Ohio Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Built in Stark County
They gave their blood, sweat and tears for this country, even their lives. By the time the Vietnam War was over, 3,095 Ohioans had been killed.
To honor their memory, and to give their families and surviving Vietnam Veterans some closure, a memorial has been built in the town of Clinton, which is in Stark County. It's similar to the Vietnam Veterans' Wall in Washington, D.C., only on a smaller scale.
Organizers of the memorial says its the only one of its kind in Ohio and is the largest free standing monument in the state.
A black granite wall, 125 feet long, is the focus of the Ohio Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Park. On that wall are the names of all 3,095 veterans from Ohio who lost their lives. Facing the wall is a Gold Star Mother statue.
Leading up to and around the wall is a brick paved pathway. Many of the bricks bear the names of people who donated to the privately funded memorial.
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Ohio Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Built in Stark County
Thursday, May 7, 2009
PTSD:Firefighter's life unraveled after tragic blaze
Firefighter's life unraveled after tragic blaze
By Glenn Smith (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The dreams arrived like clockwork at 2 a.m., carrying Clinton Jones back to the night that changed him.
Searing images of smoke, flames and destruction filled his head as Jones tumbled out of bed and tore apart his room. Searching. Hunting. Desperate to find someone to rescue.
Jones would tear a path into the kitchen before the dream's jagged grip loosened its hold, leaving him shaken, empty, scared.
On June 18, 2007, Jones battled the raging inferno that destroyed the Sofa Super Store in West Ashley and killed nine fellow firefighters. In the early hours of his 35th birthday, he helped carry his friends' burned bodies from the ruins. Jones walked away, but part of him was lost that day as well.
At age 36, Jones' career as a Charleston fire captain is over. In March, he took early retirement after post-traumatic stress disorder left him unable to do his job. After the fire, he suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, anger. He could no longer handle the responsibility of commanding a crew, fighting fire and making sure his men came home alive. All those things that had been second nature for so many years.
His problems also caused him to give up the once-successful plumbing business that helped support his family. Jones now takes medications to sleep and function. He spends most of his days at home or holed up at a hunt club in Berkeley County where he goes to escape people. When he does venture out, to a meeting or one of his children's sporting events, he avoids groups and hugs the exit seat, to be sure of a quick escape. His old life is gone.
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Firefighter life unraveled after tragic blaze
By Glenn Smith (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The dreams arrived like clockwork at 2 a.m., carrying Clinton Jones back to the night that changed him.
Searing images of smoke, flames and destruction filled his head as Jones tumbled out of bed and tore apart his room. Searching. Hunting. Desperate to find someone to rescue.
Jones would tear a path into the kitchen before the dream's jagged grip loosened its hold, leaving him shaken, empty, scared.
On June 18, 2007, Jones battled the raging inferno that destroyed the Sofa Super Store in West Ashley and killed nine fellow firefighters. In the early hours of his 35th birthday, he helped carry his friends' burned bodies from the ruins. Jones walked away, but part of him was lost that day as well.
At age 36, Jones' career as a Charleston fire captain is over. In March, he took early retirement after post-traumatic stress disorder left him unable to do his job. After the fire, he suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, anger. He could no longer handle the responsibility of commanding a crew, fighting fire and making sure his men came home alive. All those things that had been second nature for so many years.
His problems also caused him to give up the once-successful plumbing business that helped support his family. Jones now takes medications to sleep and function. He spends most of his days at home or holed up at a hunt club in Berkeley County where he goes to escape people. When he does venture out, to a meeting or one of his children's sporting events, he avoids groups and hugs the exit seat, to be sure of a quick escape. His old life is gone.
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Firefighter life unraveled after tragic blaze
Man gets 80 years for killing Joseph "Little Joe" Ramirez Army Veteran
Man gets 80 years for killing Army vet
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 7, 2009 8:56:48 EDT
SAGINAW, Mich. — A man who beat a 61-year-old man to death with a piece of lumber has been sentenced to at least 80 years in prison.
Joseph Ramirez of Saginaw, known as “Little Joe,” was struck in the head six times during the attack in August. Saginaw County Circuit Judge Fred Borchard called it “totally unexcusable” Wednesday.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_army_vet_killing_050709/
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 7, 2009 8:56:48 EDT
SAGINAW, Mich. — A man who beat a 61-year-old man to death with a piece of lumber has been sentenced to at least 80 years in prison.
Joseph Ramirez of Saginaw, known as “Little Joe,” was struck in the head six times during the attack in August. Saginaw County Circuit Judge Fred Borchard called it “totally unexcusable” Wednesday.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_army_vet_killing_050709/
Record High Army Suicides Prompt Action
Record High Army Suicides Prompt Action
by Blake Farmer
Listen Now
All Things Considered, May 6, 2009 · A U.S. soldier is now more likely than a civilian to take his own life. The Army crossed that threshold at the end of 2008 — a year in which 140 soldiers killed themselves — a record high. And the situation is getting worse, not better.
The Army counted 64 possible suicides in the first four months of this year, 11 of those were at Fort Campbell, Ky. — four suicides in January, three in February and four in March.
The stories from this sprawling post on the Tennessee-Kentucky line are tragic and disturbing. Sgt. Jeremy Duncan deployed from Fort Campbell to Iraq with a soldier who killed himself last year with a shotgun.
