Memories of battlefields strong as Vietnam veteran weighs search for those he served with
MICHAEL WANBAUGH
The Goshen News
First Posted: June 19, 2012
GOSHEN, Ind. — Here inside VFW Post 985 on a sun-splashed Wednesday afternoon, local military veterans sip their beers, puff their cigarettes and bust each other's chops.
The bartender, who knows all her customers by name, hears a song she likes on the radio and turns up the volume on Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky." More wisecracking ensues.
As the clock hits 3 p.m., out come the poker chips and on go the overhead lights as a small group splinters from the bar and takes up residence at a nearby card table.
Before long, Richard Clark Sr. strolls into the bar and orders a beer. The 61-year-old Goshen native has two more meetings left in his one-year elected tenure as commander of the post. His official last day in charge was Saturday.
"It's a lot of hours," Clark said of his position before taking a sip from his can of Coors Light. "But we have so many great volunteers that keep this place running. If it wasn't for our volunteers nothing would get done around here."
Clark lights a cigarette and sits back in his chair. He's wearing a sleeveless shirt that shows off his tan arms and tattoos. On his right bicep are the letters U.S.A. Above it is an eagle head.
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall at Calverton National Cemetery
Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Tells Stories
The replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will be onview at Calverton National Cemetery this Wednesday through Sunday.
By Lisa Finn
June 18, 2012
A 15-year-old boy, who lied about his age to be able to fight in the Vietnam War.
Twelve female nurses. Eight clergymen. And over 58,000 others.
Although they may never have met, each shares a tragic and heroic destiny forged by war: Each of the 58,257 names inscribed on the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, that will be on view at Calverton National Cemetery from Wednesday through Friday, is forever memorialized.
"Behind every name, there is a story," said Charles Spencer, chairman of the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall.
And Spencer, a funeral director who has been involved with the project since 1995, has made it his personal mission to ensure that no one's story is forgotten.
Spencer said he was invited to bring the memorial to Calverton National Cemetery because it is the largest cemetery for veterans in the United States, with over a quarter of a million buried within its grassy knolls. "They take care of all the veterans, after they pass away for eternity. What better place to honor our veterans?" he asked.
read more here
The replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will be onview at Calverton National Cemetery this Wednesday through Sunday.
By Lisa Finn
June 18, 2012
A 15-year-old boy, who lied about his age to be able to fight in the Vietnam War.
Twelve female nurses. Eight clergymen. And over 58,000 others.
Although they may never have met, each shares a tragic and heroic destiny forged by war: Each of the 58,257 names inscribed on the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, that will be on view at Calverton National Cemetery from Wednesday through Friday, is forever memorialized.
"Behind every name, there is a story," said Charles Spencer, chairman of the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall.
And Spencer, a funeral director who has been involved with the project since 1995, has made it his personal mission to ensure that no one's story is forgotten.
Spencer said he was invited to bring the memorial to Calverton National Cemetery because it is the largest cemetery for veterans in the United States, with over a quarter of a million buried within its grassy knolls. "They take care of all the veterans, after they pass away for eternity. What better place to honor our veterans?" he asked.
read more here
Florida DAVA Member of Year from Orlando Chapter
Florida Disable American Veterans Auxiliary Member of the Year from Orlando Chapter
by
Chaplain Kathie
How do I write this objectively when the member of the year is me?
The DAV-DAVA Florida convention is usually a great event. This year I showed up with my camera, set it up, filmed a great group of ladies singing and got ready to film the top award for the Auxiliary. My hands started to shake when it dawned on me they were talking about me.
As you can see in this video, I was in shock. When I got up to accept the award, I was asked if I had anything to say. If you read this blog often, you know I am hardly ever short on something to say. The only thing I could say was thank you.
Thank you to all the members of the Disabled American Veterans and the Auxiliary. You inspire me everyday!
by
Chaplain Kathie
How do I write this objectively when the member of the year is me?
