Former motel to house homeless veterans in North Charleston Post and Courier By Warren L. Wise Jul 14, 2017
"We decided to redo the motel for vets because we wanted to give a little bit of something back to the men and women who served our country," said John Saukas, a partner in Ankajo Properties LLC, which has a 20-year lease on the site and is pumping $1.3 million into its renovation.
Patriot Villas, a new housing facility for homeless veterans in North Charleston, held its grand opening Friday in the former Catalina Inn on Rivers Avenue. Brad Nettles/Staff
An aging North Charleston motel will soon house some of the Charleston area's homeless veterans.
The former Catalina Inn on Rivers Avenue is being transformed into 74 studio apartments called Patriot Villas, set to open Aug. 1.
Lowcountry leaders and military officials formally launched the project Friday with remarks and a ribbon-cutting.
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No, Gunny, I have not lost my mind with the title. I really believe in the care hospice offers patients on the last part of their journey though their lives. It is really good to know that they do not have to stop medical care to be in this one.
Dying veterans boost participation in hospice care Reuters Ronnie Cohen July 14, 2017
By 2011, they found that 44 percent of veterans who died in hospitals took their last breaths in hospice beds, compared to 30 percent in 2008. By 2012, 71 percent of veterans dying of cancer were enrolled in hospice.
(Reuters Health) - An initiative to enroll dying veterans in hospice care appears to be working, and its success may offer clues for how to persuade others who are terminally ill to join the highly lauded end-of-life program, a new study shows.
After the U.S. Veterans Administration implemented its Comprehensive End of Life Care Initiative in 2009, growth of enrollment of terminally ill male war veterans in hospice care outstripped enrollment growth in hospice programs for elderly men who did not serve, according to the report in Health Affairs.
More veterans likely enrolled in hospice care because the initiative allowed them to continue to have curative treatments, said Joanne Spetz, a professor at the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. Other hospice programs require participants to cease disease-modifying treatment.
Spetz suspects that being able to use both hospice and concurrent care motivated people to sign up for hospice care "because it wasn’t an either/or decision,” she said in a phone interview. read more here
Friends, strangers mourn for the fallen 16 at the Freedom Fountain
Jacksonville Daily News By Amanda Thames Posted Jul 14, 2017
"But no matter how they leave this world, it’s the fact that a military man is no longer living that was the focus of those gathered Friday."
The only sound in the moment of silence was Jacksonville’s Freedom Fountain.
The fountain’s jets had been turned off -- all but one, the Freedom jet, in honor of 16 men.
The community gathered around the Fountain Friday for an observance to honor the seven raiders and nine reservists who died in an airplane crash this week.
Members of the community stood before the fountain holding photos of the 16 men, flipping a black-backed card up to show a photo of each of the men as their names and biographies were read over the speaker.
As the first name was read, Sydney Mayo and a friend held tissues to their faces, crumpled in their hands, as tears mixed with sweat on their faces.
It was a tragically true statement for two widows, Ami Little and Shari Chaney, whose husbands both died while serving. Sgt. James Little and Master Sgt. Ronald Chaney, both died of suicide after fighting a war against PTSD in the midst of fighting for their country, Chaney said. read more here
New Milford dedicates Vietnam Veterans Memorial Danbury News Times By Anna Quinn July 15, 2017
“It finally gives us some closure. It seems that our community and other communities are finally recognizing that we were soldiers and we did the job that we were required to do.” Bob Coppola
Martin Titus, of New Milford, wipes away a tear during the New Milford Veterans Committee dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, set on the Village Green, on Saturday morning, July 15, 2017, in New Milford, Conn. Titus served in the Army from 1969 to 1972
NEW MILFORD—When Bob Coppola returned from his two years serving in the Vietnam War, he tried not to talk about his time in the army. “I was very careful not to mention my experience, because it would have invoked debates that I didn’t feel I was part of,” he said. Coppola, a sergeant, said he left his teaching position in Massachusetts after being drafted because it was his duty as an American citizen. But when he and his fellow soldiers came home from the war, they felt far from honored. For him, and for the other nearly 100 veterans on the Village Green Saturday afternoon, the unveiling of New Milford’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial symbolized a long-awaited recognition for their service. read more here
Titusville Police Officers Collect Boots and Shoes For Homeless Veterans In Need By Space Coast Daily July 14, 2017
Titusville Police Officers collected gently worn boots and shoes and donated them to the National Veteran Homeless Support (NVHS) to distribute to local veterans in need. (TPD Image)
BREVARD COUNTY • TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA – Titusville Police Officers collected gently worn boots and shoes and donated them to the National Veteran Homeless Support (NVHS) to distribute to local veterans in need.
George Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of NVHS, accepted the boots on Friday July 14th 2017 at the Titusville Police Department.
