Traveling Vietnam Wall & 1000 Flag Memorials Will Visit Newport
Salem-News.com
These Memorials are actually sanctuaries.
A real tribute to those who have served in the military will visit the Oregon coast this May.
(SALEM, Ore.) - A place for Hope and Healing for many Veterans, Families and Friends. The 1000 Flags will be on display by 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 26th in Newport Oregon, at the Newport Facilities in South Beach.
Organizers say there will also be a special Flag Presentation at 5:30 p.m. and an Honorable Service Medal presentation at 6:00 p.m. Families with flags being dedicated to a loved one will be escorted by a military member from the USANG and a person from the USCG, Yaquina Bay Station.
Tuesday April 27th there will also be another special Flag presentation at 5:30pm and another scheduled Honorable Service medal Presentation. Families with flags dedicated to a loved one will be escorted by a person from the USANG and a person from the USCG, Yaquina Bay Station.
read more here
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/march292010/newport-veterans.php
Monday, March 29, 2010
FBI charges 9 in plot to kill police officers
FBI Charges 9 in Midwest Raids
Devlin Barrett
AP WASHINGTON (March 29) -- Nine suspects tied to a Christian militia in the Midwest are charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral in the hopes of killing more law enforcement personnel, federal prosecutors said Monday.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because the Hutaree members were planning a violent reconaissance mission sometime in April - just a few days away.
Members of the group called Hutaree are charged in the case, including their leader, David Brian Stone, also known as "Captain Hutaree."
Once other officers gathered for a slain officer's funeral, the group planned to detonate homemade bombs at the funeral, killing more, according to newly unsealed court papers.
According to the indictment, the idea of attacking a police funeral was one of numerous scenarios discussed as ways to go after law enforcement officers. Other scenarios included a fake 911 call to lure an officer to his or her death, or an attack on the family of a police officer.
read more here
FBI Charges 9 in Midwest Raids
Devlin Barrett
AP WASHINGTON (March 29) -- Nine suspects tied to a Christian militia in the Midwest are charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral in the hopes of killing more law enforcement personnel, federal prosecutors said Monday.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because the Hutaree members were planning a violent reconaissance mission sometime in April - just a few days away.
Members of the group called Hutaree are charged in the case, including their leader, David Brian Stone, also known as "Captain Hutaree."
Once other officers gathered for a slain officer's funeral, the group planned to detonate homemade bombs at the funeral, killing more, according to newly unsealed court papers.
According to the indictment, the idea of attacking a police funeral was one of numerous scenarios discussed as ways to go after law enforcement officers. Other scenarios included a fake 911 call to lure an officer to his or her death, or an attack on the family of a police officer.
read more here
FBI Charges 9 in Midwest Raids
Veterans proud of service but left to feel ashamed after they survived it
It gets to me every time I hear it. They are proud they served but when you think about what happens to too many of them when they survive it because of claims denied or delayed, it's hard to understand why they feel that way. Think of how you'd feel after risking your life for this country and then left with nothing after because your body or your mind paid the price. These veterans have bills to pay. They have families to support. They have all the same needs and demands on them the rest of us face but unlike the rest of us, they put their bodies and their minds and their dedication on the line for the sake of the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us loving this nation enough to lay down their lives for it, cost them their future. We need to get this right once and for all of them.
Native American veterans claim racial discrimination by VA in South Dakota
By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji)
© 2010 Native Sun News
March 29 2010
There is a credo lamented daily in the waiting rooms of the Veterans Administration Hospitals scattered across America. It goes, "First you apply, then they deny and hope you will die." This has a special meaning to Native American veterans.
For too many Indian veterans it strikes close to the bone. They are so entangled in bureaucratic red tape they are all but suffocating. Many have been reduced to living lives well below the poverty level set by the very government they fought for and nearly died defending.
Several months ago I wrote about one such veteran named Andres Torres, an Oglala Lakota, living in Rapid City. What has happened to this veteran since then?
"I was told to open a new claim called Unemployability which means I have not been able to work since the second operation they performed on me at Fort Meade VA Hospital in 1989. I filed the claim in February and I have not heard from the VA since. As far as I know it is still sitting on somebody's desk in Sioux Falls or Washington, D. C.," Torres said.
