America Honors Heroic Men and Woman on Medal of Honor Day

Woman? Yes! Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Andrew Jackson.

MEDAL OF HONOR CONTROVERSY

In November 1865, having left government service for good, Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Andrew Johnson, even though she was a civilian who had never been a commissioned officer in military service.

That civilian status is why Walker's medal was rescinded in 1917, two years before she died -- along with 910 others. Walker refused to return the medal, though, and continued to wear it until she died two years later.

Sixty years after that, in 1977, President Jimmy Carter restored the honor in her name, thanks to efforts made by her family.

Commentary: Medal of Honor Day reminds us there’s a hero in everyone
Military Times
Ret. Army Maj. Drew Dix
March 24, 2018

Medal of Honor recipients Mike Fitzmaurice and Will Swenson, center, participate in a wreath-laying ceremony commemorating valor and sacrifice on National Medal of Honor Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on March 25. 2017. (Francis Chung/Defense Department)

On a hilltop in Arlington National Cemetery, servicemen from our nation’s wars, whose names we don’t know but whose service and sacrifice we will always remember, have found their final resting place in the Tomb of the Unknowns.

It’s fitting that these courageous Americans, who represent all who have worn the cloth of our great country, received our nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor. In addition to these unknown heroes, for many of us Medal of Honor recipients, and for many veterans, Arlington National Cemetery evokes specific memories of incredible people we served with and long-ago battles we fought.

There are 71 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, and this week, 31 of my brothers are in our nation’s capital to commemorate National Medal of Honor Day, which falls every year on March 25. While they lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and render salutes as a lone bugler plays “Taps,” all of us, no matter where we are, will be paying our respects to the men and women who have served our great nation in uniform.

To a man, the privilege and burden of wearing the Medal of Honor is our opportunity to represent the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who have served, fought, and in some cases sacrificed their lives to preserve America’s liberty. All 71 of us have witnessed firsthand the ravages of the battlefield.
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What is wrong does not mean you are not strong!

PTSD: What is wrong does not mean you are not strong!
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
March 25, 2018

My buddy Murray is one hell of a strong dog. He is as tough as they come and not much bothers him. (Well, aside from a couple of TV commercials making him freak out, or anyone near our house.) He loves people (as long as he is outside with them.)

We have a routine when I get home from work. I dump my purse and shoes just inside of the bedroom doorway and jumps on the sofa for his petting. First behind the ears and then he'll roll over for a belly rub. Wednesday when I rubbed behind his ears, he winced. Trying to figure out what was wrong, I did it again, and that time he almost cried.

I took him to the Vets and sure enough, he has a massive double ear infection. It must have been there for a while as his body was trying to fight it off.  

The fact he has an infection, does not mean he is any less strong, or brave. It means something hit him and tried to defeat him. With the right medicine and treatment, he'll be fine soon.

So will you! PTSD hit you! It does not mean you are not brave, or strong, or any less resilient than before. It means all the stuff you went through, your whole body was trying to fight off. There comes a time when it just can't fight anymore without help.

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Navy SEAL Cleared After "Witch Hunt"

Navy SEAL acquitted in rape case
San Diego Union Tribune
Carl Prine
March 24, 2018

Three months later, Navy officials charged Benevento, sparking calls from Waddington that the case against his client was a “witch hunt.”

Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL students participate in "Surf Passage" on Feb. 6 at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. (U.S. Navy)

A military jury on March 15 acquitted Navy Lt. Joseph “Joey” Benevento in two rape cases. The Navy SEAL had faced six specifications of rape tied to two separate charges involving civilian women.

Benevento’s defense attorney complains that a senior military prosecutor in the case was unprofessional.

A military jury has acquitted a commissioned SEAL officer in a rape case his defense team called a “witch hunt.”

During his March 15 court-martial trial, Navy Lt. Joseph “Joey” Benevento, 33, faced six specifications of sexual misconduct tied to two civilian women during a pair of separate incidents that allegedly occurred in 2015 and 2016.
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Aberdeen Proving Ground soldier dead after standoff

Soldier Dead After Barricade Situation At Aberdeen Proving Ground
Associated Press
CBS Baltimore
March 23, 2018

The soldier’s name is being withheld until next of kin has been notified. The soldier was assigned to the Kirk U.S. Army Health Clinic.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (WJZ/AP) — Army officials say an incident involving a soldier who barricaded himself inside a home on a U.S. Army installation ended after a 17-hour standoff.

