Wounded by PTSD as Combat Medic, wounded again as firefighter, Ryan Mains fights so others can heal

Ryan Mains served others as an Army medic and a Woodstock firefighter. Now grappling with PTSD, he’s still trying to help.

Chicago Tribune
John Keilman
January 3, 2019

That grim statistic is serving as motivation for Mains. On May 30, he plans to run 1 km for every firefighter and paramedic who dies by suicide in 2019. So far, that distance works out to just over 77 miles — more than twice as far as he’s ever gone.

Ryan Mains, of Huntley, trains for an ultra-marathon in the woods of Veteran Acres Park on Dec. 11, 2019, in Crystal Lake. Mains will run more than 120 km next May, 1 km for each firefighter who committed suicide in 2019. Mains suffers from PTSD as as a result of his work as a combat medic in the armed forces as well as 14 years as a Woodstock paramedic/firefighter. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The morning sky was the color of lead, the air was barely above freezing and the only sound was the crunch of dead leaves as Ryan Mains began a 10-mile run through Crystal Lake’s Veteran Acres Park.

He has come here for years to build his stamina on the park’s steep hills, preparing for races that stretch well beyond a marathon. But he also treasures the stillness. When he runs, observed by a few placid deer and the occasional owl, the memories that trouble him vanish like mist.

They always come back, though. He can never run far enough to escape them completely.

Mains, 39, is a veteran of the Iraq war and a longtime Woodstock firefighter and paramedic who has been diagnosed with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms built slowly over years, ultimately becoming so pronounced that a few months ago Mains had to leave the job that he loved.

He’s now getting treatment while seeking worker’s compensation and a disability pension, but success is no sure thing: Unlike other states, Illinois does not treat PTSD as a “presumptive” condition, meaning firefighters must prove that their suffering is indeed the result of their work.
read it here

"Ultimate Tribute to The King" and disabled combat medic

Top Elvis impersonator coming to The Villages to raise money for disabled veteran’s new home

Villages News
By Larry D. Croom
August 13, 2019

Villagers for Veterans has worked tirelessly over the past couple of years to raise money to build the special house for Kelly, a 17-year Army veteran who was injured during a 2002 training accident while preparing to deploy to Iraq. Kelly’s spine was crushed when a cable snapped during a sling load operation. As a result of her injuries, the Army medic, who lives alone in the Tampa area, was permanently paralyzed and has very limited use of one arm.

Dwight Icenhower, who has made a full-time career as Elvis Presley impersonator, will perform his ‘Ultimate Tribute to The King’ show at the Savannah Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Villagers for Veterans is bringing a special performer to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown – one who strives to keep the memories of “The King of Rock and Roll” alive forever.

Dwight Icenhower, who has made a full-time career as Elvis Presley impersonator, will perform his “Ultimate Tribute to The King” show alongside his Blue Suede Band at the Savannah Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18. His appearance is a fundraiser being put on by the group to raise money for a smart home that’s being built for disabled Army veteran Sgt. Pam Kelly on the Historic Side of The Villages.
read it here

World War II veteran James Pepe, hero among us

Heroes Among Us: Navy Veteran James Pepe Helped Many Wounded Soldiers During World War II

CBS 4 News
By Marybel Rodriguez
July 12, 2019

U.S. Navy World War II veteran Jimmy Pepe was awarded the bronze star for his service. He was recently honored at a Florida Panthers game.

SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – Now to a weekly segment you will only see right here on CBS4.

Every Friday, in partnership with the Florida Panthers, we put the spotlight on a hero among us men or women who have gone beyond the call of duty for our country.

This week we’re meeting World War II veteran James Pepe.

James Pepe, who goes by Jimmy, served in the United States Navy as a pharmacist from 1943 to 1945. He enlisted and was part of the new Georgia-Rendova-Vanganu Campaign.

Pepe’s job was to take care of the wounded and although he says they were under very stressful conditions he did whatever he had to do save lives.
read it here

Alive Day 50 years later Vietnam Veteran met Medic

50 years later, Orlando Vietnam veteran meets medic who saved him: 'Thank you! Thank you!'