Torres said that since I wrote about his plight in 2009 he got a call from Governor Mike Rounds (R-SD) and was told that his office was interested in helping him and other veterans in similar situations.
read more here
Native American veterans claim racial discrimination by VA
Vietnam Vets:We are dying at the rate of 349 a day
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day
By KIM LEDOUX
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
March 29, 2010 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — Thanking Vietnam veterans for educating America about how veterans of all eras should be treated was the mission Sunday during a Vietnam Veterans' Recognition Day ceremony held at Fort Taber.
"Vietnam Veterans of America was founded 32 years ago with the vow that never again would one generation of veterans abandon anther generation of veterans," said Mayor Scott W. Lang, recognizing how Vietnam veterans created awareness of the need for quality medical and psychological care for all who have served.
"We took veterans for granted until the latter part of this century when the Vietnam vets stood up and indicated that the men and women serving and their families are owed a debt of gratitude. ... They completely educated the public on what it means to be a veteran."
I am not sure where LeBlanc got his suicide number from but studies over the years have place it between 150,000 and 200,000. Even one is too high just as with today's OEF and OIF veterans.
By KIM LEDOUX
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
March 29, 2010 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — Thanking Vietnam veterans for educating America about how veterans of all eras should be treated was the mission Sunday during a Vietnam Veterans' Recognition Day ceremony held at Fort Taber.
"Vietnam Veterans of America was founded 32 years ago with the vow that never again would one generation of veterans abandon anther generation of veterans," said Mayor Scott W. Lang, recognizing how Vietnam veterans created awareness of the need for quality medical and psychological care for all who have served.
"We took veterans for granted until the latter part of this century when the Vietnam vets stood up and indicated that the men and women serving and their families are owed a debt of gratitude. ... They completely educated the public on what it means to be a veteran."
New Bedford Veterans Agent Donat "Dan" LeBlanc presented statistics showing how Vietnam veterans are dying at a rate higher than other Americans because of physical and psychological trauma that can be traced back to their service.
"Of the 2.7 million veterans who served in country in Vietnam, 800,000 are still alive today. ... We are dying at the rate of 349 a day. Using those statistics, according to the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, we will all be gone in five years," LeBlanc said, adding, "I don't plan on leaving in five years."
According to LeBlanc, many of the Vietnam veterans, a total of 130,000, have died relatively young from suicide.
Others have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or cancers likely brought on by exposure to Agent Orange, a carcinogenic and teratogenic defoliant used by the military.read more here
I am not sure where LeBlanc got his suicide number from but studies over the years have place it between 150,000 and 200,000. Even one is too high just as with today's OEF and OIF veterans.
Sorrow, Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine's Funeral
Sorrow, Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine's Funeral
Autumn Ziemba Fox 8 Reporter
6:10 PM EST, March 28, 2010
In a stunning tribute Sunday morning, Gunnery Sergeant Robert Gilbert of Richfield was laid to rest.
Thousands of people touched by the 28-year-old fallen marine packed the Revere High School gymnasium to celebrate life and say good-bye.
"I will truly miss him," Sgt. Gilbert's father, Robert Gilbert Sr., told Fox 8 Sunday morning. "But he told me I had to live for the both of us. It's a heck of a task to take on, but it's what I have to do."
"The world has lost a hero," said Sgt. Gilbert's best friend, Amy Tripp. "A part of me died the day he died, and [this service is] the new beginning of learning how to move on and live my life without him in it."
Sunday proved to be a somber day for many, yet one filled with immense pride.
Thousands rose to their feet in applause as Sgt. Gilbert's father was presented the bronze star for his son's heroic action, that ultimately cost him his life.
read more here
Sorrow Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine Funeral
Autumn Ziemba Fox 8 Reporter
6:10 PM EST, March 28, 2010
In a stunning tribute Sunday morning, Gunnery Sergeant Robert Gilbert of Richfield was laid to rest.
Thousands of people touched by the 28-year-old fallen marine packed the Revere High School gymnasium to celebrate life and say good-bye.
"I will truly miss him," Sgt. Gilbert's father, Robert Gilbert Sr., told Fox 8 Sunday morning. "But he told me I had to live for the both of us. It's a heck of a task to take on, but it's what I have to do."
"The world has lost a hero," said Sgt. Gilbert's best friend, Amy Tripp. "A part of me died the day he died, and [this service is] the new beginning of learning how to move on and live my life without him in it."
