HDNet World Report Investigates an Alarming String of Murders Committed by Iraq War Veterans
HDNet logo. (PRNewsFoto/HDNet)
DENVER, CO UNITED STATES
Three-part story examines a cluster of 15 murders and attempted homicides committed by current and former soldiers at Ft. Carson, Colorado
'Ft. Carson Killings: The New Casualties of War' airs on HDNet, Tuesday, June 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET
DALLAS, May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- HDNet World Report, HDNet's award-winning weekly news program, presents a dramatic report about a string of 15 murders and attempted homicides committed by soldiers currently (or formerly) based at Fort Carson, CO.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080324/HDNETLOGO)
One base. Four years. Three attempted murders. Twelve murders. Some of the crimes involved loved ones, some were random, but what the murders have in common is that they were all committed by men just back from the war zone. Most of these men are from the same brigade that served in Iraq for a total of 24 months -- the 4th combat team of the 4th Infantry.
But, what is causing these men to kill? Critics say that Iraq veterans are coming home with severe PTSD and other mental problems caused by combat stress, but the Army isn't doing enough to ease them back into civilian life.
HDNet correspondent Carol McKinley, who reported from Iraq while with Fox News, obtained an exclusive jailhouse interview with Kenneth Eastridge, one of the men convicted for his part in a murder. Eastridge served two tours in Iraq, and says he returned from war with PTSD but was offered little if any help by the Army.
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The New Casualties of War =
Friday, May 29, 2009
McCormick Foundation give 2.6 million to Welcome Back Veterans
McCormick Foundation, Major League Baseball Announce $2.6 Million in Additional Grants for "Welcome Back Veterans"
Twelve recipient organizations will use funds to help returning vets and families stabilize lives and re-integrate into communities
CHICAGO, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The McCormick Foundation's Board of Directors has approved $2.6 million in 2009 grants as part of Welcome Back Veterans, a national public awareness and fundraising initiative to address the mental health and employment needs of America's veterans and their families. This brings the total amount awarded through Welcome Back Veterans to more than $5.5 million. A complete record of 2009 grants awarded is provided below.
Welcome Back Veterans has raised more than $4.5 million as of April 2009. An additional $2.2 million in matching funds has been provided by the McCormick Foundation (first $4 million raised matched at 50 cents on the dollar). With all administrative costs paid by Major League Baseball and the McCormick Foundation, more than $5.5 million has been distributed over the past year to 24 nonprofit agencies targeting veterans' greatest needs.
Welcome Back Veterans Grants - Mental Health
1. Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, Inc.
(New York) $250,000
For Home Again: Reaching Out, a family-focused outreach, community
education and mental health program offered to Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans and
their families in the Bronx.
2. Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies $135,000
For the Soldiers Project, which offers free, accessible confidential psychological treatment to OIF / OEF military service members and
their families.
3. National Center on Family Homelessness, Inc. (Newton, MA) $250,000
For Community Circles of Support for Veterans' Families, which
provides education, outreach, mental health treatment and
social support.
4. National Veterans Business Development Corporation
(Washington, D.C.) $300,000
For the TROOPS Activator, a Web-based technology that gives
veterans access to mental health treatment via their home computers.
5. North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System Foundation
(Great Neck, NY) $250,000
For PTSD / TBI treatment programs for military families on Long
Island and throughout the New York metro region.
6. Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc.
(Washington, D.C.) $200,000
For suicide prevention for veterans with PTSD including long-term,
peer-based emotional support, crisis response and intervention.
7. USA Cares (Radcliff, KY) $300,000
For the Warrior Treatment Today program, which provides financial
assistance to veterans who enroll in in-patient PTSD and TBI programs.
Mental Health Total $1,685,000
go here for the rest
McCormick Foundation, Major League Baseball
Twelve recipient organizations will use funds to help returning vets and families stabilize lives and re-integrate into communities
CHICAGO, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The McCormick Foundation's Board of Directors has approved $2.6 million in 2009 grants as part of Welcome Back Veterans, a national public awareness and fundraising initiative to address the mental health and employment needs of America's veterans and their families. This brings the total amount awarded through Welcome Back Veterans to more than $5.5 million. A complete record of 2009 grants awarded is provided below.
Welcome Back Veterans has raised more than $4.5 million as of April 2009. An additional $2.2 million in matching funds has been provided by the McCormick Foundation (first $4 million raised matched at 50 cents on the dollar). With all administrative costs paid by Major League Baseball and the McCormick Foundation, more than $5.5 million has been distributed over the past year to 24 nonprofit agencies targeting veterans' greatest needs.
Welcome Back Veterans Grants - Mental Health
1. Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, Inc.
(New York) $250,000
For Home Again: Reaching Out, a family-focused outreach, community
education and mental health program offered to Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans and
their families in the Bronx.
2. Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies $135,000
For the Soldiers Project, which offers free, accessible confidential psychological treatment to OIF / OEF military service members and
their families.
3. National Center on Family Homelessness, Inc. (Newton, MA) $250,000
For Community Circles of Support for Veterans' Families, which
provides education, outreach, mental health treatment and
social support.
4. National Veterans Business Development Corporation
(Washington, D.C.) $300,000
For the TROOPS Activator, a Web-based technology that gives
veterans access to mental health treatment via their home computers.
5. North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System Foundation
(Great Neck, NY) $250,000
For PTSD / TBI treatment programs for military families on Long
Island and throughout the New York metro region.
6. Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc.
(Washington, D.C.) $200,000
For suicide prevention for veterans with PTSD including long-term,
peer-based emotional support, crisis response and intervention.
