Officials: Man killed while scavenging at Bragg
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Nov 2, 2009 13:13:34 EST
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Fort Bragg officials say a civilian killed in an explosion at the post was scavenging for scrap metal when he stepped on a round and it exploded.
Officials identified the man killed Friday as 47-year-old Ronnie Blue of Hamlet. Another man was injured in the explosion, officials said Monday. The blast occurred in an area that overlooks the range where soldiers practice firing artillery, tank shells and smaller weapons.
The post said the men were not Army employees.
Fort Bragg law enforcement officials are investigating.
The post is home to the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and Special Operations Command.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_bragg_death_civilian_110209/
Monday, November 2, 2009
Civilian killed in an explosion at Fort Bragg
What was he looking for and how did he get on the post with the other wounded man? Scrap metal? Scrap metal with the ability to explode? Something is missing in this report.
Heart of a Patriot
A veteran's 'Heart': Cleland book covers more than politics
By Press-Register Correspondent
November 01, 2009, 2:01PM
Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove
By Max Cleland with Ben Raines; Simon and Schuster, $26
Reviewed by SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND/Special to the Press-Register
The intoxicating lure of politics caught Max Cleland at an early age. In 1952, when he was only 10 years old, Cleland watched the televised Democratic National Convention and decided to campaign for Adlai Stevenson. He recruited the girl next door, and the two fashioned signs out of sticks and old pieces of cardboard. As cars drove past, the young politicos would run along side, shouting, “Adlai for President!” Before he even knew what it meant, Max Cleland was a Yellow Dog Democrat.
Cleland’s new book, “Heart of a Patriot,” tells a much more complex story than the typical political autobiography. Co-authored by award-winning Press-Register reporter Ben Raines, it is clearly more than simple campaign literature. “Heart of a Patriot” explores some of the darker periods in the senator’s life, from his near-fatal injuries in Vietnam and his bouts with depression, to the vicious 2002 campaign waged against him in his bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Max Cleland arrived in Vietnam in June 1967 as a second lieutenant in the First Air Calvary Division, and he was awarded a Bronze and a Silver Star for heroic service and gallantry in combat. In the spring of 1968, shortly after fighting in the battle of Khe Sahn, he was horribly injured, losing both legs and his right arm in a grenade explosion. Cleland recounts the weeks following the accident with vivid detail, including his first meeting with his parents. He spent the next year in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., recovering from his injuries.
Even though all other veterans from past wars suffered the same kind of
When Georgia native Jimmy Carter was elected president, he named the 34-year-old Cleland head of the Veterans Administration. Cleland brought to his new position a personal knowledge of the needs of returning soldiers. During his four-year tenure at the VA, Cleland lobbied for the expansion of benefits to cover emotional as well as physical trauma.
eternal/internal wound, it took Vietnam veterans like Max Cleland to come home and fight for this wound to be treated. Don't be startled by use of the word "eternal" because it will never be cured, but what is most important is that it can be healed with help. Veterans can find peace with what has been so they can live lives instead of just existing in a body and suffering. They were the first to fight for this, but the last to be acknowledged for it.
Cleland writes frankly about his experiences following his defeat. He sank into a deep depression that only worsened with the beginning of the Iraq War in April 2003. The war brought back painful memories for Cleland and, for the first time, he sought the assistance of professional counselors. Ironically, such help might have been unavailable if he had not lobbied to expand the VA’s counseling program in the late 1970s. Now he benefited from the very program he had helped create.
read more here
http://blog.al.com/entertainment-press-register/2009/11/a_veterans_heart_cleland_book.html
A soldier's injuries cripple body and mind
How many more? How long will it take before we get this right once and for all? I've been reading stories like this since 1982 and they don't get any easier to read. I can also assure you, they don't get any easier to live with after either.
I want every family to still have their veteran with them and not bury them. I want every wife (or husband) to still have the person they wanted to spend the rest of their life with still by their side. I want every child to grow up with them knowing they are loved by them and for every parent to stop having to bury a son or daughter needlessly. I want every veteran to know nothing about PTSD is their fault unless they think it is no longer a gift to be compassionate. To know that the person they were before is still inside of them trying to get out from behind the pain and the walls their mind has built fortified by drugs and alcohol. This I want them to know so they may heal and live. When we read about PTSD numbers we need to remember behind every number is a family that is just as much war wounded as their family member is.
