101st veteran's body found in Mississippi River

Body found in flood waters in Alexander County, IL identified as 31-year-old veteran

WPSD NBC 6 News
Krystle Callais, Rebecca Gangemella
June 1, 2019

UPDATE: The uncle of Robbin Christopher Franklin says his nephew was an army veteran who served the country in both Iraq and Afghanistan. His uncle Mark Franklin says his nephew went by Chris.

Mark tells WPSD that Chris served in the 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell, KY. Chris lived by the river in Illinois.

As the Mississippi River rises, Mark says his family has to boat to their homes. On May 29th, Mark says Chris’s dad was boating to his home when he found his son’s body in the water.

Mark was told the death will be ruled an “accidental drowning”. The coroner says the report is not finished until the toxicology report is done. At this time, no official cause of death has been released.

His family is working on finalizing funeral arrangements with Crain Funeral Home out of Cairo, IL.
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U.S. Air Force couldn't stop the Mighty Missouri River

'It was a lost cause': Air Force gives up fight to stop water at Offutt; one-third of base is flooded

Omaha World Herald
Steve Liewer
March 17, 2019

"The water came in and overtook us." Lt. Col. Vance Goodfellow

Even the U.S. Air Force couldn't stop the Mighty Missouri River from flooding Offutt Air Force Base.

Between Saturday night and early Sunday, the 55th Wing called off a 30-hour, round-the-clock sandbagging effort because the floodwaters were rising too fast.

"It was a lost cause. We gave up," said Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake, a 55th Wing spokeswoman.

By Sunday morning, one-third of the base was underwater, she said. About 60 structures have been damaged, mostly on the south end of the base.

Of the base's 200 buildings, 30 are completely inundated with as much as 8 feet of water, including the 55th Wing headquarters building, the E-4B Nightwatch hangar and the Bennie Davis Maintenance Facility. About 3,000 feet of the base's 11,700-foot runway are submerged.
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Hurricane Michael Military News

Hurlburt to close as Hurricane Michael bears down on Florida
Air Force Times
By: Stephen Losey
October 9, 2018 UPDATE

A T-38 pilot at Tyndall Air Force Base prepares to evacuate his aircraft to avoid the path of Hurricane Michael Oct. 8, 2018. The evacuating Tyndall aircraft will reposition to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and other locations around the country, and will return when the storm danger has passed. (Senior Airman Cody Miller/Air Force)

Tuesday update: Hurlburt Field in Florida announced Tuesday that it will close at 6 p.m. as Hurricane Michael — now strengthened to a Category 2 storm — continued to close in on the Gulf Coast.

All civilian employees and military service members at Hurlburt, except those in mission-essential positions needed to provide essential services, are excused from duty until further notice, the base said in a release.

The 1st Special Operations Wing commander, Col. Michael Conley, said in a Facebook post Tuesday that although conditions do not warrant a mandatory evacuation, personnel have the right to evacuate based on what they feel is best for them and the safety of their family.
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Hurricane Michael Packs 110-MPH Winds As It Heads Toward Florida Panhandle
NPR
Bill Chappell and Emily Sullivan
October 9, 2018
Heard on Morning Edition

FEMA is already on the ground in Florida; other federal agencies are also preparing to assist people in the storm's path.

The governor activated 750 National Guardsmen for storm response on Monday, on top of the 500 activated the day before. The Florida National Guard has over 4,000 more Guard members available for deployment, Scott said.

The NHC says some coastal regions can expect 8 to 12 feet of storm surge, as the hurricane's winds drive a wall of water onto the low-lying shore.
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After Hurricane Florence, Camp Lejeune families living with mold!

At U.S. Marine base, families plead for housing help after Florence
Reuters
Andrea Januta
September 29, 2018

Most of Camp Lejeune’s housing is run by Atlantic Marine Corps Communities, or AMCC, a partnership between Australia-based Lendlease Group, Boston-based WinnCompanies and the U.S. Navy. All the homes profiled in this article are managed by AMCC.

Jennifer Maher, pregnant in her third trimester, prepares cleaning supplies in an attempt to clean up mold after suffering severe damage to her home post-Hurricane Florence at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, U.S., September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Andrea Januta

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. Two weeks after Hurricane Florence deluged the U.S. East Coast’s largest Marine Corps base with raging waters and dangerous winds, some military families say they are still residing in unlivable conditions and awaiting help from the base’s private housing manager.

Some, like Jennifer Maher, said they feel unsafe in their Camp Lejeune homes but were told they will not be moved because assessment crews determined their houses are habitable.

