Orlando Magic Teamed Up For Army Couple

Orlando Magic Teamed Up with Chase and Building Homes for Heroes for a Special Home Award and Other Surprises 
NBA.com
By John Denton
April 13, 2015

Alan met his future wife, Erika, while the two were serving together in the Army at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Co. The family has lived in Pembroke Pines in South Florida in recent years, but it will be moving to the new home in Kissimmee in June once their oldest daughter, Camila, finishes the current school year.

ORLANDO – Just minutes after presenting retired Army Sergeant Alan Wyrwa, wife Erika and daughters Camila and Ariel with a variety of gifts to go along with the mortgage-free home provided by Chase that they will soon move into, Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins shook his head and summed up the awe-inspiring experience in one brief sentence. “This,” Martins said while still being somewhat in amazement of the tears, smiles and excited dances from the Wyrwa family, “is what making a difference in someone’s life is all about.”

The Magic joined Chase and Building Homes for Heroes on Saturday night during Orlando’s home finale to honor Sgt. Wyrwa and the family with a variety of gifts. Sgt Wyrwa, a North Carolina native, was in the Army’s infantry division for 12 years and he did four tours of duty in Iraq and another year of service in Afghanistan before an IED blast left him no longer unable to serve his country.

Wyrwa, who was honorably discharged from the Army in 2013, was recently awarded a mortgage-free home in Kissimmee by the Magic, Chase and Building Homes for Heroes.

The Magic also made the night extra special by recognizing the Wyrwa family at midcourt and honoring them with Disney Park Hopper passes, a two-night Marriott Vacation Club stay, a 40, inch television, $1,500 for home furnishings and new bicycles for the girls. Wyrwa said that the whole night felt like a dream, and he couldn’t have been more impressed with the generosity of the Magic and Chase.

Erika Wyrwa, who was also in the Army and served one tour of duty in Afghanistan, said that landing the new home was a welcome relief to a family that has struggled to plant some stable roots since leaving the military because of the difficulty in finding work. Alan has been unable to work because of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and injuries suffered while in battle, but he hopes to one day own his own business following his schooling. read more here

Surge in Soldiers Seeking Help For PTSD

Army unifies mental health care at JBLM, elsewhere as demand for treatment surges
The Seattle Times
BY HAL BERNTON AND ADAM ASHTON
Staff writer April 11, 2015

The Army is overhauling mental health services after years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, aiming to end an era of experimentation in which nearly 200 programs were tried on different bases.

At Joint Base Lewis-McChord and elsewhere, the Army has pushed counseling teams out of hospitals to embed with troops. And in a new effort, it’s cutting back its use of private psychiatric hospitals while expanding intensive mental health programs, including at Madigan Army Medical Center.

The reforms come at a time when the Army — despite a dramatic reduction in troops heading to war zones — still faces serious challenges trying to reach and treat soldiers afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.

At JBLM, diagnoses of PTSD over the past three years have been at the highest level since the peak of the Iraq war in 2008.

Army-wide, patient contacts with mental health personnel reached 2 million last year, more than double the numbers six years earlier when a much larger Army was enmeshed in ground combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yet, despite expanded outreach, the Army’s latest PTSD training document — provided to medical staff in December — shows that more than half the soldiers with PTSD and other mental health problems still don’t receive any care.

And when they do seek help, many drop out.

For seven years of the post 9/11 era, at what is now JBLM, there was another option available. It was a Madigan intensive outpatient treatment program that offered troubled soldiers a chance at intensive counseling where uniforms were optional.

“We could take between 25 to 30 (patients) and they could get six hours of treatment per day,” said Dr. Russell Hicks, a psychiatrist who founded and headed up the program.

The program helped some soldiers resume their Army careers, while others received mental health diagnoses, such as PTSD, that could the stage for a medical retirement.

But in 2010, a year some 18,000 soldiers were returning from often difficult deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, the program was shut down.
read more here

Crew Was Charged with Counting the Dead in Vietnam

Veteran Skip McDonald's crew was charged with counting the dead in Vietnam 
Journal Standard
By Matt Trowbridge Rockford Register Star
Posted Apr. 11, 2015

This story is part of our latest Rock River Valley Insider, which focuses on the 40th anniversary of the U.S. officially leaving the Vietnam War. The content will publish in the April 12 edition of the Register Star.

Then he was flown to a hospital in Denver. He had met Betty Yang, who is originally from Korea, during training at Fort Carson. Now Yang visited him every day. A month later, they were engaged. Four months after that, they married. March 14 marked their 45th anniversary.

Phillip "Skip" McDonald was on the bomb damage assessment (BDA) crew and was charged with counting the dead. McDonald was wounded 35 days in-country and received a Purple Heart.
SUNNY STRADER/RRSTAR.COM

Philip “Skip” McDonald, a platoon leader for the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division, trained six months in Fort Carson, Colorado, for a job that didn’t really exist in Vietnam.

