U.S. Marines in Afghan standoff, 4 die in roadside blast
Story Highlights
4 U.S. soldiers killed by roadside bomb in northern Afghanistan
Taliban claim responsibility for attack on a U.S. military vehicle
U.S. Marines facing off against insurgents in southern town of Khan Neshin
Marines surround compound, holding fire due to civilians present
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on a U.S. military vehicle. It said five soldiers were killed and two were injured.
Meanwhile, a U.S. military official told CNN that its forces are involved in a standoff with insurgents in the south of the country near the Helmand River.
read more here
U.S. Marines in Afghan standoff, 4 die in roadside blast
Monday, July 6, 2009
Police: Campbell soldier shot in Tenn
Police: Campbell soldier shot in Tenn.
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 6, 2009 9:02:25 EDT
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Police say a Fort Campbell, Ky., soldier was shot to death after an argument escalated into gunfire at a Clarksville housing complex.
Police said 24-year-old Brandon Buettner died from his injuries Saturday evening.
go here for more
Police: Campbell soldier shot in Tenn
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 6, 2009 9:02:25 EDT
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Police say a Fort Campbell, Ky., soldier was shot to death after an argument escalated into gunfire at a Clarksville housing complex.
Police said 24-year-old Brandon Buettner died from his injuries Saturday evening.
go here for more
Police: Campbell soldier shot in Tenn
More female veterans are winding up homeless
More female veterans are winding up homeless
VA resources strained; many are single parents
By Bryan Bender
Globe Staff / July 6, 2009
WASHINGTON - The number of female service members who have become homeless after leaving the military has jumped dramatically in recent years, according to new government estimates, presenting the Veterans Administration with a challenge as it struggles to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
As more women serve in combat zones, the share of female veterans who end up homeless, while still relatively small at an estimated 6,500, has nearly doubled over the last decade, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
For younger veterans, it is even more pronounced: One out of every 10 homeless vets under the age of 45 is now a woman, the statistics show.
read more here
More female veterans are winding up homeless
VA resources strained; many are single parents
By Bryan Bender
Globe Staff / July 6, 2009
WASHINGTON - The number of female service members who have become homeless after leaving the military has jumped dramatically in recent years, according to new government estimates, presenting the Veterans Administration with a challenge as it struggles to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
As more women serve in combat zones, the share of female veterans who end up homeless, while still relatively small at an estimated 6,500, has nearly doubled over the last decade, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
For younger veterans, it is even more pronounced: One out of every 10 homeless vets under the age of 45 is now a woman, the statistics show.
read more here
More female veterans are winding up homeless
Wounded ex-Marine now fighting a two-front war
Web Posted: 07/05/2009 12:00 CDT
Wounded ex-Marine now fighting a two-front war
By Sig Christenson - Express-News
Eric Alva lived and breathed the Marine Corps for 13 years. Then he earned a dubious slice of American history by becoming the first GI injured in the Iraq invasion in 2003. He stepped on a mine three hours after rolling into Iraq, breaking both legs, suffering a badly mangled right arm and being filled with shrapnel from torso to his legs.
The picture-perfect Marine, who later lost part of his right leg and still carries 27 pieces of shrapnel, has evolved from a war hero photographed with President George W. Bush to one of the nation's prominent gay activists after coming out on ABC's “Good Morning America” on Feb. 27, 2007.
Now he advocates for gays to serve openly in the armed forces, a battle that heated up since a recent Supreme Court decision.
He marked July 4th by participating in San Antonio's Gay Pride parade and has spoken on dozens of college campuses. For him, a true Independence Day would see gays, lesbians and bisexuals allowed to openly serve in the armed forces — to be treated with the same dignity and respect of their straight comrades, rather than hiding in plain sight.
Alva, a 38-year-old San Antonio native, finds himself fighting a two-front war — one to maintain his health, and the other for gays who still conceal the truth about their sexual orientation from comrades and commanders.
He's got a home and devoted partner, but the war never is far away.
read more here
Wounded ex-Marine now fighting a two-front war
I often wonder what the troops from other nations think of us when they have gay people serving side by side but the US doesn't want them serving and kicks them out no matter how long they've been in, how good they are, how trained they are, or how much they are liked by those they serve with.
Counselors mobilize for rural veterans
Counselors mobilize for rural veterans
BY MARTIN J. KIDSTON of the Helena Independent Record
HELENA - Military veterans in rural Montana who cannot travel for counseling will find the service coming to them once the vet centers in Missoula and Billings hire staff for two new mobile treatment units.
This spring, the two centers each received a 38-foot motor coach converted to serve as a mobile counseling office.
The units include private interview rooms and a satellite feed capable of linking up with a doctor's office for live interviews.
“We can provide counseling outreach to those who have denied themselves service, whether it's because they can't get to us or because of the stigma attached to it,” said Alvie Penskin, a readjustment counseling technician with the Missoula mobile veterans center.
While each center received its vehicle several months ago, neither has the staff needed to fully operate the units.
The Billings center is close, waiting only for the counselor it has already hired. The Missoula center expects to hire a social worker in about a month.
Once the hiring is complete, the units will set out to market the service and establish a circuit around the state. The Billings center has already displayed its mobile center in Bozeman and Miles City. The Missoula center expects to showcase its unit in Hamilton and Libby in August.
“The point is to reach the veterans who are out in the remote areas of Montana,” said Dirk Robinson, a counselor at the Billings Vet Center. “Sometimes they get missed with the mental health issues. We want to reach the veterans who aren't getting reached, and this will definitely help with that.”
go here for more
Counselors mobilize for rural veterans
BY MARTIN J. KIDSTON of the Helena Independent Record
HELENA - Military veterans in rural Montana who cannot travel for counseling will find the service coming to them once the vet centers in Missoula and Billings hire staff for two new mobile treatment units.