The DAV-DAVA Florida convention is usually a great event. This year I showed up with my camera, set it up, filmed a great group of ladies singing and got ready to film the top award for the Auxiliary. My hands started to shake when it dawned on me they were talking about me.
As you can see in this video, I was in shock. When I got up to accept the award, I was asked if I had anything to say. If you read this blog often, you know I am hardly ever short on something to say. The only thing I could say was thank you.
Thank you to all the members of the Disabled American Veterans and the Auxiliary. You inspire me everyday!
Wounded Marines biking cross country from Florida to California
Marines biking cross-country grateful for national support
By Wendy Victora
Northwest Florida Daily News
Published: June 19, 2012
A combat-wounded Marine and two other Marine veterans continued their bicycle trek across Northwest Florida on Monday, raising awareness and funds for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Ben Maenza, a 23-year-old double amputee from Tennessee, is pedaling the entire route with his arms.
"It's been really interesting, really hot," said Maenza, taking a lunch break at Gulf Islands National Seashore west of Navarre Beach.
"We've had people stop us when we're riding on the road and give us money to put toward the fund. Every penny we make is going to make a difference in some way." The cyclists left June 10 from St. Augustine and plan to arrive at Marine Base Camp Pendleton in California on Aug. 10.
They were escorted by sheriff's office deputies as they traveled through Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties. A support vehicle drives ahead of the group, which stops every 15 miles for water.
read more here
By Wendy Victora
Northwest Florida Daily News
Published: June 19, 2012
A combat-wounded Marine and two other Marine veterans continued their bicycle trek across Northwest Florida on Monday, raising awareness and funds for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Ben Maenza, a 23-year-old double amputee from Tennessee, is pedaling the entire route with his arms.
"It's been really interesting, really hot," said Maenza, taking a lunch break at Gulf Islands National Seashore west of Navarre Beach.
"We've had people stop us when we're riding on the road and give us money to put toward the fund. Every penny we make is going to make a difference in some way." The cyclists left June 10 from St. Augustine and plan to arrive at Marine Base Camp Pendleton in California on Aug. 10.
They were escorted by sheriff's office deputies as they traveled through Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties. A support vehicle drives ahead of the group, which stops every 15 miles for water.
read more here
Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front
Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home FrontBattlefields and Blessings
This devotional book contains 365 true stories of struggles, courage, and actions of women, children, and men involved in the home front of American wars, in chronological order, from the French Indian War through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These stories illustrate effective prayers, heroism, volunteer efforts, and daily courage.
Special weekend devotions consist of original words from a journal, newspaper, letter, or newspaper, and glimpses into life during that era, such as fashion, pastimes, work, and celebrations.
Each story includes a coordinated Scripture and a prayer for today’s military, families, or individuals encountering struggles.
linked from Point Man of Kansas
Veterans can heal and find purpose at Eagle’s Nest
Veterans can heal and find purpose at Eagle’s Nest, opening in August
Staff Writer
Dairyland Peach
Patrick McCaffrey gave his life for his country while deployed to Iraq. His mother, Nadia, founded the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation to honor her son by helping veterans find resources to heal.
Eagle’s Nest was the vision of Melony Butler, military wife and Blue Star mother of three soldiers. That vision can be traced to a promise Butler made to her stepfather when she was 12 years old.
“He was a Vietnam veteran and I promised I would not let other veterans suffer by not having the resources they needed to heal,” Butler said.
That promise was reinforced after one of Butler’s sons returned from Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal, and unable to find help.
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Eagle’s Nest national veterans community will open in August in Sauk Centre, providing a place for veterans of any age to heal with honor. Pictured above are (from left): Vietnam veteran Mike Weisser, family member Cindy Anderson, Blue Star mom Melony Butler, Gold Star mom Dorothy Sills and family member Pam Hyatt.By Jennie Zeitler
Staff Writer
Dairyland Peach
Patrick McCaffrey gave his life for his country while deployed to Iraq. His mother, Nadia, founded the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation to honor her son by helping veterans find resources to heal.