Orlando Sentinel
Kate Santich
March 15, 2019

“All this time, we were living just a couple of counties apart,” said Joyner, shaking his head at the man across the table. “All this time, I just wanted to thank him for saving my life.”

Longwood’s Dennis Joyner had to wait 50 years to thank the man who saved his life in Vietnam.

Joyner, now 70, was a 20-year-old infantryman with a wife and newborn son on June 26, 1969, when he tripped a landmine while on patrol. The explosion blew off one of his legs and shredded the other so badly it had to be amputated. It took off his left arm below the elbow.

He might easily have bled to death or died of shock or infection. But a young medic with a Tennessee accent sprinted to his side, helping to tie a series of tourniquets around his limbs, administering morphine and ferrying him to a medevac helicopter.

On Friday, at the Old Florida Grill and Oyster House near Cocoa, one of Dewey “Doc” Hayes’ favorite haunts, Joyner finally got the chance he’d wanted for half a century.

The words rushed out in a torrent.

“Thank you! Thank you!” he said, his body shaking with emotion as Hayes, now 70 too, embraced him.

“I’ve been trying to find you for so damn long,” Joyner said. “You been hiding?”

After five surgeries and five months in various hospitals, Joyner had gone back to college before working as a court administrator in Pennsylvania and as a volunteer for the Disabled American Veterans, the organization created by Congress to help wounded vets and their families. In 1977, he was named the nation's “Handicapped American of the Year,” and he served as national commander of the DAV in 1983 and ’84, work he continues to this day.
read more here

Medal of Honor recipient saved lives, now has GoFundMe for his family

UPDATE Ronald Shurer, Medal of Honor recipient who saved lives in Afghanistan, dies at 41

Former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, who received the Medal of Honor in 2018 for braving heavy gunfire to save lives in Afghanistan, has died of cancer. He was 41.

Miranda Shurer said her husband died Thursday in Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. She said he was diagnosed with cancer three years ago.
read it here on CBS News

Trump Awards Medal of Honor to His Own Secret Service Agent
Military.com
By Matthew Cox
1 Oct 2018

A decade later, Shurer is fighting another battle -- this time with stage 4 lung cancer. More than 500 people have joined his cause and are attempting to raise $100,000 for his family through a gofundme account.

President Donald Trump on Monday awarded the Medal of Honor to former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, a Secret Service agent who is now fighting a battle with cancer.

Associated Press

"Today is a truly proud and special day for those of us here in the White House because Ron works right here alongside of us on the Secret Service counter-assault team; these are incredible people," Trump told a crowded room filled with Shurer's family, fellow soldiers and Army senior leaders. The assault force encountered no enemy activity during the 1,000-foot climb to their objective, but as the lead element approached the target village, "roughly 200 well-trained and well-armed terrorists ambushed the American and Afghan forces," he said.

Shurer, the mission's only medic, immediately began treating wounded. He then sprinted and climbed through enemy fire to reach several of his teammates who were pinned down on a cliff above.
read more here

MOH: Combat Medic proved there are no limits to love

Love? Yes! Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II put his life on the line when he joined the military. Why do they do it? Love, pure and simple. Sure, they have to have courage, but the fact they could all do something else with their lives, choosing service requires something beyond courage.

Shurer wanted to save lives and became a combat medic. According to the Citation for the Medal of Honor he will receive, he was ready to sacrifice everything to save someone else. He did it so that others may live even if it meant he could die.

Army Special Forces Medic Will Get Medal of Honor for Afghanistan Heroism
Military.com
Hope Hodge Seck
September 21, 2108

"With disregard for his own safety, Sergeant Shurer took off through a hail of bullets and began scaling the rock face to get to the casualties," his dramatic Silver Star citation states. "During initial movement to the base of the mountain, he treated a teammate wounded by shrapnel to his neck from an RPG blast that blew him off his feet."

Ronald J Shurer II

An Army medic who braved enemy rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire in Afghanistan to treat wounded soldiers will receive the military's highest honor, the White House announced late Friday.