This spring, the two centers each received a 38-foot motor coach converted to serve as a mobile counseling office.
The units include private interview rooms and a satellite feed capable of linking up with a doctor's office for live interviews.
“We can provide counseling outreach to those who have denied themselves service, whether it's because they can't get to us or because of the stigma attached to it,” said Alvie Penskin, a readjustment counseling technician with the Missoula mobile veterans center.
While each center received its vehicle several months ago, neither has the staff needed to fully operate the units.
The Billings center is close, waiting only for the counselor it has already hired. The Missoula center expects to hire a social worker in about a month.
Once the hiring is complete, the units will set out to market the service and establish a circuit around the state. The Billings center has already displayed its mobile center in Bozeman and Miles City. The Missoula center expects to showcase its unit in Hamilton and Libby in August.
“The point is to reach the veterans who are out in the remote areas of Montana,” said Dirk Robinson, a counselor at the Billings Vet Center. “Sometimes they get missed with the mental health issues. We want to reach the veterans who aren't getting reached, and this will definitely help with that.”
go here for more
Counselors mobilize for rural veterans
Sunday, July 5, 2009
1 dead, several hurt in Fla. lightning strike
Jul 4, 9:26 PM EDT
1 dead, several hurt in Fla. lightning strike
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO
Associated Press Writer
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -- A lightning strike at a Fourth of July gathering in central Florida killed one person and 18 others were taken to hospitals, officials said Saturday.
About 100 people from a church group were outside playing soccer and volleyball in Lakeland, about 30 miles east of Tampa, when a lightning bolt or series of strikes hit nearby, seemingly out of nowhere, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Benjamin Gonzalez, 30, who was playing soccer, was hit and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead. Eighteen others were hospitalized and nine more treated at the scene.
Judd said their injuries were not life-threatening, with symptoms including numbness and tingling.
read more here
1 dead, several hurt in Fla. lightning strike
1 dead, several hurt in Fla. lightning strike
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO
Associated Press Writer
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -- A lightning strike at a Fourth of July gathering in central Florida killed one person and 18 others were taken to hospitals, officials said Saturday.
About 100 people from a church group were outside playing soccer and volleyball in Lakeland, about 30 miles east of Tampa, when a lightning bolt or series of strikes hit nearby, seemingly out of nowhere, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Benjamin Gonzalez, 30, who was playing soccer, was hit and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead. Eighteen others were hospitalized and nine more treated at the scene.
Judd said their injuries were not life-threatening, with symptoms including numbness and tingling.
read more here
1 dead, several hurt in Fla. lightning strike
Man arrested for dragging Vietnam Vet to his death
Man arrested in dragging death of Army vet
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, July 3, 2009
(07-02) 14:42 PDT Rodeo - -- A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the dragging death of a 69-year-old man during an attempted carjacking, authorities said Thursday.
Cordero Kelly, 19, of Rodeo was being held at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez in lieu of $1.1 million bail.
James Gilbeaux, a Rodeo resident who walked with a cane, was dragged 150 feet after Kelly tried to carjack a pickup truck driven by a friend of Gilbeaux's, sheriff's officials said.
The incident began shortly after 4 p.m. on June 23, when Gilbeaux was on the 1000 block of Mariposa Street in Rodeo and asked for a ride from a 28-year-old friend, David Delgado, authorities said.
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, July 3, 2009
(07-02) 14:42 PDT Rodeo - -- A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the dragging death of a 69-year-old man during an attempted carjacking, authorities said Thursday.
Cordero Kelly, 19, of Rodeo was being held at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez in lieu of $1.1 million bail.
James Gilbeaux, a Rodeo resident who walked with a cane, was dragged 150 feet after Kelly tried to carjack a pickup truck driven by a friend of Gilbeaux's, sheriff's officials said.
The incident began shortly after 4 p.m. on June 23, when Gilbeaux was on the 1000 block of Mariposa Street in Rodeo and asked for a ride from a 28-year-old friend, David Delgado, authorities said.
Gilbeaux, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, was a grandfather figure in the neighborhood whom everyone called "Pops."
read more here
Man arrested in dragging death of Army vet
Last hope for blue water Vietnam vets
Last hope for blue water vets
Veterans Corner
Bobbye C. Jerone — Veterans Corner
Like the Cavalry in an old western movie, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner [D-CA] has ridden to the rescue of the ‘Blue Water Navy’ Veterans. These are Veterans who have been excluded from receiving any disability compensation due to exposure to Agent Orange and the other toxic chemicals sprayed in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Rep. Filner has introduced a new law [H.R. 2254] which, if passed, will restore equity to all Vietnam veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange.
Before 2002, it didn’t matter where a person served in the Vietnam War. If a person became disabled due to the exposure to the terrible poisons in the air and waterways, VA would pay disability compensation. In February 2002, Congress decided to ‘save our taxpayers money’ and ordered VA to implement a ‘foot on the ground’ policy. After this policy revision, only service members who actually set foot on the ground in Vietnam could get paid for the terrible medical conditions from Agent Orange and the other herbicides that were routinely sprayed. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos and the China Sea were exempt from payment even though they were contaminated by these toxins just like their brothers in arms who served on the ground, in Vietnam itself.
read more here
http://www.meridianstar.com/local/local_story_184211233.html
Veterans Corner
Bobbye C. Jerone — Veterans Corner
Like the Cavalry in an old western movie, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner [D-CA] has ridden to the rescue of the ‘Blue Water Navy’ Veterans. These are Veterans who have been excluded from receiving any disability compensation due to exposure to Agent Orange and the other toxic chemicals sprayed in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Rep. Filner has introduced a new law [H.R. 2254] which, if passed, will restore equity to all Vietnam veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange.
