Half of Iraq war veterans will be homeless

This is not entirely out of the "possible" when you factor in what they come home to. Combat PTSD and families that don't understand it. A backlog of claims leaving them with no income when they can't work. When they can work, the jobs are not there yet. Substance abuse because they can't get what they need from the VA.

Study: Half of Iraq war veterans homeless
Jacksonville veteran gets help; Sulzbacher Center serving more vets

Published On: Dec 01 2011
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
Some men and women who have put everything on the line to fight for our country say they now feel betrayed by the country they were sworn to protect.

A study just released by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans shows that more than half the men and women returning from Iraq will be homeless for at least two years.

Robert Brown, a 13-year veteran of three different branches of the military, is one of more than 100,000 homeless veterans in America. He says he feels like coming home was the biggest battle he's faced.

"I feel betrayed," Brown said.

Brown said his wife left him during his deployment, so he had no home to return to. He said it took him nearly a year to get his disability check, and he would lose his benefits if he got a job.
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Vets Form Backbone of ‘Occupy DC’ Protest: Or do They?

Vets Form Backbone of ‘Occupy DC’ Protest: Or do They?
November 08, 2011
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan

Former servicemembers don't just make up part of Washington's population of "Occupy Wall Street" protestors -- by one measure, they make up fully half.

Veterans established one of the city's two main encampments, and it's clear from the neat layout of tents there was military planning behind it. A large white tent is clearly marked for first aid. There's also a mess tent where people can get chow, and the concrete path that runs like a main street down the center of the camp is totally clear.

"Veterans for Peace are the organizers, and we're a little older," said Bill Miniutti, a former Marine artilleryman and Vietnam veteran. He came up from Jacksonville, Fla., for the protest in early October, but the origins of the Vets for Peace camp go back even further. "They were actually working on this since March, way before [Occupy] Wall Street."

"We actually have port-o-potties -- and us old men need that," he quipped.
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Marine killed, two others injured Tuesday in a freak accident

Navy identifies Marine killed at Naval Station
By Amanda Kerr
Modified:
Thursday, October 13, 2011

YORK — Navy officials have released the name of the Marine killed Tuesday in a freak accident at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown when a vehicle struck a group of troops doing their morning run.

Cpl. Chad M. Smith, 23, of New Milford, Pennsylvania, was fatally wounded and died at Mary Immaculate Medical Center from injuries sustained in the accident. He was a rifleman assigned to 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (2nd FAST) Company, Marine Security Force Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Smith joined the Marine Corps Jan. 12, 2009 and was promoted to the rank of corporal in February, 2011. His awards include the National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Two other Marines were also injured in the incident. Sgt. Brandon J. Hamilton, 27, of Merced, California, was admitted to Riverside Regional Medical Center and is currently listed in fair condition. He is a motor vehicle operator assigned to 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (2nd FAST) Company, Marine Security Force Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force. Pfc. Tyler R. Cannon, 19, of Jacksonville, Florida, was treated and released from Riverside Regional Medical Center Tuesday. He is a rifleman assigned to 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (2nd FAST) Company, Marine Security Force Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
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Jacksonville Wounded Warrior Remembers Combat Duty

Jacksonville Wounded Warrior Remembers Combat Duty; Now Helps Troops Returning Home
Oct 7, 2011

Written by
Mike Lyons

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Zach Hudson said combat duty in Afghanistan changed his life, and now he spends it helping veterans when they return.

Afghanistan was invaded by the U.S. and coalition forces on Oct. 7, 2001 - 27 days after 9/11. The purpose was to crush the al-Qaida base of operations, remove the Taliban from power and train Afghan forces for a new government.

Then-Army sergeant Hudson went to war in 2006 and spent 16 months as an infantry medic, once suffering a shrapnel injury to his leg. "It is one of those things that sneaks up on you, 'Wow! It's been 10 years now'," said Hudson.

"We were trying to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, because Afghan people as a whole are not bad people," said Hudson. "It was a small group of people that worked with the Taliban that started this entire conflict."

Hudson, 27, said he is proud of his service and would return if necessary.

Hudson now works for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization whose mission is to "honor and empower wounded warriors." Hudson helps soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Jacksonville Naval Hospital $60M upgrade

Jacksonville Naval Hospital $60M upgrade to help families stay closer to home

Posted: September 8, 2011
By Jeff Brumley
By the time Mayor Alvin Brown took the podium Wednesday morning, anyone with a role in the mostly completed expansion and renovation of Jacksonville Naval Hospital had been praised and thanked.