Eagle’s Nest was the vision of Melony Butler, military wife and Blue Star mother of three soldiers. That vision can be traced to a promise Butler made to her stepfather when she was 12 years old.
“He was a Vietnam veteran and I promised I would not let other veterans suffer by not having the resources they needed to heal,” Butler said.
That promise was reinforced after one of Butler’s sons returned from Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal, and unable to find help.
read more here
WWII ex-POW receives Purple Heart at church service
Purple Heart Awarded To Veteran During Church Service In Lynchburg
It took seven decades but George Rogers has finally been recognized for his hard work and service
Bryce Williams
Reporter
June 17, 2012
LYNCHBURG
His sacrifice was great. Today, a World War II veteran was honored in a big way during a Sunday church service in Lynchburg.
While serving in the Phillipines, Rogers was taken prisoner by the Japanese. At one point, he was forced to walk 75 miles in 5 days during what's called the Bataan Death March.
He was deprived of water and food for prolonged periods. At one point, the 6’3” man weighed 85 pounds. He spent several years in a prison camp and, had to bury 1,600 of his fellow soldiers. For all that he went through, Pastor Jonathan Falwell presented Rogers with the Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals. Today's presentation was symbolic since Rogers recently received the medals.
read more here
It took seven decades but George Rogers has finally been recognized for his hard work and service
Bryce Williams
Reporter
June 17, 2012
LYNCHBURG
His sacrifice was great. Today, a World War II veteran was honored in a big way during a Sunday church service in Lynchburg.
While serving in the Phillipines, Rogers was taken prisoner by the Japanese. At one point, he was forced to walk 75 miles in 5 days during what's called the Bataan Death March.
He was deprived of water and food for prolonged periods. At one point, the 6’3” man weighed 85 pounds. He spent several years in a prison camp and, had to bury 1,600 of his fellow soldiers. For all that he went through, Pastor Jonathan Falwell presented Rogers with the Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals. Today's presentation was symbolic since Rogers recently received the medals.
read more here
Man charged with assaulting Marine acquitted by jury
Man cleared of assaulting Marine at nightclub
Confrontation outside Costa Mesa nightclub sent victim to hospital in critical condition.
By GREG HARDESTY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
June 18, 2012
SANTA ANA – A man who police say blindsided and assaulted a Marine outside a Costa Mesa nightclub last year, sending him to a hospital in critical condition, has been found not guilty of the assault.
An Orange County jury took about 90 minutes to acquit Mark Allen Vasquez, 25, of Pico Rivera, of battery with serious bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon other than a gun, his attorney, William Bruzzo, told City News Service.
With sentencing enhancements that came with the charges, Vasquez was looking at a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if he had been convicted, Bruzzo said.
Friday's verdict was "the right thing," Bruzzo told City News Service. "He was innocent of this crime."
The Marine recovered and is back on active duty in Hawaii, Bruzzo said.
read more here
Confrontation outside Costa Mesa nightclub sent victim to hospital in critical condition.
By GREG HARDESTY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
June 18, 2012
SANTA ANA – A man who police say blindsided and assaulted a Marine outside a Costa Mesa nightclub last year, sending him to a hospital in critical condition, has been found not guilty of the assault.
An Orange County jury took about 90 minutes to acquit Mark Allen Vasquez, 25, of Pico Rivera, of battery with serious bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon other than a gun, his attorney, William Bruzzo, told City News Service.
With sentencing enhancements that came with the charges, Vasquez was looking at a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if he had been convicted, Bruzzo said.
Friday's verdict was "the right thing," Bruzzo told City News Service. "He was innocent of this crime."
The Marine recovered and is back on active duty in Hawaii, Bruzzo said.
read more here
Monday, June 18, 2012
Blast flattened the dining hall and post exchange at Forward Operating Base Salerno
Attack at US base in Afghanistan worse than initially disclosed
By JOSHUA PARTLOW AND CRAIG WHITLOCK
The Washington Post
Published: June 16, 2012
KABUL — A June 1 attack on a U.S. outpost near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was much worse than originally disclosed by the military as insurgents pounded the base with a truck bomb, killing two Americans and seriously wounding about three dozen troops, officials acknowledged Saturday.
