PTSD on Trial: Emmanuel Hernandez

Vet with PTSD not guilty of trying to murder police officers
The Jersey Journal
By Michaelangelo Conte
October 6, 2018

A West New York veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder was found not guilty of attempting to murder two police officers but convicted of lesser charges yesterday.

Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal

Emmanuel Hernandez, 28, showed no reaction to the verdict in which he was convicted of aggravated assault for firing a handgun at an officer and aggravated assault for running over a police officer's foot during the Feb. 5, 2017, incident.

He was also found guilty of eluding police in his vehicle, causing a risk of death or serious bodily injury and resisting arrest using force or the threat of force. He was additionally found guilty of unlawful possession of a weapon in the incident, which began at a QuickChek in North Bergen and ended after a 12-hour standoff with police at his 57th Street home.
read more here

Orlando backed out of talks with Pulse responder?

Orlando backed out of settlement with officer suffering PTSD after Pulse, wife says
Orlando Sentinel
David Harris
August 7, 2018

The wife of a retired Orlando police officer diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the massacre at Pulse nightclub said the city has backed out of a proposed settlement in his workers’ compensation lawsuit.

Orlando Police officer Gerry Realin was part of the small hazmat team that was responsible for removing the bodies from Pulse nightclub. He now struggles with PTSD and blood pressure so high he was recently admitted to the hospital.

Gerry Realin was rendered permanently disabled after working on the team that removed bodies from Pulse after the attack in June 2016, which left him with PTSD according to the lawsuit.

He is suing the city and the Orlando Police Department in Orange County circuit court, claiming lost wages and medical benefits, as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations.

His wife Jessica Realin said the parties met for mediation in June and came to a proposed settlement, but her attorney called her Monday to say the city backed out of the deal.

She declined to say what the settlement was.

“Gerry wanted to move on,” his wife said. “He felt like he wanted to be completely separated [from the city]. He didn’t feel like he could handle trial. I guess the city wants a trial.”
read more here

PTSD on Trial: Case dropped against veteran who bit nurse

DA drops case against patient who bit nurse
The Oregonian/OregonLive
By Aimee Green
July 2, 2018

A Northwest Portland man was injected with a sedative, then hours later bit a nurse. He faced criminal charges, until recently.(The Associated Press)

Prosecutors have dropped charges against a 35-year-old Portland man charged with assault for biting a nurse while he was heavily sedated and taken to a hospital against his will.

Advocates from the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic at Lewis and Clark Law School took up the case of Brandon Michael Gabaldon when they heard the circumstances of what happened to him.

Ambulance medics injected Gabaldon with as much as 15 times the normal dose of the sedative Versed and then took him to Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Northwest Portland in November 2016, said Lewis and Clark law professor Aliza Kaplan, in a friend-of-the-court brief in Gabaldon's case.

Hours later, Gabaldon woke from a deep, medicated sleep -- and after an argument broke out, Gabaldon ended up biting the nurse's elbow, according to the brief.
read more here

PTSD "Prevention" on Trial but Judges MIA

PTSD "Prevention" on Trial
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 4, 2018

The military did a great job selling "resilience" training. Too bad it turned out that it did not work. As a matter of fact, it made seeking help an impossible dream. Who the hell would want to ask for help, especially a Marine, after hearing the training was intended to make them mentally tough enough?

That is exactly what this training did. Every member of the military has to take this training since 2009 and since then, while the number of enlisted personnel went down, the number of suicides were not reduced accordingly.

There was Sergeant Major's trail that is more of an indictment on this FUBAR than on him. 

Marine sentenced for hate crime at Iraqi restaurantBy: The Associated PressMarch 3, 2018
PORTLAND, Ore. — A highly decorated active-duty Marine who slammed a chair into the neck and shoulder of an employee at an Iraqi restaurant in Portland has been sentenced to five years of probation and $21,000 in fines.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Damien Rodriguez was charged with a hate crime and assault that could have put him in prison for a mandatory five years and 10 months.
But Rodriguez’s defense attorney presented evidence that Rodriguez suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from witnessing soldiers die while in combat in Iraq.read more here

Is anyone paying attention to this? It keeps happening but no one with the power to end this deadly assault on our troops, will call for accountability!

It was predicted to have this outcome back in 2009! And it was predicted right here. 

So, now this Marine, has lost everything because no one stopped what should have never been pushed before they had any proof of what the results would be.

Who is accountable to this Marine?

Marine Corps sergeant major indicted on hate crime charges

Immediately following the incident, the 1st Marine Division removed Rodriguez from his position as the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines battalion sergeant major. "The 1st Marine Division will continue to assist the Portland District Attorney with this matter," Gainey said. "The Marine Corps does not tolerate disorderly conduct or bad behavior from its Marines or senior leaders and expects all Marines to uphold the highest of principles and ethical behavior, both on and off duty."

Who is accountable for any of them since this cause more harm to them than enemy bullets? 

Factor in all the younger veterans committing suicide, despite having been trained to be "resilient" and out of the combat zones. 

Factor in how they now have 400,000 charities to turn to for help. 

Factor in how they have Veterans Courts to get them the help they need.

Factor in the Suicide Prevention hotline.

Why would they continue to push this training when they could have easily accomplished the same result by giving them bean bags to fight with instead of bullets? 

The deadly outcome was predicted but no one listened. They are still not listening!

What is a proper motto for courage?

UPDATE:
VA employees wanted a gender-neutral mission statement. The agency refused

The strategic document instead phrased VA’s mission statement this way: “To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those ‘who shall have borne the battle’ and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.”

