June is PTSD awareness month
KETK News
Marlena Hamilton
Reporter
June 28, 2013
TYLER TX, (KETK) — June is post-traumatic stress disorder awareness month.
Not only do men and women from war suffer from this disorder, first responders do as well.
"They are dealing with things that aren't natural for human beings," said Smith County Sheriff's Office Chaplain Doug Haning.
Our police officers, firefighters and ems responders are there in times of trouble.
"We go on what we call auto pilot. Sometimes we are able to stay on auto pilot throughout the scene get through it and then it's time to start dealing with it,'' said City of Tyler Asst. Fire Marshal Laura Mason.
But, they experience situations and tragedies that no one can even imagine.
"Law enforcement and military are a lot alike they have the same stresses 99% of the time your dealing with the ins and outs of your daily business and then there is that 1% of the time where everything is upside down," said Haning.
read more here
PTSD I Grieve from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
PTSD Living In the Shadow of War
PTSD Living In the Shadow of War
Wounded Times Blog
Kathie Costos
June 29, 2013
They go where we send them. They are trained to fight. They fight the battles the nation declares. The nation decides when they are finished fighting the war. They come home and fight another war. Then their enemy hides in the shadows. They cannot drop a bomb on it. They cannot shoot at it. They cannot punch it. It will not be killed. It lives on with only one goal. To claim the life of the veteran. It is on a search and destroy mission gaining strength from sucking all that is good within the veteran. It causes then to doubt the reason they had to risk their lives and does not allow them to see there was beauty living within the horror.
They grieve. They grieve for their buddies. They grieve for civilians. Some even grieve for their opponents. Evil people do not grieve for others. It requires a tremendous capacity to care for others to feel the depth of their pain but few understand that.
It is a war that has been going on since the beginning of time when man first went to fight against others.
NBC Washington News did something few other news stations think of doing. They did a report on what is really going on with our veterans, PTSD and suicides.
In 2003 FOR THE LOVE OF JACK, HIS WAR MY BATTLE, the story of how we had to fight for what was right, was published. Like most self published books, it didn't make it into many book reviews. It sold for a while but was most read when it was put up online for free. Last year it was re-released for many reasons. The main reason was the delusion too many had that PTSD was something new within Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. There is nothing new about it. It wasn't even knew when Vietnam veterans came home like generations before them. The battle they were willing to fight was in fact new. Vietnam veterans forced the government to begin research into how to treat it and compensate veterans for this wound no one could see with their eyes.
Families like mine were fighting war in the shadows and in secret. We felt there was actually a need to feel ashamed. Ashamed our veterans drank to get numb so they could fall asleep and calm their bodies down. Ashamed they stopped going places with us and we had to use lies to cover our own pain and confusion. Ashamed our love was not enough to make them happy. Oh the list goes on and on but back then, back when they came home, there was very little known about the enemy we had to fight for sake of the men we loved.
It is really stunning to think that we were the pioneers in this war of secrets. We learned by making mistakes. We learned from those who had given up. Mostly we learned from our veteran husbands. My generation had excuses. That is something that causes so much pain in us now. There are no more excuses.
This is the end of PTSD awareness month. Funny when you think about it. With all the publicity PTSD and suicides tied to military service, billions spent every year, charities popping up all over the country, we have arrived in a time when there are now more suicides, attempted suicides, divorces and so many veterans getting into trouble they had to start special courts for them to provide true justice for combat veterans. Stunning!
Veterans crisis phone lines, phone applications, social networking, videos and books, yet just over half of the veterans needing help seek it. It was fascinating to see so much happening yet infuriation with the results took over. How can it be with so much being done they are still taking their own lives? How can it be that with so much information they are still ending up losing hope of healing?
Point Man started in 1984. They took on the spiritual aspect of healing, which researchers across the county admit is a vital part of living better lives. They took on supporting families so they too would understand what it is and how to help their veterans heal along with healing their whole families. Next year it will be the 30th anniversary of this amazing group of dedicated volunteers fighting in the shadows.
Thinking about what we knew and how long ago we knew it, if you are not armed with this knowledge by now, get angry enough to take action and contact members of congress so that they start to actually hold people accountable for the massive loss of life in this war back home.
