Iowa man claimed to be war hero
Omaha.com
MARCH 16, 2013
DES MOINES (AP) — An Altoona, Iowa, man was sentenced to more than a year in prison for lying about his Army record so he could qualify for Veterans Affairs medical benefits.
Federal prosecutors said in documents filed as part of a sentencing hearing Thursday that Jeffrey Kepler, 53, of Altoona pleaded guilty in September to health care fraud.
Prosecutors said Kepler had submitted a falsified discharge form to the Veterans Affairs medical center in Des Moines in August 2007.
Court documents said Kepler portrayed himself on the form as an airborne ranger and a war hero who had been awarded numerous medals, including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He claimed to have served in the Army between January 1977 and August 1979.
He said on the form that he had served as a covert operations specialist, and information about his military service could not be disclosed for security reasons.
Prosecutors said Kepler actually served only 27 days in the Army in 1986 and was discharged for not meeting medical fitness standards.
read more here
Showing posts with label Iowa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Iowa Vietnam Veteran putting faces to names on Wall
Iowa veteran attempting to put faces to the Vietnam Memorial Wall names
By Dean Reynolds
January 7, 2013
(CBS News)
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Every year, more than 3 million people visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. Many others visit replicas that travel around the country.
All have the names of the more than 58,000 of Americans killed in the war -- but just the names.
That gave one Vietnam vet an idea.
Tom Brickman was an Army specialist in Vietnam who has spent most of the last 44 years trying to forget about it.
"I didn't want to talk about the war," he said. "I didn't want any memories of the war. I just wanted to put it deep in the past."
Last summer, Tom and his daughter Shari Kirkpatrick saw what's known "as the wall that heals" -- a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington.
What he saw moved him, but he wanted to see more than names. He thought photographs would fill an emptiness he felt.
So now with Shari, Tom is on a mission to match a photograph to the 853 names on Iowans who fell in Vietnam.
"It's kind of a healing process... for myself, as well as the people, the families I have talked to. And I have talked to people who have told me about their experiences of what they went through with the death of their brother," he said.
read more here
By Dean Reynolds
January 7, 2013
(CBS News)
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Every year, more than 3 million people visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. Many others visit replicas that travel around the country.
All have the names of the more than 58,000 of Americans killed in the war -- but just the names.
That gave one Vietnam vet an idea.
Tom Brickman was an Army specialist in Vietnam who has spent most of the last 44 years trying to forget about it.
"I didn't want to talk about the war," he said. "I didn't want any memories of the war. I just wanted to put it deep in the past."
Last summer, Tom and his daughter Shari Kirkpatrick saw what's known "as the wall that heals" -- a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington.
What he saw moved him, but he wanted to see more than names. He thought photographs would fill an emptiness he felt.
So now with Shari, Tom is on a mission to match a photograph to the 853 names on Iowans who fell in Vietnam.
"It's kind of a healing process... for myself, as well as the people, the families I have talked to. And I have talked to people who have told me about their experiences of what they went through with the death of their brother," he said.
read more here
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Wounded Warrior fundraiser “unbelievable” success
While this event shows people do care about our troops and veterans, it says nothing about what Wounded Warrior Project actually does with all of the money they collect from events like this.
After reading many complaints about WWP along with more about their fundraising I wondered Is Wounded Warrior Project a Country Crock? and put up the question to veterans.
The stated mission of WWP is
If the veterans are taking care of each other why does WWP need so much money?
There are hundreds of reports on WWP fundraising but few on what they actually do for the veterans. I haven't been able to find anything on a program they have for PTSD veterans that they actually take care of.
The latest fundraising commercial on TV talks about PTSD but again, while they talk about the problem, then don't mention what they do.
Yes, they do have events like this and raise a lot of money with them but so far I can't find anything more than "raising awareness" and getting veterans to help each other. Does that seem worth all the money they collect every year? I'd really like to know if Wounded Warrior Project has helped you and specifics about what they actually do.
After reading many complaints about WWP along with more about their fundraising I wondered Is Wounded Warrior Project a Country Crock? and put up the question to veterans.
The stated mission of WWP is
To raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members.
To help injured service members aid and assist each other.
To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.
If the veterans are taking care of each other why does WWP need so much money?