Aberdeen Proving Ground spokesman David Patterson says the man was alone in the home when a concerned relative called Thursday morning saying he’d locked himself inside. In a statement Friday afternoon, the installation stated emergency responders found the soldier dead inside the home early Friday morning.
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Fort Campbell Soldier AWOL After Hazing

Maine man charged with military desertion was hazed by team leader, father says
MORNING SENTINEL
BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
March 23, 2018

Anthony Seeley of Farmington says his son Austin and a fellow recruit were driven to leave their base in Kentucky after being put in dangerous situations by their team leader.

Austin Seeley, 19, of Farmington, third from the right in this group shot, left his Army post at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was advised by his father to turn himself in to the Franklin County sheriff. Anthony Seeley, Austin's father, a combat veteran, said his son has been hazed and put in unnecessarily dangerous situations by his team leader. Contributed photo

The Farmington soldier who was charged with desertion was being hazed and put in dangerous situations by his team leader when he left his base without permission, his father said.

Pvt. Austin Seeley, 19, and his friend, Noah Fisher, 18, of Boise, Idaho, whose rank was unavailable but who also is enlisted in the Army, left their base, driving from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to Maine, and turned themselves in Monday at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office once the military issued a warrant for their arrests.

But that’s not the whole story, said Anthony Seeley, Austin’s father.

During an interview Thursday, Seeley said his son has undergone constant hazing – to the point of physical injury – from his unit’s team leader since he arrived at Fort Campbell in October.
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Heroic Iraq Veteran/Police Officer killed in France

French officer who swapped places with a hostage in terror attack dies
CNN
Nicole Chavez, associate writer CNN Digital
By Hilary Clarke and Nicole Chavez
March 24, 2018

Married with no children, Beltrame had served in the French military police and received a number of awards for bravery. He served in Iraq in 2005, and was given an award for bravery in 2007, Macron said. For four years, he was a commander in the Republican Guard, which provides security at the Élysée Palace, home of the French president.

(CNN)A police officer who swapped places with a female hostage during an attack by an ISIS supporter on a supermarket in southern France has died of his wounds, French authorities said.

Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, 45, was shot in the neck Friday after offering to take the place of a woman during a gunman's assault on the Super U supermarket in Trèbes.

Police found two unexploded homemade bombs, a 7.65 mm pistol and a hunting knife when they searched the market after the attack, a French judicial source told CNN.

The attacker, Radouane Lakdim, 26, a Moroccan-born French national, was a petty criminal already on the radar of French police for his links to radical Salafist networks, authorities said.
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Air Force veteran survived 16 years of service, but not Wednesday night

Man Killed In Owasso Officer-Involved Shooting 16-Year Veteran
News On 6
Brian Dorman
March 23, 2018

Duane served in the Air Force for 16 years, completing three tours overseas. Stephanie said those tours changed him.

OWASSO, Oklahoma - As the OSBI continues its investigation into a deadly officer-involved shooting in Owasso Wednesday night, the fiancée of the man killed is speaking out. Stephanie Perdew recounted what started out as a normal day and turned into one that changed her life forever.

"I think that maybe he went out there crying for help. I don't think he thought it was going to be over," said Perdew.

Police were called to Stephanie and Duane Preciado's house Wednesday night. Stephanie said Duane had been drinking and was depressed and called his best friend for help.

"His wife called to have a wellness check done. Duane didn't know the cops were coming. Of course, when you have PTSD it can be triggered at all times, when there's a big knock at the door," Perdew said.
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NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com |

Inspirational Hero Marine Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal

James C. Roberts wrote in The Washington Post about heroes who should be wearing the Medal of Honor around their necks.

The fact that not a single living Iraq War veteran has received the Medal of Honor is a serious injustice to the 1.5 million Americans who served in that conflict.

This story brought to mind the fact our National Media stations, calling their programs "news" need a refresher on what they used to find important enough to cover. 

The one group, who represent what can be achieved when people work together, are those who risk their lives side by side no matter what. Would be great if the news stations would remember that when all they want to cover is political divisions in this country.

When you read about Marine Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal, you'll wish you saw the report on your news station.

"Emblematic is the story of Marine Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal. On Nov. 13, 2004, then-1st Sgt. Kasal entered an enemy-occupied building in Fallujah, a death trap our troops had dubbed “Hell House,” to assist fellow Marines who were pinned down by a superior enemy force. Under withering fire, Kasal killed an insurgent immediately; then, while dragging a wounded Marine to safety, he was struck with seven rounds of small-arms fire. Severely wounded, Kasal used the few bandages he had to treat his injured comrade rather than himself."