Ronald J. Shurer II will receive the Medal of Honor, an upgrade to the Silver Star he had been previously awarded for his actions in April 2008. The medal will be presented at an Oct. 1 ceremony, according to the White House announcement.

"Sergeant Shurer rendered life saving aid to four critically wounded casualties for more than five and a half hours," the citation reads. "As the lone medic at the besieged location, and almost overrun and fighting against nearly 200 insurgent fighters, Sergeant Shurer's bravery and poise under fire saved the lives of all wounded casualties under his care."

Before the day was over, Shurer had evacuated three critically wounded soldiers down a "near-vertical" 60-foot cliff, using a rig of nylon webbing he designed himself and shielding the wounded from falling rocks with his own body.
read more here

Veteran combat medic, battled cancer and PTSD but puppy made him cry

Army Dad With PTSD Breaks Down in Tears as He's Surprised With Service Dog
Inside Edition
INSPIRATIONAL
August 7, 2018

A Texas dad suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was moved to tears when his family surprised him with a service dog.

Rudy Pena, of Amarillo, couldn’t believe his eyes as he read a letter his kids Aubrie, Trever and Adrian presented him, explaining that they were giving him a service dog to help combat his night terrors and depression.

“I’m very lucky to have a family that cares and loves me enough to find him for me,” he told T and T Creative.

Pena has been an Army Combat Medic for the last 10 years, doing two deployments in Iraq before he was diagnosed with cancer.

He has been battling PTSD since returning from service.

“We’ve tried everything possible but as most veterans know, there is no cure and memories never go away," his wife Samantha said. “He has seen his brothers die in his arms and the memories haunt him."
read more here

Stolen Valor Fake Vietnam Veteran

He collected nearly $200K posing as a Vietnam vet with 2 Purple Hearts — but he never served
The News and Observer (Tribune News Service)
By AARON MOODY
Published: June 27, 2018

A Charleston, S.C. man collected nearly $200,000 in VA benefits over the past few years while listed as a Navy medic who received two Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam.

Keith R. Hudson Charleston County Sheriff's Office

But Keith R. Hudson, 70, was never in the military, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina said Wednesday.

“This is a particularly awful type of white collar crime,” U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon said in a news release. “Veteran health benefits are for those who served our nation in the military. The VA has limited numbers of physicians and resources. There is not much to spare.”

Hudson pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the VA of $197,237. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
read more here

Conman lived large off deployed Combat Medic

Veteran claims his stolen Facebook photos were used to catfish 30 women during deployment
FOX News
By Shanti Das, SWNS
June 9, 2018

Lovato, who is married to 42-year-old landlord Jane Hamilton, was oblivious to the havoc being wreaked in his name until strangers began messaging him online early last year.

A combat medic claims he returned from Afghanistan to discover a conman had used his photos to catfish around 30 women and dupe them out of thousands of dollars.

US Army veteran Albert Lovato, 39, says pictures he posted on Facebook were stolen and used to create fake profiles on social media and dating sites. Posing as the uniformed dad-of-three, the scammer approached women around the world, including in the US, Canada, India, Costa Rica and the Philippines.

The veteran said the news, which came shortly after he returned from deployment and following a battle with alcoholism and the death of a close friend, hit him hard.

Meanwhile, the accused conman flashed his newfound wealth around online, posting photos of watches and bundles of cash.
read more here

Vietnam Veteran's prayer answered by Fort Polk after 53 years

Ft. Polk hospital helps Vietnam Vet correct military record
KALB News
By Lydia Magallanes
Mar 23, 2018

“All of the people that I’ve met in the week that I’ve been here have made me just feel wonderful,” he said. “It’s the answer to a 53-year prayer.”

Dr. Gregory Grant, chief of medical boards and Marisol Lopez, a physical evaluation board liaison officer are part of the team who helped answer that prayer. Both are inspired by Pillette's story of patience and faith.