7. USA Cares (Radcliff, KY) $300,000
For the Warrior Treatment Today program, which provides financial
assistance to veterans who enroll in in-patient PTSD and TBI programs.
Mental Health Total $1,685,000
go here for the rest
McCormick Foundation, Major League Baseball
Error left thousands of military retirees out of Retro Pay
Military update:
DFAS: Error left thousands of military retirees out of Retro Pay
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, May 30, 2009
As many as 39,000 disabled military retirees have been left out of the VA Retro Pay program by mistake, say officials at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service who are calculating the amount of money owed.
This latest and perhaps most serious gaffe in the problem-plagued VA Retro Pay project was uncovered after DFAS received a rising number of complaints from retirees. None had been screened for retroactive payment, but follow-up calculations confirmed that each had been underpaid.
VA Retro payments have ranged from a few hundred dollars to many thousands, depending on individual circumstance. All recipients have served in the military for 20 or more years and all have disabilities that qualified them for one of two relatively new disabled retiree entitlements: Combat-Related Special Compensation, which began in 2003, or Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay, which started in 2004.
The VA Retro Pay project began to identify retirees for lump-sum back payments in September 2006. The project became necessary because of difficulties in calculating initial payments to retirees under CRSC and CRDP, complex plans voted by Congress to begin to lift the ban on concurrent receipt of both military retirement and disability compensation. First up were to be full career retirees with combat-related injuries or severe disabilities.
go here for the rest
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62992
DFAS: Error left thousands of military retirees out of Retro Pay
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, May 30, 2009
As many as 39,000 disabled military retirees have been left out of the VA Retro Pay program by mistake, say officials at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service who are calculating the amount of money owed.
This latest and perhaps most serious gaffe in the problem-plagued VA Retro Pay project was uncovered after DFAS received a rising number of complaints from retirees. None had been screened for retroactive payment, but follow-up calculations confirmed that each had been underpaid.
VA Retro payments have ranged from a few hundred dollars to many thousands, depending on individual circumstance. All recipients have served in the military for 20 or more years and all have disabilities that qualified them for one of two relatively new disabled retiree entitlements: Combat-Related Special Compensation, which began in 2003, or Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay, which started in 2004.
The VA Retro Pay project began to identify retirees for lump-sum back payments in September 2006. The project became necessary because of difficulties in calculating initial payments to retirees under CRSC and CRDP, complex plans voted by Congress to begin to lift the ban on concurrent receipt of both military retirement and disability compensation. First up were to be full career retirees with combat-related injuries or severe disabilities.
go here for the rest
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62992
Long Beach sees upswing in officer-involved shootings
Long Beach sees upswing in officer-involved shootings
Police have shot three people this week alone and nine so far this year. Officials say the incidents involved violent suspects who failed to comply with commands or threatened officers with weapons.
By Andrew Blankstein
May 29, 2009
Long Beach police are grappling with a string of officer-involved shootings in recent months, including three this week alone.
Five people were injured in officer-involved shootings during a seven-hour period from Wednesday afternoon to early Thursday, authorities said. One of the victims was a police officer apparently struck by "friendly fire."
So far this year, Long Beach police officers have shot nine people. By comparison, the Los Angeles Police Department -- with 10 times more officers -- reported nine officer-involved shootings, and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department -- also about 10 times as large -- reported 10 such shootings.
Long Beach police officials acknowledged it was an unusual number for a short period but noted the circumstances were different in each case and involved violent suspects who failed to comply with commands or threatened officers with weapons.
"It's hard to predict when we have these clusters," said department spokeswoman Jackie Bezart. "We are doing the best we can to maintain order like we always do and maintain safety for the citizens like we always do."
Long Beach has seen an increase in homicides so far this year, recording 10 as of May 1 compared to only two during the same period in 2008. But serious crimes overall in the city of 460,000 residents are up more modestly, about 2%.
go here for more
Long Beach sees upswing in officer-involved shootings
Police have shot three people this week alone and nine so far this year. Officials say the incidents involved violent suspects who failed to comply with commands or threatened officers with weapons.
By Andrew Blankstein
May 29, 2009
Long Beach police are grappling with a string of officer-involved shootings in recent months, including three this week alone.
Five people were injured in officer-involved shootings during a seven-hour period from Wednesday afternoon to early Thursday, authorities said. One of the victims was a police officer apparently struck by "friendly fire."
So far this year, Long Beach police officers have shot nine people. By comparison, the Los Angeles Police Department -- with 10 times more officers -- reported nine officer-involved shootings, and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department -- also about 10 times as large -- reported 10 such shootings.
Long Beach police officials acknowledged it was an unusual number for a short period but noted the circumstances were different in each case and involved violent suspects who failed to comply with commands or threatened officers with weapons.
"It's hard to predict when we have these clusters," said department spokeswoman Jackie Bezart. "We are doing the best we can to maintain order like we always do and maintain safety for the citizens like we always do."
Long Beach has seen an increase in homicides so far this year, recording 10 as of May 1 compared to only two during the same period in 2008. But serious crimes overall in the city of 460,000 residents are up more modestly, about 2%.
go here for more
Long Beach sees upswing in officer-involved shootings
UK:WWII veteran finally diagnosed with PTSD
Perhaps one of the most troubling things about PTSD is the lack of awareness veterans have. They may not know exactly what is "wrong" with them, the cause of their suffering, but they are acutely aware they are suffering. It is not just that they can remember in detail something that happened years ago, it's that they cannot forget any of it. How can they when nightmares bring it all back? When flashbacks bring it all back triggered by anniversaries of the event, smells, sounds, movies and TV reports?
