A memorial cross at-risk of being removed due to construction has been returned to the widow of a U.S. Marine veteran through the help of a community member.
ANTELOPE, Calif. — A patriotically painted red, white, and blue cross with both stars and stripes was placed alongside Don Julio Boulevard in Antelope, California following the 2014 shooting death of Marine veteran Ryan Matthew Shannon.
Gina Schaeffer, who lives nearby, drove past it for the five years that it’s been there. She’d always pay respects as she drove past but says she never stopped.
“I always noticed that cross, and I’ve always wondered who it belonged to and what it was associated with,” Schaeffer said.
Recently, a construction project in that area grew close to where the cross was standing. Afraid it would be removed or bulldozed, she stopped and asked construction crews if she could bring it home, and they allowed her to do so. Afterward, she took to community pages on Facebook to seek out why the cross was there and who she should return it to.
“The minute I picked it up and felt the solidness and the heaviness of it and the well builtness (sic) of it, I just felt a really big emotional feeling that you know this was bigger than just finding the family. It needed to go back home,” Schaeffer said. read it here
Body of missing Marine veteran found in ditch in New Mexico, suspect in custody
By: The Associated Press August 20,2019 Authorities say a body found south of Belen, New Mexico, has been identified as a Marine veteran missing since July and a suspect in his murder case is in custody.
Valencia County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s officials says detectives located a body in a ditch Friday night.
On Saturday, the Office of the Medical Investigator positively identified the body as that of 32-year-old Matthew Gurule, who was last seen on July 27 at the Isleta Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sheriff's officials won't say what led them to the body or how Gurule died.
Belen police say 37-year-old Francisco Gomez of Los Lunas, New Mexico, was arrested Aug. 10 for allegedly using Gurule’s credit card. read it here
Marine kidnapped as baby reunites with rescuer 22 years later
ABC 13 News By Brittany Tarwater Aug 09, 2019
"I think that is the perfect bookend. I think to end seeing him again, it really just puts the final touch to a career.” Troy SowersTroy Sowers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT/Gray News) - A reunion outside the Knoxville FBI headquarters was the second time Stewart Rembert and Troy Sowers have met.
Rembert doesn’t remember the first time, reports WVLT, but FBI Special Agent in Charge Sowers will never forget that day.
Rembert was two days old in 1997 when he was kidnapped from a Washington state hospital by a woman claiming to be a nurse.
It was one of Sowers’s first cases with the FBI. He found baby Rembert in a box behind a dumpster.
“I pulled a baby out of a box,” he recalled. “That was tough. I had to take a couple deep breaths before I started talking.”
Rembert was then reunited with his family. The kidnapper pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
After graduating high school, Rembert joined the Marines and is now stationed at Camp Lejeune.
"Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today, a United States Marine," he said.
Friday was Sowers’s last day with the FBI. He ended his career with one of the first people he started it with. Cpl. Rembert surprised Sowers at his retirement party. read it here
THIS IS WHAT THE REPORTERS DECIDED SHOULD BE THE NUMBER THEY LET EVERYONE KNOW....AND FORGETTING ABOUT NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVISTS
Military suicides reached an all-time high in 2018, Pentagon says
The Washington Examiner
by Russ Read
August 05, 2019
Military suicides reached their highest recorded level last year, the Pentagon reports, highlighting a crisis affecting both civilians and veterans.
In 2018, 325 military service members committed suicide, according to the Pentagon's Defense Suicide Prevention Office, surpassing the previous record of 321 in 2012.
"I feel like this is a drastically underpublicized and addressed issue in the military," one former military member, identified as docgosu, wrote in response to the report on Reddit's veterans' board. "I dealt with behavior health issues in the Navy and the chain of command had no respect for it even while working in the medical field as a Hospital Corpsman." read it here
How a St. Charles veteran uses rugby to help fellow Marines
Daily Herald Bob Susnjara August 1, 2019
Okicich is among five Old Breed Rugby members who are available 24 hours a day for veterans suffering from depression or who just need to talk. Contact information is on the home page of Old Breed Rugby's website.