FORT POLK, La. (KALB) - In 1965, Sgt. Kibbie Pillette, a combat medic with 5th Special Forces group was on a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam when he was shot in the back and mouth. He lost a third of his tongue and wasn't expected to be able to speak again. The only member of his platoon to survive, the Abbeville native would fight another battle once he got home: living with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I'd have nightmares, I’d have flashbacks I went through it all,” Pillette said. “Then getting over the morphine addiction was probably my toughest battle. Had my mother not been as strong as he was and the help I received from the VA, I don't know where I’d be now.”
read more here

Veterans left shaken after trying to save life

Veteran pushes through past experiences in effort to save an injured cyclist’s life
VAntage Point
Department of Veterans Affairs
Doré Mobley is a Communications Specialist with Patient Care Services
March 16, 2018

For VA employee and Veteran Eric Detrick, Feb. 11 began as a brisk Sunday under sunny blue skies – the perfect day for a 100-mile bike ride through California’s Coachella Valley known as the Tour de Palm Springs.

However, around mile 30, events took a turn that would leave Detrick emotionally shaken.

Detrick and two fellow Veterans Tom McMillen and Raul Portal were riding with Project Hero, a national non-profit therapeutic cycling program for Veterans and first responders when they came upon an accident (pictured above) where a driver lost control of his vehicle and collided with two cyclists. The group immediately rendered aid to the more seriously injured cyclist.

An Army medic who served two tours in Afghanistan, Detrick realized one of the cyclists wasn’t getting enough air, so he created an intubation tube from the hose of another cyclist’s hydration pack. Unfortunately, the cyclist’s injuries proved to be too extensive and later died at the scene.
read more here

Medic posted soldier's body part on Snapchat?

This is the excuse?

"The soldier’s motive for posting the image stemmed from his pride in taking part in the procedure rather than in seeking to embarrass or violate the patient’s rights, the source said."

But evidently not enough respect for the soldier!

Medic disciplined after posting photo of soldier’s severed body part on Snapchat
STARS AND STRIPES
By JOHN VANDIVER
Published: February 28, 2018

STUTTGART, Germany — Military medical officials are imposing new social media guidelines after an Army medic at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany posted an operating room photo of a patient’s severed body part.

The incident, which occurred in mid-September but was just confirmed Wednesday, provoked unspecified disciplinary action against the medic and a commandwide warning from the Army’s top doctor.

“This type of behavior is unprofessional and violates the trust of those we serve, and the tenets of our profession,” said Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Nadja West in an email to medical staff.

The image of “unrecognizable body tissue that had been removed" from a soldier was posted to the social media site Snapchat Story, where images automatically expire after 24 hours. However, personnel learned of the incident and ordered that the picture also be deleted from the staffer’s phone, LRMC officials said.
read more here

Medal Of Honor - Donald "Doc" Ballard has a new mission

Someone 2 Know: Donald "Doc" Ballard
KTVN 2 News
Andi Guevara
January 25, 2018

“I’m here to visit the VA Hospital to ensure the veterans get the care that they're entitled to and they get some resolve with their problems. I'm also here to educate the veteran - on he has to step up and be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

After decades serving in the military and more than half a dozen awards - including the Medal Of Honor - Donald "Doc" Ballard has a new mission - to protect his brothers and sisters in arms after they come home.

It was a hero's welcome for Ballard when he arrived at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport this month.

Fellow vets were among the group waiting to shake hands with the Medal Of Honor winner, who was in town to raise awareness about our service men and women who come back from war zones.

“I was wounded eight times, I killed six people. I can't be expected to come home and be normal, I’m not the same kid that left,” says Ballard.

Now in his 70's Ballard says he still battles with his demons. He earned the nickname “Doc” for his work as an enlisted medical specialist. Stories like his are told in a new booked called “Doc: Heroic Stories of Medics, Corpsman and Surgeons in Combat.”
read more here 

KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe Sparks News, Weather, Video

Fort Collins Suicide Leaves More Questions

He was a combat medic trying to save lives and served for 8 years risking his own life. He had PTSD and did something wrong. The questions pile up on this one.
What kind of help did he get before this?
What kind of help did he get in the military?
If he asked for help, which he apparently did, since he was on VA disability, why wasn't it enough to help him heal?
I could go on, but after all these years, I doubt anyone will ever be able to give an acceptable answer.