All you need to do is to go to any of the memorials for the fallen and watch a veteran as he or she spots a name of someone they knew to witness the ravishing pain they carry while they are transported back in time to the days when they lived side by side.
PTSD is not new. It's as ancient as mankind. Throughout the centuries man has gone into combat and survivors have carried the scars within their soul. Read any account of military campaigns from ancient Romans and Greeks and see the wound. Read the Old Testament and the accounts of warriors from Moses, to Judges, Kings and the psalms of David. Read the accounts of Native Americans and see this wound exposed. There is no escaping PTSD unless we can escape being human.
The military is still attempting to train the troops to be "resilient" and toughen their minds to overcome PTSD but in the process they are telling the troops if they are wounded by PTSD, it's their own fault, they were too weak to prepare, they are mentally deficient and not as good as the rest of their company. The basis for this problem is that the military does not seem to have the ability to understand anything about PTSD to know what kind of damage they have been doing with program like Battlemind.
Battlemind begins by telling them they can prevent PTSD as if this is possible. Is it possible to stop being human? To stop being a caring person, sensitive to others? It is no more possible to prevent being wounded by PTSD than it is to repel a bullet headed for exposed body parts. The only thing they can prevent is PTSD claiming so much of the soul of the warrior that it become irreversible. While PTSD comes with different level of cuts, much like an infection eats away until antibiotics are applied, PTSD eats away at the individual until therapy is applied. Between the onslaught of the trauma and the time they begin to talk about it, it is claiming more and more of territory. One traumatic event followed by another cuts deeper into the soul. If the first cut is not treated the open wound allows a pathway for the invader to have free access.
We have to remember that PTSD does not come from within. It comes from an outside force and enters into the soldier. Much like PTSD enters into a police officer, firefighter, victim of crimes, accidents and natural disasters, the difference is the number of strikes received. Warriors are wounded deeper because of the number of times they come into contact with traumatic events. The cuts are more numerous than what a police officer or firefighter encounters but they also suffer from PTSD, yet we are more likely to understand the trauma affecting a civilian following a criminal act than understanding them being exposed to it over and over and over again.
George McMahon's actions 65 years ago were rewarded with the Military Cross and PTSD. He knew there was something wrong but was never treated for the wound he carried away with him. He is a testament to the heart of the warrior, strength to carry on while walking wounded through life and his family is testament to the suffering of families across generations also wounded by the wounded.
McMahon proved courage in battle eliminating any thoughts of the uninformed that PTSD has anything to do with not being courageous enough. He is also an example of it never being too late to seek help. The sooner treatment of this wound begins the better the outcome but even after 65 years there is hope of him healing some of the scars he has carried all these years.
All you need to do is to go to any of the memorials for the fallen and watch a veteran as he or she spots a name of someone they knew to witness the ravishing pain they carry while they are transported back in time to the days when they lived side by side.
PTSD is not new. It's as ancient as mankind. Throughout the centuries man has gone into combat and survivors have carried the scars within their soul. Read any account of military campaigns from ancient Romans and Greeks and see the wound. Read the Old Testament and the accounts of warriors from Moses, to Judges, Kings and the psalms of David. Read the accounts of Native Americans and see this wound exposed. There is no escaping PTSD unless we can escape being human.
The military is still attempting to train the troops to be "resilient" and toughen their minds to overcome PTSD but in the process they are telling the troops if they are wounded by PTSD, it's their own fault, they were too weak to prepare, they are mentally deficient and not as good as the rest of their company. The basis for this problem is that the military does not seem to have the ability to understand anything about PTSD to know what kind of damage they have been doing with program like Battlemind.
Battlemind begins by telling them they can prevent PTSD as if this is possible. Is it possible to stop being human? To stop being a caring person, sensitive to others? It is no more possible to prevent being wounded by PTSD than it is to repel a bullet headed for exposed body parts. The only thing they can prevent is PTSD claiming so much of the soul of the warrior that it become irreversible. While PTSD comes with different level of cuts, much like an infection eats away until antibiotics are applied, PTSD eats away at the individual until therapy is applied. Between the onslaught of the trauma and the time they begin to talk about it, it is claiming more and more of territory. One traumatic event followed by another cuts deeper into the soul. If the first cut is not treated the open wound allows a pathway for the invader to have free access.
We have to remember that PTSD does not come from within. It comes from an outside force and enters into the soldier. Much like PTSD enters into a police officer, firefighter, victim of crimes, accidents and natural disasters, the difference is the number of strikes received. Warriors are wounded deeper because of the number of times they come into contact with traumatic events. The cuts are more numerous than what a police officer or firefighter encounters but they also suffer from PTSD, yet we are more likely to understand the trauma affecting a civilian following a criminal act than understanding them being exposed to it over and over and over again.
George McMahon's actions 65 years ago were rewarded with the Military Cross and PTSD. He knew there was something wrong but was never treated for the wound he carried away with him. He is a testament to the heart of the warrior, strength to carry on while walking wounded through life and his family is testament to the suffering of families across generations also wounded by the wounded.
McMahon proved courage in battle eliminating any thoughts of the uninformed that PTSD has anything to do with not being courageous enough. He is also an example of it never being too late to seek help. The sooner treatment of this wound begins the better the outcome but even after 65 years there is hope of him healing some of the scars he has carried all these years.
Mr McMahon's son-in-law Bill Tyson, 54, said: "They told us George is likely to be suffering from PTSD.
