Military, Police Had Contact With Shooter Before Bristol Murder-Suicide
A husband and wife were found dead Wednesday morning from gunshot wounds at a home on Henderson Street, police said. Alexander, 26, and Kyla Ryng, 27, died in what police say was a murder-suicide. The couple had three young children, police said.
The Hartford Courant
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
June 06, 2014
BRISTOL — Days before a Connecticut Guardsman killed his wife and himself, his military counselor was so concerned about his demeanor during a phone conversation she called the police, a Guard spokesman said Friday.
City police visited the Henderson Street home of 1st Lt. Alexander Ryng on May 31 — for the second time that day — but police said there was no reason to take any action.
On June 4, Ryng fatally shot his wife, Kyla, then turned the gun on himself, leaving two of their three young children running next door to their grandmother's house for help.
Officers first visited the house the morning of Saturday, May 31, and talked with Kyla, who said her husband's brother, Skyler Ryng, had come into the house uninvited and grabbed her arm. Skyler Ryng, 28, had accused her of cheating on his younger brother, according to a warrant. Skyler later was charged with burglary and breach of peace.
Police returned to the house that afternoon after receiving the call from the behavioral counselor, who works for the Connecticut Army National Guard.
Col. John T. Wiltse, the Guard's director of public affairs, said the counselor asked police for a welfare check after talking with both Kyla and her husband on the phone. The counselor had called Alex Ryng to find out why he had not shown up for a counseling appointment that afternoon.
read more here
Showing posts with label Connecticut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connecticut. Show all posts
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Military, Counselor and Police Were in Contact with National Guardsman Before Murder-Suicide
Update to Murder-suicide shocks neighborhood of National Guardsman
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Therapist Stole Valor of Heroes
Man accused of posing as a veteran
WFSB News
By Joseph Wenzel IV, News Editor
By Eric Parker
Posted: Feb 24, 2014
BRIDGEPORT, CT (WFSB)
Earlier this month the I-Team exposed a local therapist who was posing as a member of the United States Army Special Forces.
The investigation by I-Team is being used by a state representative from Bridgeport, who wants to change state law.
State Rep. Jack Hennessy said he can sum up the need for the stolen valor bill he's supporting at the Connecticut General Assembly in two words: Greg Banks.
"It just robs the valor of the men and woman who wear the uniform," Hennessy said.
Hennessy added that the allegations involving Banks were "very much" upsetting.
The bill existed before the I-Team exposed the counselor who's been posing as a member of the United States Army Special Forces. Hennessy cited the investigation by the I-Team as an example of why it's needed.
The I-Team first got a tip about a man named Greg Banks showing up at the Danbury Mason's Lodge in uniform, sporting a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Members said Banks was bragging about his work for the United States Army Special Forces, but the investigation by the I-Team showed he's never served his country.
Continue reading >>
The Pentagon told the I-Team they have no record of a Gregory C. Banks. When the I-Team uncovered his divorce records, the station found that he mentioned nothing about military service there either.
However the I-Team did find his license as a professional counselor, and it was clear those who knew him in that role had heard his military tales.
When I-Team talked to people at the counseling office for Banks in Farmington, they insisted he was a member of the United States Army Special Forces, a job so secret they asked us to not to report about it.
Banks said on his website that he specializes in treating child and adult patients, specifically those with traumatic experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The I-Team met Hennessy at the Port 5 Naval veterans in his hometown of Bridgeport. He's a new member and he showed the station around their museum where among other displays they have actual versions of the medals Banks wears on his phony uniform.
"When I was a Ranger, I knew that I could be called by my country to go into a combat zone to give up my life and I was willing to do that," Hennessy said. "To have people who have not been in the military to pose as that, it takes away from the people who have actually made their commitment and some the ultimate commitment giving their lives." read more here
WFSB News
By Joseph Wenzel IV, News Editor
By Eric Parker
Posted: Feb 24, 2014
BRIDGEPORT, CT (WFSB)
Earlier this month the I-Team exposed a local therapist who was posing as a member of the United States Army Special Forces.
The investigation by I-Team is being used by a state representative from Bridgeport, who wants to change state law.
State Rep. Jack Hennessy said he can sum up the need for the stolen valor bill he's supporting at the Connecticut General Assembly in two words: Greg Banks.
"It just robs the valor of the men and woman who wear the uniform," Hennessy said.
Hennessy added that the allegations involving Banks were "very much" upsetting.
The bill existed before the I-Team exposed the counselor who's been posing as a member of the United States Army Special Forces. Hennessy cited the investigation by the I-Team as an example of why it's needed.
The I-Team first got a tip about a man named Greg Banks showing up at the Danbury Mason's Lodge in uniform, sporting a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Members said Banks was bragging about his work for the United States Army Special Forces, but the investigation by the I-Team showed he's never served his country.
Man accused of posing as decorated special forces soldier
A man has claimed to be a major for the special forces in the United States Army and received awards for his service.
However, an investigation by Eyewitness News shows that no records of the man's military service, so the I-team went to look for answers.
The Pentagon told the I-Team they have no record of a Gregory C. Banks. When the I-Team uncovered his divorce records, the station found that he mentioned nothing about military service there either.
However the I-Team did find his license as a professional counselor, and it was clear those who knew him in that role had heard his military tales.
When I-Team talked to people at the counseling office for Banks in Farmington, they insisted he was a member of the United States Army Special Forces, a job so secret they asked us to not to report about it.
Banks said on his website that he specializes in treating child and adult patients, specifically those with traumatic experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The I-Team met Hennessy at the Port 5 Naval veterans in his hometown of Bridgeport. He's a new member and he showed the station around their museum where among other displays they have actual versions of the medals Banks wears on his phony uniform.
