Man Fired, Returns Home To Find House Burning
Fire Victim Worked As Emergency Counselor
OREGON CITY, Ore. -- An Oregon City man just couldn't catch a break Friday -- first he lost his job and then he returned home to find his house on fire.
Victor Gonzalez said there was a silver lining to getting fired Friday.
"If I hadn’t gotten fired from work, I wouldn’t have come home, and I don’t know how far the fire would’ve gotten. So I guess that’s a good thing," he said.
The single father lost his job and his house in a matter of two hours Friday morning.
The fire broke out just after 9 a.m. at the house on Canyon Ridge Drive. Luckily, everyone got out safely thanks in part to Gonzalez's 12-year-old daughter.
He said he knew everything would be OK with his daughter there to help out.
Gonzalez said he worked as an emergency department social worker, helping people deal with traumatic situations like fires. His past work with emergency situations is helping him to deal with the situation.
“You can choose to laugh or you can choose to cry and I’m choosing to laugh because I don’t want to know what’s going to happen if I cry,” he said.
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http://www.kptv.com/news/19276320/detail.html
linked from CNN
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Emergency Counselor Lost Job, Returns Home To Find House Burning
If you think you're having a bad day, read this and then maybe it won't seem as bad.
WWII veteran opens up for first time at the WWII Memorial
Military staff writer Kelly Kennedy went with her grandfather, a WWII veteran, to the Memorial because of the Honor Flight. While there, he shared some of his experiences with his granddaughter for the first time. Many never talked about what they did because it was not "what you do" when you come home and it's a shame because they kept it all inside. While we talk about PTSD openly now, they never did and they suffered inside instead of healing.
Teen tries to quiet the voices in his head
Teen tries to quiet the voices in his head
By Madison Park
CNN
Story Highlights
Schizophrenia disrupts Maryland teenager's life, forces him to leave college
Teen's story echoes experience of Nathaniel Ayers, subject of film, "The Soloist"
Family struggles to learn how to best help teenager deal with mental illness
The intrusive voices popped into William "Bill" Garrett's head. "They're coming for you," the voices told the 18-year-old. "Find somewhere to hide; they're going to get you." Garrett, who once color coordinated his closet, could soon no longer groom himself or shower. As schizophrenia took hold, the Maryland teenager became lost within his own mind and had to leave college after winning a full, four-year scholarship. full story
By Madison Park
CNN
Story Highlights
Schizophrenia disrupts Maryland teenager's life, forces him to leave college
Teen's story echoes experience of Nathaniel Ayers, subject of film, "The Soloist"
Family struggles to learn how to best help teenager deal with mental illness
The intrusive voices popped into William "Bill" Garrett's head. "They're coming for you," the voices told the 18-year-old. "Find somewhere to hide; they're going to get you." Garrett, who once color coordinated his closet, could soon no longer groom himself or shower. As schizophrenia took hold, the Maryland teenager became lost within his own mind and had to leave college after winning a full, four-year scholarship. full story
Army tells Sikh officers to change appearance
Army tells Sikh officers to change appearance
Torn between their Sikh faith and their military duty, two soldiers are fighting Army policy that requires them to shave their beards, cut their hair and remove their turbans.
Kalsi, a doctor trained in emergency medicine, and 2nd Lt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, a dentist, were first recruited for the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. Kalsi said the recruiters with the Army Medical Corps gave assurances that wearing a beard and turban — mandatory articles of the Sikh faith — would not be a problem. And during several years of graduate school and medical training, Kalsi and Rattan both said their beards and turbans drew no concerns.
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Torn between their Sikh faith and their military duty, two soldiers are fighting Army policy that requires them to shave their beards, cut their hair and remove their turbans.
Kalsi, a doctor trained in emergency medicine, and 2nd Lt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, a dentist, were first recruited for the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. Kalsi said the recruiters with the Army Medical Corps gave assurances that wearing a beard and turban — mandatory articles of the Sikh faith — would not be a problem. And during several years of graduate school and medical training, Kalsi and Rattan both said their beards and turbans drew no concerns.
