Florida Vietnam War Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris to receive Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor for 24 forgotten heroes Staff Sgt. Melvin Morris will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969.

MoH candidate thrilled at honor for Vietnam actions
Army Times
Joe Gould
Staff Writer
Feb. 22, 2014

Former Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris, one of the three living Medal of Honor candidates who will soon receive the award, is getting the honor for taking out enemy bunkers with grenades and rescuing wounded teammates, despite his own injuries, in Vietnam.

For that, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1969.

Morris said he was thrilled to receive a call from President Obama last May to tell him his award would be upgraded.

“I dropped to my knees,” said Morris, who volunteered for two tours in Vietnam. “He told me he was calling to tell me I was receiving the Medal of Honor, and he wanted to apologize to me for not getting it years ago.”

He is one of 24 people who will receive the Medal of Honor, the White House announced Feb. 21.

Of those, 21 have died.
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Colorado legislature takes on veteran suicide

State legislature endorses Valley veteran’s call to action
Aspen Daily
by Andrew Travers
Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Saturday, February 22, 2014

The Colorado state legislature unanimously approved a resolution calling on President Obama and the federal government to improve homecoming preparedness for military veterans last week, endorsing measures recommended by the Carbondale-based Purple Star Veterans and Families.

The local organization is fighting for national policy changes to address a suicide epidemic among military vets and their widespread struggles with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It’s led by Carbondale resident Adam McCabe, a Marine and Purple Heart recipient who served two tours in Iraq. The group has been circulating a petition to the president since 2012, calling for new federal programs to help returning veterans adjust to domestic life after combat.

McCabe last week received a standing ovation from the state senate when he was introduced to the chamber as legislators considered the resolution.

“We’ve really reached a milestone,” McCabe said in an interview afterward. “They stood up and really conveyed the need for this.”

Adopted by the senate and house last Thursday, the resolution calls on the U.S. Department of Defense “to develop an implement a program of homecoming preparedness training for all military personnel prior to and immediately following separation from military service, particularly for service members with combat and combat-related job specialties.” It also includes a commendation for Purple Star.
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Iraq War did not end for those we sent

Study: Soil dust suspected in illnesses among Iraq vets
Navy researcher says DoD falls short in addressing threat
Air Force Times
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
Feb. 20, 2014

When Army Sgt. Jayson Williams deployed to Iraq in 2003, he was a healthy 33-year-old who enjoyed the outdoors, running and playing with his son.

When he returned home, he found he couldn’t do routine chores without becoming exhausted or needing to take deep breaths.

He deployed twice more, and his condition worsened. First thought to be emphysema, his diagnosis later was changed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. And after having an invasive lung biopsy, he received even grimmer news — constrictive bronchiolitis, an irreversible lung disease that robs a patient of lung function.

Williams thinks his condition is the result of smoke from a burn pit near his barracks and fumes of a sulfur mine fire that raged for a month near Mosul, spewing toxic materials into the air.

But a growing body of research indicates another factor may contribute to long-term respiratory diseases of veterans like Williams: microscopic dust particles containing heavy metals and other toxins.

A long-term study has found that 14 percent of deployed troops reported chronic respiratory symptoms such as cough, bronchitis, shortness of breath and asthma, compared with 10 percent who did not deploy. The results suggest specific exposures, rather than long exposures, may play a role — particularly among ground troops who deployed to the desert environment of the Persian Gulf.
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160,000 women veterans in Florida

Florida Hosts Women Only Vets Conference

WGCU
By BOBBIE O'BRIEN
February 21, 2014

The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs top legislative priority is getting in-state tuition for out-of-state student veterans.

Another priority - not tied to Tallahassee - is reaching out to the 160,000 women veterans in Florida. So, the state is hosting its first ever conference at Bay Pines VA Regional Office in St. Petersburg specifically for women veterans.