"And his fiance and his kids were there," Duncan says. He says he would never have known his friend was in trouble. "We don't know what his reasons were. He was like normal, daily life and just called it quits."
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Record High Army Suicides Prompt Action
by Blake Farmer
Listen Now
All Things Considered, May 6, 2009 · A U.S. soldier is now more likely than a civilian to take his own life. The Army crossed that threshold at the end of 2008 — a year in which 140 soldiers killed themselves — a record high. And the situation is getting worse, not better.
The Army counted 64 possible suicides in the first four months of this year, 11 of those were at Fort Campbell, Ky. — four suicides in January, three in February and four in March.
The stories from this sprawling post on the Tennessee-Kentucky line are tragic and disturbing. Sgt. Jeremy Duncan deployed from Fort Campbell to Iraq with a soldier who killed himself last year with a shotgun.
"And his fiance and his kids were there," Duncan says. He says he would never have known his friend was in trouble. "We don't know what his reasons were. He was like normal, daily life and just called it quits."
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Record High Army Suicides Prompt Action
Subconscious Restructuring offered for free after NIMH rejection
There is not one single program that works for everyone. We are all different. What works for some will not work for others but we really have to wonder why NIMH would block this. Are they blocking it to get more data or is there another reason?
Depression Cure and Evidence-based Suicide Intervention Model for U.S. Army Blocked by NIMH from Scientific Review
Depression Cure and Suicide Intervention Model Rejection by NIMH Inspires Offer of Free Help from the Developer.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 7, 2009 -- Despite an unprecedented crisis in military suicidality, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has rejected the only evidence-based proposal - the Burris SR process - to cure post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide in the U.S. Army.
The rejection shocked proposal scientists, former Marine officer, combat veteran and psychotherapist Dr. Ron Clark, the Principal Investigator (PI), and former USAF officer, psychologist and co-PI Dr. Jeff Litchford.
The Burris SR process proposed by the doctors has a record of success over its 25 year history, and it has established itself as the only evidence-based program process in mental health. The model, referred to by Drs. Clark and Litchford as "Subconscious Restructuring (SR)," is well-suited as the program of choice to overcome PTSD/suicidality problems of combat-returning U.S. Army military personnel and their families. It teaches depressed, traumatized and suicidal service personnel and their families how to restructure their subconscious, and replace dysfunctional components with more appropriate goal-oriented words, pictures, thoughts, emotions and behaviors. When symptoms of depression are present, as in the case of PTSD and suicidality, the Burris SR intervention is especially effective.
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http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2009/5/prweb2391824.htm
Contractors Using Military Clinics in Iraq and Afghanistan and not paying!
Contractors Using Military Clinics
Civilians Also Are Not Paying, Audit Says
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Military clinics and field hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan have supplied more than $1 million a month in health-care services to civilian contractors during the past two years without seeking reimbursement from their employers, as provided by law, according to a new audit by the Defense Department inspector general.
The report, issued Monday, noted that all costs associated with both emergency and primary medical care are reimbursable to the government and are the responsibility of the contingency contractor personnel, their employer or their health insurance provider.
Yet the study found that Army, Navy and Air Force clinics and hospitals were not billing contractors because there was no unified system for doing so. Moreover, more than half the contracts were vague about who pays for the medical treatment of employees, although the law is clear on this point, the IG found.
Investigators cited cases in which contractors were hospitalized with heart problems, pneumonia, an accidental self-inflicted gun shot or injuries from a blast, but the medical facilities did not bill the patients' employers for $141,340 for their stays. At the time, the military did have rates of $2,041 a day for nonmilitary inpatients and $195 per visit for outpatients.
Two contractors, Blackwater Worldwide, now known as Xe, and KBR, operated medical facilities for their own personnel and for other nonmilitary people. The cost of those facilities was included in their overall contracts, but the IG investigators said the contractors did not break out what they were charging the Army overall for the medical treatment they were providing.
The IG found that military medical units had incomplete or inaccurate records. For example, in a sampling of about 200 records, 13 percent incorrectly identified patients as contractors, 22 percent had duplicate entries, and 25 percent showed discrepancies between computer and paper records.
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Contractors Using Military Clinics
Civilians Also Are Not Paying, Audit Says
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Military clinics and field hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan have supplied more than $1 million a month in health-care services to civilian contractors during the past two years without seeking reimbursement from their employers, as provided by law, according to a new audit by the Defense Department inspector general.
The report, issued Monday, noted that all costs associated with both emergency and primary medical care are reimbursable to the government and are the responsibility of the contingency contractor personnel, their employer or their health insurance provider.
Yet the study found that Army, Navy and Air Force clinics and hospitals were not billing contractors because there was no unified system for doing so. Moreover, more than half the contracts were vague about who pays for the medical treatment of employees, although the law is clear on this point, the IG found.
Investigators cited cases in which contractors were hospitalized with heart problems, pneumonia, an accidental self-inflicted gun shot or injuries from a blast, but the medical facilities did not bill the patients' employers for $141,340 for their stays. At the time, the military did have rates of $2,041 a day for nonmilitary inpatients and $195 per visit for outpatients.
