Guardians help veterans on Honor Flight visit to war memorials
WLOS ABC 13 News by Frank Kracher October 12th 2018
Some guardians were veterans, like Iraq War Marine Kevin Rumley, who was on his fourth Honor Flight..."As much as I'm moved by the experience every time, my focus as a guardian is always on the veteran and anything they need to just make their day better," Rumley said.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Blue Ridge Honor Flight took to the air last weekend for the 35th time, and the trip was a first.
Veterans of Vietnam, accompanied by Honor Flight guardians, who helped get them through a whirlwind day in Washington, D.C., were the focus for the first time.
Honor Flights are free for veterans; guardians pay for the privilege.
That group of volunteers is our Persons Of The Week.
From Asheville Regional Airport to Reagan National, the trip was the start of a "welcome home" experience so many Vietnam vets never had.
Among them, 71-year-old Yancey County native David Letterman.
First stop was the Lincoln Memorial, for a color guard flag ceremony and group photo.
Disabled Army veteran rescues flag being run over by cars
KXXV News By Holly Stouffer, Reporter October 11, 2018
TEMPLE, TX (KXXV) -
Chris Ellenburg was driving home from work on FM 1237 Monday afternoon when something in the road caught his eye. "I honestly could not believe it," Ellenburg said. "I figured it was normal trash, but as soon as I saw the flag open up as it flipped over into my lane, I knew." Ellenburg was heated. He immediately pulled over and hopped out of his truck to rescue the tattered flag that was being run over by other drivers.
"You're dang right I stopped traffic," Ellenburg said. "And there were still disrespectful people driving by as I had this flag, picking it up off the ground in the middle of a freaking road."
He said some drivers even honked at him to get out of the way. As a disabled Army veteran, Ellenburg was trained to leave no man behind. He sees his fellow soldiers each time he looks at the flag.
read more here
Veteran's family fights to bring long lost sister from Vietnam to NC
WECT news
October 12, 2018
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - In the wake of Hurricane Florence, a lot of us know what it’s like to feel displaced.
Anne Puangprasert, Wayne Lipford and Kumaune (WECT)
Anne Puangprasert has known that feeling her whole life, having overcome abuse, loss, and even a falsified death. Anne is the daughter of a Vietnam veteran who moved to Wilmington after the war, and her family is now trying desperately to bring her home. Pete Lipford met his sister Anne for the first time last year. He is 45. She is 48. Pete knew he had a sister, but thought, as did his father, Wayne, that she had died decades ago. read more here
Army nurse recounts her service in Vietnam, impact on her life
Jennifer Horbelt, Mike Spissinger WPSD Local 6 news October 11, 2018
PADUCAH — The Wall That Heals is coming to Paducah from Oct. 25 to 28. There are more than 58,000 names on this traveling replica Vietnam Memorial. They are the men and women who never came home.
Marj Graves stands at the nurse’s station in the 24th Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh during her tenure in Vietnam.
Those who did very likely were cared for by army nurses like Marj Graves. When the chance to help soldiers in Vietnam presented itself, she didn’t hesitate to go, but she saw and experienced things that cut deep and nearly took her life. She has spent decades learning to care for herself as much as she cares for others. “We may not have carried a gun, we may not have been on the front lines of combat, but some of the things that we saw and that we experienced were horrific. Horrific,” Marj said. From the time Marj was old enough to play with dolls, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. “I never wanted to be anything else but a nurse,” Marj said. read more here
Son of dead Quincy veteran attacks Rauner in new Pritzker ad
WGN 9 News BY TAHMAN BRADLEY Octobr 11, 2018
CHICAGO — Hours before the final gubernatorial debate in Quincy, the J.B. Pritzker campaign launched a blistering new attack ad featuring the son of a veteran who died after contracting Legionnaire’s disease at the Illinois Veterans Home. Eugene Miller is one of 14 residents of the Quincy home to die during the Legionnaires’ outbreaks since 2015. His son, Tim Miller, appeared in the television commercial titled “Heroes.”