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Teens charged with vandalism of Iraqi Freedom Memorial
Teens charged in war memorial vandalism
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Apr 24, 2009 13:58:52 EDT
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Two teenagers are being charged in juvenile court in the vandalism of the Iraqi Freedom Memorial at Island Park in Mount Pleasant.
The Morning Sun in Mount Pleasant reported that the 13- and 14-year-olds are being charged with malicious destruction of a memorial with damage between $1,000 and $20,000. Names weren’t released.
Police received a tip about the boys’ involvement. They face a May 11 hearing.
A brass rifle and helmet were stolen earlier this month from the memorial, about 120 miles northwest of Detroit.
It honors members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq. It was donated in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth. The 20-year-old from Mount Pleasant was killed Nov. 13, 2004, by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol in Anbar province.
Teens charged in war memorial vandalism
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Apr 24, 2009 13:58:52 EDT
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Two teenagers are being charged in juvenile court in the vandalism of the Iraqi Freedom Memorial at Island Park in Mount Pleasant.
The Morning Sun in Mount Pleasant reported that the 13- and 14-year-olds are being charged with malicious destruction of a memorial with damage between $1,000 and $20,000. Names weren’t released.
Police received a tip about the boys’ involvement. They face a May 11 hearing.
A brass rifle and helmet were stolen earlier this month from the memorial, about 120 miles northwest of Detroit.
It honors members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq. It was donated in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth. The 20-year-old from Mount Pleasant was killed Nov. 13, 2004, by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol in Anbar province.
Teens charged in war memorial vandalism
UK:Father's grief over loss of daughter by suicide and PTSD
If the Army had cared, my daughter would still be alive
Posted by The Independent
Saturday, 25 April 2009 at 07:54 am
Miss Ward was a teenager when she first witnessed the atrocities of the Balkans conflict: the torture victims, the bomb-blast casualties and the injured children. A bright, self-possessed and well-spoken young woman, her exemplary service had included a commendation for saving a soldier who suffered spinal injuries during an exercise, and a recommendation to be considered for an officer's commission.
But two back-to-back tours of duty, first in Kosovo and then in Bosnia, took their toll. Overworked, bullied and shocked by the cruelty she witnessed, she became depressed and made two attempts on her life.
After the first, she was sent back to work. After the second, she spent months in psychiatric care before being told she had been discharged – not on medical grounds but because her "services were no longer required". To a woman who had dreamed of joining the Army from the age of 16, it was no better than a dishonourable discharge: the ultimate humiliation from which she would never recover.
Yesterday, Miss Ward's father Ivor, 57, a former sergeant with the Royal Engineers, said: "I was in the Army for 22 years but I hate the Army now because of the way it treated my daughter. If she had got the help she needed, she would be alive today. She probably would have stayed in the Army, she loved it that much."
Miss Ward's sister Emma, 26, added: "I don't think she could ever get her head around how she was discharged. She gave 110 per cent to the Army and they washed their hands of her and made her out to be a failure."
Before her death, Miss Ward launched a claim for a war pension on the grounds that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She hoped to have her discharge retrospectively changed to a medical one – recognising the mental wounds she developed during her service. Her father intends to continue pursuing that claim, convinced it is the only way of finally restoring his daughter's dignity.
Miss Ward's death comes at a time when a mounting number of current and former service personnel have backed The Independent's campaign for better mental health treatment for veterans.
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'If the Army had cared, my daughter would still be alive'
Posted by The Independent
Saturday, 25 April 2009 at 07:54 am
Miss Ward was a teenager when she first witnessed the atrocities of the Balkans conflict: the torture victims, the bomb-blast casualties and the injured children. A bright, self-possessed and well-spoken young woman, her exemplary service had included a commendation for saving a soldier who suffered spinal injuries during an exercise, and a recommendation to be considered for an officer's commission.
