Return to Tarawa
Synopsis
The story of Leon Cooper's -- World War II veteran and American original -- return to "Red Beach". Cooper, a veteran of the battle of "Bloody Tarawa," returned to Tarawa in February 2008 in order to learn more about reports he had read about garbage on the fabled "Red Beach."
In November 1943, Leon, a US Navy landing craft officer, helped launch the first major amphibious assault on a Central Pacific Japanese stronghold. Leon is dismayed to discover that this hallowed ground is strewn with garbage rotting in the sun, a painful insult to the sacrifice his fellow marines made for their country, during one of the bloodiest three-day battles in American war history.
Cooper's trip is full of wonder, anger, amazement and divine providence as he and film maker Steven C. Barber visit what Leon suspects to be the graves of hundreds of Marines still buried on Tarawa. Follow Leon Cooper's trip back in time, as narrated by Oscar-nominated actor, Ed Harris. A story of redemption and passion that will move you to tears.
Look for the new sequel from filmmaker Steven C. Barber, Until They Are Home. Coming Soon. Learn more at Until They Come Home
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Parents of captured U.S. soldier lead Washington motorcycle rally
Parents of captured U.S. soldier lead Washington motorcycle rally
By Stacey Samuel
CNN
updated 6:14 PM EDT, Sun May 27, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Bowe Bergdahl disappeared in June 2009 in Afghanistan
His parents lead the Rolling Thunder ride
Robert Bergdahl's message to his son: "Stay strong, never give up"
Washington (CNN) -- The parents of missing U.S. serviceman Bowe Bergdahl led the Rolling Thunder ride in Washington on Sunday, trailed by the roar of what was estimated to be hundreds of thousands of motorcycles.
The annual Memorial Day weekend ride, now in its 25th year, is held in remembrance of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Bergdahl, a 26-year-old army sergeant, was captured in Afghanistan in 2009 after he finished his guard shift at a combat outpost in southeastern Paktika province.
read more here
By Stacey Samuel
CNN
updated 6:14 PM EDT, Sun May 27, 2012
Rolling Thunder motorcyclists ride into Washington on Sunday, the day before Memorial Day
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Bowe Bergdahl disappeared in June 2009 in Afghanistan
His parents lead the Rolling Thunder ride
Robert Bergdahl's message to his son: "Stay strong, never give up"
Washington (CNN) -- The parents of missing U.S. serviceman Bowe Bergdahl led the Rolling Thunder ride in Washington on Sunday, trailed by the roar of what was estimated to be hundreds of thousands of motorcycles.
The annual Memorial Day weekend ride, now in its 25th year, is held in remembrance of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Bergdahl, a 26-year-old army sergeant, was captured in Afghanistan in 2009 after he finished his guard shift at a combat outpost in southeastern Paktika province.
read more here
Quadruple amputee vet Todd Nicely sees new home
The toll of war now includes more amputees
By Steve Almasy
CNN
Sun May 27, 2012
Frank Siller, left, and Gary Sinise, center, announce a concert to raise money for quadruple amputee vet Todd Nicely
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
More troops surviving bad wounds thanks to battlefield medicine, body armor
Badly wounded vets find help via special organizations
One group raises money to build special homes for triple, quadruple amputees
Expert: VA needs staff, money to handle growing wounded population
(CNN) -- Moments after the explosion, as he lay in a canal in rural Afghanistan, Cpl. Todd Nicely screamed twice at the top of his lungs. He was hurt so badly, his right leg blown away, his left one barely hanging on, but then he thought of two things.
His wife and his men.
He didn't think of dying.
He wanted to concentrate on getting home, and before that, he didn't want his squad's last image to be its leader wailing in pain.
"I just [told myself] keep breathing, keep breathing. If you do that you'll make it back to your wife," he said recently by phone. "I knew I was injured. It was whether I could bring myself to remain calm and not freak out and cause my vitals to go crazy."
What Nicely, who had stepped on the pressure plate of a roadside bomb, didn't realize at the time was that he had lost more than his legs. His arms also would need to be amputated.
In another war, another time, Nicely would have died on the battlefield.