GEE WHERE DID WE SEE THOSE WORDS BEFORE? For Those Who Have Borne the Battle, Equality?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 8, 2018


Is the VA motto outdated and sexist? The head of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans group thinks so.

At issue is an 1865 quote from Abraham Lincoln, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” The quote was from Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and became the motto for VA 59 years ago.

Lincoln's quote is part of our history. Then again, so are women serving in the military. 

As a matter of fact, considering that there was a female held as a POW during the Civil War, you'd think that Lincoln would have used the word "those" instead of "he" and instead of "widows" maybe use families. 

Attitudes were a lot different back then. Oh, I don't mean the attitudes of males in charge thinking women should not be in the military. After all, considering they always wanted to serve, the only attitude change females have had is that more of them fought for the right to serve this country. 

Really twisted when you think about it.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker became a doctor when women were only supposed to be nurses. A female POW, and she was a surgeon...and the only woman to have been given the Medal of Honor, before they tried to take it away...then they gave it back symbolically.

This is what MOH Dr. Mary Edwards Walker went through afterwards.

Even though Walker was a Medal of Honor recipient and Civil War veteran, people often insulted her. Some written accounts say people even threw tomatoes at her as she walked through town.
“She is recognized all across the United States,” said Theresa Cooper, the Oswego town clerk who worked with the Oswego Town Historical Society to spearhead the statue project. “She has her own postage stamp. Children across the U.S. find her interesting enough to do projects about her in school. Yet here, she knew how people perceived her in a negative way. She knew children used to make fun of her.”

And then there is this,

"Her taste in clothes caused frequent arrests on such charges as impersonating a man. At one trial, she asserted her right to, “Dress as I please in free America on whose tented fields I have served for four years in the cause of human freedom.” The judge dismissed the case and ordered the police never to arrest Dr. Walker on that charge again. She left the courtroom to hearty applause."

But long before Mary, there were many more willing to do whatever they could for the sake of this land they loved and freedom . They fought to obtain it during the Revolutionary War!

Their motivations for signing up vary but, since most of these women were young, unmarried and poor, many of them joined in order to earn money for their families as well as for the rare opportunity to fight for America’s independence. It’s not surprising that since the American Revolution began in Massachusetts, many of these women soldiers were from Massachusetts.Some of these women soldiers include Deborah Sampson from Plympton, Mass, who fought in New York under the alias Robert Shurtliff in 1781 and served for over a year before she was discovered.Another female soldier was Ann (or Nancy) Bailey of Boston who enlisted in 1777 under the alias Sam Gay and was promoted to Corporal before her true identity was discovered just a few weeks later, resulting in her arrest and imprisonment.After her release, Bailey signed up again and served as a soldier for a few weeks before she was discovered and jailed again, according to the book The Revolutionary War.Some women didn’t disguise themselves or join the military but instead armed themselves and took to the streets, such as Prudence Cummings Wright did in Pepperell after two suspected Tory spies came through her town and she recruited a group of armed women to capture them.

Considering this nation was not just created for freedom but women have been subjected to far more than any males to achieve it, changing a motto that is younger than the current President is the least we can do for them!


After Iraq and Afghanistan, pioneering women in the military set sights on Congress
Washington Post
By Mary Jordan
February 7, 2018

In Amy McGrath’s pitch to voters in Kentucky, she wears a bomber jacket and stands next to an F/A-18, the fighter jet she flew as a Marine to drop bombs on Afghanistan.

In Mikie Sherrill’s political ad in New Jersey, the camera lingers over a whirring Sea King helicopter, like the one she piloted on Navy missions.

And in Martha McSally’s video announcing her run for Senate in Arizona, she is crouched in the cockpit of an Air Force fighter jet to underscore that she was the first woman to fly in combat.

Women who served in the military are running for elective office in greater numbers than at any time in history. Many broke gender barriers in uniform and say it’s time to make their mark in politics. For generations, military veterans who become elected officials have overwhelmingly been male and Republican, but these female veterans, many of whom served in pioneering combat roles in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are overwhelmingly Democrats and critical of President Trump.
read more here

PTSD on Trial: Oceanside Iraq Veteran

PTSD on Trial:

Iraq war vet with PTSD gets 16 to life for killing his friend
San Diego Union Tribune
Teri Figueroa 
December 15, 2017

A former Marine who served two tours in Iraq was sentenced Thursday to 16 years to life in prison for stabbing a friend to death in the friend’s Oceanside home as the victim’s two toddlers slept.

An Iraq war veteran with PTSD was sentenced Thursday to 16 years to life in prison in the 2015 stabbing death of a friend in garage of the victim's Oceanside home. Inside, the victim’s two toddlers were asleep on a couch. (Teri Figueroa)

Last month, a North County jury convicted David Anthony Strouth, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, of second-degree murder for killing Brad Garner, 49, while the two were hanging out in Garner’s garage.

Strouth, who had started cutting himself, asked the neighbors and responding police to kill him, according to the prosecution’s filing.

Police found Strouth’s bloody K-bar knife — with the inscription Operation Iraqi Freedom — in the garage. 

At trial, Strouth testified that it had been self-defense, telling the jury that Garner had come at him with the knife, and they struggled, but Strouth won control of it.