The blast flattened the dining hall and post exchange at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province, a frequent target of insurgents in the past. Five Afghan civilians were killed and more than 100 other U.S. troops were treated for minor injuries. U.S. officials estimated that the truck was carrying 1,500 pounds of explosives.
U.S. and Afghan military officials said they killed 14 insurgents, many of whom were wearing suicide vests.
The scale of the attack and the extent of the U.S. casualties contrast with the official description presented by coalition forces on the day of the assault. In a clipped, one-paragraph news release on June 1, the military said U.S. and Afghan forces “successfully repelled the attack and secured the base.”
The statement did not report any casualties, nor that there was a truck bomb.
“It was a very huge explosion,” said Daoud Khan Makeen, head of the provincial council in Khost. He said that houses as far as two miles away were damaged in the blast and that 20 Afghans were wounded, many of them by collapsed buildings.
Although the public was kept in the dark about the details, Obama administration officials seized on the incident afterward as the latest example of how Pakistan is allowing insurgents to use its territory to plan attacks, causing another international row between Washington and Islamabad.
read more here
By JOSHUA PARTLOW AND CRAIG WHITLOCK
The Washington Post
Published: June 16, 2012
KABUL — A June 1 attack on a U.S. outpost near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was much worse than originally disclosed by the military as insurgents pounded the base with a truck bomb, killing two Americans and seriously wounding about three dozen troops, officials acknowledged Saturday.
The blast flattened the dining hall and post exchange at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province, a frequent target of insurgents in the past. Five Afghan civilians were killed and more than 100 other U.S. troops were treated for minor injuries. U.S. officials estimated that the truck was carrying 1,500 pounds of explosives.
U.S. and Afghan military officials said they killed 14 insurgents, many of whom were wearing suicide vests.
The scale of the attack and the extent of the U.S. casualties contrast with the official description presented by coalition forces on the day of the assault. In a clipped, one-paragraph news release on June 1, the military said U.S. and Afghan forces “successfully repelled the attack and secured the base.”
The statement did not report any casualties, nor that there was a truck bomb.
“It was a very huge explosion,” said Daoud Khan Makeen, head of the provincial council in Khost. He said that houses as far as two miles away were damaged in the blast and that 20 Afghans were wounded, many of them by collapsed buildings.
Although the public was kept in the dark about the details, Obama administration officials seized on the incident afterward as the latest example of how Pakistan is allowing insurgents to use its territory to plan attacks, causing another international row between Washington and Islamabad.
read more here
More troops attacked by "Afghan police officers"
Men in Afghan police uniforms kill U.S. troop
By Lolita C. Baldor
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jun 18, 2012 17:25:12 EDT
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say that an American service member was killed and several others were injured when individuals dressed in Afghan police uniforms turned their guns on them in southern Afghanistan Monday.
By Lolita C. Baldor
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jun 18, 2012 17:25:12 EDT
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say that an American service member was killed and several others were injured when individuals dressed in Afghan police uniforms turned their guns on them in southern Afghanistan Monday.
Although they were wearing police uniforms, it was not yet clear if they were actually Afghan forces or just had the clothing.
Other U.S. officials said that as many as eight U.S. troops were injured, mostly with fairly minor wounds. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an investigation.
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Florida Vietnam Veterans of America warns of growing PTSD veterans
Considering everything I've been tracking, I bet Ben Humphries is right, or at least close to it. Keep in mind that less than half of the veterans needing help seek it.
Department of Veterans Affairs adding mental health staff on Treasure Coast
By Cynthia Washam
Posted June 18, 2012
"Probably 50 or 60 percent have PTSD," said Ben Humphries, a Vero Beach resident and Florida president of the Vietnam Veterans of America. "You experience death. You're in constant fear. You're on guard all the time."