"Personally, I feel guilty that he has suffered for so many years without us realising it.
WWII vet told he has war illness
By STAFF REPORTER
A D-DAY hero has been told he is suffering a stress related illness picked up in battle — 65 years AFTER he was the first Brit to storm an enemy beach.
WWII vet George McMahon, who was the first soldier on Sword Beach in Normandy, France, had revealed he is still suffering terrifying flashbacks from June 6, 1944.
And Army docs have told the 89-year-old war hero he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) picked up during WWII.
Mr McMahon's family first sought help from docs when the ex-soldier talked vividly about the war in the lead-up to the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
Mr McMahon of Kirk Ella, Hull, was then visited by the Service Personnel and Veterans' Agency — part of the Ministry of Defence — who said he was displaying PTSD symptoms.
The Scotland-born Army vet who served with The King's Regiment Army was awarded the Military Cross for storming two machine-guns.
He said of his D-day flashbacks: "It is still so fresh in my mind. It is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning.
"I was the first man to land. I was not going to wait to be shot, so I jumped off the side of the landing craft into the water and ran."
Although not able to discuss Mr McMahon's case MoD officials said: "Anniversaries tend to trigger an increase in people coming forward for help to deal with their trauma.
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WWII vet told he has war illness
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Pvt. Henry E. “Rickey” Marquez is finally home
Body of WWII soldier to return home Saturday
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 28, 2009 18:10:56 EDT
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A day after a different soldier’s remains were mistakenly escorted from Kansas City International Airport to a Kansas City, Kan., cemetery, the body of Pvt. Henry E. “Rickey” Marquez is finally home.
The remains of the soldier, who was killed in battle 64 years ago in Germany, arrived at the airport Thursday morning. They were taken to Highland Park Cemetery, where he will be buried Saturday with full military honors.
A mix-up Wednesday led to the remains of the wrong soldier being sent to the cemetery in a grand procession that included Patriot Guard motorcycle riders, Fort Leavenworth soldiers and local police. John Marquez says that when the procession reached the cemetery, military officers realized his brother’s remains were still in Hawaii.
Leavenworth spokesman George Marcec told The Associated Press on Thursday that it’s still not clear whose remains were taken from the airport the previous day. He said that body apparently was on its way to Iowa and that Kansas City was just a stopover.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_wrong_soldier_funeral_052809/
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 28, 2009 18:10:56 EDT
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A day after a different soldier’s remains were mistakenly escorted from Kansas City International Airport to a Kansas City, Kan., cemetery, the body of Pvt. Henry E. “Rickey” Marquez is finally home.
The remains of the soldier, who was killed in battle 64 years ago in Germany, arrived at the airport Thursday morning. They were taken to Highland Park Cemetery, where he will be buried Saturday with full military honors.
A mix-up Wednesday led to the remains of the wrong soldier being sent to the cemetery in a grand procession that included Patriot Guard motorcycle riders, Fort Leavenworth soldiers and local police. John Marquez says that when the procession reached the cemetery, military officers realized his brother’s remains were still in Hawaii.
Leavenworth spokesman George Marcec told The Associated Press on Thursday that it’s still not clear whose remains were taken from the airport the previous day. He said that body apparently was on its way to Iowa and that Kansas City was just a stopover.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_wrong_soldier_funeral_052809/
Phil Waterford opens heart to Vietnam vet
Waterford opens heart to Vietnam vet
Dealer presents 2010 Ford Fusion to wounded warrior, gives others 2 checks
By Jason Campbell
Reporter
jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com
209-249-3544
POSTED May 28, 2009 2:19 a.m.
When Phil Waterford got home from the Memorial Day drama events that he emceed on Saturday, he couldn’t sleep.
After spending Friday night learning about the stories of the men who have overcome great adversity, and listening to those same stories again on Saturday, Waterford – who owns and operates Manteca Ford Mercury – could only think about what he could do to help those who gave so much to their country.
And he came up with the perfect plan.
With no sleep to his credit, Waterford called his financial advisors on Sunday morning and told them that he was going to give away two checks and a new vehicle to “wounded warriors” that afternoon – something that they discouraged him from doing at the time.
While those in charge of his finances claimed he couldn’t afford to do it, Waterford said that he turned over the keys of the 2010 Ford Fusion that arrived on the lot Sunday morning to wounded Vietnam veteran Bob Gutierrez – who was afraid that the car he drove to Manteca for the Memorial Day celebration wouldn’t get him back to Texas – in an emotional moment at Sunday’s community gathering at Woodward Park.
“When I called up my financial advisor, he told me that I couldn’t afford to do it, and I had to tell him ‘I can’t afford not to,’” Waterford said before giving Gutierrez the keys on Wednesday.
“Those stories on Saturday weighed so heavily on my heart, and I just felt that it was something that I had to do.”
go here for more
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/4173/
Dealer presents 2010 Ford Fusion to wounded warrior, gives others 2 checks
By Jason Campbell
Reporter
jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com
209-249-3544
POSTED May 28, 2009 2:19 a.m.
When Phil Waterford got home from the Memorial Day drama events that he emceed on Saturday, he couldn’t sleep.
After spending Friday night learning about the stories of the men who have overcome great adversity, and listening to those same stories again on Saturday, Waterford – who owns and operates Manteca Ford Mercury – could only think about what he could do to help those who gave so much to their country.
And he came up with the perfect plan.
With no sleep to his credit, Waterford called his financial advisors on Sunday morning and told them that he was going to give away two checks and a new vehicle to “wounded warriors” that afternoon – something that they discouraged him from doing at the time.