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza said Friday he was pleased with the outcome of the case. He said in October that “the verdict demonstrated that PTSD may explain but does not excuse an unprovoked killing.”

read more here 

PTSD on Trial: Doctor Who Left Boating Victims

Medical board considers case of Poland doctor for leaving fatal crash scene

WFJM News
Mike Gauntner
November 13, 2017 

However, the defense argued that the court was duty-bound, and directed by law, to consider Dr. Yurich's military background and a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -

The Poland doctor convicted of leaving the scene of a 2015 fatal boating crash on Berlin Reservoir faces possible disciplinary action from the State Medical Board of Ohio.

Dr. Joseph Yurich was sentenced to ten days in jail in July after being convicted of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.

Yurich's speedboat hit a fishing boat around midnight on May 9, 2015, on Berlin Lake. The man in the fishing boat, Neal Cuppett of Akron, died. Another man in Cuppett's boat was injured.

The state medical board has notified Yurich it intends to determine if the doctor will face discipline because of his conviction on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

As part of the sentence handed down by Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge John Durkin, Yurich was also placed on house arrest for 90 days with electronic monitoring, given five years of probation, and was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, performing medical services for those that need it. read more here

If You Think Veterans Are Not News Worthy, You're Not Paying Attention

SEVEN DAYS IN OCTOBER
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 7, 2017

There are so many times when I have to explain to people why I do not have time for Facebook or other social media sites. Aside from this site, working a full time job, family, friends and more, this is what my week also looks like.

Seven Days Ago

Veterans angry, disappointed following PBS’ Vietnam War documentary

"But veterans of the South Vietnamese military say they were largely left out of the narrative, their voices drowned out by the film’s focus on North Vietnam and its communist leader, Ho Chi Minh. And many American veterans say that the series had several glaring omissions and focused too much on leftist anti-war protesters and soldiers who came to oppose the war."

Bill would help veterans exposed to burn pits

"Amie Muller returned home to Woodbury nearly a decade ago after serving a two-year tour in Iraq. The end of her deployment, however, ushered in a gamut of health issues for Muller, including severe skin rashes and sun sensitivity, chronic fatigue and a fibromyalgia diagnosis. She was eventually diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer in 2016. Amie, a mother of three, died from the disease in February at age 36...."

Army Specialist Pleads Guilty in Female Soldier's Slaying

"The Leaf-Chronicle reports that Spc. Charles Robinson III pleaded guilty at his court-martial Thursday to murder, conspiracy and obstruction of justice in the death of Pfc. Shadow McClaine. The post on the Kentucky-Tennessee line houses the 101st Airborne Division."

Army Ends Search for Remains, Wreckage from Hawaii Helicopter Crash

"The 25th Infantry Division said in a statement Thursday officials wrapped up the search after concluding it was unlikely to find additional remains. Investigators also determined they had gathered enough evidence for a thorough probe into the cause of the crash. All five crew members on board were killed when the UH-60 helicopter went down off Oahu on Aug. 15."

2 Troops Injured in Non-Combat V-22 Crash in Syria

"The two were evaluated for non-life threatening injuries and quickly transported to a medical treatment facility where they were seen and released," said the statement from Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.

Dad learns why you shouldn't drop the f-bomb in front of your toddler

"As a former U.S. Marine, now a father, there is perhaps one word I should try to cut out of my vernacular around my soon to be 2-year-old', he posted on Twitter."

Retired Gen. Ham: I got emotional support. You can, too.

This guy...General Ham, is one of the heroes on PTSD and getting help! “I didn’t die, but I was definitely reborn,” said Parish, who spent the last seven years of his military career as a lead instructor for resilience training. “I strongly encourage anyone to ask for help before it’s too late.” "The first step is the hardest, Ham said. “It’s knocking on the door and saying, ‘Hey, chaplain, you got a minute?’ But once you take the first step, it’s easy. If you experience hardship and then get help to work your way through it, you come out stronger.” #combatptsd

Mom with disabled veteran son blasts NFL protests

"Rolaine Stoddard said she cries when no one is around because of the grief she has experienced as a military mom. Her one moment that made it seem like the sacrifices were worthwhile was when NFL stadiums filled with fans would stand during the National Anthem in unison - a moment that she said was stolen from her by the protests"

Peterson AFB delivers food and water to thousands in Puerto Rico

"COLORADO SPRINGS - The U.S. Northern Command, in support of FEMA continues to conduct 24-hour operations working to open ports and roads, restore power, and assist with bringing life-saving commodities into disaster-affected areas."

Burnette Chapel Church Of Christ Fellowship Unbroken Faith

"I sat out here. It was early Monday morning and I was looking up and I could see Orion's Belt," Carter said. "I mean just how great — don’t understand why — but how great God truly is." Terry Carter If you want to know what causes #ptsd read this story and not only understand it better, but know more about what it takes to heal it!

Missing Veteran Alert: James Kozik 

"Police said James Kozik, 31, of New London has been missing for approximately three weeks. His friend said he went for a walk one evening and never returned home, and anyone with information on his location is asked to contact police immediately." 

Six Days Ago 
County Vietnam dead, missing remembered in annual vigil

“We’ve got at least one person per shift” to staff the vigil, White said, and more in some cases. “We’ve got an assortment of people. We’ve got some guys that are still on active duty, a couple of guys that helped us out last year. And some new Vietnam veterans have stepped up to the plate” who haven’t previously participated. A surviving sister of an individual killed in the war also volunteered for the first time.

Fort Snelling Veteran Volunteer Received Veterans Voices Award

"The actions of people like Anderson exemplify mission of Veterans Voices, which is to let them dictate their own narrative, O'Fallon said. "They say, 'We get trapped into two stories: "You're a hero, thanks for your service," or, 'Oh my God, maybe you're troubled and have #PTSD and we don't know how to talk to you,'" he said.

