Now the news pays attention to scams using veterans?

From the Sacramento Bee

The charity’s promotions used urgent language, such as, “22 VETERANS WILL DIE EACH DAY UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING.” The number refers to Department of Veterans Affairs studies that estimate 20 to 22 veterans take their own lives every day.

“While donors dug deep into their pockets in response to pleas for assistance, Help the Vets paid its president, Neil G. Paulson, Sr. hundreds of thousands of dollars and spent more than 88 percent of every dollar donated from 2014 through 2016 ... paying for-profit fundraisers,” the injunction reads.

It looks like this has finally made national news but we're wondering why they have not bothered before the FTC decided that veterans deserved better than being used for someone else to make money off their suffering?

Here is what a Google search looks like now.

Tennessee officials and FTC to crack down on veterans charity scams
The Tennessean-7 hours ago

Bogus Veterans Charities Hit By New Federal/State Crackdown
Forbes-Jul 19, 2018

FTC cracks down on fake charities for veterans
CNN-Jul 19, 2018

Dozens of fake charities scammed donations for veterans then ...
In-Depth-USA TODAY-Jul 19, 2018

Operation Donate with Honor seeks to expose fraudulent fundraisers
In-Depth-Washington Times-20 hours ago

Florida-based veterans charity banned from soliciting in Minnesota

TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press-22 hours ago

The charity would say donations would go toward disabled and wounded veterans' medical care and solicited more than $370,000 in ...

Minnesota bans Florida veterans' charity that officials say deceived ...
Minneapolis Star Tribune-21 hours ago

Minnesota Bans Fraudulent Charity Aimed to Help Veterans
KAAL-20 hours ago

Paul Paulson, former Orlando mayor candidate, accused of 'sham ...
In-Depth-Orlando Sentinel-Jul 19, 2018

Two veterans charities sued for misleading Washington donors

KOMO News-22 hours ago

The state is suing two charities alleging they scammed donors, who were trying to help veterans, out of as much as $5 million in a two-year ...

Washington state AG sues two veteran-aid charities, alleges they ...
Seattle Times-20 hours ago

Washington joins national crackdown on veteran scams
The Spokesman-Review-Jul 19, 2018

Virginia AG Herring going after 'phony' veteran charities

WAVY-TV-18 hours ago

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) -- Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced he is taking action against charities he says conned Virginians ...

Virginia cracks down on allegedly deceptive veteran charities
FairfaxNews.com-Jul 19, 2018

Virginia Attorney General files legal action 'fake charities' that claimed ...
wtvr.com-21 hours ago

Attorney Gen. Madigan takes action against fake veteran charities

FOX Illinois-22 hours ago

CHICAGO, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Attorney General Lisa Madigan is cracking down on fake charities claiming to help veterans. Madigan is joining ...

Illinois Attorney General alleges charity claiming to help veterans was ...
Chicago Daily Herald-17 hours ago

BBB charity arm lists safe veteran's charities, warns of misleading ...

MyStateline.com-Jul 19, 2018

Below are the charity reports on the six veterans' charities referenced by the FTC and state officials. These charities did not disclose any of the ...

BBB Wise Giving Alliance urges public to investigate veterans' groups ...
TriStateHomepage.com-Jul 19, 2018

Virginia lawmaker files suit claiming two veteran charities are deceptive

wtkr.com-Jul 19, 2018

RICHMOND, Va. – Mark Herring, Virginia's Attorney General, announced Thursday morning that his office is suing two veterans charities that ...

AG Mark Herring Takes Action Against Deceptive Veterans Charities ...
Blue Virginia (press release) (blog)-Jul 19, 2018

Washington joins campaign to stop phony veteran's charities

KPUG 1170-5 hours ago

Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed two lawsuits against veteran charitiesThursday, including the Spanaway-based Fallen Hero Bracelets ...

Tulsa Man Faces 20 Felony Counts in Alleged Veterans Charity Fraud

Public Radio Tulsa-Jul 19, 2018

A Tulsa man accused of running a fake veteran's charity is in jail. Jeff McDougal, 43, faces 18 felony counts of obtaining property by false ...

Attorney general announces charges in fake veteran's charity case
Local Source-kjrh.com-22 hours ago

And that was just the first page of results.

Gun to head, Colonel better off not dead because of Dad

Colonel: I pointed the pistol at myself ... then my dad came into my head 
News Letter UK 
Philip Brandfield 
7/20/2018

"I thought – I can’t deal with this anymore. At that instant a picture of my father came into my head and he said something to me."
Colonel Philip Ingram

Col Philip Ingram from Co Tyrone, overcame post traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts

A former Army officer who is thought to be the most senior person in the forces to disclose his battle with post traumatic stress disorder, has assured sufferers that “there is hope” and that he has been able to get his “normal” personality back.

