Vietnam Veteran's Daughter Wouldn't Take No For Answer From VA--Dad Survived

Veteran's daughter battles VA, gets results

WLBZ 
Zach Blanchard 
August 05, 2017 

BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – A Vietnam Veteran battling a serious rare bacterial infection at a hospital in Bangor was finally being transferred to a VA Hospital in Boston Saturday.

66-year-old David White from North Carolina was visiting his daughter in Bangor when he fell ill and checked in to St. Joseph Hospital. 

His daughter, Heather Donald, said she struggled with the VA for days to get her father transferred. 

She said doctors told her he needed to see a specialist because the infection could not be treated with antibiotics. 

“It's extremely frustrating,” Donald said. “They're telling me that there's nothing they can do. They don't have space available." Donald took to Facebook, was interviewed by 13 News Now in North Carolina and The Boston Globe. 

She also reached out to Senator Collins Congressman Poliquin’s offices in search of answers. read more here

Marine Killed by Lightning

NC-based Marine killed by lightning strike while working on Osprey

CBS WNCN News

July 17, 2017

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A Marine stationed aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River died after being struck by lightning while working on an MV-22 Osprey aircraft on July 11, according to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Corp. James in a WNCT photo. 

Corp. Skyler James, a tilt-rotor mechanic assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, and another Marine were struck by lightning while working on the aircraft.

Following the incident, they were transported to Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital where they were evaluated for serious injuries.

The other Marine was released, while James was subsequently transported to UNC Health Center for further treatment.

Following several days of treatment and evaluation, James was declared dead.

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Veterans "Emotional Support" Dog Bit Passenger?

Before everyone starts to think service dogs are to blame, we need to know who trained this dog!

NC veteran's support dog bites passenger on Delta Airlines flight
ABC 11 News
June 06, 2017

Mundy Jr., a veteran of the Marine Corps, was worried that his dog would be put down following the incident.

A passenger on board a Delta Airlines flight was mauled by an emotional support dog Sunday.

Marlin Jackson was described to be very bloody after the incident took place.

The owner of the dog, North Carolina resident Ronald Mundy Jr., and his dog were involved in the frightening episode moments before take-off.
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Twenty Years in Navy, Veteran Gets Note For Parking in Veteran's Spot?

Angry note left on Navy vet's car for using veteran-designated parking space

Navy veteran Rod Boyle received this note on his car after utilizing veteran-designated parking at a local grocery store. The expletive used in the note has been blurred out.
COURTEST ROD BOYLE

On Saturday night, Rod Boyle, 56, parked in a spot reserved for veterans at the Harris Teeter in Wake Forest, N.C. — something he almost never does.

He was just going into the store to pick up a few things quickly, he said.

He wasn’t expecting a note accusing him of misusing the parking spot, since he retired from the Navy after 20 years as a Petty Officer 1st Class.

click link for more of this...but I bet you figured out who the real moron is.

Fayetteville VA cut more than half of its caregivers

Some VAs Are Dropping Veteran Caregivers From Their Rolls
NPR
Quil Lawrence
April 5, 2017
Heard on Morning Edition

Fayetteville cut more than half of its caregivers, dropping 314 families from the rolls between May 2014 and February 2017. And while data from the VA in Washington showed seven staff at Fayetteville were coordinating caregivers (a ratio of 37/1), the Fayetteville VA shows only two staff are doing that job, meaning that each coordinator is actually overseeing more than 125 veterans.

Alishia Graham had been part of a Veterans Affairs program as a caregiver for her husband, Jim. The couple lives in Jacksonville, N.C. Jim's tattoo commemorates his best friend, who was killed in 2006 by the mortar blast that also left Jim with a brain injury. Quil Lawrence /NPR

By the time they cut her from the program, Alishia Graham was angry, but not surprised. Her postman delivered the news in February.

"The letter was sitting at the top — and my stomach dropped because I knew what it was," she says.

The letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs informed Graham that her husband Jim, who sustained a brain injury on his third deployment to Iraq, no longer qualified for a caregiver to help with his daily life.

