VA Hospital That Once Treated Civil War Veterans Could Close
Associated Press
By KEVIN BURBACH
Jul 3, 2015
This photo taken April 13, 2015, shows exterior of the grand rotunda entry to the historic Black Hills VA in Hot Springs, S.D. The 108-year-old veteran’s hospital built of thick blocks of pink sandstone and topped with red, tiled roofs in a Spanish mission-style overlooks the tiny town of Hot Springs, a scenic escape that’s become a haven known for healing veterans over the last century.
(AP Photo/Kristina Barker) The Associated Press
HOT SPRINGS, S.D.
Perched atop a bluff in the remote Black Hills, a veterans hospital built of thick blocks of pink sandstone and topped with red-tiled roofs in a Spanish mission style overlooks the tiny town of Hot Springs, South Dakota, and has provided recovering soldiers a bucolic haven for more than a century.
Wounded warriors from Civil War battles at Antietam and Gettysburg came to the Battle Mountain Sanitarium for brief, intensive treatments for musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions. Physicians believed the dry air and warm, fabled mineral springs helped mend broken soldiers. Today, veterans from the Vietnam to Iraq wars suffering from ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder and drug and alcohol abuse recuperate at this quiet retreat.
But this long tradition could soon end. Officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs have proposed shuttering the campus and relocating some of its services 60 miles north to Rapid City, the second largest city in the state, leaving only an outpatient clinic in Hot Springs, which the state calls "The Veterans Town."
One of the key issues driving a wedge between the VA and the veterans fighting to keep the hospital open is its remote location. Does the isolation and serenity of Hot Springs help heal patients or hold them back?
"We have not seen any evidence that proves serene environment versus a more city-like environment changes the outcome of the patients," said Jo-Ann Ginsburg, the acting director for the VA in the Black Hills.
But many of the region's veterans argue that the tranquil environment in a town of 3,500 people is just as crucial to healing today as at the beginning of the 20th century and cannot be replicated outside Hot Springs. read more here
If I used their title, you'd never read it and you'd miss how the flag is respected instead of just being thrown away.
U.S. Flags Retired In Vernon Ceremony
EGP News
By Nancy Martinez,
EGP Staff Writer
Members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 419 held a special
flag retirement ceremony June 25 at Vernon Fire Station 1.
(EGP photo by Nancy Martinez)
There were hundreds of them: U.S. flags battered by years of exposure to sun and pollution, a far cry from the vibrant red, white and blue of their “Old Glory” days.
Last week, the Vernon Chamber of Commerce hosted a ceremony to retire faded and torn flags they had collected from area businesses and the homes of individuals that were in danger of being discarded in trash bins, a disrespectful end to the best-known symbol of U.S. independence, the red, white and blue American flag.
This Saturday, people all across the country will display the flag as part of their Fourth of July celebration. Many will have no clue that there’s an etiquette that goes with flying and caring for Old Glory and for disposing of the flag when it falls into disrepair.
Boy Scout Troop 419 led last Thursday’s flag ceremony at Vernon Fire Station 1. The troop is located in Vernon but none of its members actually live in the city. Some of the younger Cub Scouts attend Vernon Elementary; most live in the bordering cities of Cudahy, Maywood and Huntington Park. They meet at the Vernon Fire Station. read more here
Bragg soldier charged with going armed to the terror of the public
Fayetteville Observer
By Nichole Manna Staff writer
July 3, 2015
A Fort Bragg soldier with an AR-15 assault-type rifle wearing a military ballistic panel carrier and carrying multiple rifle ammunition magazines caused a busy Cross Creek Mall to lock down Thursday night.
Bryan Scott Wolfinger, 25, was charged early this morning with going armed to the terror of the public.
He told police he was preparing to have photographs taken with military equipment when 911 calls sent Fayetteville police to the mall.
Wolfinger was processed at the Cumberland County Detention Center and was released to his company commander and provost marshal at Fort Bragg.
The incident happened on the eve of a patriotic three-day holiday weekend for many in an area that is home to the nation's largest military installation, Fort Bragg. There was no estimate on the number of people in the mall when it was locked down, according to mall officials and the police. read more here
July 4 Celebrations Canceled at UK Bases Due to 'Threat Assessments'
Stars and Stripes
July 3, 2015
A C-130 Hercules from the Air Force Reserve Command's 440th Airlift
Wing at General Mitchell Air Reserve Station, Wis., sits on the ramp
during a 4th of July (2007) fireworks display. (U.S. Air Force archive photo/Joe Oliva)
The U.S. Air Force has canceled 4th of July events in Britain due to “local threat assessments,” it was announced Thursday.
