Louisiana police officer dies protecting daughter and 2,000 guardsmen activated as storm toll climbs

"In Choctaw County, Miss., a Louisiana police officer was killed Wednesday morning when a towering sweetgum tree fell onto his tent as he shielded his young daughter with his body. The girl wasn’t hurt."

2,000 guardsmen activated as storm toll climbs
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 28, 2011 7:50:10 EDT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — About 2,000 Alabama National Guard soldiers were being deployed around the state as dozens of tornadoes wiped out neighborhoods across a wide swath of the South, killing at least 201 people in the deadliest outbreak in nearly 40 years. Officials said Thursday they expected the death toll to rise.

Alabama’s state emergency management agency said it had confirmed 131 deaths, while there were 32 in Mississippi, 16 in Tennessee, 13 in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Kentucky.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said it received 137 tornado reports around the regions into Wednesday night.

“We were in the bathroom holding on to each other and holding on to dear life,” said Samantha Nail, who lives in a blue-collar subdivision in the Birmingham suburb of Pleasant Grove, where the storm slammed heavy pickup trucks into ditches and obliterated tidy brick houses, leaving behind a mess of mattresses, electronics and children’s toys scattered across a grassy plain where dozens used to live. “If it wasn’t for our concrete walls, our home would be gone like the rest of them.”

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2,000 guardsmen activated as storm toll climbs

Good Samaritan Saves Veterans From Burning Home

Good Samaritan Saves Veterans From Burning Home

A Good Samaritan saved seven men from a fiery death by alerting them of the fire.

"We were on our way home from the grocery store when we saw this smoke. We pulled over to see what it was, and their house was on fire. And they had no idea their house was on fire. So we told everyone, got everyone out of the house, and called the fire department," said Jamie Coffman, the Good Samaritan.

Some of the veterans who lived in the home were previously homeless, or recovering from substance abuse.

Everyone inside was able to get out safe.

"I didn't even smell the smoke, nothing, took us all by surprise," said Victor Mejia, one of six veteran's who lived at the group home.

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Good Samaritan Saves Veterans From Burning Home

Missing Vietnam War memorial plaque sold online, found headed to Thailand

Investigation turns up Cumberland memorial plaque for Vietnam veterans

By James Halpin
Staff writer
How exactly a veteran's memorial plaque that had been missing from Fayetteville for years ended up in a crate bound for Thailand remains a mystery.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents recently intercepted the plaque, dedicated to Vietnam servicemen who were missing in action or prisoners of war, at the Port of Long Beach in California, according to the Los Angeles Border Enforcement Security Task Force.

"It was bought off the Internet," said Suzette Schrump, whose father-in-law's name is among those on the plaque. "We believe it was being sold as a trophy to go back to 'Nam. What a disgrace."
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Investigation turns up Cumberland memorial plaque

New Zealand Veteran confronts fake Vietnam Hero

"That record shows Bateman never left New Zealand as part of his service."

THE SOUTHLAND TIMES GEOFF BATEMAN: Told The Southland Times on Anzac Day that he volunteered for Vietnam in 1968.

Veteran changes Vietnam story
JARED MORGAN
A man masquerading as a Vietnam veteran has confessed to a military record that shows he never served in the conflict after a genuine ex-serviceman paid him a house call today.

The Southland Times tagged along this morning as Graeme Henderson, who served as a warrant officer with 161 Battery in South Vietnam in 1971, knocked on Geoff Bateman's door and asked for an explanation.

Geoff Bateman told the Times on Anzac Day that he volunteered for Vietnam in 1968, the height of the conflict and the peak of anti-war protests.

When pressed for details of his service, he said he would not talk about it the memories were painful and he had "lost mates".

Yesterday he maintained the story when questioned, saying: "Yeah, I was in Vietnam.''

Today, he recanted that, claimed he had never served in the conflict and that he never said he did.

However, his confused wife Urmilla Wati demanded to know why her husband was being questioned.

Her husband had told her throughout their relationship and two-year marriage he had served in the war, she said.
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Veteran changes Vietnam story

72 year young Vietnam era-veteran walking 2,300 miles for others

Vietnam veteran walking 2,300 miles to thank comrades in arms

Written by
DON WALKER
FLORIDA TODAY

Those who say they support American troops and the sacrifices they make for country should walk a mile in Al Slusser's shoes.

Since April 4, the Vietnam War-era Navy veteran has treaded 260-plus miles of U.S. 1, walking north from Key West and bound for Fort Kent, Maine. That might seem an impossible 2,300 miles, but the former principal, who was happily retired in Cottonwood, Ariz., already has completed a cross-country trek that spanned from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts.