England cricket star's punch victim an Afghanistan war veteran: report

"[The victim is] a loving dad and a proper family man. He's got a little boy … he wouldn't instigate a fight," the relative said. "He's a trained soldier, he's been to Afghanistan, he knows better than that. But he knows how to handle himself. "It's quite shocking. I don't think he's said much to anybody. You wouldn't expect that kind of behaviour."

Demons Defeated UK Veteran--MoD Left Him Unarmed to Fight PTSD

"The demons are winning the battle, I can’t keep going any more and I’m so tired. I have seen things nobody should ever see and I see it ­everywhere I go and it’s eating away at me. It hurts babe, it’s been 20 years of pain and so much that I can only think of one way to stop the pain." Mike Emslie #combatptsd

'It's a vendetta' Hero veteran who fought ISIS investigated by MoD for fraud

Allan Duncan, 50, spent the last three years as the only British veteran fighting alongside the Peshmergan 7 Brigade, official coalition partners in the war against the evil death cult in the Iraq. His experiences have been featured in the Daily Express and even used by British security services hungry for vital intelligence on ISIS. But now the Ministry of Defence is investigating him for fraud, because he claims a partial pension for post-traumatic stress disorder #PTSD

UPDATE-She was not alone!!!!

Vietnam Veteran's Widow Planned Lonely Funeral For Tomorrow

FIVE DAYS AGO 
USS Kirk Crew Honored for Rescues After Vietnam War

Saturday was the first time the crew had been recognized formally by the U.S. government. The ceremony included dignitaries and congressional, county and city officials."

Corporal Legend, Parris Island Mascot, Has Passed Away

"Corporal Legend, a mascot who has served as a Parris Island morale booster since 2011, died on Sept. 17, according to a release from the Marine Corps depot. The English Bulldog was found unresponsive and taken to the depot's veterinary clinic where he was pronounced dead, according to the release. It states a funeral ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at the depot's mascot cemetery."

After losing their loved ones at war, survivors find strength in each other on Colorado ranch

Howell described surviving in one word: stuck. At least, that’s how she felt for the first several years. “When you grieve you kind of get stuck in the muckery,” she said. “The shock of grief. It takes time to come out of it.”

Navy training jet is missing after reports of crash in Tennessee

“At approximately 6 p.m., Training Air Wing ONE, based at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., was made aware of the reports of a jet crash near Tellico Plains, Tenn., in the Cherokee National Forest,” a Navy statement said.

First woman takes command at Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss

"Brig. Gen. Laura Yeager grew up in a military family, but no one really expected her to become a soldier too. Yeager, the new commanding general at Joint Task Force North, originally joined the Army to help pay for her college education."

Las Vegas shooting near Mandalay Bay - live updates

"A shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip killed at least 20 people and wounded more than 100 others late Sunday, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. He said the man authorities think was the sole gunman was killed by police on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across Las Vegas Boulevard from the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a country music festival."

Gorham police officer recognized for helping Vietnam veterans

"The two Vietnam vets that were in that truck are the true heroes. Unfortunately, it was not just a battery issue wrong with the truck the alternator had seized also. It was time for me to go off duty shortly after this picture was taken."

Protests muted week after NFL responds to Trump criticism

"The Colts tweeted a statement from their players explaining why kneeling is not meant to be disrespectful of the flag." Then they should stop using it to make a point about what is important to them. The Anthem is more than just a "song" to far too many!

Service dog warns ex-Army sergeant of seizures

"But for Sgt. Mark Jenkins, his relationship with Scout, a 9-year-old yellow Lab, is more than just a bond of friendship. It's a lifesaving connection. Jenkins, who medically retired from the U.S. Army in 2010, depends on Scout — considered a "service animal' — to alert him to the fact he's close to suffering a seizure."

Veterans audition to tell other vets' stories

"Henne and Ploof interviewed 42 local military veterans since August 2016 in writing the script for “The Veterans Project,” which will debut in November. They range from a 93-year-old World War II veteran to twenty-something soldiers still on active during, Henne said."

More than 20 people killed, 100 hurt in Las Vegas Strip shooting

"People kept dropping and dropping… People were getting shot one foot away from us," she said. “People were trying to save their friends. There were gunshots everywhere. Helping them would’ve meant that we got shot too.”

Dead rats and frogs discovered in Camp Pendleton water supply

"Despite the nauseating discovery, Camp Pendleton officials say the water — consumed by some 55,000 Marines and their families — is safe, and that there is no need to boil water or take other precautions, according to a memo circulated by the base’s leadership."

Two Pilots Killed in Cherokee National Forest Navy Jet Crash

Both pilots aboard a Navy training jet that went down in Cherokee National Forest have been confirmed dead, military personnel said Monday.

" Las Vegas shooting victims identified

"LAS VEGAS -- At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 others were injured after a gunman opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas. The victims of the deadliest mass shooting in recent American history were beginning to be identified on Monday afternoon."

Will Veterans’ Family, Caregiver, and Survivor Advisory Committee Remember Us?

The Committee will advise the Secretary, through the Chief Veterans Experience Officer, on matters related to Veterans’ families, caregivers, and survivors across all generations, relationships, and Veteran status..."

Gary Sinise honors military in Melbourne

"Lieutenant Dan, certainly, when I played that I got more involved with our wounded through the Disabled American Veterans Organization and started supporting them," he told FLORIDA TODAY. The group contacted Sinise three weeks after the movie opened in 1994, inviting him to a convention.

