Hard To Hold On To: PTSD Fueled Military Suicides

Laura Kaye draws attention to prevalence of suicide among vets
HAPPY EVER AFTER
USA Today
Special for USA TODAY
August 21, 2014

Laura Kaye, author of Hard to Hold On To, finds more than just a story in the new novella in her Hard Ink series.

Laura: Every once in a while, a character and a book compel you to take his story a step further.

Something about their story or their history or their wounds crawls under your skin and demands that there's something more important there than just a story. And that's what Edward "Easy" Cantrell, the strong, brave, but very troubled veteran hero of Hard to Hold On To, did for me.

So, here's what I'm doing with that feeling: I'm donating all of my proceeds of the first two weeks' sales of this e-original novella to a national non-profit organization that assists wounded veterans as they transition to civilian life. So that's all sales through Sept. 1.

Here are some of the more staggering statistics, according to the Department of Defense. In the U.S. Army, which has the highest suicide rate among the branches (48.7% of all military suicides in 2012), the suicide rate in 2012 was 30 per 100,000, compared with 14 per 100,000 among civilians and 18 per 100,000 in 2008. In 2012, 841 active-duty service members attempted or committed suicide.

Among veterans, as of November 2013, 22 committed suicide every day. Every. Day. I cannot read or think about that statistic without getting choked up. A frightening 30% of veterans say they've considered suicide, and 45% say they know an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran who has attempted or committed suicide.

But this problem is more than a list of numbers. It's what real men and women are facing. Since Hard to Hold On To released on Tuesday, members of several military families have contacted me with their stories. One woman shared that her husband lost a military friend to suicide just three days earlier — and it was the third such loss to suicide he'd experienced. Another woman shared that her husband was an Army veteran who served in the Balkans, got air-lifted out around the age of 21, and suffered from severe depression and PTSD, ultimately attempting suicide, after returning home. Another shared that her son had committed suicide, and believed the only way to combat the problem was by coming at it with acceptance and knowledge so that people get the help they need.
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Drone Pilots PTSD Study Links 17 Symptoms

Study: Drone Pilots Suffer PTSD Like Soldiers In Combat
CBS News Cleveland
August 21, 2014

For some of the pilots, the symptoms can be the same as for veterans returning from combat tours.

Pilots of remote controlled drones can suffer the same symptoms of PTSD as military personnel who have been under enemy fire.
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

DAYTON, Ohio (CBS Cleveland) – They are miles from the battlefield, watching war through video monitors and computer screens, but the men and woman who remotely operate military drones can still show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reports Live Science.

About 1,000 Air Force drone pilots completed questionnaires that listed 17 symptoms characteristic of PTSD, such as recurring nightmares, intrusive thoughts, trouble falling asleep and difficulty concentrating.

Researchers found that 4.3 percent of them suffered from moderate to severe PTSD.
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Neighbors Step Up When Amputee Afghanistan Veteran Was Evicted

Neighbors rally to help evicted wounded warrior
Stone Haven residents help veteran find new home
By KSAT Anchor
Ursula Pari
August 21, 2014

SAN ANTONIO - Neighbors in the Stone Haven subdivision on the far North Side are coming to the aid of a wounded warrior who was left homeless Wednesday after falling behind in his rent.

The reclusive veteran lost a leg in combat in Afghanistan and also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his time in battle. So when his neighbors saw his belongings being removed from his home, they took action.

Kara Myers is leading the effort to help the soldier, who earned numerous honors, including the Purple Heart.

“He risked his life for us, so it’s the least we can do,” said Myers.

She said that Wednesday afternoon, several neighbors went into action after noticing a sheriff’s deputy supervising the removal of the soldier’s belongings to the yard.

"At one time they were lined up all the way down the curb, down here and across the other side," Myers said, describing the scene of volunteers who showed up to help pack up the furniture and clothing and take them to a safe place.
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Fort Bragg Soldier from Florida killed in Afghanistan

Fort Bragg paratrooper killed in Afghanistan
WRAL.com
August 21, 2014

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A Fort Bragg paratrooper has been killed in action in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense said Thursday that Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew I. Leggett died the prior day.