That included military and civilian engineers, architects, previous commanding officers, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw and even Brown himself. But the mayor wanted someone else to get some kudos for the five-year, $60 million project:

"Let's give God a hand for blessing Jacksonville with the best military personnel," Brown said before an audience of Navy brass and civic and government officials gathered for the ribbon cutting on the upgraded facility.

From there, Brown launched into one of his standard refrains: his commitment to making the city the most military-friendly community in the nation. The changes to the hospital, including the addition of 62,000 square feet of space, are a step in that direction, he said.

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Jacksonville soldier killed in Afghanistan

Jacksonville soldier killed in Afghanistan
Posted: August 6, 2011 - 12:05am


By Jeff Brumley
Morris News Service
A 21-year-old Jacksonville man is among two soldiers killed Wednesday in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Department of Defense said Friday that Army Pfc. Gil I. Morales Del Valle and Pfc. Cody G. Baker, 19, of Holton, Kan., died in an enemy attack on their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

They were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Wardak province, Afghanistan. The men were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.
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Jacksonville soldier killed in Afghanistan

Veteran's Wall Vandalized With "Kill Them All"

This happened last week but I have not been able to find any follow up stories on this.

Veteran's Wall Vandalized With "Kill Them All"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A tribute to fallen American heroes from the First Coast was vandalized sometime over the past few days, and was discovered on Friday evening.

A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police report said an EverBank Field Security guard noticed the graffiti Friday on the Veteran's Memorial Wall in downtown Jacksonville.
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Veteran's Wall Vandalized

A new 'war' to fight at home after Iraqi deployment ends

Guest column: A new 'war' to fight at home after Iraqi deployment ends
Posted: June 28, 2010 - 3:12pm
Madeleine Tavares is a freelance writer for USA Today.

As we took our seats at Starbucks, Sgt. Mark Middlebrook, who recently completed his four-year Army tour, walked to the back and selected a seat with his back to the wall and facing the front door.

Middlebrook, who is 24 years old, has suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since completing his 15 months in Iraq in 2007. You would never know it simply by looking at him.

I have followed Middlebrook's Army journey through his parents, Gayle and Mark Sr., of Ponte Vedra. We participate in a support group for families of deployed military.

At the end of 2007, two friends and I realized our three sons would be in Iraq at the same time and wanted to reach out to others who might be in the same situation.

Since leaving the Army this past summer, Middlebrook has been trying to move on with his life, but worry often gets in the way.
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A new war to fight at home

Jacksonville Home Donated to Disabled Veteran's Family

Jacksonville Home Donated to Disabled Veteran's Family
Roger Weeder Ann Butler

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A local family found out what it means to live in a city that prides itself on being military-friendly.

The Shield Foundation Home for Veterans program selected Jacksonville and a Jacksonville family to receive a home.

Louis and Loyda Hamilton and their five children got the keys to their home on Myrtle Avenue during a presentation at City Hall.

The Shield Foundation is associated with Pinnacle Property Solutions, which specializes in the sale of foreclosed property. The home being donated is in foreclosure and was renovated for the Hamilton family.
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Jacksonville Home Donated to Disabled Veteran

President Obama Addresses Troops In Florida

Obama Addresses Troops In Florida
President Will Also Visit Miami, Tampa
POSTED: 7:01 am EDT October 26, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. -- President Barack Obama visited Florida on Monday to address members of the military in Jacksonville.



Air Force One landed in Jacksonville shortly before 3 p.m. Obama began his speech by remembering 14 Americans killed Monday in helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, saying "they gave their lives to protect ours."

Obama said the dead Americans, which included three federal drug enforcement agents, were willing to risk their lives to keep Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for al-Qaida and extremist allies.
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http://www.wesh.com/news/21424541/detail.html

Jacksonville woman found dead in home under 8 feet of trash

Woman found dead in home under 8 feet of trash

By Associated Press Watch the story JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Authorities have found the body of a 71-year-old woman after wading through a Jacksonville, Florida home filled with garbage piled eight feet high.

The Florida Times-Union reports that officers were checking on Carina E. Decampo late Tuesday, after worried family members called to say they hadn't heard from her in weeks.

They were met with what police called "unbelievable squalor" and a stench that made officers ill.

After trying to search for about 20 minutes, they had to call in help.

The fire department arrived, using breathing gear and search dogs to find Decampo.

No cause of death was immediately released.
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found dead in home under 8 feet of trash

Stress management program helps soldiers with PTSD

Stress management program helps soldiers with PTSD
Program helps soldiers deal with severe stress, anger
By JENNIFER COX Story updated at 11:00 AM on Monday, Sep. 28, 2009


Army veteran Phil Bauer, 32, has never been shy. In fact, his bubbly personality rarely escapes notice and never fails to entertain.