A soldier's injuries cripple body and mind
Capt. Peter Sinclair returned from Iraq with debilitating back pain and haunting memories of war and death -- dogged enemies in his fight to rebuild his life.
By Jia-Rui Chong
Peter Sinclair rummaged through the closet and found what he was looking for.
His roommate, drawn to the commotion, saw Pete raise a gun to his head. Daniel Jennings managed to yank it away. He locked up all of Pete's guns.
"You can't stop me," Pete said.
Jennings and Pete had served together in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, but this was a year later and Pete was struggling.
Daniel encouraged him to lie down and left to get help once Pete seemed calmer.
"You're a good man," Pete said.
But he could not shake the images of war: dismembered children, mutilated bodies. Alone in his house, Pete called his parents. His sister Jennifer answered.
All he could do was scream, "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!"
He found a 7-inch knife and plunged it into his wrist.
As the blood spread across the floor, Daniel returned with an Army friend. They took the knife away and stopped the bleeding. Paramedics and police officers soon swarmed the house in Garden Grove.
As an officer in Iraq, Pete had won praise and promotions. His commander had called him "one of the finest, if not the finest young officer in the 298th Corps Support Battalion."
But Pete had come back from war with a broken body, suffering from back injuries and painful memories. Doctors, nurses, psychologists and physical therapists treated him, but few were able to help.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are challenging, if not taxing, veterans medical services. So far, nearly 36,000 troops have been wounded, many returning with injuries that in previous conflicts would have killed them. Some, like Pete, endure complications from physical and emotional trauma that neither surgery nor therapy nor medication can easily resolve.
read more here
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pete2-2009nov02,0,4375826.story
I want every family to still have their veteran with them and not bury them. I want every wife (or husband) to still have the person they wanted to spend the rest of their life with still by their side. I want every child to grow up with them knowing they are loved by them and for every parent to stop having to bury a son or daughter needlessly. I want every veteran to know nothing about PTSD is their fault unless they think it is no longer a gift to be compassionate. To know that the person they were before is still inside of them trying to get out from behind the pain and the walls their mind has built fortified by drugs and alcohol. This I want them to know so they may heal and live. When we read about PTSD numbers we need to remember behind every number is a family that is just as much war wounded as their family member is.
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
"He served in the Persian Gulf War, and after he returned home he joined the Los Angeles Police Department and the Army Reserves. In December 2003, he was called up for another tour in Iraq. A first lieutenant, he was assigned to an ordnance company at Ft. Buchanan in Puerto Rico."
Jennifer Sinclair weeps during a memorial service for her brother in June. Army Capt. Peter Sinclair had spent years on a regimen of painkillers, muscle relaxers and anti-anxiety medications to cope with debilitating back pain and severe post-traumatic stress after returning from Iraq in 2005. (Benjamin Reed / Los Angles Times / June 21, 2008)
A soldier's injuries cripple body and mind
Capt. Peter Sinclair returned from Iraq with debilitating back pain and haunting memories of war and death -- dogged enemies in his fight to rebuild his life.
By Jia-Rui Chong
Peter Sinclair rummaged through the closet and found what he was looking for.
His roommate, drawn to the commotion, saw Pete raise a gun to his head. Daniel Jennings managed to yank it away. He locked up all of Pete's guns.
"You can't stop me," Pete said.
Jennings and Pete had served together in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, but this was a year later and Pete was struggling.
Daniel encouraged him to lie down and left to get help once Pete seemed calmer.
"You're a good man," Pete said.
But he could not shake the images of war: dismembered children, mutilated bodies. Alone in his house, Pete called his parents. His sister Jennifer answered.
All he could do was scream, "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!"
He found a 7-inch knife and plunged it into his wrist.
As the blood spread across the floor, Daniel returned with an Army friend. They took the knife away and stopped the bleeding. Paramedics and police officers soon swarmed the house in Garden Grove.
As an officer in Iraq, Pete had won praise and promotions. His commander had called him "one of the finest, if not the finest young officer in the 298th Corps Support Battalion."
