Vietnam Veteran General Richard Cavazos Passed Away

Army's first Hispanic four-star general, Kingsville native dies
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Alexandria Rodriguez
October 30, 2017

The man who was raised by a cowhand on King Ranch and eventually became the United States Army's first Hispanic four-star general has died.

Richard Edward Cavazos, 88, died Sunday. He was living in the Army Residence Community in San Antonio. He is survived by his wife, Caroline, said Bill Fee, who served under Cavazos during the Vietnam War in 1967.

"The infantry men he led in Vietnam have been close to him ever since we got back from Vietnam, Fee said. "He's been a tremendous supporter of us ever since we got back. He's a remarkable gentleman."

The general also was the first Hispanic to attain the rank of brigadier general, according to biography.com. Cavazos spent most of his childhood on King Ranch with his father, a World World I veteran and foreman of the ranch's Santa Gertrudis division, the San Antonio Express-News reported in 2016.
read more here

Virginia Sailor and Pregnant Wife Ambushed and Shot

Navy sailor, pregnant wife shot while trying to buy phone using OfferUp

TRIBUNE
October 30, 2017

"When they pulled up, six individuals [came out] and then four others surrounded the car. There was one shooter and that one shooter is the one who approached the car and instantly started firing shots," the father said.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. -- A Navy sailor and his pregnant wife were in the hospital Monday after being shot multiple times while trying to buy a cellphone through an app used to buy and sell personal items called OfferUp.

The young couple, who didn't want WTKR to use their last name, were just starting their lives together.

Frederick joined the Navy in January at the top of his class and married his love, Emily. They were stationed in Virginia at the start of the summer.

On Saturday night, they were using the OfferUp app to buy a cellphone from an 18-year-old girl.
read more here

Retired Air Force Colonel Committed Suicide After Email?

Veteran's suicide at center of lawsuit against UC Davis
CBS News
October 31, 2017

"This man had served his country for 23 years on active duty, and he had a chest full of metals. I believe in his mind, and so does our expert, that he was immediately imagining what would happen to him in the Air Force." Annabelle Roberts

DAVIS, Calif. -- A lawsuit filed against University of California, Davis claims the school discriminated against a decorated Air Force veteran, which drove himself to commit suicide.

CBS Sacramento reports the incident happened back in October 2015, but new details are just being released.

After leaving the military, Col. Christopher de Los Santos took a job at UC Davis.

But three months later, trouble spiraled out of control quickly during a weekend retreat with co-workers. One witness claims it was more like a booze cruise, saying Santos was misbehaving.

The university launched an investigation into the alleged inappropriate behavior, and a day later, campus officials sent Santos an email placing him on leave.

Santos took his own life a few hours after receiving that email.
read more here

Details Left Out on Veterans Suicide Gossip

If you still want to talk about how many veterans you think are committing suicide day by day, consider the following. 

John Wooden

Overview of data for the years between 2001-2014

§ In 2014, there were 41,425 suicides among U.S. adults. Among all U.S. adult deaths from suicide, 18%(7,403) were identified as Veterans of U.S. military service. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults was 15.2 per 100,000. 

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults has increased by 23.0%. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among all Veterans was 35.3 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veterans has increased by 32.2%. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult males was 26.2 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult males has increased by 0.3%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran males was 37.0 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran males has increased by 30.5%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult females was 7.2 per 100,000. 

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult females has increased by 39.7%. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran females was 18.9 per 100,000. 

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran females has increased by 85.2%.

And to think this is after the Veterans Crisis Line did all this,

Since the establishment of the VCL through May 2016 the VCL:

o Has answered over 2.3 million calls, made over 289,000 chat connections, and over 55,000 texts; 

o Has initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in imminent suicidal crisis over 61,000 times; 

o Has provided over 376,000 referrals to a VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) thus ensuring Veterans are connected to local care;

And all the awareness groups have been doing a lot of talking but hardly any research. Including the fact that what they have been doing may have made them feel better about themselves, but did very little to get veterans to feel hope for their own lives. 

If you want to change the outcome, better start with with facts that got us to where we already are.

