Homeless Iraq Veteran Given Special Wedding Celebration

Matthew 25
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,  you did it to me.’

Think about those words for a second. That is how people can show love. They can show it strangers they will never meet. They can show it to people without expecting any personal gratitude because their generosity is blended in with many other caring hearts.

The following story has it all. It is about the generosity of others making sure a couple were able to get married. It is also a story of love lasting through the worst circumstances. This couple, along with their two year old daughter, were homeless. The new husband is an Iraq veteran.

Homeless veteran thanked with free wedding — tux, dress, rings, cake and all
My Conestoga Valley News
By JOE HAINTHALER
Staff Writer
February 22, 2014

Lea Lutman, the 21-year-old bride, was a little nervous.

“I’m holding it together in the heels,” she told her father, Rich, as they waited to enter.

“I hope so,” he said, “because that corner table’s going to laugh if we fall.” His date and a friend were sitting at a table in the corner of the main dining room of the Greenfield Restaurant.

Lutman’s husband-to-be, Pfc. Ryan Sexton, an Army veteran of four years’ active duty including two tours in Iraq, was suffering no jitters.

“The last time I was nervous was when I landed in Kuwait (in July 2007) and they told us to lock and load just in case,” said Ryan, 29, a Solanco High School graduate.

All went well during the noon ceremony held before 30 family members and friends Saturday at the East Lampeter Township restaurant.

“I didn’t fall, didn’t break a heel or nothing,” Lea (pronounced Lee-uhh) said after she and Ryan became husband and wife.

All had not gone quite as well in the three-plus years since the couple met in September 2010 when they were working as emergency responders for the Providence Ambulance Association.

They had financial troubles.

It was difficult making his quarterly paycheck last, Ryan said.

He lost his job.

And then came homelessness.

They were living with a friend of his in York until the friend’s landlord threw them out in October. At that point, the couple and their now-2-year-old daughter, Rylee, joined the ranks of about 2,400 homeless families in Pennsylvania that include a veteran with at least one child under age 18, according to federal statistics.

When Janell Berté, the owner of POSH Bridal in Lancaster, worked with Brides Across America to donate 25 wedding gowns for military brides in November, she and her staff spoke with Ryan and Lea.
read more here

1 Corinthians 13
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

US Military Bases to Be "Made in American" Flags

47 minutes ago

US flags at military bases must be 100% American made

By Laura Petrecca

USA Today

Published: February 23, 2014

Here's a Stars and Stripes shocker: Prior to Friday, flags bought by the Department of Defense weren't necessarily 100% American made.

But going forward, flags purchased by the military must be wholly sourced from the U.S. -- and not have any elements from overseas, according to a Department of Defense purchasing rules amendment that went into effect Friday.

While the Department of Defense's major flag vendors are American companies, the flag material -- such as ink and fabric -- could have come from foreign markets prior to the change.

"Our men (and) women in uniform should serve under American-made flags," Congressman Mike Thompson, D-Calif., said on his Facebook page last week.

He proposed the legislation requiring the flags to be 100% American made.
In that post, he also gave a nod to flag company North Bay Industries in Rohnert Park, Calif., which produces flags that are wholly American made. "Our tax dollars should be spent on American-made flags like those at NBI," he said.

read more here

Taliban says it suspends talks on Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

Taliban says it suspends talks on Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
The Associated Press
By KATHY GANNON
Published: February 23, 2014
50 minutes ago

ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan's Taliban said Sunday they had suspended "mediation" with the United States to exchange captive Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five senior Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, halting - at least temporarily - what was considered the best chance yet of securing the 27-year-old soldier's freedom since his capture in 2009.

In a terse Pashto language statement emailed to The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid blamed the "current complex political situation in the country" for the suspension.

A U.S. official with knowledge of the talks said the cause of the suspension was not the result of any issue between the United States and Taliban. He declined to elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.
read more here

Soldier made famous in Super Bowl ad visits Fort McCoy

Soldier made famous in Super Bowl ad visits Fort McCoy
Ocala Star Banner
By Andy Fillmore
Correspondent
Published: Friday, February 21, 2014

FORT MCCOY — U.S. Army 1st Lt. Chuck Nadd visited the Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans Retirement Village in Fort McCoy on Thursday.

