Two Tour Iraq Marine Veteran foreclosed on needs your help

Our hearts break every time we read about a homeless veteran. If you are like me, you always wonder how to help or what can be done to prevent them from becoming homeless. Well, here's a way to prevent one of them from becoming homeless. You can donate to save his apartment after the mortgage company kicked him out of his home.

If there are any lawyers you know about, pass this onto them so maybe he can get some help legally to get his house back.

A Voice of the Veterans


Sunday, March 20, 2011



All Hands on Deck

Veterans-For-Change is in need your help today to help another Veteran who came to us a week ago asking for help.

Marine GySgt. Don Rubin served two tours of duty in Iraq and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in September 2010 was one of the victims of the illegal mortgage banking foreclosures completely against the moratorium issued, lost his home he’d scrimped and saved to buy.

Don had maxed out all of his credit to save his home before the battle was lost, then creditor lawsuits started piling up on him and everything backfired on him.

Three weeks ago most of the creditors had gotten court orders to garnish his bank accounts leaving him with nothing and the next check coming in won’t be till sometime between the 1st & 3rd of the month.

Don has been living in a studio apartment since November and has been served an eviction notice.

After verification of Veteran Status, court garnishments, etc. we spoke with Don’s landlord and have negotiated for 3 additional days to allow our readers and members a chance to assist this Veteran.

Thankfully his studio apartment rent is relatively low so I come to you to ask your help to raise the $300 rent money needed and help keep this Veteran from losing his apartment.

As you know I’m sure we already have well over 140,000 homeless Veterans, with your help we can prevent one more from being in the same position.

We need to try and raise the $300 to help this Veteran as quickly as possible.

If you’re able to make a tax deductible donation of $25, $50, $100 or more, please click HERE to be taken direct to the PayPal site or copy and paste the link below!

PAYPAL LINK

Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.

War is hell even if you survive

We were not asked to sacrifice anything. Not our money. Not our time to pay attention and not even asked to sacrifice our prayers. The general public was told to go shopping and the rich, well, they were told to keep more of their money and do whatever they wanted with it. War was important enough to start but not enough to fund. What kind of a message do you think this sent to the troops?
The deficit is estimated at $1.27 trillion in 2011 -- down from a record $1.56 trillion in the current year.

How much is the war in Iraq costing us? wrote By John W. Schoen Senior Producer for MSNBC answer desk in October 2006.

Pretending Iraq and Afghanistan wars had nothing to do with this, is about as irrational as the politicians can get but then saying the budget for the VA needs to be cut instead of increased is just insane.


Then there are future costs that don’t show up in current appropriations, like the money needed to replace equipment that's wearing out faster that it would if wasn’t being used in combat. And, since the government is running deficits — and borrowing to make up the difference — at least some of the interest on the national debt has to be added to the Iraq war bill.
If you add these costs, and others, to the total tab, the cost of the war has jumped from $4.4 billion to $7.1 billion a month since the 2003 fiscal year, according to a paper co-authored in January by Columbia University professor and Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, an outspoken critic of the war. The paper estimates the total cost could top $1 trillion.

Now they can use the debt to excuse everything they want to do except admit they have no conscience at all. We've heard all their excuses for wanting to cut the debt rich people should be paying at the same time they want to cut everything every other American needs to survive but when they go after the wounded they created, they go too far.

None of them cared about the men and women sent to risk their lives. While Iraq and Afghanistan were important enough to send men and women to risk their lives, up until last year, they were not important enough to put them in the budget. Now politicians want to pretend they give a crap about the debt they contributed to. The President decides to send troops into combat but with the approval of congress and it is up to congress to find the money to pay for wars and wounded.

"Thank goodness at least Congress supports our troops, you say. Remember all those yellow ribbons? Well, some members do and some don’t, depending on their political affiliation. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America’s report card shows that 91 of the 94 lawmakers getting an “A” for helping vets were Democrats. Of the 154 receiving a “D” or “F,” 142 were Republicans. Public praise on camera doesn’t necessarily correlate with votes for financial support on the House or Senate floors." Bill Collins

Eight years after troops were sent into Iraq for "six days, six weeks, I doubt six months" according to Donald Rumsfeld, they are still there. According to ICasualties.org there have been 4,440 US deaths in Iraq with 10 killed this year. Fast approaching ten years in Afghanistan, there have been 1,505 US troops killed with 59 this year.

03/18/11 WaPo:8 years after invasion , Iraq, US eyeing whether American forces will stay past year’s end
The American invasion of Iraq was supposed to take only a few months: a quick blitz to depose dictator Saddam Hussein, find and dismantle weapons of mass destruction and go home.