A seriously injured 1st Sgt. Brad Kasal, center, is carried by fellow Marines from a house in Fallujah, Iraq. (Lucian Read)

"When the insurgents lobbed a grenade at them, Kasal rolled on top of the wounded Marine, absorbing the impact of the blast and suffering 43 shrapnel wounds. He refused to leave the house until all of the other Marines were safe. A photograph taken of Kasal staggering from the house, pistol in hand, supported by fellow Marines, his uniform soaked in blood, became an iconic image of the Iraq War." read more here

Mr. Roberts, thank you for telling this story. I saw this picture a long time ago and always wondered what happened to him.

Iraq veteran inspirational message after tornado

'I'm glad we...didn't die,' says Iraq vet who lost arm in Jacksonville tornado
ABC 33 40 News
by Andrew Donley and Emma Simmons

Lindsay has lost more than most, but he's already looking up, because he knows he still has something dear to his heart: his community.

Pictured: Paul Lindsay, Jacksonville storm survivor (right) and his car after the storm
(Courtesy of Rachel Boehnlein)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
"I love them all, I'm glad we all survived and didn't die," said Paul Lindsay, Jacksonville storm survivor.

Even so, Jacksonville residents' lives were spun into shambles, and it's one of the reasons Lindsay is speaking out.

"Jacksonville's messed up. I live there, I'm going to help my friends and community," said Lindsay.

While he can't physically help right now, he wanted to share his story to remind his community of the most important thing they all still have: their lives.

During Lindsay's two stints in Iraq, he suffered two brain injuries, PTSD, and has since developed a "real need" to help people.

"If someone's out there who needs my help, I can't just make that go away. I'll go and help that person, then I can go and fall asleep," said Lindsay.
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Judge gives Iraq veteran chance to heal PTSD

Getting rid of his demons
Leader Telegram
By Chris Vetter Leader-Telegram staff
March 23, 2018

Veteran gets mandatory sentence for 7th OWI, but judge seeks to expedite treatment

“We need to get rid of your demons — we need to get you to stop.”
Chippewa County Court. Judge Steve Gibbs

CHIPPEWA FALLS — A U.S. Army veteran who was convicted of his seventh drunken driving offense Friday will serve three years in prison, but his sentence will overlap with the final four months he has remaining on a prior conviction.

Seth A. Schussler, 35, of Wrightstown pleaded no contest in Chippewa County Court. Judge Steve Gibbs asked Schussler about his military service prior to sentencing. Schussler said he served two tours in Iraq. He has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. “I can’t imagine the horrors you saw over there,” Gibbs told Schussler. “I believe that’s affected your life. And I believe you have used alcohol as your way of coping. I wish there wasn’t a mandatory minimum (sentence) here because you’d be a perfect fit for veterans court.”

However, defense attorney Jessie Weber pointed out that Gibbs could make Schussler’s sentence concurrent with his present sentence for sixth-offense drunken driving from Marinette County, which occurred in July 2016. Weber said it will speed up the ability for Schussler to enter a treatment facility.

“I think Mr. Schussler will benefit from it,” Weber told Gibbs. “He’s been trying to gain treatment through the VA.”

Gibbs decided to follow that recommendation, which shortens Schussler’s sentence by about four months.
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FBI gets case of Iraq veteran being beaten by Deputies

St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith: Deputies accused of beating veteran followed protocol
The Advocate
BY SARA PAGONES AND KATIE MOORE
MAR 23, 2018

However, Cambre's complaint was turned over to the FBI this week, not by the Sheriff's Office, but by 22nd Judicial District Attorney Warren Montgomery following what he called a "preliminary investigation" by his office.

Army veteran Chris Cambre, who says he was beaten by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies during a welfare check in January, is shown the following day with a facial laceration. Photo provided by Chris Cambre

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith is defending the five deputies who are accused of beating a military veteran in January, saying that they followed protocol during the incident, including the agency's policy on use of force.

Chris Cambre, a 48-year-old Pearl River resident, said he was severely beaten, Tased and handcuffed by the deputies on the night of Jan. 21, when law enforcement officials came to check on him at his trailer.

Cambre, who is a veteran of the Iraq War, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and had posted on social media that he was struggling, prompting someone to call the police.