There are hundreds of reports on WWP fundraising but few on what they actually do for the veterans. I haven't been able to find anything on a program they have for PTSD veterans that they actually take care of.
Restore Warriors is an anonymous website with resources and self-help strategies for warriors living with the invisible wounds of war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), combat and operational stress, or depression.
The latest fundraising commercial on TV talks about PTSD but again, while they talk about the problem, then don't mention what they do.
Wounded Warrior fundraiser “unbelievable” success
Radio Iowa
November 24, 2012
By Pat Curtis
Organizers of a 5K walk/run designed to honor a former soldier from eastern Iowa are planning to make it an annual event. The Flaughless 5K is named for Dan Flaugh, who took his own life last December, just a few years after he was discharged from the military.
Flaugh’s friend, Georgia Sysouchanh, says she and others didn’t recognize it at the time, but Dan was struggling with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and depression. Sysouchanh organized the 5K, held last month, as a way to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project – an organization that helps veterans heal physically and mentally.
“When we first started planning the 5K, we were hoping to raise $1,000 for Wounded Warrior. By the time it was done…we were able to raise $10,000, which is unbelievable,” Sysouchanh said.
read more here
Yes, they do have events like this and raise a lot of money with them but so far I can't find anything more than "raising awareness" and getting veterans to help each other. Does that seem worth all the money they collect every year? I'd really like to know if Wounded Warrior Project has helped you and specifics about what they actually do.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Amazing love story of Taylor Morris and Danielle Kelly
Here is a great way to start your day! Read this and then go to the link to see some really wonderful pictures of Taylor and Danielle.
'It's been so hard and she's been here the whole time': Amazing love story of bomb disposal expert who lost arms and legs in Afghanistan blast and the girlfriend who has been at his side during remarkable recovery Taylor Morris, 23, underwent quadruple amputation after being seriously injured during deployment in May Returned home to a hero's welcome in Cedar Falls, Iowa less than three months after being wounded
By LOUISE BOYLE
16 September 2012
Unwavering: Miss Kelly has helped 23-year-old Taylor come to terms with the devastating injuries he suffered in Afghanistan four months ago
Looking glamorous in evening dress, the picture of this happy young couple at a friend's wedding is remarkable - when just a few months earlier, the soldier was lying in hospital after having his arms and legs amputated following an explosion in Afghanistan which almost killed him.
The astounding progress of 23-year-old Taylor Morris, a U.S. military bomb disposal expert, is testament to the unwavering support of his family, friends and girlfriend Danielle Kelly - who has been by his side every step of the way.
New photographs, taken by a friend in August, show just how far the Navy specialist has come since he almost died after stepping on an IED on May 3 this year.
The touching images show Taylor being carried up a flight of stairs on Danielle's back and the couple working together on his rehabilitation exercises at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington D.C.
They are also pictured last month at a friend's wedding in their hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa, beaming at the camera and slow-dancing alongside friends.
read more here
also
Quadruple amputee Taylor Morris story goes viral
Friday, August 31, 2012
Quadruple Amputee Taylor Morris hero's welcome home
Homecoming for Quadruple Amputee Sailor
Posted: Aug 30, 2012
Jessica Daley
@TheDaleyReport
An Iowa military hero is home for the first time since being severely injured in Afghanistan. To honor him, a day of celebration took over his hometown of Cedar Falls in eastern Iowa.
Friends rallied together quite the hero's welcome for 23-year-old Taylor Morris. From Patriot Guard Riders to law enforcement to complete strangers, they waited for his arrival Thursday afternoon.
Morris, a navy explosive ordinance disposal tech, lost parts of all four limbs while serving in Afghanistan in May. He's been recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center. His family and girlfriend are documenting it all from re-learning how to walk, dance, pick up a knife and flip a pancake.
"Taylor's such a hero in so many ways," said supporter Samantha Wingert. "It doesn't surprise me at all that all of us would come together to do whatever we can to support him."
read more here
Quadruple amputee Taylor Morris story goes viral
Posted: Aug 30, 2012
Jessica Daley
@TheDaleyReport
An Iowa military hero is home for the first time since being severely injured in Afghanistan. To honor him, a day of celebration took over his hometown of Cedar Falls in eastern Iowa.