Nadd, the pilot of a Blackhawk helicopter on at least 240 hours of missions in Afghanistan, gained notoriety during the Super Bowl when Budweiser aired its “A Hero’s Welcome” commercial featuring him and his fiancée Shannon Cantwell and most of residents of his hometown of Winter Park.

The commercial came out of a VFW program to honor one returning serviceman representing many. Cantwell, a native of Mobile, Ala., and a staff member with Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, entered Nadd’s name in the drawing.

After his name was drawn, the VFW became involved with the company that produced the 60-second commercial as well a 5-minute documentary that included VFW members sharing their homecoming experiences. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Al Lugo, director of the village, and members of the staff there, along with other local VFW personnel, were involved in the project.

For the two productions, Cantwell started a campaign to get Nadd’s friends and former classmates at Trinity Preparatory School of Winter Park assembled, along with his mother and hundreds of town residents.
read more here

This is the video I shot from right in the middle of the huge crowd.


This is from Budweiser

Vietnam veteran's fractured ankle turned into amputated leg?

Olympia man suing Veterans Administration after he contracted MRSA
Vietnam vet sues Veterans Affairs after broken ankle treatment ended with amputation because of infection
The News Tribune
BY ADAM ASHTON
Staff writer
February 23, 2014

A Vietnam veteran living in Olympia is suing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs two years after a severe bacterial infection he developed while receiving care at the system’s Seattle hospital led to the amputation of his right leg.

Steve Garletts alleges VA doctors were negligent in their care over a three-week stretch in late 2011. It began when he sought treatment for an ankle fracture he suffered in an accident at his Alaska home. He took a turn for the worse when he contracted an antibiotic-resistant MRSA infection.

The former Marine is seeking unspecified compensation for his traumatic injuries, disfigurement and loss of earning capacity.

“I came in with a simple fracture and I came out without a leg,” Garletts, 65, said in an interview this month.
read more here

Patriotic retiree displays Marine statue in yard

Patriotic retiree displays Marine statue in yard
Passers-by frequently stop for photos
FLORIDA TODAY
Written by
Rick Neale
February 23, 2014

MELBOURNE — A life-sized replica of a white-gloved Marine wearing dress blues stands at perpetual attention in Bill Mueller’s front yard, flanked by a pair of fawn-colored boxers.

The 71-year-old installed the statue — plus a new 16-foot flagpole to fly the Stars and Stripes — last month to honor U.S. troops fighting overseas. Motorists in the Indianhead subdivision have noticed, pulling over to stare and take photos.

“Every time I heard about guys getting killed or maimed in Afghanistan and Iraq, it just kind of tears you up a little bit. And I just wanted to do something to do a dedication to the soldiers,” said Mueller who served in the Marines from 1961-64.

“ ‘Awesome’ is the word I hear the most. People are stopping by all the time taking pictures, and they come to the door and ask me if they can take pictures. I say, ‘Help yourself. Take all the pictures you want,’ ” he said.
read more here

Marine killed trying to help after chain reaction crash

Marine's Body Arrives Home
February 28, 2014
By WKBW News

CHEEKTOWAGA (WKBW) Twenty year old Richard Jones was a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps and a former volunteer firefighter in Niagara Falls. His body was flown home on Friday as more information is released on how he died, trying to help others.

A hearse flying two American flags, flanked by family, friends, and several first responders left the Buffalo Airport, transporting the flag draped casket of Marine Richard Jones.

UPDATE
Marine from Niagara Falls dies in California accident
"Chief Bruce Mack of the Frontier Volunteer Fire Company in Wheatfield confirmed that the victim was Ricky Jones, 20, a Niagara Falls High School graduate who came up through the company’s Youth Program and became a firefighter when he turned 18. He is the son of Niagara Falls Police Detective Daniel Jones."

Marine Killed in I-8 Chain Reaction Crash
The Marine may have been killed after getting out of his truck, while attempting to dodge an oncoming vehicle
NBC San Diego
By Diana Guevara and Monica Garske
Saturday, Feb 22, 2014

U.S. Marine was killed in a chain reaction-type crash along Interstate 8 in San Diego Saturday morning, possibly while attempting to jump out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The fatal accident, which involved several vehicles, happened just after 5 a.m. along westbound I-8 at the State Route 163 interchange in the Mission Valley area.