Man convicted of Islamic Center vandalism dies by suicide
Coloradoan
Cassa Niedringhaus
Jan. 8, 2018

The man convicted of vandalizing the Islamic Center of Fort Collins was found dead Saturday at an east Fort Collins motel.

Joseph Giaquinto, 36, died by suicide Friday, according to the Larimer County coroner. The coroner's office performed an autopsy Sunday and publicly identified Giaquinto on Monday morning.

Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies responded Saturday afternoon to the Motel 6 at 3900 E. Mulberry St. for a death investigation, according to spokesman David Moore.

The department did not provide further information about the investigation.

Giaquinto's public defender, Heather Siegel, told Field during his sentencing hearing that the six-month work release sentence would jeopardize his veteran's benefits, which he was using to support himself after diagnoses of chronic post-traumatic stress and substance abuse disorders.

Michael Giaquinto, Joseph Giaquinto's father, previously told the Coloradoan that his son was a combat medic in the Army for eight years and served tours in Baghdad, Iraq, and Korea.

During his case proceedings, Joseph Giaquinto was able to have his bond reduced so he could take part in a five- to seven-week PTSD residential rehabilitation program in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Read more here

Joint Base Lewis McCord Soldier Saved Lives After Amtrak Crash

Soldier Jumped From Pickup Truck to Help Rescue Passengers in Washington Train Crash

KTLA 5 News

December 19, 2017

A soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord says he saw the Amtrak train plunge from an overpass in Monday's crash and jumped into action to help save the people trapped inside.

"I saw many people that were just paralyzed with fear and I don't blame them at all. I mean, it was kind of a hard situation to watch unfold."

Second Lt. Robert McCoy hit the brakes on his pickup truck just in time, he told KTLA sister station KCPQ in Seattle.

"The train is going south and I'm just kind of driving, just driving, and I hear a loud noise and I look up and I see the train and it hits the concrete walls on the side and when it hits the walls -- the walls kind of exploded -- and the train just falls off. I see the train fall and it kind of falls on itself ... and it hits three vehicles that were in front of me -- a semi, an F-150, and a Kia Soul."

The soldier serves in the Army's medical field and he knew he had to do something.

read more here

Vietnam Veteran Capt. Gary Rose Received Medal of Honor

WATCH LIVE: President Trump to award Medal of Honor to Vietnam War veteran

PBS
Elizabeth Flock
October 23, 2017

President Donald Trump will award the Medal of Honor on Monday to a Vietnam War veteran from Alabama who risked his life on multiple occasions while serving as a medic.

Retired Army Capt. Gary M. Rose, of Huntsville, Alabama, will receive the country’s highest military honor for “conspicuous gallantry,” the White House said in a statement.

“From September 11 through September 14, 1970, while his unit was engaged with a much larger force deep in enemy-controlled territory, then-Sergeant Rose repeatedly ran into the line of enemy fire to provide critical medical aid to his comrades, using his own body on one occasion to shield a wounded American from harm,” the White House said. 
source PBS

Combat Medic Served with Welsh Regiment in Iraq, Faces Judge Over Jelly?

Before you think I've totally lost my mind, read the story and then understand this veteran served as a medic in combat, but couldn't get over jelly even though he was getting help. Just goes to show that not all help is good help if this happened.

Iraq veteran threatened girlfriend with knife in row over jelly

Devon Live
Ted Davenport
August 23, 2017

Former army medic had PTSD when he attacked partner

A judge has showed mercy on a former army medic who attacked his partner while suffering from post-traumatic stress caused by his service in Iraq.

Christopher Minards threatened his girlfriend with a knife and pushed her and her twin sister during a petty argument over spilled jelly.

He had just come home from working a night shift as a hotel porter when he lost his temper and threw a mug at a mirror, breaking both.

