First Class (US Army) Brian Mancini, Veteran Iraqi Freedom, Honor House
Sergeant First Class (US Army) Brian Mancini, Veteran Iraqi Freedom, Honor House from Herbert Hitchon on Vimeo.

Arizona Afghanistan Veteran Died After High Speed Chase

Girlfriend: I-17 chase suspect was Army veteran battling PTSD
AZ Family News
By Zahid Arab
Jan 26, 2017

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5)
The girlfriend of a man who stole work truck in Gilbert and led troopers on an I-17 chase says he was an Army veteran dealing with PTSD.

Brad Moore, 29, drove nearly 95 miles before he drove off the road and died near Camp Verde Tuesday.

Moore finished his service several years ago. (Source: 3TV/CBS 5)

“That’s not him at all. I would have never expected something like that ever,” said the woman who asked we not use her name.

His family says Moore served in the Army as a paratrooper during a tour in Afghanistan. The 29-year-old finished his service several years ago.

While DPS calls what Moore did criminal, the woman says those that knew him say it’s out of character.

“We lost such a beautiful soul. He had the most contagious laugh and smile. It just lit up the room,” she said.
read more here
azfamily.com 3TV | Phoenix Breaking News, Weather, Sport

Camp Bravo Arizona Refuge for Homeless Veterans

Homeless veterans take refuge at Arizona encampment
PBS Newshour
January 14, 2017

TAZE BEN-ATON: "We have something here that I’ve never found anywhere else. We have a VA navigator. Somebody who knows the system, knows who to talk to, knows who to call if you don’t get what you need. And he does it for us and he’s just the best there is."

MITCHELL RILEY: It’s a cool morning late October, people in these tents begin to rise. A passing train their wake up call. This is Camp Bravo. Next to Santa Rita Park on Tucson’s south side. A place where homeless vets and others can find comfort, food, and shelter. The camp is run by Veterans on Patrol, a program of Walking For the Forgotten Ministries. Leaders of this effort seek out homeless vets and offer safe haven, camaraderie, and a path to support services. Bravo is patrolled around the clock in shifts. Manny was on night watch.

This is Calamity. She came in during the night in need of help.

MARTIN MARSZALEK: I was 101st Airborne. I actually went in as a voice radio operator, but when they found out that I had some pretty extensive medical background, they made me an expert field medic. I jumped out of perfectly good aircraft with a medical bag and tried to attend to folks who needed help.

This is for your immune system. It has magnesium and seed coming out.

My name is Martin Marszalek. Everybody here calls me “Doc.” I am the Base Commander and Chief Medical Officer. I kind of keep things rolling along here.

This is vitamin C, keep you from catching cold.

Our mission is to go out and find as many homeless veterans that we can possibly locate and bring them in. Try to transition them from homelessness to housing, get them medical care, things that they’ve been doing without for so many years.
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7 veterans commit suicide every 10 days in Arizona

Report: 7 veterans commit suicide every 10 days in Arizona
Daily Courier
Scott Orr
November 22, 2016

“This is one thing that a veteran should not feel like they have to do on their own.” Nicholas Wood

PHOENIX – Between January 2015 and June 2016 — an 18-month period — 393 veterans committed suicide in Arizona, according to a report issued by the Arizona Violent Death Reporting System on Thursday, Nov. 10.

And, although the study does not provide hard numbers on Yavapai County, it does show that the suicide rate for veterans in the county is 76.2 per 100,000, which is slightly higher than the average rate statewide.

Some of the smaller counties have higher rates, with La Paz recording 146.3 suicides per 100,000, and Maricopa and Pima counties coming in just below Yavapai County, with 75.8 and 72.0, respectively.

The goal of the study is to aggregate data from county medical examiners and law enforcement to help detect trends in veteran suicides, and also homicides, with an eye toward preventing them in the future, said David Choate, associate director of the Arizona State University Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety.
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Marine Finds Better Job Where Marine Tattoo Fits In, At The VA

Marine vet quits his job over 'Semper Fi' tattoo, finds his truer calling at a VA hospital
The Republic
Karina Bland
October 16, 2016

Marine Joseph Leal, a nurse at the VA hospital in Prescott, and Henry Alcott, 93, a vet who lives at the hospital. Both served in the Marines.
(Photo: Mark Henle/The Republic)

Joseph Leal was in the hallway of the historic veterans hospital in Prescott, on rounds as a registered nurse, when he saw an old man wheeling toward him.

“Good morning!” Leal called. He recognized the patient in the wheelchair as the one everyone called “Pops,” but it was the first time Leal had met him.

Pops rolled to a stop in front of Leal. “Let me see that,” he said. He took Leal’s wrist and turned it over to look at the tattoo on the inside of his forearm.

