Better Call Saul Actor Reveals He Cut Off His Own Arm, Lied About Being War Veteran to Land Roles
PEOPLE
ROBYN MERRETT
November 01, 2018
Better Call Saul actor Todd LaTourrette is coming clean about his acting career.
During a recent interview with KOB4, LaTourrette admitted to cutting off his right arm nearly 20 years ago while he was off medications that he claims treat his bipolar disorder.
“I severed my hand with a Skil saw,” LaTourrette explained to the outlet. “The state of mind was a psychotic episode.”
Following the near fatal incident, the actor revealed he began getting acting jobs as a war veteran after lying about being injured while serving overseas.
While the lie helped him land his 2018 role as Skell on Better Call Saul, as well parts on the TV shows Manhattan (2015), Longmire (2014), A Bird of the Air (2011) and The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009), it has also brought him a lot of guilt.
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Older generations of veterans and families finally matter...again
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 1, 2018
34 years ago, I made my husband a promise that I would always be there for him. It was not an easy promise to keep at times, but he is not just my husband. He is my best friend.
We have been through a lot since we met way back in 1982 and today, it is the first time I can honestly say, I feel as if all the struggles we have been through are finally recognized by the country. Why? Because I, and millions of other families members feel as if we matter...again.
For far too long, the motto of Vietnam Veterans about never leaving another generation behind, left them forgotten and abandoned.
They have been the majority of the known suicides. Too many did not know the majority of veterans we lost were over the age of 50. Yet it was the Vietnam Veterans who came back and fought for everything, as imperfect as the efforts still are, to begin.
As we saw younger families being granted this special recognition for what they sacrifice for their veterans, we knew what it was like for them.
While we were happy for them, we wondered why we did not matter when we dealt with the same lives for a lot longer. Now we do not have to feel unworthy anymore.
Just wish they had updated everything else before this release.
VA celebrates National Family Caregivers Month
Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is commemorating National Family Caregivers Month this November by honoring the service of 5.5 million family members and friends who have dedicated their lives to providing much-needed care for chronically ill, injured or disabled Veterans.
“Caregivers make tremendous sacrifices to address the daily needs of Veterans who served our nation,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “These mothers, wives, fathers, husbands and other loved ones deserve our recognition and support for all they do to care for Veterans.”
Caregivers provide a valuable service to Veterans by assisting them beyond the walls of VA medical facilities with much-needed support, such as accessing the health care system, providing emotional and physical support and enabling many injured Veterans to stay in their homes, rather than living their lives in an institutional setting.
The recent passage of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 will expand eligibility for VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to Veterans of all eras of service — fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to help Veterans and their families live healthy and fulfilling lives.
The expansion will occur in two phases, starting with eligible Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975, with further expansion to follow.
Currently, VA is developing an implementation plan for the MISSION Act and encourages all caregivers and Veterans to learn about the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, as well as the many additional resources already available to all caregivers by visiting http://www.caregiver.va.gov or by calling the Caregiver Support Line toll free at 855-260-3274.
This is what was in the original one to give you an idea,
Veteran Eligibility:
1.The Veteran incurred or aggravated a serious injury (including traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma, or other mental disorder) in the line of duty, on or after September 11, 2001.
2.Because of the qualifying serious injury, the Veteran requires another person (a Caregiver) to assist the
Veteran with the management of personal care functions required in everyday living.
3.The serious injury renders the Veteran in need of personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on a clinical determination that takes into account various factors.
4.It is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the Caregiver Support Program.
5.The Veteran will receive ongoing care from a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) or other VA health care team as a requirement for participation in the program.
6.The Veteran agrees to receive ongoing care at home after VA designates a Family Caregiver.
7.Personal care services that would be provided by the Caregiver will not simultaneously be provided through another individual or entity.
Caregiver Eligibility:
1.The Caregiver must be at least 18 years of age.
2.The Caregiver must be either:
a.The Veteran’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, step-family member, or extended family member; or
b.Someone who lives with the Veteran full time.
3.Prior to approval, the Caregiver will be provided with training and must be able to demonstrate the ability to assist the Veteran with personal care functions required in everyday living.