"When I was a Ranger, I knew that I could be called by my country to go into a combat zone to give up my life and I was willing to do that," Hennessy said. "To have people who have not been in the military to pose as that, it takes away from the people who have actually made their commitment and some the ultimate commitment giving their lives." read more here
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
West Haven VA hospital cited for dirty operating rooms
West Haven VA hospital cited for dirty operating rooms, poor supervision, high absenteeism
New Haven Register
By Mark Zaretsky
POSTED: 02/18/14
WEST HAVEN
The VA Connecticut Healthcare System hospital here has been cited by the Veterans Administration’s Inspector General’s Office for dirty operating rooms as well as inadequate supervision and a high absentee rate.
The VA Inspector General, in a report posted on its website Tuesday and released by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, concluded that “terminal cleaning procedures in the (VA operating room) are not performed appropriately and the hospital’s Environmental Management Services, or EMS, “has insufficient staff resources assigned to the OR.”
The report resulted from at least one unannounced inspection. It comes four months after tests at the West Haven VA hospital found “low, but detectable levels” of Legionella bacteria in its water sources. That bacteria was found to have been “confined to one building” and was found “in about five faucets.”
The Inspector General’s report released Tuesday found that hospital EMS staff “do not utilize standard operating procedures ... or checklists for cleaning that are consistent with recognized industry standards.
“Patients with infectious diseases who may require special precautions are scheduled for surgical procedures throughout the day along with patients who are not infectious,” the report said.
What’s more, “OR staff are not always made aware of an infectious patient’s precaution status prior to the arrival of the patient,” it said.
read more here
New Haven Register
By Mark Zaretsky
POSTED: 02/18/14
WEST HAVEN
The VA Connecticut Healthcare System hospital here has been cited by the Veterans Administration’s Inspector General’s Office for dirty operating rooms as well as inadequate supervision and a high absentee rate.
The VA Inspector General, in a report posted on its website Tuesday and released by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, concluded that “terminal cleaning procedures in the (VA operating room) are not performed appropriately and the hospital’s Environmental Management Services, or EMS, “has insufficient staff resources assigned to the OR.”
The report resulted from at least one unannounced inspection. It comes four months after tests at the West Haven VA hospital found “low, but detectable levels” of Legionella bacteria in its water sources. That bacteria was found to have been “confined to one building” and was found “in about five faucets.”
The Inspector General’s report released Tuesday found that hospital EMS staff “do not utilize standard operating procedures ... or checklists for cleaning that are consistent with recognized industry standards.
“Patients with infectious diseases who may require special precautions are scheduled for surgical procedures throughout the day along with patients who are not infectious,” the report said.
What’s more, “OR staff are not always made aware of an infectious patient’s precaution status prior to the arrival of the patient,” it said.
read more here
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Fire destroyed Iraq veteran's business
Iraq Veteran Lost Tools Of His Trade In Fire
The Hartford Courant
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
January 7, 2014
It reminded him of his seven months in Iraq.
"It was just like Fallujah or something," he said later. "That's what it looks like."
The 32-year-old estimates he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, the lifeblood of his landscaping and construction business.
"That's only $65,000 right there," he said sarcastically, motioning to a charred excavator in the back of the building. Nearby were three ruined dump trucks, with new sanders and plows, and a pick-up truck.
Sanzaro also lost three commercial rideable mowers, a push mower, chain saws, snow blowers and other equipment, in addition to hand tools. He has insurance and is talking to his carrier about what's covered.
read more here
The Hartford Courant
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
January 7, 2014
Hartford, CT 01/06714 Louis Sanzaro IV, owner of Sanzaro Landscaping and Construction, lost everything in a fire at 1012 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford that started shortly before midnight Monday.HARTFORD — Louis Sanzaro IV looked around his wrecked office Tuesday morning in a warehouse destroyed by fire the night before.
(John Woike / Hartford Courant / January 7, 2014)
It reminded him of his seven months in Iraq.
"It was just like Fallujah or something," he said later. "That's what it looks like."
The 32-year-old estimates he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, the lifeblood of his landscaping and construction business.
"That's only $65,000 right there," he said sarcastically, motioning to a charred excavator in the back of the building. Nearby were three ruined dump trucks, with new sanders and plows, and a pick-up truck.
Sanzaro also lost three commercial rideable mowers, a push mower, chain saws, snow blowers and other equipment, in addition to hand tools. He has insurance and is talking to his carrier about what's covered.
read more here
Sunday, December 15, 2013
A year after Sandy Hook mass murder, police officer faces job loss due to PTSD
UPDATE
Newtown Police Chief Withdraws Termination Recommendation
NBC News
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2013
A veteran Newtown police officer who has not returned to work since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last year is no longer in danger of losing his job.
Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe has withdrawn his recommendation to terminate the employment of Patrol Officer Thomas Bean.
"I am hereby withdrawing my request and recommendation for the termination of Officer Thomas Bean," Kehoe wrote in a letter to the Newtown Board of Commissioners on December 5.
On Aug. 9, Kehoe submitted a letter to the board recommending that Bean be fired for not returning to work after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 2012.
read more here
Newtown Police Chief Withdraws Termination Recommendation
NBC News
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2013
A veteran Newtown police officer who has not returned to work since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last year is no longer in danger of losing his job.
Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe has withdrawn his recommendation to terminate the employment of Patrol Officer Thomas Bean.
"I am hereby withdrawing my request and recommendation for the termination of Officer Thomas Bean," Kehoe wrote in a letter to the Newtown Board of Commissioners on December 5.
On Aug. 9, Kehoe submitted a letter to the board recommending that Bean be fired for not returning to work after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 2012.
read more here
Police Officer With PTSD Awaits Departure Talks
Newtown Bee
By Andrew Gorosko
Friday, December 13, 2013
A Newtown police officer who responded to the 12/14 shooting incident at Sandy Hook School, and who has been off work since then due to subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), said that the town has not yet contacted him to negotiate the terms of his expected departure from the police department.
Officer Thomas Bean, 38, who has been a police officer for the past 13 years, said December 5 that he has received no word on the matter from the town.