Pennsylvania now has Stolen Valor Law

GOV. Tom Wolf has announced that the Pennsylvania Stolen Valor Law is now in effect. The law protects benefits for Pennsylvania’s service members and veterans. It makes it a crime to impersonate a service member, a veteran of the armed services, or a recipient of a service medal or decoration to gain access to those privileges set aside specifically for those who have served our country.

Maine veterans given substandard care are told it’s too late to sue

"Now, Wood and five other Maine veterans are suing, claiming that the VA fraudulently concealed that a podiatrist at the VA hospital in Togus gave them substandard care, subjecting them to years of pain that hospital officials now say could have been avoided. Their case is currently before U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy in Portland, who will decide whether the lawsuits can move forward."

The best that comes out of many because of the "one"

Time and time again we have witnessed the worst that can be done, but we have also witnessed the best that comes out of many because of the one.

Navy SEAL killed in California skydiving accident FOUR DAYS AGO

"The SEAL, Cmdr. Seth Stone, died after jumping out of a hot air balloon in Perris in Riverside County, Calif. The Federal Aviation Administration said his parachute failed to open properly and the agency is investigating."

Vietnam veteran earned more than 45 military awards

"While Joseph L. Durbin Jr. is proud to have served his country for 39 years, when he talks about his three Bronze Stars earned during two tours of duty in Vietnam, he modestly shrugs off the medals as simply recognition for doing his job."

Iraq war veteran borrows a utility van to ferry dozens of victims to the hospital

"“We started grabbing people and loading them in the truck,” Winston said. “Some were in critical condition. We took a full load to the hospital and then came back for more.” Winston estimates that he ferried around 30 people to the hospital, where emergency workers waited to take over."

Army Veteran: Las Vegas Shooting Worse Than Iraq Skirmishes

The soldier, who was on a search and rescue team in 2012, said he started helping people get out of the line of fire. "I just did what I was supposed to do and what I was trained to do, and I was trying to take care of people."

Stories of heroism emerge from Las Vegas massacre

When you see evil, think help comes too late, too little, remember angels often come in the middle. “What these people did for each other says far more about who we are as Americans than the cowardly acts of a killer ever could,” Sanders said, fighting back tears during the daily news briefing.

12 hours after deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, fear grips Vegas strip

By Monday afternoon, 59 victims were dead and 527 injured in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. "You just didn't know what to do," Akiyoshi said. "Your heart is racing and you're thinking, 'I'm going to die.'"
"Tales of heroism and compassion emerged quickly: Couples held hands as they ran through the dirt lot. Some of the bleeding were carried out by fellow concertgoers. While dozens of ambulances took away the wounded, some people loaded victims into their cars and drove them to the hospital."

Iraq War Veteran Helped Direct Cops To Vegas Shooter’s Room

Gunfire rang out last night just two floors below Chris Bethel’s Mandalay Bay Hotel room. “I could just hear the gun shots. Continuously. Just full automatic,” said Bethel. “There’s explosions going off. It was like, a bomb just went off man. And then there were more gun shots.”

Community turns out to honor Vietnam veteran Roman Belasco

"When veteran organizations stepped in to help it was estimated 100 people would show, but there were hundreds of people. "It was shoulder to shoulder," said Steve Kjonaas, COO of VFW in Colorado, "People right next to each other. Everybody from all the veterans organizations, active duty military, I saw some cadets around here and everybody working together. It was just a wonderful sight.""

Spokane Army veteran describes terror of Vegas shooting

"I've done a lot of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and it's kind of different because there was no way to really protect yourself. It's a whole new feeling for me," said Jon Tampien. Minutes after posing for a photo outside Mandalay Bay, Tampien was forced to fight for his life.

WWII veteran finally gets VA benefits after more than 70 years without

"World War II veteran could’ve been receiving veteran benefits for the past 70 years, but he never signed up with the VA...Thanks to Kurt Heitman at the VA office on Fort Carson, who has gone above and beyond to help this hometown hero out, in a matter of about six weeks the VA determined Sgt. Sekulich is 100 percent disabled due to his hearing loss suffered from the war and he is now receiving his very well-deserved benefits."

Pulse survivors stand with Vegas

"After Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, survivors of the Pulse Nightclub attack are responding with words of support. "I can feel it in all my wounds, it's like reliving that morning all over again," said survivor Tony Marrero. "All my senses and emotions are triggered just thinking of those families and friends of victims.""

How to Help Mandalay Bay Survivors. Be There!

Having seen the worst that can happen after a survivor is suffering without help, I weep more because I know that suffering did not need to happen. #combatptsd

General Tries to Avoid Political Firestorm over Puerto Rico Relief

"I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a member of the blue party. I'm not a member of the green party. I'm a soldier and I'm here to help people," Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan said. "The people here need help and we're going to give them all the help we've got," he told PBS...

Soldier killed in Iraq bomb blast was just starting first deployment

"Army Spc. Alexander W. Missildine died Sunday of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in northern Iraq, according to a Pentagon statement released Tuesday. He was assigned to the 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Polk in Louisiana."

Truck Thief You Got To Love!

An Iraq veteran is being hailed as a hero for stealing a festival truck and rescuing dozens of shooting victims as gunfire rained down in Las Vegas Sunday night."

THREE DAYS AGO 
Beaufort Marine found shot is released from the hospital. But who pulled the trigger?

