Twisted priorities of the American public

Twisted priorities of the American public
Wounded Times Blog
Kathie Costos
July 1, 2013

I was just reading Fourth of July fireworks scrapped at some military bases due to budget cuts and got furious. Are fireworks fun to watch? Sure they are but people seem more upset about losing something fun for them than they are losing so many to suicide each year. They also ignore the fact that with the personnel cuts young men and women will end up losing the jobs they always wanted to do. It is almost as if the American public has forgotten what the celebration is all about.

JULY 4TH OVER THE YEARS
Today, Americans from coast to coast spend July Fourth celebrating our nation's independence and the freedoms we enjoy as a result. Over the years, many important events have occurred on this day. The following are some of the most historic.

1778 – From his headquarters in Brunswick, N.J., General George Washington directs his army to put "green boughs" in their hats, issues them a double allowance of rum and orders a Fourth of July artillery salute.

1781 – The first official state celebration occurs in Massachusetts.

1787 – John Quincy Adams celebrates July Fourth in Boston, where he hears an oration delivered at the Old Brick Meeting House.

1788 – July Fourth celebrations first become political as factions fight over the adoption of the Federal Constitution.

1791 – The only Fourth of July address ever made by George Washington takes place at Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1798 – George Washington attends the celebration in Alexandria, Virginia, and dines with a large group of citizens and military officers of Fairfax County. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the keel of the 20-gun sloop of the war vessel Portsmouth is laid.

1800 – In New York City, the first local advertisements for fireworks appear. At the Mount Vernon Garden there, a display of "a model of General Washington's Mount Vernon home, 20 feet long by 24 feet high, illuminated by several hundred lamps" is presented. In Hanover, N.H., Dartmouth College student Daniel Webster gives his first Fourth of July oration in the town's meetinghouse.

1801 – The first public Fourth of July reception at the White House occurs.

1804 – The first Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi happens at Independence Creek, Idaho, and is celebrated by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

1805 – Boston has its first fireworks display.

1819 – An early and rare example of an Independence Day oration is presented (to a group of women) by a woman ("Mrs. Mead") on July 3 at Mossy Spring in Kentucky.

1821 – President James Monroe is ill, and the Executive Mansion is closed to the public. John Quincy Adams reads an original copy of the Declaration of Independence at a ceremony at the Capitol.

1825 – President John Q. Adams marches to the Capitol from the White House in a parade that includes a stage mounted on wheels, representing 24 states.

1826 – The 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated (referred to as the "Jubilee of Freedom" event). Two signers of the document, Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both die on this July 4.

It has always been about the independence of this nation obtained and retained by Patriots willing to give their lives for it. How can our "enjoyment" watching fireworks be more important than they are?

This was part of the long list of headlines last year around this time

Army Suicides Double From June to July
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Aug 16, 2012

More U.S. soldiers killed themselves in Julythan were killed by the enemy in Afghanistan as the Army's monthly suicide rate for active duty troops more than doubled to a record high of 26.

Another 12 potential suicides occurred among Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers who were not on active duty. The total of 38 suicides in July surpassed the total of 32 soldiers killed in Afghanistan last month, the Army reported Thursday.

The suicide tally rose from 12 active-duty soldiers in June to 26 in July, while the numbers remained the same for the Reserves and National Guard – 12 in June and July.

The increases baffled and frustrated Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the Army's vice chief staff, just as they did his predecessor, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who struggled to erase the stigma in the military that sometimes attaches to soldiers who seek help for emotional problems.

"Suicide is the toughest enemy I have faced in my 37 years in the Army," Austin, the former commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, said in a statement.

"And it's an enemy that's killing not just soldiers, but tens of thousands of Americans every year. That said, I do believe suicide is preventable," Austin said. "To combat it effectively will require sophisticated solutions aimed at helping individuals to build resiliency and strengthen their life coping skills."

The other services also faced increased rates of suicide and the same daunting task of finding methods of prevention.

Reminder about the headlines of this year talking about last year.

