3 killed by Amtrak train after their car bypasses crossing gate

3 killed by Amtrak train after their car bypasses crossing gate With Video
Willoughby Mariano | Sentinel Staff Writer
11:11 AM EST, November 29, 2008

Two men and one woman died Friday night after the sedan in which they were riding bypassed crossing gates and flashing lights and was hit by a passenger train in south Orange County.

The crash occurred about 7 p.m. at east Lancaster Road and South Orange Avenue, as the occupants of a four-door, 1994 Buick were traveling between the homes of friends, said Sgt. Kim Miller, a Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

The sedan was crossing the tracks eastbound on Lancaster when a northbound Amtrak train carrying about 170 passengers crashed into it. The car went airborne, landing hundreds of feet away near a warehouse parking lot. It smashed into a parked tractor-trailer before overturning.

Driver Walter Martinez, 22, was pinned under the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Cristina Rosa, 19, and John Penaloza, 27, were pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Victor Carrillo, 22, was in serious condition at ORMC.
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War-zone accidents down; off-duty wrecks rise

War-zone accidents down; off-duty wrecks rise


By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 29, 2008 7:15:20 EST

Fatal accidents in the war zone declined sharply and claimed fewer soldiers’ lives in fiscal 2008, but the number of soldiers dying in off-duty accidents back home continues to creep up.

Motorcycle accidents once again top the list of off-duty killers, followed by accidents in sedans and other privately owned vehicles, according to data compiled by the Combat Readiness/Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Of the 130 soldiers who died in privately owned vehicle accidents in fiscal 2008, 48 were in sedans, compared with 38 last year, and 51 were on motorcycles, up from 38 in fiscal 2007.

Sport bikes — lighter, more powerful motorcycles that accelerate faster and cost less than heavier cruisers — are the most popular motorcycles among soldiers, according to Army safety experts.

Of the 51 motorcycle accident fatalities, 37 occurred on sport bikes, compared with 29 in fiscal 2007.

Soldiers receive free basic and experienced rider courses through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and dozens of rider mentorship courses have sprung up across the Army. A new sport-bike course was launched May 30 and motorcycle simulators are being installed at several posts.
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Grace After Fire, online group for women after war

Grace After Fire
Grace After Fire is a resource solely for women veterans to support their need to connect with each other and share yet remain anonymous. These women can reach out to others who have experienced the same concerns of re-entry, alcoholism, drug addiction, or prescription addiction due to chronic pain, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), incidents of service time rape, depression, unwarranted anger or traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to wartime trauma.

Go to http://www.graceafterfire.org/

NOONIE FORTIN
1SG, USAR (Ret)
Author and Speaker
Researcher and Consultant
http://www.nooniefortin.com/
http://www.colonelmaggie.com/
http://www.talesandwhalespublishing.com/
www.myspace.com/nooniefortin

My video Women at War


My video, The Voice, Women At War


This video shows the rich history of women in the military. I used some of Noonie's information in this video.

VETERAN'S GROUP GIVES 10,000 DISTURBING DVDs TO VETS ON REQUEST

VETERAN'S GROUP GIVES 10,000 DISTURBING DVDs TO VETS ON REQUEST


David M. Bresnahan
Posted; 1:05 AM Eastern
February 9, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

VERSAILLE, Mo. -- The American Gulf War Veterans Association, in conjunction with The Power Hour Productions, is giving away 10,000 DVDs of the video documentary "Beyond Treason" to veterans who simply ask for them.

Winner of the Grand Festival Award at the 2005 Berkeley Film Festival, "Beyond Treason" documents over 50 years of neglect and abuse of veterans by the DOD, VA and government officials. Using Senate reports, Congressional transcripts, military records and veteran testimony, the documentary explores the history of chemical warfare, Agent Orange, secret experiments, Gulf War illness and depleted uranium exposure.

"We are making this effort to reach out to veterans and their families, because hundreds of thousands remain ill and untreated by the VA. They are being denied any explanation or causation. ‘Beyond Treason' provides answers to questions that government officials and the DoD don't want asked, said Joyce Riley, RN, BSN, narrator of the documentary.

Riley, who is also spokesperson for the American Gulf War Veterans Association, said that "Beyond Treason" is sent at no charge to any veterans who request it. Details of the offer can be found at the web site www.beyondtreason.com.