Fifty-three-year-old Colonel Philip Ingram, who is originally from Tyrone but now lives in Birmingham, was the most senior British Army intelligence officer in western Iraq in 2005 when a combination of pressures wore him down to crisis point.

Flying across the sector by Chinook on an advance reconnaissance mission, his helicopter was just coming in to land.

“Suddenly a cold shiver went down my back and I just had this feeling, I have to phone back to Basra to the guy I was taking over from,” he said.

He then considered what impact suicide might have on his soldiers who would find him, and put his pistol away. He was “only microseconds” away from taking his life.

read more here

Vietnam Veteran Adrian Cronauer Passed Away

'Good Morning, Vietnam' DJ and Air Force veteran Adrian Cronauer dies at 79
By STARS AND STRIPES
Published: July 19, 2018

“If I did half the things he did in that movie, I’d still be in Leavenworth and not England,” Cronauer told Stars and Stripes during a stop at RAF Mildenhall in 2004.

Adrian Cronauer is a U.S. Air Force veteran and radio personality whose experiences as a disc jockey during the Vietnam War inspired the 1987 Robin Williams film "Good Morning, Vietnam." Cronauer passed away on July 18, 2018. He was 79.

Many things in Robin Williams' portrayal of DJ Adrian Cronauer in "Good Morning, Vietnam" weren't really based on Cronauer. But that drawn-out "goooooood morning, Vietnam" was all Cronauer.

Cronauer, the Air Force veteran played by Robin Williams in the 1987 movie, died Wednesday. He was 79.

The 1987 movie, which Cronauer co-wrote, was loosely based on his life as an Armed Forces Network disc jockey for a year in Vietnam. But, as he said, it is a movie and Williams’ frenzied performance was not him.
read more here

Federal Trade Commission Operation Donate with Honor campaign

Yes! Yes! AND OH HELL YES!
If you are sick and tired of people making money off veterans, this will make you happy too!


FTC and States Combat Fraudulent Charities That Falsely Claim to Help Veterans and Servicemembers
Federal Trade Commission
July 19, 2018

The Federal Trade Commission, along with law enforcement officials and charity regulators from 70 offices in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam and Puerto Rico, announced more than 100 actions and a consumer education initiative in “Operation Donate with Honor,” a crackdown on fraudulent charities that con consumers by falsely promising their donations will help veterans and servicemembers.

“Americans are grateful for the sacrifices made by those who serve in the U.S. armed forces,” said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. “Sadly, some con artists prey on that gratitude, using lies and deception to line their own pockets. In the process, they harm not only well-meaning donors, but also the many legitimate charities that actually do great work on behalf of veterans and servicemembers.”

The FTC planned this ongoing effort with the National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO). The initiative includes an education campaign, in English and Spanish, to help consumers recognize charitable solicitation fraud and identify legitimate charities.

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said, “Time and again, state attorneys general have come together on matters of national importance to enforce, educate and advocate on behalf of our residents. Charities fraud of any kind is abhorrent, and veterans charities fraud is especially upsetting. This campaign will offer important resources to help donors identify charities that match their own values.”

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said, “While the enforcement actions announced today represent some truly bad actors in the charitable sector, the vast majority of charitable organizations do good and important work. I urge donors to use the resources highlighted in today’s announcement and to donate with confidence in support of our military and veterans.”

“Not only do fraudulent charities steal money from patriotic Americans, they also discourage contributors from donating to real Veterans’ charities,” said Peter O’Rourke, Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “The FTC’s Operation Donate with Honor campaign will help educate citizens on how to identify organizations that misrepresent themselves as legitimate veterans charities, and those who, by contrast, truly help our nation’s heroes. I commend the FTC and its state partners for taking strong action on this important issue.”
read more here

Minnesota bans Florida veterans charity that officials say deceived donors, didn't benefit veterans
Star Tribune
Kelly Smith
July 19,2018

It's part of a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent veterans charities.

According to Swanson’s office, Help the Vets, Inc., solicited more than $370,000 in donations from more than 2,000 Minnesotans, telling donors their money would go to veterans’ medical care, operate a suicide prevention program for veterans and offer assistance to veterans fighting cancer.

Instead, most of the program, run by its Orlando-based founder Neil Paulson, distributed hotel and chiropractic vouchers that it had already received for free and officials said the charity couldn’t substantiate that it helped a single veteran.