Alene Tarter, Larri Gerson, Cynthia Brown, Jacquelyn Consentino, La Sonda Isidore, Sherrel Pinson, Chava Grier; All those women are veterans. They wore the uniform, saluted the flag, served the country. And there are 160,000 more of them living and working in Florida.

Alene Tarter is director of benefits and assistance for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs based at Bay Pines.

"We have so many women veterans in our state", Tarter said. "Many of them don’t even realize they’re veterans. They feel they’re not recognized as veterans."

One such veteran is Larri Gerson who supervises the claims section for Florida veterans.

"In my situation, I didn’t know I was a veteran for 25 years because I didn’t grow up in a military family", said Gerson. "For me, it wasn’t until I came here working at the Florida department of veterans affairs that I realized how important it is to have that knowledge."

So, the Florida VA is sponsoring its first ever women’s veterans conference to spread the word about available benefits, services and support. Learning about benefits is not a top priority for most women when they transition out of the service. Just ask 20-year Navy veteran Cynthia Brown.

read more here

Comrades say Marine heroism tale of Iraq veteran was untrue

There are accounts of Sgt. Rafael Peralta saving lives by shielding others after he had been shot. Accounts that simply say he fell on a grenade. Now there is another account saying he was just near it.

The LA Times reported that Defense Secretary Hagel refuses to reopen Medal of Honor bid for Sgt. Rafael Peralta because "does not meet the "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" standard required for the nation's highest award for combat bravery." Then there are reports of video footage showing exactly what happened.

So what really happened? Keep in mind that as Peralta is the subject of this debate, he is no longer here to tell anyone what happened or push for anything. That is something all of us need to remember.

Comrades say Marine heroism tale of Iraq veteran was untrue
Washington Post
Ernesto Londoño
February 21, 2014

After his death in 2004 in Fallujah, Sgt. Rafael Peralta became perhaps the most lionized Marine of the Iraq war. Shot in the head during an intense firefight, the story went, the infantryman scooped a grenade underneath his body seconds before it exploded, a stunning act of courage that saved the lives of his fellow Marines.

The Navy posthumously awarded Peralta the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest decoration for valor; named a destroyer after him; and made plans to display his battered rifle in the Marine Corps museum in Quantico, Va.

The tale of heroism has become emblematic of Marine valor in wartime. But new accounts from comrades who fought alongside Peralta that day suggest it may not be true. In interviews, two former Marines who were with Peralta in the house when he was shot said the story was concocted spontaneously in the minutes after he was mortally wounded — likely because several of the men in the unit feared they might have been the ones who shot him.

“It has always bugged me,” said Davi Allen, a Marine who was wounded in the grenade blast and who said he watched it detonate near, but not underneath, Peralta. After years of sticking to the prevailing narrative, Allen, 30, said he recently decided to tell the truth. “I knew it’s not the truth. But who wants to be the one to tell a family: ‘Your son was not a hero’?”
read more here

Sgt. Rafael Peralta will not receive Medal of Honor for saving lives

Iraq veteran battles for fallen Marine to be honored

Medal of Honor for 24 forgotten heroes

From World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War

6 minutes ago

Obama to award 24 Medals of Honor

Some recipients had previously been discriminated against

Medal of Honor
EVELYN CHAVEZ/U.S. AIR FORCE

Stars and Stripes
By Patrick Dickson
Published: February 21, 2014

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to 24 Army veterans for conspicuous gallantry, correcting what was in some cases decades of discrimination.

These veterans will be honored for their valor during major combat operations in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, the White House announced late Friday.

Among the recipients will be 19 Hispanic, Jewish and African-American veterans overlooked previously because of their racial or ethnic backgrounds.

They will be honored in a ceremony at the White House on March 18.

The recipients

President Obama will award the Medal of Honor to these living veterans during a ceremony next month:
Spec. 4 Santiago J. Erevia will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as radio telephone operator in Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) during search and clear mission near Tam Ky, Republic of Vietnam.

Staff Sgt. Melvin Morris will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969.