Veterans frustrated by long waits for mental health care can expect some relief when the Department of Veterans Affairs boosts its staff at the West Palm Beach Medical Center and Treasure Coast clinics.
VA officials expect to hire 40 mental health clinicians and eight support personnel locally within the next six to 12 months. A quarter of them will work at outpatient clinics in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. The expansion is part of the federal department's nationwide effort to meet the growing need for veterans' mental health care. The VA provides free treatment for service-related health problems.
"We decided we would see everybody (seeking mental help) within two weeks," said Dr. Alberto Fernandez-Milo, chief of mental health services at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center.
Ed Maxwell, vice president of the Martin County chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, heralded the news. He's known veterans who have had to wait up to six weeks for nonemergency counseling.
"The staff on mental health has been way too thin," Maxwell said. "It needs to be beefed up because we're going to be bringing the troops back."
read more here
Disabled vets' families fight VA over fiduciaries
Disabled vets' families fight VA over fiduciaries
By Eric Nalder and Lise Olsen
Houston Chronicle
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Across the country, disabled veterans' families are in bitter battles with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, trying to oust VA-appointed fiduciaries from their lives.
Two attorneys, Doug Rosinski of Columbia, S.C., and Katrina Eagle of San Diego, have taken on VA in cases involving allegations of bureaucratic mistreatment. Both said regional program managers sometimes overlook the misdeeds of paid fiduciaries while coming down hard on veterans' relatives who do the work for nothing.
The agency's policy is that family members get priority in fiduciary appointments, but it does not always work that way. And while many family members serve successfully as fiduciaries for disabled veterans, some get into trouble, often because of a lack of training or knowledge of the rules
R. Dean Slicer, a top regional program manager in Indiana, boasted in a November 2010 email to an Indianapolis bank official that they would have "fun" battling with a war veteran's daughter. Carolyn Stump, a registered nurse, was trying to free her seriously ailing 81-year-old dad, William Evans, from a fiduciary at the bank who had tangled with the family and had recently been slow paying some bills, according to court records.
read more here
also
$2 million missing from 28 veterans' accounts
By Eric Nalder and Lise Olsen
Houston Chronicle
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Across the country, disabled veterans' families are in bitter battles with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, trying to oust VA-appointed fiduciaries from their lives.
Two attorneys, Doug Rosinski of Columbia, S.C., and Katrina Eagle of San Diego, have taken on VA in cases involving allegations of bureaucratic mistreatment. Both said regional program managers sometimes overlook the misdeeds of paid fiduciaries while coming down hard on veterans' relatives who do the work for nothing.
The agency's policy is that family members get priority in fiduciary appointments, but it does not always work that way. And while many family members serve successfully as fiduciaries for disabled veterans, some get into trouble, often because of a lack of training or knowledge of the rules
R. Dean Slicer, a top regional program manager in Indiana, boasted in a November 2010 email to an Indianapolis bank official that they would have "fun" battling with a war veteran's daughter. Carolyn Stump, a registered nurse, was trying to free her seriously ailing 81-year-old dad, William Evans, from a fiduciary at the bank who had tangled with the family and had recently been slow paying some bills, according to court records.
read more here
also
$2 million missing from 28 veterans' accounts
Families spend Father's Day at the Vietnam Memorial Wall
A poignant Father's Day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
By Natalie DiBlasio
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Every Father's Day, Mike Cruden comes to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to lay down a red rose in memory of his Marine father.
More than 100 people, including retired general George Casey, the 36th chief of staff of the Army, joined Cruden, 48, of Bayonne, N.J., on Sunday at an annual ceremony to recognize their fallen dads.
"I was 3 when my father died, and my sister was born while my father was in Vietnam, so she never even met him," Cruden said, holding back tears. "I always hated Father's Day. Everyone is buying their dads cards and ties. I never could."
Those at the ceremony quietly laid 2,000 roses along the base of the memorial wall — red roses for those killed in combat, yellow for those missing in action and white for those who have died recently.