Family of Jason Simcakoski Gets Justice...Finally

Justice moved slowly. VA was found at fault back in 2015 after an investigation.

$2.3 million settlement filed in veteran's death at Tomah VA

WMTV NBC 15 News

October 28, 2017

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The government has reached a $2.3 million settlement with survivors of a Marine veteran who died of a drug overdose at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah.

Court papers filed Friday say about $1.65 million would go upfront to the widow and daughter of Jason Simcakoski, of Stevens Point, who was 35 when he died in 2014. 

Another $659,000 would go into annuities for them. The rest would go to attorney fees and expenses.

read more here

Veterans Court, Support and Encouragement

13 vets graduate from Indy Veterans Court

FOX 59

Randy Spieth

October 27, 2017

“I know I wouldn’t be here today if veterans court didn’t exist," Mills said while holding back tears. "I probably would be in jail, but they gave me hope.”

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  - A relatively new program recognized the work of 13 veterans Friday who have suffered because of their time in the military.

Veterans court allows service men and women to enroll in treatment, allowing them to stay out of jail and possibly see their criminal charges dropped.

Vets in the program were recognized for graduating with an hour-long ceremony at the Indiana World War Memorial auditorium.

The Indianapolis Veterans Court (IVC) celebrated its second anniversary of serving men and women. Including Friday's ceremony, 21 veterans have graduated from IVC.

“Our program is a treatment-oriented court," said Marion County Superior Court Judge David Certo, who also runs the IVC. "You go to treatment, the court helps support you and encourage you, and hold you accountable in doing that because you get better outcomes when you go consistently to treatment.”

The program is completed by veterans in phases, and can take 12 to 18 months overall. 
read more here

Parents Left Behind After Suicide Trained to Make a Difference

At first I was getting ready to slam this article as one more empty attempt to get attention. I am happy to admit I am glad I kept reading this article. 

It not only shows how a family left behind by suicide feels the need to help others, they actually invested the time and learned how to do it! Great story and great idea!

Nonprofits team up to help military families deal with suicide

Boston Herald
Marie Szaniszlo 
Saturday, October 28, 2017 

Melida and Carlos Arredondo received their training certification from the state in 2016 after Carlos’ 20-year-old son, Marine Lance Cpl. Alex Arredondo, was shot in the head by sniper fire in 2004 during his second deployment to Iraq. His 24-year-old brother, Brian, with whom he’d been close, hanged himself seven years later. The military’s casualty report explaining how Alex had been killed was found at his feet.

Needing Help for Combat PTSD But Won't Seek It?

Waiting For Help Without Asking?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 29, 2017

There is a huge difference between needing help and asking for it. My Mom was a great example of that. She was a proud woman, used to taking care of herself until she reached her 70's. 

After that, the usual argument was about what she needed her "kids" to do but we didn't guess she needed it. Yes, that twisted up. She figured since we knew her all our lives, we should just know what she needed and she shouldn't have to ask for it.

When we know someone needs help, it is never easy to guess what it is they need and even harder to figure out what they want from others.

Pride often gets in the way but then there is something else trapping people from help. They see others getting help while no one is helping them. The question is, if they do not ask for help they need, how can they receive it?

Pool of Bethesda

Jesus Heals a Man at a Pool (John 5)
5 Later Jesus went to Jerusalem for a special feast. 

2 In Jerusalem there is a pool with five covered porches, which is called Bethesda in the Hebrew language. This pool is near the Sheep Gate.  

3 Many sick people were lying on the porches beside the pool. Some were blind, some were crippled, and some were paralyzed, and they waited for the water to move.  

4 Sometimes an angel of the Lord came down to the pool and stirred up the water. After the angel did this, the first person to go into the pool was healed from any sickness he had. 

5 A man was lying there who had been sick for thirty-eight years.  

6 When Jesus saw the man and knew that he had been sick for such a long time, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be well?” 

7 The sick man answered, “Sir, there is no one to help me get into the pool when the water starts moving. While I am coming to the water, someone else always gets in before me.” 

8 Then Jesus said, “Stand up. Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was well; he picked up his mat and began to walk.

