Iraq veteran committed suicide at VA, Mom picks up battle against PTSD

Mother works to breakdown stigma of PTSD
WDBR News
Posted: Jul 01, 2013

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- When Carol Cassedy wrapped her arms around her son in 2003 she hoped the worst was over.

"We really didn't notice a change in him mentally at that time," said Carol Cassedy.

Her son, Sean Cassedy, had been shot and crushed in combat in Baghdad. But little did anyone know for Sean the worst part of war was still to come.

"We began to see an evolution of his personality. He was becoming more withdrawn and paranoid. He would suffer from delusions," said Carol.

The Marine Corporal deployed to Iraq two more times, and by 2008 spoke to WDRB about digging out from the darkness.

"You'll lose family, friends and love ones by pushing them out of your life," Sean said.

Fast forward five years, on the day after Mother's Day 2013, Sean Cassedy drove himself to the VA hospital in Louisville and shot himself in the head.

"Oh, I couldn't believe it," Carol said. "I had just talked to my son that morning; he was fine. "He succumbed to PTSD. It is an extremely devilish thing to treat."

Now Carol has launched a new mission. She's speaking out about suicide prevention, and mental health services for veterans and even gained the backing of Kentucky's first lady.

"Between 18 and 25 veterans commit suicide everyday and that's frightening," said Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear.

Together, Carol and Jane are fighting the stigma that PTSD is a sign of weakness and promoting awareness for the services that are available.

"I hope this calls others to wake up," said Beshear.
read more here and watch video

WWII veteran's suicide leads to help for others

Local group wins $250,000 to build military retreat for veterans with PTSD
WDRB News
Posted: Jun 01, 2013

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A local non-profit organization has beat out other groups across the nation in the fight to win $250,000 for military families.

With a final push from veterans for votes in Home Depot's 'Aprons in Action' competition, the organization took home the grand prize.

For Troy Yocum, this moment, has been a long time in the making.

It started in 1981, when his grandfather, a World War II veteran suffering from PTSD, committed suicide.

"As a kid I didn't' understand it, until I went to Iraq myself and realized a lot of my friends and comrades were going through a lot of similar things," says Troy Yocum.

Yocum came home and set out on a mission across the country.

In 2011, we caught up with him as he was walking across the country to raise money for veterans in need.

From that came the non-profit Active Heroes, which has helped military families needing financial assistance, and home repairs.

But Yocum still dreamed of a place to help veterans like his grandfather, suffering from PTSD.

"My grandfather's suicide definitely touched me as a kid. I'm now 34 years old, and that dream of building a retreat has always been there," says Troy Yocum.

That dream, will now become a reality.
read more here

Afghan teenager fatally stabs US soldier

UDATE 6:40
Brother: Slain Fort Campbell soldier prepared for 'anything'
Apr. 1, 2013
Written by
BRETT BARROUQUERE, Associated Press
By KIM GAMEL,
Associated Press

FILE - In this March 28, 2013 file photo, U.S. Army and Air Force officers say a prayer beside the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. Michael Cable, 26, of Philpot, Ky., to a transfer vehicle at Dover Air Force Base, Del. An Afghan teenager killed Cable in eastern Afghanistan by stabbing him in the neck while he played with a group of local children, officials said Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) / AP

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Before leaving for Afghanistan, Army Sgt. Michael C. Cable quietly met with several family members and relayed to them the hazards of his upcoming deployment. The meetings were unusual because Cable didn’t talk much about what happened on his previous tour of duty in Iraq.

To Cable’s brother, 42-year-old Raymond Johnston of Owensboro, it now seems like the soldier had an idea he might not survive.

“After learning everything I’ve learned … Maybe he knew about what he was getting into and how dangerous it was,” Johnston said. “He was able to communicate to the family about if the worst was supposed to happen, what we were supposed to do.”

Cable, 26, of Philpot in western Kentucky, died March 24. The Army said he was attacked by enemy forces. Johnston told The Associated Press on Monday that someone sneaked up behind his brother and stabbed him in the neck while he worked guard duty in Shinwar, near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. read more here

Afghan teenager fatally stabs US soldier
By KIM GAMEL
The Associated Press
Published: April 1, 2013

KABUL -- Senior U.S. military officials say an Afghan teenager has killed an American soldier in eastern Afghanistan by stabbing him in the neck.

Two officials said Monday that Sgt. Michael Cable, 26, was guarding a meeting of Afghan and U.S. officials in Nangarhar province when the stabbing occurred.
read more here

Louisville police training to focus on veterans after Lt. Colonel abused

After confrontation with lieutenant-colonel, Louisville police training to focus on veterans
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
September 23, 2012

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fort Knox officials are meeting with Louisville police about training officers to deal with veterans who have traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder after a January confrontation where Lt. Col. Donald Settle claims police used excessive force against him.