A more complete tally of U.S. military suicides last year: 524

So how did this happen? Because we cared more about what they could do for us than what they needed from us in return.

Vietnam Veterans want the record straight on Born on the Fourth of July

Vietnam War veteran's 'Born on the Fourth of July' account disputed by comrades' memories
By JEFF JARDINE
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: July 4, 2012

MODESTO, Calif. — Whenever someone gives an account of just about anything, you can bet someone else will contradict it — especially when the claim involves heroism.

Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic detailed his exploits as a Marine staff sergeant in his autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July." Tom Cruise portrayed Kovic on the big screen in the 1989 film directed by another Vietnam vet, Oliver Stone.

Rudy Molina Jr. says some of Kovic's story is just plain wrong and wants to set the record straight.

Why trust Molina? His story matches that of Florida's Dennis Kleppen, another survivor of the firefight Jan. 20, 1968, at Cua Viet, south of the Demilitarized Zone. Kovic was shot twice, the second bullet hitting him in the shoulder, lodging in his spine and paralyzing him for life. read more here

Flashbacks and fireworks

Flashbacks and fireworks
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
July 3, 2012

We hear the haunting sound of taps played and we get sad. They remember the friends and others "for which they gave the last full measure of devotion" as President Lincoln said. We jump even after seeing the honor guard raise their rifles into the air, then fire the shots. They remember the weapons fired at them.

We get angry sitting in traffic and afraid we're going to get hit when a car is coming too close too fast. They remember the suicide car bombers and bombs planted in the road.

On the 4th of July, we pack up the car, head out to see the fireworks and are willing to sit for hours until it gets dark enough for bursts to light up the sky. For combat veterans, it is waiting for the darkness surrounded by a bunch of strangers they don't feel safe around, waiting for the dark to make their anxiety stronger. When the sky turns black, they hear the sound and smell the burnt gunpowder, and they remember when the night came while they were at war.

Semper Fidelis July 4th cookout at the Orlando VA

Semper Fidelis went out to the Orlando VA Community Living Center for their annual July 4th Cookout with heroes.
Good food, great fun and awesome entertainment!

July 4th when we don't remember how we got here

I didn't go to see the fireworks last night and don't plan on watching them tonight. There doesn't seem to be much reason to celebrate this year. Two wars still going on and producing more dead and wounded. More families missing someone they loved. More families wondering how to take care of a wounded combat veteran and far too many wondering how to put their lives back together after PTSD has taken hold.

Celebrating our independence doesn't seem right considering we do not celebrate the veterans enough to take care of them properly. Sure, we talk a lot about it, but face the truth. If we really did do whatever it took, there would be very little to post on. As it is in less than four years, there are over 12,000 post on this blog along and most of them are not happy ones.

See, we can celebrate all we want claiming we're celebrating how this country earned the right to be free, but we hardly ever think about the men and women after they paid the price to achieve it and retain it. Three times a year we manage to do something involving them. Memorial Day we're supposed to honor the war dead but we have politicians saying that Memorial Day is all about the veterans instead of all about the fallen. Veterans Day is a day for sales ahead of the Christmas shopping season. July 4th is about cookouts and fireworks along with both of them but we can forget about the guilt we should carry the rest of the year because after all, these days are supposed to be all about them but as usual, we make it all about us and our enjoyment.

Fireworks trigger stress in war vets

Fireworks trigger stress in war vets
For those with PTSD, festivities are the sounds and smells of combat
By Andy Grimm, Tribune reporter
July 2, 2011

The random pop-pop-pop of firecrackers will reach its seasonal peak with Monday's Fourth of July celebrations, but this most patriotic — and pyrotechnic — holiday can drive many combat veterans away from parade routes and picnics.

Rather than hang around the house for barbecues with friends, some veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder seek out quiet places away from fireworks, which can set off flashbacks, anxiety and hyperawareness.

"If you are lighting off a firecracker in your neighborhood, there's a very good chance that there is a veteran within earshot," said Dr. John Mundt, a psychologist at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, whose PTSD support groups have devoted several sessions in the last few weeks to coping with the July Fourth fireworks barrage.

