Military veteran’s suicide preceded by calls for help The Star Canada Allen Woods February 14, 2017
Carl Jason Dunphy, 39, wrote of frustration with Veterans Affairs Canada before ending his life in Feb. 11 confrontation with Quebec police
MONTREAL—A Canadian military veteran with post-traumatic stress syndrome killed himself Saturday in a confrontation with police just hours after complaining about the government’s handling of his case.
Carl Jason Dunphy, 39, wrote on his Facebook page Saturday morning that he had been fighting with Veterans Affairs Canada for additional help with operational stress injuries after serving three combat tours in Afghanistan.
“It’s eating away at my resources and my strength. It’s not up to friends and spouses to deal with this because a government organization doesn’t act,” the native of Edmunston, N.B., wrote.
That night, the Sûreté du Québec responded to a tip from the Edmunston police force about a suicidal man headed into their jurisdiction.
Paul Nichols met Dunphy in Edmunston during the tail end of a horseback ride across Canada in 2015 to raise awareness about veterans’ issues.
Nichols said in an interview that Dunphy had suffered multiple concussions as a result of roadside-bomb strikes over the course of three deployments in Afghanistan and was left struggling with short-term memory as a result.
‘Unclaimed’ Vietnam veteran who died in December buried with honors in Higginsville FOX 4 KC BY MICHELLE PEKARSKY AND MARCUS OFFICER FEBRUARY 15, 2017
HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. — A Vietnam War veteran who died in December and whose body remained unclaimed until a Missouri coroner got involved, was laid to rest with honors Wednesday afternoon in Higginsville, Mo., surrounded by some of his relatives.
Pettis County Coroner Robert ‘Skip” Smith found Dennis Gray’s discharge papers at Gray’s home in Sedalia, Mo., after the veteran passed away.
Initially, no one knew how to contact Gray’s family members but with the help of the coroner and other strangers, they were located and attended the service. read more here
Homeless veteran to be honored at Beaumont funeral home KFDM 6 News by Brandon Scott Wednesday, February 15th 2017
BEAUMONT — A Beaumont funeral home is inviting the public to support a deceased homeless veteran at a service to be held in his honor Thursday. Claybar Funeral Home will host a service to honor Ralph Jesters, an Army veteran who served three tours in the Vietnam War. Jesters was found dead Jan. 22. Investigators found that Jesters was homeless and did not have any local relatives. They later learned of his military service. read more here
Man killed by plow at Bedford VA hospital identified Lowell Sun By Robert Mills UPDATED: 02/13/2017 BEDFORD -- A 60-year-old man was killed in a parking lot at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford Sunday night when he was struck by a Veterans Administration plow truck as it was backing up.
On Monday, the Middlesex District Attorney's office identified the victim as Gerald Flynn, a resident of 100 Pride Way on the VA hospital's property.
Bedford police Chief Robert Bongiorno and fire Chief David Grunes said in a press release that emergency crews were called to a parking lot on the hospital grounds for a report that a man was in cardiac arrest after being struck by a plow truck about 6 p.m.
read more here
Judge considers shortening ex-soldier's sentence due to PTSD By: Associated Press Posted: Feb 13, 2017
Staff Sgt. Cory Griffin
COLORADO SPRINGS - A judge in central Colorado is considering reducing a former soldier's sentence for drunkenly shooting his friend based on whether he is receiving adequate mental health care in prison.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs reports that 4th Judicial District Judge Lin Billings-Vela said on Thursday that reports that former Staff Sgt. Cory Griffin's mental health is deteriorating while he serves his eight-year sentence may rise to the level of an extraordinary circumstance that merits a sentence reduction. read more here
Dog Loves Going On Motorcycle Rides With His Veteran Dad The DoDo Christian Cotroneo February 14, 2017
"With my PTSD, I don't do well in crowds and with unfamiliar people and places. She watches my back."
When the crowds got to be too much for Keith Campeau, he had a friend to take him away from it all: his motorcycle.