The boot drive ran from June 1st 2017 to July 4th 2017 and drop off locations included the Titusville Police Department, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Barbara Pill Facility and all Titusville Fire Stations. read more here
Ok, I know the headline is a bit harsh, but that is the reality families like mine live with everyday. Call one of the newer charities and end up being told they are only interested in the OEF and OIF veterans. I am still waiting to find out who decided that our generation didn't need, or deserve any attention from them. After all, while veterans over the age of 50 are 65% of the veterans committing suicide, you'd think they'd care. But they don't. At least not until now and all I can say is GOD BLESS THE RED SOX for remembering the majority of veterans in this country are still waiting for help!
"Hammond and the Home Base Program he leads are working to change that. After eight years of treating Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for PTSD and other unseen injuries, the private partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital is poised to extend treatment to those who served in Vietnam and their families."
JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF
Jack Hammond, a retired Army brigadier general and Executive Director, Red Sox Foundation and MGH Home Base Program poses for a portrait at the Home Base clinic.
Veteran Suicides and Broken Links Combat PTSD Wounded Times Kathie Costos July 15, 2017 I get a lot of emails with "broken links" in the subject line. I stopped opening them because if there are broken links on this site, then it is up to the reader to track down where the link came from. There are almost 28,000 post put up over almost 10 years, so no, I'm not going to do the work for them to find the right link. The source of the article is always listed. If they cannot figure out how to find the source, then that is their problem. Apparently there are a lot of broken links in the news. Most of them originate when the source decides they just don't want to do the work. After all, it isn't as if a report on suicides is important enough to matter or merit true investigations. That just takes way too long and is very emotionally draining. Thirty-five years ago, there were plenty of legitimate excuses for us when I got into all of this. Most people didn't know what PTSD was. My Dad called it "shell shock" but that Korean War veteran couldn't explain it. My WWII veteran uncles couldn't either. My Dad told me to go to the library to figure out what he saw in my (then) Vietnam veteran boyfriend. Back then it wasn't about taking on a war I didn't fight in. It wasn't about setting off on journey that, apparently, became my life's work. It was about knowing what I was getting into with this man I fell in love with. I could have taken what I learned and settled for keeping it to myself but what started out as selfish reasons took on a life of its own. I knew all too well the heartache and loneliness that others were living with. I knew how hopeless it felt. Fast forward 33 years of marriage and 35 standing by his side, I can tell you first hand that none of this is new, although it may be news to you. Oh, don't get me wrong here. When I help a veteran, it is as if I am helping my husband when no one else did. When I help a family, it is as if I am helping myself when no one else would. For me, PTSD Awareness came with real questions that I invested a lot of time getting the answers to. It is the reason my husband is still here and we're still married. It is the reason why a lot of lives have been saved because of what I learned for the sake of the man I loved--and still do. For me, for all the families out there, we may be the subject of over 400,000 charities now but few of them actually get to the heart of the matter or attempt to make us believe we actually do matter. Ok, so now that you know I am in this with love as reason, and have had a successful marriage all this time, know one more thing. We lost my husband's nephew, also a Vietnam veteran, to suicide. Why? After all, I knew everything I needed to know to help him. What I didn't know was how to get him to listen. That is something that will haunt me until the day I die. It is more powerful than the lives I've saved. More haunting of my soul than all the wondering in the world of why after all these years, it is all still happening. Frankly, it pisses me off! There is a Mom here in Florida, going through the same hell. Wondering why she couldn't save her own son. A son she watched grow up and decide that he wanted to become a Marine so that he could save lives. After all, when they join the military, that is the goal. Sure we talk a crapload about "freedom" but never seem to follow that with what else would happen if this nation was invaded. It would mean a lot of destruction and death. It would mean major suffering from coast to coast. They join, willing to accept death for our sake and those they serve with. Now think about this. Those same men and women, willing to die because they value the lives of others more than for themselves, survive combat but cannot find what they need to save their own lives. Pretty disgusting isn't it now that you think know how many do it everyday, but then again, you don't know how long it has all been going on or the fact that we had better results when people were more interested in doing the actual work to change lives, than publicize the worst results of all. Next time someone asks you for a donation because they are raising awareness, ask them where they were when Joseph Rasor needed them to make him aware that he could heal and then actually do it. After that, ask then when they are planning on offering an apology to his Mom!
Target 8: Pinellas mother says Marine fell through cracks, took his own life News Channel 8
Steve Andrews Investigative Reporter
Published: July 14, 2017
“When I was with the sheriff’s office, I was part of the hostage negotiation team. I have a lot of training in suicide prevention and I couldn’t prevent my own son from taking his life. And that’s just a burden I’m going to have to carry in life.” Carol Rasor-Cordero
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Joseph Ryan Rasor was born and raised in Pinellas County.