**There are additional criteria that must be met prior to approval.
The Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers
Family Caregivers provide crucial support in caring for our Nation’s Veterans by allowing them to stay in the homes and communities they defended, surrounded by the loved ones they fought for. Caregivers in a home environment can enhance the health and well-being of Veterans under VA care. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, as established in PL 111-163, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, has allowed VA to provide additional supports and services to Family Caregivers of eligible Veterans injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.
Application Details:
•Veterans may begin the application process by accessing the Caregiver Program application (VA Form 10 10CG) at www.caregiver.va.gov. The application enables Veterans to designate one primary Family Caregiver and up to two secondary Family Caregivers. Caregiver Support Coordinators are available at every VA Medical Center to assist Veterans and their Caregivers with the application process. Additional application assistance can be provided at 1-877-222-VETS (8387).
•If the Veteran is not currently enrolled in VA health care, both the VA Form 10-10 EZ for VA health services and the application for the Caregiver Program (VA Form 10-10CG) will need to be completed.
•The application must be completed and signed by both the Veteran or their legal representative and the primary Caregiver. The application can be hand carried to a Caregiver Support Coordinator at a local VA Medical Center (VAMC) for walk-in processing or it may be mailed to: Family Caregivers Program
Health Eligibility Center, 2957 Clairmont Road NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30329-1647
•Within three business days of receipt of the initial application, the Caregiver Support Coordinator at the Veteran’s preferred VA Medical Center will contact the Veteran and Family Caregiver applicant(s).
•A clinical team from VA will coordinate arrangements with the Veteran to complete a clinical eligibility assessment.
This will include evaluating what assistance the Veteran needs with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, grooming, and/or need for supervision or protection. In addition, the Caregiver(s) will complete an assessment to ensure the eligibility criteria are met.
•Training is completed by the Family Caregiver applicant(s) once it is determined the Veteran meets eligibility criteria. Training can be completed in one of three ways: classroom training; online; or by self-study using a workbook and DVD that will be mailed to the Family Caregiver(s).
•Once training is completed by the Family Caregiver applicant(s), a VA clinician will visit the Veteran’s home. The purpose of this home visit is to make sure that the Family Caregiver applicant(s) and Veteran have everything they need to be safe and successful in the home setting.
•After the home visit is completed, the Family Caregiver(s) will be approved by VA and a primary Family Caregiver will be designated by VA. The designated primary Family Caregiver will begin receiving a monthly stipend based on the Veteran’s level of need and required assistance. The primary Family Caregiver may also be eligible to receive medical care through CHAMPVA if the primary Family Caregiver is not entitled to care or services under a health-plan contract.
•There are many services specific to Caregivers of Veterans of all eras that are currently being offered by VA.
Contact your local VAMC Caregiver Support Coordinator or the Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 for
information on these and other Caregiver resources and services.
Lawyer uses military experience to destigmatize suicide and encourage camaraderie
Daily Campus
ALEXA VICKARYOUS
OCTOBER 30, 2018
A Dallas lawyer explored suicide prevention through the lens of a veteran and its importance in the law field in his lecture “Battling Suicides and Depression: How Lawyers Can Help Each Other.”
Twenty-nine students attended the lecture and heard how Brian Farlow’s 27 years of active and reserve military service was connected to his mental health as a lawyer.
“We are the most educated profession, with the possible exception of doctors, and yet we are struggling to maintain a decent mental health,” Farlow said. “We are struggling with suicides.”
According to a 2012 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lawyer occupation had the 11th highest suicide rate with 19 suicides per 100,000 professionals.
President of the Student Bar Association Brooke Adams, the SBA Mental Health Awareness Committee and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Stephen Yeager planned this event as part of Dedman Law Wellness Week which coincided with National Law Student Mental Health Day.
“As a law student, it is hard, and Brian Farlow talked about the pressure you are in,” Adams said. “Here you learn it is okay to take a knee. It is okay to not be the best.”
Farlow played a video called “Shoulder to Shoulder,” which told the story of a soldier who attempted suicide. A fellow soldier prevented the suicide when he noticed that after a divorce his friend was not playing his guitar very much or talking to many people. This soldier saved his friend’s life by noticing the red flags and by removing the firing pin from his gun.
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Veteran riding bicycle killed in hit-and-run crash in Katy
Click 2 Houston
By Brittany Taylor - Digital News Editor, Phil Archer - Reporter
October 30, 2018
Lavergne-Profit served in the U.S. Army as heavy equipment operator beginning in 2002, including a tour in Afghanistan. After she returned home she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
KATY, Texas - A troubled Army veteran was killed by a hit-and-run driver Monday night as she rode her bicycle on a poorly lit road in Katy. Now her family and police want answers.
