Arrest made after murder of Air National Guard female soldier and children

Arrested boyfriend of slain Staten Island servicewoman had violent past

New York Post
By Tina Moore, Anabel Sosa and Max Jaeger
June 23, 2019

A Staten Island military man was arrested and charged Sunday in the murder of his Air National Guard girlfriend and their two young sons, police announced.

The scene of the alleged murder (left) and Alla Ausheva Richard Harbus; CNP

The arrest came as new details emerged about accused killer Shane Walker’s violent past — and his Russian-born girlfriend’s tragic story of achieving her American dream only for her life to be cut short at 37.

Cops charged Walker, 36, with murder, manslaughter, arson and criminal possession of a weapon for killing US Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Alla Ausheva along with the couple’s sons Ivan, 2, and Elia, 3.

Ausheva was found bludgeoned to death in her home Saturday near the bodies of their children, who appear to have been drowned.
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Who killed Army veteran Everett Palmer Jr.

Family claims US Army vet was murdered in police custody

New York Post
By Tamar Lapin
June 12, 2019

They claim that when his body was returned to them, his throat, heart and brain were missing.

The family of a US Army veteran who died last year in Pennsylvania police custody are claiming he was murdered, according to published reports.

The last time relatives of Queens-born Everett Palmer Jr., 41, heard from him was in April 2018, when he said he was going to Pennsylvania to resolve an outstanding DUI warrant from two years earlier, the family said.

Palmer, a dad of two who lived in Delaware, was booked into a single cell at the York County Prison on April 7, 2018.

Two days later, he was dead.

“The most frustrating part is my son being murdered and not having any answers to how he was murdered,” Rose Palmer, Everett’s mother, said during a Tuesday press conference, according to CBS News.

“Since April 9, I have not had a good night sleep since I think about my child and the possible scenarios. It is torture. He didn’t deserve this,” she said. “He went there to check on his license and he never made it out.”
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Iraq Veteran David Bellavia to receive Medal of Honor

update:Medal of Honor recipient calls military honor life-changing

Associated Press

June 11, 2019

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia won’t officially receive his Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump for another two weeks but already, he says, everything’s changed.

The radio talk show host and one-time Republican congressional candidate says his focus now isn't his own opinions but the fellow Iraq veterans he represents, as well as families of soldiers who've lost their lives.

read more here

15 years after Fallujah, Bellavia destined for Medal of Honor and White House ceremony

Buffalo News
By Robert J. McCarthy
Published June 8, 2019

David Bellavia will travel from his Albion home to the White House sometime late this month, where President Trump is scheduled to drape around the Army veteran’s neck a gold medallion suspended by a blue ribbon — the Medal of Honor.

David Bellavia ran for Congress in 2012. (John Hickey/News file photo)

But his journey really began on Nov. 10, 2004, in the dusty streets of Fallujah, Iraq. That’s where the Army staff sergeant, on his 29th birthday, found himself in deadly hand-to-hand combat with some of the enemy’s toughest fighters.

In the end, five of them died. He prevailed.

Now a nation will say thank you.

Veterans’ advocate, author, former congressional candidate and current talk radio co-host, Bellavia will become the 3,469th American awarded the nation’s highest military decoration — and the first living recipient from the War in Iraq.
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Iraq Veteran David Bellavia Honors Vietnam Veterans

WWII veteran flew 1,500 miles for grandson's Air Force Academy graduation

101-year-old WWII veteran flew 1,500 miles to commission grandson at Air Force Academy

FOX 31
BY PHIL RANKIN
May 31, 2019

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Joseph Kloc is among the 989 members of the US Air Force Academy's class of 2019 who graduated this week.

But a unique moment with family set his week apart.

His grandfather, 101-year-old World War II veteran Walter Kloc, flew from Amherst, New York to commission his grandson.

"I'm so excited for him," Joseph’s father William Kloc told WGRZ before the trip to Colorado. "He's fulfilling his dream and he was so excited that his grandfather, a World War II Air Force bombardier pilot, could come and commission him."

The moment was captured on camera by the Air Force Academy.

"Walter received a standing ovation, and everyone in the room was gifted with a memory they’ll never forget," the academy said.
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Volunteer Firefighter Marine Killed in Afghanistan

update Charity will pay mortgage for family of fallen FNY firefighter

FDNY firefighter from the Bronx killed in Afghanistan suicide attack

By Derick Waller
April 9, 2018

CLAREMONT, Bronx (WABC) -- One of four Americans killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan was an FDNY firefighter.

It is a devastating reminder that this 18-year-long war continues despite recent peace talks.