Pops studied the fierce-looking eagle atop a globe and anchor, the official emblem of the U.S. Marine Corps, with the words “Semper Fi” across the top and “U.S.M.C.” underneath, the letters inked in with scarlet and gold.
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Careful John McCain, Your Lousy Record is Showing

John McCain's op ed seems to show that either he does not remember all his years in the Senate along with all the years on Armed Services Committee. If he remembered any of it, then he would not have written such a ridiculous article touting his actions.

McCain: New Suicide prevention initiative for veterans can be model for nationwide effort By: Sen. John McCain August 17, 2016

Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs released a sobering reminder of an epidemic that plagues our veterans: the suicide rate among military veterans has increased nearly 32 percent since 2001. Our youngest veterans (ages 18-29) have been hit the hardest and are nearly twice as likely to take their own lives than any other age group. The rate of suicide among veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is approximately 50 percent higher than the rate among the general public, and on average, we lose more than 20 military veterans to suicide each day.read more here

Let's think about that for a second.

Take a look at how long he has been in Washington.

John was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the First District of Arizona on an agenda of limited government and strong foreign policy. After two terms in the House, John was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, succeeding legendary Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater.

John McCain actually blocked a bill calling it overreach adding it was not needed in Arizona.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This was going on at the same time McCain was blocking the bill.

In September of 2013 this report came out "Veterans committing suicide at twice the rate of civilians" and Arizona was in the news. "The rate of suicide among military veterans in Arizona is more than double the civilian rate Advocates say veterans need more than benefits when returning from war. The average veteran suicide rate in Arizona from 2005 through 2011 is almost 43 deaths per 100,000 people. That’s according to data compiled by News21, a national reporting project based out of Arizona State University. And the rate should increase as more veterans return home."

But he would should have known better considering he was on the Armed Services Committee in charge of the "prevention" training troops received while still in the military. In 2006 when Congress was working on addressing suicides, there were 99 the entire year.  The numbers went up even while the number of enlisted went down. Does McCain have to explain any of that? Does he have to explain why Congress spends billions on prevention while suicides increase and so does spending?

You can read more on his actual record here. It gets worse.

"These numbers are unacceptable. That’s why in 2014, I worked to help veterans at risk of suicide due to combat-related psychological trauma by championing legislation named in the honor of Clay Hunt. That bill was signed into law in 2015."

Does McCain have to explain that the Clay Hunt bill was a repeat of the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act?

"Arizona will be the first state in the country to organize this level of collaboration and training so that the VA and the community are working together to combat suicide among veterans."

Again, does he have to explain how the numbers in Arizona went up instead of down? How many more years does he get to fail veterans while they are dying for him to get educated?

For far too long, our sons and daughters who selflessly served the nation in wartime have ended their lives prematurely after they returned home. Through the combined and coordinated suicide prevention efforts of VA hospitals, veterans, and mental health providers, Arizona – and hopefully other states across the country – can work together to bring an end to the tragedy of veteran suicides.

Yes, for far too long and it is because politicians just like him want to get away with pretending they had nothing to do with the outcomes yet everything to do with trying? At least most in the Veterans Community are fully aware of McCains record and it has been disgraceful.

The Disabled Veterans of America gives him a 20 percent rating, compared with an 80 percent rating for Sen. Obama. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America gives Sen. McCain a D and Sen. Obama a B+. The Vietnam Veterans of America say Sen. McCain has voted against them on 15 issues.

One of the most vocal and fastest-growing veterans groups to oppose the McCain campaign is VoteVets.org. Formed in 2006, the organization claims a membership of roughly 100,000, with a political action committee devoted to electing congressional candidates who oppose the handling of the Iraq war.

Especially galling to VoteVets.org is Sen. McCain's opposition to the new, bipartisan GI Bill that increases education benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan vets. Sen. Obama voted for the bill when it passed 75-22 in May; Sen. McCain was on the campaign trail and did not vote. 

The military trains them then releases them.  They are no longer accountable for veteran suicides nor have they been held accountable for suicides committed while in the military. Veteran suicides went up, just as the number of living veterans went down, but it seems as if Congress does not see all the damage they did.  

How gave them the right to not be held accountable when they are in charge of all of it?

Iraq Veteran Murdered in Phoenix Remembered

Family, friends release balloons for Marine veteran murdered in Phoenix park
AZ Family
Derek Staahl
August 10, 2016

PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK)
Family and friends returned to the west Phoenix park where a Marine veteran who was murdered to share memories and release balloons Tuesday in his honor.

Dozens came out to remember the life of Dustin Shirk. (Source: KPHO/KTVK)

The ceremony was held on what would have been Dustin Shirk’s 31st birthday. The Iraq war veteran was killed July 26 in Cielito Park while jogging after his late-night shift at UPS, according to his mother. Police have not identified a suspect.

Many of the people who gathered Tuesday were Shirk's co-workers at UPS, where he worked before and after his military service.