"To someone with PSTD, it can sound like small arms fire."
read more here
Fireworks trigger stress in war vets

Here's one of my videos that may help you understand this.

White House celebrates 4th with 1,200 troops and family members

Obama has Troops Over for the Fourth

July 05, 2010
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan

President Obama opened the South Lawn of the White House to more than 1,200 American servicemembers and their families yesterday for a Fourth of July celebration.

Visitors ate hot dogs and ice cream to the sounds of Dixieland jazz played by the Marine Corps Band before Obama, speaking from the bunting-adorned balcony of the White House, thanked the military families gathered for doing their part in protecting the United States.


"This is the spirit of which Adams spoke so long ago," he told them. "You are the men and women who toil to defend these states. You are patriots, and you have earned your place among the greatest generations."
read more here
Obama has Troops Over for the Fourth

July 4th means more to wounded warrior in Tampa

Holiday means more than just fireworks for wounded warrior
By VIN MANNIX

Boggs, who’s on 100 percent disability, volunteers at Haley and mentors disabled veterans.

Gary Boggs wasn’t sure what he’d be doing Independence Day.

Maybe go on a boat. Or hang out along Channelside.

“It’s a celebration, a patriotic day,” he said from Tampa. “I just hope people realize it’s not just about fireworks.”

Boggs, 35, is a wounded warrior and volunteer spokesman for the TAMCO Foundation’s Embracing Florida’s Wounded Heroes, a nonprofit program that provides assistance to injured veterans.

According to Brig. Gen. Chip Diehl (Ret.), there are more than 1,800 wounded Florida veterans and 30 percent are severely wounded. Some are being treated at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa for brain and spinal cord injuries.

“They have lived through pain and sacrifice and all them are special to me and should be to all of us,” said Diehl, the EFWH executive director. “A lot of these kids are heroes in their 20s and ... it’s important to remember them, embrace them, tell them how much we appreciate and love them for what they did.”

Read more: Holiday means more than just fireworks for wounded warrior

Fireworks and PTSD a matter of perception

When a PTSD veteran told his psychologist that he loves to go to the Disney Parks, she was stunned. PTSD veterans hate crowds so it didn't make sense he would really enjoy the rides, even in the dark, the crowds and strangers walking around in costumes. Then he said "it's a matter or perception." For him, Disney is all about families and most of the people there are kids under 12. Yet this same veteran can't go to a movie, sits with his back to the wall in restaurants and tries to stay out of stores as much a possible unless it's a food store. For him a grocery store is all about people being just human and filling a need to eat.

This veteran has carried PTSD inside of him since Vietnam and was tested very high for PTSD. Sleep problems, nightmares, flashbacks, twitches and all of this with heavy medications, yet he can understand the difference between what is supposed to be safe and what is unknowable. Fireworks can bother some veterans and remind them of combat. For others, while the reminders of combat are still awakened, they enjoy them. It is such a big problem for some that I added it into the video Hero After War when I try to explain what a flashback looks like along with how simple things we see everyday can become a dangerous reminder to them.

When it comes to fireworks, amusement parks and living in general, "it's a matter of perception" above anything else. Support them and try to understand why they react the way they do.

Fireworks and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Submitted: 07/02/2010

RHINELANDER - July 4th is a holiday when we celebrate our nation's birthday and those who selflessly fought for her.

But it can also be a dreaded day for some veterans, especially for someone who's been in combat warfare.

One veteran shares how this holiday can have a different meaning.

Jacob Lobermeier served his country in the Middle East as a platoon leader in combat warfare.

While he says he doesn't suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he says the effects of his experiences are long-lasting. "Things that you see, decisions that you make, friends that you've lost. And those things stay with you. You're never the same after as you were before."

And those memories can return in a split second with things like the common bang of 4th of July fireworks.
read more here
http://www.wjfw.com/stories.html?sku=20100702181841

Veterans to be honored at Fourth of July baseball game

Vietnam veterans needed for local video

By Laura Eastes
Jun 7, 2010, 11:20



Veterans to be honored at Fourth of July baseball game

Army Veteran Ed Poley knows first-hand what it is like to never receive recognition for his service to the country during the Vietnam War.