While those in charge of his finances claimed he couldn’t afford to do it, Waterford said that he turned over the keys of the 2010 Ford Fusion that arrived on the lot Sunday morning to wounded Vietnam veteran Bob Gutierrez – who was afraid that the car he drove to Manteca for the Memorial Day celebration wouldn’t get him back to Texas – in an emotional moment at Sunday’s community gathering at Woodward Park.
“When I called up my financial advisor, he told me that I couldn’t afford to do it, and I had to tell him ‘I can’t afford not to,’” Waterford said before giving Gutierrez the keys on Wednesday.
“Those stories on Saturday weighed so heavily on my heart, and I just felt that it was something that I had to do.”
go here for more
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/4173/
A Wound in the Mind
In Print : A novel of turmoil, war, and humanity
By Jack Shea
Published: May 28, 2009
"A Wound in the Mind" by Francis J. Partel Jr. Fiction Publishing Inc. 129 pages. $19.95
The 1960s, particularly the later part of the decade, was a blur of action, events, tragedy, liberation and the emergence of the sex, drugs and rock 'n roll mentality. Recently, personal books about the 60s have been rolling off the presses from Tom Brokaw's bestseller, "BOOM!" to locally authored, "In My Life," by Tom Dresser. Now comes "A Wound in the Mind", a short novel of combat-related stress disorder penned by Chappaquiddick summer resident Francis J. Partel Jr.
For some authors, 60s books may be a way to understand what really happened. Others, such as Messrs. Dresser and Partel, seem to know. Mr. Partel was a young naval officer who served in the Southeast Asian naval theater in which his book takes place.
Mr. Partel's novel reminds us that Vietnam wasn't just a poorly executed war. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an almost invisible pathology in 1968, was also unleashed. As we've since learned, the effects of PTSD are viral, deadly, and continuing.
"Wound in the Mind" has an autobiographical tone. It tells the story of the real-life court martial of a United States Marine corporal Juan Cachora, accused of breaking the jaw of his commanding officer in a spontaneous melee that began after a string of firecrackers exploded behind him when he was on shore leave during the Vietnam War.
He did it, according to witness statements. However, witnesses, many of whom are shipmates, are equally clear that Cpl. Cachora was not drunk or disorderly, nor did he have a grudge against his well-liked superior.
The military disfavors striking officers and the law is clear. Cachora faces five years in brig time. The defense team becomes aware of early research efforts into PTSD and argues that the Marine, who has received The Navy Cross and The Purple Heart, needs therapy, not jail time.
go here for more
A novel of turmoil, war, and humanity
By Jack Shea
Published: May 28, 2009
"A Wound in the Mind" by Francis J. Partel Jr. Fiction Publishing Inc. 129 pages. $19.95
The 1960s, particularly the later part of the decade, was a blur of action, events, tragedy, liberation and the emergence of the sex, drugs and rock 'n roll mentality. Recently, personal books about the 60s have been rolling off the presses from Tom Brokaw's bestseller, "BOOM!" to locally authored, "In My Life," by Tom Dresser. Now comes "A Wound in the Mind", a short novel of combat-related stress disorder penned by Chappaquiddick summer resident Francis J. Partel Jr.
For some authors, 60s books may be a way to understand what really happened. Others, such as Messrs. Dresser and Partel, seem to know. Mr. Partel was a young naval officer who served in the Southeast Asian naval theater in which his book takes place.
Mr. Partel's novel reminds us that Vietnam wasn't just a poorly executed war. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an almost invisible pathology in 1968, was also unleashed. As we've since learned, the effects of PTSD are viral, deadly, and continuing.
"Wound in the Mind" has an autobiographical tone. It tells the story of the real-life court martial of a United States Marine corporal Juan Cachora, accused of breaking the jaw of his commanding officer in a spontaneous melee that began after a string of firecrackers exploded behind him when he was on shore leave during the Vietnam War.
He did it, according to witness statements. However, witnesses, many of whom are shipmates, are equally clear that Cpl. Cachora was not drunk or disorderly, nor did he have a grudge against his well-liked superior.
The military disfavors striking officers and the law is clear. Cachora faces five years in brig time. The defense team becomes aware of early research efforts into PTSD and argues that the Marine, who has received The Navy Cross and The Purple Heart, needs therapy, not jail time.
go here for more
A novel of turmoil, war, and humanity
Bailout needed for veteran's groups with state cut backs
In a time when the need is greater and increasing daily, are these states out of their minds? How about a federal bailout for veterans? Looks like they are in an ever growing crisis situation and need help today! While I'm prepared to do this work 70 hours a week for free until I either die or end up homeless, these budget cuts are not only hurting veterans but the people just as committed to them as I am. I know I'm helping veterans but I'm suffering for doing it financially. I thought by now I'd be making a living wage doing this but the money has not come in and now hope of finding a paying job or grant doing what I've been called to do has evaporated to the point where I'm embarrassed to talk about any of this. I'm not the only one struggling to help our veterans at the same time finding a financial crisis increasing the stress of doing this. The VA budget has been increased more than ever but the money does not seem to be getting to the states or service organizations. This is crisis time because if the advocates go away the veterans burdens will increase on their shoulders and they have had already too much weight to carry. Where do they go if we go away?
Recession brings cuts to state groups for vets
By David Eggert - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 28, 2009 8:37:47 EDT
LANSING, Mich. — The wail of bagpipes at Memorial Day events honoring servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan rang hollow for some military veterans this year.
In Michigan and elsewhere, once-sacrosanct veterans’ programs are no longer safe from the knife as tax revenues continue sliding in the recession.
