Former Marine who lied about service to get donations is sentenced to jail time
The Virginian-Pilot
By Jane Harper
12 hrs ago
When the charity obtained a copy of his record, it showed that Henry received a bad conduct discharge from the Marine Corps in 1998, the stipulation said. He was never in combat, received no commendations or medals, was not a K-9 handler and was not involved in a helicopter crash, which were all claims that he had made, the stipulation said.
A former Marine who lied about his military service to get assistance from a local charity was sentenced Wednesday to eight months in jail, according to a spokeswoman for the commonwealth’s attorney.
read more here
Norman Olsen dies after bid to stop alleged domestic dispute in Toowoomba
ABC Australia
Updated February 24, 2016
A 65-year-old good Samaritan has died in hospital after he was allegedly assaulted trying to help a woman in Toowoomba.
Norman Olsen was driving with his partner in the suburb of Wilsonton on Monday when police say he saw a woman being attacked by a young man in an alleged domestic dispute.
The Vietnam veteran tried to intervene but was allegedly pushed to the ground by 22-year-old James Callow, who has since been charged with manslaughter.
Mr Olsen hit his head on the road.
He was taken to Toowoomba Hospital with a serious head injury before being taken to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he died late on Tuesday.
Detective Inspector Paul McCusker said Mr Olsen should be commended for his actions.
read more here
Report: VA Abandoned Terminally Ill Army Combat Veteran
Free Beacon
BY: Morgan Chalfant
February 24, 2016
Marshall missed mandatory meetings with the VA last year during which he would have had the opportunity to offer evidence connecting his cancer to his service in Iraq because he was hospitalized with pneumonia. While Marshall said he could still present such evidence, the VA will not listen to him.
A decorated Army combat veteran says that the Department of Veterans Affairs abandoned him in his fight against terminal cancer following his service in Iraq.
Pvt. John Marshall told Fox News that the VA has denied his claims that his service in Iraq, particularly his close proximity to burn pits, precipitated his cancer.
“It’s all just a big slap in the face. I tried to be the perfect soldier,” Marshall said. “I did everything I was told, and now they just forced my claim through and denied coverage and my benefits.”
Marshall, who now lives in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, was diagnosed with scar tissue sarcoma a little over a year ago. He attributes his illness to his time spent working over open burn pits, which a 2013 report from the Government Accountability Office designated as a likely cause of chronic health problems for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
read more here
Retired general celebrates 92nd birthday
Killeen Daily Herald
Amy Proctor
February 24, 2016
Shoemaker, who commanded III Corps and later U.S. Army Forces Command, retired as a general after 36 years in the U.S. Army.
Amy Proctor
RET GEN SHOEMAKERs 92nd BIRTHDAY
1st Cavalry Division Commanding General Maj Gen. John Thomson III, right, talks with retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker and his wife, Tuke, at Shoemaker's birthday celebration at Robert M. Shoemaker High School in Killeen. Shoemaker turns 92 on February 18, 2016.
KILLEEN — More than 750 Shoemaker High School students, staff and Fort Hood area dignitaries celebrated retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker’s 92nd birthday at the high school bearing his name Feb. 18.
Nearly a dozen of the school’s groups and clubs performed for the retired general, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony and refreshments.
The auditorium at Shoemaker High School was standing room only, overflowing with affection and appreciation from students, faculty, family and local community leaders who came to honor the former four-star general.
“How blessed are we that we have such a man such as our dear Gen. Shoemaker, as not only our namesake, but as our benefactor and our Grey Wolf grandfather,” said JROTC cadet Capt. Joshua Rillera, a senior at Shoemaker High School.
read more here
‘Dark Horse’ Military Unit Will Test Experimental Weapons
Epoch Times
By Joshua Philipp
February 23, 2016
Lance Cpl. Timothy Knaggs (center), a team leader with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, walks ahead of the Legged Squad Support System at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, June 19, 2014. The Marines is assigning a battalion to test new equipment and new ways of operating.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Matthew Callahan)
The “Dark Horse” battalion of the U.S. Marines will spend the next year field-testing new equipment, technology, and fighting methods that may eventually be used in the broader military.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller made the announcement on Feb. 19. According to Military.com, he announced the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, also called “Dark Horse,” will start testing the new gear and techniques in Camp Pendleton, California.
The battalion has close to 1,200 Marines in it, and was first organized in June 1917 for the First World War, and has fought in every major American war since then.
“They’re going to be our experimental platform, if you will, and we’ll give them capabilities and do it in an efficient way—which is, give it to Marines and let them figure it out, because they’re our best developers and experimenters,” Neller told Miltiary.com.
read more here