Joe joined the Marines at age 18. He shipped out to war at 19.
“You can’t really plan for it,” said his mother Carol Rasor-Cordero.
During his six years in the Marines, Joe deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.
His mother noticed a slight change in Joe each time he returned home. Carol wondered about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
“I figured after three tours, there has to be something there, it wasn’t observable to me,” said Carol, a former Lieutenant with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Joe left the Marines in 2010. He finished up his degree and took graduate courses at the University of South Florida. read more here
Now you know that the military let him down, but didn't know it is actually the order the DOD received from Congress back in 2008. They were ordered to do pre and post deployment screenings. The DOD has been doing "resilience training" to "prevent" PTSD and suicides. The VA gets blamed for what the DOD failed to do. Congress, WTF is wrong with them? No one has been held accountable and then they pretend this is the all news to them.
The VA cannot talk to a family without the veteran's permission. Just like all other privacy laws, we have no right to know unless the veteran has given permission. Sure we want to help them, but as adults, it is their choice to accept all the help we can give or not. I got lucky, lots of times, when they accepted the help, but the suicide of my husband's nephew is the one that got away and I can never get over. To Carol, you have my heart. Please know that all too often, it isn't what we didn't know. It is what they will not hear.
Help through the storm: AMVETS assist Clinton family after loss of father, addition of children Clinton Herald By Jake Mosbach July 14, 2017
"The community support, the school support, has all been so great. To me, getting chosen to receive the donation was completely out of the blue, but all the support isn't out of the blue. The community has been amazing." Krista Fradette
Rachel Keathing Clinton Herald
CLINTON — In its time of need, a Clinton family is receiving a generous donation from Clinton AMVETS Post 28.
It was one year ago when Krista Fradette's husband, Bob, took his own life in the family's home after struggling with post-war, post-traumatic stress disorder. Krista was left to raise the couple's two children as a single mother. But this April, Krista's load would get even heavier.
It was then that she was contacted by Kentucky human services officials notifying her that she would be taking custody of her niece and nephew. Now taking care of four young children mostly on her own but with the help of friends and family, Krista and the Fradette family are receiving a donation of more than $3,000 from the AMVETS post.
Krista was surprised by the announcement, but certainly not surprised by the support she's received from area residents. read more here
ROK Mobile’s Co-Founder, Billionaire John Paul DeJoria, to give his Fortune Away to Homeless Veterans Through ROK Mobile’s ‘Veterans Helping Veterans’ program - #Vets2Vets
LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2017 -- ROK Mobile announced today the launch of the “Veterans Helping Veterans” (#Vets2Vets) initiative where ROK Mobile will be giving away mobile and telemedicine services to approx. 50,000 homeless veterans throughout the United States. The #Vets2Vets program, which has two phases, will start with the pilot launch donating FREE mobile service to the 1,200 homeless veterans within Greater Los Angeles in August 2017.
This comes on the heels of the release of billionaire John Paul DeJoria’s recent documentary “Good Fortune,” which chronicles John Paul DeJoria’s own journey from being a homeless veteran (twice) to the billionaire founder of Paul Mitchell Systems, Patrón Tequila and now ROK Mobile. John Paul DeJoria’s philanthropic dynamics drive his philosophy of doing good by giving away his fortune in ways that empower those who need it most. This has been the core of all his business endeavors.
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NOTE: If you don't understand something like this, then watch this video. It is about a homeless Vietnam veteran who wanted nothing more than some food to feed his cat. The pastor of a church took him in and so did the rest of the church. When I went to his funeral, I couldn't believe how many people were there for this very humble man. Well, I wrote about it and it turned out his son was a Marine serving in Iraq. He never knew what happened to his Dad, or that his Dad never gave up trying to find him. Sadly, he was in Iraq when he discovered his Dad died but then he met the church family and that his Dad died well loved.
Have you seen it? The story behind a patriotic truck rolling around North Texas WFFA ABC 8 News Hannah Davis July 13, 2017
It's hard to miss Everett Floyd especially when he's in his truck. The Vietnam veteran and his pickup have become local celebrities across North Texas. The F-150 is covered from top to bottom in medals, flags and military ornaments.
It's hard to miss Everett Floyd especially when he's in his truck. The F-150 is covered from top to bottom in medals, flags and military ornaments.
(Photo: Plano Health and Fitness, WFAA)
"They all have a meaning," Floyd said.
Floyd says hundreds of people have asked to take pictures over the years, but few ask the story behind the head-to-toe decorations. He says it's a symbol for the sacrifices all soldiers have made, but especially the men and women who served in Vietnam.
"Some mark the men who didn't come home," Floyd said.
Floyd served two tours in Vietnam in the Marines. He says he suffered from agent orange while there, and now has disabilities from his service. read more here