Retired Marine Marc Okicich of St. Charles, running with ball, helps other veterans through endeavors such as the Old Breed Rugby Club. The nonprofit honors the memories of fallen Marines while offering a support network to veterans in need. Courtesy of Old Breed Rugby Club
When St. Charles resident Marc Okicich gathers with other retired Marines to play rugby, it's more than just a fun day on the field.
Okicich is a member of the nationwide Old Breed Rugby Club, which since 2005 has honored the memories of fallen Marines while offering a support network to veterans in need.
Part of Old Breed Rugby's mission is to raise money for the permanent endowment of a memorial fund named for Marine Lt. Col. Kevin Shea, who was killed in Iraq in September 2004. The fund is administered by the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
Okicich is among five Old Breed Rugby members who are available 24 hours a day for veterans suffering from depression or who just need to talk. Contact information is on the home page of Old Breed Rugby's website, www.oldbreedrugby.org.
"We've found we've become a support network for some of the guys that came back that were struggling with some post-traumatic stress issues," said Okicich, who played rugby with Shea at Camp Pendleton in California in the early 1990s.
Okicich, 49, remembers one instance when he woke from a nightmare at 2:30 a.m. and noticed a missed call from a few minutes earlier. He returned the call and reached a veteran who "was struggling with some demons." read it here
Officials at Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, are calling it “a perceived deteriorating of good order and discipline during non-operational periods."
U.S. Navy Sea, Air, and Land team members conduct military field operations during exercise Trident 18-4 at Hurlburt Field, Florida, on July 11th, 2018. (Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg/Air Force)
The commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve has booted a SEAL Team 7 platoon from Iraq due to a booze-fueled July 4th party, Navy Times has learned.
Officials at Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, are calling it “a perceived deteriorating of good order and discipline during non-operational periods."
In a prepared statement released Wednesday evening, SOCOM said that the joint task force commander lost confidence in the team’s ability to accomplish the mission and the SEALs are now on a “deliberate redeployment” to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado near San Diego.
“All Department of Defense personnel are expected to uphold proven standards and to comply with laws and regulations,” the statement read. “Alleged violations are thoroughly investigated.” read it here
'Mass Arrest' of US Marines on Camp Pendleton
NBC 7 News San Diego By Bridget Naso and R. Stickney July 25, 2019
The Marines were arrested based on information gained from a previous human smuggling investigation, military officials said
Sixteen Marines were arrested during battalion formation at Camp Pendleton Thursday, accused of illegal activities ranging from drug-related offenses to human smuggling, officials said.
Officials with the 1st Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps said representatives with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) were also involved in what they called the “mass arrests.”
The Marines - all E-2 to E-4 in rank - were arrested based on information gained from a previous human smuggling investigation, military officials said.
NBC 7 first reported the news that two Camp Pendleton-based Marines were arrested earlier this month and accused of transporting undocumented immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border near Tecate. read it here
Marine vet sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for scamming money from Gold Star mom, Marine families
Marine Corps Times By: Shawn Snow July 23, 2019
Court documents revealed that the victims of Simpson’s charity scam included active-duty Marines and the mother of a Marine killed in the 2015 attack on the military recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Simpson was ordered to pay restitution of $141,709.44 to the victims of his charity scam, dubbed Marines and Mickey, where Simpson bilked people into donating money to help Marines and families attend Disney and Marine boot camp graduation.
Marine veteran John Shannon Simpson was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced Tuesday.
Simpson was ordered to pay restitution of $141,709.44 to the victims of his charity scam, dubbed Marines and Mickey, where Simpson bilked people into donating money to help Marines and families attend Disney and Marine boot camp graduation, the release detailed.
Sentencing was handed down by United States District Judge David C. Norton of Charleston, South Carolina, who also sentenced Simpson to three years of supervised release following his prison term, according to a press release.
Simpson will serve his prison term consecutively with a nine year state sentence for sexual assault he is already serving in Florida. read it here
Duncan Hunter ordered to stop using Marine Corps emblem in campaign
NBC News By Mosheh Gains July 17, 2019
He currently faces federal charges of wire fraud, campaign finance violations, falsifying records and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and has argued the charges are politically motivated. In June, federal prosecutors alleged in court documents that Hunter had used campaign funds to pursue extramarital affairs with five women while in Congress.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., arrives for a hearing for his upcoming campaign finance trial at federal court in San Diego on July 8, 2019.Mike Blake / Reuters file
The California Republican used the Marine Corps emblem in a campaign mailer that tied his Democratic opponent and two Democratic congresswomen to terror.
WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., for using the official Corps emblem and phrase on campaign mailers that link his likely 2020 opponent and two Democratic congresswomen to terror.
In a letter to Hunter obtained by NBC News, the Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office tells the congressman, "It has come to our attention that your campaign is using the official USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor (Emblem) and the phrase 'No Better Friend, NO Worse Enemy' (Phrase) as an integral part of your political campaign, namely, on at least one fundraising mailer to your constituents."
The letter, dated Tuesday, demands that Hunter's campaign "immediately remove the Emblem and the Phrase from its mailers, and, without limitation, from all other campaign materials including websites and other instances where the Emblem or the Phrase are being used. We also request that you provide us with a timetable as to your compliance with our requests." read it here👿
Veteran Presented with Tracked Wheelchair by Florida Georgia Line and Fox News' Jennifer Griffin
PEOPLE By Joelle Goldstein July 15, 2019
Marine Corps veteran Chris Kaag was honored with the all-terrain tracked wheelchair during Florida Georgia Line's July 13 concert.
A wounded veteran was in for a huge honor over the weekend when he was presented with a new wheelchair by Florida Georgia Line and Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin.
During the country duo’s concert in Camden, New Jersey on Saturday, Marine Corps Veteran Chris Kaag was given a brand new all-terrain tracked chair to help him get around more places.
The emotional moment was captured in a video and shared to Instagram by The Independence Fund, a nonprofit organization that has teamed up with FGL during their 2019 “Can’t Say I Ain’t Country” tour to help wounded, injured or ill veterans in need.
At each leg of their summer tour, the country duo, known for their hit “This Is How We Roll” and “H.O.L.Y.”, will be presenting the specialized wheelchairs, which provide the ability to regain independence lost through their injuries, to wounded veterans.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of all, Griffin recalled, was when Kaag’s 6-year-old son joined his father on stage and became overcome with emotion as the crowd chanted, “USA! USA!” read it here
Veteran says he was kicked out of hotel for having a service dog: 'PTSD isn’t a disability'
Yahoo Lifestyle Paulina Cachero July 1, 2019
“The night manager said PTSD isn’t a disability and we don’t allow emotional support animals because we’re not pet friendly,” Nic recalls. “We educated her on ADA regulations and showed her that PTSD is an ADA certified condition.”
After serving 13 years in the Marine Corps, including four deployments overseas, Nicholas “Nic” Day is “proud to have served my country and I would do it all again in a heat beat” — no matter the costs to himself. However, as a veteran now afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his time in the armed forces, Nic never expected that the civil rights he fought so hard to protect would be “abused” after he was kicked out of a hotel for his PTSD service dog.
“I feel like I was discriminated against because I have PTSD,” Nic tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “A lot of people don’t understand that there’s a difference between an emotional support dog and a service dog.” Nic was first diagnosed with PTSD — a mental health condition considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — around 2008, while he was still on active duty.
Nic’s condition makes it difficult for him to be in large crowds and unfamiliar places, as they often trigger anxiety attacks. After trying the full range of treatments for his PTSD with little to no success, Nic finally decided to try getting a service dog. “I had from medication to meditation and nothing was working. I figured let’s try a service dogs and let’s see how that works,” says Nic.
A loyal, four-legged companion turned out to be exactly what the former marine needed to help mitigate his PTSD symptoms. He trained his current service dog, Atlas, to paw at him or jump and give him a hug if he “gets too worked up,” and to trail right behind him to make sure no one creeps up on him from behind. “As a marine, we’ve always had someone there to watch our backs and are always working with other marines. Having Atlas at my side all the time gives me the same sense of security,” Nic says of the 1-year-old Akita.
“Failing to accept new information or correct information and blowing it off in my opinion is just ignorant,” Nic says. “My goal is to educate not only the hotel but other businesses about the differences between an emotional support animal and service dogs.”