“You ride on these things with tracks that carry 10 guys and have a 50-caliber machine gun on top,” he said, “but we never rode them in Vietnam because rocket propelled grenades would go right through them, explode and kill everybody inside. So we all rode on top instead of getting inside.

“I didn’t ride tracks in Vietnam anyway because we were cavalry. I jumped out of helicopters. There wasn’t a lot of mechanized infantry in Vietnam.”

When he arrived in-country on Sept. 15, 1969, McDonald discovered that his main job was something he considers a little “sick.” He was on the bomb damage assessment crew and was charged with counting the dead.

“The B-52s come in, blow a whole bunch of crap up and then you go in there and try to count dead people,” said McDonald, who returned to his native Rockford after the war. “We had a battalion commander who kept a chart for each company, and you got points for step-ons and estimateds. Pretty sick.”

A step-on is exactly what it sounds like: a body you can step on.

“You got awards for each company and you got more points for a step-on than ones you thought you killed but couldn’t find (estimateds) that maybe left a blood trail or something, like deer hunting.”

McDonald was in-country for 35 days, but that was a long time for an officer at the front during the height of a war that killed almost as many Americans in combat (47,424) as World War I (53,402).

“You weren’t treated like they are treated today. These kids come home from Iraq and Afghanistan and, good for them, they have this big parade and everything for one kid. We had 27 wounded and nine killed in one afternoon and we were considered baby-killers. We weren’t.
read more here

Have Problems with Department of Veterans Affairs?

I fully understand that telling the truth just isn't as popular as making stuff up, but enough is enough. 

Lying, manipulating and down right idiotic emails are flooding my in box!

Here's the real truth on a lot of stuff some folks don't want you to know because the truth hurts their meager point of view.

VA Crisis: Sorry folks but no, it isn't the fault of Obama or his administration.

Sure they have something to do with the mess but their part was done by adding to the veterans being able to seek care and compensation.

Who gets the blame? That would be Congress. Not just this Congress but every Congressional Session going back to 1946 when the first House Veterans Affairs Committee was called to order.
Chronological History of the Department of Veterans Affairs

1930
The Veterans Administration was created by Executive Order S.398, signed by President Herbert Hoover on July 21, 1930. At that time, there were 54 hospitals, 4.7 million living veterans, and 31,600 employees.
1933
The Board of Veterans Appeals was established.
1944
On June 22, President Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. (Public Law 346, was passed unanimously by the 78th Congress). This law offered home loan and education benefits to veterans.
1946
The Department of Medicine and Surgery was established, succeeded in 1989 by the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration, renamed the Veterans Health Administration in 1991.
1953
The Department of Veterans Benefits was established, succeeded in 1989 by the Veterans Benefit Administration.
1973
The National Cemetery System (except for Arlington National Cemetery) was transferred to the VA.
1988
Legislation to elevate VA to Cabinet status was signed by President Reagan.
1989
March 15. VA became the 14th Department in the President's Cabinet.

You can read more about what they are, and always were, supposed to be responsible for.
Don't feel bad about blaming Obama since I used to blame Bush for everything instead of understanding exactly who was supposed to be in control of how veterans are treated.

Congress write all the rules, passes all the bills and they are supposed to fund the VA to make sure it has proper staffing to care for veterans medically as well as process their claims.

They should have fixed the issues with the VA decades ago and prepared it to be able to handle the influx of veterans. They didn't.

There were already long lines in the 90's!

BLAME CONGRESS!

If we don't start telling the truth, we won't fix anything and veterans will keep feeling like they just got tossed the the trash!

Soldiers and Families Receive Purple Hearts

Fort Hood Shooting Victims, Families Receive Medals
Department of Defense
By Heather Graham-­Ashley 3rd Corps and Fort Hood
FORT HOOD, Texas
April 11, 2015

Jeffrey and Sheryll Pearson look at the portrait of their son, Army Pfc. Michael Pearson, before the Purple Heart and Defense of Freedom award ceremony on Fort Hood, Texas, April 10, 2015. The event honored the 13 people killed and more than 30 injured in a gunman’s 2009 shooting rampage on the base.
U.S. Army photo by Daniel Cernero

After nearly six years and a legislative wording change, shooting victims from the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood were recognized during a Purple Heart and Defense of Freedom medal award ceremony here yesterday.

“Hundreds of lives have been woven together by this single day of valor and loss,” Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, 3rd Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, told the soldiers, civilians and families gathered for the somber occasion.