Minnesota and five other states are permanently banning a Florida charity that promised donations would help disabled and wounded military veterans but instead, officials say, went toward the charity’s president and for-profit telemarketers.

Attorney General Lori Swanson announced Thursday that she got a consent judgment banning Help the Vets, Inc., from soliciting in Minnesota along with action from the Federal Trade Commission and attorney generals from Florida, California, Maryland, Ohio and Oregon.
read more here

Veteran's Service Dog Wrigley Found Safe!

UPDATE: Service dog that went missing after veteran’s car was stolen found safely
WTTV 4 News
July 18, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A Marine veteran’s missing service dog was safely found on Wednesday.

IMPD asked the public to help find 2-year-old Wrigley on Tuesday after its owner’s vehicle was stolen on the south side of Indianapolis.

The vehicle was later recovered on the east side, but police say the dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, was not inside.
read more here

VA kicking out experienced staff for what?

How fast did the word "privatization" pop into your head?


Trump loyalists at VA shuffling, purging employees before new secretary takes over
Washington Post
By Lisa Rein
July 18 at 2:32 PM

Ahead of Robert Wilkie’s likely confirmation to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Trump loyalists at the agency are taking aggressive steps to purge or reassign staff perceived to be disloyal to President Trump and his agenda for veterans, according to multiple people familiar with the moves.

The transfers include more than a dozen career civil servants who have been moved from the leadership suite at VA headquarters and reassigned to lower-visibility roles. The employees served agency leaders, some dating back more than two decades, in crucial support roles that help a new secretary.

None say they were given reasons for their reassignments.

The moves are being carried out by a small cadre of political appointees led by Acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke who have consolidated power in the four months since they helped oust former Secretary David Shulkin.

read more here

Indie beat Coast Guard rescue for Navy Veteran

Navy vet survives 300-foot fall from Mount St. Helens
ABC 7 News
Tuesday, July 17, 2018

As a Navy vet, Fintel joked by saying, "Oh crap, I'm being saved by Coasties."

Brittany Fintel knows she cheated death after falling more than 300 feet while climbing Mount St. Helens.

The 32-year-old Omaha, Nebraska native and Navy veteran lost her footing while climbing the 8,663-foot volcano in Washington state.

"The first thing that hit the boulder was my hip," Fintel told KATU. "Then I flipped over that and hit my head, and then kept literally rolling down until I naturally stopped."

Fintel's German Shepherd, named Indie, was the first to reach her after the fall. She said Indie helped by laying beside her and comforting her.

A nurse and search and rescue volunteer who were nearby were able to radio for help. Five hours later, a Coast Guard helicopter arrived to airlift Fintel.
read more here

NBC Anchor says "in Nevada 20 veterans a day commit suicide"

Nevada VA takes new approach to combat rampant veteran suicides
NBC 3 News Las Vegas
by John Treanor
July 15th 2018

“A veteran can walk into our facilities and seen, and if they say ‘I’m in crisis,’ they can see someone that day,” said Dr. Komanduri.

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Suicide is still a serious problem plaguing our veterans. An average of 20 veterans take their own lives each day.

The alarming number of veteran suicides has been an ever-present shadow cast over our country. It’s a number that represents a sad fact in America.

read the rest here

The sad fact in America is reporters do not seem to care enough to learn anything about this!

What is really alarming is when a reporter says that the "20 a day" veterans committing suicide are from Nevada! "Believe it or not" he really did say that.
Here is the clip!

If he blames the teleprompter, then he should have known better!

Korean War Veteran losing sight, borrowed SWAT glasses

Police grant vet's wish to use night-vision goggles before going blind
FOX News
Caroline Judelson
July 17, 2018

An 88-year-old Florida veteran recently called his local police department with an unusual request.

Pembroke Pines PD
88-year old Navy Veteran Stanley Gold, who is 75% blind, reached out to our officers and asked if he could try their night vision equipment before he lost his vision completely. Last night members of our PPPD SWAT met with Mr. Gold to make his dream a reality.

Stanley Gold, who served in the Navy, wanted to know if he could use the Pembroke Pines Police Department's night-vision goggles before he completely loses his sight, Fox 13 reported.
read more here

Moody Air Force Base Master Sergeant Found Dead

Airman from Moody Air Force Base found dead in Missouri
ABC 27 News WTXL.com
Jul 15, 2018

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (WTXL) - An airman part of a unit connected to Moody Air Force Base was found dead in Missouri on Saturday.

Master Sergeant Brett Davidson, 37, was found in the water and pronounced dead at about 11:30 a.m. in Rocky Mount, Missouri on Saturday.

He was assigned to the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
read more here