"Everyone has a different story about their fathers," Cruden said. "This gives us, the kids, the chance to share stories and support each other. A lot of us are invisible."
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By Natalie DiBlasio
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Every Father's Day, Mike Cruden comes to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to lay down a red rose in memory of his Marine father.
More than 100 people, including retired general George Casey, the 36th chief of staff of the Army, joined Cruden, 48, of Bayonne, N.J., on Sunday at an annual ceremony to recognize their fallen dads.
"I was 3 when my father died, and my sister was born while my father was in Vietnam, so she never even met him," Cruden said, holding back tears. "I always hated Father's Day. Everyone is buying their dads cards and ties. I never could."
Those at the ceremony quietly laid 2,000 roses along the base of the memorial wall — red roses for those killed in combat, yellow for those missing in action and white for those who have died recently.
"Everyone has a different story about their fathers," Cruden said. "This gives us, the kids, the chance to share stories and support each other. A lot of us are invisible."
read more here
Lancaster-area police sued in death of Vietnam veteran
Taser International, Lancaster-area police sued in death of Vietnam veteran
Veteran's children say father died after multiple stuns
June 18, 2012
By Saranac Hale Spencer
The Legal Intelligencer
Two of Robert A. Neill's children have filed suit in federal court almost two years after their father, a 61-year-old Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, died after being "stunned" multiple times by a Taser.
Though their lawyer, Stewart Eisenberg of Eisenberg Rothweiler Winkler Eisenberg & Jeck, estimated there have been dozens of deaths related Taser use nationwide, this is the first suit of its kind in Pennsylvania.
Nicole and Robert Neill, both from Harrisburg, sat subdued in their lawyer's Philadelphia office as they introduced their case to the media after filing a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week.
Read more
Veteran's children say father died after multiple stuns
June 18, 2012
By Saranac Hale Spencer
The Legal Intelligencer
Two of Robert A. Neill's children have filed suit in federal court almost two years after their father, a 61-year-old Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, died after being "stunned" multiple times by a Taser.
Though their lawyer, Stewart Eisenberg of Eisenberg Rothweiler Winkler Eisenberg & Jeck, estimated there have been dozens of deaths related Taser use nationwide, this is the first suit of its kind in Pennsylvania.
Nicole and Robert Neill, both from Harrisburg, sat subdued in their lawyer's Philadelphia office as they introduced their case to the media after filing a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week.
Read more
Arizona police officers not getting enough help for PTSD
We talk a lot about PTSD and combat here but I am often asked what is being done for police officers. The answer is it all depends where they are. When I travel and run into a law enforcement officer, I ask them what they know about PTSD. Usually I was wondering if they knew how to respond to veterans coming home. It hardly ever dawned on me to ask them what they are doing for themselves. The more I read reports like the following, the more I know we just don't take care of the men and women putting their lives on the line for us everyday.
Former Mesa cop: PD lacks PTSD training
By: Tim Vetscher
MESA, AZ - We often hear stories from those who've served in active duty about their struggles with PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder.
But members of local law enforcement say they struggle with PTSD issues too, only to receive far less attention.
In fact, a former Mesa police officer tells ABC15 that PTSD, and the lack of available help, cost him his career.
On May 28th, 2009, detective Nathan Schlitz responded to a fight involving a known gang member.
When that suspect tried to run over his partner, Nathan opened fire.
"What nobody knew at the time is that his 15-year-old cousin was with him in the backseat and one of my rounds hit and killed her," said Schlitz.
The realization Schlitz killed an innocent person, albeit unintentionally, sent him into a tailspin.
Schlitz now realizes he had started to experience the symptoms of PTSD.
read more here
Marines saying Sayonara Japan and Aloha Hawaii
Where will Hawaii-bound Marines live and work?
By Gidget Fuentes
Staff writer
Marine Times
Posted : Sunday Jun 17, 2012
The U.S. military’s plan to shift as many as 2,700 Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Hawaii raises a key question: Where will they work and live?