An active-duty Marine who arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort’s gate Sept. 21 with multiple gunshot wounds is out of the hospital, according to the Corps, but the case remains under investigation."

Pilots killed in Tennessee jet trainer crash identified

"Lt. Patrick L. Ruth and Lt. j.g. Wallace E. Burch were the Navy pilots killed Sunday when the T-45C training jet that they were flying crashed into the Cherokee National Forest in eastern Tennessee..."

38 year-old Goochland Army vet found dead in his wheelchair last spring in apartment

A Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper carrier found the body of Paul Chisholm between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. April 17 in the parking lot of the Retreat at West Creek, located on Wilkes Ridge Parkway just west of the Short Pump area."

Veterans among victims of Las Vegas shooting, others fought to save lives

"No active duty servicemembers were among the dead or injured, the Pentagon said, but reports of National Guard, reserve and military veterans are slowly emerging from the horrific scene: a 34-year-old off-duty police officer who was a military veteran who coached youth football; a California Guardsman and his wife, wounded and in stable condition; a former Marine, a former Army Ranger and other veterans whose battlefield training kicked in, prompting them to jump in to save lives."

VA apologizes to Vietnam vet for ER denial

Despite doing exactly what the VA instructed, Rocky received a denial letter in the mail. The VA was refusing to pay for the stent removal, leaving the 100% service connected disabled veteran with the $1,200 bill. “What more could I have done?” Rocky asked while throwing his hands in the air. “I did as I was told, I don’t know how else you could do it!”

Dakota Meyer slams Dan Bilzerian for filming himself fleeing Vegas

'This is what kills me about people like you,' Meyer wrote to Blizerian. 'Always playing 'operator dress up' and so, so tough when the cameras are on''Running away filming, that's not what operators do. Please stop trying to be someone your not. People are dying, you're running away' Bilzerian constantly posts photos of himself alongside his arsenal of weapons, working out topless, or surrounded by a bevvy of Instagram models...But he failed to make the grade when he applied to join the Navy SEALs...

Mobile veterans services center touring county

"VA's Office of Rural Health (ORH), created in 2007, strives to eliminate the barriers between rural Veterans and the services they have earned and deserve, thus improving Veterans' health and well-being by increasing access to care. According to ORH, 5.2 million Veterans live in rural communities across the United States, and more than 32.9 million rural Veterans rely on VA for their health care."

Dennis Eakin Kia honors Vietnam veterans

“This is a big thing,” Jones said. “I’m hoping that it will spread across this country to tell those that are still living, Vietnam vets, that it did matter and that we were doing something that, at that time, no one else was willing to do.” Jones served in the Army and the Marine Corps from 1966-1987 and currently works as a minister and pastor.

Vietnam veteran earned more than 45 military awards

"While Joseph L. Durbin Jr. is proud to have served his country for 39 years, when he talks about his three Bronze Stars earned during two tours of duty in Vietnam, he modestly shrugs off the medals as simply recognition for doing his job."

Iraq war veteran from Lake Elsinore helped victims after Las Vegas mass shooting

“I still have dried blood in the cracks of my hands,” said Tami Colosimo, 44, a Moreno Valley High graduate who lives in Lake Elsinore. “I have probably washed my hands 100 times.” And, with all the trauma she saw during two tours as a military police officer in Iraq, she can’t get one image out of her mind from Sunday night.

Army veteran risked his life to save others at Las Vegas concert massacre, but don't call him a heor

"Robert Ledbetter was a scout sniper for the U.S. Army Rangers during one tour of duty in Iraq. He was trained for war. Those instincts kicked in on Sunday night at a different battlefield: about 40 yards from the stage where Jason Aldean was performing."

5 Hero Veterans Who Saved Lives in Las Vegas 'War Zone'

1. Marine vet Taylor Winston stole a truck to evacuate the wounded
2. Army vet Colin Donohue moved others out of the line of fire
3. Marine vet Scott Yarmer evaded gunfire while leading others out
4. Army vet John Tampien moved his group to safety
5. Army vet Robert Ledbetter treated the wounded and made a tourniquet with a shirt

Man caught at traffic stop with automatic weapons, 900 rounds

"... Scott Edmisten, 43, of Johnson City, carrying a .357-caliber Magnum, a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic, a .223-caliber fully automatic assault rifle, a .308-caliber fully automatic assault rifle, (aren't registered and lack serial numbers ) more than 900 rounds of ammunition, and survival equipment, Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal said."

The general's speech is the one we wish the President could make

In the battlefield of ideas, the general launched a frontal assault. "We are here," he said, "because we have a better idea." He called for "civil discourse" on the issues tearing the country apart. And he explained why the ideas of the bigots are wrong, speaking about how diversity creates strength, about the power we derive because, "we come from all walks of life... from all races ... all backgrounds ... all upbringings."

Defendant pleads guilty in disabled veteran's beating death

"The third of four suspects accused in the beating death of a disabled veteran in 2012 has pleaded guilty. The death penalty trial for Leroy Hines, 37, was scheduled to begin Monday in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court. He avoided a possible death sentence by pleading guilty to felony murder Friday, and will be sentenced at a hearing scheduled for Nov. 13."

Providing An Adrenaline Rush For A Disabled Veteran

"...Retired Army Captain Edward Klein. The unique part is that Klein, who served 16 years in the Army; with tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan; is a triple amputee. He lost both legs above the knee, the right arm above the elbow, and three fingers on his left hand."

Contractors will pay $3 million settlement after allegedly

“Every time an ineligible contractor knowingly pursues and obtains such set-aside contracts, they are cheating American taxpayers at the expense of service-disabled veterans.” Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler.