Before 2002, it didn’t matter where a person served in the Vietnam War. If a person became disabled due to the exposure to the terrible poisons in the air and waterways, VA would pay disability compensation. In February 2002, Congress decided to ‘save our taxpayers money’ and ordered VA to implement a ‘foot on the ground’ policy. After this policy revision, only service members who actually set foot on the ground in Vietnam could get paid for the terrible medical conditions from Agent Orange and the other herbicides that were routinely sprayed. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos and the China Sea were exempt from payment even though they were contaminated by these toxins just like their brothers in arms who served on the ground, in Vietnam itself.
read more here
http://www.meridianstar.com/local/local_story_184211233.html
His last Fourth of July
His last Fourth of July
By Tom Fruehling
Freelance writer
Steve Power’s dying wish was to help raise the American flags over the Cedar Rapids downtown bridges just one more time.
For the first time in more than 20 years, he missed putting them up for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
“Yeah, and some of my vet buddies said they just didn’t look right,” he jokes.
Told in January that a brain tumor would probably kill him in a matter of weeks, he never figured he’d make it to the Fourth of July.
He is paralyzed on his left side, and his right arm and leg are pretty shaky, too. He’s blind in one eye and losing sight in the other. When he’s not in bed at the Manor Care Nursing Home, he’s in a wheelchair.
But his mind is right. And his patriotic spirit is as high as ever.
Now do you know why I love these guys so much? He cared more about his neighbors than himself.
By Tom Fruehling
Freelance writer
Steve Power’s dying wish was to help raise the American flags over the Cedar Rapids downtown bridges just one more time.
For the first time in more than 20 years, he missed putting them up for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
“Yeah, and some of my vet buddies said they just didn’t look right,” he jokes.
Told in January that a brain tumor would probably kill him in a matter of weeks, he never figured he’d make it to the Fourth of July.
He is paralyzed on his left side, and his right arm and leg are pretty shaky, too. He’s blind in one eye and losing sight in the other. When he’s not in bed at the Manor Care Nursing Home, he’s in a wheelchair.
But his mind is right. And his patriotic spirit is as high as ever.
In fact, Tyne says, even though Power lost his home and everything in it in last year’s flood, he was more concerned with seeing what he could do for other flood victims, especially veterans who were down and out.
read more here
Now do you know why I love these guys so much? He cared more about his neighbors than himself.
America's Worth Less Soldiers
by
Chaplain Kathie
America celebrates 4th of July in style as we do every year. We shoot off fireworks and stuff ourselves with barbeque, watermelon and beer. Spray ourselves with sunscreen during the day followed by bug spray at night. We listen to patriotic speeches and music feeling how great it is to be an American waving our flags yet never really stop to think how we got here.
From the time the Patriots decided to do whatever it took to "form a more perfect union" free, up until last night, we have been a nation of worth less soldiers. That's right. Worth less, not worthless. See, we have a habit of saying we support the troops when we send them off to fight our nation's battles. We train them, arm them, cloth them, feed them and expect them to follow orders given, fight the battles no matter how truly worthy or unworthy the cause, no matter how plans are either proper or paltry, then stay until there is victory. We seem so interested in the beginning when it looks as if each and every military campaign waged will be quick and easy, believing we have the best military in the world and nothing can stop us. We cheer as we send men and women off with our thanks and our prayers.
We even manage to pay attention to news reports coming through our TV sets combined with the latest local news and celebrity scandals. We may say a quick prayer for the soldier just killed, then move onto our own lives, our own problems, our own personal battles. Yet that interest soon fades as military campaigns go on and we begin to think of the cost in terms of our taxes. We begin to notice things we need right here at home at the same time we hear about what is being done for the nation our men and women are dying in wondering what's in it for us. Then we manage to regret sending them, blaming the ones deciding to send them and the failure of the planners to provide this best military in the world with a swift victory.
Gone are the days when Vietnam veterans were treated with hostility when they came back from where they were sent. Gone are the days when troops return to empty airports. They are welcomed home to US soil in style. Many are given parades and parties. Even when a fallen soldier returns, people line the streets with flags as the flag draped coffin carries the soldier on his or her last ride home. We feel we're just doing our part for the heroes who say "we're just doing our jobs" when we try to hold them up as heroes.
We manage to do some things for them, but there are very few giving a few moments out of their day to honor any of them. When they go, they are worth everything it takes, but when they return they are no longer soldiers going to risk their lives. They are veterans and many of them needing help to heal from their wounds. Then, then they are worth less. They are worth less of our attention. They are worth less than making sure they are clothed, fed, sheltered and worth less than then helping to train them how to heal. We find it too difficult to help the wounded, say a prayer for them, spend time talking to them or even to take the time to remember what that red, white and blue flag actually means.
Yesterday President Obama hosted some members of the 101st airborne at a White House 4th of July party. You would think the news would be all over this event but I had to struggle to find the report. I finally found it on CBS videos.
President Obama celebrated the 4th of July with Fort Campbell's 101st.
President Obama has done a lot for the wounded and our veterans since the beginning of the year and First Lady Michele has a great love for military families. They are setting the tone for the rest of us to follow, but we're just too busy it seems to remember the price our veterans paid so that we can celebrate the 4th of July with our families and friends.