In a recent budget-cutting order, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and legislators slashed $1 million, or 25 percent, of funding for 11 groups that help veterans through a maze of paperwork and bureaucracy to get disability and pension benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The cut is forcing layoffs and likely will be carried over to the next budget, too.
“It’s a travesty,” said Daniel Crocker, Michigan service director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which had to eliminate four jobs. “The greatness of a nation will be judged by how it treats its veterans.”
South Carolina plans to cut aid to the VFW, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans in the next budget. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn recently outlined a “doomsday” budget that would close all four of the state’s veterans’ home if an income tax increase is not passed, leaving more than 1,000 veterans without care.
Thirteen veterans’ groups in Ohio got 10 percent less than promised this year after state cuts.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_veterans_groups_cuts_052809/
"We have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us"
This is a quote from President Obama. "We have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us"
Over the weekend while in Washington DC, I had many conversations with veterans but I overheard a lot more conversations. I wondered where they got some of the ideas they had, where the misinformation came from but more so, why they were focused on what was not real instead of focusing on the hard issues that we do need to address? How is it possible that committed veterans, so caring, so concerned about others, would take what certain talking heads tell them seriously without knowing if what they are being told is true or not?
There are the usual suspects in this misinformation campaign. Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly among the most powerful with listeners of their radio programs and watching them on FOX. While these men are politically motivated in spinning what they say, they still have an obligation to the truth especially when it comes to our troops and veterans. I cannot believe, as callous as they sound at times, that they do not regard the troops and veterans in the highest regard but I have to ask why they did not report on all that was happening to the troops and our veterans over the last eight years when they could have been raising the urgency of their needs. It should never matter what political party the President comes from when it comes to them. They cannot dismiss the fact the men and women serving this nation are putting the needs of the nation first instead of party and come from all voting blocks. They serve with the same dedication no matter if the President is a Republican or a Democrat. The truth is still true no matter if there is a D or an R following the name.
President Bush had a habit of using words to say he appreciated the men and women serving, but everything he did was not in their best interests. There were less doctors and nurses working for the VA with troops being wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq than after the Gulf War. Where was the outrage then? The VA budge was cut with both military campaigns producing more and more wounded. Where was the outrage then? Why were they silent? When the conditions at Walter Reed were reported on the outrage was not focused on those conditions but against the Washington Post for reporting on them. When Nicholson was returning VA funds and soldiers were coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking help but were turned away because the VA was overloaded, where was the outrage then? The list of what was ignored by these men goes on and people finding out what they were not told are feeling embarrassed by the fact they thought they knew what was going on.
The veterans in our nation served one nation but have not been serviced with information from all political sides. When President Clinton was in office, his record on veterans affairs was lacking in certain areas. This was widely reported on but when it was President Bush, there was silence from the "right" commentators, just as now when things are being done for the sake of the troops and veterans, there is silence from them once again. They only thing they seem to want to now discuss is when President Obama wanted to address the problem of wounded veterans coming back and finding out they would have to pay for their care out of their own pocket instead of having their insurance companies pay for it until their claim was approved.
This is another thing the "right" commentators never discuss. In the 90's the Congress passed a rule that allowed the VA to collect payment for any "non-service connected treatment" allowing the VA to collect even on claims that being processed or appealed. The Congress did not understand what the language in this rule would do to the veterans. Until a claim is approved the VA regards the claim as "non-service connected" and all their care falls under the "Means Test" to see if the veteran can afford to pay. Should they have private insurance through a spouse or in the case of National Guards and Reservists, their own insurance, the insurance companies do not have to cover their medical needs if they were in fact due to service in the military. President Obama was thinking of how to solve this problem while looking at the backlog of claims along with the fact these wounded veterans were coming back and finding out they had to pay out of their own pocket as they fought to have their claims approved. The service organizations raised hell over this and President Obama knew he'd have to come up with another idea to solve this problem until all of our veteran were taken care of.
The most obvious answer would be to change the rules of the VA until the backlog of claims are processed and they receive what this nation obviously owes to them. While the service organizations were impressed with Obama's willingness to listen and change his thoughts, the media, especially the "right wing" commentators failed to report on this issue behind the concerns of the President and reported instead that Obama wanted to "charge veterans" for their care. This was already being done and had been done since the 90's. We were subjected to this when my husband's claim was being denied and all the way up to when it was finally approved.
We had private insurance but they would not pay because they said it was the obligation of the VA to cover his care. The VA was denying his claim and we were forced to pay out of our own pocket until his claim was finally approved. This happens all the time and has been going on for years. When we couldn't pay the bill, the VA attached our tax refund several years in a row. Eventually we received most of the money back but the extra hardship on us was almost too much to take and the media, well, they just didn't care.
Whenever I try to set the record straight I can see the doubt in their eyes. After all, they look at me and think I don't know what I'm talking about because they never heard of such a thing. They trust what they are being told by the commentators because they believe they know what they are talking about. I'm no one. It doesn't seem to matter that I've been fighting for veterans, no matter what party is in control since 1982 and had veterans in my life since the day I was born. I'm saying things they simply don't believe because the commentators are trusted more.