Homeless Army Veteran Died Left Behind Bible

"The flag was placed there by members of a homeless community to honor Jeffrey R. Bakos, a 55-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army, according to his grieving friends."

Hit and Run in Florida Killed Michigan Sheriff's Deputy

"A 31-year-old Oakland County sheriff's deputy died in a hit-and-run crash in Orlando, Florida, while on vacation with her husband on Sunday, Oct. 1, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office says."

Saving Veterans Is Not In Awareness, It Is In The Works

If someone is hungry, do you give them sand to eat or do you give them food? If a veteran lost hope, do you make them aware of so many others who also lost hope, and then took their own lives, or do you give them hope they can heal #combatptsd

Ex-soldier convicted of manslaughter starts GoFundMe to pay restitution, causes outrage

Let's get this straight. He did it, was found guilty and now he wants others to pay the debt he owes the families? "Jan Michael Nieves Delgado, 22, on the crowd funding account pleaded for donations toward the $10,000 in restitution he was ordered to pay to the victims’ families."

Two Days Ago
House Dems boycott VA reform discussion over inclusion of right-leaning group: report

You know how I feel about politicians...all of them. This may shock you, but on this one, I totally agree with this boycott. "House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democrats would not attend the meeting because Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) would be there. Democrats accused the group of being more interested in political attacks than creating new policy."

Navy officer fights for right to try unproven drugs before dying

"Matt Bellina was a 30-year-old officer in the U.S. Navy flying out of the Pacific Northwest to protect the country when he started showing symptoms of the deadly Lou Gehrig's disease in 2012. Now he's taken on a new fight: a law making it easier for terminally ill patients to get access to experimental drugs."

Valley Vietnam Veteran Battles Diabetes Linked to Agent Orange Exposure

"Veterans who believe they are suffering from an illness linked to Agent Orange may have health care options through the VA. "One of the most important things that they need to do when they believe that they've been exposed to Agent Orange is to come by either the McAllen outpatient clinic or the Harlingen outpatient clinic," said VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend spokesperson Reynaldo Leal." #agentorange

Judge won't release Iraq War veteran fighting deportation - ABC News

"Chong Kim, a South Korean immigrant and green card holder from Portland, Oregon, struggled with drug addiction, homelessness and post-traumatic stress following his time in Iraq in 2009 and 2010, leading to convictions for burglary and other charges. Kim's lawyer and friends have said he has done well since completing a substance abuse treatment program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs early this year." #combatptsd

3 Green Berets killed, 2 wounded in Niger ambush

"Three Green Berets were killed and two others wounded, military officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press. The injured soldiers were taken to Niger’s capital city of Niamey and were in stable condition, said the officials, who had not been authorized to speak publicly."

While others were fleeing Las Vegas shooting scene, an Army veteran drove straight to it

"While thousands of people scrambled from the parking lot where the Route 91 Harvest music festival was held as bullets rained down from overhead, Stalker ran straight into the crowd. He searched frantically for his girlfriend and her mother. Unable to find them in the chaos, "I just started helping anyone and everyone I could," Stalker said."

Veteran charged in Gray's Creek murder

"He was the court’s first graduate during a ceremony in April 2016, earning praise from local judges, Veterans Affairs officials and others. But a little more than a year later, Vann, 32, of the 300 block of Southern Comfort Drive in Parkton, was led into a courtroom under very different circumstances."

‘Alzheimer’s is a veterans’ disease:’ New group tries to improve support for vets

Her (Shawn Taylor) decision to focus her attention on veterans -- a group disproportionately at risk for dementia – was personal, too. Taylor’s grandfather, John Gavin, was an Army colonel and West Point graduate, and her father, Bernard Landau, is a retired lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran.

The five former presidents will headline a hurricane benefit concert

"Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter will be the headliners at a special concert Oct. 21 at Texas A&M's Reed Arena in College Station, which will raise money for hurricane relief efforts."

Vets Sue Defense Department over 1966 Spain H-Bomb Mishap

"The lawsuit was filed by Yale Law School students representing Vietnam Veterans of America, the group's Connecticut chapter and Anthony Maloni, a 72-year-old veteran airman from Agawam, Massachusetts."

California Guard soldier and his wife injured in Las Vegas shooting

"A California National Guard soldier and his wife were among those injured in the shooting Sunday night in Las Vegas. The couple is in stable condition, Capt. Will Martin, a spokesman for the California Guard, confirmed to Army Times."

Green Alerts bill helps at-risk veterans

"Months after a missing veteran was found dead, his family is calling on lawmakers for change. It's called The Corey Adams Searchlight Act, named after a Milwaukee veteran who went missing earlier this year."

Air Force veterans reconnect after more than 50 years apart

"Cheyenne resident Ray Cahoon and Roy Salmon of Melbourne, Florida, met while stationed at Tachikawa Airfield in western Tokyo in 1957. Two years later, however, they lost touch after Cahoon was transferred while Salmon was at a track meet in the United States. For decades, the two men didn’t speak, but they never forgot one another."

Unclaimed veterans deserve a proper military funeral

As many as five of 64 unclaimed bodies that were set for mass interment could be veterans, according to Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni. If those bodies turn out to be veterans, they will have a military funeral, likely held at Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, a local Veterans Affairs official said."

