Nam Knights suffers loss after fatal accident

There should be a correction on this. Both of them were wearing helmets.

UPDATE names released
Gennaro Dilauri, Gerry was a really special man. He had a smile that would brighten any day. He was also very caring. We will miss him for a long time until we see him again one day. I can't say much more than that right now about him other than please hold his family in your prayers.

1 dead, 1 injured in motorcycle wrecks on I-75
The two motorcyclists were among about 25 who were traveling from Orlando to Lake City.
By Austin L. Miller
Staff writer


Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 1:13 a.m.
A group of motorcyclists traveling together northbound on Interstate 75 on Friday morning were involved in a chain-reaction crash near the State Road 326 exit that claimed the life of a Merritt Island man.

According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, a bag fell from one of the motorcycles, causing several of the other motorcyclists to swerve to avoid hitting the bag, which caused the group to separate.

In the confusion, four riders were ejected off their motorcycles.

Officials said 69-year-old Gennaro Dilauri of Merritt Island was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Another cyclist, Jack Darrell Helton, 35, of Longwood, was taken to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville in critical condition.

Two other cyclists suffered minor injuries.
go here for more

http://www.ocala.com/article/20091121/ARTICLES/911211009

Jack Darrell Helton is the son of Jack, a Nam Knight who passed away in August. Please hold this family in your prayers for all they are going through as they wait for Jack Darrell Helton to heal.

Jack Helton Share E-mail Visit Guest Book
HELTON, JACK, 56, of Orlando, FL passed away unexpectedly August 11, 2009. Jack will be remembered as a man of few words, who laughed often and had a heart of gold. He proudly served in the US Air Force for 13 years including a tour in Vietnam; he was the recipient of numerous awards and was medically retired in 1984. He also served 15 years at the U.S. Post Office in the University Branch, Winter Park, FL. While his greatest joy was his love for his children and grandchildren, he also had a special place in his heart for his Harley Davidson motorcycle and his brothers of the Nam Knights where he was one of the original six members who started the Orlando Chapter of the club. He is survived by his son Jack Darrell, Longwood and his daughter Joy Michelle Harris, Orlando; five grandchildren; his mother Jackie, Corbin, KY and three sisters and one brother. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM, at Asbury UMC, Maitland FL. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you consider a donation to: Nam Knights of America, 659 Hardwood Circle, FL 32828, Put in memo line: In Memory of Jack Helton.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/orlandosentinel/obituary.aspx?n=jack-helton&pid=131570260

Heart sick! Please hold them all in your prayers.

One dead in multiple motorcycle crash on I-75

Staff Report


Published: Friday, November 20, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, November 20, 2009 at 3:16 p.m.
OCALA - A group of motorcyclists traveling together northbound on Interstate 75 Friday morning were involved in a chain reaction accident just south of mile marker 358 that claimed the life of one man.

According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, a bag fell from one of the cycles. Several of the other motorcyclists swerved to avoid hitting the bag, which caused the group to separate.

In the confusion, two people were ejected.

Officials said a 69-year-old man from Merritt Island, who was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.

The other cyclist was taken to Shands at the University of Florida Hospital in Gainesville in critical condition. The gender is not known at this time.

One member of the group, the Nam-Knights America, said they are based in Orlando and there about 25 cyclists. He said they were from the Orlando and Tampa area, met up in Wildwood this morning, and were traveling to Lake City, "just to get away."
read more here
One dead in multiple motorcycle crash on I-75

Psychiatrist claims Marines getting shoddy care at Camp Lejeune

Do you believe him? I do. I've talked to enough Marines over the years to know they are supposed to be able to "train their brains" even more than soldiers are supposed to be able to. Having a Marine cry on my shoulder and feel it was necessary to apologize to me for doing it because as he put it, "I'm a Marine!" shows how little they have been doing to get them to understand it has nothing to do with being weak.

I also think it is horrible that this doctor is no longer there because he cared too much yet Maj. Hasan was kept on no matter how badly he did.