Although Marine, defense and congressional spokesmen all said they will need to see the results of studies before they can begin to address that issue, most of the mounting speculation centers on existing military bases or training areas on Oahu and the Big Island.
Hawaii already is home to more than 7,500 Marines and thousands of family members. Most are assigned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu. It’s home to infantry, aviation and logistics units — plus Navy and Coast Guard units. Camp H.M. Smith, where U.S. Pacific Command and Marine Forces Pacific are headquartered, is also there.
The Corps’ presence in Hawaii already is expected to change due to reorganization as total active-duty end strength declines from 202,100 to 182,100 Marines by the end of 2016. Modernization of the service’s aviation communities, which will bring the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to Kaneohe Bay, should add 1,000 Marines to the base population.
While the Marine Corps hasn’t released any figures, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie estimated that 2,700 Marines would come to the state as part of that restructuring and pledged to support the transition.
read more here
By Gidget Fuentes
Staff writer
Marine Times
Posted : Sunday Jun 17, 2012
The U.S. military’s plan to shift as many as 2,700 Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Hawaii raises a key question: Where will they work and live?
Although Marine, defense and congressional spokesmen all said they will need to see the results of studies before they can begin to address that issue, most of the mounting speculation centers on existing military bases or training areas on Oahu and the Big Island.
Hawaii already is home to more than 7,500 Marines and thousands of family members. Most are assigned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu. It’s home to infantry, aviation and logistics units — plus Navy and Coast Guard units. Camp H.M. Smith, where U.S. Pacific Command and Marine Forces Pacific are headquartered, is also there.
The Corps’ presence in Hawaii already is expected to change due to reorganization as total active-duty end strength declines from 202,100 to 182,100 Marines by the end of 2016. Modernization of the service’s aviation communities, which will bring the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to Kaneohe Bay, should add 1,000 Marines to the base population.
While the Marine Corps hasn’t released any figures, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie estimated that 2,700 Marines would come to the state as part of that restructuring and pledged to support the transition.
read more here
WWII veteran wins PTSD claim at 92
World War II vet, 92, wins PTSD disability benefits
By DAVID ZUCCHINO
Los Angeles Times
Published: June 17, 2012
LOS ANGELES — The war gave him flashbacks and nightmares. He flailed around in his sleep, bruising his arms. Memories of being bombed and rocketed seemed real, and painfully intense.
Tech Sgt. Stanley Friedman was ultimately diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the signature disability from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A few weeks ago, Friedman received his first 70 percent disability check for PTSD from the Department of Veterans Affairs. It wasn’t for service in Iraq or Afghanistan. It was for World War II. Stanley Friedman is 92.
After fighting the VA for years, Friedman got help from lawyers who logged hundreds of hours digging up evidence not only of his World War II service but of his debilitating PTSD. The VA finally accepted their documentation, and now Friedman is being compensated for what was called shell shock or battle fatigue when he served nearly 70 years ago.
“It’s like a miracle,” Friedman said last week from his home outside Chicago, his mind still sharp and his voice heavy with the Brooklyn accent of his youth.
read more here
By DAVID ZUCCHINO
Los Angeles Times
Published: June 17, 2012
LOS ANGELES — The war gave him flashbacks and nightmares. He flailed around in his sleep, bruising his arms. Memories of being bombed and rocketed seemed real, and painfully intense.
Tech Sgt. Stanley Friedman was ultimately diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the signature disability from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A few weeks ago, Friedman received his first 70 percent disability check for PTSD from the Department of Veterans Affairs. It wasn’t for service in Iraq or Afghanistan. It was for World War II. Stanley Friedman is 92.
After fighting the VA for years, Friedman got help from lawyers who logged hundreds of hours digging up evidence not only of his World War II service but of his debilitating PTSD. The VA finally accepted their documentation, and now Friedman is being compensated for what was called shell shock or battle fatigue when he served nearly 70 years ago.
