Canadian Widow Wins 9 Year Battle For Husband

Widow wins nine-year battle with Veterans Affairs over cancer coverage

The Chronicle Herald
Francis Campbell
November 3, 2018

“When he was diagnosed and we met with his oncologist for the first time, she asked was he exposed to chemicals. And we said, yes. He looked at me and he said, ‘Hon, the Persian Gulf War did this to me.’ He asked me to pursue it on his behalf and I did.”

Natasha Mohr stubbornly sticks to her promises.

Unfortunately, the Canadian Forces do not, she said.

“Sign on the dotted line, you’ll be taken care of,” Mohr, 49, said of commitments the Forces and the federal government make to military personnel. “And that is not so.”

Mohr said the broken promises to her Lower Sackville family began after Christmas Day, 2008, the morning her husband, Petty Officer Rick Mohr, passed away in her arms of brain cancer that was related to his 22-year naval career.

It took nine long years for Veterans Affairs Canada to begrudgingly agree that his death was service related.

Petty Officer Mohr had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour, just more than two months earlier.

“He was a brilliant naval communicator and even more so, he was a loving father and husband,” Natasha Mohr said.

Rick Mohr was only 42. His death crushed his wife and the couple’s son and daughter, both in their teens.
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Military repeats "One suicide too many" but won't change

Military repeats "One suicide too many" but won't change
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
October 23, 2012

34% let someone know they were in that much pain before committing suicide. General Cunniff also said that "peer to peer" is something they rely on. So who will ask why it is only 34% communicating anguish? Who will ask if the training the troops get on "resiliency" training, supposedly informing the troops on warning signs, worked, then why are the numbers all going up?

"General Cunniff said they rely on peer-to-peer involvement for evidence of mental or emotional anguish. Thirty-four percent of suicide victims communicated their intentions beforehand."

That's been my biggest issue with all of this. I've watched in horror as the reports come out providing evidence Suicide Prevention and Resiliency programs are not working. I never seem to read a reporter actually knowing enough to ask the questions that need to be addressed.

While it is clear they do care about the men and women in their command, they can only use what tools they are given and if they are told by military brass these steps are the answer, they trust them. They trust them because they are supposed to know what they are talking about. It isn't as if they can come up with their own programs and do their own thing. Or can they? We've seen it before when these programs were tweaked so they actually do work.

Taking On PTSD and Military Suicides
[AUDIO]
By Dino Flammia 2 hours ago

The Military and Veterans Affairs Committees from both houses of the state legislature joined for a hearing Monday in Lawrenceville, concerning the current status of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among New Jersey’s veterans and active armed forces.

The committees heard testimony from Adjutant General Michael Cunniff, head of the New Jersey National Guard, who said August nationwide numbers confirm nearly 140 suicides among active duty personnel and reserves so far this year.

“One suicide amongst the military is way too many,” Cunniff said.

Military suicides have become a too-common consequence of PTSD, along with depression, insomnia and substance abuse. State Senator James Beach, committee chairman, called PTSD an “epidemic facing those who serve our country.” He used Monday’s session to better understand the problem and possible ways to limit its effects.

“The one thing I see we need to improve upon is making sure that we notify all of our veterans of what it is that’s available to them; I think we have been a little lax in our outreach,” Beach said after the hearing.
read more here

By the time the end of this day comes, a soldier or a Marine would have reached the end of their life because hope of healing, of being helped has vanished. Maybe they will try one more time to talk to a friend hoping to hear that one word when they believe there is hope for them.

How can they find hope if everyone they talk to has the same misunderstanding of what PTSD is? How can they when everyone has the same idea that these servicemen and women are responsible for their own suffering because they didn't train to become "mentally tough" enough to endure?

That is the message "Resiliency" training delivers.


What they need to hear is:
We train you to fight any enemy and defeat them. You didn't know how to do it when you graduated high school. You had to learn how to use your weapons. You had to learn how to train your bodies. You had to learn how to follow orders. You had to learn how to work as a team. The concern you showed for your brothers in arms was something you didn't have to learn. That was already there inside of you. Now we have to teach you how to fight this new enemy and defeat it with the same determination to win.