That did not work for Maher, pregnant in her third trimester and living with her husband and 2-year-old son. When she returned home last Friday, she opened the door to the stench of mold, she said while showing the wreckage to a visiting reporter. Then she saw the ceiling had collapsed in their bedroom and garage.

“I’m pregnant and I can smell the mold,” said Maher, whose husband is a Navy corpsman stationed at Lejeune. “There’s no way I could bring a newborn home and let her breathe this in.”
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Eddison Hermond National Guardsman and Air Force Veteran found

National Guard member, Air Force veteran found dead in Patapsco River, police say
WJLA News
Stephen Pimpo Jr
May 29, 2018

Eddison Hermond. (Photo, Howard County Police)

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (ABC7) — The body of the Air Force veteran and National Guard member who went missing during Sunday's floods, was found in the Patapsco River Tuesday, according to authorities.

Howard County Police say searchers found the body of 39-year-old Eddison Hermond in the river just across the Baltimore County line.
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After Hurricane Maria, The Flood of PTSD Cases

Two suicides counted in Puerto Rico's hurricane death toll

CBS News

October 5, 2017

As time goes on, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also become an issue for many. 

"PTSD doesn't develop immediately, it develops after about a month," Asim Shah, M.D., chief of the division of community psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, told CBS News.

A resident walks down the dark hallway of a senior citizens' condo building with no electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sept. 30, 2017.

 

 JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Locked out of his home and with nowhere else to go, Wilfredo Ortiz Marrero rode out Hurricane Maria inside a Jeep, which was lifted off its wheels by floodwaters in the parking lot. He then endured days without enough food or running water.

The lights are back on at his residence for low-income elderly people in the San Juan suburb of Trujillo Alto, and food has started arriving, but he still waits as long as he can each night to leave the company of others in the lobby. Alone in his room, he sometimes starts to shake.

"You get really depressed," he said Wednesday.

The hurricane that pummeled Puerto Rico two weeks ago and the scarcity-marked aftermath are taking a toll on islanders' equilibrium. The U.S. territory's government counted two suicides among the death toll, which now stands at 34, and with many communities still waiting for power and clean water, there is concern about others reaching a breaking point. 
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Vietnam Veteran receives new home

Vietnam Veteran receives new home in Rainelle
WVVA News
By Austin Davis, Multimedia Journalist
April 15, 2017

"I wasn't looking for a handout, I was looking for a hand up. This is everything we could ask for." Guy Adams

GREENBRIER COUNTY (WVVA) - Guy Adams is a retired Army Veteran who served in Vietnam. He gave a lot. But he's lost a lot, too. When last summer's floods destroyed his house, he didn't know where to turn. But then fate stepped in.

"It was like God put me in the right place at the right time because I was at the door when they had called looking for a veteran, and I talked about the houses and I was getting ready to walk out the door and they told me they thought I was who they're looking for," said Adams.

The people at VOAD, a disaster relief organization, agree.

"Brothers for Brothers had asked for a Veteran and he basically just fell into our lap and I think it was just meant to be that he and his granddaughter get this home," said Robin Williams, VOAD Case Manager.

For everyone involved, it seemed like an easy decision to make.

"The amount of things he and his family have been through, as well as the number of awards and accommodations he's received in service it was almost a no brainer," Chris Schroeder, ASP Greenbrier County Center Director, said.
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WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

North Carolina Veteran Saved From Flood By Brother, Twitter and Stranger with Drone

Brother uses Twitter to save veteran, dog in Matthew flooding
KHOU
October 10, 2016

HOPE MILLS, NC - A worried brother and a man with a drone used the power of social media to save someone trapped in their house.

Craig Williams was worried about his brother, Chris, and contacted WFMY News 2 early Sunday morning. Chris Williams is a Navy veteran with a dog who cannot swim in Cumberland County. He was stuck in his house because of Hurricane Matthew flooding.

We called Cumberland County 911 and they said they were working on getting someone to help, but could not get there due to the flooding.

Little did Craig know, a man posting drone pictures on social media could help.

Searching through #HopeMills on Twitter, the city his brother lives in, he found a drone picture of homes almost completely flooded.

Trying to cheer up his brother he sends this picture and teases him that at least this isn't his house.
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Veterans Home Flooded, Hearts Flooded With Loving Response

Veterans forced to relocate during the flood
KSLA News
By Kevin Frey, Reporter
Monday, August 22nd 2016

"My heart is just so full, I don't know what to say -- but thank you all so much," said Ethel Comeaux to the volunteers. "There is people who care, people do care. This is the evidence of what people do for you."

