Iraq Veteran Killed Saving Others On Idaho Highway

Hero to the end — Iraq veteran killed while helping car accident victims 
Idaho State Journal
By David Ashby
February 1, 2015

BLACKFOOT — Kyle Pratt was a hero to the very end.

On his way to work in the early morning hours of Jan. 19, the 27-year-old was involved in a large pile-up on I-84 near Boise that involved at least eight cars. Visibility was extremely limited due to thick fog and the road was coated in black ice.

“The coroner said the road was so slick you couldn’t even stand on it,” said Jeff Pratt, Kyle’s father.

As Kyle approached the wrecked cars in front of him, he swerved and crashed into the median.

Uninjured, Pratt immediately left his damaged car and started assisting the other crash victims.

But Pratt’s heroics would ultimately cost him his life.

As two cars approached the wreckage, Pratt pushed two people out of harm’s way. One of the vehicles hit Pratt, killing him at the scene.

From 2006 to 2010, Pratt served aboard the U.S.S. John C. Stennis supercarrier as a machinist during the Iraq War. Jeff and Suzan, Kyle’s mother, still have his service flag hanging in the front window of their Blackfoot home.
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Troops in Afghanistan Super Bowl Party 5,000 Pizzas

Chicago charity sending 5,000 pizzas to troops in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
February 1, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — Make it 5,000 pizzas to go please.

And so it will be that the roughly 11,000 U.S. troops left in Afghanistan will get a slice of home for Super Bowl Sunday.

Pizzas4Patriots.com is teaming with Rich Foods and DHL to send 5,000 pies to American service members across Afghanistan.
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Super Bowl Shoutout to Troops
℠2015 - The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks face off in Super Bowl XLIX and players from both sides express their appreciation for the troops.

Vancouver SWAT Veteran Standoff Peaceful End

Allen St. standoff: Man sticks loaded gun in friend's face 
TDN News
Marissa Luck
January 31, 2015

Renford said Kennedy, a security worker the Weyerhaeuser Co. mill site, is a good person who has struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. They served in the army together, including a stint in Iraq in 2004. Kennedy was having a hard time accessing treatment at Vancouver Veteran’s Affairs, Renford said, and was self-medicating with alcohol.

Rex Renford never expected his best friend to point a gun at his face. Standing at the end of loaded pistol, Renford said he feared for his life. But instinct and years of military training kicked in, helping him to disarm his friend Ronald Kennedy.

“I had to get the gun away from him,” Renford, 47, of Longview said Friday, the day after police arrested Kennedy after a two-hour standoff at his Kelso trailer home off Allen Street near Taco Bell and Burger King. “There was no thinking about it. It was do this or die.”

Kennedy, 47, was hanging out with Renford and another friend, Lynne Galloway, Thursday night when Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend Margaret Sullivan showed up to pick up belongings. Sullivan told police she and Kennedy had broken up last weekend. The couple got into a heated argument.

When Sullivan left, Kennedy wandered into his bedroom, drunk and upset, Renford said. Renford said he went to check on Kennedy and found him with pistol pointed at his head. He threatened to kill himself. read more here

Family Searching For Missing Texas Afghanistan Veteran

Sad update February 4, 2016 NBC reported this.
Remains found in Harris County, Texas have been positively identified as those of missing Army veteran Brian Orolin, who disappeared in November 2014.


Volunteers to search for missing veteran
KHOU News Houston
Larry Seward
January 30, 2015

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Veterans and volunteers plan to lead a search party to find missing veteran Brian Orolin, 42. He has not been seen since November. His wife and two daughters are anxious for closure.

Between dogs and daughters, Donna Orolin's hands are full, especially with her heart and soul missing.

"I'm not eating,"

Donna Orolin said. "I'm not sleeping. I'm financially stressed because he took care of that. He did everything for us. I need my partner."

Brian Orolin is passionate about those he loves. He planned every aspect of his wedding, his wife said. Brian even cooked three meals a day to make sure his three- and five-year-old daughters ate their favorite meals.

He also served his country. One tour in Afghanistan sent him home wounded. He suffered through headaches, post-traumatic stress and struggled to get around without his service dog named "Battle."

Still, Orolin battled until November 19th.

"We haven't seen him since," Donna Orolin said.
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Dayton VA Employee Checked on Decomposed Veteran?

Dayton hospital employee subject of neglect investigation in vet's death 
Employee not yet facing charges
WLWT News
Karin Johnson
Jan 29, 2015

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio —A man who was supposed to be caring for a Middletown Army veteran is under investigation for negligence.

Police are not naming the worker because charges have not yet been filed, but they say he worked for the Dayton Veterans Affairs Hospital. Watch this story The health care worker was supposed to be caring for 62-year-old Calvin Coleman, who lived on Carolina Street.

Coleman was found dead inside his home March 28, 2014. Police say the VA employee reported checking on Coleman the day before. The coroner says that's not possible.

"Due to the amount of decomposition to Calvin's body, they knew this could not have happened. 

He died three or four days before his body was discovered," Lt. Scott Reeve said.
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