Victims and family members of the fallen from that tragic day at the ceremony received their medals. MacFarland, joined by Army Secretary John McHugh, presented Purple Hearts and Secretary of Defense Medals for the Defense of Freedom.

Thirteen people were killed in the shooting at Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center that day. Another 31 were wounded by gunfire. The gunman was convicted and sentenced to death in September 2013.

“We honor the memories of the 13 souls laid to eternal rest and pay tribute to their sacrifice,” MacFarland said. “We also remember the acts of courage and selflessness by soldiers and civilians which prevented an even greater calamity from occurring that day.”
read more here

Soldier's Parent Went to Hockey Game and Love Broke Out

Living in Massachusetts most of my life, folks usually said "Went to a fight and hockey game broke out" but in this case, Soldier's parents went a game and love broke out. The shock was clearly seen on his Mom's face, especially after Soldier and Dad ended up falling.


Apr 11, 2015
U.S. Army Sergeant Dan Urman surprises his family as they are about to drop the ceremonial puck before the Coyotes final game of the season.

VA Suicide Mockingwitch Resigned!

Aside from the best part of this article is the resignation of the Mockingwitch (apologies to Hunger Games Mockingjay) this part pretty much sums up what went on.

"The 'elf' email I sent in December 2014 was to an internal staff email group following a clinic holiday lunch party," she said. "I take full responsibility for sending the email; however, the intent of the email and pictures has been misrepresented. My intent was not to mock Veterans; the intent was to thank the team for their work in dealing with tough issues on a daily basis. The elf did not represent a Veteran; it was a toy elf — nothing more."

In other words, she's sorry she got caught.

VA supervisor resigns after email controversy
Indy Star
Tony Cook
April 10, 2015

Paul said the email was taken out of context and was never intended to mock veterans.

The supervisor at Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center who sent an email that appears to mock veteran suicides has resigned.

Robin Paul, who managed the Indianapolis hospital's transitional clinic for returning veterans, submitted her resignation on Tuesday.

"Even though I have had an excellent work history with the VA, my career with the VA is effectively over as a result of this incident and the resulting public and political pressure," she said in a statement provided to The Indianapolis Star through her attorney, Barclay Wong.

Paul said she and her family have been subjected to "harassment and hostility" as a result of the email's publication.

"I received death threats, my minor child was harassed, and we had to seek police protection," she said.
read more here

Death threats are not cool and shouldn't have happened. Nothing righteous in them at all. For her part, she should have resigned and cooled tempers right away. After all, VA Suicides Bigger Than 1 Employee with Elf! In the end, she is not ashamed of any of this but blames everyone else for learning about what she did.

Judas Johns Sacrificed Veterans Instead of Fixing VA

There are many problems with this speech. McCain was talking about problems veterans faced while he had been in the Senate for decades along with the other simple fact that George Bush was President at the time this speech was given.
FIXING THEM EVEN WHEN THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC ARE NOT WATCHING.

REFORM BEGINS WITH APPOINTING A SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WHO IS A LEADER OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER AND WHO LISTENS TO VETERANS AND VETERANS' SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. MY VA SECRETARY MUST BE A FORCEFUL ADVOCATE FOR VETERANS AND A FORTHRIGHT ADVISER TO ME SO WE CAN MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES ABOUT BUDGETING, HEALTH CARE, AND OTHER VETERANS' BENEFIT ISSUES. HE OR SHE WILL ALSO NEED TO BE A HIGH ENERGY LEADER, TOO, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN IMPROVING SERVICE TO VETERANS. VETERANS MUST BE TREATED FAIRLY AND AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS THEY SEEK COMPENSATION FOR DISABILITY OR ILLNESS. WE KNOW THEM COMPASSION AND HANDS-ON CARE IN THEIR TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE. 

So why exactly didn't they fix all the problems veterans have faced for decades? Why did reform lead to more trouble for veterans and their families?

AS PRESIDENT, AND WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO SERVE TODAY AND THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE PAST HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, AND REHABILITATIVE CARE IN THE WORLD. I WILL NOT ACCEPT A SITUATION IN WHICH VETERANS ARE DENIED ACCESS TO CARE ON ACCOUNT OF TRAVEL DISTANCES, AND BACKLOGS OF APPOINTMENTS, AND YEARS OF PENDING VISIBILITY EVALUATIONS AND CLAIMS. WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN.

Then why didn't he do it as Senator? Why didn't he ever serve of the Veterans Affairs Committee if veteran were so important to him?

WE SHOULD NO LONGER TOLERATE REQUIRING VETERANS TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO STAND IN LINE FOR A TICKET TO STAND IN LINE FOR ANOTHER. I AM NOT HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A COST THAT IS TOO HIGH TO BE PAID IN THE CARE OF OUR NATION'S VETERANS. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT CONGRESS OF FUNDS THE VA HEALTH CARE BUDGET IN A SUFFICIENT, TIMELY, AND PREDICTABLE MANNER. 