Sgt. 1st Class Jose Rodela will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as the company commander, Detachment B-36, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces during combat operations against an armed enemy in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam on September 1, 1969.

The president will award the Medal of Honor posthumously to these individuals who served during the Vietnam war:

Sgt. Candelario Garcia will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as an acting Team Leader for Company B, 1st Battalion, 2d Infantry, 1st Brigade,1st Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Lai Khe, Republic of Vietnam on December 8, 1968.

Spec. 4 Leonard L. Alvarado will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a Rifleman with Company D, 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) during combat operations against an armed enemy in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam on August 12, 1969.

Staff Sgt. Felix M. Conde-Falcon will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an acting Platoon Leader in Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 82d Airborne Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Ap Tan Hoa, Republic of Vietnam on April 4, 1969.

Spec. 4 Ardie R. Copas will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a Machinegunner in Company C, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy near Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia on May 12, 1970.

Spec. 4 Jesus S. Duran will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an acting M-60 machinegunner in Company E, 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on April 10, 1969.

The following individuals who served during the Korean war will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously:

Cpl. Joe R. Baldonado will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an acting machine gunner in 3d Squad, 2d Platoon, Company B, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kangdong, Korea on November 25, 1950.

Cpl. Victor H. Espinoza will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an Acting Rifleman in Company A, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Chorwon, Korea on August 1, 1952.

Sgt. Eduardo C. Gomez will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving with Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Tabu-dong, Korea on September 3, 1950.

Pfc. Leonard M. Kravitz will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an assistant machinegunner with Company M, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Yangpyong, Korea on March 6 and 7, 1951.

Master Sgt. Juan E. Negron will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a member of Company L, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kalma-Eri, Korea on April 28, 1951.

Master Sgt. Mike C. Pena will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a member of Company F, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Waegwan, Korea, on September 4, 1950.

Pvt. Demensio Rivera will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an automatic rifleman with 2d Platoon, Company G, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Changyong-ni, Korea on May 23, 1951.

Pvt. Miguel A. Vera will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as an automatic rifleman with Company F, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in Chorwon, Korea, on September 21, 1952.

Segt. Jack Weinstein will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while leading 1st Platoon, Company G, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division in Kumsong, Korea on October 19, 1951.

The president will award the Medal of Honor posthumously to the following individuals who served during World War II:

Pvt. Pedro Cano will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving with Company C, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Schevenhutte, Germany on December 3, 1944.

Pvt. Joe Gandara will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving with Company D, 2d Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Amfreville, France on June 9, 1944.

Pfc. Salvador J. Lara will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as the Squad Leader of a rifle squad with 2d Platoon, Company L, 180th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Aprilia, Italy on May 27 and 28, 1944.

Sgt. William F. Leonard will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a Squad Leader in Company C, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy near St. Die, France on November 7, 1944.

Staff Sgt. Manuel V. Mendoza will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, 350th Infantry, 88th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy on Mt. Battaglia, Italy on October 4, 1944.

Sgt. Alfred B. Nietzel will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a section leader for Company H, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Heistern, Germany on November 18, 1944.

First Lt. Donald K. Schwab will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as the Commander of Company E, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy near Lure, France on September 17, 1944 read more here

Budweiser soldier gives to old school in more ways than one

Soldier presents former school with gift from combat
Lt. Chuck Nadd featured in Budweiser commercial
WESH.com
Feb 21, 2014

WINTER PARK, Fla. —A hometown hero was honored in Winter Park on Friday.

Lt. Chuck Nadd can usually be found flying Blackhawk helicopters.

However, he was at his alma mater Trinity Prep to present a gift to everyone at the school.

Before he handed over that gift, Nadd shared some words of wisdom with 850 students.

"There are so man who have given so much more than me," said Nadd. "Folks who have gone over there and done multiple tours and those who have not come back. They're real heroes."

The Defense Department chose the 25-year-old as its representative for soldiers returning from Afghanistan.
read more here and watch WESH video

This is the full video of the parade.