Tuesday afternoon, Slusser gave his feet a rest just outside Cocoa, where he planned to stay the night. He'll head out again this morning on his Great America Walk, dedicated to the honor of all U.S. veterans.

"I just want to thank veterans for their service and show respect to them I think they deserve," the 72-year-old Slusser said. "I'm not raising money, just recognition for their service, what they've done and what they do. They put their lives on hold, their families and dreams, and put their lives on the line for this country."
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Vietnam veteran walking 2,300 miles to thank comrades in arms

San Diego Naval Hospital Treats 15 for ‘Spice’

San Diego Naval Hospital Treats 15 for ‘Spice’

April 27, 2011
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Naval Medical Center says it admitted 15 sailors over a five-month period last year for use of a synthetic drug that mimics marijuana.

Doctors say side effects of the drug often known as Spice include hallucinations, paranoia and confusion that can become debilitating. The symptoms can often last days.
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San Diego Naval Hospital Treats 15 for ‘Spice’

Post-Vietnam-Era Vets Have Highest Substance Use Rate

Post-Vietnam-Era Vets Have Highest Substance Use Rate

Last Updated: April 27, 2011.


Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness more likely to have substance use disorder


Substance use rates are highest in war veterans who served in the post-Vietnam era, and in those who served in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan and have comorbid diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, according to a study published in the May-June issue of the American Journal on Addictions.

WEDNESDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- Substance use rates are highest in war veterans who served in the post-Vietnam era (VET), and in those who served in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) in Iraq and Afghanistan and have comorbid diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, according to a study published in the May-June issue of the American Journal on Addictions.
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Post-Vietnam-Era Vets Have Highest Substance Use Rate

Nonprofit putting wounded from Fort Meade to work

Nonprofit to hire 48 wounded vets
By BEN WEATHERS Staff Writer
Published 04/27/11
The nonprofit group that takes over a multimillion-dollar contract for maintenance services at Fort George G. Meade this summer expects to hire up to 170 people.

While Upper Marlboro-based Melwood may hire many of the men and woman now working for the outgoing contractor, it is looking to add 48 people with special qualifications - veterans wounded in the service of their country.

Melwood CEO Janice Frey-Angel said her group is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Maryland Center for Veteran Education and Training to identify potential candidates. Candidates may have cognitive, mental health and physical disabilities, as well as brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The group also is recruiting the 200 soldiers in Fort Meade's Warrior in Transition unit, which helps servicemen and women return to civilian life, said Fort Meade spokeswoman Mary Doyle.

"Being able to provide veterans with jobs has been one of Melwood's missions," Frey-Angel said. "Being on base, it's a familiar (environment for them) - it's not like taking them out of their comfort zone. In many ways, it gives us the opportunity … to do our job, meet our mission and also help the country."

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Nonprofit to hire 48 wounded vets

173 dead after tornadoes, media spends day on one birth certificate

UPDATE 6:30

Southern storms: 'I don't know how anyone survived'
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 28, 2011 5:59 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Nearly 1 million customers without power
Death toll nears 200 in Alabama
President Obama calls storms "heartbreaking," will travel to Alabama on Friday
More than 1,100 are people treated at hospitals
Read more about this story from CNN affiliates WBMA-TV and WIAT-TV. Is severe weather affecting you? Share stories, photos and video with iReport.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CNN) -- Public and private assistance -- in the form of food, tarps and hugs -- began arriving Thursday in storm-battered Southern communities that lost nearly 300 people and saw once-familiar neighborhoods reduced to piles of debris.
The grim death toll continued to rise across the region, with 284 counted in six states. Nearly 1 million customers were without electricity in seven states.
The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 195 people perished, said Gov. Robert Bentley.
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I don't know how anyone survived

Update 3:05

250 die as storms carve up South
More victims are being found after a tornado outbreak that leveled entire neighborhoods and crippled towns in six Southern states. Alabama was hardest hit with 162 dead.
FULL STORY

UPDATE

Violent Storms Rip Through 6 Southern States, Kill at Least 200

Storms rip across the South, killing at least 173
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 28, 2011 8:01 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Alabama governor: Some University of Alabama students died
The death toll in Alabama skyrockets to 128
Birmingham's mayor says many people are missing and hundreds are injured
"My bathroom is across the street," a resident says

(CNN) -- Daylight illuminated a scene of utter devastation across many areas of the South Thursday, following storms of near-epic proportions that killed as many as 173 people in five states.

The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 128 people perished, Jennifer Ardis, a spokeswoman for Gov. Robert Bentley, told CNN Thursday. A breakdown provided by Ardis showed that violent weather claimed lives in 16 Alabama counties. The hardest hit was DeKalb County, where 30 people perished.