“Gov. Rauner was more interested in protecting his image than he was the heroes who protected our country,” Tim Miller says to the camera. As Miller describes visiting his dying father in the hospital, the spot cuts to a graphic on screen that reads, “For six days the state of Illinois knew of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak and said nothing.” read more here
Widow of Army veteran receives home makeover thanks to Home Depot and HomeStrong USA
Fontana Herald News
October 11, 2018
The widow of a U.S. Army veteran received a very special home makeover in Bloomington on Oct. 4.
The Home Depot Foundation partnered with HomeStrong USA to transform the home of Maria Rowe, the widow of George Rowe, who served more than nine years in the Vietnam War.
Originally tasked with renovating the Rowes' bathroom, the Home Depot Foundation increased its support to cover renovations needed throughout the home after Maria Rowe unexpectedly lost her husband last year. More than 90 members of Team Depot, the Home Depot's associate-led volunteer force, completed the work on their day off. read more here
Family reunited with missing soldier's remains, visits lab that identified him
KETV News
Sarah Fili
October 11, 2018
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. —
An American hero is home. Army Sgt. Melvin Anderson was killed in World War II and was listed as "missing in action. His remains were recently identified in Nebraska. Thursday, his family got to see the lab that reunited them. “He’s just been a part of our family. And even though he’s been missing for that long we've always had hope we would find him,” Maureen Herzberg, Anderson's niece, said.
Anderson died fighting in Germany in 1944. He was buried in an American cemetery overseas but was never identified. That changed when his skeleton was exhumed and sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory at Offutt. read more here
Homeless Air Force veteran and street artist receives national attention after stranger buys his work
ABC 13 NEWS
Deborah Wrigley
October 11, 2018
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As cars travel over a creek on a Katy Freeway service road, yards beneath out of view, a homeless vet applies paint to plywood, creating art.
It is where Baird Asher has lived for two months after he caught a ride to Houston from New Orleans, where he was a street artist. As an Air Force veteran who was an aircraft mechanic, "I can put an engine together," he said, but his real calling is his art.
"I'm an artist, and this is what I do," he said. "I don't necessarily refuse to do anything else, but this is what God gave me the talent to do."
Technically, Asher is homeless.
"I live under a highway bridge," he said with a laugh. But he needed the kindness of strangers to eat.
Two days ago, he was standing at an intersection with a sign that read, "Hungry Vet." That caught the eye of Suzanne Coppola, who was stopped at the light. At his feet was one of his paintings. It got Coppola's attention.
"I parked illegally and talked to him," she said. "He had an amazing story, and he's an amazing artist and I put it on my Facebook page, asking the creative community if we could do something for him."
The response amazed Coppola.
"I have artists contacting me about ideas they have for him, and a gallery owner from Dallas, who also has a gallery in Miami, asked to buy all his paintings," she said. read more here
The bullet was fired at a street sign. It killed a retired Marine on his porch, SC cops say
The State BY NOAH FEIT October 11, 2018
The 48-year-old was a retired Marine major, and his family had recently moved into the Hodges house, the Index-Journal reported.
A retired veteran was killed Wednesday when a bullet fired at a street sign went through it and fatally struck him while he was on the porch of his South Carolina home, according to law enforcement.
Greenwood County Coroner Sonny Cox said Joe Darius Black was killed by a gunshot wound to his upper body, WYFF-4 reported.
He was a retired United States Marine, according to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, which said Black “served his Country for 20 plus years.”
