Fathers, sons commanding same major Army unit rare, but it happens Killeen Daily Herald David A Bryant Herald Staff Writer January 14, 2017
Lt. Gen. Paul “Butch” Funk proudly said last week he was “pretty sure” that when his son, Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, takes over as III Corps and Fort Hood commander, it would be the first time in corps history that a father and son had commanded the unit.
He is correct, the Army verified Friday.
J. Parker Roberts, 1ST INF. DIV. Funk Retired Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk, left, and retired Lt. Gen. Walter F. Ulmer Jr., right, pose with framed artwork gifted to the pair by the 1st Inf. Div. and Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, Ks., commanding general, center, Sept. 12, 2013, at Riley’s Conference Center.
But the Funks won’t be the first father and son team to command the same corps-level unit in the Army’s history — although it is rare enough to require a lot of research, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Army Lt. Col. Jennifer Johnson. “There may be others out there, but we don’t normally track this type of data,” she said. One of the most well known sets of names to command the same corps are Gen. Creighton W. Abrams and his son, Gen. John N. Abrams, both of whom commanded V Corps in Germany. Another father-son team was Lt. Gens. William Caldwell III and William Caldwell IV, both of which commanded Army North/Fifth Army and Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. read more here
The 85 Year-Old Marathon Runner Beating Competition Half His Age Vice Sports January 12, 2017
Published on Jan 12, 2017 Ed Whitlock is a once-in-a-generation athlete. He won't get the same coverage as a LeBron James, but he's been competitively running marathons at a high level for over 60 years. What exactly is the secret to shattering records for every age bracket out there? According to Ed, it's running laps through a cemetery.
US Army soldier based at Fort Hood is found dead - making him the TWELFTH GI from the Texas base to die in the last two months as investigators probe bizarre cluster of suicides, accidents and fatal fights at the base Daily Mail By Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com 14 January 2017
Army investigates death of Sgt. Alex Mathew Dean Taylor, 23 Taylor, an aviation operations specialist, was found dead at his post in Fort Hood Since November, 12 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood have died
Three were killed in a suicide bomb attack at Bagram air base in Afghanistan Others died in accidents and from gunshot wounds
The United States Army launched an investigation on Friday into the mysterious death of a soldier who was found unresponsive at his post on the Fort Hood base – the latest in a string of nearly a dozen deaths of soldiers serving in the massive Texas encampment.
Sgt. Alex Mathew Dean Taylor, 23, a soldier assigned to the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion, was found dead while on duty, according to Stars and Stripes. Taylor had enlisted as an aviation operations specialist. The army released no information about the circumstances of Taylor's death. read more here
Army, local police probe recent mystery deaths of 11 Fort Hood soldiers January 15, 2017 The Army and local police are investigating the deaths of 11 Fort Hood soldiers who have died on and off the large Texas base in the past three months under mysterious circumstances, according to reports.
The most recent death involved Sgt. Alex Taylor, 23, of Texas City, Texas, who was found Wednesday unresponsive at his job at Fort Hood.
The Army’s Criminal Investigations Command is probing Taylor’s death, Stars and Stripes reported Friday.
“At this point in the investigative process we do not suspect foul play, but have not completely ruled it out while we conduct a complete and thorough death investigation,” Criminal Investigations spokesman Christopher Grey told the paper.
Fort Hood said Taylor’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Aviation Badge and Air Assault Badge, among others. He was part of the 15th Military Intelligence Battalition and enlisted as an aviation operations.
Taylor is at least the 11th Fort Hood soldier to have died in the U.S. since Oct. 12.
Yet at the bottom of the article it has,
Three soldiers from Fort Hood died November 12 in a suicide bomb attack at Bagram air base in Afghanistan: Staff Sgt. John Perry, 30; Private First Class Tyler Iubelt, 20; and Sgt. 1st Class Allan Brown, 46. Brown died of injuries suffered in the attack at Walter Reade National Medical Center in Bethesda Dec. 6, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday.
The Army said Sgt. Douglas Riney, who was assigned to Fort Hood, died in Afghanistan Oct. 20 in a firefight with the enemy.
In other words, there is nothing to investigate on those deaths. So is this attention getting headline totally misleading? Weren't the facts as they really are worthy of the attention?
Houston Salsa Congress attracts veterans seeking stress relief Focus on the dance helps alleviate some PTSD symptoms Houston Cronicle By Katherine Blunt January 14, 2017
"You have to know how to lock into a moment and be OK with everything going on around you," Chris Fahey
Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Houston Salsa Congress workshop participant Harrison Bohanan follows instructor Franklin Liranzo's dance moves to warm up before a class Saturday in Houston.
Shoulders as loose as his hips, Franklin Liranzo twisted and shimmied to percussive Latin music at the head of a crowded dance floor.
A high twirl of his finger had 50 dancers spinning in place. A downward flick brought them slinking to the ground.
"I hope you're warm," he exclaimed as the dancers caught their breath.
Liranzo, a skilled dancer and former U.S. Marine, led the group through a warm-up Saturday at the Houston Salsa Congress, a four-day series of workshops and performances at the Westin Hotel in Memorial City. He is one of many veterans who uses salsa and the intense focus its requires to alleviate some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The congress, expected to attract more than 2,000 dancers, instructors and spectators, is an annual event run by Houston Salsa Dancers, a nonprofit organization that uses the proceeds to provide scholarships for underprivileged Houston teens. It features salsa enthusiasts of every skill level from around the world. read more here
How an amputee cat helped a San Diego veteran heal herself San Diego Union Tribune Karla Peterson January 14, 2016
The story of Sophia the Bionic Cat is a tech-geek’s fantasy and a survival saga. It is an inspirational pep talk and a made-for-TV movie just waiting to happen.
It is also a children’s book, which local author Karolyn Smith will be reading at 2 p.m. Saturday at the downtown San Diego Central Library. But more than anything, it is a love story. Combat-scarred veteran meets an abandoned disabled kitten on Facebook and life-changing magic ensues.
“I was in such a bad place. I remember thinking, ‘How am I going to get out of this?’” Smith said, remembering the day she happened upon the tiny calico kitten and her slightly bigger companion kitty on the San Diego Humane Society’s Facebook page.
“And then I saw that face, and I just felt something. And when you don’t usually feel much and you finally feel something, you kind of have to act on that.” read more here