"It's not even like ... 'We think he doesn't need as much help.' No — 'We think he's totally fine and he doesn't need any help,' " says Graham. "I'm insulted for him. Because I know what he struggles with."

"The program is not cutting back in any way," says Meg Kabat, director of the VA Caregiver Support Program. "We've been able to expand the number of caregiver support coordinators and really continue to monitor that. We also train our staff on a regular basis."

But the VA is infamous for lacking consistency from station to station. And while the program has added 6,300 caregivers since 2014, according to VA data, NPR discovered that 32 out of 140 VA medical centers were cutting their programs during the same period — some drastically.
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Fatal Motorcycle Crash Claimed Life of Marine From Florida

Marine from Eustis dies in motorcycle crash in North Carolina 
Orlando Sentinel 
Jerry Fallstrom 
Apri 4, 2017

A 22-year-old Marine from Eustis was killed last week in motorcycle accident in North Carolina, according to media reports.

Lance Cpl. Spencer Timothy Draper, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune, ran off the right side of the road March 27 while going around a slight bend near Richlands, The Daily News of Jacksonville, N.C., reported. He struck a mailbox, lost control of the motorcycle, overturned several times and was ejected, the newspaper reported. read more here

Veteran Left on Floor in North Carolina VA?

COUPLE DEPLORES HEARTBREAKING SCENE AT DURHAM VA HOSPITAL
ABC 11 News
John Camp
February 27, 2017

"He was visibly in pain," said Hanna. "And I think the thing with that that disturbed me so much was that there were people just sitting there acting like nothing was happening and he was sitting right in front of them and they were not even acknowledging that it was happening."

DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- It's not hard to find stories of headaches -- and heartache -- when it comes to the VA. What makes this one different is it has pictures to go with it.

Marine veteran Stephen McMenamin and his wife, Hanna, moved to Raleigh from their home in Milwaukee a few months ago and already have amassed an armload of personal stories about long wait times at the Durham VA hospital -- both to get appointments in the first place and in the waiting room once at the hospital.

But they said it was what they saw Friday that moved them to take pictures and post them to Facebook.

"It was very upsetting," Stephen McMenamin said. He and his wife said they saw a handful of older veterans mistreated and ignored during the seven hours they were at the hospital, including an aged-veteran in a wheelchair.
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Veteran's Wife Gets Justice When He Couldn't Fight for Himself

VA awards full benefits to veteran with Alzheimer's and PTSD after wife shares his story
WITN News
By CB Cotton/Lindsay Oliver
Feb 23, 2017

"We had to have one of our examiners review that medical report, review the other evidence that they may have had, and really render an opinion that the veteran had PTSD," says Mark Bilosz, the director. "They were not able to disassociate the symptoms between the PTSD and the Alzheimer's, but basically once they diagnosed PTSD, we rated that and were able to grant 100 percent disability based on all the veteran's symptoms."

ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A local woman is facing a difficult battle - she is losing the man she loves. He's a man who served our country for more than 20 years in the Marines and now he's battling Alzheimer's disease.

After fighting to get benefits for her husband's care from the VA, things changed for the better after sharing her story with WITN.

"I asked him, 'Is my name Jeanette' and he said 'No' and I said, 'Well, am I your wife?' and he said 'Yes'," Jeanette Martinez says.

She says she and William were a happy family, raising two daughters, one adopted and one biological with Down syndrome. They've been married for 43 years.

She says in 2006, William, who served more than 20 years in the Marines, was starting to forget.

"We got the diagnosis in the 2008 that he had early onset dementia," Jeanette says. "It was devastating to both of us. It was the first time I saw my husband cry."

William was just 55 years old when diagnosed and was put on memory medications, medications that Jeanette says bought them time.

"As it progressed, the bad days were getting longer, but you could see the frustration, it's like he knew he didn't know and it frustrated him terribly," she explains.
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12 Million Veterans Diagnosis Mistakes A Year?

Diagnosis mistakes for veterans: 12 million happen a year
WLOS News
by Jennifer Emert
Wednesday, February 22nd 2017

A study by VA Dr. Hardeep Singh shows more than 12 million VA and private patients are misdiagnosed a year. Singh's research blames it on doctors not getting enough time to be face to face with their patients or their medical records. The average exam time has gone from 40 minutes to 20 minutes.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Making up for past mistakes has been a focus of the Veterans Health Administration.