Truth be told, there's a strong chance his heart did stop at some point on that day in March 2011. But thanks to modern body armor and a helicopter that arrived in just six minutes -- as well as quick reactions by his fellow Marines -- Nicely lived and became just the second quadruple amputee to survive battlefield injury wounds.
They are a small group, the quadruple amputee combat vets -- just five of them.
There are also 40 triple amputees. When they come home, they have their own set of issues, but many face the problems of every wounded vet. They start their new lives together.
read more here
Military suicide families find support
Survivors of military suicide victims come together to grieve
By Rebecca Ruiz
For the family and friends of service members who died by suicide, Memorial Day can be not only a solemn day, but also a painful reminder that military suicides are not treated the same as combat deaths.
Kim Ruocco, the national director of suicide education and outreach at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, has experienced this isolating grief firsthand. This weekend, she is bringing together about 100 suicide survivors at TAPS' annual Memorial Day weekend National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors.
"[Suicide survivors] are surrounded by people whose loved ones were killed in action," Ruocco said. "There's a real sense that their loved one's death was not an honorable death."
Ruocco's husband, Marine Corps Maj. John Ruocco, killed himself seven years ago. He was a Cobra helicopter pilot who ran 75 combat missions during a five-month deployment in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. He had struggled with depression in the past, particularly after a training accident in the 1990s when two Cobras collided in midair, and he lost four friends.
In February 2005, while living temporarily in a hotel room near Camp Pendleton in California, awaiting a redeployment to Iraq and considering mental health counseling, John Ruocco hanged himself.
read more here
By Rebecca Ruiz
For the family and friends of service members who died by suicide, Memorial Day can be not only a solemn day, but also a painful reminder that military suicides are not treated the same as combat deaths.
Kim Ruocco, the national director of suicide education and outreach at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, has experienced this isolating grief firsthand. This weekend, she is bringing together about 100 suicide survivors at TAPS' annual Memorial Day weekend National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors.
"[Suicide survivors] are surrounded by people whose loved ones were killed in action," Ruocco said. "There's a real sense that their loved one's death was not an honorable death."
Ruocco's husband, Marine Corps Maj. John Ruocco, killed himself seven years ago. He was a Cobra helicopter pilot who ran 75 combat missions during a five-month deployment in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. He had struggled with depression in the past, particularly after a training accident in the 1990s when two Cobras collided in midair, and he lost four friends.
In February 2005, while living temporarily in a hotel room near Camp Pendleton in California, awaiting a redeployment to Iraq and considering mental health counseling, John Ruocco hanged himself.
read more here
Lt. Col. Tosten talks about combat and PTSD
Service to country never ends
May. 26, 2012
Written by
Scott Rogers
Army Lt. Col. Tom Tosten led troops during stints in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, but the toughest battle he's had to fight was at home as he transitioned back into civilian life after four deployments over his military career.
Tosten's tours of duty included eight months in Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s followed by six months in Somalia in 1994. His most recent tours were 15 months in Iraq followed by another to Afghanistan.
His tour in Afghanistan was cut short after four months when Army officials decided to send him home for treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.
That's a decision that haunted him for months as he felt responsible for the well-being of the men and women in the Marines under his command and didn't want to leave them.
read more here
May. 26, 2012
Written by
Scott Rogers
Army Lt. Col. Tom Tosten led troops during stints in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, but the toughest battle he's had to fight was at home as he transitioned back into civilian life after four deployments over his military career.
Tosten's tours of duty included eight months in Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s followed by six months in Somalia in 1994. His most recent tours were 15 months in Iraq followed by another to Afghanistan.
His tour in Afghanistan was cut short after four months when Army officials decided to send him home for treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.
That's a decision that haunted him for months as he felt responsible for the well-being of the men and women in the Marines under his command and didn't want to leave them.
read more here
Mentally ill inmates on the rise in California prisons and jails
Mentally ill inmates on the rise in California prisons and jails
By Jocelyn Wiener
CHCF Center for Health Reporting
Published: Sunday, May. 27, 2012
MODESTO – Inmates with serious mental illnesses deemed incompetent to stand trial are languishing in California jail cells for months as they wait for state hospital beds to open up, according to advocates, jail officials and family members.