When sheriff’s deputies arrived around 11:30 p.m., they reported Black’s family was “administering CPR,” which they continued, along with Greenwood County EMS personnel, but the veteran died on the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. read more here
Guilty Plea Entered by Man who Fired BB Gun at Navy Seals in Training
San Diego Union Tribune
Pauline Repard
October 11, 2018
First Phase Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs candidates participate in log physical training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, July 14, 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Black)
A man who fired a pellet gun at Navy SEALS who were diving near Liberty Station pleaded guilty Wednesday, a day before his trial was to begin. Scott Weaver, 48, pleaded guilty to brandishing a replica firearm and attempting to threaten a witness. A charge of assault with a deadly weapon was dismissed in an earlier hearing. read more here
Former Reality TV Star Gets 16 Years After Crash that Killed Coast Guardsman
Canadian Press
October 11, 2018
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A former reality TV star will serve 16 years in prison for killing a U.S. Coast Guard technician in a drunken wrong-way collision on a Virginia highway. News outlets reported that Melissa Hancock was sentenced Wednesday after earlier pleading guilty to manslaughter, driving the wrong way and failing to obey a highway sign...Daniel Dill was a Logan Township, New Jersey, native who was stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia, as an information systems technician. read more here
The Mustard Seed of Central Florida is helping people get back on their feet, including veterans! They helped a veteran and his family find a place of their own after becoming homeless. That homelessness happened after Marine was discharged for medical reasons after serving 4 years!
I have spent most of my life knowing what the DAV does. After all, my Dad was 100% disabled Korean War veteran and they helped him with his claim. Then they helped my husband. If you have questions or need some answers...or someone to fight for you for a change, contact them! DAV Chapter 16 in Orlando~
The Vet Centers have been able to get veterans understand that they are not taking another veteran's place, but help them understand that they matter just as much. Heck, they helped me back in the 90's in Massachusetts when I was trying to get my husband understand that he paid for his care the day he signed the blank check to Uncle Sam.
No one washes their hands of veterans who choose hospice services from VITAS. It does not matter if you need to be in a facility or, choose to stay home, they will help you when you need it, but also help your caregivers when they need it. They know what you are dealing with and everything that came from your service. It does not matter which war, illness or even if it is from being on a contaminated military base, like Camp Lejeune. If you want to find out more about all the fabulous services they offer, call 407-921-2695
The UCF Veterans History Project is also near and dear to my heart! Since I grew up surrounded by two generations of combat veterans, I am ashamed to admit, I stopped listening to their stories...then I stopped remembering them. This is about documenting the services of veterans so that we never forget those who paid the price for the freedoms we have.
Orlando Veterans Court has a mission to help veterans heal instead of seeing them locked up! It is not a get out of jail free pass, but they set veterans up with the resources they need to begin to heal their lives!
UCF Cares About You
Phone 407-823-5607 Email ucfcares@ucf.edu Location Ferrell Commons, Room 142
UCF Cares is an umbrella of care-related programs and resources dedicated to fostering a caring community of Knights. However, it takes all of us from students to staff, from faculty to friends, to show that we care about one another. The goal of the UCF CARES initiative is to build a culture of care one KNIGHT at a time. We are all UCF and need to do our part in connecting any fellow knights in distress to appropriate resources.
UCF Restores Among other awesome things UCF Restores is doing, they are conducting research on smelling~ Yep! You know how when you smell something, it can bring back memories of growing up. I sure do, because it is chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and right away I remember my Aunt's cookies. I get all warm and filled with great memories. Those smells can also be a trigger for something bad that happened to you. When you survived "it" every part of "you" was involved. That is why sounds and smells can bring things back you do not want to relive. They are trying to understand the association and how it can be treated. Awesome right? For older veterans it is the smell of diesel. You know what that does. Anyway, they are looking for males from 18 and up who are OEF OIF veterans. They want you to call 407-823-3910.
If you are still wondering how to #TakeBackYourLife, then contact all those great groups and START DOING IT!
Charity for veterans' funerals faces federal investigation
Military Times
Geoff Ziezulewicz
October 10, 2018
“Personal purchases” allegedly included tattoo parlor payments, private school tuition for the Walkers’ children, $9,000 at Disney resorts, $5,000 in “food and entertainment expenses” and $7,000 to a law firm representing the couple “in connection with a dispute with the City of Norwood Young America,” according to the affidavit, which Military Times obtained from the U.S. Department of Justice.
To hear Army veteran Troy D. Walker tell it, Dog Tag Furniture’s mission to aid vets began after a service buddy killed himself and the family couldn’t afford a funeral.
