Facebook users care about troops sacrifices and love

For those I love I will sacrifice is a post that has me stunned right now.

Sometime yesterday, someone on Facebook managed to do what I have not been able to do in the four years this blog has been up. They sent this post out and the hits kept coming.

Usually I am thrilled with 1,000 hits a day on this blog. Last night the blog was getting that many in an hour.

I have no clue what Facebook user managed to do this but I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation!

Above this post about combat medics in Afghanistan on Forward Operating Base PASAB. One of the photos taken was of a young soldier, Pfc. Kyle Hockenberry, wounded by an IED. What made him stand out from the other outstanding pictures in this Stars and Stripes article was his tattoo. On his right side he has the words, For those I love I will sacrifice.

To me, there could not have been a more clear message. That is exactly what they are like. I've been doing this for almost 30 years now and I can tell you that they are brave beyond measure but they are also more loving than they get credit for. You can't do what they do every day if they did not love so deeply. Imagine being willing to die for the sake of someone else by choice and not by circumstance. That requires love.

Anyway, click the link above and you'll know what else I had to say about this. The blessing went beyond this post. My video documentaries also received more views and these videos are my passion. They are about people the media pretty much ignore. The National Vietnam War Museum is getting more attention. First Church of Christ, the church that took in a homeless Vietnam veteran out of love is getting more attention. Pastor Joel took in Staff Sgt. Andrew Wright and his son managed to find him after searching for all his life for him. He found him while serving in Iraq in the Marines. Homes for Our Troops is getting more attention and the outstanding veterans in the video are being paid attention to.

This act of love out of a Facebook user will end up helping more than they ever dreamed of and much more than I prayed for.

If you are the one who spread the word about this post, please contact me so that I can know who my guardian angel is.

Looking After the Soldier, Back Home and Damaged

Looking After the Soldier, Back Home and Damaged
By CATRIN EINHORN
September 27, 2011

RAY CITY, Ga. — April and Tom Marcum were high school sweethearts who married after graduation.

For years, she recalls, he was a doting husband who would leave love notes for her to discover on the computer or in her purse. Now the closest thing to notes that they exchange are the reminders she set up on his cellphone that direct him to take his medicine four times a day.

He usually ignores them, and she ends up having to make him do it.

Since Mr. Marcum came back in 2008 from two tours in Iraq with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, his wife has quit her job as a teacher to care for him. She has watched their life savings drain away. And she has had to adjust to an entirely new relationship with her husband, who faces a range of debilitating problems including short-term memory loss and difficulties with impulse control and anger.
read more here

Retired Vietnam veteran receives Soldier's Medal at Ft. Eustis

Retired Vietnam veteran receives Soldier's Medal at Ft. Eustis
September 26, 2011

Today, retired Lt. Colonel Harold Campbell received the Soldier’s Medal for Bravery for saving about 50 civilian refugees in Vietnam after their camp caught fire.

"I feel good about what we did and the fact so many people took so much time to make this day happen,” says Campbell.

Retired Lt. Colonel says receiving the Soldier’s medal for bravery means more to him today than it would have in 1968.
read more here

101st Airborne soldiers help welcome Vietnam veteran home

101st Airborne soldiers help welcome Vietnam veteran home
Hundreds turn out for Grundy County funeral
Sep. 27, 2011

Written by
Philip Grey
The Leaf-Chronicle

PALMER, Tenn. — As rain poured in sheets on a small cemetery in Grundy County on Monday, the family of Spc. Marvin Foster Phillips closed a chapter of their lives that had remained open for 45 years.

Phillips was declared missing in action in Vietnam after his helicopter was shot down over the South China Sea. Since his disappearance, many friends and relatives over the years had traced out his name on the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C.

And finally, he is home.

In commemorating Phillips' return Monday, the honor guard from 96th Aviation Support Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, performed flawlessly, from standing guard at Layne Funeral Home, to transporting the remains to the Grundy County High School gymnasium, to graveside honors at Palmer Cemetery.
read more here

Wounded Iraq Veteran Still Dancing With the Stars

Martinez continues on 'Dancing with the Stars'
Written by
Alane S. Megna
The Leaf-Chronicle

Iraq war veteran J.R. Martinez and his professional partner Karina Smirnoff advanced on Tuesday's results show to the third week of competition in ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." In the previous night's competition, they had tied for second on the judges' leaderboard based on the strength of high-flying jive.