But Pete had come back from war with a broken body, suffering from back injuries and painful memories. Doctors, nurses, psychologists and physical therapists treated him, but few were able to help.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are challenging, if not taxing, veterans medical services. So far, nearly 36,000 troops have been wounded, many returning with injuries that in previous conflicts would have killed them. Some, like Pete, endure complications from physical and emotional trauma that neither surgery nor therapy nor medication can easily resolve.
read more here
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pete2-2009nov02,0,4375826.story
Warrior to Saint
Prayer of Saint Ioannikios
Reader: The Father is my hope, the Son my refuge, the Holy Spirit my protection. Holy Trinity, glory to you.
http://www.eea3.org/documenti/third/HuttunenEn.doc
Sometimes I think I make a lousy Greek. There is so much that I do not know about the history of my faith as an Orthodox. I am always learning something new even though I was baptized into the faith as an infant. Yesterday was one more occasion to be stunned when I was reading the weekly bulletin. While I had heard of St. Ioannikiois before, I must not have paid attention to what this man was all about before.
"For the first forty-three years of his life, the only thing one could call great about Ioannikios was his brute size which, coupled with an explosive temper, made him a fearsome figure, more at home on the field of battle than in the stillness of a church. rebellious at school, he spurned books as the tools of the weaklings, preferring to acquire an adeptness in the use of arms, as a result of which by the time he was eighteen he was overqualified for the military service but a hopeless illiterate. For the next quarter of a century, he showed not the slightest evidence of piety, yet a chance encounter brought out the true spirit latent within him and in illustration of the mysterious ways of God, he became a venerated saint of the Church."
Ioannikios knew about needing protection since he spent so many years as a warrior. We forget so many who managed to be men of faith as well as warriors.
"His military prowess assured him advancement in the ranks and he won wide recognition in a campaign against the Bulgarians, after which, at the age of forty-three, he unaccountably resigned his commission. Asked by his friends why he was leaving at the pinnacle of his military success, he answered honestly that he did not even know why himself, except that an inner force compelled him to seek another purpose in life, although he was not in the least aware to what end it would lead him." (From Orthodox Saints, Volume 4 George Poulos Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline MA printed in the bulletin of Holy Trinity Church, Orlando FL 11-1-2009)
We remember Pope Julius for hiring Michael Angelo for the Sistine Chapel, but we don't remember he strapped on body armor a time or two in his own life.
In June, 1474, Giuliano was sent at the head of an army to restore the papal authority in Umbria.........
.......In 1480 he was sent as legate to the Netherlands and France to accomplish three things, viz. to settle the quarrel concerning the Burgundian inheritance between Louis XI and Maximilian of Austria, to obtain the help of France against the Turks, and to effect the liberation of Cardinal Balue whom Louis XI had held in strict custody since 1469 on account of treasonable acts. After successfully completing his mission he returned to Rome in the beginning of 1482, accompanied by the liberated Cardinal Balue. At that time a war was just breaking out between the pope and Venice on one side and Ferrara on the other. Giuliano made various attempts to restore peace, and was probably instrumental in the dissolution of the Veneto-Papal alliance on 12 December, 1482. He also protected the Colonna family against the cruel persecutions of Cardinal Girolamo Riario in 1484.
Pope Julius II
In 1506 he officially founded the Swiss Guard, in order to provide a constant corps of soldiers to protect the Pope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Julius_II
He also knew what it was like to go to war but also he longed for peace.
Peace alludes so many after war. The visible scars of battle are regarded as badges of honor to some but to others painful reminders of what they were asked to do. Others carry scars no one can see with the naked eye unless someone manages somehow to look deep into their soul. These are very compassionate people and very brave.
What good is compassion without the courage to do something for others? What good would it do to be compassionate and see a child in the street but lack the courage to run out to save her? What good would it do to see anyone in need but lack the courage to put them first? All too often courage and compassion are not considered in harmony with each other.
When warriors come home (not just military, but law enforcement and emergency responders) their hearts are heavy by what they saw when others suffered. Their courage is often overlooked because of the pain they feel. Call them a hero and they tell you they were just doing their job. They know it was what they were supposed to do but most don't have a clue why that is. When they have to take a life to do their jobs, or see others die, they witness all the worst mankind has to offer instead of seeing what good there is there at the same time. The compassion they carry is what is good in the midst of what is bad.
They may look at what surrounds them and wonder where God is. Often they say any God allowing that kind of suffering cannot be good, especially when they see children suffering. They cannot see that there compassion to care in the first place came from good and not evil and that God's goodness was there all along because they were.
How can anyone hold onto that kind of love when they see so much hatred? How can they carry the burdens of others if they did not have the goodness within their soul in the first place? This is how God is still there even when the horror is there.