You have to learn how to use the weapons to defeat it. You have to learn how to train your bodies to return to peaceful lives back home. You have to learn how to work as a team to support each other. You have to use that same concern for your brothers to make sure they are not taken away needlessly. You have to find that part of what's inside of you that allowed you to push past the pain in combat and fuel it. Your brothers are still in danger and they need you.

As surely as an IED took many by surprise, this enemy waits for them as well. You can't see it clearly. There are signs something is not right on the surface if you know what you're looking for. If you see the signs, the bomb is discovered before it goes off. It is rendered harmless and lives are saved. If you don't see the signs, then it goes off and many are dead.

New Little Rock VA Director shocked by conditions at VA Home

While this report is well written, it doesn't come close to what it actually looks like to the veterans living with all of this. I urge you to go to the link and watch the video for yourself.

Dilapidated Veterans Home Will Not Be Repaired
Aug 09, 2012
By Janelle Lilley
Reporter
KATV

"When I saw the plumbing I thought, my gosh how have we been able to function? How has it lasted as long as it has? You saw it and it's disgusting," said Veterans Affairs Director Cissy Rucker.

When Rucker came to the VA two months ago, she knew she had inherited problems, but even she was shocked at the extent.

White debris of toilet paper covers the floor of the boiler room, left over from the countless times sewage has overflowed. The 60-year-old plumbing is barely working and heating and air are in poor condition according to a building inspectors report.

"You know the people who live here deserve better, and if we can bring this to light and do something about it then it's worth it," said Rucker.

Mike Hampton of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association saw the problems for himself Tuesday while touring the facility.

"What it drives home to me is our government the legislators, the governor, people that actually control the money here haven't taken care of them," said Hampton.

There is no doubt that VA funds have been mismanaged in the past.
read more here

Oklahoma top Veterans Affairs officials out after investigations

Top veterans affairs officials out amid neglect, abuse investigations
By SHANNON MUCHMORE
World Staff Writer
Published: 7/31/2012

Frances Minter displays photos of her and her husband, Jay, who died in May after being scalded in a whirlpool bath at the Claremore Veterans Center. CORY YOUNG / Tulsa World

Nearly three months after an 85-year-old veteran died after being scalded in a whirlpool bath at the Claremore Veterans Center, the executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has retired and the administrator of the center abruptly resigned.

A veterans affairs official said executive director Martha Spears retired Friday, citing her husband's ongoing medical issues. Claremore Veterans Center administrator Cynthia Adams did not give a reason for her resignation, said Larry Jordan, administrative programs officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Claremore division.

Neither Adams nor Spears could be reached for comment.

The War Veterans Commission, which appoints the department's executive director and administers veterans programs in the state, has set an emergency meeting Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Family members of the man who died, Jay Minter, as well as family of others who have been at the Claremore facility say this is not the first instance of neglect or abuse at the center. A state legislator has created an interim study to review the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Minter's widow, Frances, said she wants people to know about what happened to her husband, whose death was first reported by The Journal Record.

"I'm hoping that through the death of my husband there will be some changes to the system and this never happens again to anybody," she said in an interview with the Tulsa World.
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Republicans let the veterans down and they noticed

This is a picture of Senator Jim Webb. He used to be a Republican but switched to the Democratic party. He is the one who started the new GI Bill that McCain not only refused to support, but voted against. Why? Because he said it was too generous. All this time we've heard about what a hero McCain is supposed to be, but here is something that not many talk about when it comes to a Vietnam Veteran who does in fact support the troops and the veterans. This is Jim Webb.

Military service
After graduating from Annapolis, Webb was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a first lieutenant during the Vietnam War he served as a platoon commander with Delta Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines. He earned a Navy Cross, the second highest decoration in the Navy and Marine Corps for heroism in Vietnam. Webb also earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts.