Predictable to veterans was and is a lot different from veterans' point of view.  They predicted they would continue to get the raw end of the deal.  They were right.

REFORM DOES NOT STOP THERE. WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS RECEIVE BENEFITS QUICKLY BASED ON FAIR AND PREDICTABLE STANDARDS. WE MUST ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF CAPACITY EXCESS WITHIN THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM. THIS WILL INVOLVE A WIDE RANGE OF INITIATIVES. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SIMPLE AND DIRECT REFORM THAT WE SHOULD MAKE RIGHT AWAY.

Again, then why didn't he or any other member of Congress manage to do that? Remember, this speech was way back in 2008.

MY ADMINISTRATION WILL CREATE A VETERANS' CARE ACCESS CARD TO BE USED BY VETERANS WITH ILLNESS OR INJURY INCURRED DURING MILITARY SERVICE AND BY THOSE WITH LOW INCOMES. THIS CARD WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH TIMELY ACCESS TO VA FACILITIES. IT WILL GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO USE THE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES CLOSER TO THEIR HOMES. FOR MANY VETERANS, THE CLOSEST HEALTH CARE FACILITY IS NOT CLOSE ENOUGH. MANY LOCAL PROVIDERS ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMON NEEDS OF VETERANS. OFTEN, ALL THAT PREVENTS THEM FROM RECEIVING LOCAL CARE IS THE SYSTEM FOR SHARING MEDICAL RECORDS AMONG VA, DOD, AND CIVILIAN DOCTORS AND HEALTH-CARE SYSTEMS. THIS WILL IMPROVE CARE, REDUCED RISK, AND BROADEN ACCESS AT THE SAME TIME. NEVER AGAIN SHOULD A VETERAN STAND IN LINE TO STAND IN LINE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT TO GET AN APPOINTMENT.

THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
THIS CARD IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE THE VA OR PRIVATIZE VETERANS' HEALTH CARE.

That part is really funny considering it isn't just want some thought would happen.  It is what most feared was the ultimate goal.

SOME HAVE WRONGLY CHARGED THAT. I BELIEVE THE VA ALWAYS BE THERE TO PROVIDE TOP-QUALITY CARE FOR OUR VETERANS. I BELIEVE THE VA SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BROAD SPECTRUM HEALTH CARE TO ELIGIBLE VETERANS IN ADDITION TO SPECIALIZED CARE IN AREAS SUCH A SPINAL INJURIES, PROSTHETICS, AND BLINDNESS. THESE ARE SERVICES WHERE THE VA AT THE STANDARD IN MEDICAL CARE. EVEN SO, THERE ARE VETERANS ELIGIBLE FOR CARE WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY ABLE TO RECEIVE IT BECAUSE OF DISTANCE, READ IT WAITING TIMES, OR THE ABSENCE OF CERTAIN SPECIALTIES.

THE NEW CARD I PROPOSE WILL OFFER BETTER ALTERNATIVES TO PROVIDE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE EARNED. REFORM MUST ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT GREATER CARE IS NEEDED FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF INJURIES. IN THE SENATE, WHO HELPED AUTHOR THE WOUNDED WARRIORS ACT. IT WAS THE FIRST MAJOR LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.


YOU HAVE MY PLEDGE, MY REFORMS WOULD NOT FORCE ANYONE TO GO TO A NON-VA FACILITY. THAT IS MY PROMISE. [APPLAUSE] THEY WILL NOT SIGNAL PRIVATIZATION OF VA. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE ANY SCHEDULED EXPANSION OF THE VA NETWORK, INCLUDING THOSE FACILITIES DESIGNED TO HELP VETERANS LIVING IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS. I SUPPOSE FROM MY OPPONENT'S THE VANTAGE POINT, THIS IS JUST ONE MORE ISSUE TO BE USED TO ADVANTAGE.

Nice speech but not much more than that. McCain said that he did not intend to privatize the VA. That is what he said, at least in this speech, however, it seems that was exactly what he intended.

Joe Violanti, legislative director of the Disabled American Veterans, a nonpartisan organization, said the proposal would increase costs because private hospitals are more expensive. The increased cost could lead to further rationing of care, he said.
Republican offers plan to let some get care outside VA

But as with most things, members of Congress cause the problem and then blame the VA for what goes wrong.

Veterans who need to see a doctor often have to travel long distances – 40 miles or more – to get to a Department of Veterans Affairs facility. So last year, after scandals involving long wait times for vets, Congress tried to make getting care easier.

The Veterans Choice Act gives veterans the option of using a doctor outside the VA system if VA facilities are more than 40 miles away, or there's more than a 30-day wait for an appointment.

