Vietnam Veteran, Senator Jim Webb, no plans to rest

No Rest for Jim Webb
Dec 27, 2012
The Virginian-Pilot
by Bill Bartel

Webb's most praised Senate achievement was a new GI Bill that passed Congress 18 months after he took office. The legislation dramatically improved education and related benefits for veterans. To date, more than 800,000 former service members have used the benefits.

Jim Webb may be walking away after a single term in the U.S. Senate, but that doesn't mean he's exiting public life for good.

And the 66-year-old is not going into retirement.

"I will be working. Trust me," he said in a recent interview in the wood-paneled conference room of his Capitol Hill office.

"My situation is different than most people up here. I didn't come out of a law firm. There isn't a structure that I can easily go back into. But it's a very healthy thing, at least from the way my career has played itself out, to step out every now and then and just think about things."

The victory was the latest chapter in a career that began in 1969 in the Marines. As a lieutenant, Webb served in Vietnam, earning the Navy Cross, a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

He worked on the staff of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs after law school, and he served during the Reagan administration as an undersecretary of defense and Secretary of the Navy.

His books, both fiction and nonfiction, include the critically acclaimed novel "Fields of Fire," which is based on his wartime experiences. He's also won an Emmy as a documentary filmmaker.
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Born Fighting
Sense of Honor
A Country Such As This
Lost Soldiers
Emperor's General

Fallen SEAL Met Challenge, Mentor Says

Fallen SEAL Met Challenge, Mentor Says
Dec 27, 2012
The Virginian-Pilot
by Dianna Cahn

The last time John Armato saw his friend and triathlon partner Job Price, the two men went on a training run through the forest, then jumped into a creek and continued to run until it got too deep and they shifted to swimming.

That day last summer in Pennsylvania, they ran and swam and ran and swam some more, having what Armato -- 23 years Price's senior -- called "a really good time challenging one another."

A week later, Price left on deployment to Uruzgan province in northern Afghanistan, where he was commanding a team of SEALs based in Virginia Beach.

"One of the last things we talked about had to do with how proud he was of the men he was leading," Armato said. "He had just a tremendous amount of admiration (for them)."

Price, 42, a Navy commander, died Saturday in what the Defense Department described as "a noncombat-related injury." The Associated Press and other news agencies reported that his death was being investigated as a possible suicide.

Famously secretive, the SEALs don't talk about their missions -- or their losses. But Armato, contacted in Price's hometown of Pottstown, Pa., where his parents still live, described watching a talented young man grow into a dedicated leader.
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Seal Commander's death in Afghansitan

Vietnam veteran with cancer finally gets justice from VA

Jack Bogrett's experience with cancer and the VA takes a turn for the better
Published: Thursday, December 27, 2012
By Mike Francis
The Oregonian

Jack Bogrett's life has changed dramatically for the better since he was profiled in a June 10 story about the frustrations of veterans who live far from Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Back then, his colon cancer seemed to be spreading, he was out of pocket for thousands of dollars of medical charges he incurred outside the VA system, and his history with the Portland VA Medical Center was marked by suddenly canceled appointments, misunderstandings and communications glitches.

Today, the 63-year-old Vietnam vet is getting gold-plated treatment from the VA, he's been reimbursed for more than $16,000 of medical expenses and, most important, his cancer has been beaten back to the point he dares to use the word "cured."

"I haven't felt this good since 2000," he said. "I'm very fortunate."
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Accused killer described PTSD emotional wounds after war

Accused killer described emotional wounds after war
CBS
by Diane Moca
Story Created: Dec 27, 2012

MILWAUKEE -- As questions continue to swirl around what would motivate Benjamin Sebena to allegedly stalk and kill his wife Jennifer on Christmas Eve, the Wauwatosa Police Chief says issues related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were mentioned during officer interviews with the defendant.

In an informational video with graphic pictures released by the Elmbrook Church in Brookfield in 2010, Ben Sebena reveals anxieties he suffered after returning from two tours of duty in Iraq.

In the church video, Ben says he shared his painful memories to help other veterans.

"I've been to the dark places, and I want to help bring them to the light," he says after describing the day in 2005 when he was changed forever after he nearly lost his life and watched a friend die, one of 50 deaths of fellow soldiers he says he witnessed.

"A mortar round came down and dropped right behind him. It killed him instantly, and the rest of the schrapnel came and hit me," explained Ben. "I looked down at my knee, and my pants were soaked in blood. And I could see my knee cap. My arm is drooping off my body and holding on by a couple tendons."

In the church video, Ben describes his physical struggle to walk again and the emotional difficulties he faced after the attack -- even when he was attending church back at home.
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Marine arrested in shooting of police officer wife

Marine and Soldier killed in car crash

A broken-hearted fiance announced just before the crash, she's having a baby boy.

Marine among two men killed in west Wichita crash
By Amy Renee Leiker
The Wichita Eagle
Published Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012

A U.S. Marine lance corporal home on leave for Christmas was one of two young men killed in a single-car crash Thursday morning in west Wichita.

Thomas Krausch described his son, Devan, as outgoing, “just an all-around good kid” who was well-loved by his family and friends.

“It seemed like he would always be the one to help somebody else,” Thomas Krausch said. “He made his mom and I very proud.”

Wichita police say Devan M. Krausch, 22, was riding in a 2005 Chrysler 300 sedan with 21-year-old Marcus W. McClellan when the car struck a culvert beside 13th Street about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. The car became airborne and struck a power pole and utility lines at 13th and Liberty, near 135th Street West, Wichita police Capt. John Speer said.

The men were westbound on 13th Street at the time of the crash.

Krausch, who was thrown from the vehicle, died after being taken to Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis.

McClellan died at the scene.

Both men were Wichita residents.

Thomas Krausch said his son, a 2008 Northwest High School graduate, was stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. He had been home for just a few days.

McClellan’s family did not immediately respond to The Eagle’s request for an interview Thursday night.

The 21-year-old had attended both Bishop Carroll High School and Bethel College, according to his Facebook page. McClellan also is listed as a member of the U.S. Army on the social networking site.
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