Humans of New York Reminder Troops Are Still Only Human

Humans of New York decided to profile veterans. The response has been overwhelming.
Washington Post
By Dan Lamothe
August 31, 2016 

At the outset of the project, Stanton said on Facebook he expected that the project would show conflicting feelings: “patriotism, disillusionment, pride, regret, gratitude, and grief.” 

Zachary Iscol appears in the picture in a light-blue shirt and tousled hair, a 5 o’clock shadow on his face. In accompanying text, he mourns the loss of his friend “Ronnie Winchester,” a first lieutenant with the Marine Corps who died in Iraq in 2004, just a few years after graduating from the Naval Academy.

“He was the nicest guy you can imagine,” Iscol said. “My 22nd birthday was during our officer training course. None of us had slept. We were all starving. We were only getting one ration per day. But Ronnie wanted to give me a memorable birthday. So he put a candle in his brownie and gave it to me. That’s how nice of a guy he was. Ronnie ended up getting killed in Iraq. And if a guy like Ronnie got killed, you can’t help but wonder why you deserve to be alive.”

It’s one of many sentiments that have been shared recently by veterans on Humans of New York, the popular social-media group that was created to document the lives of New Yorkers and now has nearly 18 million followers on Facebook and 5.8 million more on Instagram. The series has seen numerous veterans and military family members share their observations of the world with photographer Brandon Stanton.

At the outset of the project, Stanton said on Facebook he expected that the project would show conflicting feelings: “patriotism, disillusionment, pride, regret, gratitude, and grief.” Many of the veterans involved have post-traumatic stress, Stanton said, but the hardships they shared in interviews with Humans of New York are too nuanced for that diagnosis to capture everything involved.
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Police Officer Gave Homeless Veteran Clothes, Food and Shelter

Franklin Sergeant helps homeless veteran who was exploited by thief
FOX 17 Nashville
BY KAYLIN SEARLES
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30TH

Richards not only made these accommodations for the homeless veteran, he brought him to the motel, went to Walmart and bought t-shirts, underwear, socks, shorts and non-perishable food and water. Richards also bought the veteran a new bag to carry it all in.

Franklin Officer Of The Month.PNG Chief Deborah Faulkner

Kris Krabill (Toyota, Cool Springs), Sgt. Charlie Richards

Leo Linkov (Franklin Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram) 

Photo: Franklin Police

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WZTV) — Franklin Police Sergeant Charlie Richards was named officer of the month for going above and beyond his duties to help a homeless veteran "who was exploited by a thief and left with nothing but the clothes on his back."
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Marines Honor Fallen Hero Cpl. Michael Ouellette

Marines honor fallen corporal who kept fighting after IED blast
Marine Corps Times
By: Charlsy Panzino
August 30, 2016

A new headquarters building at the Marine Corps' Advanced Infantry Training Battalion will honor a fallen noncommissioned officer who earned the Navy Cross during the battle that took his life.

Marine officials will dedicate the new facility named for Cpl. Michael Ouellette at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, on Wednesday. The infantry squad leader was posthumously awarded the service's second-highest valor award for actions during a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.

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LONDONBERRY, N.H. (Nov. 10, 2010) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Ray Mabus presents the Navy Cross to the family of Cpl. Michael Ouellette during a ceremony at the Marine Reserve Support Center in Londonderry, N.H. Ouellette, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, died March 22, 2009 during a firefight in the Now Zad district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The Navy Cross is the highest medal for valor awarded by the Navy and is second only to the Medal of Honor. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien/Released)

Two Tours Of Duty, Veteran Faces Homicide Charges After Car Accident?

Reports Say Suspect in Fatal Shooting Was Veteran With PTSD
ASSOCIATED PRESS CLEVELAND
By MARK GILLISPIE
Aug 30, 2016

A man charged with murder for fatally shooting a woman after a traffic accident near Cleveland served two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, records show.

Matthew Desha, 29, of North Ridgeville, is being held on a $1 million bond in Solon, where the slaying occurred. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Bedford Municipal Court.

Solon police said Desha ran a red light at an intersection on Saturday morning and struck a car driven by 53-year-old Deborah Pearl, of Twinsburg, who was headed to work. The impact caused Desha's sport utility vehicle to roll over several times. Police said Desha fired multiple rounds at Pearl with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

A witness who saw the crash said Pearl's arms were raised when she was shot. A Solon police lieutenant said there are no indications that Pearl and Desha knew each other.

Desha's court-appointed attorney didn't return telephone messages on Tuesday.

A minister from Pearl's church attended Desha's initial court appearance on Monday and spoke for her family.

"We're baffled that something as basic as a car crash could turn into a homicide," Pastor Mel Kendall McCray told Cleveland.com after the hearing. "It's just beyond our comprehension."
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Marine Corps Reserve turned 100 years old

Hundreds gather to celebrate Marine Corps Reserve’s centennial
Stars and Stripes
August 30, 2016

The Marine Corps Reserve turned 100 years old Monday, and hundreds of active-duty, former and future Marines celebrated with a mass gathering in New York City’s Times Square.

“This gathering is a reminder to all Marines who ever served that you are still a member of the Corps.” Lt. Gen. Rex McMillian
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The Marine Corps Reserve turned 100 years old Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, and hundreds of active-duty, former and future Marines celebrated with a mass gathering in New York City’s Times Square.

OEF OIF 3 Tour Veteran Lost Leg Then Right to Ride At Amusement Park?