Overall, there's been an improvement. But, from the front lines, from several veterans' perspectives, sometimes it is a battle to get the right diagnosis.

The Charles George VA Medical Center's rating is great, recently receiving five stars. But that’s based on the VA's data on inpatient treatment.

One mountain veteran is telling a different story, a story that lasted a year and ended up with him leaving the system.

“I feel like I'm fighting more of a battle back here than I have over there,” Chad Thomas said.

At 26, Thomas fought on Iraq's front lines. He was deployed to Iraq in 2004-05 as an airborne infantryman, assigned to the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade.

“Anytime there was a convoy, that was my job,” Thomas said.

From his Humvee gunner's post, he protected soldiers in and out of Bagdad's airport. Twelve years later, Thomas' battle has gone from the war room to an exam room.

“That's usually what I see happening, when there's an infection, I usually have all this other stuff,” Thomas said.

He's waging war on an infection that six months ago was much larger, blackening the skin.
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Vietnam Veteran With PTSD Proves He's Still Serving Others

Vietnam veteran spends time helping stranded drivers for free
FOX 5 News Atlanta
By: Katie Beasley
POSTED:NOV 16 2016

Walt spent two combat tours in Vietnam, and says one way he keeps his PTSD in check, is by helping others. "I've had a good life. I was very lucky to survive all the stuff that happened to be there. I survived it all, I went on to marry and have five great kids. Life has been good to me, and I figured, here's a way I can give back also."

ATLANTA - Being stuck on the side of the road with car trouble can make for a really awful day. Around Atlanta, we have H.E.R.O. trucks. The Highway Emergency Response Operators help stranded drivers but there's one man who's been helping drivers all around the country, for nearly forty years.

Walt Brinker is a H.E.R.O. too, only he operates out of his own car. As a hobby, he helps provide roadside assistance, free of charge. The 72-year old from North Carolina has stopped to help well over 2,000 vehicles. Now, he's put his hands on knowledge into a book, to help more drivers out there.
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Fort Carson Special Forces Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

DOD confirms two soldiers assigned to Fort Carson died in Afghanistan
KKTV News 11
November 4, 2016

FORT CARSON, Colo. (KKTV) The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed Friday two soldiers working with Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan who were killed were assigned to Fort Carson.

They have been identified as Capt. Andrew Byers, 30, of Rolesville, N.C. and Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Gloyer, 34, from Greeville, Penn.

The DOD says the soldiers were assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) of Fort Carson.
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Black Hawk Down Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wayne Bray Passed Away

Air Force veteran whose story was told in 'Black Hawk Down' dies
The Courier-Tribune (Tribune News Service)
By Judi Brinegar
Published: October 29, 2016

S/Sgt. Jeffrey Wayne Bray's actions in Somalia in 1993 earned him a Silver Star and were later portrayed in the movie, “Black Hawk Down.” He died Oct. 24 at the age of 49. COURTESY BRAY FAMILY

ASHEBORO — A recognized hero, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wayne Bray, 49, a Randolph County, N.C. native, died Oct. 24 at Columbus Regional Healthcare.

You might not know his name, but his actions in Somalia in 1993 earned him a Silver Star —and those actions were later portrayed in the movie, “Black Hawk Down.”

Bray was born in Randolph County in 1966, the son of Martha Woodell Lindsey of Asheboro and the late John Franklin Bray.

Bray was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a Senior Airman who served with a Combat Control Team.
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Camp Lejeune Marine Reservist Murder-Suicide Investigation

Brother: Man who killed girlfriend, self 'a good person'
Gaston Gazette
By Adam Lawson
October 26, 2016

As a reservist, Walker was promoted to sergeant with Company F, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division at Camp Lejeune on Oct. 1. Marine Corps Maj. Andrew Aranda, spokesman for the Marine Corps Reserve, listed his job as tank crewman.

The brother of a Gastonia man who detectives say strangled his estranged girlfriend to death and then killed himself Monday wants to know why things spiraled out of control.

