Military amputees inspire through softball

Military amputees inspire through softball
BY MITCH STACY
Associated Press
Jan 19, 7:44 AM EST

PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) -- When a roadside bomb in Afghanistan shredded Marine Lance Cpl. Josh Wege's legs in 2009, the former high school baseball star wondered if he would even survive - let alone walk, run or play ball again.

But on a recent Saturday afternoon, a crowd at a Tampa-area stadium watched him drill a pitch from former U.S. Olympic softballer Jennie Finch over an outfielder's head and use his high-tech prosthetic legs to run out a triple - finishing with a belly-flop slide into third base. His Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team crushed an all-star squad that included former pro and college players 23-8.

Wege, 22, plays first base for the barnstorming bunch of Army and Marine combat veterans, most of whom rely on prosthetic limbs. Corporate sponsorships have allowed the team to travel around the country playing local teams for charity, amassing a 14-13 record going into a game Sunday against a team of first responders in Orange County, Calif. And their schedule is growing, with 75 games already booked for 2012.

All of the infielders are missing at least one of their legs. Two of the outfielders use those special carbon-fiber running legs, the ones that look like upside-down question marks, for speed. One outfielder is missing a hand, and the right-fielder plays without his entire left arm and shoulder.
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Homeless veteran Charles Lee Cummings was not alone

Homeless veteran gets final salute at Plant City funeral
By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 11, 2011

PLANT CITY - A homeless Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam era had no family or friends at his funeral service.

But in the end, Charles Lee Cummings was not alone.

The staff at Wells Memorial Funeral Home, veterans and others paid a final tribute Thursday to Cummings, who was 68 when he died at Community Care Center.

MacDill Air Force Base provided an honor guard; the Rev. Jim Brady, pastor at East Thonotosassa Baptist Church, delivered the eulogy.

"While one might state that Charles has no family here, I beg to differ," Brady said.

"The family of God is here today. And there are also representatives of Charles' military family. It is often said that a soldier never dies alone. For within his spirit is fixed the memory of times shared with those who, then and now, wear the same uniform as he once proudly wore."

The staff at Wells Memorial, led by Manager Verna McKelvin, made sure that Cummings did not die a forgotten man.

About 30 people – many of them veterans - attended the funeral service for Cummings, who was buried later that day in Bushnell's Florida National Cemetery.

Not much is known about Cummings, who died Dec. 9. He had no home address, and attempts to contact relatives by Wells employees and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office failed.

Cummings was born in Union City, Tenn., and served in the Air Force from 1960 to 1968. Through contacts with veterans agencies McKelvin was able to determine that Cummings was honorably discharged. This was enough to allow a military funeral and burial in a military cemetery.
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Homeless veteran gets final salute at Plant City funeral

More on forgotten veterans funerals

Homeless Vets on the Road to Proper Burials
Updated: Monday, 14 Feb 2011, 7:48 PM EST
Published : Monday, 14 Feb 2011, 7:48 PM EST

By BILL GALLAGHER
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com

ROCHESTER, Mich. (WJBK) - The remains of four homeless veterans were kept at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. No relatives had claimed the bodies.

Through the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Program, an effort began to have them buried at the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.

John Desmond, the manger of the Pixley Funeral Home in Rochester, offered to donate coffins and burial preparations. However, his efforts were initially thwarted because he didn't have the Social Security numbers of the homeless vets.

After our story aired, there was an uproar and outpouring of offers to help.
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Homeless Vets on the Road to Proper Burials

Respect and honor followed by ambivalence during soldier's funeral

Update
Deputy injured during funeral procession for soldier
By GEORGE H. NEWMAN The Tampa Tribune
A Hillsborough County motorcycle deputy, working in the procession escort for Sgt. David A. Croft Jr., was hit by a pickup truck that cut into the procession line, causing serious injury to the deputy.

The accident occurred near the tail end of the procession at Reynolds Street West and John Martin Street, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The deputy – identified as Daryl Bowden, 55, a 10-year veteran – was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the sheriff's office said.

