Ocala Missing Veteran Alert Walked Away from VA Clinic

Update: Missing, endangered veteran found dead

Law enforcement officials said Friday afternoon that a missing 21-year-old U.S. Navy veteran was found dead near the vehicle he had been driving.

OPD seeks help finding missing, endangered veteran
Ocala Star Banner
Austin L Miller
June 30, 2017

Ocala Police Department officers are asking for the public’s assistance in finding a 21-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who is considered missing and endangered.

Mac McKeon, the father of Mark Raymond McKeon Jr., said Friday that his son checked himself out of the Veterans Administration Clinic in Gainesville against doctors advice on Monday. He said his son called and told him he knew it was a bad idea to leave.

McKeon said that after his son left the facility, he visited a friend and talked with several other people. He said his son lives with his sister and her husband in the 2000 block of Southwest Ninth Road in Ocala. He said his son left the home on Wednesday, which was the last time anyone has seen or heard from him.

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Homeless Veteran Died Saving Teenagers

Army Veteran Dies in Fatal Beating After Saving Teens From a Homeless Man’s Attack
Milwaukee Community Journal
BY PAISHANCE WELCH
JUNE 29, 2017

"Apparently Farmer was living out of his car so that he could save money and move back to Seattle with his fiancee. They were planning to buy a home together."

Being labeled a hero doesn’t necessary mean you wear a cape and a mask and save the world. Some of the most honorable heroes are completely visible and use no super powers. 

As for 62-year-old James Farmer Jr., he will go down in history for his selfless act of saving two teenage boys from a homeless man’s attack. 

James Farmer, an Army veteran, was sleeping in his car when he woke up and saw two teens being attacked by 28-year-old, DeJuan Stamps, a homeless man in downtown Denver. 

Approaching the violent man, he then took the attention from the teenage boys, making himself the target. This eventually ended up in the veteran losing his life. read more here

Motorcycle Crash Claimed Life of Navy Corpsman

Man killed in Camp Lejeune crash identified as Navy corpsman

Jacksonville Daily News

Amanda Thames

June 29, 2017

Camp Lejeune has identified the man killed in a one-vehicle motorcycle crash on base this week.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Sean Youngwelch, 29, of Buffalo, New York died in a motorcycle crash Tuesday, said First Lt. Eric Abrams with the base’s public affairs office, but the details of the crash itself remain few.

“The specifics of the situation are still pending investigation,” Abrams said.

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Silver Star For Air Force Thunderbolt Pilot

A-10 pilot who braved 'hailstorm of anti-aircraft fire' to save soldiers receives Silver Star
Air Force Times
By: Stephen Losey
June 30, 2017

Thornton and his leader fought for 33 minutes, braving "the ever-increasing hailstorm of anti-aircraft fire," and destroyed or demobilized three T-72 tanks, six armored personnel carriers and several utility vehicles that were within striking distance of the U.S. troops, the citation said.

In the opening days of the Iraq war, soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment were advancing on Baghdad when they ran into fierce resistance from the Iraqis.

Tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles dug in on the eastern side of a bridge across the Tigris River unloaded on the troops.

In his A-10 Thunderbolt overhead, then-Capt. Gregory Thornton saw the task force's lead element taking fire and swung into action. He flew through a blinding sandstorm, dodged heavy anti-aircraft fire, and took out the Iraqi armor holding back the troops.

On Friday, Thornton — now a retired lieutenant colonel — will be honored for his bravery that day, April 6, 2003, by receiving the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor.
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A-10 Thunderbolt

Airman Found Dead At Fairchild Air Force Base

Airman found dead in dorm at Fairchild identified
KXLY News
Elena Gardner
Posted: Jun 27, 2017

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. - UPDATE: The Airman has been identified as 20-year-old Nolan Fournier, assigned to the 92nd Communications Squadron.

Fournier, from West Branch, Michigan, was a Knowledge Management Apprentice who served in the Air Force since June 7, 2016.

"Airman Fournier was a great American Airman and a part of Team Fairchild, and the loss of any member of our team is felt across the community," said Col. Ryan Samuelson, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. "We are doing all we can to support the family members, teammates and loved ones impacted by this loss."
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Major Veterans Groups Fighting for Veterans Against More Cuts

Major veterans' groups voice concern over Senate health bill
ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON
By HOPE YEN
Jun 27, 2017

"What will become of these veterans as they face higher insurance costs?" Carl Blake, associate executive director of Paralyzed Veterans, wrote in a letter sent to all 100 senators. He pointed to more than 1.7 million veterans now on Medicaid — nearly 1 in 10 — as well as veterans ages 45 to 64 who have benefited from tax credits offered under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

Secretary of Veteran Affairs David Shulkin arrives at the wedding of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Scottish actress Louise Linton, at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, Saturday, June 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Major veterans' organizations are voicing concerns about a Senate GOP bill to repeal the nation's health care law, fearing the impact of rising insurance costs and worried the underfunded Department of Veterans Affairs won't be able to fill the coverage gap.

While there are more than 21 million veterans in the U.S., only about 8 million receive health care from the VA. The others rely on Medicaid, purchase insurance on state or federal exchanges, have employer-provided insurance or have no coverage at all.

In a letter Tuesday to senators, Paralyzed Veterans of America, one of the six biggest nonpartisan veterans' groups, criticized an "opaque and closed" legislative process and proposed cuts to Medicaid that could lead to hundreds of thousands of lower-income veterans losing their insurance.

It joins a Democratic-leaning group, VoteVets, in opposing the bill. VoteVets launched a six-figure ad campaign in two states, mostly to pressure moderate Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who faces a tough 2018 re-election race. Heller, who indicated his opposition to the bill last Friday, says he's worried that too many people will lose coverage.