Dr. Kernan Manion poses for a photograph in his officer in Hampstead, N.C., Friday, Nov. 20, 2008. Dr. Manion a psychiatrist was fired after he complained about conditions for his patients at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., In e-mails shown to The Associated Press, Manion had questioned why the clinic, a series of bug-infested trailers with paper-thin walls, was located near a firing range on the 240-square-mile base. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds) (Jim R. Bounds, AP / November 20, 2009)

Fired psychiatrist says Marines suffering from stress are getting shoddy care at Camp Lejeune
KEVIN MAURER

Associated Press Writer

5:59 p.m. EST, November 20, 2009
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — Marines treated at Camp Lejeune for post-traumatic stress had to undergo therapy for months in temporary trailers where they could hear bomb blasts, machine-gun fire and war cries through the thin walls, according to servicemen and their former psychiatrist.

The eight trailers were used for nearly two years, until a permanent clinic was completed in September in another location on the base, said a Camp Lejeune medical spokesman, Navy Lt. j.g. Mark Jean-Pierre.

The noise from training exercises "shook me up real bad. I couldn't take it. I almost ran out of there a couple of times," said a Marine patient who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media. "My mind couldn't focus on the treatment. I couldn't tell the difference between the combat zone and the non-combat zone."

The allegations became public after the dismissal of Dr. Kernan Manion, a civilian psychiatrist who says he was fired for writing memos to his military superiors complaining of shoddy care of Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD, a condition that can make patients jumpy, fearful of loud noises and prone to flashbacks.

read more here

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/sns-ap-us-marines-mental-health,0,198116.story

Call to America to help our veterans

Call To America

Hampton Inn Daytona Beach-Speedway

1715 West International Speedway Blvd.

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114

Sgt. Dave Matthews


Sgt. Dave Matthews a wounded veteran himself, tirelessly works to help "Brave-Aid" and its cause. We are remiss in not posting Sgt. Matthews sooner. There have been times when he has called the office to allow us to speak to homeless veterans he has just fed. Below are pictures of his latest effort to help Veterans at the Road to Recovery 10/16/09 event this past weekend. God bless you Sgt. Matthews, the world needs more people like you Sir. Just too look into the faces of our Homeless Veterans and the smile you put on their faces makes our hearts full.

There are presently over 19,000 homeless Veterans in Florida. On this night thanks to you some of those 19,000 had a good meal.
http://www.braveaid.org/

When you look into the eyes of Sgt. Matthews, you can see some pain there but above all, you can see true dedication to others. I've been with him during meetings when he has shown frustration that more people are not joining this organization even though considering the official kick off is not until tomorrow and hundreds have already joined, Sgt. Matthews is impatient to do more for the troops and our veterans. I've been with him when he was helping to feed the homeless in Orlando, again, frustrated that more is not being done. He is a member of the Florida National Guard, doing his duty this weekend and won't be able to go to the convention.

The thing most people do not understand is the members of Operation Warrior Support are not satisfied with just being frustrated. Just as Sgt. Matthews is not happy complaining and spends his days trying to make a difference, all of us with OWS are tired of complaining. Tired of seeing what is not being done and tired of seeing our veterans waiting for help.

We know what they are going through beyond waiting for their claims for benefits to be approved. We know what they go through between wound and compensation. Because too many have no income while they wait, they are falling through the cracks. Bill collectors don't want to hear the government has not paid their bill to a wounded veteran. They don't want to hear we'll pay when we get paid. They expect the debt to be paid on time without delay. It would be a wonderful time in this country if the veterans could be assured of the same consideration.

Then we have veterans coming home, like Sgt. Matthews, to a nation where the job they expected to return to is no longer there. The members of the National Guards do what they are supposed to do, deploy where they are sent for however long they are told to stay there. Do we ever think about what happens to them when they come home and have to still pay their bills? What about the debt we owe them?

The list of conditions our veterans return to is hardly coming close to being addressed. While I try to do what I can with my blog and website along with the videos, what you don't know about is the number of veterans and their families emailing me and the hours of phone calls trying to help them understand what they are not being told. What you do not see is the suffering from every state in this country and the families falling apart. We read numbers. We read some stories. Above all, we hear their voice.

Brave-Aid was established to help them. Operation Warrior Support is a member funded support for Brave-Aid. Consider organizations hiring professional fund raisers. Ever consider how much money they have to paid out of the donations you make? OWS is the fundraising arm. Please consider coming tomorrow to Daytona and get more information about this organization I am proud to be a member of.