It is our fault things got as bad for the wounded and our veterans. Sure, Bush was in charge and Congress was controlled by Republicans during the worst of it for this nation's veterans, but they couldn't have avoided the needs of our veterans as long as they did if we were paying attention. We let it all happen until the media began to tell their stories to us. Then suddenly we cared about what they needed. We didn't pay attention because a veteran, especially a wounded one, is worth less than a soldier. This attitude was made perfectly clear on the floor of Congress as budgets were being debated. It seemed the Republican members of congress found no problem at all funding the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, but found it very difficult to fund the VA to take care of the wounded both campaigns were producing. Again they proved to the world that when it comes to veterans, they are worth less than soldiers. America is not the only guilty nation of this attitude. I read the reports from the UK and Australia all the time as each nation seems to find the money to send them but never seems to find the money when it comes to taking care of them after.
You would think that having the best military in the world would also translate into appreciation of them when they are no longer in the military risking their lives, but spending the rest of their lives as the unique among us as veterans of this nation's battles. I wonder how many of our veterans spent yesterday wondering they have been forgotten. How many of them spent the day wondering how to pay their bills as their claims have been trapped in a mountain of other claims waiting to be honored? We know there are now over 900,000 claims waiting to be honored. Among them are claims filed by veterans of our nation's battles no longer able to work because of their wounds. They spent yesterday looking at their families and wondering how much longer it will take for this nation to live up to our end of the deal and take care of them. They spent it wondering when they will once again be worth as much as when they were sent ending up wounded and waiting.
Did they make us wait when this nation said "we need you" to go and risk your life? Did they make us wait until it was a good time for them to go? No, they never made us wait at all. Even when Vietnam was being protested and some burnt draft cards, they enlisted to go. Even when after September 11th caused a surge of enlistments wanting to fight the terrorists that attacked us, ended up being sent to Iraq instead, they still enlisted. Even as the appalling conditions at Walter Reed were being reported, they still wanted to join because this nation needed them. They were not oblivious to what this nation was not doing for the veterans, they went in spite of it. They still believe in us, that we would eventually do the right thing and really value their service.
How many families spent yesterday at the grave of their family member so wounded by PTSD that they committed suicide because help was not there for them? How many veterans spent it in shelters because they never received the help they need for their sake? So much we refuse to see behind the fireworks, speeches and music of this celebration we do every year.
So when do we actually live up to being a "grateful nation" and stop treating the veterans like they are worth less than soldiers?
Chaplain Kathie
America celebrates 4th of July in style as we do every year. We shoot off fireworks and stuff ourselves with barbeque, watermelon and beer. Spray ourselves with sunscreen during the day followed by bug spray at night. We listen to patriotic speeches and music feeling how great it is to be an American waving our flags yet never really stop to think how we got here.
From the time the Patriots decided to do whatever it took to "form a more perfect union" free, up until last night, we have been a nation of worth less soldiers. That's right. Worth less, not worthless. See, we have a habit of saying we support the troops when we send them off to fight our nation's battles. We train them, arm them, cloth them, feed them and expect them to follow orders given, fight the battles no matter how truly worthy or unworthy the cause, no matter how plans are either proper or paltry, then stay until there is victory. We seem so interested in the beginning when it looks as if each and every military campaign waged will be quick and easy, believing we have the best military in the world and nothing can stop us. We cheer as we send men and women off with our thanks and our prayers.
We even manage to pay attention to news reports coming through our TV sets combined with the latest local news and celebrity scandals. We may say a quick prayer for the soldier just killed, then move onto our own lives, our own problems, our own personal battles. Yet that interest soon fades as military campaigns go on and we begin to think of the cost in terms of our taxes. We begin to notice things we need right here at home at the same time we hear about what is being done for the nation our men and women are dying in wondering what's in it for us. Then we manage to regret sending them, blaming the ones deciding to send them and the failure of the planners to provide this best military in the world with a swift victory.
Gone are the days when Vietnam veterans were treated with hostility when they came back from where they were sent. Gone are the days when troops return to empty airports. They are welcomed home to US soil in style. Many are given parades and parties. Even when a fallen soldier returns, people line the streets with flags as the flag draped coffin carries the soldier on his or her last ride home. We feel we're just doing our part for the heroes who say "we're just doing our jobs" when we try to hold them up as heroes.
We manage to do some things for them, but there are very few giving a few moments out of their day to honor any of them. When they go, they are worth everything it takes, but when they return they are no longer soldiers going to risk their lives. They are veterans and many of them needing help to heal from their wounds. Then, then they are worth less. They are worth less of our attention. They are worth less than making sure they are clothed, fed, sheltered and worth less than then helping to train them how to heal. We find it too difficult to help the wounded, say a prayer for them, spend time talking to them or even to take the time to remember what that red, white and blue flag actually means.
Yesterday President Obama hosted some members of the 101st airborne at a White House 4th of July party. You would think the news would be all over this event but I had to struggle to find the report. I finally found it on CBS videos.
President Obama celebrated the 4th of July with Fort Campbell's 101st.
Obama Wishes Happy 4th
Sat Jul 04 17:16:24 PDT 2009
President Obama honors the men and women who went beyond the call of duty in battle and speaks about the importance of our nations independence and reflects on what it means to be an American.
President Obama has done a lot for the wounded and our veterans since the beginning of the year and First Lady Michele has a great love for military families. They are setting the tone for the rest of us to follow, but we're just too busy it seems to remember the price our veterans paid so that we can celebrate the 4th of July with our families and friends.