Christopher Slutman was identified by the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department in Landover, Maryland, where he is a lifetime member.

Slutman, a married father of three, was a 15-year veteran of the FDNY. He most recently worked as a firefighter at Engine 46 Ladder 27 in the Claremont section of the Bronx.

In 2014, he received the FDNY's Fire Chiefs Association Memorial Medal for pulling an unconscious woman from a burning Bronx high-rise apartment.

He served as a Staff Sergeant with the United States Marine Corps.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo taking down Bridges for veterans in crisis

OMBUDSMAN ALERT: State eliminates $4.7M in funding for veterans mental health program, including $185K for BRIDGES in Rockland County, putting services for returning veterans at risk

BY DR. LOUIS ALPERT
Ombudsman
March 28, 2019

Senator David Carlucci said at a press conference, “It is shameful that the Governor did not provide funding for the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program. This is about supporting the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and may return needing our help. We cannot let PTSD and TBI take another veteran’s life, which is why I support $4.7 million in funding for this program in our state’s budget.”

In Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2019 state budget, $4.7 million in funding designated for the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program has been cut statewide. The program has been effective improving the lives of many troubled returning US war veterans, many of whom were considered at risk of mental health crises, including suicide.

In Rockland County alone, $185,000 allocated to the non-profit group BRIDGES to administer the program has been eliminated. Carlos Martinez, executive director of the Rockland BRIDGES program, said this cut will put the program “entirely out of business” in our county.

State officials expressed disapproval of the defunding of BRIDGES’ veterans program.

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee said, “In gratitude for their service to this nation, our veterans and their families deserve the resources and support they need, “ said Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee. “New York State has a moral responsibility to ensure the economic stability and mental wellness of the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. “As a member of the Mental Health Committee, I am committed to providing adequate funding in the budget for mental health services and programs.”

Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski said, “I have long supported the Joseph P. Dwyer program and am pushing for the restoration of funding in the final budget. The Dwyer funding has allowed BRiDGES to implement a successful peer to peer program that provides veterans with effective support services. I have pledged my full support for this important program and am fighting to see it continued.”
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Vietnam veteran from Orlando inspiring all generations

Triple amputee Vietnam War veteran from Rochester shares testimony; inspires thousands

FOX 47 News

“I think if you have a passion and a drive and a courage and a willingness to live and move forward. I think that’s my message to everybody out there is don’t let anything stand in your way of a burning desire that you’ve got to accomplish something. Mine was just to live life.” Jim Sursely

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX47) – Triple amputee Vietnam veteran Jim Sursely is shared his story of perseverance, courage and hope Thursday.

Sursely, a native of Rochester, is a former National Commander for the 1.3 million members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

After graduating from Lourdes High School, Sursely joined the army in 1966. Two years later, he was sent to Vietnam assigned to the Americal Division’s 17th Armored Cavalry.

During a combat mission in January of 1969, Sursely’s life changed forever when he stepped on an enemy landmine during a perimeter check.

“At like 6:15 in the evening, bang. And you know blew me about 20-25 feet in the air, tramatically amputated all three of my limbs just because of the force of the explosion. ” Said Sursely.

“The thing that actually saved my life was it went up in a gigantic ball of flame. It was not shrapnel. It was not a metallic landmine. And that gigantic ball of flame helped cauterize my arteries, keep me from bleeding to death.”

Sursely says 3-4 weeks after the explosion, in a Japanese hospital, is when he fully comprehended the trauma he experienced. He credits sharing experiences and physically training with other amputees as a major help to his recovery.

After returning to the country and recovering from his injuries, Sursely met and married his wife. They have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.

Now Jim spends much of his time sharing his story in hopes of helping others overcome their challenges.
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West Point Cadet found dead after skiing incident

West Point cadet dies of injuries after skiing incident

Army Times
Kathleen Curthoys
March 2, 2019

West Point Cadet Peter L. Zhu died Thursday, Feb. 28, of his injuries from a Feb. 23 skiing incident on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Cadet Peter L. Zhu, a member of the West Point Class of 2019, died Feb. 28 of injuries he suffered days earlier while skiing on the grounds of the academy. (West Point)

Zhu, 21, a member of the Class of 2019, died with family members by his side at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, according to a Saturday release from West Point.

A fellow skier found Zhu unresponsive on a ski slope at Victor Constant Ski Area on Saturday, Feb. 23, the release said. Members of a ski patrol responded and performed life-saving measures before Zhu was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to Westchester for further treatment.