Webb received the Navy Cross for actions on July 10, 1969. The citation read:

“ The Navy Cross is presented to James H. Webb, Jr., First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company D, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 10 July 1969, while participating in a company-sized search and destroy operation deep in hostile territory, First Lieutenant Webb's platoon discovered a well-camouflaged bunker complex that appeared to be unoccupied. Deploying his men into defensive positions, First Lieutenant Webb was advancing to the first bunker when three enemy soldiers armed with hand grenades jumped out. Reacting instantly, he grabbed the closest man and, brandishing his .45 caliber pistol at the others, apprehended all three of the soldiers. Accompanied by one of his men, he then approached the second bunker and called for the enemy to surrender. When the hostile soldiers failed to answer him and threw a grenade that detonated dangerously close to him, First Lieutenant Webb detonated a claymore mine in the bunker aperture, accounting for two enemy casualties and disclosing the entrance to a tunnel. Despite the smoke and debris from the explosion and the possibility of enemy soldiers hiding in the tunnel, he then conducted a thorough search that yielded several items of equipment and numerous documents containing valuable intelligence data. Continuing the assault, he approached a third bunker and was preparing to fire into it when the enemy threw another grenade. Observing the grenade land dangerously close to his companion, First Lieutenant Webb simultaneously fired his weapon at the enemy, pushed the Marine away from the grenade, and shielded him from the explosion with his own body. Although sustaining painful fragmentation wounds from the explosion, he managed to throw a grenade into the aperture and completely destroy the remaining bunker. By his courage, aggressive leadership, and selfless devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Webb upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.[7]


James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is the junior Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy under President Ronald Reagan. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Webb served as a Marine Corps infantry officer until 1972, and is a highly decorated Vietnam War combat veteran. During his four years with the Reagan administration, Webb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, then as Secretary of the Navy.

Webb won the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Virginia Senate race by defeating Harris Miller in the primary, then won the general election by defeating the Republican incumbent George Allen. Webb's thin margin in the general election (less than 0.5%) kept the outcome uncertain for nearly two days after polls closed on November 7, 2006, and provided the final seat that tilted the Senate to Democratic control.

Jim is also an author of many books, stating that "I've written for a living all my life, so writing is as much a part of me as working out."[1]

In 2009, upon the planned retirement of John Warner, Webb will become Virginia's senior Senator.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb

Most of the fighting going on in Washington for the last couple of years, has been Democrats pushing for the veterans to be taken care of better than they had been. The difference is the GOP no longer controlled the committees. While they tried to make changes for the sake of the troops when the GOP had control, they beat down most of the things the Democrats wanted to do. These are not just my claims. If you look at the rankings the service organizations give to Republicans, you can see their failures in votes, but what you can't see is the words they used to defend their positions. CSPAN has been covering all of this for years now and has done a fantastic job of just showing who says what and when in real time. CSPAN has also covered hearings the Democrats were forced to hold away from the spotlight of the media in basement hearing rooms. If you really want to know, go to YouTube and see some of the hearings that have been uploaded and know for sure that what I'm saying is true.

I have friends and some family members who have always been Republicans. These are not some of the nuts you see on TV but they are stunned to find out how bad the GOP has been when it really comes to supporting the troops and the veterans. What ends up happening is they finally see that while the GOP has increased military spending, it has not been on the troops, but on the contractors who make a bundle off the Congress. The Democrats have been voting for things like body armor and uploaded Humvees, longer dwell time at home between deployments, better care on medical from the DOD and the VA along with everything else the troops need when they become veterans. The GOP has fought against all of it for the most part, but there are several in the GOP who have actually supported the troops and veterans when it mattered instead of paying lip service to their faces but voting against them behind their backs.

This is one thing McCain has been very successful with. Had he been good for veterans, the veterans groups would not have ranked him as terribly as they have. It's as simple as that. He can come up with any excuse he wants, just as they all can, but the record of what happened when the GOP controlled it all speaks for itself. They didn't care enough to act to fix it. Most of the major spending bills and changes in the DOD and VA medical, especially mental health and TBI research has come in the last two years. Gee what a surprise!

It's not that the problems just made it to the ears of the elected. We had a new elected in charge and they took control for the sake of those who serve. When it comes to who does what, it boils down to the GOP are about business and the Democrats are all about people. The troops noticed and more and more veterans are noticing that they have been voting against their best interests for far too long. kc

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation."

- George Washington

Veterans issues remain potent in congressional races
Minneapolis Star Tribune - Minneapolis,MN,USA

By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune
Last update: October 30, 2008


Everything may be overshadowed by the economy in this election, but veterans benefits and military policy can be deciding factors.