It is our fault things got as bad for the wounded and our veterans. Sure, Bush was in charge and Congress was controlled by Republicans during the worst of it for this nation's veterans, but they couldn't have avoided the needs of our veterans as long as they did if we were paying attention. We let it all happen until the media began to tell their stories to us. Then suddenly we cared about what they needed. We didn't pay attention because a veteran, especially a wounded one, is worth less than a soldier. This attitude was made perfectly clear on the floor of Congress as budgets were being debated. It seemed the Republican members of congress found no problem at all funding the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, but found it very difficult to fund the VA to take care of the wounded both campaigns were producing. Again they proved to the world that when it comes to veterans, they are worth less than soldiers. America is not the only guilty nation of this attitude. I read the reports from the UK and Australia all the time as each nation seems to find the money to send them but never seems to find the money when it comes to taking care of them after.
You would think that having the best military in the world would also translate into appreciation of them when they are no longer in the military risking their lives, but spending the rest of their lives as the unique among us as veterans of this nation's battles. I wonder how many of our veterans spent yesterday wondering they have been forgotten. How many of them spent the day wondering how to pay their bills as their claims have been trapped in a mountain of other claims waiting to be honored? We know there are now over 900,000 claims waiting to be honored. Among them are claims filed by veterans of our nation's battles no longer able to work because of their wounds. They spent yesterday looking at their families and wondering how much longer it will take for this nation to live up to our end of the deal and take care of them. They spent it wondering when they will once again be worth as much as when they were sent ending up wounded and waiting.
Did they make us wait when this nation said "we need you" to go and risk your life? Did they make us wait until it was a good time for them to go? No, they never made us wait at all. Even when Vietnam was being protested and some burnt draft cards, they enlisted to go. Even when after September 11th caused a surge of enlistments wanting to fight the terrorists that attacked us, ended up being sent to Iraq instead, they still enlisted. Even as the appalling conditions at Walter Reed were being reported, they still wanted to join because this nation needed them. They were not oblivious to what this nation was not doing for the veterans, they went in spite of it. They still believe in us, that we would eventually do the right thing and really value their service.
How many families spent yesterday at the grave of their family member so wounded by PTSD that they committed suicide because help was not there for them? How many veterans spent it in shelters because they never received the help they need for their sake? So much we refuse to see behind the fireworks, speeches and music of this celebration we do every year.
So when do we actually live up to being a "grateful nation" and stop treating the veterans like they are worth less than soldiers?
Washington Metro Train Crash Survivor Powered By Prayer
This is not a story of religious zealots we read about all the time when they act against what Christ taught. This is not about one faith over another. This is about faith and the power of prayer, especially in times of crisis.
Papa Roy sent this today and it fits this story very well.
If you believe you have been targeted by God, then you carry that within you in everything you do. You will struggle with every single event in your life searching for something to bring you comfort. You will search drugs and alcohol, sex, riches, possessions and power. You will seek to hurt others so that you will feel better about yourself justified in your attacks against others. Yet when you seek your own, you wake up empty, bitter, lonely and still wondering why you were picked on by God. Yet when you believe thru faith and understanding about what God truly intended for you, blessing you with the strength you needed in times of crisis, then you are filled, sustained by love, rejoice with what you are able to give to others and thrive on lifting others up out of their own despair. This is a story about such a young man.
Papa Roy sent this today and it fits this story very well.
Good morning, and Happy Birthday, America!
There is no need to give up
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.
Paul is saying, “Whatever honor is ascribed to me has its source in you Thessalonians.” It is Paul’s honor to introduce his converts to the Lord Jesus Christ. When he sees the Lord, he will know that his team’s glory will be people in heaven because of their witness. This is legitimate pride because it is based on what God did through them. Our reputation in eternity will be based, in part, on winning people to Christ. Do you have a part in building up Christ’s Kingdom? Will people point to you that you had a part in bringing them into the Kingdom? You can shape tomorrow by starting today. (K. Krell)
In God we trust: The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)
Papa Roy
One last thought: Don’t give up!” Paul encouraged them. “Lay hold of the spiritual resources you have in Jesus Christ. You have the Word of God within you, the people of God around you, and the glory of God before you. There is no need to give up.” (Wiersbe)
USA Independence day hope
We hold these truths to be self-evident-that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
If you believe you have been targeted by God, then you carry that within you in everything you do. You will struggle with every single event in your life searching for something to bring you comfort. You will search drugs and alcohol, sex, riches, possessions and power. You will seek to hurt others so that you will feel better about yourself justified in your attacks against others. Yet when you seek your own, you wake up empty, bitter, lonely and still wondering why you were picked on by God. Yet when you believe thru faith and understanding about what God truly intended for you, blessing you with the strength you needed in times of crisis, then you are filled, sustained by love, rejoice with what you are able to give to others and thrive on lifting others up out of their own despair. This is a story about such a young man.
'I Really Believe God Was in There With Me'
Metro Crash Survivor Says His Long Reliance on Prayer Saw Him Through
By William Wan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 4, 2009
At 6 feet tall and 240 pounds of muscle, Daryl Smith Jr. cuts an imposing figure. It was that brawny build many passengers recalled after last week's deadly Metro train crash.
Survivors from the first car of the colliding train -- the one that ended up half-demolished -- recalled a big man who smashed his way through the backdoor and helped fellow passengers escape.
As investigators have looked for clues to the crash's cause, Smith, who is 19, has been searching his memory and pondering his faith, trying to find meaning in the wreckage.
Smith, who comes from a deeply religious family, said he felt God's presence amid the crash. He doesn't understand why the crash happened, but he said that he believes God intended for him to be there and that prayer helped him survive.
