Soldier reunited with son among highlights of Rose Parade
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON
The Associated Press
Published: January 1, 2013
PASADENA, Calif. — A couple who became husband and wife on the "Love Float," a surprise reunion between a returning soldier and his little boy, and a grand marshal famed globally for her chimpanzee research were among the highlights of the 124th Rose Parade on Tuesday.
The parade's spectacular 42 floral floats brightened an otherwise cloudy New Year's morning and boosted the spirits of a chilled crowd estimated at some 700,000 spectators lining the 5-mile route.
Spectators rose to a standing ovation when Army Sgt. First Class Eric Pazz, who was riding on the Natural Balance Pet Foods float along with other service members, got off the float and walked over to his surprised wife Miriam and 4-year-old son Eric Jr., who came running out of the stands into the arms of his 32-year-old father.
Miriam Pazz had been told she had won a contest to attend the parade and did not know her husband, who is deployed in Afghanistan, would be there. Pazz is a highly decorated soldier who has also served in Iraq. The family, who currently lives in Germany, climbed aboard the float for the rest of the route.
read more here
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
UK Triple amputee takes on world's most dangerous race
Triple amputee takes on world's most dangerous race
By Matt Majendie, for CNN
January 1, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Dakar Rally begins in Peruvian capital on January 5 and finishes 15 days later in Chile
Tom Neathway is one of five injured military personnel taking part in 8,000-kilometer trek
British soldier lost both legs and an arm during active duty in Afghanistan in 2008
He will be taking part as a co-driver, helping with navigation in the South American race
(CNN) -- The Dakar Rally is arguably the world's most dangerous motorsport race, but for one newcomer it cannot compare with what he has already been through.
British soldier Tom Neathway will be co-driving in the 16-day event, which traverses the mountainous desert terrain of South America, despite losing both his legs and an arm after standing on a booby trap while serving in Afghanistan in 2008.
He effectively died three times, and had to be resuscitated on each occasion on the operating table back at base.
"I think the Dakar's less dangerous than what I've done, and I think I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up for it," Neathway told CNN. "Saying that, most of the guys I've spoken to about the Dakar never do it again, so it's clearly not easy."
By Matt Majendie, for CNN
January 1, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Dakar Rally begins in Peruvian capital on January 5 and finishes 15 days later in Chile
Tom Neathway is one of five injured military personnel taking part in 8,000-kilometer trek
British soldier lost both legs and an arm during active duty in Afghanistan in 2008
He will be taking part as a co-driver, helping with navigation in the South American race
(CNN) -- The Dakar Rally is arguably the world's most dangerous motorsport race, but for one newcomer it cannot compare with what he has already been through.
British soldier Tom Neathway will be co-driving in the 16-day event, which traverses the mountainous desert terrain of South America, despite losing both his legs and an arm after standing on a booby trap while serving in Afghanistan in 2008.
He effectively died three times, and had to be resuscitated on each occasion on the operating table back at base.
"I think the Dakar's less dangerous than what I've done, and I think I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up for it," Neathway told CNN. "Saying that, most of the guys I've spoken to about the Dakar never do it again, so it's clearly not easy."
"We were on a routine patrol when we came under enemy fire," recalls Neathway, who is one of five injured military personnel taking part in the 2013 race. "I was part of the sniper team and moved into position to provide covering fire for my fellow troops.linked from Stars and Stripes
"The area I went to was already cleared by metal detectors where there was a sandbag. I asked for it to be checked again and it was. Then I lifted the sandbag and the blast took off my feet and badly damaged my left arm.
read more here
Florida pilot spots theft at own house while flying plane
Off topic but more strange news from here in Florida
Florida pilot spots theft at own house while flying plane
Published January 01, 2013
Associated Press
LABELLE, FLA. – Authorities say a Florida man flying home from North Carolina caught a man stealing a trailer while piloting his plane over his own home.
