Veterans Day is Everyday To Them

Veterans Day means different things to different folks in this country. If you have a veteran in your family, well, it has meaning to you. If you do not, then, hey, one more reason to go shopping and save some money. Think about that for a second, and then, maybe, you'll understand the rest of this. You save money on a day that is supposed to be about them after they were willing to lay down their own lives to save the life of someone else.

All my life I have been blessed to be surrounded by veterans and my family has served in three different wars. Really amazing considering I am only second generation American. My Uncles served in WWII, my Dad served in Korean and my husband served in Vietnam. His Dad and Uncles served in WWII. He's just second generation too.

Our Grandparents thought this country was so special, they risked everything to start a new life here. My Mom's family left Greece, my husband's Grandparents left Italy, all for the promise of what this country was. All of the veterans in our families thought it was not perfect but, oh so worthy, of whatever they could do for America.

They did not regret serving but they are sadden by the conditions far too many of them have to endure because members of Congress neglected to make sure the Department of Veterans Affairs was able to care for all their wounds. That is one thing generations of our elected representatives should have done decades ago. They haven't and now there are some suggesting this one place for them will be sold off so that they can be sent to civilian doctors and civilian hospitals.

You may think that all the problems with the claims, shortage of doctors and claims processors is new, but it has all gone on for generations. None of this is new to them or families like mine. They paid the price with their service and continue to pay the price for the lack of service they were promised.

So here are some reminders of what has not been accurate.

Afghanistan is the longest war. It is the longest declared war. Vietnam was the longest.

Vietnam Memorial Wall

The First and the Last The first American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Air Force T-Sgt. Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. He is listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having a casualty date of June 8, 1956. His name was added to the Wall on Memorial Day 1999. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who has a casualty date of Sept. 7, 1965.
First battlefield fatality was Specialist 4 James T. Davis who was killed on December 22, 1961.
The last American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Kelton Rena Turner, an 18-year old Marine. He was killed in action on May 15, 1975, two weeks after the evacuation of Saigon, in what became known as the Mayaguez incident.
Others list Gary L. Hall, Joseph N. Hargrove and Danny G. Marshall as the last to die in Vietnam. These three US Marines Corps veterans were mistakenly left behind on Koh Tang Island during the Mayaguez incident. They were last seen together but unfortunately to date, their fate is unknown. They are located on panel 1W, lines 130 - 131.

In the latest VA Suicide Research, they reported there are 20 veterans a day committing suicide, however, that was the same number reported in 1999 with over 5 million more veterans in this country. Most are tied to PTSD caused by combat.

All that bills Congress has passed and paid for, all the claims of the military changing how they treat the wounded, has actually made the outcomes more deadly. Veterans who go to the VA are less likely to commit suicide than those who do not.

Another fact is that the majority of veterans committing suicide, over 65% of them, are over the age of 50. With all that in mind, you may remember them today but the other reality for them is, their day as a veteran is everyday and they live with the memories of what they were willing to do for the sake of someone else. If you didn't know that already, I feel sorry for you because it means you do not know any of them. 

Generations of Veterans Gather to say "No regrets, despite their traumas"

On Veterans Day, from World War II to Iraq, vets say: No regrets, despite their traumas
Seattle Times
Erik Lacitis
Originally published November 11, 2016

Military veterans, from left: Angel Gonzalez, Scot Pondelick, Tommy Darnell, Alicia Johnson, Notrip Ticey III and, seated, Merle “Bob” Clapper at the Veterans Resource Center at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood.
(Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times)

They are six veterans of our various wars. Some saw combat, some not.

They sat together recently at the Veterans Resource Center at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood. And even though some had met for the first time, there was an easy camaraderie.

They told of their most vivid experiences in the military — the kind that come back in the middle of the night — and some told how the Fourth of July is always a rough day for them.

Some told of the smell of war. You never forget it. They gave advice to those thinking about joining the military.
read more here

"REZ" 101st Airborne Lost Ring At Brigham and Woman's Hospital Two Years Ago?