Officer Bean has said that the intensity of the 12/14 incident had such an emotional effect on him that he no longer would be able to function as a police officer.
In November, Officer Bean and the Newtown Police Union publicized the officer’s situation in seeking to have the town negotiate with the labor union on the officer’s departure. Officer Bean currently is receiving half-pay from the town while on long-term disability.
Town officials have had nothing to say on the topic, declining comment and terming the issue a personnel matter.
In an August 9 letter to Officer Bean, Police Chief Michael Kehoe wrote, in part, that under the terms of the police department’s rules and regulations, termination of Officer Bean’s employment is warranted and would be recommended to the Police Commission.
The job termination plan stems from the town’s receipt of a May 29 letter from Officer Bean’s physician that stated that he is “permanently and completed disabled from [the] duties of a police officer,” Chief Kehoe wrote.
read more here
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Vietnam MIA being buried 45th anniversary of disappearance
MIA remains ID'd, to be buried on anniversary of disappearance
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 10, 2013
The remains of an airman who went missing during the Vietnam War have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial on the 45th anniversary of his loss.
Air Force Col. Francis McGouldrick Jr., of New Haven, Conn., is to be buried Friday with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, according to a Defense Department statement Monday.
McGouldrick was listed as missing in action on Dec. 13, 1968, after his B-57E Canberra aircraft collided with another aircraft over Laos’ Savannakhet Province during a night strike mission, the statement said. In 1978, a military review board changed his status from missing in action to presumed killed in action.
read more here
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 10, 2013
The remains of an airman who went missing during the Vietnam War have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial on the 45th anniversary of his loss.
Air Force Col. Francis McGouldrick Jr., of New Haven, Conn., is to be buried Friday with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, according to a Defense Department statement Monday.
McGouldrick was listed as missing in action on Dec. 13, 1968, after his B-57E Canberra aircraft collided with another aircraft over Laos’ Savannakhet Province during a night strike mission, the statement said. In 1978, a military review board changed his status from missing in action to presumed killed in action.
read more here
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Stocking drive for veterans connects students
New Haven stocking drive benefits veterans in West Haven
The New Haven Register
By Charlotte Adinolfi
POSTED: 11/24/13
NEW HAVEN
After sending more than 144 stockings to wounded veterans in San Antonio, Texas, last year, Lisa Siedlarz thought it was time to turn the attention to wounded warriors in her home state.
Siedlarz, block captain for the SOHU, or South of Humphrey Street Association in the East Rock neighborhood, started sending stockings to those in the military six years ago. She then decided it was time to donate to veterans at the West Haven Veterans Affairs medical center, a branch of the Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System.
“I have a long history in my family of people serving in the military and I think people have forgotten about the veterans and the wars, what sacrifice they have made,” Siedlarz said. “We should take the time this time of the year to remember them and let them know others are thinking of them.”
When Siedlarz, who works at Southern Connecticut State University, started the collection she was sending care packages to her brother, who was stationed in Afghanistan.
read more here
The New Haven Register
By Charlotte Adinolfi
POSTED: 11/24/13
NEW HAVEN
After sending more than 144 stockings to wounded veterans in San Antonio, Texas, last year, Lisa Siedlarz thought it was time to turn the attention to wounded warriors in her home state.
Siedlarz, block captain for the SOHU, or South of Humphrey Street Association in the East Rock neighborhood, started sending stockings to those in the military six years ago. She then decided it was time to donate to veterans at the West Haven Veterans Affairs medical center, a branch of the Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System.
“I have a long history in my family of people serving in the military and I think people have forgotten about the veterans and the wars, what sacrifice they have made,” Siedlarz said. “We should take the time this time of the year to remember them and let them know others are thinking of them.”
When Siedlarz, who works at Southern Connecticut State University, started the collection she was sending care packages to her brother, who was stationed in Afghanistan.
read more here
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Purple Heart Homes and volunteers renovate Vietnam Veteran's home
Vietnam veteran’s Canton home renovation nears completion
Foothills Media Group
Published: Friday, November 22, 2013
CANTON
Joe Recupero, like so many Vietnam veterans, was never really welcomed home after he served his tour of duty. That will all change for him on Saturday, Dec. 14 – when Purple Heart Homes and the community of Canton will welcome Recupero back to his newly renovated handicap accessible, safe barrier free home.
For several weeks volunteers from Travelers, church groups and work crews from Manchester have been helping Purple Heart Homes build an addition onto Recupero’s home including a handicap accessible bathroom and bedroom, a ramp out the front door and moved his driveway so he can gain easy entrance to his home at 7 Forest Lane in Canton.
Purple Heart Homes Regional Director Vicki Thomas and Project Manager Marlene Figueroa are holding a Canton community-wide meeting on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Canton Community Center Multi-Purpose room located at 40 Dwyer Ave.
At this meeting interested members of the community who want to learn how they can help plan and be a part of the welcome home ceremony are encouraged to attend. This will also be an opportunity to learn more about Purple Heart Homes and other upcoming projects in the area.
read more here
Foothills Media Group
Published: Friday, November 22, 2013
CANTON
Joe Recupero, like so many Vietnam veterans, was never really welcomed home after he served his tour of duty. That will all change for him on Saturday, Dec. 14 – when Purple Heart Homes and the community of Canton will welcome Recupero back to his newly renovated handicap accessible, safe barrier free home.
For several weeks volunteers from Travelers, church groups and work crews from Manchester have been helping Purple Heart Homes build an addition onto Recupero’s home including a handicap accessible bathroom and bedroom, a ramp out the front door and moved his driveway so he can gain easy entrance to his home at 7 Forest Lane in Canton.
Purple Heart Homes Regional Director Vicki Thomas and Project Manager Marlene Figueroa are holding a Canton community-wide meeting on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Canton Community Center Multi-Purpose room located at 40 Dwyer Ave.