Before dawn Thursday, Mississippi emergency management officials also added 14 previously unreported fatalities to the count, increasing the death toll in that state to 32, officials said. At least one person died in both Arkansas and Tennessee and 11 died in Georgia.

Entire neighborhoods were leveled and hundreds of thousands of people were without power.

"This could be one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the nation's history by the time it's over," CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris said.
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Storms rip across the South, killing at least 173

It is silly season after all when the media has been following around Donald Trump and giving the "birth issue" coverage instead of covering a massive story like this. As Jon Stewart pointed out last night, Trump was taking credit for Obama releasing the "long form" birth certificate and felt as if he had done "something really important" by causing the release when if Trump really cared about this country, he'd take that helicopter to some of these areas hit by tornadoes and actually do something to be proud of since it is because of him no one is giving these states the attention they deserve. These are real lives but Trump turned a non-story into every cable station covering it. They even had to waste time talking about if the coverage is over or not!

Wednesday April 27, 2011

Believe It or Believe It
Obama Releases Long-Form Birth Certificate
Barack Obama expresses his sad disappointment in Americans, and Donald Trump proudly takes credit. (07:18)

Ohio veterans have money waiting for them while they count pocket change

Many Ohio veterans aren't applying for benefits


Posted: Apr 27, 2011
By Dave Dykema - email
By Jonathan Walsh, Reporter


Toledo, OH -
TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Tens-of-thousands of veterans in Ohio are supposed to be getting some money from the state, but so far they haven't applied.

Anyone who served in the Persian Gulf War or Iraq or Afghanistan is eligible for up to $1,500. Families of fallen soldiers could get up to $6,500.

Former Marine Brad Luderman says, "I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't know about it."

Luderman served in Iraq in 2003, 2004, 2005. When he got back he applied for the Ohio Veterans bonus money last October.

"When they first came out with it they said it would be within 8 weeks and here it is 5-6 months later and I still haven't got it," Luderman said. "But I'll get it eventually."

He says he just talked to program reps Tuesday and was told some more paperwork is needed. Despite the delay, he says the application is not hard.
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Many Ohio veterans aren't applying for benefits

Is iPhone a risk to security of deployed troops?

When we talk about not wanting to be tracked by the iPhone, we do it because we don't like to have our privacy challenged. When the owner of an iPhone happens to be in the military, we should be asking if this is putting their lives at risk.

Stop and think about all the programs that are supposed to be secure only to discover they have been hacked because someone else was smarter.

Apple Sued Over iPhone Data Privacy
The disclosure of Unique Device Identifiers associated with Apple's mobile devices represents a privacy law violation, the complaint claims.

By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek
February 01, 2011 02:56 PM
Apple last week was sued in San Jose, Calif., for alleged privacy and state business law violations arising from its disclosure of iPhone device identifiers and personal information.

Plaintiff Anthony Chiu, a resident of Alameda, Calif., claims that Apple knowingly transmits data to third parties that can be used to identify users of Apple's mobile devices, without user consent and in violation of various laws. The legal filing also targets 50 unnamed "John Doe" defendants, raising the possibility that third-party developers of apps that use the data in question could wind up in court.

We spoke with Chris Sather, Product Management for Network Defense at McAfee about McAfee's next generation firewalls that analyze relationships and not protocols.

The case hinges on Apple's use Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs), serial numbers associated with every mobile device. The complaint states that Apple allows UDIDs to be displayed to application developers and allows downloaded apps to access the user's browsing history whenever the user clicks on an ad or application using his or her mobile device.
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Apple Sued Over iPhone Data Privacy

These are not just personal phones heading into combat with the troops, but they have been handed out to them by the military as a new weapon to help them. What happens if someone hacks into them and finds out where they are if these phones are tracking their every move? If iPhones can track anyone, what about iPods? The troops are using iPod Touch.

Apple’s New Weapon
To help soldiers make sense of data from drones, satellites and ground sensors, the U.S. military now issues the iPod Touch.

Tying the hands of a person who is speaking, the Arab proverb goes, is akin to "tying his tongue." Western soldiers in Iraq know how important gestures can be when communicating with locals. To close, open and close a fist means "light," but just opening a fist means "bomb." One soldier recently home from Iraq once tried to order an Iraqi man to lie down. To get his point across, the soldier had to demonstrate by stretching out in the dirt. Translation software could help, but what's the best way to make it available in the field?

The U.S. military in the past would give a soldier an electronic handheld device, made at great expense specially for the battlefield, with the latest software. But translation is only one of many software applications soldiers now need. The future of "networked warfare" requires each soldier to be linked electronically to other troops as well as to weapons systems and intelligence sources. Making sense of the reams of data from satellites, drones and ground sensors cries out for a handheld device that is both versatile and easy to use. With their intuitive interfaces, Apple devices—the iPod Touch and, to a lesser extent, the iPhone—are becoming the handhelds of choice.