He also knows other veterans who never received a "thank you" or a standing ovation for their service.

Poley, the executive director for the Whirlwind Career Counseling Center, said he will finally get the recognition he and fellow veterans deserve.

Area Vietnam veterans will be properly recognized and thanked for their service at the Fourth of July Bee Jay's baseball game. After the game, all Vietnam veterans will be asked to step down to the field for a presentation and crowd recognition.

"The stands will be full,” said Poley. “People will be sitting down on the sidelines. It is the best opportunity I know for saying to a group of guys and gals, 'thanks for a job well done.'”

Poley, like many Vietnam veterans, returned back to the United States being advised to change out of his uniform to avoid comments from anti-war protesters. Poley said he returned back to Kansas with no parades, no welcome home ceremonies and no recognition.

The presentation will feature a short video with music, photos and voice clips from area soldiers sharing experiences of coming back to the United States from Vietnam. Currently, Poley is interviewing as many Vietnam veterans as possible for the video presentation.
read more here
Vietnam veterans needed for local video

America's Worth Less Soldiers

by
Chaplain Kathie

America celebrates 4th of July in style as we do every year. We shoot off fireworks and stuff ourselves with barbeque, watermelon and beer. Spray ourselves with sunscreen during the day followed by bug spray at night. We listen to patriotic speeches and music feeling how great it is to be an American waving our flags yet never really stop to think how we got here.

From the time the Patriots decided to do whatever it took to "form a more perfect union" free, up until last night, we have been a nation of worth less soldiers. That's right. Worth less, not worthless. See, we have a habit of saying we support the troops when we send them off to fight our nation's battles. We train them, arm them, cloth them, feed them and expect them to follow orders given, fight the battles no matter how truly worthy or unworthy the cause, no matter how plans are either proper or paltry, then stay until there is victory. We seem so interested in the beginning when it looks as if each and every military campaign waged will be quick and easy, believing we have the best military in the world and nothing can stop us. We cheer as we send men and women off with our thanks and our prayers.

We even manage to pay attention to news reports coming through our TV sets combined with the latest local news and celebrity scandals. We may say a quick prayer for the soldier just killed, then move onto our own lives, our own problems, our own personal battles. Yet that interest soon fades as military campaigns go on and we begin to think of the cost in terms of our taxes. We begin to notice things we need right here at home at the same time we hear about what is being done for the nation our men and women are dying in wondering what's in it for us. Then we manage to regret sending them, blaming the ones deciding to send them and the failure of the planners to provide this best military in the world with a swift victory.

Gone are the days when Vietnam veterans were treated with hostility when they came back from where they were sent. Gone are the days when troops return to empty airports. They are welcomed home to US soil in style. Many are given parades and parties. Even when a fallen soldier returns, people line the streets with flags as the flag draped coffin carries the soldier on his or her last ride home. We feel we're just doing our part for the heroes who say "we're just doing our jobs" when we try to hold them up as heroes.

We manage to do some things for them, but there are very few giving a few moments out of their day to honor any of them. When they go, they are worth everything it takes, but when they return they are no longer soldiers going to risk their lives. They are veterans and many of them needing help to heal from their wounds. Then, then they are worth less. They are worth less of our attention. They are worth less than making sure they are clothed, fed, sheltered and worth less than then helping to train them how to heal. We find it too difficult to help the wounded, say a prayer for them, spend time talking to them or even to take the time to remember what that red, white and blue flag actually means.

Yesterday President Obama hosted some members of the 101st airborne at a White House 4th of July party. You would think the news would be all over this event but I had to struggle to find the report. I finally found it on CBS videos.
President Obama celebrated the 4th of July with Fort Campbell's 101st.

Obama Wishes Happy 4th
Sat Jul 04 17:16:24 PDT 2009

President Obama honors the men and women who went beyond the call of duty in battle and speaks about the importance of our nations independence and reflects on what it means to be an American.

