Missing Veteran Alert: PTSD Veteran in New Jersey

Missing military vet suffering from PTSD missing for 3 days 
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 
By Anthony G. Attrino 
June 4, 2018 

The family of a missing military veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been desperately searching for him in North Jersey since late last week. 

Thomas Podschelne 

Thomas Podschelne, 59, left his Waldwick home on Friday and failed to show up to his job the next day at the Stop and Shop on Broad Street in Clifton. 

"It's been three full days now so we're still anticipating him being around here," his daughter, Chelsea, said Monday morning. "We're still searching. Any info on his whereabouts would be a huge help." read more here

Disabled Iraq Veteran Loves Tiny Home

Tiny home in Oviedo fits the needs for veteran wounded in Iraq
Orlando Sentinel
Martin E Comas
April 7, 2018

Marine Corps veteran Peter Banach came home from Iraq in 2007 with a shattered ankle, a broken back and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his vehicle in Fallujah.

Returning to his old job as a police officer in New Jersey was no longer possible for Banach. Like tens of thousands of other combat-wounded veterans, he found it a struggle to pay his bills or find a stable, affordable place to live.

Now the soft-spoken 37-year-old former sergeant first class has a new home he can call his own — the latest example of a charitable undertaking to find housing for Central Florida veterans in need. The 360-square-foot Oviedo home was made possible by two nonprofits, Fairways for Warriors and Operation Tiny Home, and a Longwood business, Cornerstone Tiny Homes.
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Veteran dead after standoff at Panera Bread

Gunman Dead As 5-Hour Standoff At Princeton Panera Bread Ends
The standoff lasted five hours on Tuesday afternoon. Schools were under shelter-in-place, and nearby buildings were evacuated.
Patch.com
By Anthony Bellano, Patch Staff
Mar 20, 2018

According to Planet Princeton, police reportedly found the gunman's car — a Ford Focus with Pennsylvania tags. Details about the car's location weren't immediately available. Sources told the website that the man was a veteran.

PRINCETON, NJ — A gunman is dead after a nearly 5-hour standoff at a Princeton Panera Bread Tuesday, ending an ordeal that led to evacuations at Princeton University and neighboring buildings as well as a shelter-in-place at nearby schools.

The state Attorney General's Office confirmed that the unidentified gunman was shot dead by police after hours of negotiations. The gunman has not been identified pending the notification of family members.

The Attorney General's Shooting Response Team is investigating the circumstances of the shooting.
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Brook Hollow Winery Contest for Disabled Veteran Dream Wedding

Winery's contest will provide disabled veteran with all-expenses paid wedding
New Jersey Herald
By Katie Moen
Posted: Nov. 26, 2017

"We just opened our reception hall about two months ago," Ritter said. "It's a beautiful building with a farmhouse feel, and it's surrounded by acres and acres of vineyards. It doesn't get much better."

KNOWLTON -- Now that Thanksgiving has passed, the season of good will has returned to the Garden State. In order to give back to those who have given so much, the Brook Hollow Winery in Knowlton has announced plans to orchestrate an all-expenses paid wedding ceremony and reception for one lucky military veteran.

Submitted photo - Brook Hollow Winery in Knowlton will host an all-expenses paid wedding ceremony and reception for one disabled military veteran.

"My daughter, who is our event planner, and I were talking awhile back about doing something special for our wounded vets," said Paul Ritter, owner of the Brook Hollow Winery. "As much as we would like to, we can't do this for everyone. We decided that the most fair way to decide who should be the wedding package recipient would be to open up a drawing for all veterans with a disabled status."

Veterans are invited to fill out a short survey on the Brook Hollow website to be entered into the drawing. The winner will be chosen at random on Valentine's Day, Ritter said.

Since the winery announced its plans to honor a veteran with a wedding, the community has rallied behind the idea.

"We've gotten some great support from vendors and volunteers who want to do whatever they can to help out," Ritter said. "Things are crazy right now, and it's easy to get caught up in all of the politics. Every once in a while, you need to have something positive and genuine to focus on, and that's what we're trying to create here."

The winery is prepared to host a celebration for up to 100 people, Ritter said.
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Here's the link to Warrior Wedding

Homeless Man Helped Stranger with $20, She Returns $20,000

This story keeps getting better!!!