The 39-year-old from Ruskin, Florida, was assigned to the headquarters battalion of the 18th Airborne Corps.

No details were provided about where or how Leggett was killed.
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Veteran Brian Beaird's family awarded $5 million

LA City Council To Pay $5M In Death Of Veteran Shot By Police After Televised Corvette Pursuit
CBS Los Angeles
August 20, 2014

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a disabled veteran who was fatally shot by Los Angeles police after a pursuit.

The family of 51-year-old Brian Beaird filed a wrongful death lawsuit in May, seeking $20 million in damages. Beaird was shot and killed by Los Angeles police last Dec. 13 at the end of an hour-long car chase that was broadcast on TV.

According to the family’s attorney, Beaird watched live as police shot his son.

Just after 10:30 p.m., the Corvette smashed into a Nissan Maxima. As the car’s tires spun and smoked, the driver exited the Corvette. He was then shot, and collapsed on his back on a sidewalk.

The Oceanside man — a National Guard veteran — died at a hospital about 45 minutes after the chase ended near the intersection of East Olympic Boulevard and South Los Angeles Street.
No weapon was recovered at the scene of the shooting, according to police. read more here

Medal of Honor Vietnam Veteran Bernard Fisher Passed Away

Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Bernard Fisher dies
The Idaho Statesman
By John Sowell
Published: August 20, 2014

KUNA, Idaho (MCT) — Bernard Fisher, who risked his life landing his attack plane to rescue a fellow pilot while North Vietnamese troops shot at him, died Saturday at age 87.

President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Fisher with the Medal of Honor for his heroics in rescuing Maj. Dafford "Jump" Myers on March 10, 1966, in the A Shau Valley along South Vietnam's western border with Laos.

"He was a heck of a pilot and one of the finest gentlemen I've ever met," retired Air Force Col. Eugene Deatrick said Tuesday by phone from Alexandria, Va.

Deatrick, 89, commanded the 1st Air Commando Squadron at Pleiku and had a distinguished flying career himself. Fisher, Deatrick said, took his responsibilities seriously but had a calm demeanor.

Col. David Iverson, commander of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, called Fisher an "American hero."

"Bernie's life is an inspiration to those who met him and to all airmen who will continue to hear his story," Iverson said in a written statement. "The men and women of Mountain Home Air Force Base were blessed to have a special relationship with Col. Fisher. He visited and mentored airmen on numerous occasions, sharing his philosophy and leadership advice."
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Military Identity Theft

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 21, 2014

Given the right opportunity, (trauma) it strikes without mercy. It seems harmless at first as it penetrates your memory while you wait for your brain to reboot allowing you to go back to the way you were before, but when you are not paying attention, it gets stronger.

Everything stored in your system is infected. Your memory files become infected. The entire system starts to perform with issues. Slower connections to the outside world. Crashes leaving you to start all over again. Frustration builds, anger grows and you pull back from wanting to communicate knowing your system needs more help than you can do yourself, you wait until it gets bad enough to take it in to be fixed. Too often you waited too long and a minor virus spreads to wipe out your entire hard drive.

You can replace the computer and start all over again. Pretend that the files you lost didn't really matter to you but you know they were actually priceless. You are not a computer and you cannot simply replace your mind. You memories are part of you but those memories can become trapped behind stronger memories and those memories corrupt others.

Military identity theft isn't about some thug knowing computer coding enough get your personal information and take what you have. It is more about a thief knowing your coding and how to hit you as hard as possible to rob you of a part of who you are. It is called PTSD.

By the time you turn 25 the military and all that came with it became a part of who you are. Most never thought of doing anything else as if it was part of your DNA before you joined. That is a problem as much as it is part of the recovery.

Old enough by 18 to vote and join the military but not old enough to drink.

You are old enough to be called Veteran before 25 but not old enough to rent a car.