Two contractors, Blackwater Worldwide, now known as Xe, and KBR, operated medical facilities for their own personnel and for other nonmilitary people. The cost of those facilities was included in their overall contracts, but the IG investigators said the contractors did not break out what they were charging the Army overall for the medical treatment they were providing.
The IG found that military medical units had incomplete or inaccurate records. For example, in a sampling of about 200 records, 13 percent incorrectly identified patients as contractors, 22 percent had duplicate entries, and 25 percent showed discrepancies between computer and paper records.
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Contractors Using Military Clinics
Can any readers help a Navy Hero?
Can any readers help a Navy Hero?
HERO OF USS IOWA EXPLOSION STILL DENIEDJUSTICE TWENTY YEARS LATER - RETIRED NAVYPETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS JOHN MULLAHY'SLIFE RUINED BY FEMALE OFFICER'S VENDETTAAGAINST HIM - WE ASK CHIEF OF NAVAL OPNSGARY ROUGHEAD TO ORDER FULL INVESTIGATION"IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO RIGHT A WRONG."SAILOR DESERVES RETROACTIVE PROMOTIONTO AT LEAST CHIEF PETTY OFFICER (E-7) PLUSBACK PAY AND FULL BENEFITS
Twenty years after retired Petty Officer First Class John Mullahy saved the USS Iowa from blowing up, the hero sailor still is denied justice in what we at MilitaryCorruption.com consider to be one of the most egregious cases of abuse we have seen in the U.S. Navy.This brave man, who risked a fiery death and the ultimate sacrifice in saving the lives of the ship's crew, deserves to have his record cleared. And we are calling upon Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead to order a full investigation into the abuses inflicted on John Mullahy. It's never too late to right a wrong.We first ran the story you are about to read here in the Spring of 2001. It is just as relevant, if not more so, today. With an update at the end, including an interview with the former gunner's mate, now living in Thailand, we urge all active duty, Naval Reservists, veterans, and Navy retirees to send a copy of this story to your U.S. senators and congresspersons. John Mullahy is an American hero. He deserves justice - now!
THE UNKNOWN HERO OF THE USSIOWA EXPLOSION - HOW THE NAVYFAILED TO PUNISH A FEMALEOFFICER'S VENDETTA AGAINST HIM
It was one of the most heroic acts in the annals of the United States Navy. If it had occurred in wartime, Petty Officer 1st Class John Mullahy would have been recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor.Instead, he was the victim of a vendetta so vicious and unrelenting, his Navy career and life was ruined. His enemy, now-retired USN Capt. Patricia Rios, daughter and only child of (now-deceased) Vice-Admiral John Barrow, is alleged to have gone to great lengths to "punish" Mullahy for what he calls "refusing to obey an illegal order."After an extensive investigation by Military Corruption.com, we have concluded Mullahy acted properly and was "guilty" of no more than arousing the hatred of an officer who would go to any length to harass and harm him.
EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM
Our story begins in the waters off Puerto Rico. The date, April 19, 1989. Aboard the USS Iowa, sailors in Turret 2 of the battleship's 16-inch guns prepared to fire during a training exercise.Suddenly, a flash and a huge explosion rocked the ship. Quickly, other explosions followed. Fires raged. If the flames reached the powder magazine, the entire ship could be lost!Deep in the bowels of Turret 2, Gunner's Mate Mullahy, a fearless Irishman from Boston, who'd made the Navy his career, rescued three of his shipmates trapped behind a jammed hatch.Totally disregarding the extreme danger, and refusing to evacuate the area to save his own life, Mullahy single-handedly battered open the hatch with a wrench and dragged the three sailors to safety.But that wasn't all.Knowing the Iowa would be utterly destroyed if the fires reached the ship's magazine, Mullahy found his way through numerous smoke-filled compartments to the damage control center. There, he quickly activated the sprinkler system to Turret 2 and the powder magazine. That act of heroism kept the battleship from blowing up.Finding Lt. Blackie passed out on the floor, Mullahy, without benefit of a gas mask and nearly collapsing from fumes and smoke, carried the unconscious man to forward battle station, saving the officer's life.Mullahy continued to help men escape the blast areas and even volunteered for casualty identification duty. He worked for 36 straight hours without sleep.In those critical moments after the explosion, Mullahy stared death in the face and didn't blink.For his heroism that day, Mullahy was meritoriously promoted to petty officer first class and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Bravery.One would think the Navy public relations office would roll into high gear and crank out press releases about Mullahy's courageous actions which saved the Iowa and her crew. But no, the Navy brass prefer to keep silent to this day about a genuine hero they allowed to be destroyed.