His behaviour was so violent that his partner and her twin sister both fled the home in Newton Abbot and waited for police to arrive.

Minards, aged 32, is a former army medic who has been receiving support and treatment from veteran's charities for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) dating back to his service with 4th Rifles and the Welsh Regiment in Iraq.
read more here

SWAT Raided Special Forces Veteran's Home For Legal Pot?

Special forces soldier sues Fountain SWAT after legal pot grow raid
Denver Post
Kirk Mitchell
August 17, 2017

A former special forces infantryman, who was awarded the Bronze Star and uses marijuana to treat PTSD after tours to Iraq and Bosnia, has sued the Fountain police SWAT team after officers raided his legal marijuana greenhouse.

Eli Olivas and his girlfriend Marisela Chavez sued the city of Fountain and Fountain police Sgt. Matthew Racine, claiming the city failed to properly train its police to investigate pot cases in a state where it’s legal to grow marijuana.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Denver by attorney Terrence Johnson. Olivas and Chavez seek compensatory damages of more than $100,000. Olivas, a paramedic, also wants his guns returned: an AK-47 rifle, a 5.56 millimeter Sig Sauer rifle and a Glock 17, court records show Police confiscated the weapons but haven’t returned them, the lawsuit says.

Fountain Police Chief Chris Heberer said the department had a valid search warrant signed by a judge.

Olivas is a former U.S. Army Special Forces staff sergeant, infantryman, medic and combat veteran. Besides the Bronze Star, he earned numerous other service medals. He also was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder linked to combat.

Olivas is a registered medical marijuana patient with a permit to grow up to 99 marijuana plants for his own treatment of PTSD. He was growing 18 marijuana plants behind a locked, 6-foot privacy fence. The plants were further enclosed in a greenhouse walled with opaque glass.
read more here

Vietnam Veteran Combat Medic Finally Receives The Medal of Honor

No one seems willing to say why he had to wait all this time after it was approved by Congress
In 2016, Defense Secretary Ash Carter recommended McCloughan for the Medal of Honor. But since the medal must be awarded within five years of the recipient’s actions, Congress needed to pass a bill waiving the time limit. President Barack Obama signed the measure in late 2016, but he didn’t get the opportunity to recognize McCloughan with the medal before his term ended this year.

A soldier survived 48 hours of terror in Vietnam. Today, he received the Medal of Honor.
Washington Post
By Andrew deGrandpre
July 31, 2017

It is difficult to assess which of James McCloughan’s near-death encounters in Vietnam was the most harrowing. There were so many. From the moment his infantry unit hit the field March 9, 1969, they encountered a ferocious enemy determined to repulse the Americans at all costs.

“I got initiated the very first day,” McCloughan, 71, recalled in a recent interview with Army biographers. “We hit our first ambush. We had a man die. Had a few people to patch up. And I shot a man. That’s a lot to digest in your first day.

“But I didn’t know I was going to face anything like Tam Ky,” he added, alluding to the location of a vicious 48-hour battle, three months after he arrived in Vietnam, during which the 23-year-old combat medic risked his life at least nine times to save wounded or stranded comrades — 10 men in all — and prevented a much larger North Vietnamese force from overrunning them entirely.
read more here

Love Story Just Beginning For Newlywed Navy SEAL After Accident

Navy SEAL embraces wife for first time since tragic accident 
FOX News 
Published July 26, 2017 

A touching video of a Navy SEAL standing and embracing his wife four months after a traumatic car accident left him with a severe brain injury has been viewed by more than 3 million people. 

Jonathan Grant, 36, was serving as a combat medic instructor at Fort Bragg at the time of the accident, according to the couple’s GoFundMe page. He suffered a diffuse axonal injury (DAI), and was in a coma for nearly two months as doctors gave him just a 10 percent chance of survival. 

His Pilates instructor wife, Laura, has stood by his side throughout his recovery, which included moving to a Richmond, Virginia, rehabilitation facility where Grant could receive intensive therapy.
read more here