While the rule seems simple, making it work hasn't been as easy. In Indiana, for example, veterans are still having to go far to get the care they need.

John Birdzell is a retired Army vet who volunteers to pick up other veterans at their homes and bring them to the Adam Benjamin Jr., VA Medical Clinic in Crown Point, Ind. On this cold, early morning, Birdzell waits in the facility's empty parking lot while 30 mile-an-hour wind gusts swirl the lake effect snow coming off of Lake Michigan.

"We owe it to veterans not to burden them further as far as this travel."
- Rep. Peter Vosclosky (D-Ind.)

"I guess I've driven in worse conditions," he says. "It just gets to be a challenge on days like this."
Veterans Choice Act Fails To Ease Travel Burdens For Vets In Need Of Care

The message has been delivered but care has not. The promises have been made but not kept. Members of Congress have had too many decades to fix the VA for all veterans. Why haven't they? Because some members like John McCain and John Boehner want it turned over to for profit doctors and hospitals.

From John Boehner's webpage

FACT: The president has failed to offer a long-term, comprehensive plan to address the problems at the VA.

On his recent trip to Phoenix, President Obama signaled his lack of focus on veterans issues by skipping a visit to the VA facility where at least 40 veterans lost their lives awaiting care.

Meanwhile, “More than 600,000 veterans — 10 percent of all the Veterans Affairs patients — continue to wait a month or more for appointments at VA hospitals and clinics,” according to a recent USA Today report.

The White House has been on notice for years that “VA medical facilities were reporting inaccurate waiting times and experiencing scheduling failures that threatened to deny veterans timely health care,” says the Washington Times.

Boehner simply omitted a few facts such as Congress writes the bills and not only sets the rules, funds the Department of Veterans Affairs, they have the obligation to make sure it all works.

Boehner did an interview with the Columbus Dispatch and explained why they haven't fixed anything in decades.

More than two decades ago, House Speaker John Boehner said, he floated an idea that was controversial: Why not privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs?

The idea was soundly rejected by veterans’ organizations.

Now, in the midst of a sweeping scandal over allegations that government officials falsified reports on how long veterans were waiting for medical treatment, Boehner said yesterday that the idea still has merit.

“I still like the idea, and especially now,” he said.

So they decided to break the VA in order to do exactly what they wanted to do.

Just goes to show that these Judas Johns didn't care how many veterans had to be sacrificed in the process of getting what they wanted.

War Followed Chris Journeau Home

Chris Journeau returned from a war that followed him home 
New Hampshire Sunday News
By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
April 11, 2015

Police later gave the Clarks the gun Chris had used to kill himself. "Merrill put it in a vise and just smashed it so it would never be used again," Clark said.

STRATHAM - Chris Journeau was always an outdoors kind of kid. He loved mountain biking, camping, bonfires and playing guitar.

After high school, he went to work for his uncles' construction business. He had good friends and a happy life.

Then one day he told his mother he was joining the Army.

"I begged him not to," Jo-Ann Clark said.

The day the recruiter showed up to pick Chris up, Clark said, "I didn't answer the door. I was hoping he'd just leave."

He didn't.

Chris served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He always told his mother not to watch the news about what was going on over there. She tried not to.

Her son returned safe from Iraq and at first was "ecstatic" to be home, Clark said.

The officers told them to wait outside and then one came back out. "I'm sorry. The person inside is deceased," he told Clark. "I honestly thought there must have been an accident," she said. "I knew he didn't want to die."

A short time later, the medical examiner came out to deliver the grim news: it wasn't an accident. Chris had left a note."If I do this I'm sorry. I just can't and don't want to do this anymore. I'm sorry but I'm really just sick of this. Goodbye for now." Police later gave the Clarks the gun Chris had used to kill himself. "Merrill put it in a vise and just smashed it so it would never be used again," Clark said.
read more here

Vietnam Veterans Need No Reminders of War

Vietnam veterans say they need no reminders of war 
Standard Speaker
BY JILL WHALEN
Published: April 12, 2015

“Every single day, I think we all think of Vietnam almost every single day,” said Dando, of Gordon.

Daniel Krauson has a ritual when he visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“There are a few names on there that I always walk over to,” he said.

So does fellow Vietnam veteran Ed Bickowski.

“I guess we all do,” Bickowski said, referring to others who made it back from the war.

This year marks 50 since U.S. combat troops became involved in the Vietnam ground war, and to mark the event, the Pentagon is planning a series of commemorative events beginning in May.

Krauson, Bickowski, and fellow veterans Ed Macknis and Tom Dando recently met at the Anthony P. Damato American Legion “Medal of Honor” Post 792 in Shenandoah and agreed that they don’t need to be reminded of the war.