The driver of the pickup – identified as Shannon Lima-Jones, 40, of Crystal Springs – received numerous citations: one charging her with failure to yield to a funeral procession, another with failure to yield the right of way and a third for having no insurance.

At about 3:25 p.m., Lima-Jones, who was at the wheel of a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck, darted out of the parking lot of a Dairy Queen and cut into the funeral procession line, the sheriff's office said. Once in the line, she decided to turn left to get out of the procession line, driving into the path of the motor unit accompanying the funeral procession, deputies said.
Deputy injured during funeral procession for soldier

It is heartening so many people showed up to honor Sgt. Croft Jr and his family. Reports of his arrival at McDill, followed by the procession to the funeral home and then a couple of hundred people showing up for the funeral itself is very touching. The Patriot Guard Riders along with members of the Nam Knights stood in honor of this brave fallen soldier. What came after showed that while, thank God, there are more people caring about our men and women in the military, there are a few with absolutely no regard for them or anyone else.

Emotional homecoming for Plant City soldier
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Sgt. David Croft, Jr. was supposed to be coming home from his deployment Thursday.

Instead, family and friends, now pay their respects.

A procession for the 22-year-old of Plant City traveled from MacDill Air Force Base to downtown Tampa and on to eastern Hillsborough County Wednesday.

Croft was killed earlier this month in Baghdad by a improvised explosive device.

His body was flown to MacDill Air Force Base early Wednesday morning.

Croft's older sister, Robin, an Air Force reservist, reminisced about her brother.

"I just want people to know that David was an awesome person, he had a great personality he enjoyed life, he lived his life to the fullest," she said.
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What a difference this is from what happened after

Woman hits deputy's car in Plant City funeral procession
By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jan 23, 2010 07:01 PM


PLANT CITY — A woman exiting a Plant City Dairy Queen cut through a soldier's funeral procession and struck a deputy's car, sending the deputy to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Saturday afternoon, Hillsborough County deputies assisted with the funeral procession of Sgt. David A. Croft Jr., who was killed in Iraq on Jan. 5 after insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

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Woman hits deputys car in Plant City funeral procession

Plant City FL mourning a proud soldier

Mourning a proud soldier

By DAVE NICHOLSON

dnicholson@tampatrib.com

Published: January 13, 2010

PLANT CITY - The nation's war on terror once again has hit home.

Army Spc. David A. Croft Jr. became the eighth local serviceman to die in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2004. A ninth Plant City area soldier was listed as a noncombat death in Kuwait.

Croft was killed Jan. 5, three days before his 23rd birthday. His death came a little more than two months after Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke of Plant City was killed in Afghanistan.

Croft, a Durant High School graduate on his second tour in Iraq, was scheduled to leave the war zone on Monday, Jan. 18.

He is survived by his mother, Vickie, three sisters and a brother.

His fiancee, Susie Clark of Brandon, said he was a brave, proud solider who liked serving his country. She said he seemed to blossom after joining the Army in 2005.
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Bystander dies in police shootout

Bystander dies in police shootout
Dec 5, 2008


PLANT CITY -- A civilian bystander died from a stray bullet this morning after a murder suspect stopped his vehicle amid a sheriff's pursuit and turned an assault weapon on veteran deputies, firing at least 17 rounds, the Sheriff's Office reported.

No deputies were wounded. The suspect got away.

Scores of law enforcement officers are sweeping Plant City today, going door to door seeking Fransisco Rangel, 25, of 4536 Golfwood Blvd. in Tampa, pictured.

Hillsborough Sheriff's Maj. Harold Winsett identified the shooting victim as Candelario Lagunes, 58, a passenger in a vehicle on J.L Redman Parkway.

It's unclear whether Lagunes was killed by Rangel's weapon or by the rounds returned by deputies, the Sheriff's Office said.
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Man dies after deputy Tasers him three times

Man dies after deputy Tasers him three times

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Published: Friday, September 12, 2008 at 2:11 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, September 12, 2008 at 2:13 p.m.
PLANT CITY -
A 46-year-old man died after a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputy stunned him three times with a Taser.

Roney Wilson's family called deputies to their Tampa-area home Thursday evening, saying Wilson was off his medication and behaving violently.
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