Campeau would get on the open road in Edmonton, Alberta, and feel the sanity-saving grace of being alone. It's been like that ever since the Canadian soldier came back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011 with a crippling case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Crowds made him painfully anxious. "When I first got back, that was my one escape — to jump on the bike and take a ride when I was getting out of hand," Campeau tells The Dodo. "That was a kind of self-induced therapy." But the motorcycle couldn't always be there for him. And the crowds — on busy sidewalks and in teeming malls — never seemed too far behind. "It was like World War 3 every night getting home from work," he explains. "When I went out in public, I started bumping into people. In crowded areas, I started knocking people over." A psychologist recommended Campeau find another friend: a dog. read more here
Soldiers in Afghanistan among hundreds who sent valentines to New Castle boy battling cancer CBS 4 Indy BY CBS4 WEB FEBRUARY 14, 2017
NEW CASTLE, Ind. – A New Castle boy battling brain cancer is feeling the love from people across the world this Valentine’s Day.
The family of 5-year-old Jace Griffin has been encouraging others to send the kindergarten student cards to distract him from his pain.
Jace’s father told CBS4 that the little boy “is doing GREAT!” after receiving over 1,400 valentines. He said they had received some as far away as Japan.
A group of soldiers stationed in Afghanistan even sent the little boy a video message to lift his spirits. read more here
Army investigating death of Fort Bragg soldier Fay Observer By Amanda Dolasinski Staff writer Feb 14, 2017 Updated 2 min ago The Army Criminal Investigation Command is looking into the death of an 82nd Airborne Division soldier whose body was found in a wooded area more than a week ago.
Spc. Victor Aponte-Rosado, 31, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, was found in woods near Preachers Road on Fort Bragg around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 6, according to Chris Grey, a spokesman for the Army's CID.
Grey said someone found something suspicious in the woods and reported it. He declined to give any details about possible injuries or details surrounding the death.
read more here
News 6 gives voice to veterans
The Veteran's Voice debuts on ClickOrlando.com Click Orlando February 14, 2017
ORLANDO, Fla. - WKMG-TV News 6 this week launched "The Veteran’s Voice," a section of ClickOrlando.com dedicated to those in Central Florida who have served our country.
"The Veteran’s Voice" is designed to be a platform that gives veterans an opportunity to be candid about the daily challenges they face.
Over the next year, News 6 will interview local veterans in an effort to understand more clearly how our community can help make Central Florida a model when it comes to veterans’ needs.
To see their stories, go to ClickOrlando.com/veteransvoice.
‘He hit me to make me drop the knife’: How Ryan’s dog saved his life News.com Australia Emma Reynolds February 14, 2017 AFTER Ryan Geddes served two terms in Afghanistan, he was left with serious post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
The 30-year-old from Newcastle says
his dog Yogi has been his lifeline.
Source:news.com.au
The 30-year-old from Newcastle in NSW found a fly-in-fly-out job, but only lasted a few months, crippled by panic attacks and a phobia of leaving the house. He says his dog is the reason he’s alive today. “If I hadn’t met Yogi, I’d be dead by now,” he said. “He hit me once, hard enough to bleed, to get me to let go of a knife. He’s saved my life a few times.” Ryan met his six-year-old wolfhound cross back in 2010, after his first nine months in Afghanistan, while posted in Brisbane. He returned for five more months in 2013, serving in mobility support on patrol searches for IEDs and weapons. “When you go to war you see all these horrible things,” he said. “Then your whole idea of humanity is clouded.
“It didn’t really hit me until I got out of the army.” read more here
Army Ranger arraigned in shooting of fellow JBLM soldier The Olympian Kenny Ocker February 13, 2017
One witness said Popek had returned to JBLM from a deployment five days earlier.
An Army Ranger assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord was arraigned Monday in Pierce County Superior Court, charged with shooting a fellow soldier in the neck Saturday in Parkland.
Spc. Thomas Patrick Popek, 22, faces one count of second-degree assault for the incident, which charging documents say left a JBLM soldier on life support with a bullet lodged in his neck.