“Every single day, I think we all think of Vietnam almost every single day,” said Dando, of Gordon.

And while they’re not opposed to the commemoration, the local men agreed that all veterans — regardless of where and when they served — deserve respect and support.

“We don’t want to see our troops coming back the way we did. Not at all,” said Krauson, of Shenandoah, who served in the U.S. Air Force Security Police from 1967-68.

“After the way Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home — the lack of honoring them really played a big part of what goes on today,” said Dando, who served in the Army infantry from 1968-69. “I think people in this country did not want to allow what happened to the Vietnam veterans for whatever reasons to happen to the young men and women of today.”

For the most part, there were no parades or celebrations. Some, like Krauson, ran into anti-war protests upon their return.

“We got off the plane and they briefed us in a room,” Krauson said, remembering the landing in California with Air Force, Marine and Army personnel. “They said, we are going to put you on buses to take you out to the airport. Expect eggs. Expect tomatoes being thrown at you. When you get off the bus, you’re going to have protesters.”
read more here



If you don't believe that part, they listen to what happened to MOH Sammy Davis after he was wounded saving lives in Vietnam. The citation is read while Sammy talked about when he came home.

Disabled Veteran Loses Caregiver Wife's Benefits

4 tours in 4 years! Wow. There is a section in this article that sums up what has been missed all along.

“The stipend is not an entitlement or benefit but rather recognition of the care and support a caregiver provides to the veteran,” Meyer said in the email. “The stipend may change or be discontinued if the veteran’s care needs change.”

Thanks to Congress, they do not give the same recognition to older veterans families, offering the same care for the same wounds for a lot longer.

Hill County veteran, wife fighting loss of VA caregiver benefits
Waco Trib
By REGINA DENNIS
April 12, 2015

The couple lost their initial appeal of the decision. The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, which administers the caregiver benefits to veterans in this region, wrote in a decision letter to the family that Thomas Hopkins’ case “does not indicate a serious physical or psychological injury” that requires full-time caregiving assistance.

Staff photo— Jerry Larson
Kristina Hopkins kisses her husband, Thomas, on the forehead. The couple says they were wrongfully dropped from the caregiver program at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System despite that they say Kristina must stay home full-time to care for her husband due to his injuries.

A Hill County veteran and his wife think they were wrongfully dropped from a Veterans Affairs program that helped cover caregiver services he relied on because of debilitating service injuries.

Kristina Hopkins was accepted into the VA’s caregiver support program in 2011. She provided round-the-clock care and assistance for her husband, Thomas, a disabled Army veteran who completed three tours of duty in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2005, plus an 18-month stint in Iraq beginning in 2006.

The program grants compensation to the spouse or designated relative who provides full-time care to a veteran, presumably forgoing full-time job opportunities to do so.

But the Hopkinses, who live in Blum, were notified in June that they were being dropped from the program, despite Thomas Hopkins being confined to a wheelchair most days because of degenerative arthritis he says he developed as a result of his paratrooper duties with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Kristina Hopkins quit working six years ago to take care of her husband. Without the caregiver benefits, the family cannot afford the mortgage on their home and now must move.

For example, Thomas Hopkins said he suffered at least three traumatic brain injuries while in service, which has affected his memory and concentration. He said he also was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sciatic nerve damage and post-concussive headaches.
read more here

Veterans Message To Congress, We're Not Disposable!

Members of Congress hope that no one noticed they were responsible for how veterans were treated in this country. Any wonder why they feel like they do?

Legislation Within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Veterans' measures generally.
Pensions of all the wars of the U.S., general and special.
Life insurance issued by the government on account of service in the Armed Forces.
Compensation, vocational rehabilitation, and education of veterans.
Veterans' hospitals, medical care, and treatment of veterans.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief.
Readjustment of servicemen to civilian life.
National Cemeteries.
Complete Jurisdiction of the Committee

The Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established March 15, 1989, with Cabinet rank, succeeding the Veterans Administration and assuming responsibility for providing federal benefits to veterans and their dependents. Led by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 14 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs of health care assistance services and national cemeteries.

1930

The Veterans Administration was created by Executive Order S.398, signed by President Herbert Hoover on July 21, 1930. At that time, there were 54 hospitals, 4.7 million living veterans, and 31,600 employees.