Tyrone Walker knew his baby brother, Justin Hakeem Walker, and Rebecca Jones had "been going through a little something." But he didn't foresee it ending in two deaths. Justin Walker had just proposed to her on Christmas, and the two once planned on getting married at a church in April, according to an online wedding registry.

According to the registry, the two met in September 2011 and had been "together ever since."

Tyrone Walker wants to know what was going through his brother's head at the time, what he was thinking, what could make him end two lives. Police can't answer those questions, Tyrone Walker said.

"I really don't got nothing to ask the police," he said. "There's nothing they can solve. Nobody can know what was going on with both of them. Not nobody knows the motive that really happened."
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North Carolina Veteran Saved From Flood By Brother, Twitter and Stranger with Drone

Brother uses Twitter to save veteran, dog in Matthew flooding
KHOU
October 10, 2016

HOPE MILLS, NC - A worried brother and a man with a drone used the power of social media to save someone trapped in their house.

Craig Williams was worried about his brother, Chris, and contacted WFMY News 2 early Sunday morning. Chris Williams is a Navy veteran with a dog who cannot swim in Cumberland County. He was stuck in his house because of Hurricane Matthew flooding.

We called Cumberland County 911 and they said they were working on getting someone to help, but could not get there due to the flooding.

Little did Craig know, a man posting drone pictures on social media could help.

Searching through #HopeMills on Twitter, the city his brother lives in, he found a drone picture of homes almost completely flooded.

Trying to cheer up his brother he sends this picture and teases him that at least this isn't his house.
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USS Wasp Sailor's Death Under Investigation

U.S. Navy sailor dies of non-combat injury off Libya
UPI
By Andrew V. Pestano
Sept. 22, 2016

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday said Devon M. Faulkner, a U.S. Navy aviation boatswain's mate airman, died from a non-combat-related injury while supporting the U.S.-led coalition operation against the Islamic State in Libya.

Faulkner, 24, from Raleigh, N.C., was assigned to the Norfolk, Va.-based USS Wasp, which left in late June for a 6-month tour in the central Mediterranean Sea. The incident that caused Faulkner's death on Tuesday is under investigation.
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Not So Special Forces Veteran Charged With VA Fraud

Burke man accused of cheating VA gets bond
The News Herald
BY SHARON MCBRAYER Staff Writer
September 12, 2016

A Morganton man facing federal charges for defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was released on bond Monday.

Roy Lee Ross Jr., a.k.a. Daniel Alfred Sullivan Jr., 64, of Morganton, received a $25,000 unsecured bond during his initial appearance and arraignment in federal court in Asheville. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and he asked for and was granted a court-appointed attorney, Fredilyn Sison.

Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell set conditions on Ross’ release but those conditions have been sealed by the court, according to federal documents.

The court also has sealed a pretrial report on Ross.

Ross was indicted in August on one count of executing a scheme to defraud a health benefit organization (the VA), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and two counts of making false statements in connection with the delivery of health care benefits by the VA, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also is charged with two counts of stealing from the VA, a charge has a potential maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine, and one count of a making false claim for travel benefits from the VA, which carries a potential maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine,

The initial indictment on him said Ross, who was discharged from the U.S. Army “Under Conditions Other Than Honorable,” started falsely representing himself to the VA Medical Center in Asheville as a U.S. Army veteran named “Daniel Alfred Sullivan Jr.” around June 2007. The indictment alleges Ross, as Sullivan, claimed that he had served in the Special Forces, that he had been wounded in combat and that he had been honorably discharged from the Army. The indictment goes on to say Ross claimed he was suffering from nightmares caused by his wartime service and his combat-related injuries.

Then in 2015, still claiming to be Daniel Sullivan, Ross filed a third claim for “increased evaluation,” claiming that he was suffering from cervical (neck) impairment and pain due to his injuries while on active duty.
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Vietnam: Medal of Honor quest for Maj. George Quamo

A breakthrough in Medal of Honor quest for Maj. George Quamo
Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
By Paul Nelson
Published: August 29, 2016

ALBANY, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) — Friends and family of George Quamo hope two more testimonials — one from a former military medic and another penned by one of his fellow special service members — will bolster the case that the Green Beret from Averill Park deserves a Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Vietnam War.