The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
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WWII sailor kissing nurse statue vandalized with #MeToo

'#MeToo' spray-painted on iconic statue of WWII sailor kissing nurse

CNN
By Amanda Jackson
February 20, 2019

(CNN)Police in Florida are looking for the vandal who painted "#MeToo" on the leg of the nurse in the "Unconditional Surrender" statue.

Florida police released images of the graffiti on Tuesday.

The statue is modeled after an iconic photo taken in Times Square in 1945, showing a woman dressed in a white uniform being embraced and kissed by a sailor to celebrate the end of World War II.

The woman, identified as Greta Friedman, was 21 at the time, and she didn't know the sailor, who has been identified as George Mendonsa. He passed away on Sunday at the age of 95.
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Air National Guardsman pretended to be CIA agent to fool woman

New York Air National Guardsman accused of impersonating CIA agent to impress woman

Syracuse Media Group
By CHRIS LIBONATI
Published: February 19, 2019

CICERO, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) — A New York man who police have accused of impersonating a CIA agent to impress a woman works for the New York Air National Guard as a drone camera operator, according to a New York Air National Guard spokesman and an Air Force website.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Houghtalen, who is currently a sensor operator on the MQ-9 Reaper with the 174th Attack Wing, was charged by New York state police with misdemeanor criminal impersonation for pretending to be a CIA agent. He was arrested Monday, Feb. 18, 2019 and spent a day in jail before being released. VIA LINKEDIN

Staff Sgt. Ryan R. Houghtalen, 25, was charged with second-degree impersonation of a public servant, a misdemeanor, according to court records.

After showing the woman a fake CIA ID, Houghtalen told the woman how he was currently targeted by terrorists.

“He was telling her his job as a CIA agent is very dangerous,” said New York State Police spokesman Jack Keller. “He was hoping to use that information to start a relationship with her.”

Houghtalen told the woman he met at church that, because he was a CIA agent, both he and her were targets of ISIS, according to court documents.
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Veteran just restored hope to my heart

The wounds you can feel, just as real as the ones you can see

I see so many using heart-wrenching stories for their own benefit, that I tend to get to the point where I just open the emails I have to post and ignore all the others.

 Every once in a while, I'll see an email that reassures me, most of the people actually trying to make a difference for our veterans, do it for the right reasons. 

Today, I just opened one of those and I have to tell you that it came at the right time.

You know, the same type of message I've been preaching for over 3 decades! Are you hearing it now?


The reports of recent suicides started to put my heart through a meat grinder. Well, this veteran just pulled it out before it turned into dinner for the "awareness divas" running around screaming for attention for themselves, while the rest of us are losing hope because we're losing a lot more than those folks will ever mention.

Roland Van Deusen MSW

Veteran, retired counselor

Clayton NY 

And look how long he's been delivering his message!

To Veterans with Invisible Wounds
Ronald Van Deusen
November 19, 2012

Son shocked to learn Korean War veteran Dad buried in basement

His father was missing for decades. Now human remains have been found under the family home

News Channel 6
November 2, 2018

“I’m in shock. I must have been in this house a thousand times,” Tony Mraz said. If the DNA test results on the remains indicate that it is George Carroll, the family said it will bring them some closure plus allow them to finally bury the Korean War Veteran with honors.

LAKE GROVE, NY (News 12 Long Island/CNN) - For nearly six decades, a family home may have held a secret.

Michael Carroll may have unlocked the mystery of what happened to his missing father. Tuesday night, human remains were discovered under the basement.

“I have a messed up basement, but I am really glad we found what we found,” he said.

The family believes the remains could be from George Carroll, a Korean War veteran who went missing in 1961.
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PTSD on Trial: Emmanuel Hernandez

Vet with PTSD not guilty of trying to murder police officers
The Jersey Journal
By Michaelangelo Conte
October 6, 2018

A West New York veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder was found not guilty of attempting to murder two police officers but convicted of lesser charges yesterday.

Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal

Emmanuel Hernandez, 28, showed no reaction to the verdict in which he was convicted of aggravated assault for firing a handgun at an officer and aggravated assault for running over a police officer's foot during the Feb. 5, 2017, incident.

He was also found guilty of eluding police in his vehicle, causing a risk of death or serious bodily injury and resisting arrest using force or the threat of force. He was additionally found guilty of unlawful possession of a weapon in the incident, which began at a QuickChek in North Bergen and ended after a 12-hour standoff with police at his 57th Street home.
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Brooklyn veterans fighting to keep VA clinic open?

What kind of a message does this send? Increase funds for private care but close down VA Clinics that treat disabled veterans? 