Several retired Marine Corps officers responded to the poll expressing anger at Republicans, the degree of their dissatisfaction surprising pollsters.

"If Republicans are going to have a core constituency, what is it if not that?" said Christopher Parker, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Washington, which conducted the poll. "The military is about good order and discipline and taking care of their own. Republicans are being seen as having failed miserably at all three."

When it comes to military donors, Iraq war critic Obama has held his own with the more hawkish McCain. Until August, Obama had received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contribution as McCain had, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. While Obama continued to lead in military donors with overseas addresses, McCain surged in the final months of the campaign to take the lead among military donors overall, fueled largely by employees of the Department of Defense.
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Orlando Sentinel editorial on new VA hospital

We think: Lawmakers need to follow through on new hospital for veterans
October 27, 2008
Because success has many fathers, as the saying goes, it's not surprising that almost every member of Congress who represents Central Florida is claiming credit for bringing a badly needed and long-awaited Veterans Affairs hospital to Orlando. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Friday for the $656 million medical center at Lake Nona.

This is one project lawmakers don't have to be embarrassed about. There are about 400,000 veterans in Central Florida. Orlando is the country's largest metropolitan region without a VA hospital. Area veterans and their leaders have spent years pushing for the facility. Some have died waiting.

go here for more
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed27308oct27,0,4794373.story

Veterans beware of McCain trick on how he treats you

This Halloween there is something veterans really need to fear and that is a McCain Palin administration. McCain claims to "care about veterans" and it's a claim he's gotten away with making for far too long with having nothing but the opposite to show for it. His record on votes against veterans is legendary. So much for this maverick who betrays his own. While McCain has received a free ride from the broadcast media, the print media has not forgotten his consistent lies about "supporting" veterans. Most Americans who do not read the congressional record of votes or the publications coming in from the DAV, the VFW, American Legion or go onto sites like Vote Vets and IAVA, are stunned when they discover how they have been mislead all these years and tricked into voting against their best interests by supporting people like McCain who do not support them. Military and veteran's families should have expected more out of one of our own.

When I began doing this work with veterans who have PTSD, I took an oath that no matter what party someone belongs to, I will go after them if they do not support veterans. Having the wrong people in office means that all the work I do will mean nothing if they are not one their end fighting just as hard for veterans and what they need. People like McCain are the reason so many are without the care and treatment they not only earned but deserved. What is most telling about McCain is that he can stand in front of the camera with tens of millions of Americans watching and lie without blinking. His claim of how much he supports veterans came out of his mouth as easily as he says the words "my friends" when addressing an audience.

They say that doing the right thing is doing it all the time when someone is watching as well as when they are not. As soon as the cameras are off McCain, when no voter hears his words, he votes against us. Again we are reminded of his attitude with the latest Palin spin.

Gov. Palin was asked a question by a voter about if she thought we should strike in Pakistan if there had been evidence of Al-Qaeda. She said she thought we should. McCain then went on TV with Palin at his side saying that it was a voter who shouted the question across the room and passed it off a "gotcha journalism" insulting all voters in the process. What was not mentioned was the fact that this implies McCain finds no problem with lying to voters. If he does in fact know that Palin agrees with him, then he's approving of this message of lying to voters.

While McCain took high profile positions on powerful committees, he did not serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Obama saw it as payback for his father, uncle and all veterans to serve on this committee and he's been fighting for veterans ever since. Most of the improvements happened in the last two years with the Democrats in leadership roles and Obama has been part of that. The following is a letter from Senator Obama. When you read it and you get angry that the letter didn't come from McCain, the man who says he supports the veterans, get angry enough to look up his voting record and understand that the way he treats veterans is no treat at all. kc

Senator Obama Seeks Critical VA Data on Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans to Improve Veteran Services

U.S. Senator Barack Obama


Sep 30, 2008

September 24, 2008, Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today sent the following letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake, requesting that he release critical information and data relating to veterans health care, disability claims and Vet Center activity. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, veterans have faced unique challenges as they return to their families and communities, including health-related needs as well as community readjustment concerns. It is essential for Congress to have as much information as possible in order to best determine the needs of community and veterans service organizations so it can better understand how to serve them. The National Academy of Sciences is also expected to begin a study, based on Obama legislation, to document the long term needs of these heroes and will require this information as well.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Peake:

I am writing to request your cooperation in providing the American people with some critical information regarding the needs of our Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans.