Two other major groups, Disabled American Veterans and AMVETS, also are expressing concern about the Senate legislation backed by President Donald Trump. They are worried the beleaguered VA — already facing an emergency $1 billion shortfall — won't have enough money to provide federally paid health care to more patients and say VA must be better funded.
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USS Carl Vinson Sailor Returns to Expanding Family

Surprise! Navy Wife Hides Pregnancy, Saves Reveal for Sailor's Homecoming
After a shocked pause, Chris pokes his wife's pregnant belly and asks, "Is it real?"
NBC San Diego
By Cassia Pollock

"Welcome Home Baby Daddy."

The wife of a U.S. Navy sailor had a big surprise to share with her husband when his aircraft carrier docked in San Diego: a new member of their family, nearly ready to join their ranks.

Petty Officer 1st Class Chris Daugherty, a Navy cryptologic technician, returned to the U.S. on June 23 after a six-month deployment on board the USS Carl Vinson.

Upon disembarking, Daugherty's two daughters and son rushed over to greet their uniformed father. He hugged his little ones, who were clad in mini sailor outfits, while his wife, Natasha Daugherty, hung back, smiling.
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Bad Paper Discharged Veterans Get Some Justice

'Bad-paper' veterans now get 90 days of mental help
San Diego Union Tribune
Jeanette Steele
June 28, 2017

The VA estimates that more than 500,000 former service members hold other-than-honorable discharges. About 125,000 of them are post-9/11 veterans, according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

It's official. Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges can get 90 days of mental-health help from the VA.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the policy Tuesday, confirming a move that VA Secretary David Shulkin telegraphed back in March.

Otherwise, veterans with these “bad-paper” discharges -- which usually result from minor crime or misbehavior while in uniform — wouldn’t be eligible for care at VA hospitals.

The move is aimed at reducing the 20-a-day suicide rate among veterans.
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Also on this, a little background; Vietnam Veterans of America have fought for all generations of veterans to receive justice.

Advocates, lawmakers push for answers to problem of 'bad paper' discharges
Military Times, By: Leo Shane III, September 13, 2016 It’s disturbing to see this issue come back,” said John Rowan, president and CEO of Vietnam Veterans of America. “We saw half a million questionable less-than-honorable discharges during the Vietnam era. And to think that today there are as many as 300,000 more since Sept. 11, that’s a disgrace.”

Resources are scarce for many veterans with less than honorable discharges
Columbus Dispatch, William T Perkins, June 12, 2016

Veterans without access to the VA are seven times as likely to end up homeless, six times as likely to end up in jail and 30 percent more likely to die by suicide.

That’s due, in part, to downsizing in the military, said Kristofer Goldsmith, assistant director for policy and government relations at Vietnam Veterans of America. Between 2000 and 2015, the size of the military dropped from 3.8 million service members to 1.1 million, according to data from the Department of Defense. And military cuts are expected to continue in coming years.

Goldsmith, who was other-than-honorably discharged in 2007 after a suicide attempt, said the easiest way for commanders to meet those cuts is by issuing more bad-paper discharges, cutting short those service members’ active-duty time.

Now that you see that, keep in mind that as the "training" the DOD was pushing to "prevent" the "one too many" suicides they kept talking about, the numbers did not go down to reflect that size drop in the number of service members.  How is that for "awareness" now?

“Protectors of Freedom,” Memorial from WWI to War on Terror

Toms River unveils elaborate monument to veterans
Asbury Park Press
Erik Larsen
Published June 26, 2017

“Over 16 million U.S. service members — 560,000 from New Jersey — answered the call to unconditionally defeat two of the most militarily powerful, hate-filled, racist and fanatical dictatorships the world has ever known,” Smith said.

TOMS RIVER - One hundred years to the day that the first U.S. troops arrived in France after America entered World War I, a monument was dedicated in town Monday honoring a century of service by the men and women who have served in uniform on behalf of the nation.

“Protectors of Freedom,” by local sculptor Brian Hanlon and funded through The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, features six service members representing conflicts from World War I to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Located in Bey Lea Park, the five statues (one includes two figures) depict a World War I “doughboy;” a poncho-clad soldier from the Korean War calling for support on a radio; a wounded World War II soldier being carried from the battlefield by his 21st century counterpart; and a Vietnam War infantryman escorting an Army nurse through hostile territory. Watch the video above to take a tour of the memorial.
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Vietnam Veteran Gets Final Wish, Motorcycle Escort While Still Alive to Enjoy It

Final wish: Vietnam vet granted motorcycle escort 
WLOX News 
By Michelle Masson 
June 26, 2017

HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -

A terminally ill Vietnam veteran received his final request Monday, as dozens of bikers from all over the Southeast escorted him to the Biloxi VA hospital from Gulfport Memorial.

Hancock County resident Teresa Ladner said she and her family have taken in Army veteran Martin deBie as their own for the past several years.

"He's just so happy that everybody came out for him and showed him he's not alone. I just need to let him know he's not forgotten. None of the veterans are. His family gave up on him, but we didn't," said Ladner.
Ladner said deBie went to the hospital for a broken hip a month ago, only to be diagnosed with cancer that had spread throughout his body.

He was being treated at Memorial Hospital Gulfport, but needed to be transferred to the Biloxi VA Hospital.

When deBie knew he'd be moving locations, he requested an escort from biker groups, like the Patriot Guard Riders, Bikers for Trump, and the Christian Motorcycle Association. Ladner helped make it happen.

"There's no words to describe it, but it's a wonderful experience," said deBie.
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