Nic tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he and his wife, Tina, were taking a long over-due vacation and planned to stop by Medford, Ore., to attend his nephew’s high school graduation. The couple made reservations at the local Hampton Inn, and allegedly informed the hotel that they would be bringing their service dogs, Ares and Atlas.read it here
How a very good dog named Maverick is helping a local vet escape the lingering effects of war
Philly Voice BY BRIAN HICKEY PhillyVoice Staff July 2, 2019
Geoff Dempsey was haunted by things he saw in Afghanistan, but an 18-month old canine lightened his mental load
In late April, Geoff Dempsey flew from Philadelphia to Florida knowing he would soon meet his new best friend without any idea who, exactly, that was.
BRIAN HICKEY/PHILLYVOICE Geoff Dempsey said he felt an instant connection with Maverick, a black-and-tan lab who helps him escape a shell brought about by PTSD stemming from his service with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan.
He and six other veterans – each still troubled by their time in the service – waited in line. One by one, they walked outside of K9s for Warriors headquarters in Ponte Verde for the big moment.
There, the 30-year-old, who served for five years including an eight-month tour in Afghanistan with his fellow U.S. Marines, was introduced to Maverick, a one-and-a-half-year-old black-and tan lab. They hit it off on the spot.
That connection was clearly evident when the duo arrived at Philadelphia’s Fitler Square Park two months later to talk about a non-profit program that matches veterans with “life-changing service dogs.”
In Dempsey’s case, it was all about being saddled with post-traumatic stress disorder related to his military service. “He was licking me, sniffing me. I felt an instant connection,” he recalled with a smile on Monday morning, with Maverick at his side. “It was clear that he had a lot of love to give. read it here
'Tough to Lose Your Brothers': Funerals Held for Marine Motorcycle Club Bikers
The Associated Press By Michael Casey 29 Jun 2019
"The thing that brings us all together is love, love for my Dad." Matthew Ferazzi
Members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club and a police honor guard salute as the casket of Michael Ferazzi is loaded into a hearse outside St. Peter's Catholic Church in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Friday, June 28, 2019. Ferazzi, a motorcyclist and retired police officer, was killed in a fiery crash that claimed the lives of seven people riding with the Jarheads Motorcycle Club in New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — A motorcyclist who was among seven killed in a collision with a pickup truck last week was a family man, proud Marine and dedicated public servant, mourners said Friday at a funeral that drew about 200 people, including leather-clad bikers and law enforcement officers.
The funeral for Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, New Hampshire, was held at a church in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The rumbling of motorcycles echoed through town as dozens of bikes made their way to the service.
Many riders were fellow members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, with which Ferazzi and the other six killed were riding when they died. They hugged one another as Ferazzi's flag-draped casket was carried into the church and offered a military salute alongside their bikes as the service ended with the Marine Corps hymn on bagpipes.
"Tough to lose your brothers, especially so many at one time," said Jarheads member Paul Downey as he and his fellow bikers got on their motorcycles for the ride to the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
"He had a lot more life in him," said retired Lt. Col. Joe Murray. Ferazzi was in his American Legion post, he said, and the two marched in parades together.
"He didn't need to die when he was obviously enjoying the ride with his buddies," Murray said. "But it's good he died doing something he loved." read more here
Here is what to do if you want to help after a tragedy
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 19, 2019
Right now, everyone wants to help the Jarheads after the terrible tragedy that claimed the lives of 7 of their group.
Right now they need all the support they can get, but it is more important they receive the right kind of help.
While the shock is still fresh for them, many will experience a harder time after the funerals. Some may think it is their job to stay strong for the others, and that is OK, as long as they allow themselves time to grieve.
Let them honor what they are feeling so they can begin healing.
If they are angry do not try to shut it down. Help them yell at the air, hit pillows, stomp their feet...let them release it.
If they want to cry, let them. Hold their hand, walk beside them or sit near them. Let them know you are there for whatever they need. Do not try to stop their tears. They will stop crying when they get out as much pain as they need to.
If they want to talk, listen to them. Do not try to fix them. They do not need to be "fixed" and you finding something to say is not what they need from you. They need your ear, your time and patience.
If you think about what you would want from them if you were in their place, that will help you know what to do...as much as you will know what to not do, or get as close as you can.
There is no time limit to grieving other than as long as it takes them to do it. No two people are the same.