State and county budget cuts to mental health programs are combining with prison realignment and a shrinking number of state hospital beds to exacerbate the problem, they say.
In many counties, seriously mentally ill inmates routinely wait three to six months in jail before a state hospital bed opens up, said Randall Hagar, director of government affairs for the California Psychiatric Association. He calls the situation, which he says has gotten worse in recent years, "tragic."
read more here
By Jocelyn Wiener
CHCF Center for Health Reporting
Published: Sunday, May. 27, 2012
MODESTO – Inmates with serious mental illnesses deemed incompetent to stand trial are languishing in California jail cells for months as they wait for state hospital beds to open up, according to advocates, jail officials and family members.
State and county budget cuts to mental health programs are combining with prison realignment and a shrinking number of state hospital beds to exacerbate the problem, they say.
In many counties, seriously mentally ill inmates routinely wait three to six months in jail before a state hospital bed opens up, said Randall Hagar, director of government affairs for the California Psychiatric Association. He calls the situation, which he says has gotten worse in recent years, "tragic."
read more here
San Clemente police chief tries building trust after Marine was killed
San Clemente police chief tries building trust after Marine shooting
Building a connection could be a challenge for the new chief after a recent, high-profile deputy-involved shooting of a Camp Pendleton Marine sergeant at San Clemente High School.
May 26, 2012
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ and FRED SWEGLES
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SAN CLEMENTE – In 1986, John Coppock was a young officer starting his career in what was then the San Clemente Police Department. He was eager to go out and "crush crime."
Twenty-six years later, Coppock is a lieutenant in the Orange County Sheriff's Department and oversees its operations in San Clemente, making him the de facto chief of police in the city where he grew up and spent most of his teenage summers on the beaches.
Coppock now has 35 deputies under his command. He said he tells the younger ones he doesn't just want them to crush crime but also to get out of their patrol cars and build a bond with members of the oceanfront community.
But making that connection could be a challenge for the new chief after a deputy's recent shooting of a Camp Pendleton Marine sergeant at San Clemente High School.
The shooting generated big headlines, a lawsuit from the Marine's family and a crisis of confidence among some residents who asked the City Council to terminate its contract with the Sheriff's Department and bring back the San Clemente Police Department. Others spoke out about what they said is a history of heavy-handedness by local deputies.
read more here
Building a connection could be a challenge for the new chief after a recent, high-profile deputy-involved shooting of a Camp Pendleton Marine sergeant at San Clemente High School.
May 26, 2012
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ and FRED SWEGLES
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SAN CLEMENTE – In 1986, John Coppock was a young officer starting his career in what was then the San Clemente Police Department. He was eager to go out and "crush crime."
Twenty-six years later, Coppock is a lieutenant in the Orange County Sheriff's Department and oversees its operations in San Clemente, making him the de facto chief of police in the city where he grew up and spent most of his teenage summers on the beaches.
Coppock now has 35 deputies under his command. He said he tells the younger ones he doesn't just want them to crush crime but also to get out of their patrol cars and build a bond with members of the oceanfront community.
But making that connection could be a challenge for the new chief after a deputy's recent shooting of a Camp Pendleton Marine sergeant at San Clemente High School.
The shooting generated big headlines, a lawsuit from the Marine's family and a crisis of confidence among some residents who asked the City Council to terminate its contract with the Sheriff's Department and bring back the San Clemente Police Department. Others spoke out about what they said is a history of heavy-handedness by local deputies.
read more here
Outlaws Motorcycle Club part of vigil at Vietnam Memorial in Illinois
24-hour vigil at veterans memorial a night to remember
By JASON NEVEL
The State Journal-Register
Posted May 26, 2012
Last update May 27, 2012
Sometimes even outlaws prefer peace and quiet.
Among the groups of people who stood guard over the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery on May 5-6 was the Springfield chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, part of an international group.
The Outlaws were among members of different organizations participating in the 24-hour vigil who say they prefer to walk the memorial when, typically, nobody is looking.
Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on May 5, the Outlaws patrolled the 24th annual vigil to honor the 2,938 Illinois servicemen who died in the Vietnam War. Members also patrolled the World War II and Korean War memorials.