A report written by a Pearl River police officer who was on the scene corroborates Cambre's claim that he had behaved calmly and had showed the deputies that he was not armed when they arrived with their weapons drawn.

The officer and Cambre both say that he did not resist the deputies prior to the beating.
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Vietnam Veteran's prayer answered by Fort Polk after 53 years

Ft. Polk hospital helps Vietnam Vet correct military record
KALB News
By Lydia Magallanes
Mar 23, 2018

“All of the people that I’ve met in the week that I’ve been here have made me just feel wonderful,” he said. “It’s the answer to a 53-year prayer.”

Dr. Gregory Grant, chief of medical boards and Marisol Lopez, a physical evaluation board liaison officer are part of the team who helped answer that prayer. Both are inspired by Pillette's story of patience and faith.

FORT POLK, La. (KALB) - In 1965, Sgt. Kibbie Pillette, a combat medic with 5th Special Forces group was on a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam when he was shot in the back and mouth. He lost a third of his tongue and wasn't expected to be able to speak again. The only member of his platoon to survive, the Abbeville native would fight another battle once he got home: living with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I'd have nightmares, I’d have flashbacks I went through it all,” Pillette said. “Then getting over the morphine addiction was probably my toughest battle. Had my mother not been as strong as he was and the help I received from the VA, I don't know where I’d be now.”
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Veteran had to call 9-11 from VA emergency room to get help?

Veteran calls 911 from VA emergency room
ABC 25 News
March 22nd 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (KFOR/CNN) – A patient at the Oklahoma City, OK, Veterans Affairs hospital says she was so distraught from stomach pain that was going untreated, she called 911 from the emergency room.

Robin Harrison says she went to the VA for a routine appointment, but when she left, she started to feel debilitating stomach cramps.

“[They] literally doubled me over, and I fell on the ground,” Harrison said.

Her doctor sent her down to the ER, where Harrison listed her symptoms for a triage nurse.

“I told her I was in extreme pain, that it felt like I was having labor pains in my stomach,” Harrison said.

The veteran was told to wait, and while waiting, she lay down on a bench.

“I’m starting to cry and moan, and it’s like, ‘I can’t help it. This hurts so bad,’” Harrison said.

Harrison says after about two hours, the pain was too much to bear, so she started going up to the registrar’s desk and asking to be seen sooner. No one came.
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Nova Scotia Afghanistan veteran--died broken

Former soldier who died with woman in N.S. was 'broken' from PTSD: friend
The Canadian Press
by Michael Tutton
March 23, 2018

SPRINGHILL, N.S. — A former Canadian soldier returned from multiple tours in Afghanistan psychologically “broken” and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, friends and family said Friday after his body was found with the remains of a woman who had been living with him in a rural Nova Scotia home.

Marc J. Poulin is shown in a handout photo provided by his friend Jason Hill. A close friend of Poulin, a former soldier who died along with a woman living with him in rural Nova Scotia says he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after coming back from Afghanistan "broken."
THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Jason Hill

“...your demons were so loud that you couldn’t hear how much everyone was trying to help you and be there for you. I’m so sorry that you let them take over.” Kyle Taylor

Jason Hill of North Bay, Ont., said he grew up with Marc J. Poulin and that his childhood friend and former neighbour had told him after returning from three infantry tours in Afghanistan that he was traumatized by deaths and violence he witnessed overseas, which returned to him in nightmares.

Hill said the other person who died, Jennifer Lynne Semenec, was also from North Bay and had been living with Poulin for a relatively short period of time. He said they had moved to the Nova Scotia town together.

The RCMP said the bodies of the 42-year-old man and 45-year-old woman were recovered from the small house on a dead end street in Springhill following a “suspicious fire” at the residence Tuesday. Police have not released the causes of death, but say they are not looking for any suspects.

Hill said before Poulin served overseas he was constantly smiling and friendly, but by 2010 after his last tour of duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan, he was withdrawn and posted on social media about his trauma.

“He was openly sharing his struggles dealing with PTSD on Facebook and how the system wasn’t open to him,” recalled Hill, 42.

“We knew he came back broken.”
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The system failed Marine Michael Veillette

Suicidal Veteran Shot By Waterbury Police The Waterbury Observer
Story By John Murray
Thu, 03/22/2018

Released From Protective Custody Day Before Shooting

On three consecutive days a former United States Marine, Michael Veillette, went up to Holy Land USA to commit suicide, and each time his plan was foiled. 