Veterans and supporters mobilize in opposition to closure of ENT clinic at Brooklyn VA Hospital
Brooklyn Reporter
By Jaime DeJesus
June 1, 2018

Fearing that the Brooklyn VA Hospital could ultimately be in jeopardy, supporters of the facility — which treats veterans from across the borough as well as Staten Island — are staking their position in support of the hospital, which recently decided to shutter its ENT clinic.

ebrooklyn media/Photos by Jaime DeJesus 

Danny Friedman addressing the group.

On Friday, June 1, veterans, Congressmember Dan Donovan and the New York City Veterans Alliance joined together at a conference at the Knights of Columbus, 1305 86th Street, to protest the closure and express their concern that the hospital so many former members of the military rely upon will eventually downsize to an outpatient only clinic or transform into condos.

“It’s already hard for some of our local veterans to get to the Brooklyn facility and now many will have to travel to the Manhattan facility or one in the Bronx,” said Donovan. “This could be particularly devastating to those who are elderly or disabled, who may forgo visits instead of facing long and difficult commutes to get to their appointments. The decision needs to be reversed.”

“We’ve been seeing a gradual decline in services,” said Danny Friedman, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 72. One of the worries is that the facility will be the victim of a gradual diminution of services, effectively death by a thousand cuts. In 2015, the U.S. Veterans Administration decided to close a 25-bed inpatient medical surgery unit at the hospital, another move that was vocally protested by veterans and their supporters.
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Con-Man claimed to be Firefighter on 9-11

Con Man Outed after Claiming to be Ground Zero FF
Palm Beach Post
ELIOT KLEINBERG
MAY 4, 2018

Fairfield Fire Department Deputy Chief Kyran Dunn told The Palm Beach Post this week the agency has no record of Shapiro working there. A photo provided to The Post shows Shapiro wearing a yellow helmet that says "Fairfield Fire Department" with a 4-digit number, his name and "lieutenant." Shapiro's Facebook page has a close-up of the helmet.

PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Steven Shapiro.

May 04--WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- When Don Prince saw a news story about Steven Shapiro being arrested on charges of credit-card theft, he recognized him right away. Prince co-founded a substance-abuse treatment center for first responders. Shapiro, he said, worked there for a while. And told people he was a fire lieutenant in Connecticut and had been at ground zero on Sept. 11. 2001.

By all accounts, he wasn't. And he hadn't.

Such hoaxes are rare, but Prince says he and his colleagues have no patience for them.

"There were 343 firefighters who died that day," he said. "And it hits every one of us directly in the heart."

Shapiro, 56, had been booked April 16 on charges he used credit cards he found in the Delray Beach home of a woman from whom he rented a room to buy $1,823 worth of items, including a television.
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Vietnam Veteran Rudolph Muck III Laid to Rest With Honor

Community holds funeral for 'unclaimed' Vietnam veteran
WROC/CNN
Saturday, April 28th 2018

ROMULUS, NY (WROC/CNN) – The hospital called him "an unclaimed individual." But to many, he was a Vietnam veteran who deserved full military honors at his funeral.

Maria Ramos and her mother Norma had known Rudolph Muck III, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, for three years.

"Me and my mother were his caretakers and we just did favors - groceries; he was very fragile," Ramos said.

Earlier in April, Muck was hospitalized and later died. With no known family, the hospital turned to Ramos.

"They asked me if I wanted to be held responsible and I saw no other answer; I had to do it as a military sister and a human being," Ramos said.
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NYPD Officer shot himself in police parking lot!

Cop fatally shoots himself in his car outside NYPD facility
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
By THOMAS TRACY and CHELSIA ROSE MARCIUS
APR 20, 2018

"Your job requires that you spend your day helping others. But before you can take care of anyone else, you must first take care of yourself, so please, remember, if you need it, help is here, and help is available," O'Neill said.

A troubled on-duty NYPD cop fatally shot himself while parked outside a department facility in the Bronx Friday, authorities said.

He's the fourth NYPD officer to take his own life in as many months, police said.

First responders rushed to an NYPD Auto Crime and Narcotics Division facility in Wakefield about 10:50 a.m., where the mortally wounded officer was found sitting in his personal vehicle in the parking lot.

Officers rushed him to Jacobi Medical Center, but he could not be saved. His name was not immediately disclosed.

Police sources said the cop worked in the Bronx, but it was not immediately clear if he was assigned to the Auto Crime and Narcotics Division.

Cops were first alerted to the incident by Mount Vernon police who had received a 911 call from a panicked relative, who said the cop was planning to harm himself, police sources said.