Is this how Florida treats Police Officers after service in combat?

The story of Matthew Ladd didn't start when he was fired from the West Palm Beach Police Department. It started the day he joined the Army Reserves. We just didn't know what was happening to him until New Year's Eve 2011.

Ex-West Palm cop fights firing over PTSD allegations

By JANE MUSGRAVE
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:32 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011

Photo provided to The Post Matthew Ladd served two years in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is a sergeant in the Army Reserve, where he said none of his supervisors has questioned his ability to perform.

WEST PALM BEACH — When Matthew Ladd came home in 2008 after serving two years in Afghanistan and Iraq, he was more than ready to embrace civilian life.

He attended the police academy at Palm Beach State College. He landed a job with the West Palm Beach Police Department. Life was good.

Then, in October 2010, after spending roughly nine months patrolling city streets, his superiors said they wanted him to undergo a psychological review.

The review was uneventful. Ladd, the psychiatrist wrote, "is NOT suffering from any apparent psychiatric disorders."

"It is further my opinion within a reasonable degree of psychiatric/medical certainty that there are no psychiatric contraindications that would prevent or preclude Mr. Ladd from returning to full duty and performing the essential functions of a police officer," Dr. Norman Silversmith wrote on Oct. 12, 2010.

Six days later, Ladd was fired. His superiors told him they thought he had post-traumatic stress disorder .

"I thought it was a joke," Ladd said.
read more here

You can read the rest of what happened here

Jury awards former West Palm Beach officer, fired on PTSD rumors, $880,000
Palm Beach Post
By Jane Musgrave
Staff Writer
August 30, 2013

WEST PALM BEACH — For three years, Matthew Ladd insisted that his military service in Iraq and Afghanistan shouldn’t have disqualified him from the ranks of the city’s police force.

Late Friday, a Palm Beach County jury agreed, ordering West Palm Beach to pay the 28-year-old Army veteran $880,000 for firing him on the basis of rumors that he had post-traumatic stress disorder. 

“I’m stunned,” Ladd said shortly after the verdict was announced. “I’ve just been so stressed out about this case. Finally, I can get some sleep. My wife can get some sleep.”

His attorney Sid Garcia said Ladd was the victim of “malicious gossips” who lied about the trauma the rookie officer suffered while serving in the Middle East. They ultimately persuaded then-Police Chief Delsa Bush that Ladd was a danger to himself and others even though a psychiatrist who examined the rookie officer at the request of police brass found no evidence of mental distress and declared him fit for duty. 

“Former Chief Bush did not take time to treat him like a human being,” Garcia said. Instead of believing the doctor, he said, she believed a vicious memo a sergeant wrote, claiming Ladd was mentally ill.
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Matthew Ladd won lawsuit for PTSD still waiting for justice

Judge refuses to order West Palm police to reinstate veteran who has PTSD

This is the latest in this very troubling outcome for someone who wanted to serve the nation as well as his community.

PTSD shouldn’t derail law enforcement career, Iraqi war vet argues

“What about just being plain wrong?” Crow said, indicating he had no problem reversing himself.

Crow said he would issue a ruling soon. The city has also appealed the jury’s decision that it should pay Ladd $880,000 for firing him without any justified medical reason.

Hagel shakes up MIA accounting agencies after negative reports

After unflattering reports, Hagel orders shakeup of MIA accounting agencies
Stars and Stripes
By Jon Harper
Published: February 21, 2014

WASHINGTON — In the wake of numerous reports of misconduct and poor management practices by personnel charged with recovering and identifying the remains of missing servicemembers from past conflicts, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has ordered the Pentagon to come up with a plan to consolidate all Defense Department assets into a single, more accountable entity that will manage all personnel accounting resources, research and operations.