The 23-year-old is in critical condition in an area hospital and unable to breathe on his own. read more here
Stranded marine on a trip across the US gets help from local military mom Thanks to a Facebook group, he got the help he needed Your Central Valley.com Posted: Feb 12, 2017
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. - While most were preparing to watch the Super Bowl last Sunday, a marine driving a truck through Colorado was stuck when his it broke down on his journey home.
His truck broke down, and he was stranded for four hours until a stranger whose son is also a marine learned of his troubles and offered a hand.
"You talk about it, and you just get goosebumps. It's just a wonderful feeling that I was able to help him and get him off the road," Shauna Zelenka said.
Zelenka was browsing through a Facebook page for marine families -- missing her deployed son -- when she came across a post from a mother in Iowa.
It mentioned New Castle, Colorado -- a town only 10 minutes east of Zelenka's home in Silt.
"I saw that this marine who had just been discharged from the military was stuck on I-70," Zelenka said.
The Marine was Chris Sims.
"I was like, 'I'll take all the help I can get,'" Sims said. read more here
Fort Hood: Iraq war veteran found dead in off-post residence KWTX News By Staff Feb 13, 2017
Staff Sgt. Christie Marie Anderson. (Fort Hood photo)
FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) Fort Hood Monday identified a soldier who was found dead on Feb. 6 in her off-post residence as Staff Sgt. Christie Marie Anderson, 44 of Hazen, Ark. Killeen police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, Fort Hood said, but no details were released. read more here
Body Of Military Member, Joel Costa, Discovered FOX 21 News by Dan Hanger February 12, 2017
DULUTH, Minn – Just before 9 p.m. Sunday, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office notified the media that the body of missing Minnesota National Guard member Joel Costa, 32, had been found.
The discovery happened around 7 p.m. on a rural road just north of Duluth. Costa’s vehicle, comparable to the picture below, was also found at that location, according to authorities.
The cause of death will be determined by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.
No foul play is suspected, according to the Sheriff’s office. read more here
Veterans ask, "Do you really want to hurt me?" Yes, some politicians just don't care if ending the Affordable Care Act can hurt veterans.
A preliminary review of 2006 data shows little change in the number of uninsured veterans since 2004, Woolhandler noted.
Woolhandler's team found that 645,628 uninsured veterans were old enough to have served in Vietnam. More than 1 million (1,105,891) served at other times, including in Iraq and the first Gulf War -- 56.5 percent were older than 44.
Among uninsured veterans, 26.5 percent said they couldn't get medical care because of costs, 31.2 percent delayed care due to costs, and 49.1 percent hadn't seen a doctor within the past year. In addition, two-thirds didn't receive preventive care. Yet, almost two-thirds were employed, the researchers found.
Not all U.S. veterans receive health care through the VA's Veterans Health Administration, but the massive system does serve about two-thirds of the 9 million veterans who currently qualify. (To be eligible for VA care, a veteran must have a service-related physical or mental health condition.) Trump has proposed solving the VA's problems of long waits and poor care by allowing veterans to see private doctors, with Uncle Sam picking up the tab. But that program -- which would cost as much as $500 billion over 10 years, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget -- is controversial, with some veterans groups seeing it as partial privatization that could ultimately weaken the VA.
The truth is, about 80% of the veterans in this country do not use the VA for all of their healthcare. Most do not go for a lot of reasons. Some won't go because they believe the VA is for veterans worse off than they are. If a veteran has a job and is insured under the Affordable Care Act, this will harm them and frankly, they want to know why? They really want to know why because the politicians talking about ending it are also talking about privatizing the VA and sending them into the same mess that is about to get a lot worse.
Special Forces soldier dies in accident in Niger STARS AND STRIPES By ALEX HORTON Published: February 11, 2017
SAN ANTONIO — An Army Special Forces officer was killed in a non-combat accident in Niger on Feb. 2, the Army said Friday.