Friends rallied together quite the hero's welcome for 23-year-old Taylor Morris. From Patriot Guard Riders to law enforcement to complete strangers, they waited for his arrival Thursday afternoon.
Morris, a navy explosive ordinance disposal tech, lost parts of all four limbs while serving in Afghanistan in May. He's been recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center. His family and girlfriend are documenting it all from re-learning how to walk, dance, pick up a knife and flip a pancake.
"Taylor's such a hero in so many ways," said supporter Samantha Wingert. "It doesn't surprise me at all that all of us would come together to do whatever we can to support him."
read more here
Quadruple amputee Taylor Morris story goes viral
VA review of Iowa City VA Health Care System
Review of Quality of Care, Management, and Operations, Iowa City VA Health Care System
Iowa City, IA
August 29, 2012
Executive Summary
The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted a comprehensive review of the Iowa City VA Health Care System in response to a request from Senator Charles E. Grassley. OIG assessed the merit of allegations about quality of care and that concerns expressed by staff “have been largely ignored.”
All system employees were invited to respond anonymously to a survey about patient care and working conditions through a dedicated OIG internet portal. Individuals responding to the survey could, if they wished, provide specific details and contact information.
Analysis of responses to the survey afforded an opportunity to focus on issues that might otherwise receive less attention.
During two site visits, OIG staff inspected the parent facility and two Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and conducted scheduled and unscheduled interviews with approximately 125 individuals, including senior leaders, mid-level managers, front line employees, patients, and volunteers.
We found that high quality medical care has been maintained. However, we also found that a pervasive lack of support for staff problem-solving is a potential threat to patient safety, and that several process deficiencies were identified. During a prolonged period when key leadership positions were held by individuals on a temporary basis, decisions were delayed or never made, and a highly competent professional staff was frustrated by the persistent ineffectiveness of senior leadership.
We recommended that the Veterans Integrated Service Network Director ensure that system leaders take appropriate action in response to identified problems and communicate action plans to staff. We also recommended that system leaders clarify organizational lines of authority and responsibility and improve components of Environment of Care and Pharmacy management.
read more here
Iowa City, IA
August 29, 2012
Executive Summary
The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted a comprehensive review of the Iowa City VA Health Care System in response to a request from Senator Charles E. Grassley. OIG assessed the merit of allegations about quality of care and that concerns expressed by staff “have been largely ignored.”
All system employees were invited to respond anonymously to a survey about patient care and working conditions through a dedicated OIG internet portal. Individuals responding to the survey could, if they wished, provide specific details and contact information.
Analysis of responses to the survey afforded an opportunity to focus on issues that might otherwise receive less attention.
During two site visits, OIG staff inspected the parent facility and two Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and conducted scheduled and unscheduled interviews with approximately 125 individuals, including senior leaders, mid-level managers, front line employees, patients, and volunteers.
We found that high quality medical care has been maintained. However, we also found that a pervasive lack of support for staff problem-solving is a potential threat to patient safety, and that several process deficiencies were identified. During a prolonged period when key leadership positions were held by individuals on a temporary basis, decisions were delayed or never made, and a highly competent professional staff was frustrated by the persistent ineffectiveness of senior leadership.
We recommended that the Veterans Integrated Service Network Director ensure that system leaders take appropriate action in response to identified problems and communicate action plans to staff. We also recommended that system leaders clarify organizational lines of authority and responsibility and improve components of Environment of Care and Pharmacy management.
read more here
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wounded Afghanistan Vet spends July 4th at White House
Wounded Iowan at White House today
O.Kay Henderson
04 Jul 2012
(Washington) -- An Iowa sailor is one of about 1200 service members invited to spend Independence Day at the White House.
Taylor Morris of Cedar Falls lost all four of his limbs after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in May. He was just discharged from Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Morris says the White House visit will make for a special 4th of July.
“There’s a dinner. I think Brad Paisley is going to be playing and a fireworks show we’ll be watching out on the lawn, hopefully the weather stays good. I definitely will be putting my nicest shirt on,” Morris says. “A Brad Paisley concert — you can’t beat that.”
Morris is just the fifth person to survive a quadruple amputation at Walter Reed. The explosion happened two months ago and he talked about the incident with KCNZ, his hometown radio station.