20s and beyond According to recent findings, the human brain does not reach full maturity until at least the mid-20s. (See J. Giedd in References.) The specific changes that follow young adulthood are not yet well studied, but it is known that they involve increased myelination and continued adding and pruning of neurons. As a number of researchers have put it, "the rental car companies have it right." The brain isn't fully mature at 16, when we are allowed to drive, or at 18, when we are allowed to vote, or at 21, when we are allowed to drink, but closer to 25, when we are allowed to rent a car.

As a veteran, the military life, and all that came with it, is part of you. That is why you can never fully fit back into the civilian world. Why would you want to? After all, while you know what it is like to have all the regular problems civilians have, they have no clue what it was like for you. It is one of the reasons veterans spend their free time with other veterans.

You are not selfish or you would have done something else with your life instead of risking it for the sake of someone else on a daily basis. Sure, you may act selfish if you have PTSD, but that is part of feeling lousy.

All the reports on military suicides are up no matter how much they talk about prevention and awareness. Seems like the same story when it comes to computers like the one you're on right now. Being aware of what is going on in the world outside of your room bring little protection to for you.

Next month is "suicide awareness month" but most are wondering what the point is. Numbers go up even though programs to prevent them have also increased. We know more about the number of suicides than ever before but less about how to actually raise awareness of what PTSD is and what it does. For all the talk about raising awareness, it is time we actually start to help you be aware of what you can do to help yourself fix your hard drive.

It is time to recover your memory and protect it.

For a start, go to the top of Wounded Times and in the search field, put in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, military suicides and combat but don't stop there. Put in spiritual healing too. Time to be aware of facts and how to start healing.

OEF OIF soldier killed in motorcycle crash

War vet who served in Iraq and Afghanistan killed in Coopersville crash
FOX 17
BY AGILLFILLAN
AUGUST 20, 2014

COOPERSVILLE, Mich. – A war vet who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars died after crashing his motorcycle in Ottawa County Wednesday.

The crash happened at about 1:30 p.m. at 64th Avenue and Randall Street.

Friends of the family have identified the crash victim as 26-year-old Mike VanHolstyn of Grand Rapids. He was active duty in the army and served 15 months in Iraq and a year in Afghanistan.

Investigators said the motorcyclist was heading west on Randall and the car was going south on 64th Avenue. The car, driven by a 52-year-old Muskegon County man was stopped at a stop sign. The car pulled out, not seeing the motorcycle, said investigators. Deputies said the 26-year-old Grand Rapids man on the motorcycle took evasive action before the crash and ‘put the bike down’ but was hit anyway.
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TEAM Rubicon Vietnam Veteran Still Serving Others

Team Rubicon: Veterans help flood victims
Veterans who served their country, now serve their communities
4 News Detroit
Author: Lauren Podell
Local 4 Reporter
Published On: Aug 20 2014

DEARBORN, Mich.
They served in the military at different times.

“I am actually still serving, I am an Army reservist,” said Eric Burghardt of Kalamazoo.

They served at different places.

“I’m a Vietnam veteran, so I am considered one of the older guys in the group,” said Bob Pries of Farmington Hills.

Meet Team Rubicon.

When disasters strike anywhere across the country, this veterans group helps with the clean up. That’s exactly what the cities of Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Southfield did after last week’s flooding left so many homeowners helpless.

“We like to say disasters are our business but Veterans are our passion,” said Pries, Team Rubicon’s incident commander.
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ISIS Video Shows Journalist Beheaded in Iraq

BREAKING: US officials confirm video released by ISIS shows gruesome beheading of US journalist James Foley
BY LARA JAKES AND BRADLEY KLAPPER
Aug 20th 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A grisly video released Tuesday shows Islamic State militants beheading American journalist James Foley, U.S. officials said, in what the extremists called retribution for recent U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. The militants threatened to kill another captive they also identified as an American journalist.

Separately, Foley's family confirmed his death in a statement posted on a Facebook page that was created to rally support for his release, saying they "have never been prouder of him."

"He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people," said the statement, which was attributed to Foley's mother, Diane Foley. She implored the militants to spare the lives of other hostages. "Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world."