Warrant Officer 1 Shawn Thomas, 35, was killed in a vehicle accident in Niger, according to a statement released by U.S. Africa Command. Another soldier was injured in the accident, which occurred during a “routine administrative movement” between partner force outposts, the release stated.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to their families during this difficult time,” the Africa Command release stated.
read more here
Veteran kills himself in storage shed in Murfreesboro USA TODAY NETWORK Chris Smith Tennessee Published Feb. 10, 2017
"Suicide is a tragic outcome and hurts not only the victim’s family, but also the caregivers and the larger veteran community. VA is committed to ensuring the safety of our veterans, especially when they are in crisis."
A Murfreesboro veteran killed himself in a storage unit Thursday afternoon, according to Murfreesboro Police.
At about 5:25 p.m., police were called to Ideal Storage on South Church Street, according to an incident report.
Dinah Walker, a Veterans Affairs case worker, directed police to the storage unit where she found the man, who had hung himself.
The officer checked for a pulse but found none, the report said. Responding Murfreesboro Fire Department workers performed CPR, but the man was not responsive. He was pronounced dead at St. Thomas Hospital.
Walker said the 62-year-old veteran was a client of hers, the report said. She had last spoken to him at about 3 p.m. that day.
The VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System confirmed the suicide in a news release Friday afternoon. read more here
Veterans deal with PTSD through filmmaking
KENS Alicia Neaves February 10, 2017
"For many veterans, these films are the perfect way to share their stories. Because sometimes, words are not enough."
A group of San Antonio veterans is taking a special approach to treat symptoms of PTSD. They're sharing their experiences on film.
They not only star in the video, they also help write it and produce it.
KENS 5 captured moments behind the scenes.
For many veterans and their families, sharing stories about loss and war can be nearly as painful as the original experience.
"They gave everybody their orders. Everybody was going to Vietnam. You should have seen everybody crying. A lot of them were crying, some of them were disappointed. Big kids, football players cried like little babies," said Richard Diaz, a veteran who participated in the film.
As a therapy of sorts and a method of reducing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, filmmaker Benjamin Patton, the founder of the Patton Veterans Project, created the “I Was There” film workshops.
"It does feel quite rewarding to be able to help these veterans of different services and different eras in a way that maybe isn't possible in a wartime environment, that isn't possible in uniform," Patton said.
These workshops bring veterans into the movie-making process. Patton has worked with over 1,000 veterans to produce over 300 films. read more here
The veteran is facing charges, "Hernandez has been charged by the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor with two counts of Attempted Murder of Police Officers; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm; Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose; Eluding Police Officers; Resisting Arrest; and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer." But why isn't anyone else being held accountable considering how many times veterans reach this point after risking their lives for others?
An Army veteran, a mayor, and a police standoff Nearby incident with police raises questions about warriors who come home Hudson Reporter by Al Sullivan Reporter staff writer Feb 12, 2017
“We teach these men how to fight and kill, but we don’t teach them how to come home and be civilized again. “I don’t know what set this man off. He may have seen the police cars and heard the sirens, and thought maybe he was back in Iraq. But I didn’t want to see this man die or anyone else get hurt because of this.”
Roque, a doctor, has worked with veterans in the past, mostly assisting in pain management. And he said he’s seen the troubles these veterans come home with, and the need for counseling that many never get.
WAITING AND WATCHING – Police waited with guns drawn outside the home on 57th Street for some resolution to the standoff in West New York. (Photos by Al Sullivan)
After standing behind an armored vehicle on 57th Street for nearly 12 hours last Saturday, Feb. 5, West New York Mayor Felix Roque had a lot of time to think about the harrowing event that took place in Hudson County that day, and what it means for how veterans are treated when they come home from war.
Earlier that day, a call came in to the police in North Bergen, a town that shares a border with West New York. Emmanuel Hernandez, 27, of West New York, had reportedly been seen inside a red Infiniti with a firearm on Kennedy Boulevard at about 2 a.m.
North Bergen police caught up with Hernandez – an Army veteran who served honorably in Iraq – at about 2:20 a.m. at the QuickChek on Kennedy Boulevard. When they approached him, he reportedly became defensive and, as he fled in his car, he allegedly ran over a cop’s foot and struck the police vehicle.