REFUSING AN ILLEGAL ORDER
Three years earlier, in 1986, John Mullahy was stationed at a 73-acre Navy ammunition depot at Cartagena, Spain.At first all went well. Mullahy's boss, then-Lt. Cdr. Patricia Rios, was very pleased with his excellent work.In a document obtained by MilitaryCorruption.com - Mullahy's "enlisted efficiency report" for 86Jan06 to 86Nov30 - Rios couldn't praise her petty officer enough."HIS PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN SUPERIOR. A SELF-STARTER, HE HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO UPGRADE ALL ASPECTS OF AMMUNITION STORAGE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND HANDLING AT THIS ACTIVITY AND HAS DONE A REMARKABLE JOB."HE RECEIVED COMMENDATORY COMMENTS FROM THE EXPLOSIVE SAFETY BOARD, CINCUSNAVEUR AMMUNITION OFFICER AND CTF-63 WEAPONS OFFICER FOR HAVING HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE UNIT'S PERFORMANCE AND FOR IMPROVING READINESS. HIS INNOVATIVENESS, COGENT SUGGESTIONS AND DRIVE TO EXCEL MAKE HIM A VALUABLE ASSET TO THIS COMMAND."PETTY OFFICER MULLAHY DEMONSTRATES THE REQUISITE QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL LEADER AND IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR RETENTION AND ADVANCEMENT TO CHIEF PETTY OFFICER."Sound good? It should. Mullahy was one of the top petty officers in the Navy. But soon, all those deserved words of praise would be forgotten in the unreasoning anger of a bitter and hate-filled vendetta.
Related Stories
WE GET ACTION FOR HERO OF USS IOWA - BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL INSPECTOR GENERAL TELLS MULLAHY HIS CASE GOING TO (NAVINSGEN) IG "FOR REVIEW"
"A GLIMPSE OF HELL" TV MOVIE EXPOSES NAVY COVER-UP BUT DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Charter flight carrying 150 troops blows tire on landing
Troop charter plane blows tire on landing
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 6, 2009 17:31:45 EDT
LINTHICUM, Md. — A charter airplane flying service members into Baltimore blew its front tire while landing Wednesday, sending five crew members to the hospital for evaluation.
More than 150 troops were aboard the World Airways DC10 flight, including Chaplain (Maj.) Norris Burkes, whose columns have appeared in Air Force Times. Jonathan Dean, spokesman for Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, said none of the troops was injured. The plane landed about 1 p.m. and blew a tire on the front nose gear.
The plane was grounded in the middle of the runway for roughly two hours, and the plane's passengers got on shuttle buses to the terminal.
After the tire was replaced about 3:30 p.m., Dean said the airport reopened the runway. He said there was only a minimal disruption to other flights at the airport.
Five crew members were taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center for evaluation.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/airforce_bwi_charterplane_050609/
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 6, 2009 17:31:45 EDT
LINTHICUM, Md. — A charter airplane flying service members into Baltimore blew its front tire while landing Wednesday, sending five crew members to the hospital for evaluation.
More than 150 troops were aboard the World Airways DC10 flight, including Chaplain (Maj.) Norris Burkes, whose columns have appeared in Air Force Times. Jonathan Dean, spokesman for Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, said none of the troops was injured. The plane landed about 1 p.m. and blew a tire on the front nose gear.
The plane was grounded in the middle of the runway for roughly two hours, and the plane's passengers got on shuttle buses to the terminal.
After the tire was replaced about 3:30 p.m., Dean said the airport reopened the runway. He said there was only a minimal disruption to other flights at the airport.
Five crew members were taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center for evaluation.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/airforce_bwi_charterplane_050609/
Pursuit of mental health care keeps warriors strong
Pursuit of mental health care keeps warriors strong
May 6, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Matthew Clifton
Related Links
Army Behavioral Health
Physical combat injuries and external wounds are easily identified by Soldiers and medics, but it is much more difficult to spot, and treat, mental wounds.
In May, the Army observes Mental Health Month, and recently Army Secretary Pete Geren paid a visit to Soldiers assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Jackson, S.C., to speak with them and their family members about how they are addressing mental health challenges with the help of family and Army programs.
"The Army has a corner on being strong and being able to drive on, no matter what happens, and that makes it harder (for Soldiers to request help)," said Geren.
One wounded warrior, Sgt. David Marklein, who served as an infantryman for two deployments in 2003 and 2006 with 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. During his first deployment, Marklein was the personal driver for Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Cooke, the brigade's command sergeant major.
While on a mission on Christmas Eve, their Humvee struck an improvised explosive device, killing Cooke. While Marklein had no external injuries, his eardrums were blown out and he suffered damage to his head, neck and back.
Marklein and Cooke had been very close, and his death changed Marklein in a way he would not admit until a series of events, which would not come until after his second deployment, put his personal life and Army career into jeopardy.
"When I got off of the plane, my wife knew there was something different about me," said Marklein, who admits he couldn't see the change in himself. "Subconsciously, there was something wrong, but I wouldn't face it."
go here for more
Pursuit of mental health care keeps warriors strong
May 6, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Matthew Clifton
Related Links
Army Behavioral Health
Physical combat injuries and external wounds are easily identified by Soldiers and medics, but it is much more difficult to spot, and treat, mental wounds.
In May, the Army observes Mental Health Month, and recently Army Secretary Pete Geren paid a visit to Soldiers assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Jackson, S.C., to speak with them and their family members about how they are addressing mental health challenges with the help of family and Army programs.
"The Army has a corner on being strong and being able to drive on, no matter what happens, and that makes it harder (for Soldiers to request help)," said Geren.
One wounded warrior, Sgt. David Marklein, who served as an infantryman for two deployments in 2003 and 2006 with 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. During his first deployment, Marklein was the personal driver for Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Cooke, the brigade's command sergeant major.
While on a mission on Christmas Eve, their Humvee struck an improvised explosive device, killing Cooke. While Marklein had no external injuries, his eardrums were blown out and he suffered damage to his head, neck and back.