But two back-to-back tours of duty, first in Kosovo and then in Bosnia, took their toll. Overworked, bullied and shocked by the cruelty she witnessed, she became depressed and made two attempts on her life.
After the first, she was sent back to work. After the second, she spent months in psychiatric care before being told she had been discharged – not on medical grounds but because her "services were no longer required". To a woman who had dreamed of joining the Army from the age of 16, it was no better than a dishonourable discharge: the ultimate humiliation from which she would never recover.
Yesterday, Miss Ward's father Ivor, 57, a former sergeant with the Royal Engineers, said: "I was in the Army for 22 years but I hate the Army now because of the way it treated my daughter. If she had got the help she needed, she would be alive today. She probably would have stayed in the Army, she loved it that much."
Miss Ward's sister Emma, 26, added: "I don't think she could ever get her head around how she was discharged. She gave 110 per cent to the Army and they washed their hands of her and made her out to be a failure."
Before her death, Miss Ward launched a claim for a war pension on the grounds that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She hoped to have her discharge retrospectively changed to a medical one – recognising the mental wounds she developed during her service. Her father intends to continue pursuing that claim, convinced it is the only way of finally restoring his daughter's dignity.
Miss Ward's death comes at a time when a mounting number of current and former service personnel have backed The Independent's campaign for better mental health treatment for veterans.
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'If the Army had cared, my daughter would still be alive'
Friday, April 24, 2009
Navy taking on PTSD with aid of chaplains
Chaplain Corps Hosts Operational Stress Control Course
Story Number: NNS090424-18
Release Date: 4/24/2009 3:30:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison
NAPLES, Italy (NNS) --
The Chaplain Corps 2009 Professional Development and Training Course was held April 21-23 at Naval Support Activity Naples Capodichino Base for military chaplains and medical and religious specialists.
This year's course, "Combat Operational Stress Control for Caregivers: The Family Dynamic," was designed to give chaplains, counselors, medical and mental health providers and caregivers the knowledge and skills to better support military families, particularly through the challenges of operational deployments.
"Over the last couple of years, we have recognized throughout the military that families are as affected in some ways by the stress of military operations as much as the deployed active duty personnel," said Dr. William Nash, training course consultant. "The content of this course addresses the specific challenges families face, whether negative or positive and how caregivers can better promote family resilience and help the families recognize and overcome these challenges."
The seating arrangement consisted of small individual tables mixed with members ranging from chaplains to corpsman. This method of seating enabled all caregivers, to work together in small groups."We found that having such a mixture of all these different communities together at one table strengthens our understanding of each community so that we can work together as a whole," said Cmdr. David Gibson, director of professional development, Naval Chaplain School, Newport, R.I.
The course covered the basic knowledge of operational stress, combat operational stress, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. The participants also learned the Stress Continuum Model, which addressed the many levels of stress ranging from green to red. The model also showed the caretakers which level of stress they are responsible for intervening.
Throughout the course, some of the activities consisted of watching video testimonies of various Navy and Marine Corps families about family circumstances and events dealing with deployments. "This course has showed me that there is different reaction for stress for each person," said Religious Program Specialist 1st Class Aundrea Travis. "Even though I am a RP this course has shown me that there are places I can go other than to the chaplain."Overall, the course offered participants tools to identify operational stress issues with service members, but particularly with the family. "This course enables us the caregivers to be knowledgeable about the topic," said Gibson. "We have learned from each other here the importance to make a referral to another caregiver that can pick up where our expertise stops."
The Combat Operational Stress Control course includes stops to several fleet concentration areas including Japan, Germany and 15 sites scattered across continental U.S. all with the intent to help caretakers identify and resolve stress within individuals and their families.
For more news from Chaplain Corps, visit www.navy.mil/local/crb/.