"As a kid, I was taught that if you needed something, you ask God for it," he said in an interview a few days after the crash. "That's what got me through this thing -- prayer. I really believe that."
Of the crash, Smith said what he remembered was the sound. One moment, he was sitting with his girlfriend, cracking jokes to make her laugh. The next, there was a boom. When it was over, he was lying on a pile of seats, his right foot cut and pinned by debris.
go here for more
I Really Believe God Was in There With Me
16 People hurt in pedestrian bridge collapse
Pedestrian bridge collapse dumps people into lake, hurts 16
Posted: 08:15 AM ET
By Janet DiGiacomo
CNN
(CNN) — At least 16 people were injured when a pedestrian bridge collapsed into a lake after a July Fourth fireworks show Saturday night in Merrillville, Indiana, authorities said.
“It could not have happened at a worse time,” said Ross Township Fire Marshall Mike Sneiderwine. “The show was over and people were leaving. There were about 100 people on the bridge at the time, and lots of them ended up in the water.” The accident occurred at Hidden Lake Park.
go here for more
Pedestrian bridge collapse dumps people into lake
Posted: 08:15 AM ET
By Janet DiGiacomo
CNN
(CNN) — At least 16 people were injured when a pedestrian bridge collapsed into a lake after a July Fourth fireworks show Saturday night in Merrillville, Indiana, authorities said.
“It could not have happened at a worse time,” said Ross Township Fire Marshall Mike Sneiderwine. “The show was over and people were leaving. There were about 100 people on the bridge at the time, and lots of them ended up in the water.” The accident occurred at Hidden Lake Park.
go here for more
Pedestrian bridge collapse dumps people into lake
Walt Disney World monorail driver killed in crash with other train
Disney World monorail crash kills driver
Story Highlights
Crash occurred about 2 a.m. at monorail stop, killing a driver
Witness says one monorail train rammed into a stationary train
Family of six in one train was freed from damaged car, witness said
(CNN) -- A monorail train at Walt Disney World crashed into the back of another train early Sunday, killing one driver, according to an amusement park spokesman and a witness interviewed by CNN.
A 2 a.m. ET monorail crash at Disney World killed one person, a park spokesperson said.
The crash occurred about 2 a.m. at one of the monorail stops at Disney World in Florida, said the witness, who requested anonymity.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/05/u.s.disney.monorail/index.html
UPDATE
Please pray for his family and friends. The local news interviewed some of his neighbors and friends.
Story Highlights
Crash occurred about 2 a.m. at monorail stop, killing a driver
Witness says one monorail train rammed into a stationary train
Family of six in one train was freed from damaged car, witness said
(CNN) -- A monorail train at Walt Disney World crashed into the back of another train early Sunday, killing one driver, according to an amusement park spokesman and a witness interviewed by CNN.
A 2 a.m. ET monorail crash at Disney World killed one person, a park spokesperson said.
The crash occurred about 2 a.m. at one of the monorail stops at Disney World in Florida, said the witness, who requested anonymity.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/05/u.s.disney.monorail/index.html
UPDATE
Disney World monorails crash, killing 21-year-old Disney employee
By Sara K. Clarke
Sentinel Staff Writer
4:00 PM EDT, July 5, 2009
A witness painted a hectic picture of the deadly collision of two monorail trains at the Walt Disney World resort early Sunday morning.
The crash that killed 21-year-old monorail pilot Austin Wuennenberg "was the most horrific thing I have ever personally experienced," said Gary Vinson, Jr., who was standing in line waiting for a tram when the accident occurred.
"You could tell from the sound it was going faster than normal, then came the impact which sounded just like a terrible automobile accident," said Vinson, in an email. "I could see a passenger banging on the window....All of the bystanders kept yelling, 'Don't jump' and 'Stay in the train.' Then the train backed up toward the bay, tearing off more pieces that were protruding."
Walt Disney World spokesman Mike Griffin said the crash happened at about 2 a.m. Sunday at the Transportation and Ticket Center, on one of the monorail's last runs of the day.
Walt Disney World officials said they are working with law enforcement officials to find out what happened.
go here for more
Disney World monorails crash, killing 21-year-old Disney employee
Please pray for his family and friends. The local news interviewed some of his neighbors and friends.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Scotland:Stories about soldiers and PTSD
Why is it that countries always seem to find the money to send them to war, but never manage to find it when they come home and need help because they went?
Soldier's Tale
Published Date: 15 May 2009
By Emma Cowing
TOMORROW morning eight soldiers from 1 Scots will rise at dawn to run 29 miles over the Southern Uplands, raising money and awareness for Poppy Scotland's Hearts & Heroes charity. Who better to illustrate its efforts in healing wounds that are not always physical than two veterans of the Iraq war, who came through it with very different experiences.
'If it wasn't for the charities, I would probably be in jail'
ON THE sideboard of Derek Carruthers' small but immaculate living room sits a picture frame. Inside are four polished medals, one for each of his operational tours on active service as a corporal in the army's Royal Logistics Corps – Kosovo, Afghanistan and two in Iraq.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/iraq/Interview-Soldier39s-tales.5270172.jp
Scotland:Woman's body found 5 years after she died in apartment
Call for more vigilance after elderly woman lay dead in flat for 5 years
Published Date: 04 July 2009
By CLAIRE SMITH
AN ELDERLY woman lay dead in her tenement flat for five years before her body was found, it has emerged.
Last night, politicians and charities said the case showed the need for a more co-ordinated approach to monitoring the elderly to prevent similar cases.