If you are a survivor, know that the guilt you may feel is "normal" but whatever you think you may have been able to do, it was not like the movie you can play out in your own mind. Most of the time, what you think you should have done, or could have done, is usually impossible.
Do not blame yourself any more than you blame God. He did not do this, but He did send people to help comfort you as much as they can. Lean on those who care about you so you can heal. After all, you'd probably do the same for them.
Within 30 days, if you address what you are going through, your pain should ease up. Flashbacks and nightmares should begin to lose power.
While the pain may be there for a long time, as long as it is not as strong, keep working on it.
If your pain is stronger after 30 days, contact a mental health professional so that you can work on healing with their help.
Know that if you are hit by PTSD, it hit you because your emotional core is strong. As you feel good stuff stronger, you feel pain on a deeper level. As a survivor use that strength to help you heal.
Honor your feelings so you can begin healing! Trying to "get over it" or "stuff it" lets that pain spread out like an infection.
If I can help contact me at woundedtimes@aol.com or 407-754-5426 and it will be kept confidential.
Motorcycle club leader says resignation of RMV head over N.H. crash is ‘ridiculous’
Boston Globe By Travis Andersen and John Hilliard Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent June 26, 2019
The head of a motorcycle club that lost seven people in a horrific New Hampshire crash last week said Wednesday that the abrupt resignation of the Massachusetts RMV boss is a “ridiculous” response to the tragedy, allegedly caused by a West Springfield man who kept his commercial driver’s license after an impaired driving arrest last month in Connecticut.
“It’s ridiculous for someone to be allowed to resign, or forced to resign . . . [and] run away from the problem,” said Manny Ribeiro, president of Jarheads MC, which lost seven riders who were killed June 21 when a truck driven by Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, allegedly plowed into them in Randolph, N.H. read more here
‘It was extremely horrific’: Jarheads motorcycle club president describes New Hampshire crash scene
“It was like nothing I’d ever seen — never in my life.” Boston.com By Dialynn Dwyer June 25, 2019
A Marine who survived the deadly New Hampshire crash that killed seven motorcyclists says what he witnessed that day was worse than anything he saw in combat.
Manny Ribeiro and his wife, Valerie, were riding in the front of the group of motorcyclists with Jarheads MC, a New England-based club for Marine veterans and their spouses, when an oncoming pickup truck hauling a trailer collided with other bikers in the group on Friday evening in Randolph, New Hampshire.
“It was like nothing I’d ever seen — never in my life,” he told reporters on Monday, according to CBS Boston.
The driver of the pickup, 23-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged Monday with seven counts of negligent homicide. Authorities have not revealed details about the potential cause of the crash, only that Zhukovskyy was traveling west on U.S. 2 while the bikers were headed east at the time.
Ribeiro, who is now serving as president of Jarheads MC, told the Associated Press that the 21 riders in the group of 15 motorcycles had just finished dinner and were on their way to a fundraiser at a nearby American Legion post.
The motorcyclist had been riding beside the club’s president, Albert Mazza Jr., 59, of Lee, New Hampshire, at the time of the crash.
“It was just an explosion … with parts and Al and everything flying through the air,” he said. “He turned hard left into us and took out pretty much everyone behind me. The truck and trailer stayed attached and that is why it was so devastating … because the trailer was attached and it was such a big trailer, it was like a whip. It just cleaned us out.” read more here To contact the JarHeads go here
Stranger leaves heartfelt note for veteran who lost brother to PTSD
WINK Jerrica Valtierra Jack Lowenstein Published: June 20, 2019 A little kindness can go a long way. And for a woman, a stranger’s act of kindness meant the world to her. Now, she wants to thank a man who showed her and her brother a simple kindness.
Lauren Osborne is a retired Florida Highway Patrol officer and a U.S. Air Force veteran. Osborne lost her brother to PTSD after he served in the U.S Marines Corp.
Osborne drives around with a special decal on her car that memorializes her brother’s life. She also just so happens to have a dash cam that captured a man share his sentiments with her.
“There’s no way that I could really thank him for what he did,” Osborne said. “It was really sweet.”
Osborne’s camera recorded the moment a man left a note on her car’s windshield.
“Sorry about your brother,” the stranger’s note read. “May God bless him. He was part of a great brotherhood.”