Homeless veteran who received over $360K now wants to pay it forward, 'I just want to do the right thing'

UPDATE

Woman Raises over $254,000 for Homeless Veteran Who Helped Her

Posted on November 23, 2017

UPDATE

Woman raising funds to help homeless Marine Veteran

Johnny, who's 34, told McClure and D'Amico he has been homeless for about a year. He said he was previously a certified paramedic, and also served in the Marine Corps.

Woman raises money for homeless veteran who spent his last $20 to help her

Associated Press

November 22, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A New Jersey woman who was helped by a homeless man when she ran out of gas in Philadelphia is raising money to help him.

Kate McClure was heading to Philadelphia to visit a friend last month when she ran out of gas on Interstate 95. The Florence Township woman pulled over and began to worry until a homeless man approached her.

The man, whose name was “Johnny,” told her it wasn’t safe and he bought McClure gas with his last $20.

McClure promised she would return to pay him. McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, have since raised over $20,000 for the former ammunition technician.

The pair hope to get “Johnny” an apartment and help with transportation.

read more here

Homeless Army Veteran Died Left Behind Bible

Homeless man remembered as Army vet found dead outside Trenton cemetery
The Trentonian
By Penny Ray and Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman
POSTED: 10/03/17

This Bible was left behind by Jeffrey Bakos, a homeless man who was found dead at a camp site adjacent to city cemetery. (Penny Ray-Trentonian)

TRENTON 
A small American flag marks a spot in a wooded area adjacent to a city cemetery where a homeless man was found dead Sunday morning.

The flag was placed there by members of a homeless community to honor Jeffrey R. Bakos, a 55-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army, according to his grieving friends.

“If you serve in the military, you should never be homeless,” said a teary-eyed Ann Marie Eggert, 46, who became close friends with Bakos over the past few weeks. “Tell Donald Trump to come here. These are veterans. They don’t deserve this s---.”

According to his friends, Bakos lived in a wooded area tucked between Route 129 and Riverview Cemetery, the Trenton graveyard where his late grandparents were buried decades ago. He often panhandled near the intersection of the highway and Lalor Street, asking citizens for money. His friends said Bakos unsuccessfully applied for welfare benefits. They said he quit trying to find a permanent home because it was too hard.
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35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  

36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  

38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  

39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25 

PTSD Marine Treated Better in New Jersey--Slammed At Tampa VA?

Target 8: VA therapist tells Marine treated for PTSD he’s only there for the drugs

WFLA Channel 8 News

Steven Andrews

August 31, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Peter Surck spent 20 years in the U.S. Marine corps, including some harrowing moments in Iraq in a bloodbath called Mosul.

He remembers his first exposure to combat was like something out of a movie. “You heard the mosque music come out and then all of a sudden sheer hell broke loose, and fire started, enemy fire just started coming out, and our guys started firing back and everybody just started shooting,” Peter recalled.

Later in Liberia, Mr. Surck and dozens of his buddies became extremely ill from anti-malaria medication. Many, including him, contracted the disease. Peter claims he still suffers side effects.

“Horrible dreams, I get tremors once in awhile, I have neurological problems,” he added.

The Navy diagnosed Peter with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  The Department of Veterans Affairs treated him in New Jersey for years.

Last week he attended his first therapy session at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital’s Department of Mental Health.

Shockingly, their resident therapist told Peter he didn’t have PTSD–he was only there for the drugs.

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Iraq Veteran Meets His Family Through MyHeritageDNA

NJ Iraq War veteran meets his birth family

ABC 6 News

Jeff Chirico

July 29, 2017

After years of searching Kyle learned about Melissa in November through MyHeritageDNA dot com. Their DNA matched and so did their personalities.

WESTAMPTON, N.J. (WPVI) --

A New Jersey veteran who was adopted got the thrill of a lifetime when he was reunited with his birth family.

It took years of searching, but this brother and sister finally met for the first time Friday in Burlington.

"I feel like I'm standing outside my body looking at someone else's story unfolding," Melissa Galatas of Arizona said.

Action News was there with Melissa as she waits to meet the brother she only recently learned she had.

"I hope I don't cry, but it's definitely a possibility," Melissa said.

The emotional hug, years in the making for Kyle Gulden,from Pemberton who's never met his father despite years of searching.

The Iraq War veteran is married and has two daughters. His wife says the not-knowing weighed on him.

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“Protectors of Freedom,” Memorial from WWI to War on Terror

Toms River unveils elaborate monument to veterans
Asbury Park Press
Erik Larsen
Published June 26, 2017

“Over 16 million U.S. service members — 560,000 from New Jersey — answered the call to unconditionally defeat two of the most militarily powerful, hate-filled, racist and fanatical dictatorships the world has ever known,” Smith said.

