Community has birthday surprise for vet, 94 The Chronicle By Jennifer Bolton July 13, 2018
"He is 100 percent disabled from his war injuries," Summer Camp said. "The doctors at the VA hospital said dad has the worst case of (post-traumatic stress disorder) that they've ever seen."
A Dickinson woman who wanted her World War II veteran dad to have a special 94th birthday turned to a place some might think of as a risky platform for help — social media.
Summer Camp asked people on Facebook and Next Door to send messages to her father, Bob Camp to celebrate his birthday on July 8.
She was surprised at what happened. Despite rain and gloomy weather, scores of people showed up to cheer the frail but excited veteran.
A key participant was League City resident John Dawson, who decided that he and the surrounding community could do a little more than send notes.
Serving in the Army under Gen. George S. Patton, Bob Camp fought at the Battle of the Bulge. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. read more here
Firefighters save man having a heart attack and then finish his garden work The Independent Alina Polianskaya 3 days ago
Firefighters in Florida finished off laying the grass for a man who suffered a heart attack ( Melissa Ann Work/Facebook )
Firefighters in Florida helped save the life of a man who was having a heart attack – and then finished laying down grass sod in his garden so he did not get into trouble.
Gene Work had been installing the grass palettes in his garden, anxious to get it done quickly for fear of a fine from the homeowners association, when his heart attack began, according to his wife who shared the story on Facebook.
“Before he knows it, seven firefighters and EMT's jumped out, put on gloves and said they came back because they knew Gene was in serious trouble and they wanted to lay the new sod so it didn't die. They knew he wouldn't be able to do any work for weeks so they came back.” read more here
Florida firefighter falls out of truck on way to call By Associated Press July 12, 2018
Steven Dowd, 46, airlifted to hospital
TAMPA, Fla. - A Florida firefighter is recovering from serious injuries after falling out of a fire truck on the way to a call.
Hillsborough sheriff's officials said Steven Dowd, 46, was riding in the passenger seat of the truck as it left the station Tuesday. read more here
2 VA Employees Charged With Stealing Gov. Money for Spending Spree NBC 7 News San Diego By Bridget Naso Jul 11, 2018
"VASDHS leadership has been cooperating with the Office of Inspector General on this investigation since 2013. Now that the investigation is complete, we are pursuing appropriate personnel actions.
Two San Diego Veterans Administration employees have been charged in federal court for using government money to buy luxury items for themselves, others and to sell online.
The spending spree started in 2013, according to court documents. Some of the items included large screen televisions, home theater systems, computers and sporting goods.
Nicholas Pilchak, assistant U.S. attorney said, “The indictment alleges over $23,000 in specific property that Mr. Soleimani misappropriated.”
Shawn Soleimani worked as a Social Service Assistant at the VA's Aspire Center. The Aspire Center is run by the San Diego VA Medical Center. It is a shelter with services for homeless veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. read more here
BAKERSFIELD, CA - It was a day of honor at Hillcrest Memorial Park, where Sergeant George Daniel Galvan was laid to rest Thursday morning.
Friends, family and community members celebrated the life of the 23-year-old Marine from Bakersfield. Galvan died from a car crash on June 30th, 2018 near Camp Pendleton where he was stationed. read more here and see video report
1st FDNY battalion chief to enter the north tower on 9/11 is retiring ABC News By ENJOLI FRANCIS, ERIC NOLL ESTHER CASTILLEJO Jul 11, 2018
"We looked at each other, wondering if we were both going to be OK. And then I gave him the same orders as the other officers," he said. "That was the last time I saw my brother Kevin."
Joe Pfeifer, right, is retiring from the New York Fire Department after 37 years of service.
After nearly 37 years on the job, Joe Pfeifer, the first battalion fire chief to enter the north tower on Sept. 11, 2001, will be retiring.
He told ABC News on Wednesday that Sept. 11, 2001, had started as a beautiful summer day. He was answering routine calls as a documentary crew followed along. He said they heard a plane noisily fly overhead. They then watched as it hit the World Trade Center.
"In that moment, I knew I was going to the largest incident of my life, the largest fire I've ever seen. And, I also knew that thousands of people were in need," Pfeifer told ABC News.
That summer day with its bright, blue skies quickly turned to darkness.
"Matter of fact, after the collapse, you couldn't even see a hand in front of your face," he said.
He was the first battalion fire chief to arrive and enter the north tower on Sept. 11. When he got there, he said, he heard there was a fire above the 78th floor so he ordered teams to go in and evacuate. One of those firefighters was his brother Lt. Kevin Pfeifer.
"We looked at each other, wondering if we were both going to be OK. And then I gave him the same orders as the other officers," he said. "That was the last time I saw my brother Kevin."
He said his brother's memory motivated him to continue. read more here
FORT STEWART, Ga. — Authorities are offering up to $20,000 in reward money for tips that help solve the slaying of a woman at a military base in Georgia.
Read more here Wife of deployed soldier found dead on Army post, suspect at large WSAV Darius Johnson Updated: Jul 12, 2018
FORT STEWART, Ga. (WSAV) -- A statewide manhunt underway after the wife of a deployed soldier was found dead inside her home on Fort Stewart in Georgia.