Mike O’Neal, one of about a dozen Outlaws at the Memorial, said the late-night shift is the perfect time to reflect. It’s quiet, peaceful and there are not a lot of distractions, he said.
“We prefer this shift over the daytime because you can concentrate on what you’re doing and why,” O’Neal said. “We will continue to do it because it’s our pleasure and honor.”
read more here
By JASON NEVEL
The State Journal-Register
Posted May 26, 2012
Last update May 27, 2012
Sometimes even outlaws prefer peace and quiet.
Among the groups of people who stood guard over the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery on May 5-6 was the Springfield chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, part of an international group.
The Outlaws were among members of different organizations participating in the 24-hour vigil who say they prefer to walk the memorial when, typically, nobody is looking.
Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on May 5, the Outlaws patrolled the 24th annual vigil to honor the 2,938 Illinois servicemen who died in the Vietnam War. Members also patrolled the World War II and Korean War memorials.
Mike O’Neal, one of about a dozen Outlaws at the Memorial, said the late-night shift is the perfect time to reflect. It’s quiet, peaceful and there are not a lot of distractions, he said.
“We prefer this shift over the daytime because you can concentrate on what you’re doing and why,” O’Neal said. “We will continue to do it because it’s our pleasure and honor.”
read more here
Romney, Obama compete for veteran vote, Florida emerging as battleground
Romney, Obama compete for veteran vote, Florida emerging as battleground
By Joseph Weber
Published May 26, 2012
FoxNews.com
The effort to win the votes of military veterans in the presidential election takes the spotlight Memorial Day weekend, with President Obama and Mitt Romney each attending public events and arguing he has a better plan to improve veterans' weak unemployment situation and other issues.
Romney is scheduled to appear Monday with Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain at a Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in San Diego, a conservative region and so-called Navy town.
McCain, a decorated Navy officer and Vietnam prisoner, won the veteran vote over Obama as the Republican nominee in the 2008 election.
The GOP has long been considered the party that supports a strong national defense and holds the vote of veterans and active-duty members. But the percentages are dropping and the vote appears to be up for grabs this year.
President George W. Bush won the veteran vote by 16 percentage points in his 2004 race against Democrat and Vietnam veteran Sen. John Kerry.
McCain won in 2008 against Obama, though only by 10 percent, 54 percent to 45 percent.
read more here
By Joseph Weber
Published May 26, 2012
FoxNews.com
The effort to win the votes of military veterans in the presidential election takes the spotlight Memorial Day weekend, with President Obama and Mitt Romney each attending public events and arguing he has a better plan to improve veterans' weak unemployment situation and other issues.
Romney is scheduled to appear Monday with Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain at a Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in San Diego, a conservative region and so-called Navy town.
McCain, a decorated Navy officer and Vietnam prisoner, won the veteran vote over Obama as the Republican nominee in the 2008 election.
The GOP has long been considered the party that supports a strong national defense and holds the vote of veterans and active-duty members. But the percentages are dropping and the vote appears to be up for grabs this year.
President George W. Bush won the veteran vote by 16 percentage points in his 2004 race against Democrat and Vietnam veteran Sen. John Kerry.
McCain won in 2008 against Obama, though only by 10 percent, 54 percent to 45 percent.
read more here
Widow of 9-11 Flight 93 pilot passed away
Widow of 9/11 pilot dies 'peacefully'
By THE DENVER POST
May 26, 2012
DENVER — Sandy Dahl, who channeled the tragedy of her husband's death on Sept. 11, 2001, into a powerful campaign to honor his memory, has died.
Dahl, 52, apparently passed away in her sleep, said family friend David Dosch. Dahl's husband, Jason, was the captain of United Flight 93 on 9/11.
She strongly believed Jason fought alongside passengers to keep terrorists from crashing the plane into the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
The plane instead crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania.
The couple lived in the Denver-area dream home Jason was renovating. Sandy moved out following the Sept. 11 attacks, but continued to live in Colorado.
After Jason's death, Dahl became a public face for all grieving 9/11 families.
She founded a scholarship in Jason's honor to provide funding for young pilots to receive their education. And she gradually warmed to public speaking, to make sure the heroism of Jason and many others aboard Flight 93 was not forgotten.