The video contains actual documentation from U.S. government records giving the details of experiments on military and civilians. It also contains interviews with scientists, veterans, and government officials who verify the claims and describe a government cover-up for the past 60 years.
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http://www.newswithviews.com/news_worthy/news_worthy70.htm

Memories of Maggie—Martha Raye: A Legend Spanning Three Wars

Saturday 29 November 2008
9:00-10:00 AM Eastern
http://www.veteransradio.net/



Since just before World War II, the USO has been the bridge between the American people and our men and women in uniform, conveying the heartfelt appreciation and support of a grateful nation. Whether it is a quiet place to go for rest and relaxation, movies, refreshments, or a friendly face, the USO delivers its special brand of service to the military.

For over 67 years the USO has been there for us.

Join Veterans Radio and our guest John Hanson, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications as we talk about some of the history and stories of the USO.

One of the best known and loved performers on the USO circuit for over fifty years was Martha Raye. From the deserts of North Africa to the jungles of Vietnam , Martha(Maggie)Raye entertained America’s finest.

Join our guest Noonie Fortin, retired Army Reserve First Sergeant, and author of Memories of Maggie—Martha Raye: A Legend Spanning Three Wars. Did you know that “Maggie” was an honorary member of the Special Forces. She received her cherished Green Beret and title of Lieutenant Colonel from President Lyndon Johnson? And that she was buried with special permission at Ft. Bragg?

Tune in Saturday morning to learn more about this incredible American heroine.

Call us with your USO or Martha Raye story at 877-573-7825
Tune in Saturday morning on
WDEO (990-AM Ann Arbor/Detroit),
WMAX (1440-AM, Saginaw),
WDEO-FM (99.5 FM, Naples, FL),
KAGY (1510-AM Port Sulphur / New Orleans, LA),
KIXW (960-AM, Apple Valley CA) and
KMRC (1430-AM Morgan City, LA)…
…or, at http://www.veteransradio.net/

Brenden Foster's last wish for homeless already raised $95,000 in cash plus truck loads of food

Brenden's mom: 'Amazing what he accomplished'
Watch the story

BOTHELL, Wash. -- The truckfuls of food donated in Brenden Foster's honor are now in the hands of the hungry.

The beloved boy lived long enough to see his final wish to help the homeless come true. After he died, his mother was able to see what he had accomplished.

Wendy Foster hadn't left home since her son died in her arms last Friday. But this week, she and her family went to Food Lifeline to see what a difference he made just one day before he passed.

Wendy saw boxes stacked to the ceiling marked with her boy's name to be shipped to shelters and food banks.

"This is amazing," Wendy said. "This is the biggest gift. I couldn't ask for a better gift."

And what Wendy saw was only a small part of what was left. A food drive in Brenden's honor collected enough food to fill seven semi-trucks as well as $95,000 in cash donations. And this week, Wendy herself delivered a huge check to Food Lifeline.

"I am very pleased to hand this over to you -- $43,300," she said.

"Oh, my gosh," said Camilla Bishop of Food Lifeline as she accepted the donation.

Wendy herself has needed help feeding her family. Caring for Brenden became her full-time job and wiped out the family's finances.

"We've been very close to being on the streets ourselves," she said.

All memorial services for Brenden Foster will be closed to the public. However, those who wish to send flowers can do so to Evergreen Washelli at 11111 Aurora Avenue North Seattle, WA 98133 on Dec. 6, the day of his funeral. Red roses are said to have been his favorite.

Donations can be made to the Brenden Foster Cancer Fund at any branch of Washington Mutual Bank.
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Related Content
Brenden Foster: 'I had a great time'
Brenden Foster: 'I could have done more'
Dying boy inspires goodwill in people near and far

Moses hailed for turning in $10,000 cash, Moses Baraunic that is

Grocery bagger and Sunday School teacher named Moses does the right thing turning in a bag with $10,000 in cash! Now that's a leasson for all of us.

Moses Baranuic
Teen hailed for finding -- and turning in -- $10,000
YouNews™Story Published: Nov 27, 2008 at 10:43 AM PST


By Keith Eldridge Watch the story FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- A local teen is being hailed for his honesty this Thanksgiving holiday for finding -- and returning -- a large sum of money he found.

How large? Try $10,000.