I was not satisfied with being frustrated in 1982 when I tried to help. Not happy with being frustrated all these years since and I am certainly not happy just complaining now. It is not enough to just offer prayers and move on with your life when they cannot. It is not enough to show up when they come into the airports or try to show up when one of them is laid to rest. It is not enough to show up for Memorial Day or Veterans Day Parades. We need to be there when they need us just as they are always there when we need them.

If you cannot attend the convention, please go here and take a look at what you can do beyond being frustrated.

http://chaplainkathie.warriorsupport.us/

Patrick W. Dunne, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, to Step Down

Patrick W. Dunne, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, to Step Down



WASHINGTON (Nov. 20, 2009) - Patrick W. Dunne, the Under Secretary for
Benefits for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), today announced
his resignation for early next year. Dunne, who attained the rank of
rear admiral while in the U.S. Navy, has been with VA since 2006.



As Under Secretary for Benefits since October 2008, Admiral Dunne has
directed the administration of VA's disability compensation, pension,
education, home loan guaranty, vocational rehabilitation and employment,
and life insurance programs through a nationwide network of 57 regional
offices, other special processing centers, and Veterans Benefits
Administration headquarters.



"I've appreciated the wonderful opportunity VA has given me to serve our
nation's Veterans and their families," said Dunne. "We have an
obligation to care for our heroes and their dependents, and I will fully
support the transition of my successor to meet that moral
responsibility."



"Pat Dunne has guided the Veterans Benefits Administration through a
number of challenges during his tenure as Under Secretary. I applaud
his service and loyalty to our team and thank him for his unfailing
commitment to our nation's Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki.



Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Troy, N.Y., Dunne earned his
undergraduate degree in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis and earned a master's in mathematics from the Naval
Postgraduate School and is a graduate of the Navy's nuclear power
training program.

Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans

Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans

Comprehensive Study Will Help VA Provide High-Quality Care



WASHINGTON (Nov. 19, 2009) -Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching
a comprehensive study of women Veterans who served in the military
during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their military service
upon their mental and physical health.



"One of my top priorities is to meet the needs of women Veterans," said
Secretary Shinseki. "Our Veterans have earned the very best care. VA
realizes that women Veterans require specialized programs, and this
study will help VA provide high-quality care for women Veterans of the
Vietnam era."



The study, which begins in November and lasts more than four years, will
contact approximately 10,000 women in a mailed survey, telephone
interview and a review of their medical records.



As women Vietnam Veterans approach their mid-sixties, it is important to
understand the impact of wartime deployment on health and mental
outcomes nearly 40 years later. The study will assess the prevalence of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental and physical
health conditions for women Vietnam Veterans, and explore the
relationship between PTSD and other conditions.



VA will study women Vietnam Veterans who may have had direct exposure to
traumatic events, and for the first time, study those who served in
facilities near Vietnam. These women may have had similar, but less
direct exposures. Both women Veterans who receive their health care
from VA and those who receive health care from other providers will be
contacted to determine the prevalence of a variety of health conditions.



About 250,000 women Veterans served in the military during the Vietnam
War and about 7,000 were in or near Vietnam. Those who were in Vietnam,
those who served elsewhere in Southeast Asia and those who served in the
United States are potential study participants.



The study represents to date the most comprehensive examination of a
group of women Vietnam Veterans, and will be used to shape future
research on women Veterans in future wars. Such an understanding will
lay the groundwork for planning and providing appropriate services for
women Veterans, as well as for the aging Veteran population today.



Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran
population. There are approximately 1.8 million women Veterans among
the nation's total of 23 million living Veterans. Women comprise 7.8
percent of the total Veteran population and nearly 5.5 percent of all
Veterans who use VA health care services. VA estimates women Veterans
will constitute 10.5 percent of the Veteran population by 2020 and 9.5
percent of all VA patients.



In recent years, VA has undertaken a number of initiatives to create or
enhance services for women Veterans, including the implementation of
comprehensive primary care throughout the nation, staffing every VA
medical center with a women Veterans program manager, supporting a
multifaceted research program on women's health, improving communication
and outreach to women Veterans, and continuing the operation of
organizations like the Center for Women Veterans and the Women Veterans
Health Strategic Healthcare Group.



The study, to be managed by VA's Cooperative Studies Program, is
projected to cost $5.6 million.