At this meeting interested members of the community who want to learn how they can help plan and be a part of the welcome home ceremony are encouraged to attend. This will also be an opportunity to learn more about Purple Heart Homes and other upcoming projects in the area.
read more here
Thursday, November 21, 2013
National Guardsman sues Army for "personality disorder" discharge
Former soldier sues Army for alleged wrongful mental health discharge
Air Force Times
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
November 21, 2013
A former Army National Guard soldier has filed a lawsuit against the Army, saying the service illegally denied him medical retirement by discharging him for an adjustment disorder when he actually suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Former Sgt. William Cowles of Connecticut alleges he was wrongfully denied full retirement benefits when he was medically evacuated from Iraq in 2003 following a mental breakdown.
He later was discharged for adjustment disorder, a condition considered to exist before a person enters military service, and therefore he is disqualified from disability compensation.
Cowles’ mental health crisis stemmed from seeing several men in his unit die and watching the killing of a civilian truck driver. Two months after he was dismissed from the military, Veterans Affairs Department physicians diagnosed him with service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cowles is seeking the maximum amount allowed under law for damages — $10,000 — but he really just wants to be medically retired, according to his legal counsel, two law student interns from the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School.
“The Army Board for Correction of Military Records has denied every single application from veterans who received discharges for adjustment disorder and requested corrections to military retirement for PTSD in the past decade,” second-year law student Sopen Shah said. “This discrimination against disabled veterans is intolerable.”
read more here
Air Force Times
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
November 21, 2013
A former Army National Guard soldier has filed a lawsuit against the Army, saying the service illegally denied him medical retirement by discharging him for an adjustment disorder when he actually suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Former Sgt. William Cowles of Connecticut alleges he was wrongfully denied full retirement benefits when he was medically evacuated from Iraq in 2003 following a mental breakdown.
He later was discharged for adjustment disorder, a condition considered to exist before a person enters military service, and therefore he is disqualified from disability compensation.
Cowles’ mental health crisis stemmed from seeing several men in his unit die and watching the killing of a civilian truck driver. Two months after he was dismissed from the military, Veterans Affairs Department physicians diagnosed him with service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cowles is seeking the maximum amount allowed under law for damages — $10,000 — but he really just wants to be medically retired, according to his legal counsel, two law student interns from the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School.
“The Army Board for Correction of Military Records has denied every single application from veterans who received discharges for adjustment disorder and requested corrections to military retirement for PTSD in the past decade,” second-year law student Sopen Shah said. “This discrimination against disabled veterans is intolerable.”
read more here
Sen. Michael Bennet from Colorado wants to find out about the others receiving other-than-honorable discharges for "discipline problems" when most of the time it turns out to be PTSD.
Lawmakers already have been pressing the Pentagon to examine 31,000 discharges since 2001 for adjustment disorders and personality disorders, mental health conditions considered to presage military service and generally not considered compensable conditions.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
For Waterford veteran, battling PTSD was too tough a fight
For Waterford veteran, battling PTSD was too tough a fight
The Day Connecticut
By Izaskun E. Larrañeta
Published 11/17/2013
Justin Eldridge tried to overcome his post traumatic stress disorder, his wife said. He spent time in VA hospitals. He tried various drug combinations and underwent counseling and therapy. None of it worked, she said.
On Oct. 29, he took his own life in his Waterford home.
The former 31-year-old Marine, who served his country for 8½ years before taking a medical retirement as a sergeant in 2008, could not seem to overcome what he had experienced while serving an eight-month tour in Afghanistan.
"He lost his battle, but I will fight the war," Joanna Eldridge, his wife, said in a recent interview. "My children will not be defined by this. I'm not going to let their father's death be in vain."
Joanna Eldridge, 31, became a certified caregiver through the VA in 2011 so she could care for her husband full time.
"We need to talk about PTSD," she said. "We need to take better care of our veterans. I'm here to tell Justin's story. If it can help a fellow veteran, then his life and death wouldn't be in vain. We are losing too many veterans because of suicide."
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a report on the most comprehensive data collected on suicide from 1999 through 2010. The study found that the number of suicides among veterans reached 22 a day - a suicide every 65 minutes.
The Day Connecticut
By Izaskun E. Larrañeta
Published 11/17/2013
Justin Eldridge tried to overcome his post traumatic stress disorder, his wife said. He spent time in VA hospitals. He tried various drug combinations and underwent counseling and therapy. None of it worked, she said.
On Oct. 29, he took his own life in his Waterford home.
Courtesy Joanna Eldridge
This photo of Joanna and Justin Eldridge was taken in 2010 during a Marine Corp ball held in Connecticut. Justin Eldridge killed himself Oct. 29 in the couple's Waterford home after suffering from PTSD for several years.
The former 31-year-old Marine, who served his country for 8½ years before taking a medical retirement as a sergeant in 2008, could not seem to overcome what he had experienced while serving an eight-month tour in Afghanistan.
"He lost his battle, but I will fight the war," Joanna Eldridge, his wife, said in a recent interview. "My children will not be defined by this. I'm not going to let their father's death be in vain."
Joanna Eldridge, 31, became a certified caregiver through the VA in 2011 so she could care for her husband full time.
"We need to talk about PTSD," she said. "We need to take better care of our veterans. I'm here to tell Justin's story. If it can help a fellow veteran, then his life and death wouldn't be in vain. We are losing too many veterans because of suicide."
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a report on the most comprehensive data collected on suicide from 1999 through 2010. The study found that the number of suicides among veterans reached 22 a day - a suicide every 65 minutes.
After the hospital stay in Massachusetts, Justin became involved with the Wounded Warrior Project and, in August, became a peer mentor with the group.
Even though Justin seemed to be doing all the right things, Eldridge said, he still struggled.
"He was on his medications for a year," she said. "It wasn't getting better. I think part of the problem is that they don't know enough about PTSD and traumatic brain injury. I also think you cannot make someone unsee what they have already seen."