The cop is the fourth NYPD officer to take his own life this year.
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Disabled Navy Vietnam veteran saved from burning house

Vietnam vet who is disabled rescued from Schenectady fire
WNYT News 13
March 28, 2018

SCHENECTADY – A Navy Veteran who served in Vietnam is being treated at the Westchester Medical Center’s Burn Unit, according to his nephew. Fire broke out inside Rick Batcher’s house at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Glendale Pl. in Schenectady around 7:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Neighbors knowing Batcher, 69, has a prosthetic leg rushed up the block in the Mont Pleasant section of the city to get him out. Clarence Cohen and his son-in-law tried to break in the door to save the man they called “Ricky.”

"He must have made it right to the door because when I kicked the door in it went on top of him,” Cohen said.

Batcher has lived at his house for 30 years. He is a Life member of VFW Post 357 in Schenectady. He was initially taken to Ellis Hospital, rerouted to Albany Medical Center and then flown to the Westchester Medical Center’s burn unit and in critical condition.
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Nine lost in two days

Seven U.S. service members killed in Iraq helicopter crash
NBC News
by COURTNEY KUBE, RICHARD ENGEL and PHIL HELSEL
March 16, 2018

All seven service members aboard an American military helicopter that crashed in western Iraq late Thursday were killed, according to two U.S. military officials.

The crash of the U.S. HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter does not appear to be a result of enemy activity and the incident is under investigation, U.S. Central Command and military officials said.

"All personnel aboard were killed in the crash," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga, the director of operations for the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition in Iraq and Syria.
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2 FDNY Firefighters Among 7 Killed in U.S. Helicopter Crash in Iraq, Sources Say

An FDNY lieutenant and an FDNY fire marshal were among the seven service members killed when their U.S. helicopter crashed in Iraq, the FDNY announced Friday evening.

The department identified Lt. Christopher Raguso and Fire Marshal Christopher “Tripp” Zanetis as the 1,148th and 1,149th members of the FDNY to die in the line of duty. read more here

Navy identifies aviators killed in Florida Super Hornet crash
STARS AND STRIPES
By KAT BOUZA
Published: March 16, 2018

The Navy has identified the two pilots killed when their F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed into the sea near Key West, Fla., Wednesday afternoon.

Lt. Cmdr. James Brice Johnson and Lt. Caleb Nathaniel King — both assigned to the “Blacklions” of Strike Fighter Squadron 213 at Naval Air Station Oceana — died after the aircraft went down on final approach to Naval Air Station Key West at about 4:30 p.m. The squadron was conducting training in the area at the time.
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UPDATE

Master Sgt. William R. Posch, 36, of Indialantic, Fla

Staff Sgt. Carl P. Enis, 31, of Tallahassee

Capt. Mark K. Weber, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colo

Capt. Andreas B. O’Keeffe, 37, of Center Moriches, N.Y.

Capt. Christopher T. Zanetis, 37, of Long Island City, N.Y.

Master Sgt. Christopher J. Raguso, 39, of Commack, N.Y.

Staff Sgt. Dashan J. Briggs, 30, of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.

Joseph Dwyer lost battle for his own life, but more saved because of him

This is the famous picture of Joseph Dwyer,

And this is what came after he lost his battle to save his own life.

Senate trying to get more funding for peer-to-peer veterans aid network

Legislative Gazette
Jeffrey Trotter
March 5, 2018

Veterans across New York are voicing their support for the Joseph P. Dwyer Project and rallying to adopt the peer-to-peer veteran support program as part of the governor’s executive budget.

The Joseph P. Dwyer Project is a peer-to-peer initiative that provides aid to veterans by linking them up with other vets. Veterans across the state continue to advocate for the project due to its success at providing needed aid to those who’ve served in the military.

According to the project’s website, “the Joseph P. Dwyer Project is a Senate funded initiative which provides peer-to-peer, vet-to-vet support for veterans struggling with PTSD and other issues due to combat experience and other military service-related violence.”

Joseph Dwyer was a combat medic who served in Iraq and gained fame for a photo that documenting him cradling a wounded Iraqi boy. Dwyer suffered from PTSD and drug addiction after returning home, and his behavior became increasingly erratic and dangerous. He died from a drug overdose in 2008.

The Dwyer Project is not a part of the governor’s budget. For the past two years the Senate has reallocated funds to provide Dwyer with $3.1 million annually, which amounts to a minimum of $185,000 for each county chapter. Adding the Dwyer project to the state budget would save this reallocation step and provide a permanent source of funding for the project. 

Sen. Joe Addabbo, D-Ozone Park, wants to double that figure by adding $6 million to the budget to continue to grow the Dwyer Program into the five boroughs of New York City. 

“[The project] has a proven track record,” Addabbo said. “When it comes to veterans there is no place for politics.”read more here