The body of Isabella Purves, a "friendly and independent" woman, who would have been 90 this year, was discovered in her home in Rodney Street, Edinburgh, earlier this week.
A spokesman for Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged Scotland said: "It is not right in any way to have someone lying dead for five years.
go here for more
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Call-for-more-vigilance-after.5429127.jp
Published Date: 04 July 2009
By CLAIRE SMITH
AN ELDERLY woman lay dead in her tenement flat for five years before her body was found, it has emerged.
Last night, politicians and charities said the case showed the need for a more co-ordinated approach to monitoring the elderly to prevent similar cases.
The body of Isabella Purves, a "friendly and independent" woman, who would have been 90 this year, was discovered in her home in Rodney Street, Edinburgh, earlier this week.
A spokesman for Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged Scotland said: "It is not right in any way to have someone lying dead for five years.
go here for more
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Call-for-more-vigilance-after.5429127.jp
Cranes Roost Red Hot and Boom leaves 27 needing medical care
It is great to go to the fireworks displays across the country, but when a night of fun turns into something else, it can be a shock. One woman was hurt when she was burnt. Others ended up being dehydrated and suffering from the heat. Not much fun. Some of them ended up in the hospital. For tonight use care. If you are in a part of the country where it's hot, make sure you have plenty of water or sports drinks. Stay away from alcohol. It's hard to not drink at a barbeque or party, but think of what it will cost you in the end when you were planning on enjoying fireworks but ended up miserable because you were dehydrated, or worse, end up in the hospital.
We're heading out to a party at a lake. Sunscreen is a must and for me, so is a hat. As for alcohol, drinking too much is not that hard for me. A few glasses of wine or a margarita and I'm toast. I need a nap right after so I tend to not drink in public unless I know I'll be home soon and someone else is doing the driving. Planning ahead and taking everything into consideration will give you a much better night than having to visit a hospital emergency room.
We're heading out to a party at a lake. Sunscreen is a must and for me, so is a hat. As for alcohol, drinking too much is not that hard for me. A few glasses of wine or a margarita and I'm toast. I need a nap right after so I tend to not drink in public unless I know I'll be home soon and someone else is doing the driving. Planning ahead and taking everything into consideration will give you a much better night than having to visit a hospital emergency room.
Woman injured when Red, Hot and Boom fireworks land in crowd
Rebecca Beitsch and Gary Taylor
Sentinel Staff Writers
11:48 PM EDT, July 3, 2009
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS - There were 27 reports of people suffering from injuries, heat exhaustion or dehydration during Friday night's Red, Hot & Boom fireworks show at Crane's Roost in Altamonte Springs.
Seven of them were transported to hospitals, including a woman suffering from fireworks burns who was taken to Florida Hospital Altamonte. The woman suffered burns as a result of fireworks from the show landed in the crowd, Seminole County fire Lt. David Williams said.
While there were reports of other people suffering minor fireworks burns, it was not known if those injuries were caused by the show's fireworks or personal fireworks.
An estimated 165,000 people attended the event.
Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
While my husband's father and uncles were all in WWII, one of them was a Merchant Marine.
Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
Members of the Merchant Marine, a civilian organization that fought the Japanese in World War II, are now in their 80s and 90s. But now their battle wages on for recognition from the U.S. government, which recently passed a bill that would provide a monthly stipend for mariners, in lieu of benefits they didn't receive after the war.
By Erik Lacitis
Seattle Times staff reporter
In this World War II photograph, Peter Chelemedos, also a Merchant Marine veteran, is shown with his crew after his ship was sunk by the Japanese.
Some had tattoos on their forearms. Some had brought along pictures of themselves from more than six decades ago.
That would have been during World War II. The pictures showed skinny guys, heads full of hair, with unlined faces looking to the future.
They had been Merchant mariners, young and sailing the world in their cargo ships that ferried troops and war cargo.
Now all that exploring is done.
Now they're in their 80s — some past 90 — and along with the tattoos a good portion wear hearings aids. They sport white hair — if hair at all — and walk stooped.
Now what matters to them is a battle they've been fighting since the end of World War II.
It is simply, they say, to be recognized for the war veterans they are, even if Merchant Marine members are civilians.
During a war, by federal law, the Merchant Marine becomes an auxiliary to the Navy. That is what happened during World War II, when 250,000 of the sailors manned some 5,000 ships, says the American Merchant Marine Veterans. It says 1,554 of their ships were sunk, with a total of 9,497 war dead, a higher casualty rate — 1 in 26 — than any of the military services.
"The Army, the Navy gave us our orders. They put us amongst torpedoes and kamikaze pilots. We were hauling the troops and keeping them supplied," says Bob Barbee, 84, of Sequim.
"But if our ship got sunk, our pay stopped. No medical benefits. If two men were in the water, and one was a Navy man, and the other a Merchant Marine, the Navy man would always get picked up. The Merchant Marine might get picked up, taken to India and he had to find his own way home."
go here for more
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009417093_merchant04m.html
One Marine shot, One Marine Charged, Wife Grieves for Both
Wife of Marine charged with murder defends husband, remembers 'best friend'
July 3, 2009 - 6:02 PM
LINDELL KAY
The wife of a Camp Lejeune Marine charged with murder after police say he shot his roommate Wednesday while playing with a handgun said she is without her best friend who is dead and her husband who is in jail - and hurt by the community's reaction.
Courtney Smith said 19-year-old Bryan Thorkelson was like her little brother. And it was extremely painful to watch police arrest her husband, Michael Everett Smith, shortly after Thorkelson's death.