For Moses Baranuic, a tough decision presented itself while he was on duty as a bagger at the Top Foods Store in Federal Way.

He was heading to the men's room on break, and he had no idea what treasure he'd find in there.

"As I walk in right here on the floor, I noticed a bag of money," he said.

But he had no idea yet how much money was in there

So he washed his hands, thought about it, and did the right thing.

"I just grabbed the money, walked outside and gave it to the manager," Baranuic said.

His manager was impressed.

"His name tells it all," said store manager Etray Hudson. "With a name like that you can't go wrong.... Moses."

Moses says there's something biblical about his decision to turn in the cash.

"Because I teach a Sunday school with 10-year-old kids and I always tell them to do the right thing," he said.
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http://www.komonews.com/news/35189039.html

Quilters give injured veterans their handmade, heartfelt warmth

Quilters give injured veterans their handmade, heartfelt warmth
By Jia-Rui Chong

In one corner of the classroom at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, a group of women knotted blue thread atop layers of star-spangled fabric and cotton batting. In another corner, a sewing machine hummed over floral-patterned strips.

About a dozen ladies gathered that day in Woodland Hills for the monthly work party of the L.A. Veterans Quilt Project. Volunteers have stitched about 600 quilts for the project and donated them to local veterans wounded in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We want them to feel loved," said Karen Van Den Brink, a 61-year-old Encino resident who coordinates the project. "This is the way quilters do it. We don't write speeches. We sew."
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Bus carrying Bellevue High football team overturns on I-5 near Des Moines

Bus carrying Bellevue High football team overturns on I-5 near Des Moines
A bus carrying members of the Bellevue High School football team overturned on its side on Interstate 5 this morning.

A charter bus carrying 38 people, most of them members of the Bellevue High School football team, overturned on its side on Interstate 5 after it swerved to avoid a ladder that had fallen from another vehicle onto the freeway.

Injuries are believed to be minor in the crash, which happened at 10:56 this morning in the southbound lanes of I-5 south near Des Moines. The bus was one of two carrying coaches, players and others to the Tacoma Dome, where the team was scheduled to play Capital High of Olympia in the Class AAA semifinals. The game was canceled and has been rescheduled for Monday.

According to the State Patrol, eight people were transferred to hospitals, including six football players. The most serious injury was a concussion.
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In Mumbai hospital, dying and maimed ask: Why me?

In Mumbai hospital, dying and maimed ask: Why me?
Wards fill with victims of massacre as doctors struggle to cope with aftermath of attack
Randeep Ramesh in Mumbai guardian.co.uk,
Saturday November 29 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian,
Harishchandra Shiverhankar scribbled furiously on a notepad, gesturing with his fingers to explain his last bloody memories of Wednesday night before waking up in an unfamiliar hospital bed.

The 56-year-old was walking towards the Metro cinema when he felt his legs collapse - a bullet had been shot through his lower back. A hand then grasped his hair, pulled back his head and a blade slit his neck. He had been caught in the vortex of violence unleashed by people who wanted to murder, not just maim.

Setting down his pad he manages to croak: "This should have never happened to me."

The office worker's story, told from his bed in Mumbai's JJ hospital, is part of a largely hidden tragedy - that behind the headlines of wealthy westerners fleeing Mumbai's terror frontline it was ordinary Indians who bore the brunt of the bloody attack on this city of 19 million people.

Next door to Shiverhankar lies Jayaram Chavan, his leg shattered by bullets. He had been running for his train home to the western suburbs amid the Victorian splendour of Mumbai's main Chhatrapati Shivaji rail terminal when two young men with guns in their hands opened fire. "I wanted to go home, that's all. Why me?"

Outside the private Bombay hospital journalists jostled for news of the three British nationals inside, but little was heard about the 70 Indians that lay next to them. Part of the reason for the lack of publicity about local casualties is that hospitals themselves have banned journalists, pointing out that the militants had targeted wards in the first wave of attacks. No one, unless they could prove they were hospital workers or related to the victims, was supposed to be allowed in. But the Guardian was allowed access by doctors keen to publicise Mumbai's suffering.
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Man almost bashes Turkey Trotters with Bible

Man almost bashes Turkey Trotters with Bible, police say
CLEARWATER -- A man arrested for disorderly conduct on Thanksgiving almost hit several Turkey Trot 10K runners with a Bible during a street sermon, police say.