“I was conscious through the whole thing,” Morris said, “and so when I stepped on it I could hear it and feel the blast, feel the heat and I remember looking at my arm when I was trying to stabilize myself in the air as I was back flipping through the air and noticing that my arm was gone and then I hit the ground and noticed by legs were gone, too.”
Morris had a face-to-face meeting with the president last week when Obama toured the “Wounded Warrior Wing” at Walter Reed.
read more here
O.Kay Henderson
04 Jul 2012
(Washington) -- An Iowa sailor is one of about 1200 service members invited to spend Independence Day at the White House.
Taylor Morris of Cedar Falls lost all four of his limbs after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in May. He was just discharged from Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Morris says the White House visit will make for a special 4th of July.
“There’s a dinner. I think Brad Paisley is going to be playing and a fireworks show we’ll be watching out on the lawn, hopefully the weather stays good. I definitely will be putting my nicest shirt on,” Morris says. “A Brad Paisley concert — you can’t beat that.”
Morris is just the fifth person to survive a quadruple amputation at Walter Reed. The explosion happened two months ago and he talked about the incident with KCNZ, his hometown radio station.
“I was conscious through the whole thing,” Morris said, “and so when I stepped on it I could hear it and feel the blast, feel the heat and I remember looking at my arm when I was trying to stabilize myself in the air as I was back flipping through the air and noticing that my arm was gone and then I hit the ground and noticed by legs were gone, too.”
Morris had a face-to-face meeting with the president last week when Obama toured the “Wounded Warrior Wing” at Walter Reed.
read more here
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Thousands turn out for Iowa event honoring vets
Thousands turn out for Iowa event honoring vets
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 1, 2012
DES MOINES, Iowa — Several thousand people lined the streets of downtown Des Moines on Saturday for a parade honoring veterans and current members of the armed services.
Gov. Terry Branstad’s office organized the parade, which began at the state Capitol with a flyover of F-16 fighter jets. Branstad, who served in the Army from 1969 to 1971, also marched in the parade, wearing his old uniform.
Daryl Johnson, of Mason City, carried a POW/MIA flag as part of the parade’s color guard, the Des Moines Register reported. The 65-year-old Johnson, who served in the U.S. Army from May 1968 to 1971 and is a Vietnam veteran, said it was an honor to participate.
“It helps us recognize the extra pain and suffering that those individuals and their families go through,” Johnson said of the flag honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.
The parade served another important function, Johnson said.
“As a Vietnam veteran, I certainly want to welcome back veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
read more here
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 1, 2012
DES MOINES, Iowa — Several thousand people lined the streets of downtown Des Moines on Saturday for a parade honoring veterans and current members of the armed services.
Gov. Terry Branstad’s office organized the parade, which began at the state Capitol with a flyover of F-16 fighter jets. Branstad, who served in the Army from 1969 to 1971, also marched in the parade, wearing his old uniform.
Daryl Johnson, of Mason City, carried a POW/MIA flag as part of the parade’s color guard, the Des Moines Register reported. The 65-year-old Johnson, who served in the U.S. Army from May 1968 to 1971 and is a Vietnam veteran, said it was an honor to participate.
“It helps us recognize the extra pain and suffering that those individuals and their families go through,” Johnson said of the flag honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.
The parade served another important function, Johnson said.
“As a Vietnam veteran, I certainly want to welcome back veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
read more here
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Iowa soldier marries boyfriend in civil ceremony
The Marriage of a Soldier and His Boyfriend (VIDEO)
by Steve Williams
A video of two men, one of whom appears to be an active servicemember, getting married in the state of Iowa is taking the Internet by storm.
The men, referred to as Paul and David, are married by an officiant who comments “I’m very proud to live in a state that honors the rights of everybody to love and be loved.
read more here
by Steve Williams
A video of two men, one of whom appears to be an active servicemember, getting married in the state of Iowa is taking the Internet by storm.
The men, referred to as Paul and David, are married by an officiant who comments “I’m very proud to live in a state that honors the rights of everybody to love and be loved.
read more here
Friday, June 1, 2012
Quadruple amputee Taylor Morris says "I chose this path"
Simply remarkable! Taylor Morris lost parts of his limbs but has no regrets for taking on a dangerous job.