Marklein and Cooke had been very close, and his death changed Marklein in a way he would not admit until a series of events, which would not come until after his second deployment, put his personal life and Army career into jeopardy.
"When I got off of the plane, my wife knew there was something different about me," said Marklein, who admits he couldn't see the change in himself. "Subconsciously, there was something wrong, but I wouldn't face it."
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Pursuit of mental health care keeps warriors strong
Two Marines Shot By Their Targeted Victim, Another Marine
Police: Two Marines Shot By Their Targeted Victim, Another Marine
Posted: 1:05 PM May 4, 2009
Last Updated: 8:35 PM May 4,
A shooting is under investigation in Craven County, and officials say all three people involved are in the military.
The shooting happened Saturday just before midnight at Ketner Boulevard in Havelock.
According to officials, "preliminary investigation suggests that 2 subjects went to the residence with the intent of assaulting the homeowner as the result of a prior dispute. During the confrontation the two subjects were shot multiple times inside the residence."
WITN has confirmed all three involved are Marines stationed at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in Havelock.
Police say the homeowner has been identified as 25-year-old Blane Hallmark, while the two Marines are Jacob Sylvester, 22, of Havelock and Tony Fuentes, 19, of New Bern.
Authorities now say charges are pending against the two men intruders.
Officials say both people shot are currently being treated at Pitt Memorial Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit. One is listed as being in critical but stable condition and the other is listed as being in good condition.
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http://www.witn.com/military/headlines/44304712.html
Posted: 1:05 PM May 4, 2009
Last Updated: 8:35 PM May 4,
A shooting is under investigation in Craven County, and officials say all three people involved are in the military.
The shooting happened Saturday just before midnight at Ketner Boulevard in Havelock.
According to officials, "preliminary investigation suggests that 2 subjects went to the residence with the intent of assaulting the homeowner as the result of a prior dispute. During the confrontation the two subjects were shot multiple times inside the residence."
WITN has confirmed all three involved are Marines stationed at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in Havelock.
Police say the homeowner has been identified as 25-year-old Blane Hallmark, while the two Marines are Jacob Sylvester, 22, of Havelock and Tony Fuentes, 19, of New Bern.
Authorities now say charges are pending against the two men intruders.
Officials say both people shot are currently being treated at Pitt Memorial Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit. One is listed as being in critical but stable condition and the other is listed as being in good condition.
go here for video
http://www.witn.com/military/headlines/44304712.html
Military TriCare denies son's chance to live?
Insurance denies boy second chance at life
Watch the story
Hannah and Aiden Lopez are living on borrowed time. The two were born with Sanfilippo syndrome, sufferers of which typically don't live past their teens. Doctors say it may be too late to save Hannah, but a stem cell transplant may save Aiden. But the family's military insurance has refused aid
The news itself was like a miracle to the boy's family. That is until the bad news came: the family's military insurance provider has refused to pay for the $700,000 procedure.
"TriWest has determined that the requested service is a clinical trial and presently considered unproven. Therefore, the service is not a covered benefit under TRICARE," said Dr. Leonard Tamsky of TriWest HeathCare Alliance.
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Watch the story
Hannah and Aiden Lopez are living on borrowed time. The two were born with Sanfilippo syndrome, sufferers of which typically don't live past their teens. Doctors say it may be too late to save Hannah, but a stem cell transplant may save Aiden. But the family's military insurance has refused aid
The news itself was like a miracle to the boy's family. That is until the bad news came: the family's military insurance provider has refused to pay for the $700,000 procedure.
"TriWest has determined that the requested service is a clinical trial and presently considered unproven. Therefore, the service is not a covered benefit under TRICARE," said Dr. Leonard Tamsky of TriWest HeathCare Alliance.
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Parkland Florida family forced out of home over Chinese drywall
Get out of house with Chinese drywall, doctor tells family
Story Highlights
Florida family is "sick on a weekly basis," physician says
Million-dollar home smells like rotten eggs
Chinese-made drywall has "volatile sulfur compounds," study found
Dream home now worth nothing, owner says
By Rich Phillips
CNN Senior Producer
PARKLAND, Florida (CNN) -- Yorelle Haroush fled a million-dollar South Florida home this week, chased out, she said, by drywall made in China that's emitting vapors that smell like rotten eggs.
"It's making me sick. Physically, mentally and emotionally, making me sick," said the 18-year-old, who is pregnant with her first child.
Haroush lives with her aunt Amy Massachi and her four siblings and cousins in the house. They believe a year's worth of upper respiratory infections, antibiotics, bloody noses and sickness have been caused by the walls.
Their doctor said they need to get out of the $1.2 million estate in Parkland, Florida, northwest of Fort Lauderdale.
go here for more
Get out of house with Chinese drywall, doctor tells family
Story Highlights
Florida family is "sick on a weekly basis," physician says
Million-dollar home smells like rotten eggs
Chinese-made drywall has "volatile sulfur compounds," study found
Dream home now worth nothing, owner says
By Rich Phillips
CNN Senior Producer
PARKLAND, Florida (CNN) -- Yorelle Haroush fled a million-dollar South Florida home this week, chased out, she said, by drywall made in China that's emitting vapors that smell like rotten eggs.
