TIME Doesn't Remember Longest War Was Vietnam

Ok, it has been 15 years and we lost a lot of lives during combat and afterwards. The thing is, we lost a lot during Vietnam, during combat and afterwards. It seems as if that war has been edited for convenience.

1956

The first American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Air Force T-Sgt. Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. He is listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having a casualty date of June 8, 1956.

1975 

The last American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Kelton Rena Turner, an 18-year old Marine. He was killed in action on May 15, 1975, two weeks after the evacuation of Saigon, in what became known as the Mayaguez incident.

As you can see from the Vietnam Memorial, it was one month shy of 20 years. When will any of these reporters figure that one out? 

The Longest War in U.S. History Began 15 Years Ago. See Its Effect on One Veteran
TIME
October 7, 2016

The United States began the War in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001

When the U.S. began its attack on Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, Nick Mendes was an 11-year-old who loved to play video games.

By the time ten years had passed, Nick Mendes had become Sgt. Mendes of the U.S. Army. In 2011, in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province, he was blown up by an IED and paralyzed from the neck down.

“I remember ten seconds afterwards,” he recalls, “but then I blacked out.”

Afghanistan has become America’s longest war, and American troops still remain in the region years after the official 2014 end of the conflict. Sgt. Mendes, now 26, is one of more 20,000 U.S. service members injured in that war—numbers that don’t include traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Sgt. Mendes’ life was saved by battlefield practices that have been honed and improved after years of such incidents in the region. He and many others are part of the population of service members who would likely have died in previous conflicts, in the days before modern battlefield medical protocols were introduced, but instead have returned home to drastically different and often devastatingly challenging circumstances.
read more here

Would be a good idea if they did remember considering none of the wounds or problems these veterans face are new. Would be good to mention that with all these decades of "addressing" PTSD, suicides, VA claims and Congress funding bills that don't work while holding hearings on the increase of suicides, especially with veterans over the age of 50, it would all be more worthy of their struggles to actually do some meaningful reporting on all this.

Fort Campbell Soldiers Charged With Selling Equipment on eBay?

Soldiers at Fort Campbell Army base allegedly sold military equipment to foreign nations on eBay
New York Daily News
Jason Silverstein
October 6, 2016

A soldier (not connected to the case) holds an M249 machine gun, one of the weapons whose parts were allegedly sold on eBay by soldiers from Fort Campbell.
(JULIE JACOBSON/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Soldiers at Fort Campbell sold more than $1 million worth of military gear and weapons parts to buyers worldwide through eBay, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday.

The soldiers allegedly hawked parts of a grenade launcher and machine guns that were stolen from warehouses near the Army base in Clarksville, Tenn.

"These are extraordinarily and inherently dangerous in the wrong hands and outside of the military or police tactical use," U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee David Rivera said at a press conference.
read more here

Hurricane Matthew Headed Here

To Readers,
I am not sure what will happen tomorrow but we're heading for a very long couple of days. If there are no posts tomorrow, that means we are out of power. If you are a praying person, please do so since my state needs all the help we can get. Moved in just before Charlie, Francis and Jeanne but this one is supposed to be worse than Charlie was. Our street looked like a war zone. Also, if you could, please pray for our National Guard, police, firefighters and EMT's along with all the power crews showing up from all over the country.

Fort Drum Soldier From Florida Died in Kayaking Accident

Fort Drum soldier home from Afghanistan drowns in Pleasant Lake in St. Lawrence County
The Journal
By GORDON BLOCK
PUBLISHED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

MACOMB — A Fort Drum soldier who recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan was found dead after a kayaking incident in Pleasant Lake, state police said Tuesday.

Police were called to search for Sgt. Julian D. Harris, 24, of Land O’ Lakes, Fla., in the area of North Shore Road at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Troopers determined Sgt. Harris, who lived locally in Calcium, was kayaking alone that day.

A search for him was undertaken by Gouverneur Fire and Rescue, Brier Hill Rescue, and divers from the City of Ogdensburg Fire Department, which ended at 11 p.m.
read more here

Air Force Nix 22 Pushups in Uniform

Stunning when you think about the obvious. First thought jumping out at me is that the quoted number has nothing to do with current military members committing suicide. You'd think they'd be doing something to address their own tragic ends to lives dedicated toward saving others. The other thought is that all these stunts have not done any good at all.

22 Pushup Challenge? Not in uniform or on duty, says Air Force
Air Force Times
By: Stephen Losey
October 5, 2016

(Photo Credit: Christopher Ball/Air Force)

Over the past few months, Facebook feeds — and even official defense media sites — have been flooded with photos and videos of people dropping to the ground and doing 22 pushups to raise awareness of the problem of veterans and suicide.

But the Air Force is now warning airmen that while they are allowed to take part in such challenges, doing so while in uniform or on duty, even if their intentions are good, could violate the Defense Department's policies against endorsements and fundraising. The release emphasized that fundraising can't be done during duty hours, although lunch hours are OK, or while in uniform or in the workplace.

"While [airmen] are allowed to participate in activities to honor fallen airmen or bring awareness to issues like suicide, if these activities are associated with any type of nonprofit, non-federal entity, or fundraising or membership campaign, it cannot be done in an official capacity," according to a Sept. 30 Air Force release that described something very similar to the 22 Pushup Challenge, although it didn't refer to it by name.
read more here

This is from the Army for suicides in the 1st Quarter of 2016 In the first quarter of 2016, the military services reported the following:

 58 deaths by suicide in the Active Component  18 deaths by suicide in the Reserves  34 deaths by suicide in the National Guard

And a chart with 4th Quarter suicides from 2013, 2014 and 2015

This is for the Reserve and National Guards

Seems it would be a good idea to address the suicides while they are still in instead of doing pushups for the ones the DOD doesn't have to count anymore.