TOMS RIVER - One hundred years to the day that the first U.S. troops arrived in France after America entered World War I, a monument was dedicated in town Monday honoring a century of service by the men and women who have served in uniform on behalf of the nation.

“Protectors of Freedom,” by local sculptor Brian Hanlon and funded through The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, features six service members representing conflicts from World War I to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Located in Bey Lea Park, the five statues (one includes two figures) depict a World War I “doughboy;” a poncho-clad soldier from the Korean War calling for support on a radio; a wounded World War II soldier being carried from the battlefield by his 21st century counterpart; and a Vietnam War infantryman escorting an Army nurse through hostile territory. Watch the video above to take a tour of the memorial.
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Decorated Marine Facing Jail Time in New Jersey Mandatory Gun Sentence

UPDATE
Commuted by Christie: No jail time for Marine whose friend grabbed his gun


DECORATED MARINE VETERAN FIGHTING FOR HIS FREEDOM AFTER MANDATORY GUN SENTENCE IN NEW JERSEY
ABC 7 News
Jim Hoffer
Friday, April 14

NEW YORK -- A decorated Marine veteran is fighting for his freedom after his arrest on gun charges in New Jersey.

Even though the firearm was legal, it was not registered in that state. The convicted man, Hisashi Pompey, has asked Gov. Chris Christie to step in.

To combat gang violence, New Jersey lawmakers several years ago tacked on mandatory sentences for gun-related offenses.

No longer does a person have to be in the process of committing a crime with a gun to end up behind bars. Simply possessing an unpermitted gun in the state can make someone a felon and a prisoner.

Pompey served as a Marine military police sergeant in three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, for which he received medals for bravery.

He has a wife and young children whom he may have to leave again -- not to serve his country but to serve three years behind bars.
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Standoff With PTSD Veteran Ends With A Question

The veteran is facing charges, "Hernandez has been charged by the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor with two counts of Attempted Murder of Police Officers; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm; Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose; Eluding Police Officers; Resisting Arrest; and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer." 

But why isn't anyone else being held accountable considering how many times veterans reach this point after risking their lives for others?

An Army veteran, a mayor, and a police standoff
Nearby incident with police raises questions about warriors who come home
Hudson Reporter
by Al Sullivan
Reporter staff writer
Feb 12, 2017

“We teach these men how to fight and kill, but we don’t teach them how to come home and be civilized again. “I don’t know what set this man off. He may have seen the police cars and heard the sirens, and thought maybe he was back in Iraq. But I didn’t want to see this man die or anyone else get hurt because of this.”
Roque, a doctor, has worked with veterans in the past, mostly assisting in pain management. And he said he’s seen the troubles these veterans come home with, and the need for counseling that many never get.

WAITING AND WATCHING – Police waited with guns drawn outside the home on 57th Street for some resolution to the standoff in West New York. (Photos by Al Sullivan)

After standing behind an armored vehicle on 57th Street for nearly 12 hours last Saturday, Feb. 5, West New York Mayor Felix Roque had a lot of time to think about the harrowing event that took place in Hudson County that day, and what it means for how veterans are treated when they come home from war.

Earlier that day, a call came in to the police in North Bergen, a town that shares a border with West New York. Emmanuel Hernandez, 27, of West New York, had reportedly been seen inside a red Infiniti with a firearm on Kennedy Boulevard at about 2 a.m.

North Bergen police caught up with Hernandez – an Army veteran who served honorably in Iraq – at about 2:20 a.m. at the QuickChek on Kennedy Boulevard. When they approached him, he reportedly became defensive and, as he fled in his car, he allegedly ran over a cop’s foot and struck the police vehicle.

The officers chased Hernandez for several blocks into West New York, where he exited his vehicle in front of his residence at 608 57th St.

Mayor Roque said Hernandez, inside the house, saw these reports and became even more frightened.

“He kept saying he didn’t commit a crime,” said Mayor Roque, who was among several mediators talking to Hernandez via cellular phone during the standoff. Hernandez was also apparently in contact with his mother in Florida via another phone.
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Body of Missing Veteran Lance James Recovered From Lake

Body of Missing Former Marine from South Jersey Found in Clementon Lake
NBC 10 News
By Brian X. McCrone
January 13, 2017

Lance James disappeared in early December. He went missing after leaving a Camden County bar. His body was found Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, authorities said.