On Oct. 29, the day he committed suicide, Justin was in the basement, listening to loud music, Eldridge said. She said he was more agitated than normal and began yelling at her. Fearing for her safety, she left the house and called police.
"His brain separated from reality, but I knew there was enough of him still there that he wouldn't harm the children," she said. "He locked himself in the basement and killed himself. The children were asleep and didn't hear anything. I think it could have been more terrible if I stayed."
read more here
Marine's Family Decides To Talk Openly About His Suicide JOANN GALLUP ELDRIDGE: He just couldn't take the pain anymore. He just wanted to have peace. He didn't want to see it and feel it anymore.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Marine's Family Decides To Talk Openly About His Suicide
Marine's Family Decides To Talk Openly About His Suicide
Research shows suicide is high among military veterans. The Veterans Administration estimates 22 veterans kill themselves each day. Often military families choose to suffer these tragedies quietly. But one Marine widow in Connecticut is telling her husband's story.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Vietnam vet wins discharge upgrade in PTSD lawsuit
Vietnam vet wins discharge upgrade in PTSD lawsuit
November 4
BY JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Vietnam veteran who received the Bronze Star and later was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder will have his discharge status upgraded under a settlement with the U.S. Army, his representatives announced Monday.
John Shepherd Jr., a 66-year-old New Haven resident, said the Army agreed to resolve his lawsuit by upgrading his original other-than-honorable discharge to an honorable discharge. The change will allow Shepherd to receive disability benefits he had been denied, according to Yale Law School students who represented him.
Shepherd has said he battled alcoholism and struggled to stay employed for 40 years, but was not diagnosed with PTSD until 2004.
"I didn't know if this day would ever come," Shepherd said in a statement. "Good thing I'm a fighter, because it took years of fighting to receive recognition of my sacrifices and service in Vietnam. But there are thousands of guys like me who also deserve better from the DOD. Their fight is still going."
An Army spokesman declined to comment and a message left with a Department of Defense spokeswoman was not immediately returned. A Defense Department spokeswoman said last year the agency is committed to addressing concerns related to PTSD and has taken numerous steps, including conducting PTSD assessments of service members at military treatment facilities.
read more here
November 4
BY JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Vietnam veteran who received the Bronze Star and later was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder will have his discharge status upgraded under a settlement with the U.S. Army, his representatives announced Monday.
John Shepherd Jr., a 66-year-old New Haven resident, said the Army agreed to resolve his lawsuit by upgrading his original other-than-honorable discharge to an honorable discharge. The change will allow Shepherd to receive disability benefits he had been denied, according to Yale Law School students who represented him.
Shepherd has said he battled alcoholism and struggled to stay employed for 40 years, but was not diagnosed with PTSD until 2004.
"I didn't know if this day would ever come," Shepherd said in a statement. "Good thing I'm a fighter, because it took years of fighting to receive recognition of my sacrifices and service in Vietnam. But there are thousands of guys like me who also deserve better from the DOD. Their fight is still going."
An Army spokesman declined to comment and a message left with a Department of Defense spokeswoman was not immediately returned. A Defense Department spokeswoman said last year the agency is committed to addressing concerns related to PTSD and has taken numerous steps, including conducting PTSD assessments of service members at military treatment facilities.
read more here
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Suicide of Marine veteran shock to friends after standoff
What happened? Someone needed help and Justin Eldridge showed up. When you read this story you'll see how many times he did that. A 911 call, police show up, Eldridge's life was over.
Former Marine’s suicide in Waterford standoff shocks friends
The Day
By Izaskun E. Larrañeta
Published 10/29/2013
Sean D. Elliot/The Day file photo In this Dec. 21, 2011, Day file photo, Justin Eldridge, right, of Toys for Tots, pulled toys from the back of a mini-van as crew from the U.S. Navy submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit North Dakota (SSN 784) help unload about 200 toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in New London.Eldridge was married with four children. His wife helped organize a fundraiser this June to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. While promoting the event, Joanna spoke of the struggles her husband had with PTSD and with his traumatic brain injury.A Waterford man who killed himself during a standoff with police Monday night was a former Marine who was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, his friends said Tuesday.
Many of Justin Eldridge’s fellow Marines said it was too soon to talk about the death of their “brother,” who they said was also dealing with a traumatic brain injury sustained while on tour in Afghanistan.
Eldridge, 31, was the first commandant of the Thames River Detachment of the Marine Corps League in Quaker Hill.
Robert Montminy, commandant of the Thames River Detachment, said Eldridge was a good friend and great father.
“We are all very much still in shock,” he said. “We’re still trying to deal with it. Nobody had a clue that it could lead to this.”
Montminy said he knew that Eldridge had struggled with PTSD but that Eldridge told him he was getting treatment at a Veterans Affairs hospital and was trying to turn things around.
Just prior to police receiving the 911 call, Eldridge posted on his Facebook page, “See you later Facebook!!!!!!!” He then posted, “Theres only so much bashing someone can take before they react.”
read more here
Monday, August 19, 2013
A veteran's suicide causes community to hope
A veteran's suicide causes community to hope
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 19, 0213
In Winsted Connecticut an unlikely group of veterans came together filled with hope of doing something to change what has been wrong. So much love and hope surrounded them that it is stunning when you learn what caused all of them to gather together. A young National Guardsman of two states committed suicide.
The hope came when people decided that his life was worth far more than the way his life ended. Had they settled for what "was" instead of what was possible, he would have simply been buried and mourned by those who loved him.
When you read the numbers, they are more than just numbers even though most of the time you never know their names. Each one of them had someone loving them and trying to do whatever they could to help them heal but they didn't get what they needed to do it.