Osborne said she had to take the time to appreciate the message left especially for her and her brother.
“I received this note,” Osborne said. “I was actually taken aback a little bit. I had to sit in my car and read it.”
Osborne’s brother served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Osborne said he experienced the unimaginable while he was overseas.
“One of the hardest things I ever probably will go through in my entire life,” Osborne said. “My brother, a U.S. Marine for five years, he was a sergeant when he discharged at the end of 2010. He became incredibly withdrawn.” read more here
‘We all feel it’: Motorcyclists mourn death of 7 in crash
Associated Press By Michael Casey and David Sharp Posted Jun 22, 2019
RANDOLPH (AP) -- Investigators pleaded Saturday for members of the public to come forward with information that could help them determine why a pickup truck hauling a trailer collided with a group of 10 motorcycles on a rural highway, killing seven bikers.
The crash in remote northern New Hampshire involved members of Marine JarHeads MC, a motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses, authorities said. The tragedy sent shockwaves through New England’s communities of motorcyclists and military veterans, which often overlap.
“When something like this happens, we all feel it,” said Cat Wilson, who organizes a motorcycle charity event in Massachusetts and is a friend of some of the crash victims. “There is no tighter community than our biker community.”
Authorities identified the pickup driver as Volodoymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, an employee of a Springfield, Massachusetts, company called Westfield Transport.
Zhukovskyy survived the accident and has not been charged, authorities said, but they didn’t release details on his condition or his whereabouts. A phone listing for him couldn’t be found.
read more here
Vets Mourn After Crash Kills 7 Marine JarHeads MC Bikers
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MICHAEL CASEY and PATRICK WHITTLE June 23, 2019 Randolph, N.H. (AP) -- Motorcyclists and military veterans mourned Sunday as authorities sought help in determining why a pickup truck collided with a group of bikers on a rural highway, killing seven of them.
The crash in remote northern New Hampshire involved members of Marine JarHeads MC, a motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses. Authorities said they might begin identifying victims by name as soon as Sunday.
The tragedy left the close-knit motorcycle community in shock, with many remembering their own close calls on the road.
"Seven people. C'mon. It's senseless," said Bill Brown, a 73-year-old Vietnam War veteran and motorcyclist, who visited the accident scene on Saturday to put down flags. "Somebody made a mistake, and it turned out to be pretty deadly."
A pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer collided with the group of 10 motorcycles around 6:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 2, a two-lane highway in the tiny North Woods community of Randolph. The pickup truck caught fire, and witnesses described a "devastating" scene as bystanders tried to help the injured amid shattered motorcycles.
This weekend's long-planned "Blessing of the Bikes" ceremony an hour to the north of the accident was expected to be especially emotional this year. Meanwhile, members of the motorcycle community had already begun organizing help for the victims' families, said Cat Wilson, who organizes a motorcycle charity event in Massachusetts and is a friend of some of the crash victims. read more here
On a personal note:This is what all of us fear the most
We know the dangers that can come from a bike breaking down, which did happen and one of our members was killed after a saddle bag dropped off another bike. We also know the dangers that come on the road with other drivers. My husband and I have been with the Nam Knights MC in Orlando for ten years. They are veterans and members of law enforcement, firefighters and patriotic folks serving others who served. It is family! Wives are usually on the back of the bikes, or on their own. We have lost members because some other driver in a car decided their time was more valuable than our lives. We love! We love riding together and working toward helping others. I used to ride on the back of my husband's Harley until my back was so messed up, I have to meet them where they are going. To have a pack of ten bikes hit and know that 7 did not survive, is mind boggling!
Please go to this GoFundMe and donate what you can!
On Friday, June 21st 2019 Jarheads MC was riding to a charity event at the local American Legion in Gorham, New Hampshire Post #82. Our pack was struck by an oncoming vehicle and we lost 5 patch holders and 2 supporters, and many others are injured. Our club and the families are going to need help and we cannot do it alone. I am pleading with you all, please do what you can, and 100% of the funds raised will go where it is needed to help ease some of the financial burden left behind after this tragic event. Jarheads MC has always been about helping veterans and their families. Please help us now and give what you can. Everything you can do is appreciated. We are strong enough to get through this, but we ask for and need your support.