This is the first video I made on PTSD back in 2006
None of what we read today is new and that is why the news report from NBC is so important. It shows that just because wars end, needing to heal from them is an ongoing battle.
This is Hero After War, one of my earlier videos on PTSD.
Hero After War from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
This is Nam Nights of PTSD Still
Nam Nights Of PTSD Still from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
Coming Out of the Dark was one of the first ones back in 2006. This is what we already knew back then. Had the DOD or the VA used what all they years of research proved, more would have healed instead of losing hope.
Coming Out of the Dark from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
You can see more of my videos here
Wounded Times Blog
Kathie Costos
June 29, 2013
 |
| For the Love of Jack, His War My Battle Kathie Costos |
They grieve. They grieve for their buddies. They grieve for civilians. Some even grieve for their opponents. Evil people do not grieve for others. It requires a tremendous capacity to care for others to feel the depth of their pain but few understand that.
It is a war that has been going on since the beginning of time when man first went to fight against others.
NBC Washington News did something few other news stations think of doing. They did a report on what is really going on with our veterans, PTSD and suicides.
Finally a news report about PTSD, suicide and Vietnam veterans. When it comes to them and families like mine, we are dealing with being left behind. The worst part is, Vietnam veterans started all the research into PTSD back in the 70's. Had it not been for them, nothing would have been ready for the new veterans. They are also the biggest percentage of the claims and appeals in the VA. The rest of the news stories have people thinking PTSD and suicides are new. That should freak everyone out because of how long the government has been spending billions on but not learning much from. One more point to make here is that Point Man International Ministries started in 1984 long before other groups. It takes mind-body-spirit healing to really heal the veterans and Point Man does the spiritual part. When all three are taken care of, they are not cured but they thieve and live better lives.
I-Team Reports: Suicides From a Long Ago War
NBC Washington
By Tisha Thompson and Rick Yarborough
Friday, Jun 28, 2013
In a city dedicated to honoring those who served, there's a long black wall. It displays the names of fallen men and women who fought with Tom Mahany in the Vietnam War.
As Mahany traced the names craved into the stone, he said, "It's like a shadow that follows you around."
For this former soldier, there are thousands of names missing: Those of men who committed suicide long after their military careers ended. Men like his brother-in-law.
"He put the rifle in his mouth,” Mahany explained. “That's how my sister found him. That’s twenty years after he got back."
Mahany said even though they were both veterans from the same war, they never talked about Vietnam. Never spoke about suicide or "shellshock," what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
"There was no diagnosis then,” Mahany said. “There wasn't any such thing as PTSD in Vietnam. There was no treatment from the V.A."
Janet Kemp is the Director of Suicide Prevention at the Department of Veterans Affairs. “The group we are very concerned about are our Vietnam-era veterans," she told the News 4 I-Team.
read more here
In 2003 FOR THE LOVE OF JACK, HIS WAR MY BATTLE, the story of how we had to fight for what was right, was published. Like most self published books, it didn't make it into many book reviews. It sold for a while but was most read when it was put up online for free. Last year it was re-released for many reasons. The main reason was the delusion too many had that PTSD was something new within Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. There is nothing new about it. It wasn't even knew when Vietnam veterans came home like generations before them. The battle they were willing to fight was in fact new. Vietnam veterans forced the government to begin research into how to treat it and compensate veterans for this wound no one could see with their eyes.
Families like mine were fighting war in the shadows and in secret. We felt there was actually a need to feel ashamed. Ashamed our veterans drank to get numb so they could fall asleep and calm their bodies down. Ashamed they stopped going places with us and we had to use lies to cover our own pain and confusion. Ashamed our love was not enough to make them happy. Oh the list goes on and on but back then, back when they came home, there was very little known about the enemy we had to fight for sake of the men we loved.
It is really stunning to think that we were the pioneers in this war of secrets. We learned by making mistakes. We learned from those who had given up. Mostly we learned from our veteran husbands. My generation had excuses. That is something that causes so much pain in us now. There are no more excuses.