By THE DENVER POST
May 26, 2012
DENVER — Sandy Dahl, who channeled the tragedy of her husband's death on Sept. 11, 2001, into a powerful campaign to honor his memory, has died.
Dahl, 52, apparently passed away in her sleep, said family friend David Dosch. Dahl's husband, Jason, was the captain of United Flight 93 on 9/11.
She strongly believed Jason fought alongside passengers to keep terrorists from crashing the plane into the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
The plane instead crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania.
The couple lived in the Denver-area dream home Jason was renovating. Sandy moved out following the Sept. 11 attacks, but continued to live in Colorado.
After Jason's death, Dahl became a public face for all grieving 9/11 families.
She founded a scholarship in Jason's honor to provide funding for young pilots to receive their education. And she gradually warmed to public speaking, to make sure the heroism of Jason and many others aboard Flight 93 was not forgotten.
Memorial Day is for remembering
'The thing about remembering is that you don't forget'
By Todd Leopold
CNN
Sat May 26, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
This holiday was established in the 1860s to honor Civil War dead
For those who have lost loved ones, the day cuts deeply
On Memorial Day, we should remember those who gave their lives -- and those left behind
(CNN) -- Thank you for your service.
We say those words more frequently now -- when we see men and women in uniform at the airport, when we accept a paper poppy from a veteran at the supermarket, when we sit next to a member of the military at a ballgame.
Thank you for your service.
It's a nice gesture, true, but small. We say it, but then most of us go back to the rest of our lives.
It's a volunteer military these days, after all; we don't have to serve, and we don't have to remember.
So we don't have to think about the bitter cold of the Ardennes in the Battle of the Bulge. We don't have to think about the steaming, confused jungles of the Vietnam War, a war whose 50th anniversary is now being commemorated. We don't have to think about IEDs, and up-armored Humvees, and downed helicopters.
We don't have to think about the sacrifices. But we must.
read more here
By Todd Leopold
CNN
Sat May 26, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
This holiday was established in the 1860s to honor Civil War dead
For those who have lost loved ones, the day cuts deeply
On Memorial Day, we should remember those who gave their lives -- and those left behind
(CNN) -- Thank you for your service.
We say those words more frequently now -- when we see men and women in uniform at the airport, when we accept a paper poppy from a veteran at the supermarket, when we sit next to a member of the military at a ballgame.
Thank you for your service.
It's a nice gesture, true, but small. We say it, but then most of us go back to the rest of our lives.
It's a volunteer military these days, after all; we don't have to serve, and we don't have to remember.
So we don't have to think about the bitter cold of the Ardennes in the Battle of the Bulge. We don't have to think about the steaming, confused jungles of the Vietnam War, a war whose 50th anniversary is now being commemorated. We don't have to think about IEDs, and up-armored Humvees, and downed helicopters.
We don't have to think about the sacrifices. But we must.
read more here
Battlefield chaplain’s war unfolded on many fronts
Battlefield chaplain’s war unfolded on many fronts
Editor’s note: CNN.com writer Moni Basu is author of “Chaplain Turner's War,” published by Agate Digital.
By Moni Basu
CNN
May 26th, 2012
Turner was young and green, enthusiastic about taking God to the battlefield. The Army captain had learned that people in pain are often wide-open to inviting God into their lives.
Jesus always ran to crises. Turner was going to do the same.
He’d enrolled in seminary in 2004 at Regent University in Virginia, founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. And early in his spiritual journey, he was inspired by Christian writer John Eldredge, who suggests that American men have abandoned the stuff of heroic dreams, aided by a Christianity that tells them to be "nice guys."
God, says Eldredge, designed men to be daring, even dangerous.
Turner arrived in Iraq in May 2007 with the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment amid a raging insurgency. His soldiers faced an invisible but lethal enemy in booby-trapped houses and roads laced with massive bombs.
read more here
Editor’s note: CNN.com writer Moni Basu is author of “Chaplain Turner's War,” published by Agate Digital.
By Moni Basu
CNN
May 26th, 2012
Army chaplain Darren Turner, left, wound up quitting the Army for a spell after returning home from Iraq.Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) - Darren Turner insisted on going to war, even though the Army usually reserves desk jobs at home for new chaplains like him.