A former Marine who disappeared Dec. 2 after a confrontation at a local bar in Camden County was found in a nearby lake, authorities said Saturday.

Lance James, 29, disappeared on Dec. 2 following an altercation at Hide-A-Way Tavern in Clementon. Family and friends searched with the help of state police the week before Christmas, but his body was not found in three nearby lakes and a wooded area.

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office announced that James's body was found Friday during a search of Bottom Lake. The prosecutor's office said the cause of death was not yet determined, but there were no signs of trauma.

The bar, Hide-A-Way, was less than a mile from James' apartment.
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New Jersey Veteran Marine Still Missing

NJ Marine has been missing for weeks after ‘altercation’ at bar
NJ 1015
By Patrick Lavery
December 21, 2016

James, who served a year each in Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving the Marines in 2012, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, his sister said on the page, which so far has raised $3,840 of a $5,000 goal.

CLEMENTON — New Jersey State Police have joined Camden County authorities in investigating the disappearance of a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, missing since Dec. 2.

That night, a Friday, Lance James’ family said, the 29-year-old went to the Hide-A-Way Tavern but was escorted out after some sort of altercation with a fellow patron, according to a GoFundMe page posted by his sister, seeking to raise money for reward money that could be used to help find him.

Clementon police told James to go home, though his jacket and cell phone were still in the bar, according to the page.

James does not own a car, so he left on foot and was later seen on surveillance video about a block from his apartment, it says.

” Lance never made it home that night. It’s almost like he completely vanished. He did not show up for work, call out or pick up his pay check. Lance did not reach out to anyone by any means, neither friends or family have heard from him since. Lance does not own a car,” his sister wrote.
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Missing Veteran Alert New Jersey

Family seeks missing U.S. Marine who served in Middle East
NJ.com
By Greg Adomaitis
December 09, 2016

James enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2007 and served one year in Iraq and another year Afghanistan before getting out of the service in 2012. He returned home to Clementon after his tours of duty, with family saying Friday that James suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

.

CLEMENTON -- A borough man and former U.S. Marine who completed tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan hasn't been seen in nearly a week and his family is hoping to find him before his birthday on Saturday.

Lance James, who will be turning 29, was last heard from on Dec. 3, family said, adding that attempts to contact him via cell phone and social media have been unsuccessful.

"No one has seen or heard from him since Saturday. It is not like him to go this long without checking in," sister Jessica Hassan said Friday. "He is a local in the area and hangs out locally. He has not shown up to work and did not call out -- again very unusual for him."

Family said James -- who doesn't own a vehicle and has a 5-year-old daughter who lives with her mother -- went to the Hide-A-Way Tavern, in Clementon, Friday night and returned home afterward.
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American Legion Riders Rescued Stranded Bruce "Boss" Springsteen

SEE IT: Bikers help stranded Bruce Springsteen on Veterans Day
COX Media Group National Content Desk
by: Michelle Ewing
Nov 13, 2016

FREEHOLD, N.J. - A group of New Jersey bikers came across an unexpected sight while on a Veterans Day ride – Bruce Springsteen stranded on the side of the road.

"Bikers gotta stick together," Dan Barkalow, a motorcyclist with the Freehold American Legion group, told The Associated Press. "I stopped to see if he needed help, and it was Bruce."

The group attempted – without success – to fix Springsteen's broken-down motorcycle. After throwing in the towel, Springsteen rode with another American Legion motorcyclist, Ryan Bailey, to a nearby bar and hung out with the men.
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WWII Navy Photographer Shares Images From USS Astoria

Navy photographer wanted his work to be shared
USA TODAY NETWORK
Jay Levin, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record
August 25, 2016

Fewer than 700,000 of the nearly 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive today, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. More than 400 veterans of that era die every day, almost 160,000 this year.

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Herman Schnipper, a mild-mannered Navy photographer who chronicled the danger and drudgery of war while on board the light cruiser USS Astoria, died Wednesday at his home here, where his vast trove of World War II images is stored.

He was 92.

Herman Schnipper of Hackensack, N.J., was a Navy photographer aboard the USS Astoria during World War II, shown Dec. 9, 2014. He made copies of every picture he took and categorized them.

(Photo: Mitsu Yasukawa, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record)

“I don’t want them to be put in a box and forgotten. I want to show people the war,” Schnipper told The Record in 2014, referring to the black-and-white prints he has held on to since his military discharge a few months after the war’s end.

At the time of the interview, Schnipper was in declining health and his family felt an urgency to decide what to do with the photographs, which they want to be accessible to the public.
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New Jersey Veterans Diversion Program?