The first attempt was thwarted by the compassion and love of a Marine Corps buddy, the second time he was arrested for carrying a pistol with an expired permit, and the third time he was shot in the hip by a Waterbury police officer and arrested again on a slew of charges. Inbetween the arrests Veillette was committed and evaluated at St. Mary’s Hospital, and released.

Tormented by PTSD from two tours of duty in Iraq, and depression, Veillette wanted out. He had intended to climb atop the hill at Holy Land USA and shoot himself at the base of the massive cross that overlooks Waterbury. This morning Veillette is in stable condition and will be arraigned at St. Mary's Hospital when the legal system delivers a judge, prosecutor, court reporter and public defender to conduct legal proceedings in his hospital room.

It didn't have to come to this. Veillette was in police and hospital custody on Tuesday night charged only with an expired pistol permit. Releasing a depressed suicidal veteran after three hours raises serious questions.

"The system failed Michael Veillette," said Brian Warren, a former U.S. Marine who served with Veillette in Iraq, and the man who talked his friend out of committing suicide Monday night. "Michael served his country with honor and needed help. He had tried to kill himself two days in a row. Why did the hospital release him with a serious mental health issue? He could have killed a cop. This was an epic mistake."read more here

This is pretty much how the rest of the press reported it.

State police: Waterbury police shoot armed man
FOX 61 News
BY BOBBY MARTINEZ AND JIM MCKEEVER
MARCH 21, 2018

WATERBURY — Connecticut State Police said they were called to the scene of an officer-involved shooting this afternoon.

State Police Troop A said they were alerted after Waterbury police shot an armed man around 4 p.m.

Waterbury Deputy Chief of Police Fred Spagnolo, said police came across a distraught individual carrying a shotgun at 60 Slocum Street near Holy Land in Waterbury. Spagnolo added that the man, Michael Veillette, 32, of Waterbury, was actively attempting to commit “suicide by cop.”
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Wounded warriors find healing the ancient way

It seems as if everyone has heard the term "Wounded Warrior."  

I've been using it since the early 80's because Native Americans have been using it long before I discovered the term while research PTSD. One of the reasons why I used Wounded Minds in the first PTSD video I did in 2006.

I didn't copyright it but they should have!

Veterans With PTSD Find Relief in Native American Rituals
Voice of America
Cecily Hilleary
March 22, 2018

Since ancient times, Native American and Alaskan Natives have held warriors in high esteem and have developed a wide variety of prayers, ceremonies and rituals to honor returning soldiers and ease them back into community life.

Sweat lodge constructed by veterans during a Veterans Community Response retreat, Flying B Ranch, Kamiah, Idaho. Courtesy: Michael Carroll.

WASHINGTON
“I wasn’t the kind of guy you’d want to meet in a dark alley.”

That’s how U.S. Army veteran Michael Carroll, 39, from Spokane, Wash., described himself after coming home in 2004 after serving 18 months in Iraq.

He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and given an honorable discharge.

“The transition from military to civilian life was definitely unpleasant,” he said. “I was extremely temperamental and hostile, and I lashed out a lot. Anything could trigger me — sounds to smells to seeing trash on the side of the road,” a reminder of explosive devices used against coalition forces in the Iraq war.

Over the next few years, he underwent the standard treatment for PTSD — psychotherapy and medication — which he said did him more harm than good.
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Driver dead: crashed Travis Air Force Base Gate

Driver dead after breaching gate at Travis Air Force Base
Air Force Times
By: Stephen Losey
March 22, 2018

Three C-17 Globemaster IIIs sit on the tarmac at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. A driver who breached the main gate at Travis and then crashed was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday evening.

(Louis Briscese/Air Force)

A driver who breached the main gate at Travis Air Force Base in California and then crashed was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday evening.

Travis officials said in a release posted online that there were no additional fatalities or injuries, and there are no current threats to the base or the community. The investigation is ongoing.

The base said that its first responders, including security forces, and emergency officials from nearby Fairfield responded after the driver “gained unauthorized access” to the main gate shortly before 7 p.m. The car crashed shortly afterward, Travis said.
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The Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Monument

Dedication ceremony set for monument honoring Vietnam helicopter pilots, crews
Military Times
By: Charlsy Panzino
March 21, 2018

The war was known as the “helicopter war” because the United States relied heavily on the aircraft to transport troops and provide close-air support.