Quadruple amputee sailor: ‘I chose this path; I’m doing fine’
By PAT KINNEY
For The Globe Gazette
Taylor Morris remembers and feels everything.
He remembers the explosion that blew him off the ground and took portions of all his limbs.
He still feels his hands — every knuckle, every fingernail — as though they’re knotted up inside him and being crushed, and the stinging where his legs were, as though they’ve fallen asleep.
But he feels other things, too, the recuperating Cedar Falls sailor said Wednesday in an exclusive interview from his hospital room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesdsa, Md.
He feels the love and support of a family and his girlfriend, Danielle Kelly, who have never left his side; of comrades in arms including fellow amputees; of brothers and sisters who are raising funds for future expenses; and of folks in Northeast Iowa he barely knew or never knew, including people organizing fundraisers or simply sending checks.
“Tell folks back home I chose this path, and I knew it was dangerous going into it,” Morris said from his hospital room at Walter Reed via Skype and telephone. “And it’s unfortunate it happened. But I don’t want them to pity me or to feel bad. I’m doing fine, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to 100 percent.”
read more here
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Wife of Marine Gunnery Sgt. killed in propane gas explosion
Marine wife killed in Ca. explosion was Iowan, 31
(AP) – 4 hours ago
COLEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A woman killed in a propane gas explosion outside a remote Northern California training base was the 31-year-old wife of a U.S. Marine, and a mother of two from Hudson, Iowa, military officials said late Saturday.
The woman, Lori Hardin, was the wife of Gunnery Sgt. Greg G. Hardin of Tuolumne, Calif., a public works planner for the Marines, according to a statement from the Marine Corps.
Greg Hardin and the couple's two children were not hurt in the Friday night explosion at a housing unit in the Mono County town of Coleville that serves the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, where Marines train for mountain operations.
Two other blast victims, a Navy corpsman and his wife, were flown to hospitals with serious injuries including third-degree burns.
One of them was treated at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev. and was released Saturday. The other remained in critical condition at the University of California, Davis Medical Center.
The Marines did not say whether it was the corpsman or his wife who remained in the hospital, and authorities have not released their names.
read more here
(AP) – 4 hours ago
COLEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A woman killed in a propane gas explosion outside a remote Northern California training base was the 31-year-old wife of a U.S. Marine, and a mother of two from Hudson, Iowa, military officials said late Saturday.
The woman, Lori Hardin, was the wife of Gunnery Sgt. Greg G. Hardin of Tuolumne, Calif., a public works planner for the Marines, according to a statement from the Marine Corps.
Greg Hardin and the couple's two children were not hurt in the Friday night explosion at a housing unit in the Mono County town of Coleville that serves the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, where Marines train for mountain operations.
Two other blast victims, a Navy corpsman and his wife, were flown to hospitals with serious injuries including third-degree burns.
One of them was treated at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev. and was released Saturday. The other remained in critical condition at the University of California, Davis Medical Center.
The Marines did not say whether it was the corpsman or his wife who remained in the hospital, and authorities have not released their names.
read more here
Friday, January 20, 2012
First veteran to get new high tech prosthetics is from Greenfield
First veteran to get new high tech prosthetics is from Greenfield
A grenade explosion in Iraq took Derick Hurt's legs.
8:41 p.m. CST, January 18, 2012
WATERLOO, Iowa -- An Iraq war veteran from Greenfield, Mo., has taken another step forward in his recovery. Derick Hurt is the first veteran in the country to get the latest technology in prosthetics.
Nearly 10 years ago while serving in Iraq, a grenade blew up under Hurt's Humvee, shattering his legs. Hurt's right leg was amputated; he fought Army doctors to save his left one.
In 2009, he decided to have his other leg amputated because the pain was diminishing his quality of life.
(The video shows some of Hurt's progress over the years. KY3 News visited him during his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., a few months after he was injured. Other video shows him in the intervening years learning to walk with prosthetics.)
read more here
A grenade explosion in Iraq took Derick Hurt's legs.
STORY: Veteran from Greenfield is first to use new, lighter, stronger, faster artificial legspmorehouse@ky3.com
by Paula Morehouse and Justin Haase, KY3 News
8:41 p.m. CST, January 18, 2012
WATERLOO, Iowa -- An Iraq war veteran from Greenfield, Mo., has taken another step forward in his recovery. Derick Hurt is the first veteran in the country to get the latest technology in prosthetics.