As you know, OIF and OEF veterans have faced unique needs as they return to their families and communities. Some of these needs are health-related, but other needs are related to community readjustment concerns. I am pleased that the National Academy of Sciences is expected to begin a study, based on my legislation, to document the longterm needs of these heroes. However, the VA can assist in our efforts to determine the needs of these veterans by sharing some critical information.

I am requesting the VA release, as soon as practicable, the following information:

1. The latest reports on healthcare use by the OIF and OEF veterans;

2. The latest reports on disability claims made by OIF and OEF veterans;

3. The latest reports on Vet Center activity by OIF and OEF veterans.

I appreciate your cooperation in providing this important information. With this information, the Congress can better determine the needs of this community and veterans service organizations can better understand how to best serve our most recent veterans.

I also want to commend your office on taking into account recommendations that Chairman Akaka, I and other Senators on the Veterans Affairs Committee submitted on the proposed regulations regarding rating disabilities for veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The recently released revised regulations are a significant improvement from the draft regulations and I am pleased they will provide for consideration of both the frequency and severity of disabilities. I also appreciate that the VA will notify veterans who were rated under the previous regulations that they have the opportunity for a re-evaluation under these new regulations. As you know, we must do all we can to ensure our nation's heroes receive the benefits and services they deserve. I hope all OIF and OEF veterans are afforded this notice. I also hope we can continue to work together to increase TBI research and care for mild-moderate TBI victims.

Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Barack Obama
United States Senator
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/11294

This is more on how veterans feel when they know the difference between who supports them and who does not.

Iraq Veterans Talk About Senator Obama at University of Wisconsin
Signe Brewster


The Badger Herald (Madison, Wisconsin)

Sep 30, 2008
September 30, 2008 - A panel of veterans spoke to University of Wisconsin community members Monday about their experiences at war and why they will support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the November election.

The panelists spoke about their time in Iraq and Afghanistan and how this influenced their choice to support the Illinois senator, citing what they called Obama's commitment to providing health care to veterans.

"We were called to duty and we answered that call," said Abbie Pickett, a veteran of the Iraq war and Desert Storm. "Now where is the support that we need? I came back to a brand-new, different world. Getting help wasn't as easy as I thought it would be."

Pickett sought out psychological care during her tour in Iraq, but said the disorganization of the system prevented her from getting the treatment she needed. She started to drink heavily and entered a "downward spiral."

According to Pickett, she eventually became an advocate for others in need of help and campaigning for Obama is an extension of it.

"I had to look beyond the war hero stories. I looked at the policies and the voting record, and time after time John McCain wasn't the answer," Pickett said. "He isn't the maverick he is made out to be."

go here for more

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/11290

VA bomb threat only "a joke" man said

Courthouse bomb threat suspect charged; capture took only an hour


By Matt Snyder
Herald Staff Writer

MERCER COUNTY —
Only 60 minutes after a Hermitage man allegedly phoned a bomb threat into Mercer County’s Veterans Affairs office, sheriff’s deputies had the courthouse evacuated and the man in custody, said Jeff Greenburg, county public information chief.


According to deputies, Ronald E. Garrett, 61, of 902 Biscayne Road, called the courthouse at 3 p.m. and confirmed with a secretary that he was speaking to the veterans affairs office. Sheriff’s deputies said he asked, “Is there a bomb in your building?”

Then Garrett hung up, deputies said.

Chief Deputy Gary Hartman tried calling the number back several times, receiving a garbled male voice, deputies said. Then, the 911 Center traced the number.

At 3:20 p.m., the courthouse was evacuated.

The 911 Center told sheriff’s deputies that Garrett owns the cell phone which was used to call the courthouse. They also said 911 was called 13 times in the past with the same phone, deputies said.

Deputies went to Garrett’s house. Meanwhile, Garrett also told a deputy who called him that he had a score to settle with the federal Veterans Administration office and that he was in the VA office’s parking lot in Hermitage. He mumbled something about a gun, deputies said.
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