"I always made the joke that I was glorified proof that bumbles bounce," Bauer laughed.

Even when he walks, it's hard to imagine Bauer in pain.

Yet the New York native suffered unimaginable losses while stationed in Iraq. First, he lost about 20 of his friends and colleagues, then his right leg and, finally, his career.

"I had all the time in [to be a] specialist, but they didn't want to promote an injured soldier," Bauer said.

In January, Bauer found he was not alone. He joined the Jacksonville-based TRACK program for injured soldiers hoping to get a college education and a fresh start with the help of APEX Performance techniques.

The APEX program trains participants to better manage stress and anger and increase their concentration. Bauer says he's proof of the program's power, saying it has helped him recover his positive outlook on life.

Turmoil and torment

In November 2003, an enemy missile hit Bauer's helicopter. After regaining consciousness, Bauer saw he was among the few who survived the attack.

"Outside of Fallujah, our helicopter was hit by a surface-to-air missile, and then gravity took effect, and a 150-foot bounce," he recalled. "When I woke up, my feet were trapped."

But, he said, that was "much better than some of the other people. I woke up."

Bauer's right leg was amputated, and he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The newly discharged soldier plunged into a dark period of depression.

"I had spent almost five years basically trying to destroy myself in different ways," Bauer said. "It was just five years of turmoil and torment."
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Stress management program helps soldiers with PTSD

Florida Veteran Elected Leader of The American Legion

CORRECTING and REPLACING Florida Veteran Elected Leader of The American Legion
Wed Sep 2, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(Business Wire)--
Please replace the correction dated Aug. 27, 2009 with the following corrected
version due to multiple revisions.

The corrected release reads:

FLORIDA VETERAN ELECTED LEADER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION

A retired U.S. Navy captain has been elected national commander of the nation`s
largest veterans organization.

Delegates to The American Legion`s 91st National Convention here chose Clarence
Hill of Jacksonville, Fla., to lead the 2.5 million-member organization of
wartime veterans for a one-year term.

The new national commander plans to increase The American Legion`s outreach
efforts using social media networks and other technologies. His goals also
include diversifying The American Legion by recruiting more minorities and
increasing awareness of issues affecting women veterans. While veterans from any
war era will always be welcome in The American Legion, Hill plans to expand
outreach efforts to Vietnam era, post-Vietnam era and current War on Terrorism
veterans.

A native of Martin`s Ferry, Ohio, Hill graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in
1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Heserved 19 of the next 24 years on sea
duty and retired in 1996. His afloat service included one frigate, two
destroyers, two cruisers, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 12 in Mayport, Fla, and the
Sixth Fleet in Gaeta, Italy. He served as officer-in-charge of a PT boat,
commanded the Naval Communications Station United Kingdom in Thurso, Scotland,
for three years, and the guided missile frigate USS MCINERNEY (FFG-8) for two
years, including combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. Ashore, he
earned two masters degrees, one from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey,
Calif., and the other from the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

A 27-year Legionnaire, Hill is a Life Member and three-time Post Commander of
American Legion Post 316 in Atlantic Beach, Fla. He is a dual member belonging
to SAL Squadron 316. He attended the National American Legion College in 2000
and was an instructor in 2001. He was department commander for Florida from July
2002 to July 2003, achieving an all-time-high in membership. Hill earned eight
"Gold Brigade Awards" for recruiting 50 or more members of The American Legion
in a single year. He served for three years as the national chairman of The
American Legion National and Homeland Security Commission and belongs to The
American Legion Riders.

Cmdr. Hill took the oath of office along with five other national officers.
Serving as national vice commanders are Eugene A. Schumacher of Aberdeen, S.D.;
James C. Morris of Cardington, Ohio; Dr. Gordon B. Browning of Chestertown, Md.,
Mark A. Avis of Palmer, Mass., and Morris M. Bentley of Grangeville, Idaho.

National Historian James T. Higuera of Arcadia, Calif., National Chaplain John
L. Beaver of Mobile, Ala., and Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Martel of Pierson, Fla.,
were appointed to their positions by Cmdr. Hill following the close of the
national convention.

Florida Veteran Elected Leader of The American Legion

2 toddler sisters drown in new family home pool

Toddlers Drown In Argyle Forest Pool

POSTED: Saturday, August 1, 2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Two young sisters died Saturday morning after being found in a back yard pool of an Argyle Forest home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Homicide investigators said the parents told them the two girls -- 18-month old Gloria Arias Ysabel and 2-year-old Veronica Arias Ysabel -- had just eaten breakfast at their home in the 8100 block of Niska Trail.