Sunday proved to be a somber day for many, yet one filled with immense pride.
Thousands rose to their feet in applause as Sgt. Gilbert's father was presented the bronze star for his son's heroic action, that ultimately cost him his life.
read more here
Sorrow Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine Funeral
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow leaving 38 dead
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow subway attacks
March 29, 2010 8:54 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Female bombers detonated explosions in Moscow subway stations, officials say
38 people killed, 65 wounded, government ministry reports
First blast occurred near the Kremlin and the nation's intelligence service
Web site associated with Chechen separatists claims responsibility for attacks
Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Female suicide bombers detonated explosions that rocked two subway stations in central Moscow during rush hour on Monday morning, killing at least 38 people, officials said.
"It was a terrorist act carried out by the female suicide bombers," said Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, citing Russia's intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service. "They were specifically timed -- for ... the train was nearing the station -- to make the most damage.
"The blast was caused by 300 to 400 grams of explosives," he said.
Forensic teams were combing wreckage from the underground blasts for clues.
read more here
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow subway attacks
March 29, 2010 8:54 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Female bombers detonated explosions in Moscow subway stations, officials say
38 people killed, 65 wounded, government ministry reports
First blast occurred near the Kremlin and the nation's intelligence service
Web site associated with Chechen separatists claims responsibility for attacks
Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Female suicide bombers detonated explosions that rocked two subway stations in central Moscow during rush hour on Monday morning, killing at least 38 people, officials said.
"It was a terrorist act carried out by the female suicide bombers," said Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, citing Russia's intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service. "They were specifically timed -- for ... the train was nearing the station -- to make the most damage.
"The blast was caused by 300 to 400 grams of explosives," he said.
Forensic teams were combing wreckage from the underground blasts for clues.
read more here
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow subway attacks
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thousands swindled using soldier-in-need ruse
Thousands swindled using soldier-in-need ruse
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 28, 2010 12:41:28 EDT
Whoever said all’s fair in love and war never met these Internet hucksters.
Con men impersonating deployed U.S. servicemen are hooking civilian women on dating Web sites and swindling them into spending money on fictitious laptops, international telephones, “leave papers” and plane tickets, said Chris Grey, a spokesman for Army Criminal Investigation Command.
The scheme appears to be a sophisticated twist on the ubiquitous lottery letter scam, but it uniquely exploits the victims’ patriotism and emotions while misrepresenting the Army and soldier-support programs, Grey said.
“These are not soldiers, they are thieves,” he said.
Officials say the phony American soldiers are often in reality African con men who seduce women online by creating profiles on dating and social media sites that appropriate the names, ranks and photos of actual soldiers, typically those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/army_romance_scam_032810w/
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 28, 2010 12:41:28 EDT
Whoever said all’s fair in love and war never met these Internet hucksters.
Con men impersonating deployed U.S. servicemen are hooking civilian women on dating Web sites and swindling them into spending money on fictitious laptops, international telephones, “leave papers” and plane tickets, said Chris Grey, a spokesman for Army Criminal Investigation Command.
The scheme appears to be a sophisticated twist on the ubiquitous lottery letter scam, but it uniquely exploits the victims’ patriotism and emotions while misrepresenting the Army and soldier-support programs, Grey said.
“These are not soldiers, they are thieves,” he said.
Officials say the phony American soldiers are often in reality African con men who seduce women online by creating profiles on dating and social media sites that appropriate the names, ranks and photos of actual soldiers, typically those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/army_romance_scam_032810w/
Overdue thanks for 'Nam vets
JACOBS: Overdue thanks for 'Nam vets
By PAUL JACOBS
For The Californian
Posted: March 28, 2010
A proclamation was made at Tuesday's Temecula City Council meeting recognizing March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day." Murrieta Councilmen Rick Gibbs and Doug McAllister were also present to issue a proclamation on behalf of their city.
Although I was never in the military, my dad served two decades in the Air Force. I chose a career in civil service as a health care provider instead.
By PAUL JACOBS
For The Californian
Posted: March 28, 2010
A proclamation was made at Tuesday's Temecula City Council meeting recognizing March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day." Murrieta Councilmen Rick Gibbs and Doug McAllister were also present to issue a proclamation on behalf of their city.
Although I was never in the military, my dad served two decades in the Air Force. I chose a career in civil service as a health care provider instead.