Nearly 10 years ago while serving in Iraq, a grenade blew up under Hurt's Humvee, shattering his legs. Hurt's right leg was amputated; he fought Army doctors to save his left one.
In 2009, he decided to have his other leg amputated because the pain was diminishing his quality of life.
(The video shows some of Hurt's progress over the years. KY3 News visited him during his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., a few months after he was injured. Other video shows him in the intervening years learning to walk with prosthetics.)
read more here
Sunday, September 18, 2011
From the edge of death to rehab, a soldier fights back
From the edge of death to rehab: A soldier fights back
Iowa soldier works to regain movement, brain function after devastating blast
Written by
TONY LEYS
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Adam Eilers’ Iowa National Guard buddies face a startling demand when they visit him at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital here. The admission price to his room, he tells them, is $5.
They balk, noting that they already sacrificed their time and paid for hundreds of miles’ worth of gas to come see their severely wounded friend. Some of his visitors are the very men who pulled his lifeless carcass from a blown-up Army truck in Afghanistan last February. After they saved him, they had to dodge Taliban bullets. Now he’s demanding cash?
Yup. Five bucks, the corporal tells them, or you get no visit. “They’re like, ‘What the hell?’ ” he reports, cackling.
His friends grudgingly fork over the money, wondering what he’s up to.
Eilers, 24, is ready to reveal his plot. The $200 he’s extorted from visitors will go toward kegs of beer for a bonfire party next spring near his northeast Iowa hometown of Garber. He intends to burn the special helmets that doctors used to protect his caved-in skull, plus the walker, cane, casts and other leftovers from his frustrating journey back from the edge of death.
read more here
Iowa soldier works to regain movement, brain function after devastating blast
Written by
TONY LEYS
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Adam Eilers’ Iowa National Guard buddies face a startling demand when they visit him at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital here. The admission price to his room, he tells them, is $5.
They balk, noting that they already sacrificed their time and paid for hundreds of miles’ worth of gas to come see their severely wounded friend. Some of his visitors are the very men who pulled his lifeless carcass from a blown-up Army truck in Afghanistan last February. After they saved him, they had to dodge Taliban bullets. Now he’s demanding cash?
Yup. Five bucks, the corporal tells them, or you get no visit. “They’re like, ‘What the hell?’ ” he reports, cackling.
His friends grudgingly fork over the money, wondering what he’s up to.
Eilers, 24, is ready to reveal his plot. The $200 he’s extorted from visitors will go toward kegs of beer for a bonfire party next spring near his northeast Iowa hometown of Garber. He intends to burn the special helmets that doctors used to protect his caved-in skull, plus the walker, cane, casts and other leftovers from his frustrating journey back from the edge of death.
read more here
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Benefits reinstated for Iowa veteran
Benefits reinstated for Iowa veteran
Written by
TONY LEYS
Klobnak, 24, lost his left leg in Iraq in 2006. He spent six months in an Army hospital, then returned to Iowa with full disability pay. In April 2009, the VA notified him that because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month. His appeal was snarled in a national paperwork backlog that has forced many disabled veterans to wait years for their benefits. While he waited, he struggled to support a family of four on half pay.
The Greenfield veteran's plight captured attention in June, when The Des Moines Register explained it in a front-page story. He believes the media spotlight, plus pressure from the staff of his congressman, Steve King, helped persuade VA officials to retrieve his case from the pile and to decide late last month to reverse their earlier decision.
read more here
Written by
TONY LEYS
"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful," Klobnak said this week. "But I didn't want them to fix just mine. I want the system fixed."The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reinstated Joel Klobnak's disability benefits after a two-year fight and a burst of publicity, but the former Marine knows that hundreds of thousands of veterans are still stuck in disability-claims purgatory.
Klobnak, 24, lost his left leg in Iraq in 2006. He spent six months in an Army hospital, then returned to Iowa with full disability pay. In April 2009, the VA notified him that because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month. His appeal was snarled in a national paperwork backlog that has forced many disabled veterans to wait years for their benefits. While he waited, he struggled to support a family of four on half pay.