1946
House Veterans Affairs Committee

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives was authorized by enactment of Public Law 601, 79th Congress, which was entitled "Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946." Section 121(a) of this Act provides: "there shall be elected by the House at the commencement of each Congress the following standing committees": Nineteen Committees are listed and No. 18 quotes: "Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to consist of 27 Members." This Act has since been amended so that there are now 22 Standing Committees in the House of Representatives. The number of Members (Representatives) authorized to serve on each Committee has been changed from time to time. There are currently 29 members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

VA History in Brief

WWII

On Feb. 1, 1946, Bradley reported that the VA was operating 97 hospitals with a total bed capacity of 82,241 patients. Hospital construction then in progress projected another 13,594 beds. Money was available for another 12,706 beds with the construction of 25 more hospitals and additions to 11 others. But because of the demobilization, the total number of veterans would jump to more than 15 million within a few months. The existing VA hospitals were soon filled to capacity, and there were waiting lists for admission at practically all hospitals. In addition, there were 26,057 nonservice-connected cases on the hospital waiting list.

Until more VA hospitals could be opened, the Navy and Army both made beds available. To handle the dramatic increase in veterans claims, VA Central Office staff was increased in two years from 16,966 to 22,008. In the same period, field staff, charged with providing medical care, education benefits, disability payments, home loans and other benefits, rose from 54,689 employees to 96,047.

Korea

The Korean War, creating new veterans on top of the millions who came home from World War II, brought additional workloads to the VA. The number of VA hospitals between 1942 and 1950 had increased from 97 to 151. As of November 30, 1952, the VA had a workforce of some 164,000 employees working at the Central Office and its 541 hospitals, regional offices and other field stations. A daily average of 128,000 veterans received medical and domiciliary care. Each year 2.5 million veterans received outpatient and dental care at VA facilities. Each month 2.5 million veterans and dependents received $125 million in compensation and pensions.

Vietnam

Congress at first limited benefits for the Vietnam War to veterans whose service occurred between Aug. 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975. Congress later expanded the period to Feb. 28, 1961, for veterans who served in country. During this period, more than 6 million Vietnam-era veterans were separated from military service. A major difference of Vietnam-era veterans from those of earlier wars was the larger percentage of disabled. Advances in airlift and medical treatment meant that many wounded and injured personnel survived who would have died in earlier wars. By 1972 there were 308,000 veterans with disabilities connected to military service.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

President Reagan signed legislation in 1988 to elevate VA to Cabinet status and, on March 15, 1989, the Veterans Administration became the Department of Veterans Affairs. Edward J. Derwinski, VA administrator at the time, was appointed the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs. As reorganized, the department included three main elements: the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration, which was renamed the Veterans Health Administration; the Veterans Benefits Administration; and the National Cemetery System.

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War, which began in August 1990 as Operation Desert Shield and became Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, created a new climate in U.S. society favorable to military personnel and veterans benefits. As of July 1, 1992, there were 664,000 Persian Gulf War veterans, not including Reservists called up for active duty. Of these, 88,000, or 13.2 percent, were women.

The Rise (and Fall) of the VA Backlog, TIME, By Brandon Friedman, June 03, 2013

On the January afternoon Eric Shinseki took over as the nation’s seventh VA secretary, he inherited a mess.

To his immediate front, the former Army chief of staff faced a paper mountain of 391,127 separate disability claims—filed by veterans from every conflict since World War II. Nearly a quarter of the claims (more than 85,000) had been languishing in the system for more than six months.

Expanding eligibility for veterans affected by PTSD and Agent Orange more than doubled the claims backlog.

As if the paper weren’t problem enough, Shinseki and his staff soon learned that thousands of Vietnam War veterans—many with whom he likely served—had been barred from claiming disability benefits for conditions related to their exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

The gravity of this situation in early 2009—with one war ending and another still raging—was not lost on the new boss. Compounding his problem, however, was the fact that he had little to work with in terms of a technological solution. VA was paper-bound, its IT system antiquated—and it had been this way for years.

Everyone knew this.

Everyone but members of Congress since all they've done for decades is blame the VA when they were supposed to be responsible for taking care of veterans. After all, they control all the funding, make the rules and pass all the bills.

This is from New York Times

Veterans Affairs Faces Surge of Disability Claims, By JAMES DAO Published: July 12, 2009

Veterans advocates say the actual backlog is nearing one million, if minor claims, educational programs and appeals of denied claims are factored in. They point to the discovery last year of benefits applications in disposal bins at several department offices as evidence of shoddy handling of claims. And they assert that they routinely see frustratingly long delays on what seem like straightforward claims.

One group, Veterans for Common Sense, has obtained records showing that some veterans are calling suicide hotlines to talk about their delayed disability claims. The group has called on the department to replace Veterans Benefits Administration leaders.

“We’re not saying vets are threatening to commit suicide over the claims issues,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of the group. “We’re saying V.A.’s claim situation is so bad that it is exacerbating veterans’ already difficult situations.”

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has emerged as one of the most prevalent disability claims, after ailments like back pain and knee injuries. Not only are many new veterans receiving a diagnosis of the disorder, but an increasing number of Vietnam veterans are also reporting symptoms for the first time, officials and advocates said.

