Marine Sustained by Faith After Helicopter Crash

35 years after mid-air collision, Marine finally speaks
Daily Bulletin 
Imani Tate 
February 9, 2016

Six Marines died in what Rivera described as a “horrific” crash between a CH-53 Sea Stallion and a CH-46 Sea Knight within 20 minutes of the Sea Stallion’s takeoff.

Joe Rivera, 56 of La Verne, stands next to a picture of himself next to a Marine CH-53 helicopter from the early 1980's. Rivera was the lone survivor of a midair helicopter crash between a CH-53 and CH-46 on February 10, 1981 in Tustin. Six marines were killed in the crash while Rivera suffered a broken back, third degree burns and a multiple of other broken bones and injuries. (Will Lester/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

LA VERNE

When Joe Rivera saw the white light, he thought he was dead.

And 35 years later, recounting the midair collision of two military helicopters over the Marine Air Station in Tustin at 7:20 p.m. Feb. 10, 1981, he remembered being aflame, his back broken and helicopter parts pinning him down as he hung upside down.

Christian, his 19-year-old son, sat quietly across from Rivera on Monday. Richard Villescas, Joe’s brother-in-law and best friend, slipped onto the sofa beside Rivera and gently rubbed his back as the 56-year-old former Marine hesitated over painful memories.

“It’s time,” Villescas said, looking around at loved ones who’d gathered at the Rivera family home to emotionally fortify the man they called “humble, heroic, generous and kind.”

It was the first time in 35 years that Rivera talked about the 1981 crash that killed six colleagues and almost claimed his life, the grueling and painful treatment and rehabilitative therapy he endured for years afterward and the spiritual faith and people he said repeatedly saved and sustained him.
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DOD 1,000 Suicide Attempts for 2014

Not sure why they revised this report ahead of the 4th quarter and total for 2015, but this shows they still haven't figured it out yet. Will they ever?

Then again, considering what they added into the part about attempted suicides, it is unlikely they ever will.

"The 2014 Pentagon report also examined more than 1,000 suicide attempts among DoD personnel, finding that the majority showed similar trends in deployment, legal or administrative problems or relationship issues as those who died by suicide."

Which means they do not get what kinds of problems PTSD can cause. After 4 decades how many more will it take?

Active-duty suicides up, Guard and Reserve down in 2014
Military Times
By Patricia Kime
February 8, 2016

The latest report from the Pentagon on military suicides shows a slight uptick in the suicide rate among active-duty personnel in 2014 compared with the previous year, but significant drops in rates for Reserve and National Guard members when compared to 2013.

"In 2014, 269 active-duty service members and 169 reserve and National Guard troops took their own lives, according to the 2014 Defense Department Suicide Event Report, released in January."

"As seen in previous years, most service members who died by suicide in 2014 were men under age 30, mostly enlisted, white and married. The majority ended their lives by shooting or hanging themselves. And just over half had deployed at least once — down from nearly two-thirds reported in 2013 as having deployed."

Commonalities among the 2014 deaths were:
50 percent had a mental health diagnosis, with the most common being mood or adjustment disorders or substance abuse.
In the enlisted ranks, infantry personnel, gun crews or seamanship specialties had the highest rates of suicide, 21 per 100,000, followed by electrical or mechanical equipment repairers, 18.9 per 100,000.
The occupational specialties with the highest suicide rates for officers were tactical operations, at 4.3 suicides per 100,000.
65 percent of suicides took place either at home or in the barracks.
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Texas Veterans With Service Dogs Still Not Welcomed?

Woman says company refused to allow service dog
Killeen Daily Herald
Clay Thorp | Herald staff writer
February 8, 2016

When Kimberly Pearson retired from the Army in 2012 after serving in Iraq as a combat medic, she said she made the decision to enlist the help of a large breed of service dog to help her with balance and pain in her legs after suffering injuries in a 2004 ambush.

Eric J. Shelton | Herald

Dog

Kimberly Pearson gives her service dog Zakhar, a Caucasian Ovcharka, a kiss Monday at Mickey's Dog Park on W.S. Young Drive in Killeen. Pearson was denied entry into Palm Harbor because of her service dog.

“Basically, there was an ambush and lots of explosions,” Pearson said. “My feet and legs received injuries that needed six surgeries so far. And they’re not quite done with the surgeries, so I still have a lot of issues with pain and imbalance. It was just a mess. I was the medic. Instead of running away, I ran in and I kind of paid for it.”

Soon after, Pearson special ordered her new Russian Bear dog from Romania, as she said breeders there are known for raising mild-mannered giants.

But on Monday, Pearson said she and her service dog, Zakhar — who weighs 150 pounds — were denied access to Palm Harbor Homes, a local home store where Pearson wanted to look at model homes.

“It’s a very large dog because I use him for balance,” Pearson said of her 1-year-old dog.

“So, he’s large and he scares people, even though he’s a teddy bear. People just look at him and he scares them.”

Pearson said the employees at Palm Harbor simply wouldn’t allow them inside any model homes.

A similar incident in July occurred at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Harker Heights.

Dave Alvarado, 39, went to the retail store to buy a few items July 10, right after he finished a counseling session for his PTSD, which he said he developed during two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
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Fort Hood Soldier Survived Lightning Strike Needs Help

Wounded warrior needs community's help 
FOX San Antonio 
BY EMILY BAUCUM 
FEBRUARY 8TH 2016

"At Fort Hood, they were doing a live round training mission for combat. A storm came out of nowhere and he was struck by lightning right in the forehead," Laura says. "He took a direct hit to the head and it went all the way through his body, grounding out as he was running."

SAN ANTONIO - A veteran who served our country hopes you'll open your heart to him. First Lieutenant Garrett Spears was seriously injured in a lightning strike at Fort Hood. His family showed us his journey, and what you can do to help. "Ready? Let's see what you got," mother Laura Spears says as she shows Garrett a deck of cards. 

Life is a lot like poker: you play the hand you're dealt. It's a lesson the Spears family learned all too well. "My Harry Potter over here," Laura jokes as they play. Humor has helped the family persevere through a struggle that began a little more than two years ago when Garrett was a chemical corps officer in the U.S. Army. read more here

VA Still Denies Navy Veterans Agent Orange Claims

Veterans Affairs again denies Agent Orange benefits to Navy vets
Virginia Pilot
By By Charles Ornstein and Terry Parris Jr.
ProPublica
22 hrs ago

“Rather than siding with veterans, VA is doubling down on an irrational and inconsistent policy,” Senator Richard Blumenthal

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has once again turned down an effort by Navy veterans to get compensation for possible exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

In a document released Friday, the VA said it would continue to limit benefits related to Agent Orange exposure to only those veterans who set foot in Vietnam, where the herbicide was sprayed, and to those who were on boats in inland rivers.

The VA compensates these veterans for a litany of associated illnesses, including diabetes, various cancers, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy and a type of heart disease.

Advocates for some 90,000 so-called Blue Water Navy veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam have been asking the VA for more than a decade to broaden the policy to include them. They say they were exposed to Agent Orange because their ships sucked in potentially contaminated water and distilled it for showering, drinking, laundry and cooking. Experts have said the distillation process could have actually concentrated the Agent Orange, which contained the toxic chemical dioxin and was used to kill vegetation and deny enemy cover.
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ProPublica and the Virginian-Pilot are interested in hearing from veterans and family members for our ongoing investigation into the effects of Agent Orange on veterans and their children.