No one wanted to pay for Afghanistan or Iraq. We were told that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would pay for itself and that was fine with the American people but it didn't. No one planned on taking care of any of the wounded these two wars would create. Now they act as if they are surprised people were wounded in war. Some politicians have gone so far as to say the VA budget needs to be cut because, after all, we have a deficit and "we shouldn't pass on the debt to our kids" but they are so accomplished at spinning things around to get what they want, they forget we also have a debt to the kids we send to fight our battles in combat. They forget that for all their whining now about the debt, none of them wanted either war in the budget ahead of time. None of them wanted a true accounting on the price tag in terms of dollars, lives or wounded any more than they wanted a true accounting from the defense contractors spending the money in the first place. Anyone in the media asking any of these people about any of this?
read more here
War is hell even if you survive

Suicide hotline just now available for deployed soldiers?

What? What did they have before this if they couldn't call in the crisis line already?

Suicide hotline available for deployed soldiers
Staff report
Posted : Saturday Mar 19, 2011 8:26:34 EDT
Access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has been extended to soldiers and Army civilians serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

The Lifeline, operated by the Health and Human Services Department, is a toll-free, 24-hour, confidential crisis intervention hotline.

Credentialed consultants offer support and solutions to anyone in crisis or emotional distress, including soldiers and family members in overseas locations.
read more here
Suicide hotline available for deployed soldiers

Forty-eight Marines from Camp Pendleton deploy to Japan

Specialists from Camp Pendleton deploy to Japan
March 19, 2011 | 3:32 pm
Forty-eight Marines from Camp Pendleton -- specialists in the detection and decontamination of nuclear and radiological hazards -- have deployed to Japan for the relief effort.

The Marines are part of a unit trained on how to discern the effects of chemical, nuclear, biological and radiological warfare agents and how to mitigate those effects.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Valley Vets Concerned about Misdiagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Valley Vets Concerned about Misdiagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Reported by: Gary Parker

HARLINGEN - Post-traumatic stress disorder is a silent killer for many soldiers coming home.

The battle for veteran Fred Rendon really began when he came home. Rendon suffers from the PTSD.

"I didn't like to be around people anymore. I wasn't comfortable at home; I was always on edge. I was depressed all the time. I mean but this is constant,” says Rendon.

Rendon served in Vietnam for a year. He saw death and carnage. Those images didn't stop when he came home in 1967. Rendon was paranoid. He didn't like going into public places. That included restaurants.

"A great concern of mine was the silverware: if I need it, could I kill somebody, could I kill somebody with the silverware if they attacked me,” says Rendon.

Rendon knew something was wrong. VA doctors didn't diagnose him with PTSD until 1996, almost 30 years after serving in Vietnam. PTSD is diagnosed on a scale, the greater the disorder, the higher the VA benefits. The scale goes up to 100 percent.

Rendon was initially diagnosed with 10 percent PTSD. He received minimal benefits. He claims that kept him from having enough money to get proper treatment. He tells us the suffering is the same regardless of the percentage.

read more here
Valley Vets Concerned about Misdiagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Proof that miracles are possible when communities act to help their own

When there is a problem, a need, we can be so focused on the problem itself that we cannot expand our view into what is possible to fix the problem or fill the need.

When it comes to what the "government" should do, if we settle for what they are not doing, then we do not see what we can do. The people of First Baptist of Orlando just proved what is possible when they raised $5.6 million for Orlando's homeless kids after the report came out on 60 Minutes. They could have settled for complaining about what legislators have not done. They could have settled on business keeping their profits instead of hiring. There are a lot of targets they could have pointed at but they looked within themselves to see what they could do in their own community.

Now this lesson learned is being expanded to help homeless veterans. There is much we can do if we look at what is possible with caring hearts.

"Proof that miracles are possible when communities act to help their own. Cute little kids are inherently sympathetic. But homeless vets — many of whom are stricken with post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, addictions and disabilities — are often just as vulnerable.

And no less deserving, given their sacrifice.

They shouldn't have to cross their fingers and hope that Uncle Sam decides to be generous.

If you don't want Congress to make cuts to the housing-voucher program for homeless veterans, contact:

U.S. Rep. Sandra Adams at 202-225-2706 or https://adams.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster at 202-225-2176 or contact.webster@mail.house.gov"

Mobilize to help vets
Church's outpouring shows the community can act to end homelessness among GIs.

12:00 a.m. EDT, March 19, 2011


As Congress wrestles with a record deficit, lawmakers face some difficult choices.

We understand that some social programs might have to be scaled back.