President Obama has done a lot for the wounded and our veterans since the beginning of the year and First Lady Michele has a great love for military families. They are setting the tone for the rest of us to follow, but we're just too busy it seems to remember the price our veterans paid so that we can celebrate the 4th of July with our families and friends.

It is our fault things got as bad for the wounded and our veterans. Sure, Bush was in charge and Congress was controlled by Republicans during the worst of it for this nation's veterans, but they couldn't have avoided the needs of our veterans as long as they did if we were paying attention. We let it all happen until the media began to tell their stories to us. Then suddenly we cared about what they needed. We didn't pay attention because a veteran, especially a wounded one, is worth less than a soldier. This attitude was made perfectly clear on the floor of Congress as budgets were being debated. It seemed the Republican members of congress found no problem at all funding the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, but found it very difficult to fund the VA to take care of the wounded both campaigns were producing. Again they proved to the world that when it comes to veterans, they are worth less than soldiers. America is not the only guilty nation of this attitude. I read the reports from the UK and Australia all the time as each nation seems to find the money to send them but never seems to find the money when it comes to taking care of them after.

You would think that having the best military in the world would also translate into appreciation of them when they are no longer in the military risking their lives, but spending the rest of their lives as the unique among us as veterans of this nation's battles. I wonder how many of our veterans spent yesterday wondering they have been forgotten. How many of them spent the day wondering how to pay their bills as their claims have been trapped in a mountain of other claims waiting to be honored? We know there are now over 900,000 claims waiting to be honored. Among them are claims filed by veterans of our nation's battles no longer able to work because of their wounds. They spent yesterday looking at their families and wondering how much longer it will take for this nation to live up to our end of the deal and take care of them. They spent it wondering when they will once again be worth as much as when they were sent ending up wounded and waiting.

Did they make us wait when this nation said "we need you" to go and risk your life? Did they make us wait until it was a good time for them to go? No, they never made us wait at all. Even when Vietnam was being protested and some burnt draft cards, they enlisted to go. Even when after September 11th caused a surge of enlistments wanting to fight the terrorists that attacked us, ended up being sent to Iraq instead, they still enlisted. Even as the appalling conditions at Walter Reed were being reported, they still wanted to join because this nation needed them. They were not oblivious to what this nation was not doing for the veterans, they went in spite of it. They still believe in us, that we would eventually do the right thing and really value their service.

How many families spent yesterday at the grave of their family member so wounded by PTSD that they committed suicide because help was not there for them? How many veterans spent it in shelters because they never received the help they need for their sake? So much we refuse to see behind the fireworks, speeches and music of this celebration we do every year.

So when do we actually live up to being a "grateful nation" and stop treating the veterans like they are worth less than soldiers?

16 People hurt in pedestrian bridge collapse

Pedestrian bridge collapse dumps people into lake, hurts 16
Posted: 08:15 AM ET
By Janet DiGiacomo
CNN

(CNN) — At least 16 people were injured when a pedestrian bridge collapsed into a lake after a July Fourth fireworks show Saturday night in Merrillville, Indiana, authorities said.

“It could not have happened at a worse time,” said Ross Township Fire Marshall Mike Sneiderwine. “The show was over and people were leaving. There were about 100 people on the bridge at the time, and lots of them ended up in the water.” The accident occurred at Hidden Lake Park.
go here for more
Pedestrian bridge collapse dumps people into lake

Cranes Roost Red Hot and Boom leaves 27 needing medical care

It is great to go to the fireworks displays across the country, but when a night of fun turns into something else, it can be a shock. One woman was hurt when she was burnt. Others ended up being dehydrated and suffering from the heat. Not much fun. Some of them ended up in the hospital. For tonight use care. If you are in a part of the country where it's hot, make sure you have plenty of water or sports drinks. Stay away from alcohol. It's hard to not drink at a barbeque or party, but think of what it will cost you in the end when you were planning on enjoying fireworks but ended up miserable because you were dehydrated, or worse, end up in the hospital.