"It's making me sick. Physically, mentally and emotionally, making me sick," said the 18-year-old, who is pregnant with her first child.
Haroush lives with her aunt Amy Massachi and her four siblings and cousins in the house. They believe a year's worth of upper respiratory infections, antibiotics, bloody noses and sickness have been caused by the walls.
Their doctor said they need to get out of the $1.2 million estate in Parkland, Florida, northwest of Fort Lauderdale.
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Get out of house with Chinese drywall, doctor tells family
U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Enrique Valdez added to The Wall
May 6th, 2009
Name added to Vietnam Memorial helps family heal old wounds
Posted: 04:33 PM ET
From Paul Courson
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) — It was 40 years ago this summer that U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Enrique Valdez was nearly killed by shrapnel in Vietnam, and 15 years ago that he died from wounds suffered that August in 1969.
His name is the latest on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, added Tuesday to “The Wall,” after the Defense Department concluded his status matched the criteria to be included on the panels. After being wounded in Vietnam at the age of 32, Valdez spent the rest of his life as a quadriplegic. The shrapnel had cut his spinal cord. When he died of pneumonia in 1994, bureaucratic delays seemed to rule out he might be recognized for his service to the country.
His family worked for years to have his name added to the memorial, and the notification finally came — but without explanation from the Defense Department. Wednesday, smiling and pointing to the fresh lettering on Panel 17, she told CNN, “I never got a response, but it’s okay, because his name is here!”
Enrique Valdez joins 58,260 other names listed on the Vietnam Memorial, and his is the only name added under 1969, for combat deaths that year or later deaths from injuries sustained in combat that year.
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/
Army identifies remains of Riley soldier
Army identifies remains of Riley soldier
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 6, 2009 11:33:49 EDT
The remains of a Pennsylvania soldier previously listed by the Army as “duty status whereabouts unknown” have been positively identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the Defense Department announced Tuesday in a press release.
Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia, who was assigned to a military transition team in Afghanistan, died of wounds suffered in an attack May 1 when insurgents attacked his unit using direct fire and rocket-propelled grenades, officials said.
The attack took place in the village of Nishagam, Konar province.
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 6, 2009 11:33:49 EDT
The remains of a Pennsylvania soldier previously listed by the Army as “duty status whereabouts unknown” have been positively identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the Defense Department announced Tuesday in a press release.
Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia, who was assigned to a military transition team in Afghanistan, died of wounds suffered in an attack May 1 when insurgents attacked his unit using direct fire and rocket-propelled grenades, officials said.
The attack took place in the village of Nishagam, Konar province.
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Homes for Our Troops volunteers building Utah vet a new home
Charity organization, volunteers building Utah vet a new home
May 5th, 2009
By Jed Boal
HERRIMAN -- U.S. soldiers wounded in war often face big challenges in recovery, but one Iraq War veteran in Utah is starting the next chapter of his life with the help of the community.
Specialist Bryant Jacobs can hardly believe what's happening in his life. "Words can't describe it. It's just an amazing feeling," he said.
A Build Brigade is underway in Herriman to build Jacobs his very first home, at no cost. "I have somewhere to call home. I'm not running. I don't have to worry about my lease coming up," he said.
Jacobs showed us around amid the clamor of construction. Homes for our Troops, a national nonprofit organization, is leading the charge. In three days, volunteers and professional builders will frame the home; install windows, doors and a roof; and build in special features for the injured veteran.
go here for more
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=6387242
May 5th, 2009
By Jed Boal
HERRIMAN -- U.S. soldiers wounded in war often face big challenges in recovery, but one Iraq War veteran in Utah is starting the next chapter of his life with the help of the community.
Specialist Bryant Jacobs can hardly believe what's happening in his life. "Words can't describe it. It's just an amazing feeling," he said.
A Build Brigade is underway in Herriman to build Jacobs his very first home, at no cost. "I have somewhere to call home. I'm not running. I don't have to worry about my lease coming up," he said.
Jacobs showed us around amid the clamor of construction. Homes for our Troops, a national nonprofit organization, is leading the charge. In three days, volunteers and professional builders will frame the home; install windows, doors and a roof; and build in special features for the injured veteran.
go here for more
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=6387242
KCTV5 NEWS INVESTIGATION: Weapon Of Choice Depleted Uranium
KCTV5 NEWS INVESTIGATION: Weapon Of Choice
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. -- Since 1991 the U.S. military has admitted to using depleted uranium in armor and ammunition on a large scale. But since then, a debate has raged about its long-term health effects on soldiers and their families.
Could one of the most effective military tools in their arsenal actually be harming soldiers?
Jerry Wheat is one of the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who have enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces.
"I was in the army for 4 years and 10 months. I joined in 1989 as a 19 Delta, which is a cavalry scout," said Wheat. "My job was to go out and look for the enemy."
Wheat was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star after his 1991 deployment in Gulf War I.
Wheat said his unit was in Iraq, heading toward Basra, when it got caught up in a firefight.
"My Bradley was hit again with another tank round, and that tank round knocked me unconscious," said Wheat.
In an instant flash of fire, smoke and shrapnel, Wheat became a casualty of war. But without knowing it, his battle was just beginning.
"I took shrapnel in the back of my head. I had some second- and third-degree burns, and there was about 25 pieces of shrapnel from my head all the way down my back," said Wheat.