The officers chased Hernandez for several blocks into West New York, where he exited his vehicle in front of his residence at 608 57th St.
Mayor Roque said Hernandez, inside the house, saw these reports and became even more frightened.
“He kept saying he didn’t commit a crime,” said Mayor Roque, who was among several mediators talking to Hernandez via cellular phone during the standoff. Hernandez was also apparently in contact with his mother in Florida via another phone. read more here
Stop Feeling Pain and Start Healing Combat Wounded Times Kathie Costos February 11, 2017 It doesn't matter if the pain you feel is physical or emotional, or both, you want to stop feeling it. Pain makes life harder than it should be.
This is me with my Semper Fidelis America Brothers. This is how I get to spend so much of my free time. You'd never know that two of us were in physical pain and others were in emotional pain. You can't see pain in any of us, or in anyone else. This picture was taken during a fundraiser for one of our members. In other words, having fun, doing something for someone else, took that pain away for a few hours because someone else came first. Last year I was having a lot of problems with my left leg. I am a klutz, so falling down wasn't a big deal, but it was happening way too often. I was in even more pain because of the pain, if that makes sense. I put off going to the doctor because some days it wasn't as bad as other days. When I finally reached the point where I just couldn't take it any longer, I went to my doctor. He got me in the day after I called. Then he sent me for an MRI. That took about a week. A couple more days, and I got a phone call telling me it was nerve damage and I needed to see a surgeon. Another couple of weeks before I could get into that office. At least I had some pain pills to help. That was vital considering I have a desk job and had to sit on my leg while feeling as if my chair turned into barbed wire. The second doctor sent me for X-rays. A couple of more days and I went back to see him. He said I would need surgery but it could be put off. I needed to go to a pain management center. That took another couple of weeks because some of the doctors did not take my insurance. A few more weeks later, I was told what I was actually dealing with. A vertebra moved and disc went with it, pushing my sciatic nerve, plus arthritis and fluid in my spine. A few more weeks and I was sent for shots into my spine. Little by little the pain was being defeated, but the cause of the pain was still there. This week it came back full force. Now I wait to go to the pain center again in a couple more weeks. As for the pain right now, I am going to see my primary care doctor on Monday to see what he can do. That's what people need to remember when talking about delays at the VA. All of us have to wait for appointments. Go through tests to find out what is causing what is wrong and then wait for more tests and appointments before we start to feel better. They have to play around with medications to take the pain away without causing other problems from side effects. They have to make them strong enough to work, but not so strong we become numb to the rest of our lives or so out of it we can't do our jobs. (Oh, sorry, I forgot. I didn't miss a full day of work because of this.) It all works the same way when you have emotional pain. They have to figure out the cause of it, the level of pain you are feeling and then come up with a plan to address it. With emotional pain, it means therapy and usually medication. The therapy is based on what is best for you. One-on-one or group, but you have to wait for appointments. They have to base your medication on what they think will work, but discover they have to change it because it is not working well with your chemistry. Yep, you have to wait for another appointment. I know shots and medications will not take away the cause of my pain. I will only be made numb to the pain. The only option for me is to let them operate on the problem and hope for the best. With emotional pain it is the same story. Medications numb the pain but the cause is still there. The only option for you is to operate on the problem and hope is the best way to do that. Yes, you read that right. It wasn't a typo for a change. Hope is the best way to operate on PTSD. Did you know it stops getting worse as soon as you start to talk about it? Did you know that you can actually heal instead of getting numb? Well you can. Three hours ago, I was on my knees, waiting for the pill to kick in. Now I am sitting at my desk and not changing positions every couple of seconds to avoid the agony. Getting help for PTSD is a long process and takes a lot of work. It means working to change your life and thus, saving your life. Getting you off your knees so you can start to feel happy emotions and kick the hell out of you. If you doubt what I just told you, then listen to my "brother" tell his story.