Martinez is a former infantry soldier with the 101st Airborne Division's Strike Brigade at Fort Campbell. After being severely injured in the war and leaving the Army, he became a motivational speaker and an actor.
read more here

Dakota Meyer, a Medal of Honor recipient, still wants to serve

September 26, 2011, 9:06 PM
Medal of Honor Recipient Gets Extension for Fire Dept. Application
By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS

Richard Perry/The New York Times
Dakota Meyer, a Medal of Honor recipient, at the National September 11 Memorial.

A Marine who fought his way into an ambush in Afghanistan to rescue dozens of people wants to continue to save people by becoming a New York City firefighter.

A federal judge in Brooklyn agreed on Monday to extend the New York Fire Department application period for 24 hours for the Marine, who was awarded the Medal of Honor, to make that happen.

The application period will reopen for the Marine, Dakota Meyer, a sergeant in the inactive reserve, at midnight Monday and close at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, but it will be open for him only.

His lawyer says that is a problem. “My client does not feel that he deserves any special treatment,” said the lawyer, Keith M. Sullivan. “He has said that it’s not what he wanted and he doesn’t think it’s fair.”
read more here

More than 3,000 motorcycle riders set to honor Vietnam fallen

More than 3,000 motorcycle riders set to honor Vietnam fallen

By: Mike Vielhaber, newsnet5.com
CLINTON, Ohio - It’s truly a unique way to honor those who died during the Vietnam War. On Saturday, Nov. 12, the day after Veterans Day, 3,095 motorcycles will thunder through Summit County to honor those killed during the Vietnam War.

The Ride for 3,095 is being organized by those who volunteer and operate the Ohio Memorial Veterans Park in the small town of Clinton, south of Akron in Summit County.

There were 3,095 Ohioans killed during the Vietnam War and each name is displayed on the Wall in Clinton. Organizers are making flags for each of the 3,095 Ohio armed service members that were killed during the war to be displayed on motorcycles.

Each flag will have the fallen service member's name, rank and branch of military, along with a large image of the Purple Heart.

read more here

New York Councilman helps Vietnam vet evicted by city

Vietnam vet evicted by city on the list for a new home after councilman intervention

BY DANIEL BEEKMAN
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Wednesday, September 28th 2011

David Maurinac served his country as a Marine, worked as a missionary, cared for his sick father and paid his rent on time.

But last Friday, the New York City Housing Authority kicked him to the curb, says a local City Councilman.

NYCHA moved to evict Maurinac from the Pelham Parkway Houses due to a technicality: the 70-year-old Vietnam War veteran never added his name to the lease for the apartment he inherited.

Maurinac was headed for the shelter system until City Councilman James Vacca (D-East Bronx) persuaded NYCHA to delay the eviction and found the vet a new home. Now Vacca wants NYCHA to do more to educate and relocate its tenants.

"I did absolutely nothing wrong," Maurinac said. "I paid my rent every month."

The Iona College graduate - who served 13 months in Vietnam and worked as a Catholic missionary in Taiwan - grew up in the Pelham Parkway Houses.

He moved back to the housing project more than 15 years ago to care for his cancer-stricken father, who died in 2004.
read more here

Even in death, the bond, the band of brothers cannot be broken

7 Soldiers From Fort Hood Come to Valley to Pay Respects
Reported by: Melissa Correa
Email: melissac@krgv.com
Last Update: 9/27 9:55 pm

MCALLEN - Seven soldiers arrived in the Valley. They traveled from Fort Hood to say goodbye to a co-worker, a war hero, a brother.

Even in death, the bond, the band of brothers cannot be broken.

“In the military, people come and go. You never really get that close, but ‘Speedy’ is one of those people that he's like a brother to me. I probably know him better than I know my brothers,” says soldier Malcolm Garcia.

"Speedy" was Staff Sgt. Estevan Altamirano. The 30-year old got the nickname because he was often seen whizzing around a military base.
read more here

Rising Suicides Stump Military Leaders, duh

For the last ten years they've been stumped because they have been listening to and paying the wrong people. Repeating the same failed programs with these results has not managed to sink in. With this attitude, they'd still be using bows and arrows.

Rising Suicides Stump Military Leaders
By KRISTINA WONG @kristina_wong
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2011
The U.S. military doesn't need September's Suicide Prevention Month to realize it has a problem within its ranks.