The feds are investigating Troy D. Walker, an Army veteran, and his wife for allegedly pocketing proceeds and donations to their organization, Dog Tag Furniture, which raises money for veterans funerals. (Screenshot courtesy KTSP-TV)
The Department of Veterans Affairs can only provide a few hundred dollars, the Minnesota man told “Fox and Friends” on Sept. 23, 2017.
“The body was going to go unclaimed and be put in a baggie,” Walker said.
Walker recalled going into debt to help pay his friend’s funeral costs and then realized no organizations existed to solely help fund veterans' funerals.
read more here
A new study has found that there is a rise of post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD) among those who have served the army and military over the past decade. The study reveals that most of the personnel who have been witness to active combat were among those who reported with symptoms of PTSD and 17 percent of these individuals were diagnosed with PTSD.
Image Credit: Emily C. McCormick / Shutterstock
The authors say the lack of support after leaving the army and the natural course of PTSD that manifests much later after the actual events have occurred could be the probable reasons behind these rising instances. The study results were published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.
The study by a team of researchers at the King’s College, London, included around 9,000 veterans and found that there is a rising awareness regarding PTSD and this is caused a rise in number of individuals seeking treatment for this condition. The number of diagnosed cases of PTSD was 4 percent in 2004-05 and it has risen to 6 percent in 2014-16 finds the study. The incidence of PTSD was 17 percent among those who were engaged in active combat roles in Afghanistan or Iraq and 6 percent of the cases were seen among those who were engaged in supporting roles such as aircrew and medical personnel at the battlefields.
According to lead author, Dr Sharon Stevelink, from the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College, this is the first study that shows that the veterans who have been deployed in combat roles are at great risk of PTSD and these numbers are greater than those who are still serving. She said that one in three of the veterans have been engaged in active combat.
This study, Stevelink explained is the third phase of a major study that began since 2003. This phase looked at veterans in 2014 to 2016 and found that 62 percent of these persons were deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq and were of an average age of around 40 years. Anxiety and depressive illness rates were around 22 percent among these veterans found the study and the authors noted that alcohol abuse reduced from 15 percent to 10 percent over these years. read more here
Rocket carrying space station crew fails in mid air, crew safe Thomson Reuters BY SHAMIL ZHUMATOV Oct 11th 2018
BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Oct 11 (Reuters) - A booster rocket carrying a Soyuz spacecraft with a Russian and U.S. astronaut on board headed for the International Space Station failed mid-air on Thursday, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing.
The rocket was carrying U.S. astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin. Footage from inside the Soyuz showed the two men being shaken around at the moment the failure occurred, with their arms and legs flailing.
The rocket was launched from the Soviet-era cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. A Reuters reporter who observed the launch from around 1 km away said it had gone smoothly in its initial stages and that the failure of the booster rockets must have occurred at higher altitude. read more here
After pummeling Florida and Georgia, deadly Michael heads to the Carolinas CNN By Nicole Chavez October 11, 2018
An 11-year-old girl was killed in Seminole County, Georgia during the storm, emergency management officials said. A metal carport was picked up by the wind and crashed through the roof of a structure, hitting the girl's head, said Travis Brooks, the county's emergency management director. Brooks said several hours passed before emergency officials could reach the unincorporated area where the incident took place.
Residents rescue a couple of dogs after the storm destroyed several buildings in Panama City.
CNN) After slamming Florida and lashing Georgia, Michael is far from finished as it swirls northeast, threatening the storm-weary Carolinas.
Since making landfall on Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, the now tropical storm has left thousands of people without power, uprooted trees, turned homes and marinas into ruins and killed at least 2 people.
"It feels like a nightmare," Linda Albrecht, a councilwoman in Mexico Beach, Florida, said of the catastrophic damage in her town. "Somebody needs to come up and shake you and wake you up."
The wrath of Michael continued into Georgia, bringing possible tornadoes and winds that kept first responders away from the streets for hours --- even as the storm weakened and became a tropical storm. On Thursday, authorities and residents will begin to discover the full extent of Michael's destruction in Florida and Georgia while the Carolinas brace for possible flooding, tornadoes and dangerous winds in many of the same areas still recovering from Hurricane Florence flooding. read more here