This is the end of PTSD awareness month. Funny when you think about it. With all the publicity PTSD and suicides tied to military service, billions spent every year, charities popping up all over the country, we have arrived in a time when there are now more suicides, attempted suicides, divorces and so many veterans getting into trouble they had to start special courts for them to provide true justice for combat veterans. Stunning!
Veterans crisis phone lines, phone applications, social networking, videos and books, yet just over half of the veterans needing help seek it. It was fascinating to see so much happening yet infuriation with the results took over. How can it be with so much being done they are still taking their own lives? How can it be that with so much information they are still ending up losing hope of healing?
Point Man started in 1984. They took on the spiritual aspect of healing, which researchers across the county admit is a vital part of living better lives. They took on supporting families so they too would understand what it is and how to help their veterans heal along with healing their whole families. Next year it will be the 30th anniversary of this amazing group of dedicated volunteers fighting in the shadows.
Thinking about what we knew and how long ago we knew it, if you are not armed with this knowledge by now, get angry enough to take action and contact members of congress so that they start to actually hold people accountable for the massive loss of life in this war back home.
This is the first video I made on PTSD back in 2006
None of what we read today is new and that is why the news report from NBC is so important. It shows that just because wars end, needing to heal from them is an ongoing battle.
This is Hero After War, one of my earlier videos on PTSD.
Hero After War from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
This is Nam Nights of PTSD Still
Nam Nights Of PTSD Still from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
Coming Out of the Dark was one of the first ones back in 2006. This is what we already knew back then. Had the DOD or the VA used what all they years of research proved, more would have healed instead of losing hope.
Coming Out of the Dark from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
You can see more of my videos here
Friday, June 28, 2013
Morale in Manning's unit suffered
Commander: Morale in Manning's unit suffered
BY DAVID DISHNEAU AND PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press
Jun 28, 1:35 PM EDT
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) -- Pfc. Bradley Manning's former commander in Iraq says he was stunned and morale among his troops "took a hit" after they learned Manning was suspected of leaking classified documents.
"The last thing I anticipated was an internal security breach from one of our own," Col. David Miller said Friday as the fourth week of Manning's court-martial drew to a close.
"My read of my staff at that time was it was like a funeral-like atmosphere fell over that crowd," said Miller, commander of the brigade in which Manning served as an intelligence analyst in 2010 in Iraq. "That's the best way I would describe it - they were angry, sad ... frustrated all at the same time."
Manning's fellow troops collectively felt the allegations were a blemish on the otherwise good work they'd done in the war zone, Miller said.
read more here
BY DAVID DISHNEAU AND PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press
Jun 28, 1:35 PM EDT
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) -- Pfc. Bradley Manning's former commander in Iraq says he was stunned and morale among his troops "took a hit" after they learned Manning was suspected of leaking classified documents.
"The last thing I anticipated was an internal security breach from one of our own," Col. David Miller said Friday as the fourth week of Manning's court-martial drew to a close.
"My read of my staff at that time was it was like a funeral-like atmosphere fell over that crowd," said Miller, commander of the brigade in which Manning served as an intelligence analyst in 2010 in Iraq. "That's the best way I would describe it - they were angry, sad ... frustrated all at the same time."
Manning's fellow troops collectively felt the allegations were a blemish on the otherwise good work they'd done in the war zone, Miller said.
read more here
House manages to join forces for military sexual assault victims
House passes bill to stop reprisals against military sexual assault victims
Army Times
By Rick Maze
Staff writer
Jun. 28, 2013
By a 423-0 vote — and for the second time in a month — the House of Representatives has passed legislation that would require independent investigations if military rape or sexual assault victims allege retaliation for reporting the crimes.
The intention is to encourage the reporting of crimes and discourage reprisals.
Sponsored by Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., the legislation approved Thursday is identical to a provision included in the House version of the 2014 defense authorization bill passed June 14 and similar to a provision also included in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the annual defense policy bill.
Passing the free-standing measure is a sign lawmakers are serious about stopping sexual assault in the ranks, as well as an effort by House Republican leaders to boost the standing of Walorski, a freshman representative who won her congressional seat with less than 1 percent of the vote. This is her first stand-alone bill to pass the House.
read more here
Army Times
By Rick Maze
Staff writer
Jun. 28, 2013
By a 423-0 vote — and for the second time in a month — the House of Representatives has passed legislation that would require independent investigations if military rape or sexual assault victims allege retaliation for reporting the crimes.