On Thursday, Hagel directed Michael Lumpkin, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to deliver the plan to him within 30 days, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters.
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CSF Clusters of FUBAR

CSF Clusters of FUBAR
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 21, 2014

USA TODAY reported Comprehensive Soldier Fitness price was $125 million

The Army began the program in 2009 amid increasing cases of suicide and mental illness. It has cost $125 million to teach the coping skills to a million soldiers.

"Lt. Col. Justin Platt, an Army spokesman, said the program was redesigned in recent years and is not now intended as a way of preventing illnesses such as PTSD or depression.

When it was started in 2009, it was supposed to be a "long-term preventative health strategy." New goals released last year are now more generally worded. One of them, for example, says the program should provide soldier and families with "self-awareness and psychological resources and skills to cope with adversity and thrive in their lives."

This was reported by the LA Times $50 million a year

"A lot of their programs don’t have any good data behind them," said Kenneth Warner, a professor of public health at the University of Michigan who led the Institute of Medicine committee that produced the report. "We remain uncertain about which approaches work and which ones are ineffective."

The 291-page report was especially critical of the Pentagon’s biggest and costliest prevention program, known as Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness, which is used throughout the Army.

Based on the principles of positive psychology, it includes training in assertiveness, negotiation and coping strategies such as maintaining an optimistic outlook on life. About 900,000 soldiers receive the training each year at a cost of $50 million. The program was recently expanded to include families of service members.

That may sound like a lot of money but that isn't close to how much money was spent on this.

NBC reported on this failure with

"One obvious example of an unproven and controversial approach is the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program, which includes a mandatory online training program developed with the American Psychological Association, the report finds."

But did not seem interested in the fact the man responsible for this program had developed it as a research project to give school aged children a better sense of self-estime. A research project? Yes. He was also president of the American Psychological Association.

From The Warrior SAW Suicides After War

One of the issues they found was that CSF was “embraced” by the American Psychological Association and Martin Seligman was past president. Why is he important? Because this was his program and he received a $31 million dollar no-bid contract to implement and run the program. (The publication is still online as of the writing of this book.) This really nails it. “ At minimum, they should issue an unambiguous and widely disseminated statement acknowledging that the report is seriously flawed an that, as a result, the verdict is still out as to where CSF actually works.”

It is very difficult for me to take my emotions out of this. I have had too many veterans and family members contacting me for help because of this. Here are the cold, hard facts.

2006, 2007, 2008 2009
$2.7 million Baylor Texas A and M Army Medical Research Project for PTSD
$1.6 million Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital received Monday the mock check of a $2.7 million was handed over to a contractor to make phone calls. Yep~phone calls! 570,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were supposed to be called to find out why they hadn’t gone to the VA.
$50 Million study by the National Institute for Mental Health for practical interventions for mitigating suicides and enhancing Soldier resiliency
$1.4 Billion We initiated programs to better diagnose and treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and other injuries through advanced medical research. We also have made investments in upgrading our clinics and hospitals including a $1.4 Billion investment in new hospitals at Forts Riley, Benning, and Hood.
$500 Million in additional psychological health providers, new facilities, and world-class research
$1.5 Billion to Army Family programs
$50 million research program into the factors behind soldier suicides and how to prevent them, Army Secretary Pete Geren told reporters at the Pentagon.
$1.97 million Defense Department study.“The Army's alarming suicide trend continues this year, said David Rudd
$34 million University of Pennsylvania no-bid contract to develop Comprehensive Soldier Fitness and run it.

But that is just the start of all of this. Every branch has also spent billions on the same "efforts" that failed. Money came from each branch, plus the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institute of Mental Health, grants and a growing list of colleges and universities receiving grants. Much like the University of Kentucky receiving $677,000 for a two year study to discover how 100 families felt after their veteran committed suicide.

The rest is in The Warrior SAW. The government has also been spending billions on "addressing" veterans committing suicide and treating PTSD. We have also seen more of them committing suicide along with a dramatic rise in younger veterans committing suicide. What we have seen as a result of all these "efforts" is the money keeps going out but no one is held accountable for the money and lives they have already lost.