Detectives said the older girl let herself outside through a French door and headed toward the pool.

Authorities said the family had just moved into the house Friday and had not had a chance to put up a safety fence.
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Toddlers Drown In Argyle Forest Pool
linked from CNN

Former Camp Lejeune resident sues feds citing contaminated drinking water

Veteran’s Administration News - Former Camp Lejeune contaminated drinking water!
2009-07-09 01:43:31 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Personal Injury)

Former Camp Lejeune resident sues feds citing contaminated drinking water.

Dallas, TX (JusticeNewsFlash.com)–Star News reported, a personal injury lawsuit was filed against the U.S. government on July 4, in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The lawsuit is seeking an upwards of $10,000 in personal injury damages. The plaintiff alleges she consumed polluted drinking water during the time she was living at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, Florida. Attorneys for the plaintiff and former Lejeune resident, Laura J. Jones, asserts the United States government, and agents of the Department of Defense, knowingly and willfully exposed Marines, sailors, their families, and civilian employees to highly polluted drinking water contained at the military base.
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Former Camp Lejeune contaminated drinking water

First Coast military trying to get mental health care right

First Coast military trying to get mental health care right
Post-traumatic stress disorder isn't unusual after combat but the military's stance has changed, with troops encouraged to seek help.
By Timothy J. Gibbons Story updated at 12:11 PM on Friday, Jun. 5, 2009

Mike Murray got back to Mayport Naval Station from Afghanistan eight months ago, but his experiences there haven't faded.

"I haven't had a good night's sleep once since I've gotten home," said the petty officer first class who spent a year in Kabul helping the Afghan air force.

Murray volunteered for the assignment as an individual augmentee, the Navy's term - commonly abbreviated IA - for a sailor sent to serve with the nation's ground forces. The job was fun, he said, but there was the constant sound of rocket-propelled grenades hitting the NATO base where he worked and regular high-pitched explosions. Such things have a far-reaching impact.

"You become numb to it," he said. "You get used to throwing on your body armor, to throwing your flight suit on over your pajamas."

When he came home, he had trouble even driving, the result of leading around two or three dozen convoys through the crowded streets of Kabul.

"The first time I drove by myself [at home], I had to pull over twice because of anxiety," he said. "I would pull up to crowded stoplights, and instinct and urge would make me want to drive around the cars and through the intersection. We never stopped with convoys."

The long-lasting aftershocks of his experiences aren't unusual.

"We're not equipped to go and see that stuff and then come home and drop it," said Marianne Chapman, a mental health counselor who has spent much of her career working with the military in Jacksonville and Miami. "What they need to recognize is they're having a completely normal reaction to an abnormal situation."

That's a message the military has been pushing hard as it fights to preserve the mental health of its warriors. The cost of losing that battle was shown a few weeks ago when a soldier in Iraq who had been sent for counseling grabbed a gun and shot five fellow troops, including a Navy officer working at the mental health clinic there.
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First Coast military trying to get mental health care right

Professional Development Resources Announces New PTSD Training Series

Professional Development Resources Announces New PTSD Training Series
Professional Development Resources PTSDContinuingEducationOnline, a nationally accredited provider of continuing education (CE) for psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and occupational therapists, has announced the release of a series of specialized continuing education courses addressing the diagnosis and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in client populations of military service personnel.

Jacksonville, Florida (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 1, 2009 -- Professional Development Resources, PTSDContinuingEducationOnline has released five new online continuing education courses intended to give psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and occupational therapists the tools they need to assist individuals who are suffering from the sometimes debilitating symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The new curriculum deals with essential definitions and illustrations of the disorder, as well as treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacotherapy, group therapy, and family treatment. There are also special topics detailing the complexities of PTSD and substance use disorders and the vicarious traumatization often experienced by helping professionals.


According to the National Institute for Mental Health, PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled.

The National Center for PTSD identifies the symptoms as follows: "PTSD is characterized by a specific group of symptoms that sets it apart from other types of reactions to trauma. Increasingly, evidence points to four major types of symptoms: re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and arousal." Re-experiencing symptoms involve a sort of mental replay of the trauma, often accompanied by strong emotional reactions. This can happen in reaction to thoughts or reminders of the experience when the person is awake or in the form of nightmares during sleep. To qualify for a formal diagnosis, the symptoms must persist for over one month, cause significant distress, and affect the individual's ability to function socially, occupationally, or domestically.