That story always gets to me. The first question I have is how the man got there in the first place? Someone must have brought him there. Why didn't they stay to make sure he got into the pool? After all, the first part of the help getting there was only part of what he needed. What about the other part?

Then I wonder if he ever asked anyone else to help him? Did he try to do it on his own? Did he watch as the others got help to get into the healing waters and simply sit there with the soul crushing feeling of not mattering as much as others?

It is also a great example of it never being too late to get help to heal!

Most of the phone calls and email requests for help, are from family members asking for help for their veteran. They want me to contact the veteran. I tried that many years ago and it failed. When they are not ready to ask for help, they are not ready to receive it. Sometimes it is pride. Sometimes it is because they do not think they deserve it. Most of the time it is because they do not understand what is going on inside of them.

If they think the wrong thing about PTSD, like it has more to do with being weak than the strength of their emotional core, they won't ask for help.

At that point, I'll do what I can for the family to understand it and give them enough knowledge to minimize turmoil in the home. Every now and then, the veteran ends up calling because he/she no longer feels it is their fault.

Too many veterans have no one to help them get to the healing they need because others get in the way. They tell them things that are simply not true. Then there is a lot of judgment going on much like what Jesus healed the man at the pool on the Sabbath. 

He got into trouble for doing it on that day when no one was supposed to work. I'd love to hear the explanation from the people working at the temple how it was ok for them but no one else. Still seems to me that Jesus was in fact doing more than they were with something that was actually on behalf of God and not raising funds for their pockets.

41 “I don’t need praise from people.  

42 But I know you—I know that you don’t have God’s love in you.  

43 I have come from my Father and speak for him, but you don’t accept me. But when another person comes, speaking only for himself, you will accept him.  

44 You try to get praise from each other, but you do not try to get the praise that comes from the only God.

If you need help, ask for it. If you do not get what you need, then ask someone else. Sooner or later you'll find the help that has been there all along just waiting for you to seek it.

Point Man International Ministries 
Hotline: 1-800-877-VETS (8387)

Retired Marine Killed While Barbecuing in Park

BSO: Man involved in I-95 crash fatally shot former Marine

7 News Miami

October 26, 2017

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities are investigating after, they said, a man shot a retired U.S. Marine who was a longtime friend in Pompano Beach before he was involved in a crash that shut down Interstate 95 for several hours, Thursday.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the victim was shot dead at a park near Northwest 15th Place and Third Avenue, at around 7:30 p.m.

“The victim was shot multiple times,” said BSO Spokesperson Joy Oglesby. “When he was found, he was pronounced dead on scene by Pompano Beach Fire Rescue.”

Neighbors said the victim, 46-year-old Trevor Mitchell, was shot while barbecuing for a family in mourning.

read more here

"Forever War" is Getting the Press to Tell The Whole Story

Lesson to learn about trusting a news report.

"Forever war" as was used in the title is actually what veterans fight when they come home. The battle against PTSD does not end.

The 1.7 million former service members who live in Texas make up the country’s second-largest veterans population after California and 6 percent of the state’s population. The 554 veterans who took their own lives in 2014 accounted for 18 percent of the 3,127 suicides statewide. 

Veterans age 18 to 34 in Texas died by suicide at a rate one-third higher than those age 35 to 54 and twice that of former service members age 55 to 74. The total of 112 suicides in the youngest age category compared to 81 in California, where the veterans population approaches 2 million.

California doesn't know how many veterans committed suicide and just past legislation to put military service on death certificates. 

“The rates of PTSD and other conditions go up every time you deploy,” said Ely, a former Marine. “And when you come back home, all the things that you relied on to keep you alive — hypervigilance, intensity, adrenaline, not sleeping — are all the things that make readjusting harder.”

That is right and it was known back in 2006 when the Army released their report but every branch did it anyway.

The other thing is that veterans are double the civilian rate of suicide. They seem to leave out a couple of facts on that one too. 

Most civilians are not "trained" in "prevention" but veterans were. 

Most civilians do not take jobs that could cost them their lives, but veterans did.

Most civilians do not value life so much they are willing to die to save someone else, but veterans were.