When you read about a family trying to make a difference, they are doing it because they know first hand how much their veterans gave and cared along with how much they suffered. They are also rare. Consider veteran suicides are over 8,000 a year and we don't get to read about many families coming out and talking about it. Why? Lots of reasons but the one I hear most is they blame themselves for someone they love not wanting to be here anymore.
It takes so little to help them heal but not doing it causes endless, needless pain for them.
Families like the Melanson's are doing a lot more than they think. The hope they have that things can change will also help other families heal.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 19, 0213
In Winsted Connecticut an unlikely group of veterans came together filled with hope of doing something to change what has been wrong. So much love and hope surrounded them that it is stunning when you learn what caused all of them to gather together. A young National Guardsman of two states committed suicide.
Tracey Melanson gets a hug from American Legion Post 43 Commander Art Melycher as he and Keith Bruno, right, owner of The Shop in Winsted, present Tracey and her husband Marc Melanson with a framed American Flag in honor of their son Matthew Marc Melanson following a motorcycle run on Sunday.
The 43-mile motorcycle run drew more than 150 riders to raise money for the American Legion Post 43's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder account for local vets.
Matthew Marc Melanson, who served in the Connecticut and Massachusetts National Guards and served in Afghanistan from 2011-12 and suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, later committed suicide.
Jim Shannon/RA
The hope came when people decided that his life was worth far more than the way his life ended. Had they settled for what "was" instead of what was possible, he would have simply been buried and mourned by those who loved him.
When you read the numbers, they are more than just numbers even though most of the time you never know their names. Each one of them had someone loving them and trying to do whatever they could to help them heal but they didn't get what they needed to do it.
When you read about a family trying to make a difference, they are doing it because they know first hand how much their veterans gave and cared along with how much they suffered. They are also rare. Consider veteran suicides are over 8,000 a year and we don't get to read about many families coming out and talking about it. Why? Lots of reasons but the one I hear most is they blame themselves for someone they love not wanting to be here anymore.
It takes so little to help them heal but not doing it causes endless, needless pain for them.
Families like the Melanson's are doing a lot more than they think. The hope they have that things can change will also help other families heal.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Fire department receives thanks from wounded Marine
Fire department receives thanks from wounded Marine
By Fairfield
May 15, 2013
The Fairfield Fire Department received a letter of thanks on May 13 from a soldier being treated at Walter Reed Hospital for the contributions made by members of the Fairfield Fire Fighters Association IAFF Local 1426 as hosts of the Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon and 5K since its creation in 1980 by retired Captain Steve Lobdell.
The letter reads: “Dear Steve, I’m a wounded Marine currently being treated at Walter Reed/Bethesda Hospital in Maryland. This morning I was greeted by a member of your fire department and given a very generous gift card. We are a long ways from Connecticut, so I was moved by your organization’s dedication and commitment to support our nation’s veterans. I’m hoping to run one of your races in the near future. Please pass on my deep appreciation to the other members of your fire department. God bless and thank you for your service. Semper Fidelis, Major Jason Iversen, U.S. Marine Corps.”
Fairfield firefighter Frank DeAngelo has been to Maryland for several years representing the Fairfield firefighters with Operation Gift Card, according to President Robert Smith, and has had the opportunity to meet wounded warriors when they first return from Afghanistan.
In addition to this program, the race makes donations to Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport, which houses homeless vets and recently opened a home for female homeless veterans.
read more here
By Fairfield
May 15, 2013
The Fairfield Fire Department received a letter of thanks on May 13 from a soldier being treated at Walter Reed Hospital for the contributions made by members of the Fairfield Fire Fighters Association IAFF Local 1426 as hosts of the Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon and 5K since its creation in 1980 by retired Captain Steve Lobdell.
The letter reads: “Dear Steve, I’m a wounded Marine currently being treated at Walter Reed/Bethesda Hospital in Maryland. This morning I was greeted by a member of your fire department and given a very generous gift card. We are a long ways from Connecticut, so I was moved by your organization’s dedication and commitment to support our nation’s veterans. I’m hoping to run one of your races in the near future. Please pass on my deep appreciation to the other members of your fire department. God bless and thank you for your service. Semper Fidelis, Major Jason Iversen, U.S. Marine Corps.”
Fairfield firefighter Frank DeAngelo has been to Maryland for several years representing the Fairfield firefighters with Operation Gift Card, according to President Robert Smith, and has had the opportunity to meet wounded warriors when they first return from Afghanistan.
In addition to this program, the race makes donations to Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport, which houses homeless vets and recently opened a home for female homeless veterans.
read more here
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Connecticut Grandmother killed kids in murder-suicide
Double Murder-Suicide Again Brings Mental Health Issues to the Forefront
Debra Denison reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder. 'It underscores that we need to do more to provide mental health access to people and families struggling," state Sen. Andrew Maynard said.
By Bree Shirvell
As Connecticut residents mourn the tragic loss of two young North Stonington boys, the state is once again facing questions about mental health and gun policies.
On Tuesday afternoon, Debra Denison, 47, of Stonington picked up her grandsons, Alton Perry, 2, and 6-month-old Ashton Perry, from Kidds and Co. day care in North Stonington. Sometime that night she shot the two boys to death at a boat launch in Preston near Lake of Isles golf course before killing herself.
"This is absolutely heartbreaking," Senator Chris Murphy said. "Our thoughts are with the family and their loved ones as they deal with this awful tragedy.”
read more here
Debra Denison reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder. 'It underscores that we need to do more to provide mental health access to people and families struggling," state Sen. Andrew Maynard said.
By Bree Shirvell
As Connecticut residents mourn the tragic loss of two young North Stonington boys, the state is once again facing questions about mental health and gun policies.
On Tuesday afternoon, Debra Denison, 47, of Stonington picked up her grandsons, Alton Perry, 2, and 6-month-old Ashton Perry, from Kidds and Co. day care in North Stonington. Sometime that night she shot the two boys to death at a boat launch in Preston near Lake of Isles golf course before killing herself.