“It’s like a miracle,” Friedman said last week from his home outside Chicago, his mind still sharp and his voice heavy with the Brooklyn accent of his youth.
read more here
A soldier's farewell on Father's Day
A soldier's farewell on Father's Day
Updated: Jun 17, 2012
By Shaley Sanders
FORT WORTH, TX (KLTV) - Families across the nation celebrated Father's Day.
On a naval base in Fort Worth, families "thank-you's" were accompanied with "good-byes."
This is the second deployment for Lorinda Starkey's husband.
"It's hard, it's crazy. You just have to take it one day at a time and just pray about it," Starkey said.
These troops are headed to Afghanistan and many are already counting down the days until their return.
Sergeant Tanerrius Robinson is one of those soldiers.
"I'm just ready to go ahead and get it over with. The minute we step foot in the country, we start counting down and counting those days off the calendar," said Sgt. Robinson.
read more here
Updated: Jun 17, 2012
By Shaley Sanders
FORT WORTH, TX (KLTV) - Families across the nation celebrated Father's Day.
On a naval base in Fort Worth, families "thank-you's" were accompanied with "good-byes."
This is the second deployment for Lorinda Starkey's husband.
"It's hard, it's crazy. You just have to take it one day at a time and just pray about it," Starkey said.
These troops are headed to Afghanistan and many are already counting down the days until their return.
Sergeant Tanerrius Robinson is one of those soldiers.
"I'm just ready to go ahead and get it over with. The minute we step foot in the country, we start counting down and counting those days off the calendar," said Sgt. Robinson.
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Sunday, June 17, 2012
PTSD Purple Heart Debate begins again
There is talk about changing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to Post Traumatic Stress Injury. Would this mean changing the name would bring the Purple Heart as well? Would it really matter to the combat veterans in the long run? Some skeptics, including me, think that there is something more sinister going on with the name change debate as if regarding it as an injury would let the government off the hook for compensation and treatment. I doubt it would help anyone as much as plain, simple truths, on PTSD most veterans have yet to hear. Now the Purple Heart for PTSD is being debated again but as history has shown, veterans cannot agree on this either.
Purple Hearts for PTSD debated
Some vets argue that invisible wound is worthy of a medal.
By Barrie Barber, Staff Writer
Dayton Daily News
6:00 PM Sunday, June 17, 2012
With more than 2 million service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury have become the signature wounds of both conflicts.
But while the Pentagon has decided TBI, or mild concussions received as a result of enemy action, qualify for the status of a Purple Heart, the military hasn’t yielded on PTSD.
Thomas Bush Jr., 54, an Air Force combat veteran who has PTSD, thinks his comrades-in-arms’ invisible wounds qualify them for the medal.
“That’s a very open discussion with a lot of vets,” said Bush, of Riverside. To receive the Purple Heart, a service member must have suffered an injury in combat.
The language specifically disqualifies PTSD by name.
“PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event; it is not a wound intentionally caused by the enemy from an ‘outside force or agent,’ but is a secondary effect caused by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event,” Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said in an email to the Dayton Daily News.
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Soldiers to SMA: Promotion system is broken
Soldiers to SMA: Promotion system is broken
By Jim Tice
Staff writer
Army Times
Posted : Sunday Jun 17, 2012
The Army’s rank and file is filled with frustration, with soldiers saying their peers are promoted with little job knowledge or leadership capability.
The Army’s top enlisted soldier gave them a chance to vent — and they did.
In a recent post on his Facebook page, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler asked soldiers if they felt the new point system is fair and accurately portrays the total soldier concept.
read more here
By Jim Tice
Staff writer
Army Times
Posted : Sunday Jun 17, 2012
The Army’s rank and file is filled with frustration, with soldiers saying their peers are promoted with little job knowledge or leadership capability.
The Army’s top enlisted soldier gave them a chance to vent — and they did.
In a recent post on his Facebook page, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler asked soldiers if they felt the new point system is fair and accurately portrays the total soldier concept.
read more here
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