But we're thunderstruck at the idea that a modest program to assist homeless veterans might get hacked by the budget axe. The target is a program that provides displaced vets with a voucher to pay for public housing and address medical care and counseling.

Lawmakers say the joint program of the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs is ripe with savings for the 2011 federal budget. A cool $75 million for the taking.

That is, if legislators take away 10,000 vouchers. The cuts that would hit Florida — home to the nation's second-largest homeless veteran population — especially hard.

Shredding a program that helps reboot the lives of troubled veterans is especially coldhearted. And hypocritical, given the flag-waving, patriotic tone of last year's congressional campaigns. Not to mention, it'd throw a wrench into the VA's noble, if Pollyannaish, goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

In contrast, congregants at First Baptist of Orlando this past weekend demonstrated that need sometimes can't wait on government intervention. Challenged by a guest speaker to help homeless local kids spotlighted recently on "60 Minutes," the church dug deep and came up with a remarkable $5.6 million outpouring.

Proof that miracles are possible when communities act to help their own.

read more here
Mobilize to help vets

War with Libya? Will Congress get it right this time?

This may be the first steps taken leading up to troops being sent into Libya. Let's pray that doesn't happen. The last thing we need is one more war to fight. The last thing the troops need is one more time congress does not debate sending them with all seriousness.

When the military was deciding how many troops to send into Afghanistan, congress was not debating any of it. They sure didn't debate how to take care of the wounded. No one thought about them. As the clock ticked and more died, more were wounded, the VA was not driven to increase staff any more than their budget was increased. Then came sending more troops into Iraq. Again, congress fell flat on their face squashing debate as being "anti-military" with some demanding they fully support the President in order to support the troops. Again, no one in congress demanded the VA be ready to take care of the wounded another war would create.

The men and women we sent are the ones paying the price. The American people were asked to contribute nothing toward the war efforts considered so vital to our security, billions were spent waging the wars. We ended up with a detached citizenry.

Today if you ask the average person about Iraq, they think all the troops are out of there. If you ask them about Afghanistan, all they will say is that it needs to end. Hardly no one knows how many died, were wounded or committed suicide because of combat. Even less know how many have PTSD and how many families are falling apart because of it.

Now there is talk about another military action in Libya. The no-fly zone could very well be the beginning of war since Moammar Gadhafi has shown very little interest in what his own people want or the rest of the world will tolerate. It is very unlikely a no-fly zone will be the end of this. Will congress do the right thing this time? Will they make sure this is the last option? Will they make sure the plans are in place ahead of time? Will they make sure contractors are held accountable? Will they make sure the DOD and the VA are ready to take care of the wounded another war will create? Will the American people be asked to sacrifice anything instead of just military families?

Prompt military moves afoot over Libya
By the CNN Wire Staff
March 18, 2011 8:23 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: French official says action could begin in several hours
NEW: Britain says it's starting preparations to deploy aircraft
NEW: Gadhafi quoted as saying "I'm going to win"

(CNN) -- Military action against the Moammar Gadhafi regime could begin in the coming hours, a French government spokesman said on Friday, hours after the U.N. Security Council authorized the use of force to protect besieged civilians in Libya.

Speaking in an interview with RTL radio, Francois Baroin said France plans to participate in what he described as "swift" efforts.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain has started preparations to deploy aircraft, and "in the coming hours" they will move to air bases where they will be positioned for any "necessary action."

One Libyan official, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim, said the Gadhafi regime supports a cease-fire. But a defiant Gadhafi, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro on Friday sloughed off the threat of an attack, saying, "I'm going to win because the people are with me."
The decisive Security Council move comes after weeks of civil war between the Gadhafi regime and opposition forces, a conflict spurred by an anti-government uprising and regime violence against civilians -- which the U.N. resolution cites as "outrageous."

Breaking down a no-fly zone over Libya Libya reacts to no-fly zone Libyan amb. still hopeful for airstrikes UN okays no-fly zone in Libya

The council Thursday night voted 10 to 0 with five abstentions to authorize "states to take all necessary measures to protect civilians" and it imposed a no-fly zone, banning all flights in Libyan airspace, with exceptions that involve humanitarian aid and evacuation of foreign nationals.
read more here
Prompt military moves afoot over Libya

Female soldiers' suicide rate triples when at war

Female soldiers' suicide rate triples when at war
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
The suicide rate for female soldiers triples when they go to war, according to the first round of preliminary data from an Army study.

The findings, released to USA TODAY this week, show that the suicide rate rises from five per 100,000 to 15 per 100,000 among female soldiers at war. Scientists are not sure why but say they will look into whether women feel isolated in a male-dominated war zone or suffer greater anxieties about leaving behind children and other loved ones.