Retired Lt. Col. Forrest “Frosty” Price, a Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association member, stands with the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Monument. (Courtesy photo)

Those who wish to honor the helicopter pilots and crew members killed in Vietnam can do so on April 18 at Arlington National Cemetery.

After four years, these service members will have their own monument at the Virginia cemetery.

The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association spearheaded the effort, working with Arlington National Cemetery and Congress to get the monument approved.

At first, the cemetery was hesitant because of the ever-shrinking space for grave sites, but supporters of the monument wrote to Congress and gained attention. Eventually, a compromise was made, and the cemetery approved the monument.

The Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Monument will be placed in Section 35 along Memorial Drive, not far from the Tomb of the Unknowns. It honors the nearly 5,000 helicopter pilots and crew members who were killed during the Vietnam War.
read more here

Veteran Suicides: Making money or making a difference?

Who are you really helping?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 21, 2018

There is a huge disconnect between the military/veteran communities and the communities where they call home.

The good news is civilians want to help. The bad news is they still don't know what is really helpful, instead of what is popular. In this case, the proof of what civilians don't know, is worse than nothing.

$125,000 rip off

The scheme involved collecting donations for two fraudulent organizations, the “Wounded Warrior Fund” and the “Wounded Warrior Foundation” – both plays on the legitimate Florida-based Wounded Warrior Project, according to the indictment, unsealed Friday.

The article on Stars and Stripes had this other detail,

The four are also accused of getting free hotel rooms, gift cards and restaurant meals, ostensibly for veterans’ families. They are charged with defrauding more than 1,000 victims over six years, the indictment said.“Everything they did was for personal use,” Richard Ferretti, special agent in charge of the Louisville field office of the Secret Service, told Stars and Stripes. “No veteran’s family that we found as of yet has benefited from the money solicited.” 

And there was this guy, reported by ABC 10 News 

MIAMI - A U.S. Marine who worked under former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado was arrested Wednesday after he and a friend were accused of stealing $300,000 of donated items meant to help military veterans in need.

And this one reported by Daytona Beach News Journal

An Ormond Beach man has been accused of running a sham veterans charity after investigators said he scammed several local businesses that had provided services for a benefit golf tournament headlined by a former NFL player. Christopher Blake, 46, faces a felony charge of organized scheme to defraud after he received donations and services under the guise of a charity called “Second Chance Veterans Foundation,” Volusia County sheriff’s detectives said.Blake held a late October golf tournament at DeBary Golf and Country Club where he brought in a friend, retired NFL football player Gerald Riggs, to be the star. But the golf course, a sign maker, a hotel and even Riggs were left empty-handed after Blake paid them with bad checks for their services or tried to skirt payment entirely, according to a charging affidavit. 

And then there are things like this reported by POLITICO

Veterans Charity Raises Millions to Help Those Who’ve Served. But Telemarketers Are Pocketing Most of It. Levite says he protested, but Hampton ignored him. He hired another telemarketer, Outreach Calling, to assist a related veterans nonprofit he runs out of the same office. This telemarketer — which the New York attorney general’s office says is run by a man they banned for life from fundraising in New York and remains under investigation — kept $9 out of every $10 raised.

This could go on and on, but you get the idea. Americans love our veterans but maybe we should love them a little less and stop long enough to check to see where the money is going before we donate. Are they really helping veterans or themselves?

After all, for all the money that went to people claiming to be helping veterans, had gone to groups actually making a difference, IT WOULD HAVE HELPED THE VETERANS NEEDING IT!

Veteran dead after standoff at Panera Bread

Gunman Dead As 5-Hour Standoff At Princeton Panera Bread Ends
The standoff lasted five hours on Tuesday afternoon. Schools were under shelter-in-place, and nearby buildings were evacuated.
Patch.com
By Anthony Bellano, Patch Staff
Mar 20, 2018

According to Planet Princeton, police reportedly found the gunman's car — a Ford Focus with Pennsylvania tags. Details about the car's location weren't immediately available. Sources told the website that the man was a veteran.

PRINCETON, NJ — A gunman is dead after a nearly 5-hour standoff at a Princeton Panera Bread Tuesday, ending an ordeal that led to evacuations at Princeton University and neighboring buildings as well as a shelter-in-place at nearby schools.

The state Attorney General's Office confirmed that the unidentified gunman was shot dead by police after hours of negotiations. The gunman has not been identified pending the notification of family members.

The Attorney General's Shooting Response Team is investigating the circumstances of the shooting.
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