"This is absolutely heartbreaking," Senator Chris Murphy said. "Our thoughts are with the family and their loved ones as they deal with this awful tragedy.”
read more here
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Time for communities to stand up for National Guards
Time for communities to stand up for National Guards
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 27, 2013
"Connecticut suicides tied to military one a week" this about that for a second. Now think about all the members of the National Guards and Reservists and what they go through in our name. Aside from the obvious of being deployed to respond to natural disasters, they are deployed into combat as well. They are able, willing and ready to take care of the members of their communities as well as go wherever they are sent.
There is so much in this article to point out that it is hard to ignore any of this. It focuses on Connecticut "citizen soldiers" and how they are falling back home. There is an term used when a service member is killed in combat and the KIAs are "fallen soldiers" or "fallen Marine" but there doesn't seem to be such an honorable term for them when they take their own lives because of where they'd been, what they witnessed and endured in the nation's name.
For the Citizen soldiers of the Guards and Reserves, their identity is connected to serving others. That is why they join others, train to be able to respond to the needs of their communities. Most of them are employed in law enforcement, fire departments, emergency responders, medical fields and teaching. Some are employed in offices and other fields working side by side with people with little or no understanding of what they do as "weekend warriors" and even less of what they do as deployed into combat for a year while someone else has to take care of their jobs here at home.
How can they understand when few of them take an interest?
These men and women train with others from their own communities. As pointed out in this article, there is a bond that goes beyond meeting up with strangers on a military base and training. These are their neighbors. While the bonds in the military are strong, for them the bond has lasted longer.
Most of the phone calls I receive from Moms come in from National Guardsmen and women, especially when they have been discharged. Their identity, much like the military members has been about service, so when they can no longer do it, they lose a part of their lives. With Citizen soldiers employed in law enforcement and fire departments, discovering they can no longer do those jobs or remain in the Guards, it is a loss too many can cope with. Everything tied to a lifetime of service has been taken from them. Who are they now? What are they supposed to do now? They spent their lives wanting nothing else, pulled into taking care of others to the point where they are willing to die for their sake.
To understand how deeply this can be connected to "who they are" just look at some of the news stories about amputees staying in the military. Civilians have a hard time understanding this.
Regular military members have a problem when they can no longer serve in the military due to combat wounds but hit harder when their wounds of combat come into them in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is hard for them when they never thought of doing anything else. Yet for members of the National Guards when they can no longer serve, it is harder because for them, disasters hit close to home and they must then cope with not being able to help as members of the Guards or for most, not being able to do their "day" jobs in law enforcement and as firefighters.
Here is just one example of a member of law enforcement and also a member of the National Guards
It is impossible to ignore how dedicated members of the Guards are, not just to their communities but to the whole nation.
They need more help when they come home to heal from where they've been and they need programs that not only work for them but for their families as well. They stood up when their communities needed them and it is time for communities to stand up for them when they are the ones needing help.
National Guards and Reservists don't stop risking their lives when they come home from combat. When they need help to heal, they need it more than ever.
PTSD I Grieve from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 27, 2013
"Connecticut suicides tied to military one a week" this about that for a second. Now think about all the members of the National Guards and Reservists and what they go through in our name. Aside from the obvious of being deployed to respond to natural disasters, they are deployed into combat as well. They are able, willing and ready to take care of the members of their communities as well as go wherever they are sent.
There is so much in this article to point out that it is hard to ignore any of this. It focuses on Connecticut "citizen soldiers" and how they are falling back home. There is an term used when a service member is killed in combat and the KIAs are "fallen soldiers" or "fallen Marine" but there doesn't seem to be such an honorable term for them when they take their own lives because of where they'd been, what they witnessed and endured in the nation's name.
For the Citizen soldiers of the Guards and Reserves, their identity is connected to serving others. That is why they join others, train to be able to respond to the needs of their communities. Most of them are employed in law enforcement, fire departments, emergency responders, medical fields and teaching. Some are employed in offices and other fields working side by side with people with little or no understanding of what they do as "weekend warriors" and even less of what they do as deployed into combat for a year while someone else has to take care of their jobs here at home.
How can they understand when few of them take an interest?
These men and women train with others from their own communities. As pointed out in this article, there is a bond that goes beyond meeting up with strangers on a military base and training. These are their neighbors. While the bonds in the military are strong, for them the bond has lasted longer.
"Schwartz noted the Guard and Reserve members are different than active Army because “they grow up together, they train together ... go to war together. It’s like going to war with your high school class. ... It’s just a very strong and intense bonding that people may never know.”
Most of the phone calls I receive from Moms come in from National Guardsmen and women, especially when they have been discharged. Their identity, much like the military members has been about service, so when they can no longer do it, they lose a part of their lives. With Citizen soldiers employed in law enforcement and fire departments, discovering they can no longer do those jobs or remain in the Guards, it is a loss too many can cope with. Everything tied to a lifetime of service has been taken from them. Who are they now? What are they supposed to do now? They spent their lives wanting nothing else, pulled into taking care of others to the point where they are willing to die for their sake.
To understand how deeply this can be connected to "who they are" just look at some of the news stories about amputees staying in the military. Civilians have a hard time understanding this.
But a Connecticut resident who serves in the Massachusetts National Guard saw it another way.
“The programs are there for the active-duty guys,” said Capt. Kyle Knowles. “The Guard guys, they’re put through the ringer of all these medical and psychological tests ... and then they go back into the civilian world, and you kind of lose track of them.”
Regular military members have a problem when they can no longer serve in the military due to combat wounds but hit harder when their wounds of combat come into them in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is hard for them when they never thought of doing anything else. Yet for members of the National Guards when they can no longer serve, it is harder because for them, disasters hit close to home and they must then cope with not being able to help as members of the Guards or for most, not being able to do their "day" jobs in law enforcement and as firefighters.