A statement on the website of Royal Air Force Mildenhall said RAFs Lakenheath and Mildenhall called off celebrations set for Friday and Saturday at Royal Air Force Feltwell.
“The decision was made due to the most current local threat assessments. The base continually surveys the security environment alongside host nation counterparts and must take appropriate measures based on those assessments,” the statement said.
The statement quoted Col. David Eaglin, 48th Fighter Wing vice commander, as saying the decision was taken in the interest of safety. read more here
When the news came out that the Congress was acknowledging how much caregivers go through taking care of our veterans, most of us were happy until we read that they were not talking about all of us. They were talking about the post 9-11 families as if we never did anything.
Stunned wasn't the word. Shocked wasn't the word either considering that is how it has been for us since the Internet generation started coming home with the same things our generation went through but they got the attention. Slapped in the face is the best way to explain what this all did to us when this happened.
H.R.2342 - Wounded Warrior Project Family Caregiver Act of 2009
Yep, those guys again.
Wounded Warrior Project Family Caregiver Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as part of authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home health care services for veterans, to furnish to a family member or other designated individual advanced instruction and training and certification as a family caregiver for a veteran who incurred serious wounds on active duty during, or in training for, Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom and is determined to be in need of personal care services.
We woke up to husbands having nightmares and babies needing our attention. We went to work making sure our kids got to and from school while we punched the clock and dealt with frantic phone calls from our husbands when they were falling apart. We made the excuses for why they couldn't go to work and borrowed money when they lost yet another job. We fought with family members telling us to get divorced when they didn't come to a family event yet again.
We trained ourselves to adapt to our new normal life as a veteran's wife with medical physical and psychological wounds needing to be tended to while fighting the VA and everyone else. None of this is new but it appears the rest of the country has forgotten all about us.
The motto of Vietnam Veterans of America is "Never again will one generation of veterans, abandon another". But this is more than a motto, it is a way of life
Durbin seeks to expand VA Caregivers Program
Daily Republican
By RICK HAYES
Staff Writer
Posted Jul. 1, 2015
Through the Family Caregiver Program, the VA cost per veteran per year is about $36,000. This includes the stipend, which averages between $600 and $2,250 a month, based on the level of care and the geographic location and services provided to the caregiver.
MARION — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) is seeking to expand a program to assist caregivers of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan to include veterans of all wars.
The Caregiver Program created through language Durbin included in the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 provides home health training, peer support and financial stipends to caregivers of severely injured veterans.
More than 21,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan participate in the program today, including 425 in Illinois. While the eligibility for the original Caregiver Program is limited to post 9/11 veterans, Durbin's new bill would expand the program to allow severely injured veterans from all wars to apply.
"What the bill says is that when we have a spouse or member of the family who is willing to sacrifice to help the returning veteran, we're going to help that caregiver," Durbin said Tuesday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1301 in Marion.
"We have come to believe we can do more, that limiting it to just veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan is not enough. Veterans from other periods of service need caregivers as well," he added.
Durbin said the program contains three valuable components: allowing the caregiver at home to have the necessary medical training to understand the challenges of the veteran and be able to respond to each situation; to provide respite care — where an independent agency can give the caregiver a break from the day-to-day care of the veteran; and to provide financial assistance to the caregivers. read more here
If you are among the over 400,000 veterans right here in Central Florida, you may be heading off to Red Hot and Boom to celebrate Independence Day. According to predictions they are expecting at least 150,000, like they had in 2014. It is a fun time with great music and fireworks.
Red Hot and Boom 2014
But it isn't fun for all, especially when you are part of the reason we still have independence.
What you do not have a choice on is what your neighbors do. It is still illegal to send bombs bursting in air on your street and any other street in Florida.
There is a push on all over the internet for veterans to put up signs about being a veteran and asking folks to be respectful of that. Nice thought and can be helpful however the majority of veterans don't want their neighbors to know and they want to retain their privacy. So what do you do?