The military initially denied it, but Wheat ultimately learned that the pieces of shrapnel embedded in his head and back were shards from "friendly fire" and some of the fragments contained depleted uranium.
"As a soldier, you know, most of us didn't know what DU was or made aware of to stay away from it," said Wheat.
go here for more and video
http://www.kctv5.com/investigations/19372087/detail.html
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. -- Since 1991 the U.S. military has admitted to using depleted uranium in armor and ammunition on a large scale. But since then, a debate has raged about its long-term health effects on soldiers and their families.
Could one of the most effective military tools in their arsenal actually be harming soldiers?
Jerry Wheat is one of the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who have enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces.
"I was in the army for 4 years and 10 months. I joined in 1989 as a 19 Delta, which is a cavalry scout," said Wheat. "My job was to go out and look for the enemy."
Wheat was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star after his 1991 deployment in Gulf War I.
Wheat said his unit was in Iraq, heading toward Basra, when it got caught up in a firefight.
"My Bradley was hit again with another tank round, and that tank round knocked me unconscious," said Wheat.
In an instant flash of fire, smoke and shrapnel, Wheat became a casualty of war. But without knowing it, his battle was just beginning.
"I took shrapnel in the back of my head. I had some second- and third-degree burns, and there was about 25 pieces of shrapnel from my head all the way down my back," said Wheat.
The military initially denied it, but Wheat ultimately learned that the pieces of shrapnel embedded in his head and back were shards from "friendly fire" and some of the fragments contained depleted uranium.
"As a soldier, you know, most of us didn't know what DU was or made aware of to stay away from it," said Wheat.
go here for more and video
http://www.kctv5.com/investigations/19372087/detail.html
Returning vets may face another battle, PTSD
Returning vets may face another battle
Published: May 06, 2009
By Nicholas Langhorne
special correspondent
Making the transition from a dangerous war zone back to normal family life can be a mental challenge for any war veteran. However, the estimated 12 to 20 percent of Army combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder face an even more difficult challenge, according to Dr. John Beneseck, director of the PTSD program at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond.
According to the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, the condition can be caused by any traumatic experience during which an individual felt that their life or the lives of others around them were in danger. They may also feel like they lack control over what happens to them. The nature of war makes combat veterans susceptible to developing the disorder.
“The number one technique we use is education,” Beneseck said. “Let them know that this is a pretty normal reaction.”
On average, McGuire treats between 1,000 and 1,200 veterans for PTSD every year, according to Beneseck. That number includes veterans from current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Vietnam, Korean and Gulf War veterans.
“We’re getting some people who have just heard about what PTSD is,” Beneseck said about the Vietnam and Korean War veterans who are just now seeking treatment.
go here for more
Returning vets may face another battle
Published: May 06, 2009
By Nicholas Langhorne
special correspondent
Making the transition from a dangerous war zone back to normal family life can be a mental challenge for any war veteran. However, the estimated 12 to 20 percent of Army combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder face an even more difficult challenge, according to Dr. John Beneseck, director of the PTSD program at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond.
According to the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, the condition can be caused by any traumatic experience during which an individual felt that their life or the lives of others around them were in danger. They may also feel like they lack control over what happens to them. The nature of war makes combat veterans susceptible to developing the disorder.
“The number one technique we use is education,” Beneseck said. “Let them know that this is a pretty normal reaction.”
On average, McGuire treats between 1,000 and 1,200 veterans for PTSD every year, according to Beneseck. That number includes veterans from current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Vietnam, Korean and Gulf War veterans.
“We’re getting some people who have just heard about what PTSD is,” Beneseck said about the Vietnam and Korean War veterans who are just now seeking treatment.
go here for more
Returning vets may face another battle
Assistant Secretary Duckworth Honored at Women to Watch Awards
VA news release,
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel
Assistant Secretary Duckworth Honored at Women to Watch Awards
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2009) - Yesterday, the Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, L. Tammy
Duckworth, was honored by Running Start at their annual Women to Watch
Awards in Washington, DC. She spoke to a crowd of 300 young women at a
ceremony at the National Press Club.
"We make our Nation stronger by supporting the 200,000 women currently
serving in the armed forces and the approximately 1.7 million women
Veterans in our country that need our help," Assistant Secretary L.
Tammy Duckworth said. "It's time to stop being surprised that America's
daughters are fully capable of doing their jobs and fighting for our
freedoms. I recognize that I am here today because I stand on the
shoulders of the men and women who opened the doors for women to serve."
Running Start is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young
women to run for political office. It offers high school and college
women the unique opportunity to hear from today's leaders. By educating
young women about the importance of politics and giving them the skills
they need to become leaders, they give them the running start they need
to reach their aspirations.
Assistant Secretary Duckworth was introduced by State Representative
Linda Chapa LaVia from the state of Illinois. She was recognized as a
"Woman to Watch" by Running Start along with Erin Issabelle Burnett,
CNBC Television Anchor; Betsy Fischer, Executive Producer of Meet the
Press; Julie Gilbert, Founder and CEO of Wolf Means Business; and Mona
Sutphen, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration.