The crash was reported at 11:50 p.m. in the 2300 block of Elrod Road.
Investigators said Tonashia Lavergne-Profit was riding a bicycle, which was not equipped with the required lighting, in the middle southbound lane when a dark-colored pickup truck struck her. The pickup fled the scene without calling for help, officials said.
Lavergne-Profit was found dead at the scene, officials said. Investigators believe Lavergne-Profit died instantly.
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Helping a Homeless Vet Drains Roxbury Social Services Account
Tap Into Roxbury
By FRED J. AUN
October 30, 2018
Roxbury Social Services can be reached at (973) 448-2026. Wald can be emailed at waldj@roxburynj.us. Donations can also be made through Friends of Roxbury Social Services.
ROXBURY, NJ – When Roxbury Social Services Director Janet Wald learned about the Vietnam veteran living in his car, Wald did what she usually does: Everything she could to help.
Her efforts aided the fellow, at least temporarily, but they also pretty much wiped out the money Social Services sets aside for temporary housing of the homeless.
The matter was raised by Roxbury Councilman Bob DeFillippo at a recent meeting of the Roxbury Mayor and Council. He asked Roxbury residents to donate some money to help replenish Wald’s temporary housing account.
“Social Services could really use some help, so I’m giving a shout-out to the community,” Defillippo said. “Janet could use some donations … to replenish that housing budget.”
Wald said she expended about $1,200 helping the man.
“This gentleman, a veteran, was also a New York City policeman and a 9/11 responder,” Wald said. “He ended up homeless. He was living out of his car.”
On top of that, the 69-year-old was suffering from a “pretty big hole” in his foot caused by an ulcer and was “going back and forth to a doctor,” according to Wald.
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Veteran police officer, UPMC chaplain among wounded in synagogue mass shooting
Pittsburg Post Gazette
Shelly Bradbury
October 28, 2018
Pittsburgh police officer Tim Matson is seen here after receiving an award at the 19th Annual Law Enforcement Agency Directors Awards Ceremony on Jan. 27, 2017. Officer Matson was one of four officers wounded in the Squirrel Hill synagogue mass shooting on Oct. 27, 2018.
A veteran Pittsburgh police officer known for keeping his cool under pressure and using humor to defuse tense situations was one of four officers wounded while responding to an active shooter Saturday at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.
Pittsburgh police Officer Timothy Matson cracked jokes in his hospital room Sunday, a day after he was shot multiple times and critically injured while confronting the shooter who killed 11 people.
“We were in his hospital room today, visiting, and as soon as we walk in he’s already cracking jokes,” Cmdr. Jason Lando said. “He’s in that situation, where his life is the one in danger, and everyone is so worried about him — but he’s cracking jokes and it makes everyone feel better.”
That’s just the type of guy he is, Cmdr. Lando said. Officer Matson joined the department in 2005 and was assigned to Zone 5. He has been a part of the city’s SWAT team since 2016.
“When bullets are flying and people’s lives are in danger, Tim Matson is the guy you want going through the door,” Cmdr. Lando said. “He’s the guy who goes in and calmly gets the job done.”
An online fundraising campaign for Officer Matson raised nearly $20,000 Sunday.
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Man who rescued toddler graduates Veterans Treatment Court
WLOS NBC 10 News
October 26, 2018
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) - A man who was hailed as a hero after rescuing a toddler in a crash celebrated a milestone on Friday.
Gage Hampton, an Afghanistan veteran who rescued a toddler from a wreck in May, graduated from Buncombe County's Veterans Treatment Court. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)
Back in May, Gage Hampton came to the rescue of a toddler who was trapped in a car that had crashed through a store window.
On Friday, he graduated from Buncombe County's Veterans Treatment Court. The Army veteran has overcome PTSD and been sober for nearly three years.
During Friday's ceremony, he was presented with a Quilt of Valor.
"All my support network is here. It's just a real blessing to have this ceremony and to graduate from veterans treatment court," Hampton said. "I got the feeling of redemption, you know, to be in this situation and it's just a blessing, it really is."
Hampton did combat duty in Afghanistan while he was in the Army. He said the experience taught him the meaning of self-sacrifice.