Names and conditions of all will not be shared at this time as we are still being impacted by news as it arrives. We will be in New Hampshire the rest of the weekend supporting our friends and families.
*Jarheads Motorcycle Club is a club consisting of active duty or honorably discharged Marines and FMF Corpsmen. We ride and serve veterans and veteran families in our committees, with chapters in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
USA Today John Bacon
6/24/ 2019 A truck driver was charged Monday with seven counts of negligent homicide in a gruesome collision with a group of motorcyclists on a remote New Hampshire highway.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, was arrested at his home in West Springfield, Massachusetts, early Monday by the Massachusetts State Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit, the New Hampshire attorney general's office said in a statement.
"Mr. Zhukovskyy was taken into custody on a fugitive from justice charge," the statement said. He was expected to make his first court appearance later Monday. read more here
update Victims of New Hampshire Marine JarHeads motorcycle crash ID’d as bikers bid goodbye
Authorities identified the dead as Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, New Hampshire Albert Mazza, 49, of Lee, New Hampshire Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, New Hampshire Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, New Hampshire Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, Rhode Island Joanne and Edward Corr, both 58, of Lakeville, Massachusetts.
read more here
Pickup Truck In New Hampshire Collides With Marine Motorcycle Group; 7 Killed
NPR Bobby Allyn June 22, 2019
The group was on a charity ride connected to an American Legion in Gorham, N.H., according to an online fundraiser set up for the families of the victims.
"Jarheads MC has always been about helping veterans and their families and sadly, today we are in need of that same support," wrote Doug Hayward, a member of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club.
This photo provided by Miranda Thompson shows the scene where several motorcycles and a pickup truck collided on a rural, two-lane highway on Friday. Miranda Thompson/AP
A pickup truck in rural New Hampshire struck and killed seven people on motorcycles Friday night. The crash ignited a small fire in a nearby wooded area and left a wreckage of damaged vehicles and the bodies of victims strewn across the highway.
State police said a Dodge pickup truck hit the motorcycles around 6:30 p.m. Friday along U.S. 2 in Randolph.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the deadly collision. Police have not released the names of the victims or the pickup driver, who witnesses said survived the incident.
"It's tragic," New Hampshire State Police Capt. Chris Vetter told reporters Friday night. "Our concern right now is with the victims, the victims' families and anybody else who was adversely affected by this accident," he said.
Police said two other motorcyclists were injured and one person was airlifted to a local hospital after the crash on the two-lane highway.
Some of the riders were members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, which comprises active and veteran Marines. They were on their way to a bike gathering in northern New Hampshire, said Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, a large motorcycle gathering that ended last weekend.
read more here
This is why there is so much corruption in Washington. Too many vote for the party instead of the person and refuse to hold them accountable!
Rep. Duncan Hunter’s legal fight tougher as wife pleads guilty in corruption case
The Associated Press By: Julie Watson June 14, 2019
She said other expenses charged on the card included $399 for zip lining for Rep. Hunter and two of his three children; $500 in airline travel expenses for their pet bunny, Eggburt; and $351 for a family lunch in connection with a child's Irish dance competition.
SAN DIEGO — Indicted six-term GOP Congressman Duncan Hunter has held steadfast to his contention that a corruption case against him is the result of a political witch hunt.
Margaret Hunter, left, wife of indicted Republican U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, arrives at federal courthouse in downtown San Diego on Thursday, June 13, 2019. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)
But that argument got tougher Thursday for the former Marine and close ally of President Donald Trump after his wife, who worked as his campaign manager, pleaded guilty to a single corruption count and acknowledged being a co-conspirator with her husband in spending more than $200,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses.
Margaret Hunter accepted a plea deal that calls for 59 charges to be dismissed in exchange for her testimony, full cooperation with prosecutors and other concessions. The conspiracy charge to which she pleaded includes all the allegations contained in the 60-count indictment.
"The walls were closing in on him before, now this just makes it more claustrophobic," said Jason Forge, a former federal attorney who prosecuted California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham in 2005 for one of the worst bribery scandals to ever bring down a federal lawmaker.
Rep. Hunter "has fewer and fewer options. It's not just his campaign manager. It's his campaign manager and his wife," Forge said. read more here