The display of humbleness and dedication to duty always leaves me in awe of the men and women who serve the public in quiet dedication. Whether wearing a military, law enforcement or firefighter uniform, all serve to protect the American public.The Law and Order Awards Dinner recognized police officers from Temecula and Murrieta, as well as a Highway Patrol officer and a Border Patrol agent.
Various agencies are invited to participate, but not all answer the call. It seems every year without fail, a surprised recipient modestly and earnestly says, "I was only doing my job."
I have already marked my calendar to fly the flag on Tuesday and every March 30.
Blessed are the peacemakers, but also thank God for peace officers and members of the military who put country first, regardless of political ideologies, personal faith ---- or lack thereof.
read more here
Overdue thanks for Nam vets
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
By: Ruschell Boone
Some Vietnam veterans got a special welcome home Saturday in honor of Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.
George Raboni was 17 years old when he went to war in Vietnam. When he returned home three years later, Raboni like so many of the veterans who gathered Saturday for a celebration to mark their service, thought he would get a hero's welcome but that was not the case.
There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country," Raboni recalled.
The thank yous were slow to come because the war was unpopular, but on Saturday area veterans were recognized for their service at the Inaugural Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.
"We had pride in ourselves and what we did to serve this country but now it is greatly appreciated that the country has come to recognize the service," Raboni said.
"This is the first day that officially by the city government and state government that they are honoring the Vietnam veterans -- long overdue," Patrick Gualtieri of United War Veterans.
For many, the event at Veteran's Plaza in Downtown Manhattan was bittersweet.
go here for more and video
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
By: Ruschell Boone
Some Vietnam veterans got a special welcome home Saturday in honor of Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.
George Raboni was 17 years old when he went to war in Vietnam. When he returned home three years later, Raboni like so many of the veterans who gathered Saturday for a celebration to mark their service, thought he would get a hero's welcome but that was not the case.
There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country," Raboni recalled.
The thank yous were slow to come because the war was unpopular, but on Saturday area veterans were recognized for their service at the Inaugural Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.
"We had pride in ourselves and what we did to serve this country but now it is greatly appreciated that the country has come to recognize the service," Raboni said.
"This is the first day that officially by the city government and state government that they are honoring the Vietnam veterans -- long overdue," Patrick Gualtieri of United War Veterans.
For many, the event at Veteran's Plaza in Downtown Manhattan was bittersweet.
"I think we've changed the structure so that people today understand how to separate the war from the warriors and that the veterans coming home, the men and women we see coming out of the military today are hopefully going to get treatments and programs that they need," said Vietnam Veterans of America President John Rowan.
go here for more and video
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
Veteran Learns to “Face her Demons” with VA PTSD Treatment
Veteran Learns to “Face her Demons” with VA PTSD Treatment
Fri at 5:07am
Michelle Covert had PTSD for 24 years but didn’t know it.
Today, thanks to her treatment at a VA hospital, she is working, happy and determined to be “a voice of hope.”
Michelle was in the Army from 1980 to 1984 and was raped by her drill instructor – the night before she graduated from Advanced Individual Training. Frightened, distraught and confused, she did not report the rape. She went on to a career as a data communications specialist.
Years later, while working at a VA hospital, she was approached, remarkably, by a Veteran receiving treatment for PTSD, who said, “I’ve been watching you. You’ve got what I’ve got.” What he had seen was Michelle breaking into tears and panic attacks when visitors or situations got out of hand.
That, and another severe “meltdown,” convinced her to seek treatment. Under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Chard of the VA, Michelle accepted the fact that her rape – in this case Military Sexual Trauma – was the cause of her life-long struggle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Once she started receiving treatment, known as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Michelle realized that it was time to “come face to face with my demon.” She was able to finally accept the fact that the sexual abuse she experienced was not her fault.
read more here
Veteran Learns to Face her Demons with VA PTSD Treatment
Fri at 5:07am
Michelle Covert had PTSD for 24 years but didn’t know it.
Today, thanks to her treatment at a VA hospital, she is working, happy and determined to be “a voice of hope.”
Michelle was in the Army from 1980 to 1984 and was raped by her drill instructor – the night before she graduated from Advanced Individual Training. Frightened, distraught and confused, she did not report the rape. She went on to a career as a data communications specialist.