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel
Assistant Secretary Duckworth Honored at Women to Watch Awards
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2009) - Yesterday, the Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, L. Tammy
Duckworth, was honored by Running Start at their annual Women to Watch
Awards in Washington, DC. She spoke to a crowd of 300 young women at a
ceremony at the National Press Club.
"We make our Nation stronger by supporting the 200,000 women currently
serving in the armed forces and the approximately 1.7 million women
Veterans in our country that need our help," Assistant Secretary L.
Tammy Duckworth said. "It's time to stop being surprised that America's
daughters are fully capable of doing their jobs and fighting for our
freedoms. I recognize that I am here today because I stand on the
shoulders of the men and women who opened the doors for women to serve."
Running Start is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young
women to run for political office. It offers high school and college
women the unique opportunity to hear from today's leaders. By educating
young women about the importance of politics and giving them the skills
they need to become leaders, they give them the running start they need
to reach their aspirations.
Assistant Secretary Duckworth was introduced by State Representative
Linda Chapa LaVia from the state of Illinois. She was recognized as a
"Woman to Watch" by Running Start along with Erin Issabelle Burnett,
CNBC Television Anchor; Betsy Fischer, Executive Producer of Meet the
Press; Julie Gilbert, Founder and CEO of Wolf Means Business; and Mona
Sutphen, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Hannity, the troops are waiting!
Sean Hannity, you said you would be waterboardered for charity then said "I'll do it for the troops" but so far, even though Keith Olbermann offered to pitch in $1,000 per second, you haven't done it or even arranged it. See the problem is Sean the troops don't get to say one thing and do another. They don't get to shoot their mouth off when some hack keeps saying he supports the troops but then turns around and does nothing when it comes to what they need. Did you go to Iraq and sit in a thrown? Sure but what have you really, really done for the troops? Please keep in mind that I no longer watch anything on FOX and I don't listen to people on the radio telling me that I am something I'm not, so I could have missed something monumental you've done for their sake, but I really doubt it.
So Sean, what's the problem? Is waterboarding torture or isn't it? If you still don't have a clue what it did and everything else done in Cuba and Iraq, ended up doing to our troops, then you must not watch much news or read many newspapers because the way we treated the detainees was directly responsible for outsiders going into Iraq on some kind of revenge trip from hell to get even. Do you understand this? Do you understand that some of the troops given orders to do these terrible things to the detainees ended up in prison but the people who gave the orders are being defended by you? Do you understand this? Somehow, I doubt you do.
We have wounded warriors all over the country and their numbers are climbing so why don't you live up to your tough talk and take Olbermann up on his offer. Last long enough so that you can kick in a couple of hundred thousand dollars to the Wounded Warrior programs. What's keeping you Sean because the troops are waiting?
So Sean, what's the problem? Is waterboarding torture or isn't it? If you still don't have a clue what it did and everything else done in Cuba and Iraq, ended up doing to our troops, then you must not watch much news or read many newspapers because the way we treated the detainees was directly responsible for outsiders going into Iraq on some kind of revenge trip from hell to get even. Do you understand this? Do you understand that some of the troops given orders to do these terrible things to the detainees ended up in prison but the people who gave the orders are being defended by you? Do you understand this? Somehow, I doubt you do.
We have wounded warriors all over the country and their numbers are climbing so why don't you live up to your tough talk and take Olbermann up on his offer. Last long enough so that you can kick in a couple of hundred thousand dollars to the Wounded Warrior programs. What's keeping you Sean because the troops are waiting?
GI Bill transfer rights rules anger some vets
GI Bill transfer rights rules anger some vets
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 5, 2009 12:17:45 EDT
As the Aug. 1 launch date nears for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, more people are realizing they won’t be able to share education benefits with their families.
One of the requirements to transfer benefits to a spouse or children is that the service member must still be in the military Aug. 1 — bad news for people about to separate or who have already separated.
Air Force Lt. Col. Lisa Henry-Hamilton, dean of academics at the Defense Language Institute’s Foreign Language Center, will miss the Aug. 1 date because she has a previously approved July 1 retirement date that it is too late to change. Already on terminal leave while awaiting the end of her 23-year career, Henry-Hamilton feels cheated.
“I might have changed my date if I had known this,” she said in response to the Pentagon’s announcement last week of how transfer rights will work.
“I have served 23 years,” she said. “For two months to make this difference after serving on 9/11 and deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan just seems like perhaps everything wasn’t taken into consideration.”
go here for more
GI Bill transfer rights rules anger some vets
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 5, 2009 12:17:45 EDT
As the Aug. 1 launch date nears for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, more people are realizing they won’t be able to share education benefits with their families.
One of the requirements to transfer benefits to a spouse or children is that the service member must still be in the military Aug. 1 — bad news for people about to separate or who have already separated.
Air Force Lt. Col. Lisa Henry-Hamilton, dean of academics at the Defense Language Institute’s Foreign Language Center, will miss the Aug. 1 date because she has a previously approved July 1 retirement date that it is too late to change. Already on terminal leave while awaiting the end of her 23-year career, Henry-Hamilton feels cheated.
“I might have changed my date if I had known this,” she said in response to the Pentagon’s announcement last week of how transfer rights will work.
“I have served 23 years,” she said. “For two months to make this difference after serving on 9/11 and deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan just seems like perhaps everything wasn’t taken into consideration.”
go here for more
GI Bill transfer rights rules anger some vets
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