Ok, so while Congress has managed to forget what they were supposed to do, veterans remembered. They have a message for politicians, WE'RE NOT DISPOSABLE!

This dumpster was supplied by Pro-Demo

Mickey Grosman

Veterans keep having to help other veterans out of where Congress

keeps sending them.

Veterans have more news coming for members of Congress

Check back tomorrow!

UPDATE, here's the video

Vietnam Veteran Killed By Police Was Passionate and Complex

Man shot by Glendale police was passionate, complex 
The Republic
Matthew Casey and Liz Nichols
April 10, 2015

"Joe was one of those guys that, if it had something to do with vets, all you had to do is ask him," Weiers said. 

Dallas Tassinari holds a photo of of his father (right), Joe, as a young family man. Joe Tassinari was fatally shot by a Glendale police officer in March 2015 after the officer said he felt threatened by Tassinari.
(Photo: Matthew Casey)

Joe Tassinari and his son, Dallas, did everything together. But when Dallas became a teenager, he found it impossible to tell his dad those three little words.

"So that is what I'm going to start telling people, especially little kids, is you gotta say you love your parents every chance you get," Dallas said, "because you don't know the last time you're going to get the chance to."

Glendale police fatally shot Joe Tassinari in March 2015 outside his home near 67th and Peoria avenues. An officer said Tassinari, who was suspected of displaying a firearm at a woman earlier that night, did not obey commands and made a threatening move by reaching for his waistband. Dallas and neighbors said Tassinari typically kept a gun on him in one of his back pockets.

"I don't understand why this happened," Dallas, 28, said. "I still can't believe he's gone. The whole neighborhood is hurting."

Family and friends — the Mayor of Glendale among them — are trying to make sense of their loss as police continue their investigation, and they want answers.

Mayor Jerry Weiers said he had been friends with Tassinari for about a decade. The men worked together on veterans issues when Weiers was in state government.

Weiers said Tassinari, a Vietnam veteran, was a complex and compassionate man who didn't have much, but he always gave of himself to his neighborhood and Glendale.
read more here

Veteran Gets Home Detention After Police Standoff

Veteran accused of shooting at police on home detention
By The Associated Press
POSTED: 04/10/15

ATLANTIC CITY
A veteran accused of shooting at Atlantic City police officers during a standoff is out of jail.

A judge is allowing 36-year-old Christopher Gerace to stay with his brother as long as he wears a monitoring bracelet while he awaits trial.

Gerace barricaded himself in the home in July and the standoff ended after he ran naked out the back door and was subdued.
read more here

Police standoff in Atlantic City brings focus to veterans' problems
Press Of Atlantic City
By LYNDA COHEN Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 9, 2014

“Our family had put our faith in his commanders and they have failed him and us,” Gerace’s wife wrote in a June 2012 email to government officials. “I am not only concerned about our situation, but how you may continue to fail soldiers who need help in the future.”

ATLANTIC CITY — Christopher Gerace’s untreated post-military mental health issues could have been deadly, his family said.

The Army and Marine veteran barricaded himself inside his parents’ Chelsea Heights home late Tuesday, with a large collection of weapons and a insistence that he didn’t want to live.

With Gerace cursing at hostage negotiators and shooting at police, those on scene said they feared it would end in “suicide by cop.” Instead, about an hour and 45 minutes after the call came in, the Atlantic City native ran from his childhood home naked, and was taken into custody.

“Here’s a guy who goes in, eyes wide open and wants to serve his country, and comes out a battered individual, a hurting individual, and doesn’t know how to cope,” said Capt. Tim Friel, who helped talk Gerace out without anyone hurt.

It’s a prime example of the problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs and its lacking of service for suffering veterans, U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, said Wednesday. Despite a bipartisan effort to fund services, the problems being uncovered daily are worse than the day before, he said.

“You can throw all the money at it you want, but if it’s not administered properly, the veterans are not going to get the help they need,” he said.
read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Killed in North Carolina Shooting

FORT BRAGG SOLDIER KILLED IN EARLY-MORNING FAYETTEVILLE SHOOTING
ABC News 11
By Nicole Carr
April 10, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) -- A Fort Bragg-based soldier was shot and killed in an early-morning shooting Friday.

Fayetteville Police identified the man as 24-year-old Duane Derek Davis. They initially stated Davis was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, but a military spokesman confirmed he was assigned to Fort Bragg.

Police said Davis was shot just before 5:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of Coronada Parkway. They said Davis was in the living room of the home when someone fired several shots into the house.

Davis was critically injured and pronounced dead at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Another unidentified male was in the home. That person was not injured.

Several hours after the shooting, about a dozen bullet markers lined the front yard of the home, from the bushes to the end of the driveway.
read more here