Story Number: NNS090424-18
Release Date: 4/24/2009 3:30:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison
NAPLES, Italy (NNS) --
The Chaplain Corps 2009 Professional Development and Training Course was held April 21-23 at Naval Support Activity Naples Capodichino Base for military chaplains and medical and religious specialists.
This year's course, "Combat Operational Stress Control for Caregivers: The Family Dynamic," was designed to give chaplains, counselors, medical and mental health providers and caregivers the knowledge and skills to better support military families, particularly through the challenges of operational deployments.
"Over the last couple of years, we have recognized throughout the military that families are as affected in some ways by the stress of military operations as much as the deployed active duty personnel," said Dr. William Nash, training course consultant. "The content of this course addresses the specific challenges families face, whether negative or positive and how caregivers can better promote family resilience and help the families recognize and overcome these challenges."
The seating arrangement consisted of small individual tables mixed with members ranging from chaplains to corpsman. This method of seating enabled all caregivers, to work together in small groups."We found that having such a mixture of all these different communities together at one table strengthens our understanding of each community so that we can work together as a whole," said Cmdr. David Gibson, director of professional development, Naval Chaplain School, Newport, R.I.
The course covered the basic knowledge of operational stress, combat operational stress, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. The participants also learned the Stress Continuum Model, which addressed the many levels of stress ranging from green to red. The model also showed the caretakers which level of stress they are responsible for intervening.
Throughout the course, some of the activities consisted of watching video testimonies of various Navy and Marine Corps families about family circumstances and events dealing with deployments. "This course has showed me that there is different reaction for stress for each person," said Religious Program Specialist 1st Class Aundrea Travis. "Even though I am a RP this course has shown me that there are places I can go other than to the chaplain."Overall, the course offered participants tools to identify operational stress issues with service members, but particularly with the family. "This course enables us the caregivers to be knowledgeable about the topic," said Gibson. "We have learned from each other here the importance to make a referral to another caregiver that can pick up where our expertise stops."
The Combat Operational Stress Control course includes stops to several fleet concentration areas including Japan, Germany and 15 sites scattered across continental U.S. all with the intent to help caretakers identify and resolve stress within individuals and their families.
For more news from Chaplain Corps, visit www.navy.mil/local/crb/.
Army approves suicide prevention plan
Army approves suicide prevention plan
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 23, 2009 22:01:05 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Army has approved new guidance to military commanders in an effort to stem the rising toll of soldier suicides.
The Army said in a statement Thursday that the new plan was approved by Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli after he recently visited a half dozen American military bases and talked to commanders and staff who care for soldiers and their families.
The Army didn't disclose details of the new plan Thursday. But officials had said earlier the suicide prevention plan would include hiring more mental health workers and tightening the way the service handles drug testing, health screening and a host of other long-standing procedures that in some cases have become lax as the Army has focused in recent years on fighting two wars.
Army leadership has become more alarmed as suicides from January through March rose to a reported 56 — 22 confirmed and 34 still being investigated and pending confirmation. Usually, most suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. The 2009 number compares with 140 for all of last year, also a record at the time and blamed partly on strains caused by repeated deployments for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Army approves suicide prevention plan
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 23, 2009 22:01:05 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Army has approved new guidance to military commanders in an effort to stem the rising toll of soldier suicides.
The Army said in a statement Thursday that the new plan was approved by Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli after he recently visited a half dozen American military bases and talked to commanders and staff who care for soldiers and their families.
The Army didn't disclose details of the new plan Thursday. But officials had said earlier the suicide prevention plan would include hiring more mental health workers and tightening the way the service handles drug testing, health screening and a host of other long-standing procedures that in some cases have become lax as the Army has focused in recent years on fighting two wars.
Army leadership has become more alarmed as suicides from January through March rose to a reported 56 — 22 confirmed and 34 still being investigated and pending confirmation. Usually, most suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. The 2009 number compares with 140 for all of last year, also a record at the time and blamed partly on strains caused by repeated deployments for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Army approves suicide prevention plan
Double date celebration ends tragically for Schofield soldier
Car hits soldier walking along H-2
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
A Schofield Barracks soldier who was walking along H-2 Freeway in the dark following an argument was hit by a car and critically injured just after midnight yesterday, police said.