Years later, while working at a VA hospital, she was approached, remarkably, by a Veteran receiving treatment for PTSD, who said, “I’ve been watching you. You’ve got what I’ve got.” What he had seen was Michelle breaking into tears and panic attacks when visitors or situations got out of hand.
That, and another severe “meltdown,” convinced her to seek treatment. Under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Chard of the VA, Michelle accepted the fact that her rape – in this case Military Sexual Trauma – was the cause of her life-long struggle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Once she started receiving treatment, known as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Michelle realized that it was time to “come face to face with my demon.” She was able to finally accept the fact that the sexual abuse she experienced was not her fault.
read more here
Veteran Learns to Face her Demons with VA PTSD Treatment
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Vietnam veterans honored this weekend
If there are any Vietnam veterans thinking their service didn't matter this proves it did. Late in coming, that's for sure, but aside from what Vietnam veterans did when they came home, what they achieved for the sake of all veterans, there is one more really important thing they did. They taught this nation a lesson about the debt we owe to those we send to risk their lives. All veterans who came after did receive the respect and appreciation the Vietnam veterans did not receive because they refused to give up on the rest of us.
These are just a few of the events going on this weekend around the country.
These are just a few of the events going on this weekend around the country.
Event to honor Vietnam veterans
Published: Saturday, March 27, 2010 2:38 AM CDT
YUCCA VALLEY — Morongo Basin residents will have the opportunity to thank and honor local Vietnam War veterans as the town hosts a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans” reception 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Yucca Valley Community Center’s Yucca Room.
Similar tributes will be staged throughout the state Tuesday, following a state resolution signed into law last year designating March 30 for an annual recognition of Vietnam veterans in California.
The bill was authored by Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley.
Another local Marine veteran, Carl Gorham, helped trigger the development of Cook’s Assembly bill. He met with Cook about the issue after observing a negative public reaction to Vietnam veterans in the Palm Springs Veterans Day parade a few years ago.
go here for more
Event to honor Vietnam veterans
Vietnam vets mark end of war with service in Lynn
By David Liscio / The Daily Item
LYNN - Tom Mailloux vividly recalls the day he got word that his teenage brother, John, had been killed in Vietnam.
"A priest and a police officer went to the West Lynn GE and told my mother. When they called you up to the front office in those days, you knew what it was about," he said Friday during a wreath-laying ceremony at City Hall to honor local residents who served during the Vietnam War.
It was Nov. 24, 1968.
"Kind of messed up Thanksgiving," said Mailloux, who attended the ceremony with his sister, Maureen Mailloux Hudson. "Over the years, my family never forgot because of us. They won't forget my brother and all the others who sacrificed."
read more here
Daughter led effort for state's Vietnam Veterans Day
By Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel
Thuy Smith is proud of her father.
She understands that it wasn't easy for Bill Smith and hundreds of thousands of other veterans returning from Vietnam. Many did not receive warm welcomes home, not like veterans of World War II or Korea.
And Thuy Smith's father had an additional element to his homecoming: having found love in the war, he came home to rural Wisconsin with a wife and baby daughter from Vietnam.
Growing up, Thuy Smith felt isolated and found herself pushing away her Vietnamese heritage.
Then she began meeting Vietnam veterans who came to her mother's Vietnamese restaurant, Huong's Little Wok, in Hayward. They found a common thread stitching their pasts together. She shared with the veterans the same sense of lingering sadness, a feeling of not fitting in.
"The veterans told me that because I represented Vietnam for them, they could relate to me," said Smith, whose parents will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary in May. "Coming together with others who understand and talking with them brought a lot of healing to me."
Now she's helping give back to Vietnam veterans such as her father, who served two extended tours in Vietnam, and the men she met at her mother's restaurant. Two years ago she learned of efforts to organize a Vietnam Veterans Day in Minnesota and Tennessee, and she thought Wisconsin also should recognize the day.
read more here
Vietnam Vets Day
Mar 26 2010 5:30PM
KXMBTV Bismarck
Honor Guard marches in
North Dakota becomes the 10th state to honor Vietnam Veteran's as Governor Hoeven proclaims March 29th Vietnam Veterans Day in North Dakota.
Close to 18-thousand North Dakotan's served in the Vietnam Warwith 198 making the ultimate sacrifice.
Soldiers today say they were never officially welcomed homeuntil now.