The News-Press reports that David Zehntner was flying over his home in LaBelle Sunday when he saw a truck in his driveway. He lowered his altitude to get a closer look and saw a man attaching Zehntner's trailer to the truck.
read more here
Deplorable House GOP scraps Sandy relief bill
Chris Christie On Sandy Aid: House Republicans Were 'Disappointing And Disgusting To Watch' (VIDEO)
Huffington Post
Luke Johnson
Sabrina Siddiqul
Posted: 01/02/2013
WASHINGTON -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) lit into House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Republicans Wednesday for not holding a vote on a Hurricane Sandy relief bill.
"There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner," he said. "This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Natural disasters happen in red states and blue states and states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Or at least we did until last night. Last night, politics was placed before oaths to serve our citizens. For me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch."
read more here
Huffington Post
Luke Johnson
Sabrina Siddiqul
Posted: 01/02/2013
WASHINGTON -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) lit into House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Republicans Wednesday for not holding a vote on a Hurricane Sandy relief bill.
"There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner," he said. "This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Natural disasters happen in red states and blue states and states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Or at least we did until last night. Last night, politics was placed before oaths to serve our citizens. For me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch."
read more here
House GOP scraps Sandy relief bill
Republicans abandoned a vote this session, infuriating NY lawmakers in both parties
BY LARRY MARGASAK
ASSOCIATED PRESS
JAN 2, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — New York area-lawmakers in both parties erupted in anger late Tuesday night after learning the House Republican leadership decided to allow the current term of Congress to end without holding a vote on aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said he was told by the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio had decided to abandon a vote this session.
Cantor, who sets the House schedule, did not immediately comment. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters that just before Tuesday evening’s vote on “fiscal cliff” legislation, Cantor told him that he was “99.9 percent confident that this bill would be on the floor, and that’s what he wanted.”
A spokesman for Boehner, Michael Steel said, “The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month.”
In remarks on the House floor, King called the decision “absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities.”
read more here
Marine with Spartan blood
I love small media outlets because they do the best reporting on our troops and veterans. The national media, not so much and frankly, AWOL on the one issue we can all agree deserve our attention. I was reading this story about a young Greek-American U.S. Marine talking about his faith in God, the Greek Church and Spartan blood. That got me thinking about the "moral injury" a lot of reports want to pretend is some kind of new phenomenon that is behind Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in combat veterans.
What choice do they have since most reporters given the task of reporting on PTSD and military suicides were in grade school or not even born when real research on PTSD began? To them, this is all new even though they must have had at least one combat veteran as a relative. They just didn't pay attention to their WWII granddads and Vietnam veterans any more than they paid attention to Gulf War veterans. Just because they didn't pay attention that didn't mean it was not happening as it was going back to the beginning of "civilization" when nation sent men to fight against other nations.
This is my favorite book on combat and PTSD because it is honest, thoughtful and written by a real expert on PTSD before reporters knew about it.
In this new year we can have a new beginning in defeating PTSD but only if we go back to when real research was being done and stop pretending PTSD is new.
ACHILLES IN VIETNAM
A DOCUMENTARY FILM
What choice do they have since most reporters given the task of reporting on PTSD and military suicides were in grade school or not even born when real research on PTSD began? To them, this is all new even though they must have had at least one combat veteran as a relative. They just didn't pay attention to their WWII granddads and Vietnam veterans any more than they paid attention to Gulf War veterans. Just because they didn't pay attention that didn't mean it was not happening as it was going back to the beginning of "civilization" when nation sent men to fight against other nations.
This is my favorite book on combat and PTSD because it is honest, thoughtful and written by a real expert on PTSD before reporters knew about it.
Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
October 1, 1995
In this strikingly original and groundbreaking book, Dr. Shay examines the psychological devastation of war by comparing the soldiers of Homer's Iliad with Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Although the Iliad was written twenty-seven centuries ago it has much to teach about combat trauma, as do the more recent, compelling voices and experiences of Vietnam vets.
In this new year we can have a new beginning in defeating PTSD but only if we go back to when real research was being done and stop pretending PTSD is new.
Dr. Jonathan Shay "Indeed Moral Injury is one of the primary if not the primary personal theme for the soldiers described in his books "Achilles in Vietnam" and "Odysseus in America" leading to lifelong psychological dysfunction from PTSD and other treatment-resistant deficiencies in prior or basic functioning."
ACHILLES IN VIETNAM
A DOCUMENTARY FILM
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)