The increase in suicide deaths is one of the most distressing issues facing military leaders who want to reduce the rates among active-duty service members. More than 2,000 of them have killed themselves in the past decade, including 295 last year compared with 153 in 2001.

Despite their best suicide-prevention efforts, reducing the number of military suicides has been a frustrating challenge, military leaders acknowledged earlier this month at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. Recent efforts have included increasing at-risk service members' access to mental health professionals, while reducing the stigma attached to mental health care. Internet outreach, including "video chats," has also shown some promise.

The difficulty, however, is in identifying which initiatives work best and deciphering the multiple triggers that can lead to suicide within the armed services, which accounts for a small fraction of the total number of people who serve.

The most commonly identified risk factors and "stressors", according to the leaders who testified, are relationship issues, work-related problems, financial pressure, legal concerns, alcoholism and substance abuse.
read more here

“Celebration of Service” initiative to honor U.S. military veterans

As Chaplain of the Orlando DAV Auxiliary, I can tell you that this group should have a lot more attention. After all, our Chapter was one of the projects Home Depot took on with Mission Continues. Now they are helping out even more.

When it comes to a real "welcome home" to our veterans, Home Depot has been making sure their homes are better than what they are able to do for themselves.

U.S.VETS & The Home Depot Foundation Announce 2012 Veteran Housing Rehabilitation Project
UNITED STATES VETERANS INITIATIVE AND THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE 2012 VETERAN HOUSING REHABILITATION PROJECT FOR HOMELESS AND LOW-INCOME VETERANS

Creating Transitional and Permanent Housing for 160 Veterans and Veteran Families in St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19, 2011 — The United States Veterans Initiative (U.S.VETS) and The Home Depot® Foundation today announced the 2012 Veteran Housing Rehabilitation project to expand housing for homeless and low-income veterans in the District of Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri. As part of its “Celebration of Service” initiative to honor U.S. military veterans, The Home Depot® Foundation has awarded U.S.VETS $400,000 to support the launch of its newest site in St. Louis and increase the capacity of its location in the Nation’s capital.

Funding from The Home Depot Foundation will enable U.S.VETS to expand its presence and provide programs and services to twice as many veterans in the D.C. area, while also replicating many of its most successful programs for a new population of veterans in St. Louis. These services include residential and reintegration programs for disabled veterans; education, employment and preventative mental health services for recently returned Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; as well as focused and specific services for women veterans.

“A new generation of men and women are coming home from service to fight another battle – the transition back to civilian life,” said Stephen Peck, President and CEO of U.S.VETS. “They join thousands of veterans from previous wars in their struggles with homelessness, unemployment, and mental trauma. We are grateful to have the support of The Home Depot Foundation and this opportunity to expand our services and presence in the places where veterans’ needs are also growing.”
read more here

More troops' mild brain trauma diagnosed

More troops' mild brain trauma diagnosed
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

Nearly 1,400 U.S. servicemembers were found to have concussions or mild brain injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq this year under a program that forces servicemembers to take a break from combat when exposed to a blast or other jarring incident.

The military has pulled about 9,000 servicemembers from combat for short periods of time to look for signs of brain injury after blasts that caused no obvious wounds, according to data given to USA TODAY.

Most of the servicemembers were OK; those with symptoms of dizziness, headaches and difficulty processing thoughts were kept out of combat until the problems went away, the Army said.

"Under the rule, troops caught within about 165 feet of a blast must be pulled from combat for 24 hours and examined for signs of concussion. The data on the results of that policy are from August 2010 — when the treatment plan for concussions was initiated — through June."

read more here

Denver Drug Court Opens a Special Track for Veterans

Does having PTSD give them the right to break the law? No and they don't expect to be able to do it any more than they want to break the law. When it comes to combat veterans this goes far beyond the normal because they are not "normal" citizens. Normal citizens live in a tiny world of their own with their own problems focusing on their own needs, wants and desires first. Face it, we're basically self-centered, caring about people in our lives and oblivious to others. While combat veterans have the same wants, needs and desires as the rest of us, they didn't put themselves first when they decided to serve in the military. The country came first, in other words, all of us. Then it was the men and women they served with coming before themselves. Their family and friends came after that and they were willing to be away from them so they could do what the country asked of them. This all came with a higher price for a third of them.