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VA prioritizing all pending Veterans benefits appeals claims for victims of hurricanes Florence and Michael
From the Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON — Veterans impacted by recent hurricanes Florence and Michael will now have their pending appeals claims for benefits prioritized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), department officials announced.
VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals has determined that the significant effects of hurricanes Florence and Michael were sufficient cause for the Board to advance the appeals for counties in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia determined to be disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Accelerating the decision process on pending appeals claims for those Veterans and their families affected by hurricanes Florence and Michael is the right thing to do,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.
By regulation, the Board may advance appeals on its docket by a motion of the chairman if sufficient cause is shown. All Veterans and other appellants with an appeal currently pending before the Board whose addresses of record are in one of the affected counties will have their appeal automatically advanced on the Board’s docket.
No action from Veterans or appellants are needed if their addresses are current. Visit the list of counties affected by hurricanes Florence and Michael at this link: https://www.bva.va.gov/.
The advancement on docket (AOD) for these two storms is expected to last for six months from the date of the events. Therefore, Florence counties will be AODed from Oct. 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019; and counties affected by Hurricane Michael will be AODed from Nov. 1, 2018, to April 30, 2019. The Board will reassess AOD for these two storms once the six-month periods end.
The Board’s mission is to conduct hearings and decide appeals in a timely manner. For more information about VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals, visit www.bva.va.gov/.
VA amends regulations on VA pension and other needs-based programs
From the Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently amended its regulations governing entitlements to VA pension and Parents’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, which are need-based programs.
“The amended regulations bring consistency to the pension process and ensure benefits are available for Veterans and survivors with financial need,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “They will help maintain the integrity of and provide clarity to our needs-based pension program.”
VA’s pension program provides monthly benefit payments to eligible wartime Veterans and their survivors with financial need.
The pension regulations, which were updated Oct. 18, cover the following:
Establish a clear net-worth limit for income and assets for Veterans to qualify for pension,
Establish a 36-month look-back period to review asset transfers at less than fair market value that reduce net worth and create pension entitlement,
Establish up to a five-year penalty period to be calculated based on the portion of the covered assets that would have made net worth excessive, and
Updates medical expense definitions for consistency with VA internal guidelines.
The changes are intended to ensure VA only pays benefits to those Veterans with a genuine need.
When Female Veterans Return Home
Marie Claire
Jim Rendon
October 29, 2018
While civilian and military men commit suicide at higher rates than their female counterparts, according to a 2016 VA report, in 2014, the difference between soldiers and civilians was greater for women in all age groups. For young women it is particularly alarming: In 2014, female veterans between 18 and 29 years old killed themselves at six times the rate of civilian women of the same age. Researchers don’t know exactly why so many female veterans are committing suicide, but they have found that survivors of military sexual trauma have a higher rate of suicide than others, and about 20 percent of female soldiers have been victims of such abuse, according to the VA. The study also found that female veterans were more likely than civilian women to kill themselves using a firearm—the most lethal method of suicide.
More than 380,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and about 1 in 5 of them return with post-traumatic stress disorder. One unorthodox veterans’ retreat is teaching female soldiers that war has not broken them. In fact, their anguish may be key to their transformation.
First Lieutenant Brie Zeiger tried to stifle her fear as the C-130 transport plane she was riding in began its descent toward Forward Operating Base Salerno in a hostile region of Afghanistan. The base was attacked so often that the soldiers nicknamed it “Rocket City.” Just three months earlier, in June 2012, insurgents had detonated a truck bomb and invaded the base, killing two Americans. As the plane approached the runway, Zeiger heard an odd sound, like pellets smacking a metal target at a fairground shooting game. This was normal, the crew told her, just incoming fire from the Taliban.
Zeiger, then 26, was a nurse in a small surgical unit there. At night, the faintest whir of helicopter blades would jolt her from bed; wounded were on the way. She loved the challenge of the work, the rush of making life-or-death decisions. “I felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do,” she says. But in time, she was numbed by the relentless stream of injured soldiers. One soldier arrived riddled with shrapnel from an improvised explosive device. The medical team tried to keep him alive by pumping air in and out of his lungs. Zeiger remembers looking into his eyes, digging through his bloody clothes to find his dog tags, then watching the 23-year-old pass away. “There is something about seeing a soldier die that changes you,” she says.
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