Turner was young and green, enthusiastic about taking God to the battlefield. The Army captain had learned that people in pain are often wide-open to inviting God into their lives.
Jesus always ran to crises. Turner was going to do the same.
He’d enrolled in seminary in 2004 at Regent University in Virginia, founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. And early in his spiritual journey, he was inspired by Christian writer John Eldredge, who suggests that American men have abandoned the stuff of heroic dreams, aided by a Christianity that tells them to be "nice guys."
God, says Eldredge, designed men to be daring, even dangerous.
Turner arrived in Iraq in May 2007 with the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment amid a raging insurgency. His soldiers faced an invisible but lethal enemy in booby-trapped houses and roads laced with massive bombs.
read more here
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Congressman Ryan do you know what Resiliency Training is?
Awakened America host Marshall Stern was interviewing Congressman Ryan on his show. Ryan was talking about PTSD and Resiliency Training as if it was a good thing.
Does Ryan have any idea what this training has been doing to the troops? Does he have a clue it tells them PTSD hit them because they didn't train right and are weak minded? That is the message they have been given when Battlemind first came out. I am sure it was not intended to deliver the message this way but when they are told they can train their minds to be tough, that is the message they hear.
Don't take my word on this. The hard data speaks for itself. Rise in military suicides and attempted suicides along with veterans and it proves it does not work.
Does Ryan have any idea what this training has been doing to the troops? Does he have a clue it tells them PTSD hit them because they didn't train right and are weak minded? That is the message they have been given when Battlemind first came out. I am sure it was not intended to deliver the message this way but when they are told they can train their minds to be tough, that is the message they hear.
Don't take my word on this. The hard data speaks for itself. Rise in military suicides and attempted suicides along with veterans and it proves it does not work.
Tim Ryan is a relentless advocate for working families in Ohio's 17th District. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 and was sworn in on January 7, 2003. Successfully reelected four times, he is currently serving in his fifth term.
Ryan currently serves as a member of the House Armed Services Committee with jurisdiction over national defense policy, ongoing military operations, the organization and reform of the Department of Defense, counter-drug programs, acquisition and industrial base policy, and technology transfer and export controls. He serves on the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities and the Subcommittee on Readiness. In addition to the numerous manufacturers in Ohio that supply products and equipment for national defense, the Committee oversees the operations of the Youngstown Warren Air Reserve Station, the 910th Airlift Wing, the former Ravenna Arsenal, and the Ohio National Guard's Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center.
Biden recounts personal loss, shares anguish with military families
Biden recounts personal loss, shares anguish with military families
By Chloe Arensberg
May 25, 2012
(CBS News) Speaking to military families who endured the anguish of losing a loved one, Vice President Joe Biden today recalled the car accident that took the lives of his wife and one-year-old daughter in 1972.
In a tone both measured and thoughtful, Biden described receiving the unthinkable news: "And just like you guys know by the tone of a phone call, you just knew didn't you?," he told the audience. "You knew when they walked up the path, you knew when the call came, you knew. You just felt it in your bones. Something bad happened. And I knew. I don't know how I knew. But the call said my wife is dead, my daughter was dead, and wasn't sure how my sons were going to make it."
Biden's first wife, Neilia, and his daughter Naomi were Christmas shopping with sons Beau and Hunter on December 18, when a tractor trailer fatally broadsided their station wagon. The critically injured boys went on to make full recoveries.
The vice president drew knowing laughter as he described the daily trials of grief. "I knew people meant well, they'd come up to me and say 'Joe, I know how you feel. I knew they meant well, I knew they were genuine, but you knew they didn't have any damn idea, right? Isn't that true?"
read more here
By Chloe Arensberg
May 25, 2012
(CBS News) Speaking to military families who endured the anguish of losing a loved one, Vice President Joe Biden today recalled the car accident that took the lives of his wife and one-year-old daughter in 1972.
In a tone both measured and thoughtful, Biden described receiving the unthinkable news: "And just like you guys know by the tone of a phone call, you just knew didn't you?," he told the audience. "You knew when they walked up the path, you knew when the call came, you knew. You just felt it in your bones. Something bad happened. And I knew. I don't know how I knew. But the call said my wife is dead, my daughter was dead, and wasn't sure how my sons were going to make it."