When what they saw and what they did became too heavy on their souls, they sought help reluctantly. Why? Not just because of what some experts point to as a stigma. It goes beyond that. People like them are the ones being turned to to help and they are the least likely to ask for it for themselves. When they do seek it, most of the time it is a battle to get and when they do get it, it is not what they need. When almost half of the suicide deaths came after seeking help, that is a massive inditement on the support they have waiting for them.

Medications are another issue. Some have been found to be useless. Some have been found to do more harm than good. Can anyone really wonder why they would end up using drugs or drinking to numb their pain away and calm themselves down? Can anyone blame them for avoiding what has been passed off as "care" when they see their buddies getting worse instead of better?

This is why there is a great need for Veterans' Courts. They have broken the law. The same law attached to the nation they were willing to die for. With Veterans' Courts they end up having someone with knowledge watching over them instead of just pushing them away or locking them up. They have to do their part and do what the judge orders them to do or they end up in jail. This is not a "get out of jail free" pass but it is a chance to heal.

Denver Drug Court Opens a Special Track for Veterans
September 27, 2011 By Zachary Willis

Earlier this month, the Denver Adult Drug Court implemented a Veterans Track within its existing problem-solving courts program. As a result, some military veterans charged with non-violent crimes may now have the opportunity to be enrolled in the court-monitored treatment and accountability program.

The drug court program was expanded to create the new track, which is designed to balance the specialized treatment needs of veterans with the need to protect the community’s safety. The goal is to provide non-violent offenders with effective treatment while still holding them accountable for their actions.

According to the press release from State Judicial, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals reports that one in six veterans returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from a substance abuse challenge; one in five has symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive impairment. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be an underlying factor in crimes allegedly committed by veterans and their subsequent involvement with the criminal justice system.
read more here

Do you have a story about a veteran

It is that time of year again when reporters are looking for stories on veterans.

Do you have a story about a veteran
Posted by Brad Stanhope

This image shows the cover from the 2010 Veterans Day special section.

FAIRFIELD — Do you have interesting stories of your time in the military? We’d like to hear them.

The Daily Republic is publishing a special edition for Veterans Day and is looking for stories of local men and women who served our nation. Whether it was in World War II, Korea, Vietnam or more recent conflicts — or even during peacetime — let us know about your story. It could be a tale of heroism or about a significant moment of which you were a part.

You can also tell us about someone you know who would make an interesting subject.

Send the information Ian Thompson at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net or call him at 427-6976. You can also reach him at Ian Thompson, Daily Republic, 1250 Texas St., Fairfield, CA 94533.

Don't you wish they would all be interested all year long since you are a veteran every day?

Rep. Gordon was in US during Gulf War; rank changed late

Marines: Gordon was in US during Gulf War; rank changed late
September 26th, 2011 at 1:10 pm by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes
The U.S. Marine Corps reaffirmed its record of state Rep. Daniel Gordon’s military service on Monday, saying the embattled lawmaker never left the United States during the first Gulf War and became a private first class weeks before he was discharged.

The Marines first released details about Gordon on Friday that called into question his statements about his service. Gordon told the AP it was “unfortunate” the military did not release his full record and told WPRO’s Matt Allen he was injured by shrapnel outside of Baghdad during the first Gulf War.

“In our view, that’s a false claim,” Maj. Shawn Haney, a public affairs officer for the Marine Corps’ manpower and reserve affairs department, told WPRI.com on Monday. If Gordon thinks his record is inaccurate, Haney said he should contact the Quantico office to get it corrected.

Gordon, who did not return a phone call Monday, uploaded a photograph last week of a certificate he received in 1989 for training in the Philippines and noted that the Marines had not mentioned his time there in its release. The certificate lists him as a lance corporal.

Gordon’s record does show he went to the Philippines as part of his rotation at the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, for five months and 28 days from October 1988 to April 1989, according to Haney. She said she did not mention it on Friday because it was part of his service in the Pacific.

“That’s so normal,” she said. “Units do that all the time. When they’re in Japan, they’re always doing different exercises in the Philippines or whatever, all assorted different training. That’s not a deployment. He was part of a unit that was in Iwakuni.”
read more here

Original story

Vow to care about them so that we can care for them

Vow to care about them so that we can care for them
by Chaplain Kathie

This notice of death announced by the DOD was linked from iCasualties.org and they have been doing a wonderful job of keeping people up to date on what has been going on in Iraq as well as Afghanistan all along. The problem is most people in this country have just about forgotten men and women are dying in both countries. Some are shocked to discover there are still troops in Iraq so when news like the following comes out, they appear to be shocked.

DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Sgt. Andy C. Morales, 32, of Longwood, Fla., died Sept. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Fla.

Yet this year Sgt. Morales was one of the 46 killed in Iraq. Another 341 have been killed in Afghanistan. Men with stories to tell, lives lived and families left behind.

Brownsville soldier killed in Afghanistan
September 26, 2011 10:19 PM
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ/The Brownsville Herald
A 26-year-old U.S. Army first lieutenant from Brownsville is the latest soldier from the Rio Grande Valley to die in the Middle East.

Andres "Andy" Zermeño died Sunday in Afghanistan from injuries he sustained in the line of duty said his brother the Rev. Joaquin Zermeño, outside his parents’ home in Cameron Park Monday afternoon. Father Joaquin is a priest with the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.

"He was on patrol in Afghanistan...an IED (improvised explosive device) struck the vehicle and he died from the injuries he sustained," said Father Joaquin. Several other soldiers in the vehicle were also killed.

Andy, as he liked to be called, was in his first tour of duty and had been Afghanistan for about 11 months, his brother said. He was expected to end his tour in about a month and head home.

"He was 11 months into it, so we were expecting him to come home sometime soon but...." Father Joaquin said, as he voice faded away.

Andy had been active duty in the Army for three years. He also served in the National Guard.
read more here

Dana Point soldier dies in Afghanistan
By CLAUDIA KOERNER / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
An Army Ranger from Dana Point died Saturday in Wardak province, Afghanistan, the Department of Defense has reported.

Sgt. Tyler N. Holtz, 22, died from wounds suffered during heavy fire with insurgents. As he led his men in an assault against an enemy position, he was shot, according to a release from U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Holtz was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.

Holtz enlisted in 2007 after graduating from Mater Dei High School and served as a rifleman and Ranger Team Leader. This was his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.

Already decorated for his service, Holtz was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart and Joint Service Achievement Medal.
read more here

Oklahoma City soldier killed in Afghanistan
Spc. Francisco J. Briseno-Alvarez Jr., 27, of Oklahoma City, is the 12th soldier from the Oklahoma National Guard 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to die in combat since July 29 and the fifth this month.

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: September 26, 2011
Another Oklahoma soldier has died while fighting in Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of Defense reported.

Spc. Francisco J. Briseno-Alvarez Jr., 27, of Oklahoma City, is the 12th soldier from the Oklahoma National Guard 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to die in combat since July 29 and the fifth this month.
Briseno-Alvarez was killed Sunday in Laghman province when his unit was attacked with a roadside bomb, according to a Defense Department news release. He was a member of the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in Stillwater.
Three other soldiers also were injured in the attack, according to a news release from the Oklahoma National Guard.

read more here

As of today iCasualties.org has 4,476 killed in Iraq and 1,787 killed in Afghanistan.

This blog is here for a reason. Local news will cover the death of one of their own but as a nation we are left with no clue at all about what is going on because the national media stations don't bother to cover any of it unless something huge happens with many deaths all at once. They forget these men and women do not serve just their own community. They serve the entire nation. The least we can do is pay attention as a nation. I made a vow to do whatever I could, whenever I could back in 1982 when I met my husband. Believe me, I could find other things to do but nothing I want to do more.

I've heard many say that "until they all come home" but why stop there? We've seen how many have been forgotten about while they serve. The odds of being paid attention to when they are back home are very low. It is easier to find support when they come home missing limbs but so much harder for them to find support when they have wounds no one else manages to see.

We need to pay attention to everything going on if we really care as a nation. We need to acknowledge they are not just numbers but people with families and we need to make a vow to care about them so that we can care for them.

They come home wanting to get over it but when we read about the deaths by bombs, we ignore the fact their eyes saw it all happen.

They come home expecting to pick up where they left off with their families, but they forget they are not the same after all they lived through.

They come home with family members expecting them to only need time to "get over it" like they did before and when that doesn't happen, they leave.

They come home in need of help but when they ask for it, it is not what they need. This was made perfectly clear yesterday in an article about military suicides.

"About 46 percent had been seen at a military treatment facility sometime in the 90 days before death. The treatment services include physical and behavioral health, substance abuse, family advocacy and chaplains."read more here

Until we all pay attention we will see even more paying the price for what was asked of them.