A touching moment came when Dan Stenvold of the Vietnam Veterans of America shared a story about his unit the 1-5-5.read more of this here
Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 12, 2009
Mental wounds treatable, but most veterans don't complete care
Mental wounds treatable, but most veterans don't complete care
War » Study says main reason may be soldiers' own resistance to care.
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/24/2010 05:31:47 PM MDT
Ben Rollins was self-destructing. Every night, after work, he and a few fellow Marines would get together to polish off a 30-pack of beer and a fifth of hard liquor. On one night, heading home from a night of hard drinking at a California bar, he was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving.
On another night, when Rollins was awoken by a family member, he began screaming and scrambling for his gun.
All around him, Marines who had served alongside him in Iraq were taking their own lives. "One guy walked out into traffic on Interstate 5," Rollins, now living in Sandy, recalled. "Another guy hung himself in his room."
But Rollins still wasn't convinced that he needed help. "I'm fine," he told himself. "There's nothing wrong with me."
He wasn't fine. And he wasn't alone.
Veterans Affairs researchers say that many veterans who submit to weekly treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can reduce their symptoms to "sub-diagnostic" levels within a few short months. But fewer than one in 10 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder completes a recommended regimen of treatments within four months -- and only about 30 percent complete the treatment regimen within one year of their diagnosis, according to a recent study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress .
read more here
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14751038
War » Study says main reason may be soldiers' own resistance to care.
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/24/2010 05:31:47 PM MDT
Ben Rollins was self-destructing. Every night, after work, he and a few fellow Marines would get together to polish off a 30-pack of beer and a fifth of hard liquor. On one night, heading home from a night of hard drinking at a California bar, he was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving.
On another night, when Rollins was awoken by a family member, he began screaming and scrambling for his gun.
All around him, Marines who had served alongside him in Iraq were taking their own lives. "One guy walked out into traffic on Interstate 5," Rollins, now living in Sandy, recalled. "Another guy hung himself in his room."
But Rollins still wasn't convinced that he needed help. "I'm fine," he told himself. "There's nothing wrong with me."
He wasn't fine. And he wasn't alone.
Veterans Affairs researchers say that many veterans who submit to weekly treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can reduce their symptoms to "sub-diagnostic" levels within a few short months. But fewer than one in 10 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder completes a recommended regimen of treatments within four months -- and only about 30 percent complete the treatment regimen within one year of their diagnosis, according to a recent study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress .
read more here
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14751038
Female Marine Leads Platoon, Inspires Others
Female Marine Leads Platoon, Inspires Others
2nd Marine Logistic Group Public Affairs
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Katesha Washington
Date: 03.26.2010
Posted: 03.26.2010 05:24
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Sgt. Tanell Nedd is one of the busiest non-commissioned officers working in the 2nd Marine Logistics Group these days. While she directs and mentors her platoon of young Marines, she is also preparing them for a grueling future deployment to Afghanistan.
Nedd, a tactical switch operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd MLG, is the platoon sergeant for the S-6 Communications shop. On the surface, she looks like the average hotshot platoon sergeant; slim physical appearance, confident and sharply clad in her camouflage uniform.
read more here
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=47276
2nd Marine Logistic Group Public Affairs
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Katesha Washington
Date: 03.26.2010
Posted: 03.26.2010 05:24
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Sgt. Tanell Nedd is one of the busiest non-commissioned officers working in the 2nd Marine Logistics Group these days. While she directs and mentors her platoon of young Marines, she is also preparing them for a grueling future deployment to Afghanistan.
Nedd, a tactical switch operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd MLG, is the platoon sergeant for the S-6 Communications shop. On the surface, she looks like the average hotshot platoon sergeant; slim physical appearance, confident and sharply clad in her camouflage uniform.
read more here
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=47276
Services planned for fallen Palm City Marine killed in Afghanistan
Photo by Jose Luis Magana
DOVER - A Marine carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Marine Lance Corporal Justin J. Wilson of Palm City, Fla. upon his arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del. on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. The Department of Defense announced the death of Marine Justin J. Wilson who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Services planned for fallen Palm City Marine
By Will Greenlee
Posted March 26, 2010 at 3:09 p.m
PALM CITY — The body of Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, is expected to be flown into Witham Field on Sunday before services next week, a family member said Friday.