Pfc. Jesse Hart was on foot after getting out of a friend's car because of an argument, police said. He was walking along the freeway when a car traveling north hit him just before the Wahiawa off-ramp about 12:25 a.m., police said.
Hours earlier, Hart had celebrated his 21st birthday on a double date, said his grandmother, Linda Hart, in his hometown of Boyd, Texas.
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Car hits soldier walking along H-2
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
A Schofield Barracks soldier who was walking along H-2 Freeway in the dark following an argument was hit by a car and critically injured just after midnight yesterday, police said.
Pfc. Jesse Hart was on foot after getting out of a friend's car because of an argument, police said. He was walking along the freeway when a car traveling north hit him just before the Wahiawa off-ramp about 12:25 a.m., police said.
Hours earlier, Hart had celebrated his 21st birthday on a double date, said his grandmother, Linda Hart, in his hometown of Boyd, Texas.
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Car hits soldier walking along H-2
COMBAT PTSD Act, H.R. 952 to try to rectify this wrong
It has been wrong for so long it's really hard to envision a day where we get this right. Veterans still see the denials come in the mail as they wait, suffer and are yet again, forced to fight. This fight was one they never should have had to do battle with, because this fight, has been against the very government they were willing to die for. Imagine that! The blessing is that people are finally talking about PTSD as if it is as normal as it is. It is a wound that comes after traumatic events. Ask any combat veteran about trauma and they won't have to say a word. You'll be able to see it in their eyes.
Now imagine flashbacks and nightmares following them back home after they risked their lives, then being told, the images they are being haunted by are not connected to the service they delivered on. Not connected to the battles they were sent to fight on behalf of this nation. Tell them that when they know what the images are and where they came from as their lives fall apart and PTSD claims more and more of who they were. Tell a spouse that the warrior is really suffering because of their service at the same time the VA is denying any responsibility of it and the spouse has to just "deal with it" as the warrior dies a slow death of their soul.
Is part of this financial? Sure it is. But if they were not suffering from this wound, you need to understand that they would make a lot more money working for a living instead of getting a check for this. They have bills to pay and food to buy just like everyone else but unlike everyone else that would receive Workman's Compensation for work related injuries, they worked for the government and must rely on the government to take care of them financially as well as treat their wound. Without an approved "service connected disability rating" from the VA, they are responsible to pay for their medical care. It is a double edge sword wounding the already wounded.
Now imagine flashbacks and nightmares following them back home after they risked their lives, then being told, the images they are being haunted by are not connected to the service they delivered on. Not connected to the battles they were sent to fight on behalf of this nation. Tell them that when they know what the images are and where they came from as their lives fall apart and PTSD claims more and more of who they were. Tell a spouse that the warrior is really suffering because of their service at the same time the VA is denying any responsibility of it and the spouse has to just "deal with it" as the warrior dies a slow death of their soul.
Is part of this financial? Sure it is. But if they were not suffering from this wound, you need to understand that they would make a lot more money working for a living instead of getting a check for this. They have bills to pay and food to buy just like everyone else but unlike everyone else that would receive Workman's Compensation for work related injuries, they worked for the government and must rely on the government to take care of them financially as well as treat their wound. Without an approved "service connected disability rating" from the VA, they are responsible to pay for their medical care. It is a double edge sword wounding the already wounded.
Opening Statement of Hon. John J. Hall, Chairman, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman:
Would you please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance? Flags are located in the front and back of the room.
Today we are here to consider legislation, the Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act or the COMBAT PTSD Act, H.R. 952. During the 110th Congress and most recently during an oversight hearing held on March 24, 2009, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs revisited Congress’ intent in establishing presumptive provisions to provide compensation to combat veterans under Section 1154(b) of title 38.