The same thing other veterans have done for decades. They improvised, adapted and overcame others having too much fun to remember the price you paid. (Yes Gunny, your voice is reverberating in my head)
Improvise
If you live alone.
Change what you normally do at night for several days, since they will be blowing stuff up for about a week. If you can, get some headphones and plug them into your TV or stereo to block out some of the noise. If you are comfortable doing it, go out and watch some of your neighbors acting like little kids. You may get some laughs. Otherwise, stay near your home and don't drive since you don't know what you'll be driving near, usually the smell of gunpowder and some yahoo blowing up enough fireworks to light up an entire neighborhood. That can trigger a flashback and you will be in an unfamiliar area.
If you live with family members, try playing games to take your mind off what is going on and remind yourself that you are safe. When you start to think about being in combat, shut it down and replace the thought. If you have prepared yourself for the inevitable noise, it makes it a bit easier to do.
Hero After War is a video that was up on Youtube years ago and has been uploaded again. (yes it is mine)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is nothing to be ashamed of. It is because you put your life on the line and felt it more than others that you suffer today. The good news is, you can change again and heal to live a better life.
If it helps, then show it to your family so they will understand what you are seeing and thinking about.
Adapt
Don't expect your neighbors to fully understand that you are different from them. How could they? Veterans are only about 7% of the US population. Combat veterans are even less than that. There are almost 17 million combat veterans from WWII to Desert Storm scattered all over the US according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Living War Veterans 16,962,000
Living Veterans (Periods of War and Peace) 23,234,000
Your neighbors don't mean you any harm and have no clue about the real fireworks you saw intended to kill and not for entertainment. They are celebrating freedom without really thinking about what came with it.
Don't watch war movies especially if your house is being filled with the smell of gunpowder. Try cooking something that reminds you of happier times to replace the fumes. The smell of homemade chocolate chip cookies can remind you of when you were young.
Overcome
If you among the younger generation then talk to the 3,403,000 Vietnam Veterans Deployed to Southeast Asia to find out how they did it all these years. Contrary to popular reports dismissing the majority of veterans in this country, they have been through everything you are going through right now. They just did it all before the internet and Facebook. Before reporters decided that they would jump on the bandwagon of covering what has been going on all this time yet pretending they just discovered something new.
When it comes to PTSD, these veterans didn't invent it, since all other generations came home with same wounds, but they started everything to be in place for all generations.
Try to do what they did and that is to spend time with other veterans. You will discover that while you no longer feel you fit in with civilians, you fit perfectly with them. You will gain support and be understood. You will find strength in their numbers.
UPDATE July 4, 2015 a link to the following story from New York was sent this morning and shows exactly what I was saying.
Sign designed to help veterans with PTSD on the 4th of July is not welcomed by all veterans
WSYR News
July 2, 2015
We don't want to be looked at as broken people,” said Earl Fontenot, a veteran who believes the signs cast a negative shadow on the military. “If that's something they want to do they should go door to door.”
Fontenot is Chief of Staff at Clear Path for Veterans, an organization helping service men and women adjust to civilian life.
“We can't expect our community to mold for our needs, we need to mold back into the community successfully and I don't think the signs are helping that,” said Fontenot. read more here
UPDATE from Kansas City
'About twilight, I'm back in the house hunkered down;' Vietnam veteran prepares for Fourth of July
KSHB News
Every year, Ebert has to mentally prepare for the Fourth of July. During the day, he's usually grilling out, undisturbed by fireworks.
"But at night, the starbursts and the bigger fireworks going off, that bothered me," Ebert said.
"Along about twilight, I'm back in the house hunkered down."
Dr. George Dent, a psychologist with the Department of Veteran Affairs, works with thousands of veterans who also have PTSD.
"For a person who has encountered a boom or a flash with risk to their life, it's (fireworks) not just a boom, it's not just a flash," Dent said. "It's a signal that they may be on the verge of death."
Soldiers' families awarded $134.2M in Afghanistan grenade attack
By The Associated Press
July 2, 2015
Khadr pleaded guilty to throwing a grenade that killed Christopher Speer and wounded Layne Morris in 2002. He spent 10 years at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba, and was transferred to Canada in 2012.
SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge in Utah has awarded $134.2 million to an American soldier wounded in Afghanistan and the widow of another soldier killed there in a lawsuit filed against a Canadian man who pleaded guilty in a grenade attack involving the two soldiers when he was 15.