"Veterans are returning every day with both visible and invisible injuries. Some of the most prevalent mental health conditions are marital distress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse," says Leo Christie, PhD, CEO of Professional Development Resources. "With increasing numbers of returning service personnel and their families presenting with acute PTSD, health professionals today are highly likely to encounter individuals seeking help with the distressing and sometimes debilitating symptoms of this disorder. It is impossible to overstate the personal suffering and disruption experienced by veterans and their families. If the returning veteran has PTSD, every family member is feeling the effects. It is important for us as helping professionals to have the most up-to-date knowledge and tools to offer the specialized help they need. We all need this information."
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http://www.prweb.com/releases/PTSD/06/prweb2477624.htm

Veterans Get 1st Visit To WW II Memorial

Veterans Get 1st Visit To WW II Memorial
'First Coast Honor Air' Provides Trip To Retired Servicemen

POSTED: Monday, May 18, 2009

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A little more than a week before Memorial Day, a group of 40 World War Two veterans from northeast Florida took a special trip to Washington, D.C., to see the memorial honoring their war efforts.

Paul Casteel was among those who went to the nation's capitol, thanks to a group known as Honor Air. Casteel, a Navy veteran, said he'd seen a lot in his day. During the war, he saw American troops die, fighting for their country. "It was so bad over there that you can't imagine."

Casteel's seen Marines storm the beaches of Iwo Jima and he's seen the ship he served on nearly sink. "We were torpedoed, bombed, strafed," he said.

On May 16, Casteel got to see a token of the American people's appreciation for veterans like him, for the first time. The 40 veterans from the Jacksonville area joined others who had traveled to D.C. this weekend, from around the country.
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http://www.news4jax.com/news/19496894/detail.html

Wounded Warrior Project focused on investigation by Salon.com

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Concerned by Stigma of PTSD and Mental Illness in Military

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 9 /PRNewswire/ --
In response to recently released information, Wounded Warrior Project again cited their grave concerns with the manner in which mental health and PTSD are perceived and dealt with within the military. One specific article on Salon.com highlighted concerns that military doctors are being pressured to not diagnose PTSD in returning military personnel and specifically brought to light such a situation in Fort Carson, Colorado.

"Unfortunately there is a major cultural stigma within the military against PTSD or seeking mental health care treatment," said Steve Nardizzi, WWP CEO. "These types of situations and reports reinforce the institutional barriers to seeking mental health care and serve as a deterrent to the warrior from seeking vitally needed care."

According to recently released military data, U.S. Army suicides outnumbered all combat deaths in January of this year. 2008 was also the fourth year in a row in which suicides among soldiers rose.

"Post traumatic stress disorder is very serious," said Nardizzi. "We call on the military to prioritize the reduction of this stigma against seeking care and to foster unfettered access to mental health services, regardless of cost."

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result following a traumatic event and is quite prevalent among combat veterans. PTSD can manifest itself in numerous ways, including upsetting memories of the event, flashbacks, nightmares and intense physical reactions to reminders of the traumatic events. Warriors may experience a pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension and sweating. WWP urges any warrior in an emergency to get help immediately by calling 911. For those not facing an emergency situation, WWP offers services to help work through other readjustment issues.

Wounded Warrior Project's Project Odyssey brings together veterans with combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder and gets them involved in outdoor activities that offer healthy support in the healing process. The ultimate goal is for each participant to return home with a range of coping skills to help them move forward in their recovery process. Private and group sessions with trained therapists are an integral part of the Project Odyssey experience.
About Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP serves to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. For more information, please call 877 TEAM WWP (832-6997) or visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Vietnam Vet Riding Weapon-toting Harley to Raise Money

Vietnam Vet Riding Weapon-toting Harley to Raise Money
Posted By: Angela Williams

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Whoever said, "less is more," hasn't met Robert Harris.

"In the back are two M16s A1s, the rifles used in Vietnam," says Harris, pointing to his Harley.

Everywhere he goes, he sparks a bit of attention.

"There are hand grenades for my foot peddles for my passenger," says Harris.

And that's exactly his intention. This Vietnam veteran paratrooper now dedicates his life to raising funds, and awareness for homeless and disabled vets.

The mission is called Operation Dust Off. It's named after a rescue mission in Vietnam that actually saved his life. Now, he wants to rescue others.

"Not one vet should be on the street," said Harris. "We never left a soldier behind on the battlefields in Vietnam, and I don't see any reason to leave one on the streets."



With the help of fellow vets, Harris transformed his 1985 Harley into a tribute to veterans of all wars. After winning several awards for his bike, he decided to use the attention for their benefit.
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Vietnam Vet Riding Weapon-toting Harley to Raise Money