One of the issues I have with President Obama is that while he was campaigning he quietly visited the Montana National Guard to take a look at their PTSD program to address the need and the suicides. Yellow Ribbon is one of the best programs out there and his visit proved he was paying attention because he could have picked any program he wanted to, but he picked on of the best. Obama was so impressed with this program he promised to replicate it across the nation should he be elected. The media should be asking when this will be done because the military and the VA are still using a program called Battlemind causing more harm because it basically tells the troops if they end up with PTSD it's because they didn't train their brains well enough to prevent it. In other words, it's their fault. The media has been silent on this while our troops are committing suicide with higher numbers every year and increased attempted suicides. Will the Washington Post report on the fact Marines are crying on my shoulder because they were supposed to prepare and toughen their brains? Will any of the commentators on FOX talk to any of the families or the troops about this program? Does anyone really care about solving this problem?
It's not all on President Obama's shoulders but also on the heads of Congress still holding hearings asking the same people the same questions and getting the same answers instead of solutions while the troops and veterans suffer. Instead of asking people what works and what has to be done, they are talking to people that just became aware of what PTSD is. What about the people dealing with all of this for over 30 years with a history of making mistakes so they found out what does work and then do it? In this case all sides of the media have failed when they could have been reporting on what should be of urgent "breaking news" instead of jumping on stories that will not save one single life.
So here is something to set the record straight. This is from President Obama in his weekly address before Memorial Day. It address the fact the VA has just had the largest increase in funding in three decades. His actions prove how he feels about veterans. While I still have issues with President Obama this is proof of where his values are. If you hear none of this on FOX or on any of the radio shows you listen to, then you need to wonder why it is they are not saying a word about any of this while troops are in Iraq and Afghanistan, while they come home wounded and waiting for the care they were promised and older veterans are being pushed to the back of the line being told they will have to wait even longer.
Over the weekend while in Washington DC, I had many conversations with veterans but I overheard a lot more conversations. I wondered where they got some of the ideas they had, where the misinformation came from but more so, why they were focused on what was not real instead of focusing on the hard issues that we do need to address? How is it possible that committed veterans, so caring, so concerned about others, would take what certain talking heads tell them seriously without knowing if what they are being told is true or not?
There are the usual suspects in this misinformation campaign. Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly among the most powerful with listeners of their radio programs and watching them on FOX. While these men are politically motivated in spinning what they say, they still have an obligation to the truth especially when it comes to our troops and veterans. I cannot believe, as callous as they sound at times, that they do not regard the troops and veterans in the highest regard but I have to ask why they did not report on all that was happening to the troops and our veterans over the last eight years when they could have been raising the urgency of their needs. It should never matter what political party the President comes from when it comes to them. They cannot dismiss the fact the men and women serving this nation are putting the needs of the nation first instead of party and come from all voting blocks. They serve with the same dedication no matter if the President is a Republican or a Democrat. The truth is still true no matter if there is a D or an R following the name.
President Bush had a habit of using words to say he appreciated the men and women serving, but everything he did was not in their best interests. There were less doctors and nurses working for the VA with troops being wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq than after the Gulf War. Where was the outrage then? The VA budge was cut with both military campaigns producing more and more wounded. Where was the outrage then? Why were they silent? When the conditions at Walter Reed were reported on the outrage was not focused on those conditions but against the Washington Post for reporting on them. When Nicholson was returning VA funds and soldiers were coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking help but were turned away because the VA was overloaded, where was the outrage then? The list of what was ignored by these men goes on and people finding out what they were not told are feeling embarrassed by the fact they thought they knew what was going on.
The veterans in our nation served one nation but have not been serviced with information from all political sides. When President Clinton was in office, his record on veterans affairs was lacking in certain areas. This was widely reported on but when it was President Bush, there was silence from the "right" commentators, just as now when things are being done for the sake of the troops and veterans, there is silence from them once again. They only thing they seem to want to now discuss is when President Obama wanted to address the problem of wounded veterans coming back and finding out they would have to pay for their care out of their own pocket instead of having their insurance companies pay for it until their claim was approved.
This is another thing the "right" commentators never discuss. In the 90's the Congress passed a rule that allowed the VA to collect payment for any "non-service connected treatment" allowing the VA to collect even on claims that being processed or appealed. The Congress did not understand what the language in this rule would do to the veterans. Until a claim is approved the VA regards the claim as "non-service connected" and all their care falls under the "Means Test" to see if the veteran can afford to pay. Should they have private insurance through a spouse or in the case of National Guards and Reservists, their own insurance, the insurance companies do not have to cover their medical needs if they were in fact due to service in the military. President Obama was thinking of how to solve this problem while looking at the backlog of claims along with the fact these wounded veterans were coming back and finding out they had to pay out of their own pocket as they fought to have their claims approved. The service organizations raised hell over this and President Obama knew he'd have to come up with another idea to solve this problem until all of our veteran were taken care of.
The most obvious answer would be to change the rules of the VA until the backlog of claims are processed and they receive what this nation obviously owes to them. While the service organizations were impressed with Obama's willingness to listen and change his thoughts, the media, especially the "right wing" commentators failed to report on this issue behind the concerns of the President and reported instead that Obama wanted to "charge veterans" for their care. This was already being done and had been done since the 90's. We were subjected to this when my husband's claim was being denied and all the way up to when it was finally approved.
We had private insurance but they would not pay because they said it was the obligation of the VA to cover his care. The VA was denying his claim and we were forced to pay out of our own pocket until his claim was finally approved. This happens all the time and has been going on for years. When we couldn't pay the bill, the VA attached our tax refund several years in a row. Eventually we received most of the money back but the extra hardship on us was almost too much to take and the media, well, they just didn't care.
Whenever I try to set the record straight I can see the doubt in their eyes. After all, they look at me and think I don't know what I'm talking about because they never heard of such a thing. They trust what they are being told by the commentators because they believe they know what they are talking about. I'm no one. It doesn't seem to matter that I've been fighting for veterans, no matter what party is in control since 1982 and had veterans in my life since the day I was born. I'm saying things they simply don't believe because the commentators are trusted more.