The intention is to encourage the reporting of crimes and discourage reprisals.
Sponsored by Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., the legislation approved Thursday is identical to a provision included in the House version of the 2014 defense authorization bill passed June 14 and similar to a provision also included in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the annual defense policy bill.
Passing the free-standing measure is a sign lawmakers are serious about stopping sexual assault in the ranks, as well as an effort by House Republican leaders to boost the standing of Walorski, a freshman representative who won her congressional seat with less than 1 percent of the vote. This is her first stand-alone bill to pass the House.
read more here
Rock Hill hotel honored for taking in wounded Iraq veteran after house fire
Rock Hill hotel honored for taking in wounded Iraq veteran after house fire
By Andrew Dys
Herald columnist
ROCK HILL — The Marines pride themselves on taking care of their own.
Usually the awards go to tough guys in uniforms with battle scars. On Monday, they added to their list of heroes assisting “Wounded Warriors” the staff of a Rock Hill hotel owned by Indian immigrants.
The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, a unit assigned specifically to helping wounded Marines find help in civilian life after battle injuries, awarded the Rock Hill Holiday Inn staff a special citation for helping retired Cpl. Brian Dunn.
The hotel, with a special discounted rate and services ranging from free meals to room service, put up Dunn, his wife and their four kids for more than six weeks after their home in Rock Hill burned in April.
“The people of this hotel show the real meaning of patriotism,” said Maj. Charlie Hall, a York native and Iraq combat veteran who runs the Marines Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment in South Carolina and North Carolina. “We are proud in the Marine Corps to honor you, who honored us and our great country. You went above and beyond.”
read more here
By Andrew Dys
Herald columnist
ROCK HILL — The Marines pride themselves on taking care of their own.
Usually the awards go to tough guys in uniforms with battle scars. On Monday, they added to their list of heroes assisting “Wounded Warriors” the staff of a Rock Hill hotel owned by Indian immigrants.
The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, a unit assigned specifically to helping wounded Marines find help in civilian life after battle injuries, awarded the Rock Hill Holiday Inn staff a special citation for helping retired Cpl. Brian Dunn.
The hotel, with a special discounted rate and services ranging from free meals to room service, put up Dunn, his wife and their four kids for more than six weeks after their home in Rock Hill burned in April.
“The people of this hotel show the real meaning of patriotism,” said Maj. Charlie Hall, a York native and Iraq combat veteran who runs the Marines Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment in South Carolina and North Carolina. “We are proud in the Marine Corps to honor you, who honored us and our great country. You went above and beyond.”
read more here
America's deadliest soldier or stolen valor?
America's deadliest soldier or stolen valor?
Sgt. Dillard Johnson's new memoir claims he killed 2,746 insurgents in Iraq. Some who served with him express doubts.
Christian Science Monitor
By Dan Murphy, Staff writer
June 26, 2013
A new war memoir, "Carnivore" by Dillard Johnson, makes some rather extraordinary claims, according to media appearances and promotional material from publisher HarperCollins. But it's looking likely that these claims are exaggerated, and in some eyes are veering towards stolen valor territory.
The book is subtitled "A memoir by one of the Deadliest American Soldiers of All Time" and in it Sgt. 1st Class Johnson and his co-author write that he had 2,746 "confirmed" enemy kills during his time serving in Iraq, with 121 of those "confirmed sniper kills, the most ever publicly reported by a US Army soldier."
But his claims have sent the online veteran community into an uproar, with many vets calling them implausible and some men who served with him saying his statements are downright falsehoods. He served as a commander of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle with the 3rd Squadron, 7th US Cavalry, which took the lead in the charge to Baghdad after US forces went over the berm to invade Iraq in March 2003.