The Greenfield veteran's plight captured attention in June, when The Des Moines Register explained it in a front-page story. He believes the media spotlight, plus pressure from the staff of his congressman, Steve King, helped persuade VA officials to retrieve his case from the pile and to decide late last month to reverse their earlier decision.
read more here
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Iowa National Guards Soldier get briefings on PTSD coming home
Iowans At War: Soldiers Turn In Their Guns and Gear
Sonya Heitshusen
Reporter
9:29 p.m. CDT, July 20, 2011
A chartered plane lands in the stormy night at Volk Airfield in Wisconsin. It's carrying about 200 Soldiers from the Iowa National Guard's 113th Cavalry. The 16 hour flight is just the beginning of their journey back to their families.
After a personal greeting from some of the Guard's top brass, the Soldiers line up for buses, waiting to take them to their next stop, a garage. Here, they will part with one of their closest companions.
Soldiers Turn In Their Guns and Gear
Sonya Heitshusen
Reporter
9:29 p.m. CDT, July 20, 2011
A chartered plane lands in the stormy night at Volk Airfield in Wisconsin. It's carrying about 200 Soldiers from the Iowa National Guard's 113th Cavalry. The 16 hour flight is just the beginning of their journey back to their families.
After a personal greeting from some of the Guard's top brass, the Soldiers line up for buses, waiting to take them to their next stop, a garage. Here, they will part with one of their closest companions.
In addition to the physical screenings, all Soldiers receive a mental health evaluation. They must also attend briefings on how to identify Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.read more here
"If you get home and you're having feelings of helplessness, hopelessness or worthlessness and you don't know where to go, you can always go to your local emergency room," says a Chaplain leading a debrief.
Lt. Col. Sutton notes the difference between PTSD and Post Traumatic Stress. She says every Soldier experiences stress. PTSD is diagnosed when a Soldier experience behavioral disorders like nightmares and hyper-vigilance for more than two months.
Soldiers Turn In Their Guns and Gear
Saturday, May 21, 2011
4 Iowa Guard soldiers hurt in bombing in Afghanistan
4 Iowa Guard soldiers hurt in bombing in Afghanistan
12:30 AM, May. 21, 2011
Written by
TONY LEYS
Four Iowa National Guard soldiers were wounded when a bomb struck their truck in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Guard officials identified them as Sgt. Chisum Frisch, 23, of Cedar Falls; Spc. Jacob Hutchinson, 21, of Cedar Rapids; Spc. Benjamin Ward, 26, of Rowley; and Pfc. Tanner Williams, 18, of Tama.
read more here
4 Iowa Guard soldiers hurt in bombing in Afghanistan
12:30 AM, May. 21, 2011
Written by
TONY LEYS
Four Iowa National Guard soldiers were wounded when a bomb struck their truck in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Guard officials identified them as Sgt. Chisum Frisch, 23, of Cedar Falls; Spc. Jacob Hutchinson, 21, of Cedar Rapids; Spc. Benjamin Ward, 26, of Rowley; and Pfc. Tanner Williams, 18, of Tama.
read more here
4 Iowa Guard soldiers hurt in bombing in Afghanistan
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Dam fails in eastern Iowa, causing massive flooding
Dam fails in eastern Iowa, causing massive flooding
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 24, 2010 5:58 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A dam failed in eastern Iowa on Saturday, forcing residents nearby to flee
National Weather Service reported a 30-foot-wide gap in the berm alongside the dam
The breach was caused by "massive rain" of 10 inches in 12 hours, officials say
Hopkinton, population 700, is evacuated and Monticello under flood warning
(CNN) -- A dam on an eastern Iowa lake suffered a "catastrophic" failure Saturday, sending a massive amount of water into nearby communities and forcing residents to flee, officials said.
The Lake Delhi dam, about 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids, failed as a result of "massive rain -- a very unusually high amount this season," according to Jim Flansburg, communications director for Gov. Chet Culver.