Brigham and Women's continues search for rightful owner of US Army ring
Becker Hospital Review
Written by Emily Rappleye
November 07, 2016

With Veterans Day nearing, Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital is re-launching a search for the owner of a U.S. Army ring found about two years at the facility on 75 Francis Street.

"The BWH safety and security team has worked diligently in hopes of finding the ring's rightful owner but has been unsuccessful to date," the hospital wrote Friday in a Facebook post with photos of the ring.

The initials R.E.Z. are inscribed inside the band of the ring. One side features a banner that reads "Airborne" above an eagle's head, suggesting the owner may have been from the 101st Airborne Division.
read more here

Is This The Best We Can Do For Veterans?

Is This Really The Best We Can Do?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 5, 2016

I absolutely refuse to believe this great country of ours is not already great, as much as I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

There are two people running to become President of this country. Half the country will be happy and the other half won't be. The losers, however, will continue to be the men and women in the military as well as our veterans.

Neither candidate for Commander-in-Chief has spent time talking about Afghanistan, which oddly enough, has happened before. You'd think it would matter considering sending troops there was in response to this nation being invaded by terrorists...but why talk about any of that?

Most of us have been scratching our heads wondering how these two candidates became the best this nation can do. Wow! Then again, most of us have been wondering if this is the best this nation can do on a lot of things.

Everyone is talking about veterans, especially with Veterans Day coming next weekend. They'll either be talking about them with ceremonies, parades or other veterans events, while others will be complaining about traffic because there is a parade for them. I suppose it has more to do with what is important to them and if they are more important than anyone else, then, enough said on that. 

Some say that veterans should be able to go to private doctors, but the truth is, a lot of them already are. As a matter of fact, most of them are. The Times Tribune reported on Halloween that only about 20 percent of our veterans get all of their care from the VA, but the most shocking number is with over 21 million veterans in the country, the VA has not been able to properly take care of the veterans they have. 

This is more of a problem created by Congress than the VA, simply because Congress, has had jurisdiction over how they are taking care of veterans since 1946. They like to forget that part, especially when they want their jobs back to push for privatizing the VA and sending veterans into the mess the rest of us face.

There seems to be a lot of talking based on what is claimed, instead of what is true. Are we so lazy we are willing to settle for something because someone said "believe me" or "trust me" when they offer nothing to back up what they say? We're used to politicians doing that, but reporters managed somehow to fact check them. So why aren't reporters fact checking what has been going on for over a decade when the topic is about veterans killing themselves?

Some pretend they have the solution, but evidence has shown they do not even know the basics. The evidence keeps smacking them right in the head, but they're to busy filling their heads with nonsense, false claims are flowing out of their mouths like a bad case of Tourettes. They may have good reasons to want to help, but they lack the knowledge to actually do it. 

PTSD and suicides tied to military service are not new, but after over a decade of everything being done to help these men and women, it has actually gotten worse. Yep, worse, not better, no matter how much money Congress has been spending or how much in donations folks have been taking in to "raise awareness" about the "problem."

Worse? Yes. In 1999, the Department of Veterans Affairs discovered there were 20 veterans a day committing suicide. They came out with that same number in their latest research report.

There are less veterans now than in 1999, so yes, it is worse. The majority of the veterans committing suicide are over the age of 50, yet, according to social media, Iraq and Afghanistan are the only ones worthy of attention.

So, when do we stop settling for folks running around the country, expecting our money, without offering anything in return? When do we actually demand proof of what they claim?

How is raising "awareness" doing anyone any good? Good question, but add to that, how did they expect a different outcome, when they didn't even take the time to figure out that efforts raising awareness worked in the 70's, 80's and 90's, when no one was jumping onto Facebook? Back then veterans were suffering in silence because no one was talking about them until they started to talk about it. The worst thing is, no one is facing the harsh reality of what war does to those sent, other than those who went in our place.