Mark Alan Sutto, 48, was delivering a street sermon at South Lake Avenue and Nursery Road when he interfered with the event by shouting at runners, getting in their way and waving a large Bible in their path, police said.
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http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2008/11/man-almost-bash.html

Thanksgiving night for heroes

Honoring the Fallen
Dan Rooney pays tribute to servicemen and women by sending their families to college
Aug 25, 2008 - pg. 72
As Dan Rooney's flight landed at the Grand Rapids airport on a rainy June night in 2006, the pilot made an announcement: "The body of an American hero is onboard. As a sign of respect, please remain seated." For the next 30 minutes, Rooney watched as soldiers carried the flag-draped casket of Cpl. Brock Bucklin onto the tarmac, where his 4-year-old son waited in the arms of his grandmother. Rooney, an F-16 pilot and Iraq war veteran, wept quietly, thinking of his wife and two daughters back home. "What if that were Jacqy and the girls," he thought. "I had to do something." In that brief moment, Rooney's life changed.
The Oklahoma Air National Guardsman and golf pro decided to provide college scholarships for the kids and spouses of service people killed or disabled in the line of duty. Enlisting the support of the PGA, Rooney, 35, launched Patriot Golf Day last Labor Day and raised $1 million by asking golfers at 3,400 courses to kick in an extra dollar in greens fees. Since then, through his nonprofit Folds of Honor Foundation (go to www.foldsofhonor.org for info on this year's Patriot Golf Day), he's handed out 200 scholarships. Though Ginger Gilbert Ravella received death benefits and is eligible for educational grants from the Veterans Administration for her five kids after her husband, Troy, died in Iraq, Gilbert Ravella thanks Rooney from the depths of her heart: "I don't know how I would have paid for them all."
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CNN Heroes list of the ten
Liz McCartney
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
Liz McCartney is dedicated to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors in St. Bernard Parish, a community just outside New Orleans. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families.

Viola Vaughn
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
A group of failing schoolchildren in Kaolack, Senegal, once asked Viola Vaughn to help them pass their classes. Today, her "10,000 Girls" program is helping girls succeed in school and learn business skills.
Carolyn LeCroy
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
After serving time in prison, Carolyn LeCroy started the Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 inmate messages.
Marie Da Silva
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
Marie Da Silva has lost 14 family members to AIDS. Today, the Los Angeles nanny funds a school in her native Malawi -- where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease.
Maria Ruiz
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
Several times a week, Maria Ruiz of El Paso, Texas, crosses the border into Juarez, Mexico, bringing food, clothing and toys for hundreds of impoverished children and their families.
David Puckett
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
David Puckett started PIPO Missions to bring ongoing prosthetic and orthotic care to those in need. Since November 2000, he has helped more than 420 people in southeastern Mexico, free of charge.
Phymean Noun
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
Growing up in Cambodia, Phymean Noun struggled to complete high school. Today, she offers hundreds of children who work in Phnom Penh's trash dump a way out through free schooling and job training.
Anne Mahlum
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
Anne Mahlum used to run by homeless men each morning. Today, she's running with them, and others, as part of her "Back On My Feet" program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tad Agoglia
Story Video Extra 1 Extra 2 Get Involved
Tad Agoglia started The First Response Team to provide immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters. Since May 2007, he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at 15 sites across the United States -- free of charge.
Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Moved by the lack of children's books and literacy in his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads, bringing free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of Ethiopian children.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/11/27/heroes.show/

Father and son receive simultaneous Silver Stars

Father and son receive simultaneous Silver Stars
By KRISTIN M. HALL – 1 hour ago

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) —Jonathan Harris, a Blackhawk pilot who withstood enemy fire to save a wounded crewmember in Afghanistan, was awarded a Silver Star on Friday. Not to be outdone, his 60-year-old father was awarded a Silver Star and a Bronze Star in a simultaneous ceremony honoring his bravery in Vietnam.

The two generations watched each other through a video teleconference between Fort Campbell, where the elder Gary Harris was honored, and Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where Jonathan is completing a tour.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told retired Staff Sgt. Gary Harris via video that he hoped the special ceremonies repaid the Army's failure to give him an official ceremony nearly 40 years ago.