Biden's first wife, Neilia, and his daughter Naomi were Christmas shopping with sons Beau and Hunter on December 18, when a tractor trailer fatally broadsided their station wagon. The critically injured boys went on to make full recoveries.
The vice president drew knowing laughter as he described the daily trials of grief. "I knew people meant well, they'd come up to me and say 'Joe, I know how you feel. I knew they meant well, I knew they were genuine, but you knew they didn't have any damn idea, right? Isn't that true?"
read more here
Marine found dead at Fort Meade
Military investigating local Marine's death
May 25, 2012
Molly McGowan
Times-News
The military is investigating the death of a Marine from Burlington found dead in his barracks at Fort George G. Meade, Md. on Wednesday afternoon.
Pvt. Anthony Romanocaruso, 19, had been attending Defense Information School since Feb. 22, said Col. Sean Gibson, public affairs officer of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command. Gibson released Romanocaruso’s name Friday morning. A news release sent Thursday said the Marine had been found dead in his barracks room Wednesday, and Fort Meade Fire and Emergency teams responded to the call. Romanocaruso was pronounced dead at the scene.
read more here
May 25, 2012
Molly McGowan
Times-News
The military is investigating the death of a Marine from Burlington found dead in his barracks at Fort George G. Meade, Md. on Wednesday afternoon.
Pvt. Anthony Romanocaruso, 19, had been attending Defense Information School since Feb. 22, said Col. Sean Gibson, public affairs officer of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command. Gibson released Romanocaruso’s name Friday morning. A news release sent Thursday said the Marine had been found dead in his barracks room Wednesday, and Fort Meade Fire and Emergency teams responded to the call. Romanocaruso was pronounced dead at the scene.
read more here
NASCAR driver boosts vets' morale at 200 mph
NASCAR driver boosts vets' morale at 200 mph
By Rebecca Angel Baer
CNN
Fri May 25, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski's foundation helps those who have served the U.S.
Checkered Flag Foundation's Race 2 Recovery program honors wounded veterans
Honorees spend race weekend as racer's guest, and he drives around the track at full speed
"I believe in charity in action," Keselowski says
(CNN) -- Brad Keselowski is once again a contender in this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but off the track he is championing a cause dear to his heart.
Keselowski, known for hanging an American flag out his window whenever a victory lap is warranted, started the Checkered Flag Foundation to support anyone who has "sacrificed greatly for America."
The foundation centers around the Race 2 Recovery program, which serves wounded veterans. Several race weekends a year Keselowski and his foundation, run by former Navy Lt. Andrea Ross, work with local Veterans Affairs hospitals to bring vets and their families to the track for a VIP experience.
read more here
By Rebecca Angel Baer
CNN
Fri May 25, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski's foundation helps those who have served the U.S.
Checkered Flag Foundation's Race 2 Recovery program honors wounded veterans
Honorees spend race weekend as racer's guest, and he drives around the track at full speed
"I believe in charity in action," Keselowski says
(CNN) -- Brad Keselowski is once again a contender in this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but off the track he is championing a cause dear to his heart.
Keselowski, known for hanging an American flag out his window whenever a victory lap is warranted, started the Checkered Flag Foundation to support anyone who has "sacrificed greatly for America."
The foundation centers around the Race 2 Recovery program, which serves wounded veterans. Several race weekends a year Keselowski and his foundation, run by former Navy Lt. Andrea Ross, work with local Veterans Affairs hospitals to bring vets and their families to the track for a VIP experience.
read more here
Afghans stunned as US Army Captain Kelvington honors death of police officer
Reuters Pictures of the week should have been the story of the week on cable news considering when our soldiers do something wrong, they all jump on the story. Take a look at this picture and read the story behind it.
This is really remarkable considering how many of our soldier have been killed by Afghan police officers while being trained by US forces. Think about Captain Kelvington having so much compassion for Dostager that he fell to his knees to honor the loss.
I couldn't find a full story on this but when you look at the faces of the Afghans standing near the memorial, it is easy to understand how much this meant to them.