Culver told CNN that nearly 10 inches of rain had recently fallen in a 12-hour period in the area and was "too much water for the dam to hold."
read more here
Dam fails in eastern Iowa
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 24, 2010 5:58 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A dam failed in eastern Iowa on Saturday, forcing residents nearby to flee
National Weather Service reported a 30-foot-wide gap in the berm alongside the dam
The breach was caused by "massive rain" of 10 inches in 12 hours, officials say
Hopkinton, population 700, is evacuated and Monticello under flood warning
(CNN) -- A dam on an eastern Iowa lake suffered a "catastrophic" failure Saturday, sending a massive amount of water into nearby communities and forcing residents to flee, officials said.
The Lake Delhi dam, about 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids, failed as a result of "massive rain -- a very unusually high amount this season," according to Jim Flansburg, communications director for Gov. Chet Culver.
Culver told CNN that nearly 10 inches of rain had recently fallen in a 12-hour period in the area and was "too much water for the dam to hold."
read more here
Dam fails in eastern Iowa
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Military investigates Iowa National Guard soldier's death
Military investigates Iowa National Guard soldier's death
Associated Press - June 19, 2010 1:14 PM ET
SPENCER, Iowa (AP) - Military officials have continued their investigation of the death of a 29-year-old Iowa solider who died in Iraq during a "non-combat incident."
The United States Forces-Iraq offered no new details Saturday in the death of Spc. Christopher Opat. He died last Tuesday from injuries in a non-combat incident in Baquah, Iraq.
read the rest here
http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12676764
Associated Press - June 19, 2010 1:14 PM ET
SPENCER, Iowa (AP) - Military officials have continued their investigation of the death of a 29-year-old Iowa solider who died in Iraq during a "non-combat incident."
The United States Forces-Iraq offered no new details Saturday in the death of Spc. Christopher Opat. He died last Tuesday from injuries in a non-combat incident in Baquah, Iraq.
read the rest here
http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12676764
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Deputy and National Guard soldier shot by 16 year old
Investigators: Iowa Soldier Shot At His Home By Teen
POSTED: 5:43 pm CDT May 18, 2010
BROOKS, Iowa -- Investigators continued to gather evidence at the scene of a shooting in the Iowa town of Brooks on Tuesday.
Authorities said Daniel Beardsley, 16, escaped from the Clarinda Academy and drove to Matthew Herring's home.
Investigators said Beardsley shot Herring when Herring returned home from work. Beardsley also fired on Deputy Jason Swanson when Swanson came to the house to investigate the reported shooting.
Swanson suffered only minor injures.
After a three-hour standoff, Beardsley surrendered to authorities.
read more here
http://www.kcci.com/news/23599550/detail.html
POSTED: 5:43 pm CDT May 18, 2010
BROOKS, Iowa -- Investigators continued to gather evidence at the scene of a shooting in the Iowa town of Brooks on Tuesday.
Authorities said Daniel Beardsley, 16, escaped from the Clarinda Academy and drove to Matthew Herring's home.
Investigators said Beardsley shot Herring when Herring returned home from work. Beardsley also fired on Deputy Jason Swanson when Swanson came to the house to investigate the reported shooting.
Swanson suffered only minor injures.
After a three-hour standoff, Beardsley surrendered to authorities.
read more here
http://www.kcci.com/news/23599550/detail.html
Monday, March 29, 2010
Women’s History Lives On
Women’s History Lives On; III Corps officer sets Army standard
By Joy Pariante, Sentinel Staff
March 25, 2010 Living
As a woman who started out her career in the Women’s Army Corps, Col. Carolyn A. Carroll knows how hard women have worked to be able to serve as commanders, first sergeants and general officers in today’s Army.
In fact, when Carroll, now the chief of the strategic initiatives group for III Corps, joined the Iowa Army National Guard as an administrative clerk, she wasn’t thinking about breaking gender barriers. She was trying to find a way to support her children after she and her husband divorced.
read more herehttp://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=3408
By Joy Pariante, Sentinel Staff
March 25, 2010 Living
As a woman who started out her career in the Women’s Army Corps, Col. Carolyn A. Carroll knows how hard women have worked to be able to serve as commanders, first sergeants and general officers in today’s Army.
In fact, when Carroll, now the chief of the strategic initiatives group for III Corps, joined the Iowa Army National Guard as an administrative clerk, she wasn’t thinking about breaking gender barriers. She was trying to find a way to support her children after she and her husband divorced.
read more herehttp://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=3408
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