Using a commercial product for such a crucial military role is a break from the past. Compared with devices built to military specifications, iPods are cheap. Apple, after all, has already done the research and manufacturing without taxpayer money. The iPod Touch retails for under $230, whereas a device made specifically for the military can cost far more.
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Apple's New Weapon

As you can see from the Apple site, it looks like the same technology is available. If they can find a lost iPod Touch, then their iPods can be traced as well.

If you lose your iPod touch, help is only a tap away.
Locate your iPod touch on a map.
Apple iPod Touch
People misplace things all the time. Fortunately, if your iPod touch is one of those things, Find My iPod touch can help. It’s a feature that’s part of MobileMe, but now it’s also free on every iPod touch (4th generation) with iOS 4.2 or later.1 Enable Find My iPod touch in Settings. Then if you misplace your iPod touch, you can sign in to me.com from any computer web browser or using the Find My iPhone app on another iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad to display its approximate location on a map.2

They say the reason they need to do this is to track you!

Why Apple and Google need to stalk you


By David Goldman, staff writerApril 28, 2011: 5:18 AM ET


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Apple, Google and Microsoft have finally cleared up most of the mysteries about how and why the smartphones their software runs store your location information.

Here's the run-down:

Are they tracking you? Sort of. Companies that design smartphone operating systems like Apple, Google, Research In Motion, Microsoft and Nokia all collect current and historical data about your location that, the companies say, is anonymized and can't be traced back to you.

The information that's collected is uploaded to massive databases maintained by the companies. A very small part of those databases are stored on your phone. The information tracked is actually not comprised of your specific locations, but rather the locations of the Wi-Fi network routers and cell towers around you.

What exactly are the companies doing with your data? The information is used for two reasons: To provide a way to locate you if GPS is unavailable, and to more quickly locate a GPS signal when one is around.
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Why Apple and Google need to stalk you

Vietnam Vet's son, Mark Wills, spokesperson for Military Outreach Program

Mark Wills Is New Spokesperson for Military Outreach Program
Posted Apr 27th 2011 8:30AM by Cory Stromblad
Mark Wills has been asked to be the official spokesperson for the 'Crazy Being Home' military outreach program. The singer will kick off the campaign with a performance at the 6th Annual National MilBlog Conference in Washington D.C. on April 29. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield has been confirmed to appear at the conference.

The program was created to raise national awareness for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), two crippling, long-term effects of war service. The organization is a subdivision of the USA Warrior Treatment Today program.

Mark has a personal connection the the cause. His father experienced disabling psychological symptoms after serving in the Vietnam War.

"When my dad returned, he was inexplicably a changed man. The problem was we didn't know what it was or what to do for him," Mark recalls. "Now we know he was suffering from PTSD. It's sad that even still today, too many men and women who sacrificed their lives, go without diagnosis, help or treatment. We're hoping to change that."

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Mark Wills Is New Spokesperson

American GI, nonissue to Americans

Now that President Obama kills birth issue, releases certificate the cable news stations will just go back to focusing on the royal wedding. After that there will probably be another celebrity getting into trouble or one more politician making stupid claims even the average American is insulted by.

Today an Afghan Colonel opens fire, kills 6 US soldiers at airport when they were there trying to train the Afghans to take control over their own security and their own future. These six soldiers, along with the thousands of others dead, have no future other than to have their bodies carried back to the US under a flag. What will the cable "news" stations be focused on? The wedding and the birth issue as one by one talking heads will try one more time to spin the news and talking points their way. Talk radio is just as bad. Is there any wonder why the American public considers the troops and our veterans a nonissue?

Arlington Graves Of Iraq And Afghanistan Vets Digitized By Teen

Arlington Graves Of Iraq And Afghanistan Vets Digitized By Teen
by MARK MEMMOTT
"Richard 'Ricky' Gilleland III — 11th-grader and Junior Future Business Leaders of America computer ace — has succeeded where the Army failed," the Los Angeles Times writes this morning. "He has created the only digitized record of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans laid to rest at Arlington [National Cemetery]. His website, PreserveAndHonor.com, is a reverent catalog of the fallen, and one young man's response to a scandal of Army mismanagement, mismarked graves and unmarked remains that has rocked this hallowed place for two years."

"It's a tool to help remember people. They can go on and think, 'Wow, look at all these people who gave their lives just so I can walk around,' " 17-year-old Ricky tells the Times. He has focused on the cemetery's Section 60, "where about 700 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are buried, more than anywhere else in the country," the Times says.
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Arlington Graves Of Iraq And Afghanistan Vets Digitized By Teen