One of the issues I have with President Obama is that while he was campaigning he quietly visited the Montana National Guard to take a look at their PTSD program to address the need and the suicides. Yellow Ribbon is one of the best programs out there and his visit proved he was paying attention because he could have picked any program he wanted to, but he picked on of the best. Obama was so impressed with this program he promised to replicate it across the nation should he be elected. The media should be asking when this will be done because the military and the VA are still using a program called Battlemind causing more harm because it basically tells the troops if they end up with PTSD it's because they didn't train their brains well enough to prevent it. In other words, it's their fault. The media has been silent on this while our troops are committing suicide with higher numbers every year and increased attempted suicides. Will the Washington Post report on the fact Marines are crying on my shoulder because they were supposed to prepare and toughen their brains? Will any of the commentators on FOX talk to any of the families or the troops about this program? Does anyone really care about solving this problem?
It's not all on President Obama's shoulders but also on the heads of Congress still holding hearings asking the same people the same questions and getting the same answers instead of solutions while the troops and veterans suffer. Instead of asking people what works and what has to be done, they are talking to people that just became aware of what PTSD is. What about the people dealing with all of this for over 30 years with a history of making mistakes so they found out what does work and then do it? In this case all sides of the media have failed when they could have been reporting on what should be of urgent "breaking news" instead of jumping on stories that will not save one single life.
So here is something to set the record straight. This is from President Obama in his weekly address before Memorial Day. It address the fact the VA has just had the largest increase in funding in three decades. His actions prove how he feels about veterans. While I still have issues with President Obama this is proof of where his values are. If you hear none of this on FOX or on any of the radio shows you listen to, then you need to wonder why it is they are not saying a word about any of this while troops are in Iraq and Afghanistan, while they come home wounded and waiting for the care they were promised and older veterans are being pushed to the back of the line being told they will have to wait even longer.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________________
EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, May 23, 2009
WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Calls on All Americans to Honor the Service of the Troops and Their Families
WASHINGTON – On this Memorial Day weekend, President Barack Obama called on the American people to join him in paying tribute to America’s veterans, servicemen and women – particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice - and their families. America’s troops and their families embody what is best in America, and the American people have a responsibility to serve them as well as they have served us.
The audio and video will be available at 6:00am Saturday, May 23, 2009 at www.whitehouse.gov.
Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, May 23, 2009
This Memorial Day weekend, Americans will gather on lawns and porches, fire up the grill, and enjoy the company of family, friends, and neighbors. But this is not only a time for celebration, it is also a time to reflect on what this holiday is all about; to pay tribute to our fallen heroes; and to remember the servicemen and women who cannot be with us this year because they are standing post far from home – in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.
On Friday, I traveled to Annapolis, where I spoke at the Commencement of the United States Naval Academy. It was an honor to address some of America’s newest sailors and Marines as their Commander-in-Chief. Looking out at all of those young men and women, I was reminded of the extraordinary service that they are rendering to our country. And I was reminded, too, of all of the sacrifices that their parents, siblings, and loved ones make each day on their behalf and on our behalf.
Our fighting men and women – and the military families who love them – embody what is best in America. And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us.
And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear – and all who have worn – the proud uniform of our country.
And that is a sacred trust I am committed to keeping as President of the United States. That is why I will send our servicemen and women into harm’s way only when it is necessary, and ensure that they have the training and equipment they need when they enter the theater of war.
That is why we are building a 21st century Department of Veterans Affairs with the largest single-year funding increase in three decades. It’s a commitment that will help us provide our veterans with the support and benefits they have earned, and expand quality health care to a half million more veterans.
That is why, this week, I signed a bill that will eliminate some of the waste and inefficiency in our defense projects – reform that will better protect our nation, better protect our troops, and save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
And that is why we are laying a new foundation for our economy so that when our troops return home and take off the uniform, they can find a good job, provide for their families, and earn a college degree on a Post-9/11 GI Bill that will offer them the same opportunity to live out their dreams that was afforded our greatest generation.
These are some of the ways we can, must, and will honor the service of our troops and the sacrifice of their families. But we must also do our part, not only as a nation, but as individuals for those Americans who are bearing the burden of wars being fought on our behalf. That can mean sending a letter or a care package to our troops overseas. It can mean volunteering at a clinic where a wounded warrior is being treated or bringing supplies to a homeless veterans center. Or it can mean something as simple as saying "thank you" to a veteran you pass on the street.
That is what Memorial Day is all about. It is about doing all we can to repay the debt we owe to those men and women who have answered our nation’s call by fighting under its flag. It is about recognizing that we, as a people, did not get here by accident or good fortune alone. It’s about remembering the hard winter of 1776, when our fragile American experiment seemed doomed to fail; and the early battles of 1861 when a union victory was anything but certain; and the summer of 1944, when the fate of a world rested on a perilous landing unlike any ever attempted.
It’s about remembering each and every one of those moments when our survival as a nation came down not simply to the wisdom of our leaders or the resilience of our people, but to the courage and valor of our fighting men and women. For it is only by remembering these moments that we can truly appreciate a simple lesson of American life – that what makes all we are and all we aspire to be possible are the sacrifices of an unbroken line of Americans that stretches back to our nation’s founding.
That is the meaning of this holiday. That is a truth at the heart of our history. And that is a lesson I hope all Americans will carry with them this Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
Thank you.
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