"I don’t want to take away from what [Johnson] did do, he did do great things: led a platoon, completed the missions," Brad Spaid tells the Monitor. He is a former staff sergeant who served with Johnson in Iraq and now has a civilian job with the Veteran's Administration and has read the book. "We lost some really good NCOs, guys that we really looked up to, and we feel that … on Facebook and blogs other vets are coming out and calling us out and calling us liars and idiots, and it takes away from what we really did…. We don’t want to become a laughing stock, we want to be remembered for what we did and move on."
read more here
Sgt. Dillard Johnson's new memoir claims he killed 2,746 insurgents in Iraq. Some who served with him express doubts.
Christian Science Monitor
By Dan Murphy, Staff writer
June 26, 2013
A new war memoir, "Carnivore" by Dillard Johnson, makes some rather extraordinary claims, according to media appearances and promotional material from publisher HarperCollins. But it's looking likely that these claims are exaggerated, and in some eyes are veering towards stolen valor territory.
The book is subtitled "A memoir by one of the Deadliest American Soldiers of All Time" and in it Sgt. 1st Class Johnson and his co-author write that he had 2,746 "confirmed" enemy kills during his time serving in Iraq, with 121 of those "confirmed sniper kills, the most ever publicly reported by a US Army soldier."
But his claims have sent the online veteran community into an uproar, with many vets calling them implausible and some men who served with him saying his statements are downright falsehoods. He served as a commander of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle with the 3rd Squadron, 7th US Cavalry, which took the lead in the charge to Baghdad after US forces went over the berm to invade Iraq in March 2003.
"I don’t want to take away from what [Johnson] did do, he did do great things: led a platoon, completed the missions," Brad Spaid tells the Monitor. He is a former staff sergeant who served with Johnson in Iraq and now has a civilian job with the Veteran's Administration and has read the book. "We lost some really good NCOs, guys that we really looked up to, and we feel that … on Facebook and blogs other vets are coming out and calling us out and calling us liars and idiots, and it takes away from what we really did…. We don’t want to become a laughing stock, we want to be remembered for what we did and move on."
read more here
Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
WBIR.com
Jun 27, 2013
People across the country and right here in East Tennessee are working to bring awareness to a disorder that impacts millions of Americans. Thursday is National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that impacts people who have experienced psychological trauma.
Veterans can often experience PTSD, but anyone who experiences trauma can develop the disorder. Psychologists say it's important to reach out for help.
Dr. John Kupfner joined us in the 10News studio to explain more about PTSD. He's a psychiatrist with Peninsula Outpatient Services. You can watch that entire conversation in the video above.
WBIR.com
Jun 27, 2013
People across the country and right here in East Tennessee are working to bring awareness to a disorder that impacts millions of Americans. Thursday is National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that impacts people who have experienced psychological trauma.
Veterans can often experience PTSD, but anyone who experiences trauma can develop the disorder. Psychologists say it's important to reach out for help.
Dr. John Kupfner joined us in the 10News studio to explain more about PTSD. He's a psychiatrist with Peninsula Outpatient Services. You can watch that entire conversation in the video above.
Patriot Guard Riders escorts MIA home from Vietnam
Wisconsin Marine comes home 46 years after his death in Vietnam
Article by: ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 27, 2013
WASHBURN, WIS. – Marine Lance Cpl. Merlin “Merl” Raye Allen was just 20 when his life ended in Vietnam. Forty-six years later, he’s finally back in his beloved Bayfield County of northern Wisconsin.
An enemy rocket brought down the helicopter he was in over Hue Province. His remains were not discovered until a joint U.S.-Vietnamese recovery team excavated the wreck site last year.
“Merl has never been forgotten. He has always been remembered by family and friends,” his sister, Marilyn Allen Neff, told the Daily Press of Ashland.
Neff and other family members were stunned when they drove into Washburn on Wednesday, completing a trip from Minneapolis, where the family received the casket holding Allen’s remains. They arrived in town with an escort from the Patriot Guard Riders, a national organization of motorcycle enthusiasts who attend funeral processions to honor fallen U.S. military personnel. The streets of Washburn were lined with well-wishers, waving American flags.
“We are overwhelmed, just overwhelmed,” Neff said. “Everybody has just touched our hearts all along the way. This is amazing. We love our small towns.”