Wilson, 24, joined the Marine Corps in January 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan 10 months later. He died Monday, killed by an IED or improvised explosive device, his father has said.
go here for more
Services planned for fallen Palm City Marine
Marine shields team from harm, earns Bronze Star
John Gastaldo
Velzeboer, part of an explosive-ordnance-disposal team, drove a trailer full of grenades away from the fiery aftermath of a bombing.
Marine shields team from harm, earns Bronze Star
By Jeanette Steele, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
After the blast, Staff Sgt. Dustin Velzeboer looked around and realized he was the only person still standing.
His gunnery sergeant lay in pieces, literally, on the ground. Two other members of the bomb unit were dead, and so was the sergeant assigned to them for security.
Velzeboer, a 27-year-old Marine with a baby on the way at home, saw no other choice: He couldn’t move his guys away from the danger. He had to move the danger away from them.
The tall, blond Marine jumped into the team’s truck, which was hooked to a trailer packed with 45 Iraqi rocket-propelled grenades. The grenades were sure to detonate in the fiery aftermath of the roadside bomb blast.
With one hand — his other was shredded by shrapnel — Velzeboer drove the truck away from his men. These thoughts ran through his mind: “Get the rig off the road; we need the road to leave.” “I hope there are no more bombs where I’m driving.” “I need to tell my wife I love her.”
There were no speeches. But afterward, Velzeboer — not much for grandstanding himself — talked about the life of an explosive-ordnance-disposal Marine, one of the most dangerous and in-demand jobs in the military.
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Wounded veterans take case for service dogs to Capitol Hill
For Iraqi war vet Luiz Montalvan, Tuesday can pick up a dropped cane, even sense when he needs his medications. Wounded veterans and their dogs were on Capitol Hill recently hoping to get more support for the service dog program.
Slain Marine from Yorba Linda remembered
Santa Ana Police Sgt. John Centanni, 51, at his home in Yorba Linda, reflects on the death of his son, Rick, a 19-year-old Marine lance corporal killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Slain Marine from Yorba Linda remembered
The death of Lance Cpl. Rick Centanni, 19, killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, stirs reflection at Esperanza High. He is the third from the Anaheim school to die in post-9/11 combat.
By Mike Anton
March 27, 2010
The death of Rick Centanni of Yorba Linda was announced Friday over the intercom at Esperanza High School in Anaheim.
Class of 2008. Member of the football team. Marine lance corporal killed earlier this week by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Just 19.
A secretary put Centanni's yearbook, the one in which his photo shows off his broad shoulders and wide smile, out at the front desk. Students, she knew, were sure to ask to see it.
This isn't the first time this has happened at Esperanza. Or the second. Centanni is the third Esperanza graduate killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2004.
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Slain Marine from Yorba Linda remembered
The Funniest 'Help Wanted' Signs
Most of these are hilarious! If you need to laugh a bit today, click the below link.
The Funniest 'Help Wanted' Signs
Michael Jordan
Oh man, guys, there have been some funny help wanted signs floating around the internet lately. Perhaps you've come across them?
Well, let me remind you of the Urlesque guarantee: we will provide you with the funniest, most comprehensive lists of signs available anywhere on the internet. We have been all over that, what with the hacked stop signs, the "God Hates" signs, the intentionally funny political signs, and even the unintentionally funny political signs.
Now we're bringing you the funniest "Help Wanted" signs on the web. Other sites have lists, but none of them are this comprehensive or completely awesome. After the break, check out all the chuckle-worthy signage.
go here for more
The Funniest Help Wanted Signs
The Funniest 'Help Wanted' Signs
Michael Jordan
Oh man, guys, there have been some funny help wanted signs floating around the internet lately. Perhaps you've come across them?
Well, let me remind you of the Urlesque guarantee: we will provide you with the funniest, most comprehensive lists of signs available anywhere on the internet. We have been all over that, what with the hacked stop signs, the "God Hates" signs, the intentionally funny political signs, and even the unintentionally funny political signs.
Now we're bringing you the funniest "Help Wanted" signs on the web. Other sites have lists, but none of them are this comprehensive or completely awesome. After the break, check out all the chuckle-worthy signage.
go here for more
The Funniest Help Wanted Signs
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
More and more claims will be made from veterans seeking treatment and compensation just as more and more claims wait to be honored. While they wait, there is not just the financial suffering they are subjected to as bills cannot be paid due to their wounds, there is the emotional harm inflicted that should matter to all of us.