Gary Harris, of Corbin, Ky., originally received his medals in the mail. He was officially pinned with a Silver Star by the deputy commanding general-rear for the 101st Airborne Division for gallantry in action against an armed hostile force in Vietnam. He also received a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement during his time in Vietnam.

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also from the Orlando Sentinel

Orlando-area man receives Silver Star for Vietnam heroics 40 years later
Gary Taylor | Sentinel Staff Writer
November 28, 2008

For decades, Frank Ambrose never questioned why he didn't receive a medal for a firefight in Vietnam that killed or wounded everyone in his 15-man patrol.

After all, a medal wouldn't bring back the friends he lost that day outside Da Nang when his group of Marines stumbled upon two battalions of the North Vietnamese Army.

"We didn't care about medals back then," Ambrose said. "That was the last thing on our minds."

The enemy soldiers were just as surprised as the outnumbered Americans that day -- Feb. 7, 1968 -- which might be the reason Ambrose lived to talk about the ordeal and to hold the Silver Star he was recently awarded 40 years late.


About half his patrol was killed that day, including the Marines on either side of Ambrose when a rocket-propelled grenade hit as they took cover in a roadside ditch. "It blew all three of us out of the ditch."

He was hit above the eye by shrapnel that is still there. "My face was covered with blood," he said.

"I was the only one left conscious in the front group," he said, recalling how he stood his ground with a machine gun until another group of Marines arrived, alerted by a call from the patrol's radio man just as the attack began.

Although Da Nang was attacked by the North Vietnamese Army, it was the only major city in South Vietnam that didn't suffer a major attack, and Ambrose thinks it was because his patrol interrupted the enemy as they were preparing to launch it.

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Black Friday Wal-Mart rush killed employee

What is wrong with people? It's shopping! Is buying something so important the shoppers forgot that they are humans and not animals? I really hope buying what they wanted was worth the life of someone else and then they can go to the funeral to explain how much their purchase was worth this person's life. Top that off with a pregnant woman lost her baby in the same madness.

Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede
BY JOE GOULD
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Updated Friday, November 28th 2008, 10:19 AM


A worker died after being trampled and a woman miscarried when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island Wal-Mart Friday morning, witnesses said.

The unidentified worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.

Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back."

Nassau County Police are still investigating and would not confirm the witness accounts. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. Police did say there were several injuries but weren't more specific.
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Linked from RawStory

UPDATE To this story
Cops hunt Wal-Mart shoppers after worker dies

Charges possible after Black Friday crowd tramples employee at N.Y. store

Sat., Nov. 29, 2008
NEW YORK - Police were reviewing video from surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify who trampled to death a Wal-Mart worker after a crowd of post-Thanksgiving shoppers burst through the doors at a suburban store and knocked him down.

Criminal charges were possible, but identifying individual shoppers in Friday's video may prove difficult, said Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, a Nassau County police spokesman.

Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.


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UPDATE to this story 12/2/08

Customers injured in crush suing Wal-Mart

Video showed that as many as a dozen people were knocked to the floor in the stampede of people trying to get into the store. The employee was "stepped on by hundreds of people" as other workers attempted to fight their way through the crowd, said Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Michael Fleming.

Story Highlights
Men suffered injuries after being carried along in rush for bargains, suit claims

Customers also filed claim against police, say they didn't maintain order

One store employee killed in post-Thanksgiving rush for bargains

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two customers are suing Wal-Mart for negligence after being injured in a mad rush for post-Thanksgiving bargains that left one store employee dead, the men's attorney said Tuesday.

Temporary Wal-Mart worker Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed to death as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a store on Long Island at 5 a.m. Friday.

Attorney Kenneth Mollins said Fritz Mesadieu and Jonathan Mesadieu were "literally carried from their position outside the store" and are now "suffering from pain in their neck and their back from being caught in that surge of people" that rushed into the Wal-Mart.

New York Newsday reported that the Mesadieus are father and son, ages 51 and 19.

The lawsuit alleges that the Mesadieus' injuries were a result of "carelessness, recklessness, negligence."

In a claim against the Nassau County police department, the men also contend that they "sustained monetary losses as a result of health care and legal expenses ... in the sum of $2 million."

"This is a tragic situation that could have and should have been avoided with the exercise of reasonable care. There are very simple measures that could have been put in place to avoid this, such as barriers along the line to spread people out, extra security and a better police presence," Mollins said.
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