CHP officials said a woman was driving a Honda Civic on westbound I-8 when, for unknown reasons, she lost control, striking a nearby barrier before coming to a halt in the middle of the freeway. Shortly thereafter, officials said three other cars slammed into the Honda in a chain reaction.

According to CHP officials, one of those vehicles, a Ford truck, was occupied by two Marines who were headed to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). After colliding into the wreckage, the Marines got out of their truck and walked over to the woman in the Honda to help.
read more here

50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and attacks go on

50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and attacks go on
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 23, 2014

Reading a post by Mark Ashwill on Huffington Post was not a good way to wake up this morning.

Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor

"As we settle into year three of the 13-year Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, which extends from May 28, 2012 to November 11, 2025, Americans from sea to shining sea are joining in events that "recognize the Vietnam Veterans and their families' service, valor, and sacrifice," according to the official Vietnam War Commemoration website. As with any program dreamed up by bureaucrats, objectives are a must, lest the organizers and participants lack focus and taxpayer dollars be wasted."

He ran down the list we've all been subjected to for over 40 years. I read the words until it became clear the agenda was not to honor Vietnam veterans but to subject them to what more talented writers have done to them over all these years. How can some people be so blind to the simple fact that, this is not about politicians or reasons they sent men and women to risk their lives?

This is about them. Men like my husband and families like mine. What about the contributions Vietnam veterans made to society as a whole because they did not give up on the rest of the country even though the rest of the country gave up on them?

Nothing was done on PTSD until they came home and fought for it. Everything that came afterwards, including crisis intervention, happened because of them. Frankly most are tired of people focusing on the reasons they were sent, because when they got there, the only thing that mattered was the guy standing next to them. They were willing to die for each other and that is what this is supposed to be about.

So far the only "vain search" for honor has come because of people would rather focus on everything else but the people who went.

Vietnam veterans are the majority of the veteran suicides, the VA claim backlogs that have gone up and down during every single administration like a roller coaster rising when politicians could get away with it and the press didn't care then suddenly putting all hands on deck to get them down again. During congress after congress complaining about the claims and the delay in honoring them when the report made the top of the fold.

It is all just a political game fed by people with an agenda that has nothing to do with the veterans.

Former Air Force para-rescueman enlisted to help find remains

59 minutes ago
Former Air Force para-rescueman enlisted to help find remains
Idaho State Journal/AP
By Michael O'Donnell
Published: February 22, 2014

POCATELLO, Idaho — It's been 45 years since Aberdeen's Leland Sorensen clung to a thin steel cable as he was lowered into the jungle canopy of Southeast Asia. As a member of the elite U.S. Air Force para-rescue jump team, it was his job to drop from a helicopter into hostile territory to rescue downed pilots during the Vietnam War.

Sorensen's successful rescue efforts in 1968-69 earned him the Silver Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses — and a return trip to the rugged jungles of Laos later this month.

A surprise email from the Army's Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office last December asked for Sorensen's help in finding the remains of F-105 fighter pilot David T. Dinan, who was shot down on a Laotian mountainside March 17, 1969. Sorensen was key because he was the last American to ever see Dinan's lifeless body.

"I was the one who went to the ground," Sorensen said about that fateful day nearly 45 years ago. "I was happy to tell what I recalled."

Sorensen will fly to Laos on Feb. 27 and become part of a mission to find the remains of Lt. Dinan. People are counting on his memory of the location and the events of that fateful day
read more here

Soldier killed, 7 hurt in howitzer training exercise on Fort Bragg

26 minutes ago
Soldier killed, 7 hurt in training exercise on Fort Bragg
by Martha Quillin
The (Raleigh, N.C.) News and Observer
Published: February 21, 2014

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A training incident that killed one paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division and wounded seven others early Friday morning involved a howitzer in a live-fire exercise, according to the Army.

Two of the wounded soldiers were seriously injured, and five suffered minor injuries, said Capt. Douglas Ray, a spokesman for the 82nd. Friday night, one remained at Womack Army Medical Center on post and one was in Duke University Medical Center.

The families of the soldiers have all been notified, but the Army has not released their names or described the nature of their injuries.

It’s at least the second live-fire incident in which troops were injured during training at Fort Bragg in three years.

At a press conference, Ray read from a statement and said he could not take questions because the incident is under investigation by the 82nd, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Army Readiness/Safety Center.
read more here