Think of it this way. They risked their lives serving this country. Then because of that service, they were wounded yet when they come home, they are left to fend for themselves. They file claims to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the income they can no longer work for. Delays in honoring those claims are dishonoring their service.
Just as advocates are reaching the Vietnam veterans so they seek help for PTSD because they are finally understanding what it is, now we have a flood expected from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Does it end there? No because we also have two active military campaigns producing more wounded veterans every day. We also have Gulf War veterans still trying to be compensated for what the Gulf War did to them the VA still doesn't quite understand.
These men and women are suffering for having served. They should not have to see their lives as veterans subjected to delays in honoring their service wounds.
Considering the service organizations like the DAV verify claims made before they even begin to start the process with the VA, most of the evidence is already gathered together. Very few claims presented are fraudulent. Doing this is the right thing to do for the sake of the veterans. After getting them through the process and honoring their claims, there would be more time for them to review claims for fraud. Then, they would be treated as any other criminal charged with VA fraud and would have to pay the money back, plus see some jail time. We need to stop treating them all as if they are already guilty.
Think of it this way. They risked their lives serving this country. Then because of that service, they were wounded yet when they come home, they are left to fend for themselves. They file claims to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the income they can no longer work for. Delays in honoring those claims are dishonoring their service.
Just as advocates are reaching the Vietnam veterans so they seek help for PTSD because they are finally understanding what it is, now we have a flood expected from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Does it end there? No because we also have two active military campaigns producing more wounded veterans every day. We also have Gulf War veterans still trying to be compensated for what the Gulf War did to them the VA still doesn't quite understand.
These men and women are suffering for having served. They should not have to see their lives as veterans subjected to delays in honoring their service wounds.
“If there is a 1 percent error, and there could be, so what? You would be helping the 99 percent of veterans who are honest,” Filner said.
Considering the service organizations like the DAV verify claims made before they even begin to start the process with the VA, most of the evidence is already gathered together. Very few claims presented are fraudulent. Doing this is the right thing to do for the sake of the veterans. After getting them through the process and honoring their claims, there would be more time for them to review claims for fraud. Then, they would be treated as any other criminal charged with VA fraud and would have to pay the money back, plus see some jail time. We need to stop treating them all as if they are already guilty.
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 16:59:14 EDT
The Veterans Affairs Department’s large and stubborn backlog of benefits claims could be reduced almost overnight if VA automatically approved any claims prepared with the help of a certified veterans service officer from a veterans organization or a state or local government veterans office, says the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The idea, floated March 26 by Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is not new — and is not endorsed by all veterans groups.
Filner has been talking for several years about the idea of VA accepting some claims without a long review process and then doing spot-checks to look for cheaters, which he has described as similar to the way tax return audits are handled by the International Revenue Service.
His current initiative is somewhat different in that he is now talking only about automatic payment of claims that are prepared by people who have undergone VA training so they have some expertise in the requirements for a valid claim.
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Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 17:37:43 EDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The families of three private security contractors who were kidnapped, held for ransom and beheaded in Iraq are suing the State Department over their deaths.
Joshua Munns, John Cote and John Young were working for Crescent Security Group in November 2006 when they and two other co-workers were ambushed and abducted while guarding a military convoy near the southern Iraq city of Safwan.
The complaint, which filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, seeks punitive damages and challenges the constitutionality of the U.S. government’s practice of using private military contractors in war but not supporting them when they are injured, killed or kidnapped.
“The primary goal is to peel back the lid on this black box .... to ask the hard question about what this ‘War on Terror’ is about,” Bill Palmer, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press.
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Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 17:37:43 EDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The families of three private security contractors who were kidnapped, held for ransom and beheaded in Iraq are suing the State Department over their deaths.
Joshua Munns, John Cote and John Young were working for Crescent Security Group in November 2006 when they and two other co-workers were ambushed and abducted while guarding a military convoy near the southern Iraq city of Safwan.
The complaint, which filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, seeks punitive damages and challenges the constitutionality of the U.S. government’s practice of using private military contractors in war but not supporting them when they are injured, killed or kidnapped.
“The primary goal is to peel back the lid on this black box .... to ask the hard question about what this ‘War on Terror’ is about,” Bill Palmer, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press.
read more here
Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
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