Here is just one example of a member of law enforcement and also a member of the National Guards
"Frederick L. Blohm Jr. , 42, is one such person. He has devoted his life to police work and the military and is now a corporal with the Indiana State Police and a second lieutenant with 113th Engineering Battalion of the Army National Guard, where he is an ordnance officer in Gary, IN.
He works about 60 hours a week as a trooper, while enthusiastically performing his Guard service one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. He actively responds to calls from both services when off duty while fulfilling the demands of family life, with a wife, two sons and five stepchildren. Along the way, Blohm makes time for physical fitness and has volunteered for deployment abroad.
Self-effacing, Blohm credits his colleagues, as well as the support of the state of Indiana, its governor, the leadership of the Guard and his wife for being able to do all this. But to understand why he does it, it helps to go back to his roots."
It is impossible to ignore how dedicated members of the Guards are, not just to their communities but to the whole nation.
In Connecticut, veteran suicides on rise
The Register Citizen
By Joe Amarante
January 26, 2013
It was Veterans Day 2011 and Connecticut Veterans Affairs Commissioner Linda Schwartz was on a float at a welcome-home parade in New York City, behind Connecticut singers performing the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes.
“You’re going down 5th Avenue and it’s just like in the movies! People are waving, it’s all going well,” Schwartz recalls. “And then you come home and there’s a message on your phone, and someone is calling because their sister who had served in Bosnia ... committed suicide. And you say to yourself, here on this day, to feel so alone...”
Her voice trails off as she recalls the day she heard veteran Lisa Silberstein of Hamden had taken her own life at 37.
Silberstein’s death was one catalyst for the expansion of a state support program for veterans, but the wave of returning vets from two wars and multiple deployments has arguably stacked the deck and pushed military suicide totals to disturbing numbers nationwide.
Active-military suicides are running almost one a day in this country, according to new Pentagon figures. There were a record 349 suicides among active-duty troops last year, up from 301 the year before.
A records check by Scwhartz of those buried at one of two state veterans cemeteries shows suicides are running about one a week in this state for active and nonactive service people. Officials on the front lines of the suicide prevention fight are fighting back with a mix of outreach, local clinical help and programs that partner with the huge and plodding Department of Veterans Affairs.
“She was very devoted to her military service,” said Dubuque. “Her work was her life ... and her identity was so wrapped up in being a soldier. After she got out ... it was hard for her to make that transition to civilian life.” Especially in a new state.read more here
They need more help when they come home to heal from where they've been and they need programs that not only work for them but for their families as well. They stood up when their communities needed them and it is time for communities to stand up for them when they are the ones needing help.
National Guards and Reservists don't stop risking their lives when they come home from combat. When they need help to heal, they need it more than ever.
PTSD I Grieve from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Newtown's police officers may get PTSD coverage
Workers' Comp, Paid Leave on the Table for Newtown's Officers
Newtown's board of police commissioners and union representatives have asked for changes in state laws to allow benefits and much-need time off.
By Davis Dunavin
Newtown's police officers are seeking compromises and legislation that would provide them with the support they need due to their service during and after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
This includes leaves of absence that would allow at least six months off with at least two-thirds of their pay, according to the Hartford Courant, which reports that the town and the police union are in negotiations to make the change. In the existing system in place in the town of Newtown, police would only get ten days of sick leave before having to use vacation days to continue receiving pay.
Then there's the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
"Currently town insurance does not recognize PTSD as a reason to go out on disability," said union president and Newtown police officer Scott Ruszczyk at a Tuesday Board of Police Commissioners meeting. "I want to thank the people working to get that changed."
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition stemming from exposure to traumatic events; symptoms can include intrusive memories or feeling "numb." 13 police officers have been affected, and at least six were among the responders at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to the Courant.
read more here
Newtown's board of police commissioners and union representatives have asked for changes in state laws to allow benefits and much-need time off.
By Davis Dunavin
Newtown's police officers are seeking compromises and legislation that would provide them with the support they need due to their service during and after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
This includes leaves of absence that would allow at least six months off with at least two-thirds of their pay, according to the Hartford Courant, which reports that the town and the police union are in negotiations to make the change. In the existing system in place in the town of Newtown, police would only get ten days of sick leave before having to use vacation days to continue receiving pay.
Then there's the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
"Currently town insurance does not recognize PTSD as a reason to go out on disability," said union president and Newtown police officer Scott Ruszczyk at a Tuesday Board of Police Commissioners meeting. "I want to thank the people working to get that changed."
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition stemming from exposure to traumatic events; symptoms can include intrusive memories or feeling "numb." 13 police officers have been affected, and at least six were among the responders at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to the Courant.
read more here
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Connecticut National Guard soldier found dead at home
BY HILDA MUÑOZ
The Hartford Courant
December 31, 2012
The Connecticut National Guard is investigating the untimely death of a specialist at his home in New Milford on Christmas Day.
Authorities are not releasing the soldier's name. The death appears to have been a suicide, but an autopsy has not been conducted, said Col. John Whitford, a spokesman for the Guard.
read more here
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Newtown asks for donations to be made to needy in victims' names
This town has shown so much compassion for each other and for others that the rest of this country has learned by their example. Good does triumph over evil.
So how much did the NRA donate?
Fox Reporter: NRA New Membership And Donations Have ‘Surged’ Since Newtown Massacre
Newtown overwhelmed by gifts, asks for temporary halt of donations
CNN
December 27th, 2012
An outpouring of support and gifts for Newtown, Connecticut, in the wake of a mass shooting has forced the town to ask for a temporary halt in donations.
"Our hearts are warmed by the outpouring of love and support from all corners of our country and world," Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra said. "We are struggling now to manage the overwhelming volume of gifts and ask that sympathy and kindness to our community be expressed by donating such items to needy children and families in other communities in the name of those killed in Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14.
read more here
So how much did the NRA donate?
Fox Reporter: NRA New Membership And Donations Have ‘Surged’ Since Newtown Massacre
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