Rigors of war leave troops battling arthritis at a young age

Rigors of war leave troops battling arthritis at a young age
By SETH ROBBINS
Stars and Stripes
Published: September 25, 2011

BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Staff Sgt. Thomas Wenzke would sit for hours, hunched over the five-ton truck’s window, scanning for hints of bombs along Iraq’s garbage-lined roadways.

The truck — reinforced with heavy armored plates that had ruined its suspension — motored over crater-sized potholes, and Wenzke’s spine would feel every jolt. His body armor, weighing 50 to 60 pounds, added to the strain.

Convoy forays like this lasted from three to 30 hours, he said, depending on the number of breakdowns and firefights.

“By the time we got back,” he said, “I’d be bent over and hobbled like I was an old man of 50 or 60.”

Wenzke said, since his yearlong deployment in 2006, he has suffered from a herniated disk and degenerative arthritis in his spine, for which there is no cure.

He is 29 years old.
read more here

Remains of WWII vet being repatriated from Bosnia

Remains of WWII vet being repatriated from Bosnia
By JOHN VANDIVER
Stars and Stripes
Published: September 26, 2011

STUTTGART, Germany — For 67 years, the only people who knew about the presence of the American were the residents of the village in western Bosnia-Herzegovina where he was buried.

In 1944, a resident of the hamlet of Stubica buried Staff Sgt. Meceslaus T. Miaskiewicz, a Massachusetts native who was shot down over the former Yugoslavia, according to U.S. military officials who interviewed local residents.

It had long been assumed that Miaskiewicz’s remains had been collected by the military along with the crash’s other seven victims soon after the war, but U.S. military members learned this summer that was not the case. Somehow, Miaskiewicz was left behind.

On Tuesday, Miaskiewicz’s flag-draped coffin will be loaded onto a U.S. C-130 in Sarajevo, the first leg of a journey home to relatives in Massachusetts. After a stop at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, his coffin will be flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where he will receive the same honor guard reception as troops killed in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
read more here

Medal of Honor recipients convene in Louisville

Medal of Honor recipients convene in Louisville
By Chris Kenning - The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal
Posted : Monday Sep 26, 2011 7:15:12 EDT
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The moment came for Wilburn Ross in 1944, when he spent five desperate hours in France using a machine gun to single-handedly repel waves of attacks by elite German mountain troops.

And this week, they will be here for the 2011 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention, a rare gathering held for the first time in the city for many of the nation’s bravest soldiers. It comes as the nation marks the 150th anniversary of the award.

“It’s good for me and all the guys to get together,” said Ross, a former Kentucky coal miner who lives in Washington state.

Starting Wednesday, more than 50 Medal of Honor recipients and their families will be here for five days of school visits, receptions, a public “walk of heroes” and an awards dinner.

It’s a chance to foster what Littrell said is a strong brotherhood among those who have received an award that carries lasting acclaim but also a heavy burden that often includes haunting memories and survivor’s guilt.

“None of us feel we deserve the medal,” said Littrell, who lives in Florida. “We had a job to do.”
read more here

Air Force veteran who lives alone in shack enjoys simple pleasures

Air Force veteran who lives alone in shack enjoys simple pleasures
Published: Sunday, September 25, 2011
By Tom Rademacher
The Grand Rapids Press

The calendar on his wall is stuck on September 2008.

But it might as well read fall 1908, or even 1808, for Jerry Weeks lives in a world of yesteryears — splitting wood to heat his hovel of a home, hobbling out back to answer nature’s call and subscribing to nobody’s rules when it comes to affairs of everyday living.

In an era of hurry up this and more quickly that, you’re apt to miss him as you speed along Five Mile Road NE, where Jerry has set up house just west of Lincoln Lake Avenue. In good weather, he’ll sit on the side of road and wave to anyone who’ll notice.

“Nobody stops,” he says.

His little place — a shack really, uninsulated and lacking plumbing or potable water — stands off the south side of the road in the shadows of trees. His backyard is a struggling woodpile, an outhouse with no door, a dilapidated trailer, a vehicle that hasn’t run in years, and odds and ends of every sort, most of it worthless.

This has been home for Jerry, now 74, since 1972, when he was a young man of 35. His second of two wives lived for a time with him here, but he says, “She was a city gal, wasn’t good enough for her.” The place formerly belonged to his grandfather, and Jerry says he remembers helping pour the floor as a kid of 16.
read more here