How many other times does a US soldier honor the loss of Afghans fighting for their own country but no one bothers to report it?
U.S. Army Captain Michael Kelvington, commander of the Battle company, 1-508 Parachute Infantry battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, bows next to the remains of Gulam Dostager, a member of the Afghan Local Police, who was killed in an IED blast during a joint Tor Janda (Black Flag in Pashtu) operation, in Zahri district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
This is really remarkable considering how many of our soldier have been killed by Afghan police officers while being trained by US forces. Think about Captain Kelvington having so much compassion for Dostager that he fell to his knees to honor the loss.
I couldn't find a full story on this but when you look at the faces of the Afghans standing near the memorial, it is easy to understand how much this meant to them.
How many other times does a US soldier honor the loss of Afghans fighting for their own country but no one bothers to report it?
Friday, May 25, 2012
Vietnam veteran receives medals earned 40 years ago
Sheffield Village veteran receives medals 40 years later
Published: Friday, May 25, 2012
By RON VIDIKA
SHEFFIELD VILLAGE — It’s been a long time coming but well worth the wait.
More than 40 years after serving in the Vietnam War, retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. Raymond Hatch will be presented with 11 medals earned for exemplary service in the war, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Today, in a special ceremony in Cleveland, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will present Hatch, a Sheffield Village resident, with various medals such as the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation, National Defense Service, Vietnam Campaign, Parachute Badge, Sharpshooter M-14, Army Good Conduct, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First Class Unit Citation and the Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Service Stars.
read more here
Published: Friday, May 25, 2012
By RON VIDIKA
SHEFFIELD VILLAGE — It’s been a long time coming but well worth the wait.
More than 40 years after serving in the Vietnam War, retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. Raymond Hatch will be presented with 11 medals earned for exemplary service in the war, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Today, in a special ceremony in Cleveland, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will present Hatch, a Sheffield Village resident, with various medals such as the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation, National Defense Service, Vietnam Campaign, Parachute Badge, Sharpshooter M-14, Army Good Conduct, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First Class Unit Citation and the Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Service Stars.
read more here
Caretakers finally acknowledged in treating PTSD, again
Reminder, this is yet one more study about something that was known back in the 80's but passed off as something "new" and different. Point Man Ministries has been working with veterans and their families since 1984!
Caretakers are key to successful PTSD treatment
Special
By Samantha A. Torrence
May 12, 2012
in Health
A recent study has found that treating the families of veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the psychological stress that comes with living with a vet with PTSD increases the success rate of treatment for the Veteran as well.
A young charity, Military with PTSD, has already been addressing the problems caregivers are facing for the past two years and has taken a unique approach to spreading awareness.
One of the major complaints from caregivers is that they have no one to turn to and no real help. They become exhausted and display symptoms of Secondary Trauma Stress, or Secondary PTSD. The new study put forth from the University of Syracuse's Institute for Veterans and Military Families suggests that treating the family members for their STS will make the living environment better for veterans and increase the chances of success in treatment.
From the study abstract: Research has identified PTSD as mediating the effect of veterans’ combat experience on the family.
Veterans’ numbing/arousal symptoms are especially predictive of family distress; while, to a lesser extent, veterans’ anger is also associated with troubled family relationships and secondary traumatization among family members. Empirical modeling of additional factors involved in secondary traumatization is needed. Marital/family interventions have largely focused on improving relationships and reducing veterans’ symptoms, rather than targeting improvements in the psychological well-being of the spouse and children. Interventions directly addressing the needs of significant others, especially spouses, are advocated. The potential for increased effectiveness of PTSD interventions and possible cost-savings attained by improving relationships and reducing caregiver burden are also discussed.
read more here
Female Marine Veteran waits 50 years for justice
Woman battles for PTSD benefits after rape
Reported by: Tim Becker
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A former Marine is coming forward with a painful secret.
An 80-year-old Portland woman says she was raped during her military service — and has been fighting ever since for the veterans benefits she says she deserves.
read more here
Reported by: Tim Becker
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A former Marine is coming forward with a painful secret.
An 80-year-old Portland woman says she was raped during her military service — and has been fighting ever since for the veterans benefits she says she deserves.
read more here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)