Being a warrior does not mean they stop feeling pain. It does not mean they are safe and sound just because they come back home. It does however mean that the more compassionate the soul within them, the more they will need help to heal from what they had to live through. They need to know that God did not abandon them or forsake them as much as they need to have the mental health help to heal.
How can they feel God did not abandon them when they are hurting so deeply at the same time they have to fight for benefits and VA healthcare? How can they feel it when their friends and families have no clue what is going on inside of them and take very little interest learning? It is so much easier for people to just assume they are no longer the same person and blame them for the change than to really think about the way they were before.
Imagine restoration of their lives and what can be produced by feeding their compassion instead of assaulting it. Imagine what it would be like to give them back reasons to hope, to be forgiven for whatever they feel they need to be forgiven for, to have their souls healed and to find there are reasons to be thankful after war and what they witnessed. Imagine all that is possible because it is. All that is required is they are helped by as many people as possible to talk to them as someone they care deeply for instead of a burden.
There are everyday saints within them because they were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their friends and Jesus said there is "no greater love" than what they were willing to do. They did not do for medals, for riches or for power. They did it for the sake of their brothers and sisters and for strangers they never met. It's time to make them feel worthy of all the time and help we can give to them.
Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 10, 2009
UPDATE
This must be the day for saints online. This just showed up on AOL.
Which saint has the best cash flow
A question for the holiday season:
Bruce Watson
Saints Hit the Big Screen
One interesting measure of profitability is film gross While many saints, including St. Bernadette, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Thomas Beckett, have inspired highly profitable films, the winner in this particular category is probably St. Joan of Arc. The central figure of at least 16 films, the history of Joan of Arc films dates back to almost the beginning of the film industry: the first Joan of Arc movie was produced in 1895. Her last major depiction, 1999's The Messenger, was directed by Luc Besson and starred Milla Jovovich. It grossed over $14 million in the United States.
But what of the lesser-known saints? Phil Dinovo, of Patron Saint Medals.com, pointed out that two of the most popular religious figures are St. Jude and St. Rita, both of whom are associated with desperate causes. For that matter, St. Michael and St. Christopher -- both of whom are associated with the military -- have drawn a great deal of devotion, especially over the past eight years. Given the state of the real estate market, one can only imagine how many distressed homeowners are burying St. Joseph statues in their yards in the desperate hope that his intervention will help them sell their homes.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Celebrities get more respect than dead soldiers
Celebrities get more respect than dead soldiers, says George Cross holder
Michael Evans, Defence Editor
The Army’s youngest holder of the George Cross has clashed with the Ministry of Defence over the “lack of respect” paid by ministers to servicemen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Former Lance Corporal of Horse Christopher Finney, 25, who left the Army in July and now works at a call centre for an insurance company, said that he was disillusioned with military life and angry with the Government, claiming more respect was shown to celebrities than to dead soldiers.
“What makes me furious is the demonstrable lack of respect shown by the Government to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice — the war dead. Why is there no minister in attendance when our fallen heroes from Afghanistan are brought home to repatriation ceremonies at Wootton Bassett?” he said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday.
“I couldn’t believe it when I read that Gordon Brown had phoned Simon Cowell to ask how Britain’s Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle was when she had a breakdown. He doesn’t phone any of the bereaved military families,” he said. “I thought it was absolutely disgusting, a real slap in the face for the parents of the hundreds of soldiers killed.”
read more here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6898761.ece
Michael Evans, Defence Editor
The Army’s youngest holder of the George Cross has clashed with the Ministry of Defence over the “lack of respect” paid by ministers to servicemen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Former Lance Corporal of Horse Christopher Finney, 25, who left the Army in July and now works at a call centre for an insurance company, said that he was disillusioned with military life and angry with the Government, claiming more respect was shown to celebrities than to dead soldiers.
“What makes me furious is the demonstrable lack of respect shown by the Government to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice — the war dead. Why is there no minister in attendance when our fallen heroes from Afghanistan are brought home to repatriation ceremonies at Wootton Bassett?” he said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday.
“I couldn’t believe it when I read that Gordon Brown had phoned Simon Cowell to ask how Britain’s Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle was when she had a breakdown. He doesn’t phone any of the bereaved military families,” he said. “I thought it was absolutely disgusting, a real slap in the face for the parents of the hundreds of soldiers killed.”
read more here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6898761.ece
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)