The Courier-Journal reports (http://cjky.it/VsSo5K) Settle had gone to Mid-City Mall to buy a gift card. His clothes were dusty because he had been remodeling, and an officer mistook him for a homeless panhandler. It didn't help that Settle, who had recently moved to a home outside Elizabethtown, couldn't remember his address when asked by Officer Daniel English.

"He approached him and it went downhill from there," said Louisville Metro Police Lt. Col. Vince Robison. Robison said the officer reported that Settle seemed confused and upset that he was being stopped.

Fort Knox officials came to Louisville in July to meet with Robison and Police Chief Steve Conrad. They discussed concerns about how Settle was treated and general concerns about how police treat soldiers returning with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

The goal was to "ensure similar incidents are not handled in the same fashion," Robison said in an email.

The training will be mandatory beginning next year.
read more here

Lt. Colonel with brain injury tasered by police

VA Selects Site for the New Louisville Replacement Hospital

UPDATE This morning something crazy happened attached to this press release from the VA. I had two requests to remove them from my subscriber list but they were not my subscribers. The email attached to it was to the VA site. Not sure what is going on, if the VA press office was hacked or not, but I received another email stating they are working on the problem. If you get an email with this released attached to it, I suggest you do not click a link or do anything more than just delete it. I'll let you know if this gets cleared up.

Press Release

VA Selects Site for the New Louisville Replacement Hospital
WASHINGTON (June 29, 2012) - The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected a site to serve as the location of a 21st century medical center in Louisville, Ky., replacing an existing 60-year-old facility.

“This new hospital will provide state-of-the-art health care for the Veterans of Louisville and the surrounding 35-county region,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “At VA, we’re committed to upgrading our facilities, programs and technologies to ensure our patients receive the best care anywhere.”

The site for the new VA medical center is located in Jefferson County, adjacent to the Brownsboro Road and I-264 interchange. That location is close to the current Robley Rex VA Medical Center and the downtown University of Louisville Hospital.

Now that the site has been selected, VA will undertake master planning and design. The facility is expected to cost about $883 million and open in late 2017 or early 2018.

The new medical center will have 110 inpatient beds and clinics specializing in primary care, surgery, and mental health. The new facility will also have a geriatric and extended care program, a home-based primary care program, and a substance abuse residential rehabilitation treatment program.

VA operates one of the nation’s largest integrated health care systems in the country. With a health care budget of about $50 billion, VA expects to provide care to 6.3 million patients during 920,000 hospitalizations and nearly 90 million outpatient visits this year. VA’s health care network includes 152 major medical centers and more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics.

Last year, VA spent more than $1.9 billion on behalf of Kentucky’s 331,000 Veterans.

In addition to the Louisville facility, VA operates a two-campus medical center in Lexington, nearly two dozen community-based outpatient clinics across the state, Vet Centers in Louisville and Lexington, and seven national cemeteries.

National Convention of Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville

Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville

The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 10:09:19 EDT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Vietnam Veterans of America organization is holding its national convention this week in Louisville.

The organization says that more than 650 delegates from chapters across the nation will join hundreds of other Vietnam veterans and guests for the events.
read more here
Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville

Ky. killings come 3 years after father's suicide

Ky. killings come 3 years after father's suicide
By BRETT BARROUQUERE Associated Press Writer © 2008 The Associated Press
Oct. 7, 2008, 3:11PM
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A mother who police said stabbed her daughters before shooting herself had raised the children as a single mother after her husband hanged himself three years ago.

Hope Orwick, 35, attacked daughters Emily, 9, and Lindsey, 8, then shot herself in the head, said Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Bob Jones. A relative found their bodies Monday evening. Police had not determined a motive for the killings Tuesday.

The killings confused many in the neighborhood who saw her with the girls every day. A counselor at the girls' school, Wendy Anderson, described Hope Orwick as a volunteer and "just the mom you want supporting the school," and Emily as "the type of student you want 24 of."

She said the school staff saw Hope Orwick on Thursday, the last day of classes before the family was found dead.

"There were no signs. There was nothing that even looked odd," she said. "Any single mom keeping children on their own can be a handful."

Lindsey had a rare chromosome disorder known as cri du chat syndrome, so called because it is characterized at birth by a high-pitched cry that sounds like a cat's. The syndrome can cause developmental disabilities and trouble eating and speaking.
go here for more
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/6045048.html