The plaintiffs acknowledge there is little chance they will collect any of the money.
“It's really more of a statement case, I think, than a desire to collect this,” lawyer Laura Tanner, who represents the plaintiffs, said Thursday She said the judgment sends a message that the United States has a civil system in place to hold terrorists responsible.
Still, lawyers are seeking a Canadian law firm to help collect the money from 28-year-old Omar Khadr, who was released from a Canadian prison last month, Tanner said. read more here
WWII veteran dies 10 days after benefits reinstated
WFTV.com
July 2, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The family of a World War II veteran is fighting the Department of Veteran Affairs over their father’s benefits.
The VA cut Joseph Desario’s, 91, benefits because they found him “fit for employment.”
Desario was receiving disability benefits for decades before the VA said his condition had improved to the point where he could go out and work.
“He was always very proud of the United States,” Desario’s daughter Barbara Bruce said.
Bruce said Desario fought severe hearing loss after 36 missions in a bomber over Europe.
Desario had applied for an increase in his disability and a letter arrived soon after from the VA saying his hearing had improved and his disability was cut by $600. read more here
A Budget Victory for NYC Military Veterans
Gotham Gazette
by Joe Bello
Jul 02, 2015
Lastly, and quite significantly, the Council's veterans initiative was more than doubled with funding for organizations that will provide direct services (legal, health services, job placement, and support programs) for veterans and their family members.
With almost half of Mayor Bill de Blasio's term in office complete, it has been well-documented that military veterans have seen a number of administration policies as perplexing and frustrating. What's made this all the more disappointing is that the mayor has unique insight into the difficulties veterans and their family members face through the experience of his own father, a World War II veteran who struggled when he came home.
As a result of the administration's decisions and the belief that we weren't being heard, my group (NY MetroVets) banded together with several other veterans groups to push for real progress. After months of testimony at hearings and engaging with local elected officials and the media - while keeping the veterans community informed and engaged - our hard work paid off in the city budget.
Late last week the City Council voted to adopt the New York City Fiscal Year 2016 budget. The spending plan, which starts July 1, contains an increase of almost $2.9 million dollars for veterans services.
This increase will double the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) budget and allow Commissioner Loree Sutton to not only hire additional staff but perhaps even address some veterans issues that are outside the mayor's strategic plan. It also puts money into the city's veterans homelessness-fighting initiative to assist the federal Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on the final push to end veteran homelessness here in New York City. read more here
Webb’s opposition to the Iraq War – his son Jimmy served in the conflict – played a central role in his surprise Senate election in 2006 against a Republican challenger. While he chose not to seek re-election after one term, his military and foreign policy credentials could allow him to become a debate stage foil to Clinton, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state.
But he opposed President George W Bush’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003 and was recruited by Democrats to challenge Republican Sen. George Allen in 2006. Webb’s campaign was helped by an anti-Iraq war fervor.
click link for the rest
Democrat Jim Webb joins 2016 White House race
FOX News
July 2, 2015
Considered a moderate-to-conservative Democrat who supports gun rights and is strong on defense, Webb contends his candidacy would appeal to a wide swath of voters who feel disenfranchised by Washington politics.
Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is jumping into the race for president, becoming the latest Democrat to try for a primary upset over frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
In a message to supporters obtained by Fox News, and later posted on his website, Webb says: "After many months of thought, deliberation and discussion, I have decided to seek the office of the Presidency of the United States."
Webb's entry brings the total number of Democratic presidential candidates to five. Clinton continues to dominate the field, though Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders lately has been gaining in the polls.
But Webb, 69, is cut from a far different political cloth than the independent, socialist-leaning Vermont senator.
A highly decorated Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy under the Reagan administration, Webb had been seriously mulling a presidential run since establishing an exploratory committee in November 2014.
Webb, who is also a war novelist, served under Reagan from 1984 to 1987 but quit after refusing to reduce the size of the Navy during budget talks. He was a U.S. Marine Corps platoon and company commander in Vietnam, earning a Navy Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Star Medals and two Purple Hearts for his actions in combat.
Sailor Who Collapsed at Sea Was Chief
Jason May, of Chesterfield, Mich., 38, complained of chest pains and collapsed in the Middle East on a ship carrying Camp Pendleton Marines.