We have heard testimony on how Congress in 1941, when it adopted the original provisions under Section 1154, seemed to explicitly express its desire to overcome the adverse effects of not having an official record. Moreover, that it wanted to be more liberal in its service pension law by extending full cooperation to the veteran when it enacted this provision.
However, based on this Subcommittee’s review, it seems that VA has acted to thwart the congressional intent of Section 1154(b) with its internal procedures for adjudication, primarily those contained in its M-21-1s and General Counsel opinions. This has resulted in VA being more restrictive in its application of section 1154(b) by placing an unnecessary burden on veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder – PTSD and other conditions - to prove their combat stressors. Instead of helping these veterans reach an optimal point of social and emotional homeostasis, as described in the RAND Report, Invisible Wounds of War, VA’s procedures are an obstacle to this end--inflicting upon the most noble of our citizens a process that feels accusatory and doubtful of their service.
We also know from the RAND report that one out every five service members who served in OEF or OIF suffers from symptoms of PTSD. A large portion of these claims unnecessarily comprise VA’s claims backlog as VBA personnel labors to corroborate the stressors of combat veterans. As the Institute of Medicine stated in 2007 in its seminal report on PTSD: the process to adjudicate disability claims is complex, legalistic and protracted, and particularly difficult for veterans because of the stresses and uncertainties involved while facing skeptical and cynical attitudes of VA staff. As I think most will agree, this statement goes double for veterans filing PTSD claims, which require additional evidence of exposure to a stressful event while serving in combat.
This is an injustice that has gone on six decades too long. The hoops and hassles veterans must endure today appear to be far beyond Congress’ imagination when it authorized the 1933 and 1945 Rating Schedules, which simply required the notation of an expedition or occupation for a combat presumption to have existed.
That is why I reintroduced my bill the COMBAT PTSD Act, H.R. 952 to try to rectify this wrong. My bill would do so by clarifying and expanding the definition of “combat with the enemy” found in section 1154(b) to include a theater of combat operations during a period of war or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities. This language is consistent with other provisions of title 38 and those contained within the National Defense Authorization Act. I also firmly believe that this bill is consistent with the original intent of Congress in 1941 and should not be viewed as adding a new entitlement. I am grateful to my 42 colleagues who are already cosponsors of HR 952.
I am glad to welcome to this hearing the veteran service organizations and legal representatives who can shed more light on the difficulties the current statute interpretation creates for so many of our men and women whose service in combat theaters goes unrecognized and the impact denials have had on their lives. I am particularly honored to have famed author and my constituent Norman Bussel join us today. Norman is an ex-POW from World War II and a volunteer service officer for the American Ex-Prisoners of War who has first-hand knowledge of the hardships that many of his fellow veterans face when filing PTSD and other claims for disability benefits.
I also look forward to hearing more from the Department’s witness on how this provision could be better tailored to meet its evidentiary needs to properly adjudicate claims while alleviating the often overwhelming evidence burdens that stymie many of our combat veterans through no fault of their own.
The 111th Congress shares the same responsibility to disabled veterans as its colleagues of the 77th Congress. The vision then was to ease the bureaucratic burdens placed on returning war veterans, so that they would receive the benefits they deserve. My hope is that we will enact H.R. 952 to restore this noble end.
I now yield to Ranking Member Lamborn for his Opening Statement.
Opening Statements
Hon. John J. Hall, Chairman, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Hon. Ciro D. Rodriguez, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas
Witness Testimonies
Panel 1
John Wilson, Associate National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans
Barton F. Stichman, Joint Executive Director, National Veterans Legal Services Program
Norman Bussel, National Service Officer, American Ex-Prisoners of War
Richard Paul Cohen, Executive Director, National Organization of Veterans' Advocates, Inc.