Maj. George Quamo VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND

Two notarized letters — from William Harris of North Carolina and Richard Mullowney Jr. of Alaska — bring to three the supporting documents that supporters will be submitting to the Defense Department requesting that Quamo be posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honor.

The Army Major who graduated from Averill Park High School in 1958 was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for leading a dangerous helicopter mission in 1968 that rescued 14 Green Berets and dozens of others who were invaded by two North Vietnamese battalions and were pleading for help at the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp in central Vietnam.

Quamo (pronounced Cuomo) died in a plane crash on April 14, 1968.
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North Carolina Iraq Veteran and Children Murdered

Family: Murdered mom was Iraq War Vet
WITN News
By Dave Jordan
August 17, 2016

Family members of the Greenville mom found murdered Tuesday say she was an Iraq War Veteran.

Garlette Howard and her children Mayana, Brianna and Ayanna were discovered in their West Pointe Townhome by Greenville police who went there for a welfare check.

Dibon Toone, father of at least two of the children, is charged with Howard's murder and police say charges in the other deaths are forthcoming.
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Family Shocked "Little Greek" Vietnam Veteran Actually Hero

Family discovers father, a Vietnam veteran, was more than their hero
Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C.
By Kevin Ellis
Published: August 13, 2016

At first glance, Lekopites may not have quite looked like a hero. He told people he was 5 foot 6, but was actually closer to 5 foot 4. He was always extremely fit but never tipped the scales past 150 pounds. He carried the nickname "little Greek man."

GASTONIA, N.C. (Tribune News Service) — Asked what he did during his 20-year military career, Michael Lekopites had a ready, unassuming answer.

"He would say, 'I worked in communications. I climbed telephone poles,'" said Holly Pickert of Belmont, the oldest of his three daughters.

And while his girls always knew their father had done more, it was enough that he was their protector, their guardian and, if needed, their shoulder to cry on.

"He had a tough exterior with a soft heart," Pickert said.

But last year, the three girls came to realize that Alzheimer's disease was about to steal their family history. No longer could their father tell them stories of his past, or sometimes even their own names. They could pick out pieces of his story but needed help in filling the gaps.

"As kids, you don't pay attention to that stuff," Pickert said.

They turned to U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry's office for help in getting the service medals their father had earned during an Army career that started in 1962 and would include two years in Vietnam.

"I've never awarded so many medals to one individual in my 12 years of Congress," McHenry said last week.

Medals, military service commendations awarded to Michael Lekopites
Air Medal
Expert Badge with Rifle Bar
Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar
Army Service Ribbon
Soldiers Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Valorous Unit Award
National Defense Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Good Conduct Medal
Driver and Mechanic Badge
NCO Professional Development Ribbon
Vietnam Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
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Community Came Together To Help PTSD Service Dog

Maggie dies in the arms of a friend
Salisbury Post
Mark Wineka
August 11, 2016

SALISBURY — In about two days, Anna Jenkins will receive Maggie’s cremated remains. Back at her Salisbury apartment Wednesday afternoon, Jenkins began gathering all of Maggie’s stuff — the toys, beds, bowls, food, collars, leashes and the devices that helped her to walk.

Photo courtesy of Family Endeavors Law enforcement officers in Charlotte collected money toward a wagon for Anna Jenkins' service dog, Maggie. Maggie was put to sleep peacefully on Wednesday morning.

Jenkins plans on finding a place to donate these things. Otherwise, she was trying to get through the rest of the day without the service dog that had been — through some pretty tough times — her best friend since 2005.

“It’s strange,” Jenkins says. “I keep looking and expecting to see her and she’s not there.”

Maggie’s death came peacefully Wednesday morning.

“Her dying in my arms was a gift I could not imagine,” Anna Jenkins said.

In a column Tuesday, I had relayed Anna’s desperation in trying to pay for the euthanasia of Maggie, her 14 1/2-year-old chocolate Labrador and service dog. The prices she had been quoted from three different veterinary clinics for the euthanasia and cremation were too much for Anna to afford.
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