Excuse me but they are far from broken. They just need help to undo the damage done by leaders who decided they would disregard 40 years of research on what combat does to them, a Congress more interested in paying back buddies by passing bills that do more harm than good and a society where all anyone has to do is say they are "helping" and then help themselves to money. 

If you think any of this is new, suggest you research how many Vietnam veterans ended up in jail. It may shock you but at least you'll know more than most of the folks in this article do. 

This is a step in the right direction but stop calling them broken.

For arrested veterans, treatment instead of criminal charges?
New Jersey 101.5
By Michael Symons
June 13, 2016

“When they come back, they are broken. And they’re expected to just turn that switch off overnight. And instead of getting medals, they are getting convictions, and they’re getting arrests,” said Chris Adams, president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Veterans who have nonviolent brushes with the law could be diverted away from courtrooms into treatment for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, under a bill being considered by lawmakers that got its first approval last week.

The “Statewide Veterans Diversion Program” aims to address addiction and mental illness issues among veterans that can often go untreated. Veterans have trouble adjusting to civilian life, or perhaps can’t sleep and turn to alcohol, and then situations spiral as they interact – or overreact – with police.

“We send these people into war to die, to get hurt, to be injured, and they don’t come back the same way even if none of that happens to them. We have a moral responsibility,” said Sen. Van Drew, D-Cape May.
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After Suicide South Jersey VA Clinics to be Overseen by VA?

Veteran's suicide prompts South Jersey VA changes
Press of Atlantic
NICHOLAS HUBA, Staff Writer
May 6, 2016

NORTHFIELD — South Jersey’s veterans clinics will no longer be overseen by the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, as part of reforms designed to address long waiting times and staffing issues at area facilities.

Craig Matthews/Staff Photographer U.S. Senator Robert Menendez addressing recent concerns surrounding the level of care and compassion awarded to South Jersey veterans at a Friday press conference with VA officials May 6, 2016 (Craig Matthews/Staff Photographer

All South Jersey community-based outpatient clinics will now be overseen by the Department of Veterans Affairs under the direct supervision of the Veterans Integrated Service Network 4. There are three VA clinics in South Jersey: Cape May, Northfield and Vineland.

U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and representatives of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, along with Janet Murphy, Veterans Affairs deputy undersecretary for health for operations and management, announced the reforms Friday morning at the Stillwater Building on South Shore Road.
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Police Confirm Body Pulled From River is Missing Veteran Adam Sharp

Remains pulled from river ID’d as missing Marine veteran, police say
New Jersey 101.5
By Toniann Antonelli
April 25, 2016

For months after his disappearance, those who knew Adam Sharp — the 23-year-old reported missing on New Year’s Eve — believed he was trying to avoid being found. Late last week, police confirmed what the family feared – the retired Marine has died.

Authorities have identified the human remains pulled from the Raritan River in Perth Amboy on April 10 as Adam Sharp. His sister, Katie Sharp, posted about the veteran’s death.

“I regret to inform everyone that my brother Adam has passed away. I love you so much Adam and I wish I could tell you again what you mean to me,” Sharp wrote in an emotional post late last week.

Adam’s mother, Trudy Sharp, told NJ Advance Media Monday that her son retired from the military about a year ago, after serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. She said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Sharp told NJ Advance Media that Highland Park Police Detective Sean McGraw visited her personally to deliver the news about her son’s remains being found.
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New Jersey Turnpike Crash Leaves 4 Fort Totten Army Reservists Hospitalized

Soldiers Remain Hospitalized As Police Probe Humvee Crash On New Jersey Turnpike
CBS New York
April 15, 2016

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Investigators on Friday were still trying to determine what caused a military vehicle to crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, seriously injuring four soldiers.

The U.S. Army Reserve soldiers, part of the 533rd Brigade Support Battalion stationed at Fort Totten in Queens, remain at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where they were taken after Thursday’s crash.

Police said Pfc. Deborah Perez of Brooklyn lost her leg; Sgt. Theodore Jackson of Lincoln Park is in critical condition; Spc. Marcos Santana of Poughkeepsie is in serious condition; and the driver, Sgt. Gedry Concepcion-Munez of Bronx, is in good condition, CBS2’s Janelle Burrell reported.

Investigators said the accident happened shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday. The crash caused the Humvee to overturn, landing on its roof and sending debris across the southbound side of the Turnpike near exit 8 in South Brunswick.
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