Panel 2
Bradley G. Mayes, Director, Compensation and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans
Accompanied By:
Richard Hipolit, Assistant General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
linked from MIWatch.org
100,000 People expected to attend Melbourne Vietnam Veterans Reunion
Vietnam reunion. Tessa Dejong who goes to Bishop Moore High School in Orlando traces a name for a school project. They have to research a person that is on the wall.
Brevard's Vietnam vets tribute grows
Event now largest reunion in U.S.
BY R. NORMAN MOODY • FLORIDA TODAY • April 24, 2009
What started as an idea among a small group of Vietnam veterans for a reunion became what was considered a "super turnout" when about 3,000 people showed up in 1988.
As Florida's 22nd Annual Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion continues its run this week at Wickham Park, it has evolved and has grown into what is billed as the largest veterans' reunion in the nation.
"We just did it as a 'welcome home,' " said Ken Baker, who was among those who organized the first reunion in 1988. "We had no idea. We were happy with the turnout of 3,000 people."
Veterans estimate that, by the time the weeklong events surrounding the reunion and the display of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall ends Sunday, it will have attracted up to 100,000 people.
Baker said a member of at-the-time newly formed Vietnam Veterans of Brevard, went to a reunion in Kokomo, Ind., which then was the largest in the nation, and came back with the idea for a reunion in Brevard County.
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Brevard's Vietnam vets tribute grows
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Photo Galleries
Vietnam traveling wall
Vietnam wall opening ceremony
Vietnam reunion
Vietnam Wall
Thursday, April 23, 2009
FAREWELL TO A HERO Spl. Adam Kuligowski is laid to rest
Tracie and Michael Kuligowski bow their heads during funeral services for their son Adam Kuligowski at Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry.
Allegra Boverman / Staff Photographer
FAREWELL TO A HERO
Spl. Adam Kuligowski is laid to rest
By Julie Huss
jhuss@derrynews.com
DERRY — Adam Kuligowski's own words became a final tribute Saturday as family and friends gathered to remember the fallen soldier and say their goodbyes.
"For certain, change is eternal," Kuligowski once wrote in a high school essay. "And love is found in family and friends; something we all should hold onto."
An emotional funeral and final farewell for the former Derry man was held Saturday at the Derry Ward Latter Day Saints chapel with a military-honored burial following in Forest Hill Cemetery.
Kuligowski, a 21-year-old Army specialist, died of non-combat injuries on April 6 in Bagram, Afghanistan. He was the 602nd soldier to die in Operation Enduring Freedom.
His awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.
Friends and family gathered to pay respects and say goodbye to their son, brother, friend, and comrade. Speaking through tears and smiles, a portrait of an inquisitive young man who wanted to see the world emerged.
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http://www.derrynews.com/local/local_story_112132157.html
Marine dies in Iraq of non-combat incident
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. William C. Comstock, 21, of Van Buren, Ark., died April 22 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Supply Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The incident is under investigation.
Quadriplegic child found dead in storage facility
How could anyone do something like this to a child, especially one that was a quadriplegic?
Quadriplegic child found dead in storage facility
Story Highlights
NEW: Child's adoptive mother is in custody as a suspect, official says
Relatives told police they hadn't seen Shylea Thomas in weeks
Child had "suffocation issue" in crib at 3 weeks of age, was quadriplegic
Body was found stuffed in trash bag, covered with mothballs
(CNN) -- Michigan authorities are investigating whether foul play led to the death of a 9-year-old quadriplegic girl whose body was found inside a public storage facility.
Shylea Thomas, 9, of Flint, Michigan, was quadriplegic and used a feeding tube.
"This is a very sad and tragic case that hurts all of us involved in the ongoing investigation," Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton said at a news conference Wednesday.
Shylea Myza Thomas of Flint, Michigan, hadn't been seen in six weeks, and relatives reported her missing Tuesday, Leyton's office said. Her adoptive mother, who is also her aunt, is in custody as a suspect, special assistant prosecuting attorney John Potbury told CNN.
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Quadriplegic child found dead in storage facility
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