Patch.com
By MIRNA ALFONSO (Patch Staff)
July 1, 2015
A sailor who died aboard the San Diego-based USS Essex -- carrying Camp Pendleton Marines -- was a 38-year-old senior chief petty officer, the Navy announced today.
Jason May, of Chesterfield, Michigan, complained of chest pains and collapsed during routine operations Monday, according to the Navy.
Medical personnel were unable to revive him.
read more here
Three years after Afghanistan killings, military again refuses to release report on Robert Bales
The News Tribune
BY ADAM ASHTON
Staff writer
July 1, 2015
The Defense Department is again denying a Freedom of Information Act request from The News Tribune seeking the release of an investigation into commanders who oversaw Staff Sgt. Robert Bales before he snapped and killed 16 Afghan civilians in March 2012.
A FOIA officer from U.S. Central Command on Tuesday told the newspaper that its latest request for the document would be declined under an exemption that allows the government to withhold information that could influence an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
The News Tribune has been seeking the report since August 2013, when Bales was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Army in March also rejected a clemency request Bales submitted to Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s I Corps.
Bales was a JBLM Stryker soldier serving at a small Special Operations outpost in Kandahar Province with a team from the 7th Special Forces Group when he twice sneaked out of the base to murder civilians sleeping in separate nearby villages.
Maj. Alison Aguilar, spokeswoman for Army Special Operations Command, said Wednesday that all disciplinary proceedings for that group of Green Berets have been completed.
As The News Tribune previously reported, one Green Beret was discharged from the military because he provided steroids to Bales. Another soldier from the Special Forces team received a reprimand for drinking alcohol on the deployment. One more was discharged from the Army because of a separate civilian criminal investigation that began before he arrived in Afghanistan. read more here
linked from Military.com
Blind patriotism is writing a check and thinking you just did something worthy of all they did for us. Ignorance is no excuse for forgetting those who came before those you choose to remember.
This morning started out like every other day. I got up at 4:30, put on the coffee, let my dog out and turned on the TV to catch up on the news. As soon as I turned it on there was, what I thought would be, a great patriotic commercial for those who served this nation. After all, they are the reason we are still free. They are ready to defend us with their lives. All of them. And that is the part that made me sick to my stomach.
The commercial from Winn Dixie wasn't about all our veterans. It was not about the over 20 million veterans out of the news and the spotlight of the reporters. It wasn't about all the dedicated groups taking care of all our veterans equally simply because they are worthy of so much more. No, not about WWII veterans, Korean War veterans, Vietnam War veterans or Gulf War veterans. It was about donating money to Wounded Warrior Project despite the hashtag Winn Dixie wants folks to use which is "#allforhonor."
Why don't you offer services to ALL veterans?
WWP began as a small, grassroots effort to provide immediate assistance when a warrior of this generation was injured. We felt we could do the most good by providing more comprehensive programs and services to the newly injured, rather than spread ourselves too thin by trying to help all veterans. We also knew there were many terrific veterans' organizations for warriors from previous conflicts, but very few focused on serving our newest generation.
Driving to work at 5:45, my favorite radio station played their ad. They repeated it all day long.
I emailed Winn Dixie and asked how they abandoned the other veterans. This was their response.
Thank you for reaching out to us to express your opinions. We are partnering with WPP for this particular promotion because we have a responsibility to care and contribute to the lives of those who have served and sacrificed for our nation, and we believe WWP is doing just that. We have chosen to be specific with our donation by donating to the Independence program so that 100% of our donation goes directly to the veterans they serve and not administrative costs.
We understand that our campaign focus is of concern to you, but we hope you’ll understand this is one of many programs we have in place to give back to the communities we serve, many of which are veterans organizations. Just last year, with the help of our customers, vendor partners and associates – BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie channeled more than $10 million and nearly 33 million pounds of food back to hundreds of non-profit organizations across our footprint. Again, we appreciate your feedback and thank you for shopping with us!
Winn Dixie Customer Support
This is their press release
BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie to hold Wounded Warrior Project Day
Fourth of July profits to go to Wounded Warrior Project
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) and longtime collaborator Southeastern Grocers — home of BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie — band together for a special Fourth of July initiative: Wounded Warrior Project Day. Southeastern Grocers will donate every cent of every dollar of Independence Day profits to WWP to help support the Independence Program.