Other nations lack in taking care of their veterans but those other nations are looking to us for leadership on how to do it. It has been that way since the 70's, when all the great research began on PTSD. So far, we've shown that what works is easily replaced by what is picked up on social media as the best research is allowed to gather dust on the library shelf. (A library is a place where actual books are held and lent out so that people can share knowledge)

We are better than this! Our veterans deserve the best we can give them including the truth. Change that to "nothing but the truth" and that has to include the facts instead of empty words said during an campaign speech. It must include more than a propaganda push to support what has already proven to have failed like "raising awareness" when no one seems to telling them they can heal or remind them of why they are worth helping. 

In a few days, thankfully, this two year ordeal will end with someone being elected and the other rejected. When do we reject the notion that this is the best we can do for veterans, the number one issue everyone in this country should never put over politics?

Marine Veteran Breaks Pull Up Record

Marine vet does 5,862 pullups in a day, breaks record
Marine Corps Times
By Oriana Pawlyk, Staff writer
November 20, 2015

A Marine veteran has beat the record for the number of pullups completed in a day, earning a spot in the annual Guinness Book of World Records book.

Veteran Marine Sgt. Guy Valentino completed more than 5,800 pullups on Nov. 11,

beating out a sailor for the new world record.(Photo: Courtesy Guy Valentino)

Veteran Sgt. Guy Seaman, who goes by the name Guy Valentino, decided to spend Veterans Day besting a sailor's pullup record.

He had 24 hours to do more than 5,804 pullups in order to beat the record set Sept. 27 by Navy Air Traffic Controller 1st Class (AW) Mike McCastle. And even though he had nearly a decade on McCastle, Valentino blew through the sailor's record, completing 5,862 pullups on Nov. 11.

read more here

“In Flanders Fields”

Reading of iconic WWI poem on its 100th anniversary a tribute to Veterans Day
Stars and Stripes
By Carlos Bongioanni
November 11, 2015

CARLISLE, Pa. – One stanza in French, and two in English.

That’s how John Prato, the consul general of Canada, read “In Flanders Fields” during a Veterans Day commemoration that centered on the 100-year anniversary of the iconic World War I poem.

Several dozen attendees, including U.S. and Canadian dignitaries, listened to the reading Tuesday at the Army Heritage and Education Center, adjacent to Carlisle Barracks where the U.S. Army War College is located. The reading followed several brief historical sketches of the poem’s author and of the horrific events he witnessed during WWI.

Lt. Col. John McCrae, a Canadian Army surgeon, wrote the poem in 1915 after allied forces suffered devastating losses from chlorine-gas attacks and after a friend, Lt. Alexis Helmer, was killed on May 2 by an artillery shell.
read more here
A poetic Veterans Day remembrance of the fallen 'In Flanders Fields'

New Jersey Man Bought Uniform But Not Honor

The article says that the fraud bought his uniform and badges at Fort Dix but you can't buy anything at a PX (military store) without an ID. How did he do it?

POLICE: NJ MAN IMPERSONATED SOLDIER ON VETERANS DAY 
A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a soldier on Veterans Day.
ABC 11 News
November 13, 2015

GALLOWAY TWP., N.J. -- A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a soldier on Veterans Day.

Michael Porter, 25, of Galloway Township, is charged with Impersonating Military Personnel / Stolen Valor.

He was found dressed in a military uniform in the area of a base near Pomona Road and Atlantic Avenue on Wednesday.

Patrolman Gary Brenner from Galloway Township Police says he recognized Porter as a man who had prior contact with police.

"It was the same exact uniform that active military reserve would be wearing.

He stated that he bought the uniform from Fort Dix along with all of his badges," said Ptl. Gary Brennan.

Department of Corrections records show Porter has served time for eluding police, theft and illegal possession of a weapon among other crimes.
read more here

Orlando Veterans Day Parade

Fabulous way to spend Saturday morning! This is from the Orlando Veterans Day Parade.

This was my ride.  

Not this red one

but this one with the Seabees

If you read the monthly report on Veterans Events, this is Cathy Haynes, and she makes sure all of us know what is going on in our area.

Yes, the is Batman,,,,but not sure why

13 News showed the whole parade

Taking picture of cameraman was fun twist

This is the best shot of all.  Cathy was still standing up in the trailer and that is 50 behind her.

Needless to say there were a lot of shouts and toots!