Service to be held today for slain off-duty Las Vegas police officer - ABC News

"A service will be held this evening for Charleston Hartfield, an off-duty Las Vegas police officer and Nevada Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class, who was killed Sunday night when a gunman opened fire on a county music festival. Hartfield, who leaves behind a son and daughter, was attending Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas when he and 57 others were gunned down in what is now the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history."

As bullets flew in Las Vegas, Tacoma surgeon improvised to help victims

"Dr. James Sebesta is a surgeon who retired last year from service at Madigan Army Medical Center after an Army career that included four deployments to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"Sunday, he encountered some of the worst carnage of his career during what he called a “prolonged date night” as he attended the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. After surviving the onslaught of bullets unleashed in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, he sent his wife away with friends to a safe place while he stayed behind to help the wounded."

Las Vegas Survivors and Responders Struggle to Heal

After Pulse, Police Officers said that the worst part was after the shooting stopped. They had to walk around in puddles of blood, but even that wasn't the worst for them. It was the constant ring of cell phones as they prayed the batteries would die. They knew on the other end of the call, was someone looking for someone who was not going home to them. #ptsd

After Hurricane Maria, The Flood of PTSD Cases

"PTSD doesn't develop immediately, it develops after about a month," Asim Shah, M.D., chief of the division of community psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, told CBS News. #PTSD

Army of Heroes Showed Up in Las Vegas

A few of the Army veterans still putting their lives on the line for the sake of others. And thy wonder why the rest of us call them heroes?

One Day Ago 
A skydiver's parachute failed; prosecutors say her husband sabotaged it

"Prosecutors said Cilliers, a 37-year-old sergeant in the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, removed parts of his wife's parachute in hopes that she would die in the jump, according to British media."

Heartwarming: Disabled Napa Veteran Wins Toyota Tundra

"As an aircraft mechanic,( Steven) Hale was stationed in South Korea and did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He might still be serving today had a 100-pound generator not been dropped on him while he was on the job, injuring his shoulder; or had a drunk driver not hit him, breaking his neck and back."

Tricare reform rules fire a curveball over Jan. 1 fee levels

"Elderly or disabled retirees who use Tricare for Life, the military’s supplemental insurance to Medicare, and families of active duty enrolled in Prime, the managed care plan supported by military treatment facilities, will not impacted by the new set of appointment fees established under Select."

Union warns of VA privatization ahead of Choice reform debate

One word for this, Yep! "Using sometimes fiery language, they illustrated the VA as a model example of health care that was being starved of money and staff to benefit 'corporate cronies.'"

Honor Vietnam veterans

"To every Vietnam veteran, I admire and respect the sacrifices that you made. In fact, it was part of that selflessness and duty that influenced me to join the Army in 1989. I did not suffer like the Vietnam vets did, but it was because of your example that I enlisted. Having come from a long line of veterans, I wanted my family to be proud of me." Michelle L. Berthon

Missing leg won't keep 94-year-old veteran from standing for national anthem

"Marian Morreale has been practicing how to stand for the last three months. She is a 94-year-old World War II veteran and her left leg was amputated last year. But she practiced standing so that she could when the national anthem opening game of the Sabres tonight. She is trying to make a point."

Meet the veteran WUSA9's service dog Bunce is helping

"Dan Berschinski served our country as an Army Lieutenant in Afghanistan. In 2009, he lost both legs to an IED. He was 25. Fast forward to 2017, and Bunce now helps him in so many ways.

Head of Vietnam veteran charity who embezzled $150,000 sentenced to five

"John Thomas Burch, 75, of Alexandria, Virginia, who pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud, was the president of the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation until last year." "The former head of a Washington, D.C., charity meant to benefit Vietnam veterans, who embezzled about $150,000 of donations to spend on women he was involved with, was sentenced Thursday to five months in prison."

82nd Airborne in Afghanistan helps with gender reveal for fallen NC soldier

"All the way from Afghanistan, members of the 82nd prepped confetti canons and began to record. “My boy Harris, we’re gonna do it for him, find out what kind of baby he is going to have,” a soldier says in the video."

Tampa veteran police officer's son was in the middle of the Vegas shooting, helped save lives

"His son is a 29-year combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and now with the LAPD. A good guy in a crowd of victims..."Whenever you go into a crowd you see two guys with there heads up the good guys and the bad guys. We take an oath to do the job, and it doesn't matter what venue or what time of day it is. We are what we are," Jim says."

Bogus Lincolnshire Help for Heroes collector pretended to be Afghanistan veteran

UK: "But Santini, from south Lincolnshire, could not produce an armed forces identity card and it was later discovered that he had not been a soldier since 1983 when he was given a “dishonourable discharge.”"

Soldier committed suicide after seeing friends killed in Lebanon

UK: "Patrick Nolan, 60, from Hatfield, suffered from alcohol dependency and depression and was found dead on the rail tracks north of Hatfield on February 4. The inquest heard that to deal with his PTSD and depression following a tour of duty in Lebanon with the Irish Armed Forces..." #combatptsd

Ottawa, military in joint offensive to save soldiers from suicide

"The Globe's continuing investigation has found that more than 70 Canadian military members and veterans who were deployed on the Afghanistan operation have killed themselves after returning home. Another six ended their lives while on tour, and are counted among the 158 mission deaths."

Service-connection for PTSD important for spouse, children

"VA provides dependency and indemnity to surviving spouses and/or minor children of a veteran who dies on active duty or of a service-connected disability. In most cases, dependents are eligible even if the veteran never filed for the service-connected condition, with the exception of suicide." #combatptsd

And on the seventh day, I did not rest but you'll have to go to Google+ to find out.