Fort Stewart Public Affairs officials say the woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was found dead inside her home on base Tuesday night.
This comes after military police were called that morning by one of her relatives to check on her. Her husband is currently deployed.
"It's hard to believe. And it makes you worry if there is going to be more incidents,” says long-time Hinesville resident Jodee Adams. “Is this an isolated situation. Were their children in the home. It's very concerning the fact that they don't know who it was and its at-large now. "
Many on the base of Fort Stewart were surprised to hear Special Agents with the U.S. Criminal Investigation Command were investigating a homicide on base.read more here
Pensacola man pleads guilty in VA theft case North West Florida Daily News By staff reports Posted Jul 11, 2018
Additionally, Kohl received health care treatment and benefits totaling more than $45,000, and he also was able to stay in a VA vision rehabilitation facility at a cost of more than $63,000, according to court records.
PENSACOLA — An elderly Pensacola man who fraudulently claimed to have served with the Marines in the Korean War has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds by filing false benefit claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Between February 2005 and February 2018, 83-year-old Richard E. Kohl received VA benefit payments and services totaling nearly $220,000, according to a news release from the office of Christopher P. Canova, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Documents introduced at the time of the guilty plea indicated that at some point prior to July 3, 1996, Kohl created and signed a fictitious Form DD-214, a certificate of release or discharge from military service. The faked DD-214 claimed that Kohl served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and was discharged on Dec. 20, 1961.
Kohl never served in any branch of the U.S. military, but used the falsified Form DD-214 as proof of military service to obtain veterans’ benefits he was not entitled to receive. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 19. read more here
WTF then what the hell is all of this about? Combat PTSD Wounded Times Kathie Costos July 11, 2018 For all the time we have spent "raising awareness" that veterans and the troops are committing suicide, the result of all the "effort" and funding, speeches and stunts, prove it has been a miserable failure. I've been tracking these reports for so long now, that it is hard to forget these men and women were never just numbers for someone to use, but people with families, friends and dedicated their lives to serving others. One of them has been on my mind a lot lately. His name was Joshua Omvig. He was the catalyst for the first Suicide Prevention Act. What would Joshua Omvig think of us now? After all, the suicide prevention act in his name was signed by President Bush back in 2007. Rep. Braley on Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
The House debates the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. The bill is named for an Iraq veteran who took his own life, and recognizes the special needs of veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide.
The bill follows hearings in the Oversight and Veterans Affairs committees seeking to address the tragic mental anguish experienced by many veterans, and is part of ongoing, comprehensive efforts by the new Congress to make veterans a top priority. Rep. Bruce Braley speaks in favor.
The response I get from people when I try to get them to stop using the number of "22 a day" is that they cannot defend themselves, so they snap back with "it's just a number" and it is important to get people aware veterans are committing suicide. One other statement that makes me clinch my fists is "it doesn't matter how many because one is too much." Just a number? It doesn't matter how many? Seriously? Then what the hell is all the awareness for? If people are that clueless, that heartless, that ignorant, then losing veterans like Joshua Omvig meant nothing at all to them. While the VA puts out extensive reports on the known suicides, reporters got lazy and grabbed a headline. They continue to use the number when all across the country they cover their feel good stories of groups pulling stunts to have fun while making people aware of a number. While we lost about 5 million veterans since 1999 due to age and other factors, the VA puts the "number" as exactly what it was back then. You know, back before all the awareness, bills, speeches, money, funding and everything else.
While the VA reports stopped at 2015 in the latest one, the DOD reports every Quarter. Those numbers should have stunned everyone, but no one is talking about them. The first quarter of 2018, 121 Active and Reserve and National Guards members committed suicide. It has been repeated every year since 2012 averaging 500 per year. Care to guess how many died in combat this year? According to ICasualties it is 14. But yet again, no one is talking about any of that. The thing is, no one wants to cover the bad results when they can cover stunts and smiling people having fun. Too bad though that they have not figured out their lack of attention has had such deadly results. Oh well, considering they people read about them as if they are nothing more than "an easy number to remember" they didn't matter anyway! Guess it has all been a oversight that Congress never really found what they were seeking. Anyone's guess why they stopped looking! WTF then what the hell is all of this about?
Federal special agent accused of conspiring with brother to steal $100,000 from VA 7 News Miami Brian Entin Daniel Cohen July 10, 2018
Barros was in the Marines and is a former VA police officer … until two weeks ago, when U.S. Marshals arrested him, he was a Health and Human Services special agent.
(WSVN) - A federal agent is accused of stealing money from the department where he used to work, and investigators say that money was supposed to be helping injured veterans. 7’s Brian Entin investigates.
Brian Entin: “Mr. Barros, is there anything you want to say to the veterans who say they needed that money?”
Adolfo Barros: “No, I don’t. Talk to my attorney.”
Adolfo Barros didn’t say much as he walked out of court. He’s accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Brian Entin: “The Feds say that you claimed you were injured, but that you weren’t, and that you scammed the system.” read more here Yes, older veterans and their caregivers cannot get help but this guy did!