Why is this news? Read the headline, got upset, then I read the article.  Now I wonder why this turned into a news report......Never mind, just got my answer. It made me go to the link and watch the video.

3-time war Veteran says he was mistreated at Darien Lake Amusement Park
By News 4 Staff
Published: August 30, 2016

In the guidelines for “Shipwreck,” the park says guests wearing prosthetics may not ride and could be asked to remove their prosthesis if they want to get on.

DARIEN, N.Y. (WIVB) – A local Veteran says he is being discriminated against for having a prosthetic leg. David Cross from Amherst has served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He went to Darien Lake Amusement Park with his family Sunday, and says he wasn’t allowed on a water ride. He says injured vets need to know their rights at the park.

He was asked to remove his prosthetic leg if he wanted to go on “Shipwreck” a water ride at the park.

On his last tour serving in Iraq, Cross was hit by a large IED and got shrapnel in his leg. Since then it has been a struggle.

He said, “I went six years with chronic pain and I had heard about elective amputation.” He decided removing his leg electively was his best shot at a pain-free life.
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Colin Kaepernick Can Sit On It!

Ok, so a guy gets millions to toss around a football but refused to stand up during the National Anthem.

Colin Kaepernick Sits During National Anthem Before Packers vs. 49ers
CNN
By Adam Wells
Featured Columnist
Aug 27, 2016

I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.

That must have made sense to him anyway.

Well if that is what he chooses to focus on, then ya the country, in his mind, would suck.  Bet it sucks that he's been so oppressed to have to be able to hire someone to go to the bank for him. But hey, he doesn't want to be selfish, so I bet he's donating all his millions to communities around the country. After all, he's got plenty of it.

Colin Kaepernick signed a 6 year, $114,000,000 contract with the San Francisco 49ers, including a $12,328,766 signing bonus, $61,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $19,000,000. In 2016, Kaepernick will earn a base salary of $11,900,000, a roster bonus of $2,000,000 and a workout bonus of $400,000. Kaepernick has a cap hit of $15,890,753 while his dead money value is $19,697,260.

So since those things mattered so much to him, he decided to make that much money? Did he join any community centers to make lives better or volunteer for any of the charities out there trying to make a difference everyday?

See that's the biggest problem. Some people would rather sit back, complain and then refuse to do anything to make anything better.

There are men and women risking their lives everyday while they are either hated or ignored until someone needs them to show up. They still do it for a lot less money. Here is just one of them.

Once an NFL running back, now he's on the Army Ranger School staff

Spec. Glen Coffee works in the boat house at Army Ranger School's installation at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. He joined the Amy after starring as a football running back at Alabama and playing for the San Francisco 49ers. DAN LAMOTHE/THE WASHINGTON POST

Vietnam: Medal of Honor quest for Maj. George Quamo

A breakthrough in Medal of Honor quest for Maj. George Quamo
Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
By Paul Nelson
Published: August 29, 2016

ALBANY, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) — Friends and family of George Quamo hope two more testimonials — one from a former military medic and another penned by one of his fellow special service members — will bolster the case that the Green Beret from Averill Park deserves a Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Vietnam War.

Maj. George Quamo VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND

Two notarized letters — from William Harris of North Carolina and Richard Mullowney Jr. of Alaska — bring to three the supporting documents that supporters will be submitting to the Defense Department requesting that Quamo be posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honor.

The Army Major who graduated from Averill Park High School in 1958 was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for leading a dangerous helicopter mission in 1968 that rescued 14 Green Berets and dozens of others who were invaded by two North Vietnamese battalions and were pleading for help at the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp in central Vietnam.

Quamo (pronounced Cuomo) died in a plane crash on April 14, 1968.
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VA Reports Attempted Suicides Went Up Too

Before more people decide to raise awareness without reading the report like they did the last time, here is the link to the VA Suicide Report.

Veteran Suicide Facts and Data

But while we're talking about it, notice a few facts. Notice the number of attempted suicides and then notice the numbers in the charts below along with seeing how not much has changed. How about you make folks aware of that fact?

A history of non-fatal suicide attempts is recognized to be among the most robust risk factors for suicide.

Among VHA patients, reports of suicide attempt can be identified through review of external injury codes associated with health services (i.e., obtained from medical records) or from the Suicide Prevention applications Network (SPAN), VHA’s internal suicide event case management and tracking system. As shown in Figure 5, monthly reports of non-fatal suicide attempts based on SPAN data increased between 2012 and 2014, ranging from just over 600 reported attempts in May 2012 to almost 900 in August 2014.

VHA’s health care system includes an increasing number of patients with factors, such as a history of suicide attempts, associated with risk for suicide

Teenager's Life Cut Short By Accident, Soldier's Life Extended By Love

Teen who died following ladder fall donates kidney to veteran
KOMO
by Suzanne Phan
August 26th 2016

SILVERDALE, Wash. (KOMO) - A Kitsap family is preparing to bury their beloved teenage daughter on Saturday, but they find hope and promise that a part of her lives on.

Sixteen-year-old Emily Ramm was a bold, daring, and outspoken teen with big dreams and a lot of ambition, according to her family. Her life was cut short after she fell from a ladder at a construction site at Silverdale Elementary School on Aug. 13.

Loved ones say she was climbing to find higher ground and a better place to watch the meteor shower that night with friends.

KOMO News has heard from a military veteran who received Emily's kidney right after she passed.

"There's no words to describe how grateful I am. For the family, the loss is huge. I can't say thank you enough,” said Daniel Mendoza from his home.
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