We're heading out to a party at a lake. Sunscreen is a must and for me, so is a hat. As for alcohol, drinking too much is not that hard for me. A few glasses of wine or a margarita and I'm toast. I need a nap right after so I tend to not drink in public unless I know I'll be home soon and someone else is doing the driving. Planning ahead and taking everything into consideration will give you a much better night than having to visit a hospital emergency room.

Woman injured when Red, Hot and Boom fireworks land in crowd

Rebecca Beitsch and Gary Taylor

Sentinel Staff Writers

11:48 PM EDT, July 3, 2009


ALTAMONTE SPRINGS - There were 27 reports of people suffering from injuries, heat exhaustion or dehydration during Friday night's Red, Hot & Boom fireworks show at Crane's Roost in Altamonte Springs.

Seven of them were transported to hospitals, including a woman suffering from fireworks burns who was taken to Florida Hospital Altamonte. The woman suffered burns as a result of fireworks from the show landed in the crowd, Seminole County fire Lt. David Williams said.

While there were reports of other people suffering minor fireworks burns, it was not known if those injuries were caused by the show's fireworks or personal fireworks.

An estimated 165,000 people attended the event.

AF retiree sending 28,000 pizzas and beer to troops

AF retiree sending 28,000 pizzas to troops

The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 3, 2009 21:17:22 EDT

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — A retired Air Force master sergeant who last year sent more than 2,000 pizzas to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is planning to up the ante this Independence Day.

Mark Evans is planning to ship 28,000 deep-dish pizzas, packed in dry ice, to the war zones.

Evans says sending the pizzas to the troops is like telling them they are doing a great job.

Evans said he is approaching corporations and private citizens for donations for this year’s shipment. It is his intent that every soldier at nine forward bases in Iraq and Afghanistan get a third of a pizza.

Evans says DHL Express has volunteered to ship the pizzas that will be obtained from Uno Chicago Grill. MillerCoors is donating 10,000 cases of beer.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/ap_pizza_troops_deployed_060309/

PTSD warning for 4th of July

You see this


They see this

For 4th of July, War Vets Seek Peace and Quiet
Julie Sullivan


Chicago Tribune

Jul 02, 2008
July 2, 2008, Portland, OR - The "Minefield" explodes with glittering red tips. "War and Peace" unloads alternating rounds of color and fire. "The Torrent" promises "360 degrees of pyro" in a spectacular barrage.

As Americans stock up on 4th of July fireworks with battlefield themes, those with actual war experience are adopting safety plans instead. Combat veterans say they are heading to quiet campsites, small family gatherings or basements. They'll pre-stage their dreams before bed, visualizing different endings.

Depression, anxiety and drinking all spike around the 4th of July, counselors say. "This time of year is stressful —period," said Jim Sardo, a two-tour military psychologist who manages the PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, Clinical Team and Substance Abuse Services at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Unexpected bursts of noise, summer heat, crowds, traffic, forced gaiety and coolers of cold beer all contribute.

But many veterans are bothered less by the booms, Sardo said, than the deeper questions the displays raise about what it means to go to war and lose a limb, friends or a view of the world as a healthy place.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10556

Aside from this, it reminded me of a question I get asked a lot.

A lot of veterans have asked how to deal with the fireworks and neighbors shooting them off for hours several nights in a row. This was a big problem for my husband for a long time.

The best thing is to watch them go off. If you stay in the house and only hear them, they tend to make you very jumpy, lead you into rounds of flashbacks along with making it very unpleasant.

When you see with your own eyes where the sound is coming from, it helps take some of the stress off. Otherwise you hear the sound and it reminds you of where you were the last time you heard that kind of sound. Try to go to fireworks displays with someone close to you who is aware of your PTSD. Do not stay in the house with the shades down. You will smell gun powder and hear the sound but without seeing it, they will make their way into your memory. With your senses connected together it will be a little easier to get through these nights.

If you love someone with PTSD try watching my video Hero After War from the side bar of this blog. It will help you understand what they see and what they are going through.