The WWP Independence Program helps warriors live life to the fullest, on their own terms. It pairs a specialized case manager with each injured service member and his or her family to develop a personalized plan that targets the warrior's needs or interests. In many instances, for the cost of one month in an in-patient institutionalized brain injury rehabilitation program, the WWP Independence Program can provide a year's worth of community-based support on a weekly basis to an individual warrior.
On Saturday, July 4, BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie customers can support WWP programs by simply shopping at one of the nearly 800 participating grocery stores in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. Customers are also able to make individual contributions to WWP at BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie websites and in-store checkout stations.
"BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie operate in states with some of the highest active duty military populations in the United States," said Ian McLeod, Southeastern Grocers president and chief executive officer.
McLeod announced the initiative and thanked active and retired military and their families for their service and sacrifice. "While we recognize on Memorial Day those soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice, and give thanks to those that have served on Veterans Day; the sacrifice and needs of those who are severely injured visibly or invisibly is not necessarily fully understood. I am honoured that we are running this program and am thankful to the military men and women and their families for their service and sacrifice."
"We are excited to continue our work with BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie in the spirit of lifelong commitment to serving our nation's veterans," said Steve Nardizzi, WWP chief executive officer. "The promise we have made to injured servicemen and women is evident in the kindness from companies like Southeastern Grocers. The generosity that will result from Wounded Warrior Project Day is vital to honoring and empowering our nation's bravest. Independence Day provides a timely framework to celebrate that mission and those who help us fulfill it, while uplifting those we serve."
Wounded Warrior Project Day is one of many ways Southeastern Grocers continues to support Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). Southeastern Grocers has donated more than $610,000 to WWP in the following areas: Believe In Heroes® campaign, Soldier Ride® and the Alumni Program. Wounded Warrior Day will also be celebrated on social media platforms across the Internet. Donors with social media accounts are welcome to post tributes to injured veterans using #allforhonor.
All for honor? Seriously? I thought about all my uncles who served in WWII. They passed away years ago after fighting for this country. My husband's Dad and his uncles also served in WWII and passed away. We're losing that generation but many are still with us and they endured the same wounds as the generations before them.
I thought about my Dad and how he served in Korea and all the other Korean veterans still with us. My Dad was 100% disabled but he passed away years ago after his generation also suffering from the same wounds.
I thought about my husband, a Vietnam veteran, also 100% disabled for serving this country and thank God he is still here. We've been married over 30 years. There are a lot of other families just like mine. Forgotten in all of this even though our generation fought for everything being done on PTSD and TBI long before this generation was even born topped off with Agent Orange. I thought about how most of the veteran suicides are over the age of 50 but no one seems to care.
I thought about friends, Gulf War veterans suffering from the same wounds plus the wounds causing illnesses no one is really sure about even after all these years.
Then I thought about all the organizations formed so many years ago but have been ignored by all these businesses writing checks and getting a lot of publicity doing it. They are blind, as you noticed from the response from Winn Dixie.
We belong to the Disabled American Veterans. My husband is a Commander at one of the Chapters. We belong simply because of the work they have been doing for all disabled veterans since WWI. One of those veterans was my Dad and then they helped my husband.
The historical account of DAV in Wars and Scars on the pages that follow tells the story of that journey, from the days after World War I to the men and women of today returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. It tells the story of the veterans, families and civilians who made the commitment that none of America’s heroes should ever go it alone.
The VFW traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service: Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans' pension for them,and they were left to care for themselves.
In their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations with what would become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum. By 1915, membership grew to 5,000; by 1936, membership was almost 200,000
Since 1984, when Seattle Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran Bill Landreth noticed he was arresting the same people each night, he discovered most were Vietnam vets like himself that just never seemed to have quite made it home. He began to meet with them in coffee shops and on a regular basis for fellowship and prayer. Soon, Point Man Ministries was conceived and became a staple of the Seattle area. Bills untimely death soon after put the future of Point Man in jeopardy.
However, Chuck Dean, publisher of a Veterans self help newspaper, Reveille, had a vision for the ministry and developed it into a system of small groups across the USA for the purpose of mutual support and fellowship. These groups are known as Outposts. Worldwide there are hundreds of Outposts and Homefront groups serving the families of veterans.
When you go shopping on July 4th remember the faces that have been forgotten by Winn Dixie and far too many others pretending to be doing something for all veterans while only caring about some.