"He was kind of, I guess my inspiration," said Mitchell MacKenzie, a UPS employee who worked in the finance department with Shirk. "He kind of helped me move along to join the Navy."
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Suicidal Veterans — Fatal Problems in Arizona

The Phoenix VA Still Has Problems With Suicidal Veterans — Fatal Problems
Phoenix News Times
Shanna Hogan
JULY 26, 2016

"Nor did doctors clue in Lisa about the extent of her husband’s inner turmoil — or, for that matter, anything at all about his condition. This, despite the fact that Luis signed a consent form explicitly naming her and authorizing VA officials to inform her if the 'patient may do harm to him/herself.'"

Luis Mariscal Munoz called the Phoenix VA Health Care System to say he wouldn’t be coming in to work. He drove to a shooting range at the Table Mesa Recreation Area off Interstate 17 and parked. At about 6:30 p.m., having walked about 70 feet from the car, he put a borrowed nine-millimeter handgun to his head and pulled the trigger.

An hour later, Luis’ wife, Lisa Mariscal, arrived at the West Phoenix home the couple shared with their two dogs. Luis had texted her: something about how he was sorry and to read the note he’d left for her. She’d tried to call and text him back, but there was no reply.

Lisa knew that for the past month, her husband had been attending weekly therapy appointments at the VA on Indian School Road, where he worked as a medical laboratory technologist. She was aware that a psychiatrist there had prescribed an antidepressant. But Luis had told her he was just suffering from anxiety.

Then she read the note.

“Please do not feel guilt about my decision,” he had written. “I would like you to feel happy or relieved that I am no longer suffering. You never did anything wrong. No one could have changed my mind.”

• On June 10, 2013, U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Somers took a handgun from his Phoenix home, walked several blocks away, and fatally shot himself in the head. He was 30 years old. In 2007, Somers had returned from his second deployment in Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, a traumatic brain injury suffered in combat, and a slew of other medical issues. Frustrated in his efforts to get mental-health and medical care, he wrote to the VA describing his symptoms as worsening and stating that his health “drives me to consider suicide very seriously on a daily basis.”

• On May 10, 2015, U.S. Army veteran Thomas Michael Murphy killed himself in the parking lot outside the VA’s Phoenix Regional Benefit Office. At the age of 53, he was homeless. Before shooting himself, he e-mailed a suicide note to New Times, in which he blamed the VA for his death. “Thanks for nothing VA,” he wrote.

• On July 23, 2015, former U.S. Army Ranger Antouine Castaneda shot and killed himself. He was 32. After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Castaneda had sought help at the Phoenix VA, where psychiatrists noted that he was at high risk for committing suicide. VA whistleblowers would later allege that he had not been provided with proper mental-health care.
read more here

Also there are more online and you can find them.

2013 KJZZ reported veterans in Arizona were committing suicide double that of civilians

December 27, 2015
PHOENIX - A veteran who was reported missing weeks ago was found dead at the Banner University Medical Center on Sunday.

According to the Phoenix Police Department, 34-year-old Guido Feruglio was found on hospital property dead.

"Indications are he took his life," Officer James Holmes with Phoenix police said.

Stolen Valor: Service Dog Charity Head

DOG HANDLER ACCUSED OF FAKING VETERAN STATUS
ABC 13 News
June 9, 2016

The man was arrested Tuesday after the Veteran's Administration says Wolfe never served in the Air Force.

PHOENIX, AZ -- The head of a veteran's charity dealing with K9s has been accused of stolen valor.


Eric Wolfe has been charged with forgery after he allegedly lied about serving in the United States Air Force.

Wolfe was previously featured in the news for his work with veterans suffering from PTSD.

His various non-profit organizations assist veterans by continuing training with K9s.

Wolfe claimed he had suffered from PTSD himself after a deployment to Afghanistan as a canine bomb handler.

"Wolfe was previously featured in the news for his work with veterans suffering from PTSD.

His various non-profit organizations assist veterans by continuing training with K9s.

Wolfe claimed he had suffered from PTSD himself after a deployment to Afghanistan as a canine bomb handler."
read more here

Just a thought but it would have been a lot better if the reporters did their jobs in the first place and made sure what he claimed was true before they gave him any publicity!

Arizona VA Fires Three More Officials

Three more Phoenix VA officials fired in aftermath of wait-time, retaliation probes
AZ Central
Dennis Wagner, The Republic
June 8, 2016

The three Phoenix officials, accused of negligence and lax oversight, have a right to appeal

Three more administrators at the Phoenix VA Health Care System have been fired in the aftermath of investigations that focused on a breakdown in service to veterans and retaliation against hospital employees who tried to report mismanagement and corruption affecting patient care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday identified the terminated employees as Lance Robinson, associate director at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center; Brad Curry, the chief of Health Administration Service; and Dr. Darren Deering, the hospital's chief of staff. According to a VA news release, they were removed for "negligent performance of duties and failure to provide effective oversight."
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