"What happened was an accident," she told The Daily News on Friday. "They shouldn't have been playing with a gun, but my husband did not mean to shoot (Thorkelson)."
Michael Smith, 21, of Bridgewater Court, was charged by the Jacksonville Police Department with an open count of murder Wednesday after Thorkelson died at Onslow Memorial Hospital of a gunshot wound to the head, according to warrants and police statements.
go here for more
http://www.jdnews.com/news/smith-65353-comments-thorkelson.html
July 3, 2009 - 6:02 PM
LINDELL KAY
The wife of a Camp Lejeune Marine charged with murder after police say he shot his roommate Wednesday while playing with a handgun said she is without her best friend who is dead and her husband who is in jail - and hurt by the community's reaction.
Courtney Smith said 19-year-old Bryan Thorkelson was like her little brother. And it was extremely painful to watch police arrest her husband, Michael Everett Smith, shortly after Thorkelson's death.
"What happened was an accident," she told The Daily News on Friday. "They shouldn't have been playing with a gun, but my husband did not mean to shoot (Thorkelson)."
Michael Smith, 21, of Bridgewater Court, was charged by the Jacksonville Police Department with an open count of murder Wednesday after Thorkelson died at Onslow Memorial Hospital of a gunshot wound to the head, according to warrants and police statements.
go here for more
http://www.jdnews.com/news/smith-65353-comments-thorkelson.html
A former U.S. Marine, Thomas Godwin vanishes
A former U.S. Marine vanishes from his Davie home
A former U.S. Marine disappeared from his Davie home sometime before he was to be fired from his job of 28 years at a Winn-Dixie warehouse.
BY JOEL MARINO
jmarino@Sun-Sentinel.com
Living alone with his beloved dog, Thomas Godwin kept mostly to himself. Few knew the former Marine had health issues -- or problems at work.
After 28 years at a Winn-Dixie warehouse in Opa-locka, Godwin's bosses planned to fire him, his family said. But Godwin, 53, never made it to an appointment on May 10 to finalize the termination.
Between May 6 and May 10, Godwin disappeared from his Davie home as quietly as he lived. Also missing is Foxy, his retriever-dachshund mix, and his 2000 Honda Accord.
''I wish he had told us how bad things were going,'' said his sister Diane VanWambeck, who lives in Homestead. ''He just kept it to himself, and now he's gone. It's like he vanished into thin air.'' His family found out he'd been fired only after his disappearance, when they talked to coworkers.
VanWambeck began to worry a few weeks ago when his insurance company kept calling her, seeking her brother's whereabouts. Then he missed a niece's birthday. A lifelong bachelor, Godwin was very close to his six sisters and their children, VanWambeck said.
go here for more
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1126628.html
A former U.S. Marine disappeared from his Davie home sometime before he was to be fired from his job of 28 years at a Winn-Dixie warehouse.
BY JOEL MARINO
jmarino@Sun-Sentinel.com
Living alone with his beloved dog, Thomas Godwin kept mostly to himself. Few knew the former Marine had health issues -- or problems at work.
After 28 years at a Winn-Dixie warehouse in Opa-locka, Godwin's bosses planned to fire him, his family said. But Godwin, 53, never made it to an appointment on May 10 to finalize the termination.
Between May 6 and May 10, Godwin disappeared from his Davie home as quietly as he lived. Also missing is Foxy, his retriever-dachshund mix, and his 2000 Honda Accord.
''I wish he had told us how bad things were going,'' said his sister Diane VanWambeck, who lives in Homestead. ''He just kept it to himself, and now he's gone. It's like he vanished into thin air.'' His family found out he'd been fired only after his disappearance, when they talked to coworkers.
VanWambeck began to worry a few weeks ago when his insurance company kept calling her, seeking her brother's whereabouts. Then he missed a niece's birthday. A lifelong bachelor, Godwin was very close to his six sisters and their children, VanWambeck said.
go here for more
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1126628.html
Friday, July 3, 2009
Congressman says gay sailor's death is a possible hate crime
Congressman says gay sailor's death is a possible hate crime [Updated]
10:10 AM July 2, 2009
Rep. Bob Filner (D-Chula Vista) said today that he has asked the Department of Defense and the Marine Corps to investigate whether the killing of a sailor, who was gay, at Camp Pendleton was a hate crime.
Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he wanted a complete investigation of circumstances surrounding the death of Seaman August Provost, 29, of Houston. Provost's body was found about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in a guard shack on the western edge of the sprawling base.
Gay leaders in San Diego had asked Filner to intervene. Nicole Murray-Ramirez, chairman of the San Diego Human Relations Commission, said Provost's family believes the sailor had been harassed by other personnel on the base.
Filner said initial indications are that Provost was shot and his body burned. He said his committee also will investigate the case.
go here for moreCongressman says gay sailor's death is a possible hate crime
10:10 AM July 2, 2009
Rep. Bob Filner (D-Chula Vista) said today that he has asked the Department of Defense and the Marine Corps to investigate whether the killing of a sailor, who was gay, at Camp Pendleton was a hate crime.
Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he wanted a complete investigation of circumstances surrounding the death of Seaman August Provost, 29, of Houston. Provost's body was found about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in a guard shack on the western edge of the sprawling base.
Gay leaders in San Diego had asked Filner to intervene. Nicole Murray-Ramirez, chairman of the San Diego Human Relations Commission, said Provost's family believes the sailor had been harassed by other personnel on the base.
Filner said initial indications are that Provost was shot and his body burned. He said his committee also will investigate the case.
go here for moreCongressman says gay sailor's death is a possible hate crime
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)