The statement was posted on a Facebook page called "Find James Foley," which his family has used a number of times since his November 2012 disappearance. Earlier Tuesday, a red-eyed but gracious Diane Foley said the family would not have an immediate statement when approached at her home by an Associated Press reporter. A priest arrived at the home several hours later.
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Iraq Veteran and Member of ISIS Bond Over Robin Williams?

An American veteran and a jihadi bond over Robin Williams
PRI's The World
Producer Christopher Woolf
August 19, 2014

Who would have thought that Islamic militants might also enjoy Robin Williams movies?

The death of the actor and comedian last week provoked an outpouring of sympathy from across the world. That included activists with ISIS, the militant group that has proclaimed an Islamic caliphate in northern Iraq and Syria.

Alex Horton found that out when he went to tweet his his own fond memories of William. Horton, currently a journalist and blogger on national security issues, served as an infantryman in the US Army.

During his tour in Iraq in 2006 and 2007, some of the insurgents he fought were much like ISIS.

But Horton still engaged some of the activists when they posted their admiration of Robin Williams on Twitter. He ended up having a long conversation, both on- and off-line, with one Islamist in particular: a 19-year-old guy called Abdullah.
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Pain Added After Memorial Stolen in Washington

Thieves steal monument to Washington soldier who died in Afghanistan
KGW News
Aug. 19, 2014

Suspected metal thieves stole this memorial from a Longview, Wash., park. (Steven Bragg)

LONGVIEW, WASH. — Thieves stole the monument of an Afghan War soldier, along with eight others from Lake Sacajawea Park over the weekend.

Mikayla Bragg served in Afghanistan and took her own life in that country in December 2011.

The city of Longview honored her service with a plaque that was dedicated in April 2012. The touching ceremony included poetry, prayers, eulogies and the singing of the national anthem by the Mark Morris High choir, according a report in the Longview Daily News.
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Marine's Missing Wife Found Dead in California Mine Shaft

Marine's Wife Found Dead in California Mine Shaft
Associated Press
by Gillian Flaccus
Aug 19, 2014

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Deep in a mine shaft in the California desert, the body of a pregnant wife of a U.S. Marine was discovered after a search of nearly two months.

Far off in Alaska, a man alleged to have been her lover was arrested on suspicion of homicide.

Authorities on Monday outlined the discovery of 19-year-old Erin Corwin and the arrest of 24-year-old Christopher Brandon Lee, who until recently was also a Marine.

The search for Corwin ended Saturday when her body was spotted with a video camera 140 feet down a mine shaft on federal land near her home in Twentynine Palms, where her husband was stationed, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said. He said deputies searched many of the 100 mine shafts in a 300 square mile area before zeroing in on right one.

The following day authorities arrested Lee, Corwin's former neighbor, in Anchorage.
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Ex-POW Veteran of 3 Wars Passed Away at 92

Brevard Vietnam veteran, POW dies
FLORIDA TODAY
Norman Moody
August 18, 2014

Retired Col. Larry Guarino was a POW for more than seven years. The Indian Harbour Beach resident died of natural causes at the age of 92.
(Photo: File photo)

MELBOURNE – Retired Air Force Col. Larry Guarino, a fighter pilot who in the Vietnam War was shot down near Hanoi in 1965 and held as a prisoner of war for more than seven years, has died.

He was 92.

Guarino, an Indian Harbour Beach resident, was a highly decorated veteran, who also served in World War II and Korea. He told the story of his captivity in Vietnam in "A POW Story — 2801 Days in Hanoi."

"That book inspired so many people," said Evelyn Guarino, his wife of 71 years.

She said a young private once wrote her husband to say that after reading about what Guarino went through in prison, he was ashamed of himself for complaining about not having his family with him in Germany where he was serving.

"He was a wonderful man," Evelyn Guarino said. "He had a great sense of humor."

She said he served for 33 years as a pilot and loved the plane he flew in World War II, the Spitfire.

His medals included the Air Force Cross, the second highest military award, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Purple Hearts.
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