Her brother’s remains were solemnly carried into a funeral home by a Marine honor guard, past an honor guard of Patriot Riders standing at attention in their motorcycle leathers.
read more here
Flags to be lowered to half-staff for Vietnam Marine returned home
Article by: ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 27, 2013
WASHBURN, WIS. – Marine Lance Cpl. Merlin “Merl” Raye Allen was just 20 when his life ended in Vietnam. Forty-six years later, he’s finally back in his beloved Bayfield County of northern Wisconsin.
An enemy rocket brought down the helicopter he was in over Hue Province. His remains were not discovered until a joint U.S.-Vietnamese recovery team excavated the wreck site last year.
“Merl has never been forgotten. He has always been remembered by family and friends,” his sister, Marilyn Allen Neff, told the Daily Press of Ashland.
Neff and other family members were stunned when they drove into Washburn on Wednesday, completing a trip from Minneapolis, where the family received the casket holding Allen’s remains. They arrived in town with an escort from the Patriot Guard Riders, a national organization of motorcycle enthusiasts who attend funeral processions to honor fallen U.S. military personnel. The streets of Washburn were lined with well-wishers, waving American flags.
“We are overwhelmed, just overwhelmed,” Neff said. “Everybody has just touched our hearts all along the way. This is amazing. We love our small towns.”
Her brother’s remains were solemnly carried into a funeral home by a Marine honor guard, past an honor guard of Patriot Riders standing at attention in their motorcycle leathers.
read more here
Flags to be lowered to half-staff for Vietnam Marine returned home
Firms agree to pay back 50,000 servicemembers hidden auto loan fees
Firms Paying Back Millions on Military Auto Loans
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Jun 28, 2013
U.S. Bank and its marketing partner have agreed to pay back $6.5 million to more than 50,000 servicemembers who were hit with hidden fees on auto loans, a government consumer watchdog agency said Thursday.
The Minnesota-based U.S. Bank and its partner, Dealers Financial Services of Lexington, Ky., avoided a potentially bigger payout from a civil lawsuit by agreeing to cooperate with the investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Defense Department.
Under the arrangement, U.S. Bank will pay $3.2 million and DFS will pay $3.3 million to more than 50,000 servicemembers who had outstanding loans from January 2010 until now, the consumer protection bureau said.
The average payment to each servicemember will be about $100, a spokesman for the CFPB said, and servicemembers will not be required to take any action to receive their reimbursement. U.S. Bank and DFS will provide the reimbursements as an account credit or as a check in the mail, the bureau said.
read more here
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Jun 28, 2013
U.S. Bank and its marketing partner have agreed to pay back $6.5 million to more than 50,000 servicemembers who were hit with hidden fees on auto loans, a government consumer watchdog agency said Thursday.
The Minnesota-based U.S. Bank and its partner, Dealers Financial Services of Lexington, Ky., avoided a potentially bigger payout from a civil lawsuit by agreeing to cooperate with the investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Defense Department.
Under the arrangement, U.S. Bank will pay $3.2 million and DFS will pay $3.3 million to more than 50,000 servicemembers who had outstanding loans from January 2010 until now, the consumer protection bureau said.
The average payment to each servicemember will be about $100, a spokesman for the CFPB said, and servicemembers will not be required to take any action to receive their reimbursement. U.S. Bank and DFS will provide the reimbursements as an account credit or as a check in the mail, the bureau said.
read more here
Gay marriage ruling will help many veteran spouses
Bloomberg Business
By By Kevin Freking
June 28, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — For Stewart Bornhoft, who completed two tours of duty in Vietnam, the Supreme Court's decision granting federal benefits to married, same-sex couples means that he and his spouse, Stephen McNabb, can one day be buried together at Arlington National Cemetery.
For Joan Darrah, who served nearly 30 years in the Navy and lived through the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, the decision means her spouse, Lynne Kennedy, can join her more generous, less expensive health plan.
Just two years ago, gays and lesbians were prevented from serving openly in the military. Now, with the Supreme Court ruling this week, same-sex spouses of gay veterans and service members will be able to share in their benefits.
The Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law, reports that 650,000 same-sex couples live in the United States and about 13 percent of those relationships include a veteran. The institute said it's unknown how many of those estimated 85,000 relationships involve marriages. A dozen states and the District of Columbia allow for gay marriage.
read more here
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