Even so, the suicide risk for female soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan is still lower than for men serving next to them, the $50 million study says.

Findings also show that marriage somehow helps inoculate male and female soldiers from killing themselves while they are overseas. Although these death rates among GI's who are single or divorced double when they go to war, the rate among married soldiers does not increase, according to the study.

Scientists say they hope these and other findings will help them tease out protective social patterns — such as, for example, that sense in a marriage of mattering to someone else — that can be encouraged or instilled in all soldiers to lower the risk of suicide.

"One of the big things we're interested in now is digging into this marriage thing and saying, 'What is it you get, by being married? And how could we put it in a bottle so we can give it to everybody, whether or not they're married?" says Ronald Kessler, a psychiatric epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School who is working on the project.
read more here
Female soldiers' suicide rate triples when at war

Mom of fallen Guardsman needs help fighting Westboro

Patty Sourivong thought she heard the worst words when she was told her son was killed serving in Iraq. Then came news that Westboro was going to to picket the funeral. This meant her son was selected as a target. They don't protest every military funeral. They pick the ones they think will get them the most attention. It also meant that Westboro stalked the family, showing up at the funeral.

The Westboro Group has lawyers that can fight any legal battle for free. Some of them are lawyers. They manage to be protected under free speech and as a "church" so the law protects whatever they do more than they protect the families they target. There is so much wrong here it is hard to know where to begin.

Free speech is important and needs to be defended, no matter what people want to say, but this isn't about free speech. No one has tried to silence them, even though most people in this country wish they would stop. What this is about is forcing families to listen to them, see their signs at the moment they are trying to bury someone they love.

Mother of fallen 'Ironman' soldier fighting ruling on funeral protests

By MARK CARLSON, mark.carlson@sourcemedia.net
Thursday, March 17, 2011

IOWA CITY --- The mother of a fallen soldier wants the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that permits protesters outside military funerals. Patty Sourivong said she is launching a campaign to collect signatures from others who, like her, don't support the ruling.

"Everyone who signs it is a voice for those soldiers," she said.

The ruling was in favor of members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who have protested at hundreds of military funerals nationally. The group says the casualties are God's way of punishing America for tolerating homosexuality.

Spc. Kampha Sourivong, an Iowa City West High School graduate and a member of the Iowa Army National Guard 1st Battalion 133rd Infantry "Ironman Battalion," headquartered in Waterloo, was killed by enemy fire while serving in Iraq in 2006. Members of the church traveled from Kansas to picket at his funeral.

"They're just plain heartless," his mother said. "Who goes to a service or a gravesite to picket somebody?"
read more here
Mother of fallen Ironman soldier fighting ruling on funeral protests

The rest of us have the right to listen or walk away. We have the right to read something or avoid it. The court managed to protect kids from having to see x-rated magazines by passing laws but they can't manage to pass a law to protect families during a funeral? Free speech only means something when people are also free to listen or not. Being forced to listen to it during a funeral with a captive audience is not free speech. Sourivong needs all the help she can get to fight for all the other families to come so they won't have to feel her pain.

Are wounded National Guardsmen being treated differently?

1st Lt. David Inbody's Dad says they are. We send them to go to war just like regular military members but National Guards/Reservists, the citizen soldiers end up being treated differently back home. They end up being deployed, taken away from their regular jobs and families and then they come home expected to just adapt back, picking up where they left. Now we are made aware of the conditions they face when they are wounded and in military hospitals.

Father says soldier son was forgotten
Perry demands better tracking of wounded Guardsmen

Updated: Thursday, 17 Mar 2011, 7:45 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 17 Mar 2011, 3:22 PM CDT

Erin Cargile
AUSTIN (KXAN) - A Hays County father said the Texas Army National Guard needs to do a better job of tracking wounded warriors.

KXAN Austin News has been following 1st Lt. David Inbody's road to recovery since he was injured in Afghanistan in July 2010. He lost his right foot when his convoy hit a roadside bomb. He was flown to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., for surgery before being transferred to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio where he was fitted with a prosthetic foot.

During David's stay at Walter Reed, his father immediately picked up on a few things.

"Things that the Army was doing for it's regular personnel weren't happening for the guardsmen," said Don Inbody.

For example, Don noticed a commander of an Airborne unit putting displaying special patches on an injured soldiers hospital room door. He mentioned it to two Texas National Guard General's when they came by to visit.

"They both assured me they would get that sorted out in a hurry -- never happened," said Don. "My thinking is if you can't do the little things, what's going on with the big things?"
read more here
Father says soldier son was forgotten