PTSD Veterans: "Thank You For Your Service" Powerful Force

This is a stunning reminder of what is still going on, but that is what keeps getting missed. This has been going on for generations and the worst part is, after over a decade of prevention, it is worse now than ever.

OnlyOnAOL: PTSD filmmakers, veteran respond to Trump's comments 
AOL.COM EDITORS 
By: Donna Freydkin 
Oct 4th 2016

He's insulted women, Latinos and Muslims, and admitted to not paying taxes.

This week, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump started his latest media maelstrom with his comments about veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The documentary tells the story of four struggling Iraq War veterans, including Rodriguez.

"I think this is an issue that has been silent for far too long," says Rodriguez. "This is an issue that is bipartisan and most people care about veterans' mental health."
read more here

Michigan Soldier Returns From Afghanistan Attacked by Wife, In Good Way

Soldier returns to emotional airport homecoming after nearly a year in Afghanistan 
KIMA News 
by Elizabeth Faugl 
October 4th 2016

A Soldier returned home to an emotional reunion after nearly a year in Afghanistan (Courtesy: Gerald R. Ford International Airport)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For those who just can't get enough of those happy, emotional military homecomings, there was a special reunion in Michigan Tuesday afternoon. 

After 283 days in Afghanistan, Master Sergeant Keen flew home, and was greeted by his family at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids. His emotion could be seen as he walked off the plane and saw his family waiting at the gate. 

A video posted to the airport's Facebook page shows him dropping his bags as his wife runs to give him a hug. After their emotional reunion, he then was greeted by his kids and saw his 10-week-old grandson for the very first time. read more here

PTSD: Residual War of Finding Something Worth Living For

PTSD: Residual War
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 4, 2016

I haven't been doing much posting lately because I was working on my new book. A real switch for me since this is a work of fiction but within the pages is a lot of truth that few want to talk about. Hey, why should they bother when some many of gone bonkers over what is easy? How the hell they think raising awareness is going to help anyone is beyond even my understanding of human nature. To borrow a line from Dr. Phil someone should ask them "how's that working for you so far" because it has only gotten worse for the veterans.

So, it begins.

A young woman, Mary Walker, grieves for the brother she lost to suicide in Afghanistan while she blames him for being weak and selfish. Her other brother is confined to a wheelchair after being blown up by an IED. After yet another day playing caregiver to him at the Lake Nona VA hospital, she finds a script written by someone with the name Mary Edwards Walker and the words Medal of Honor.

She has a couple of hours sitting by the memorials to the fallen and reads every word.

The script starts at Fort Christmas where there is one of the strangest military funerals she ever heard of.

Then she begins to read about Colonel Amanda Leverage serving as a Chaplain in Afghanistan, cold, distracted and detached, Mary has already made up her mind she should not be in any position to tend to the spiritual needs of anyone.

Leverage is demoted and sent to Fort Christmas by someone protecting her so that she can at least fill out her days until she can retire with some kind of dignity. She is in charge of a bunch of misfits just like her, only they are all males. 

After reading the script, Mary finds a better understanding that having PTSD is far from being weak, but more the strength of their love that makes them grieve so much.

RESIDUAL WAR Something Worth Living For, is about finding something worth staying alive for since they are all too ready to risk their lives for the sake of others in combat, but seem to find something worth staying alive for when everyone is out of danger, but them.

It is the one thing they all have in common. When it comes to laying down their own lives for someone else, they were worth it. When it comes to seeing that same worth within themselves, that, that they find impossible to find. Yet, when they do, when they understand that it is the strength of their love that enabled them to do it, they use the same love to heal and then help others to find something worth living for within themselves.

There is a female hero in Leverage, plus one in a Black Hawk Pilot who wanted to die when she became an amputee and was told she couldn't fly anymore. She managed to not only live, but fly the General who gave her back something to live for as well.

The women and men in this book are not perfect but none of them are weak. All of them are dealing with PTSD, survivor guilt and in Amanda's case, savior's remorse on top of it. 

After over three decades of spending this much time with veterans, the last thing any of the are is weak. Ya, I know, perfect timing considering what hit the news about one more ignorant person using "not strong" and "can't take it" to explain why so many take their own lives.

This is nothing more than passing judgement on what we may think instead of what we actually learn about people.  It is about finding redemption among your peers and learning what it is to be a simple human within the complexity of military life. There are many part within these pages that are based on true stories stung together.

Homeless veterans abandoned and used as lab rats by ruthless, greedy fools who saw them as a way to get rich while pretending to care. The veterans actually believed no one would ever care about them, until Leverage arrived and taught them that they also have something worth living for after being betrayed by the Army in 2013 when 11,000 of them were kicked out of the only like they ever wanted.

The Last Thing PTSD Veterans Are is Weak

Joe Biden talks about a Captain and how he did not want the Silver Star. Why? Because the soldier he saved ended up dying. Personally, after all these years, the last thing these men and women are is weak.

How do they go from enduring ever considerable hardship, putting their own lives on the line day in and day out, and then end up having anyone think, they just couldn't handle it? Especially when you consider that few end up committing suicide while they are deployed but end up ending their lives after surviving combat.

The last thing they are is not strong enough. That's the problem. They are too strong emotionally and feel it all more than others. Would be great if some of these folks in charge would finally figure that one out.


WOW: Joe Biden PASSIONATELY Calls Out Donald Trump on His PTSD Comments, Shares Story of Son Beau FOX 10 Phoenix

Lake Nona VA Hospital Saluted by Birds

We went to Lake Nona VA Hospital this morning and I had a lot of time to walk around. The Veterans Memorial walkway is just about my favorite spot, so brought along my camera. This is the view from the back of the hospital.

 Even the birds did a salute to veterans and formed a V over it!