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A handful of veterans in Baton Rouge were forced to relocate after the storm left their home flooded.

The owners of the Magnolia Care Center on Florida Boulevard are now working to get their veteran's home back up and running after it took on approximately 5 feet of water. The flood left a destructive path at the center, causing floor tiles to crack, walls to become waterlogged, and mold to grow.

Byron and Ethel Comeaux have owned the center for the last 15 years. Never once has it flooded.

The facility serves as a home to around 10 veterans. All of them suffer from either bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a result, they need constant and intensive care.

"It's very, very hard for changes to happen to them -- so when you have a change, they don't understand the change," said Byron Comeaux, who is himself an army veteran.

Last week, however, one of those changes came in the blink of an eye as the waters rose around the facility.

"It was coming fast. I told Mr. Comeaux, if we waited 20 minutes, we would not have been able to leave," said Donald Crochet, a resident of the facility.

The residents were relocated to a home in north Baton Rouge. Many of the residents are counting down the days until they can go back home to Florida Boulevard.
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Two Fort Hood Soldiers Lost in Flood From Florida

Fort Hood releases names of soldiers killed in training accident
FOX News
June 5, 2016

Fort Hood officials released the names of eight of the nine soldiers Saturday who were killed earlier this week in Texas after floodwaters overturned an Army tactical vehicle at a low-water crossing during a training exercise.

Officials identified the soldiers as

Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, 38, of Brooklyn, New York

Spc. Christine Faith Armstrong, 27, of Twentynine Palms, California

Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, 22, of Milton, Florida

Pfc. Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, 23, of Palmetto, Florida

Pvt. Isaac Lee Deleon, 19, of San Angelo, Texas

Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, 20, of Dunn, North Carolina

Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James, 21, of Jersey City, New Jersey

Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey, 21, of Valparaiso, Indiana.

Officials with the post said the name of the ninth soldier who died won’t be released until the family can be notified.
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Pfc. Zachery Fuller, 23, was a "health nut," she said. A Palmetto resident and third-generation soldier, he especially loved the camaraderie of the military.

Tragic End To Search for Fort Hood Soldiers, 9 Confirmed Dead

9 confirmed dead in Fort Hood training accident
Killeen Daily Herald
Clay Thorp
Herald Staff Writer
June 3, 2016

The search for four missing Fort Hood soldiers came to a tragic end Friday.

A total of nine Fort Hood soldiers were confirmed dead Friday evening, after rescue teams located the bodies of the remaining four soldiers missing after Thursday’s deadly Owl Creek accident.

Floodwaters swept away an Army vehicle Thursday, killing nine and injuring three. The three surviving soldiers were released from Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood on Friday afternoon.

“On behalf of the city of Killeen, I extend my deepest sympathy to Fort Hood,” said Mayor Jose Segarra on Friday afternoon. “In times of tragedy, the bond between city and fort is ever present, and we stand ready to assist in the days to come.”
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First Responders Share Suffering With Fort Hood Families

First responder in Fort Hood tragedy speaks out
Killeen Daily Herald
Clay Thorp
Herald Staff Writer
June 3, 2016

“From myself, my officers and my crews, we’re here to help them and we’re devastated when we can’t. We can’t pretend to understand their pain. We can’t pretend to understand their loss. But we do share in their suffering.”
Jeff Mincy

Crews search for 4 missing in Texas from flooded Army truck
Morgan's Point Resort Fire and Rescue works on Lake Belton near the scene of an accident at Fort Hood at Owl Creek Park near Gatesville, Texas, on Thursday, June 2, 2016. Fort Hood says several soldiers are dead and six are missing after an Army troop truck was washed from a low-water crossing and overturned in a rain-swollen creek at Fort Hood in Central Texas. A statement from the Texas Army post says the accident happened about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in an area near Cold Springs and Owl Creek.

(Michael Miller/The Temple Daily Telegram via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

When Jeff Mincy arrived on the scene of a deadly swift water rescue on Fort Hood Thursday, he said, he didn't see the Army’s large troop carrying vehicle, which was later found in the usually dry Owl Creek.

“It was flowing pretty fast,” said Mincy, a seven-year chief of EMS in Coryell County, of Owl Creek. “I can’t estimate how fast it was flowing, but it was faster than I would have felt comfortable putting anything into the water. When we did find the vehicle, we could see the tires sticking up out of the water, so in that position where the vehicle settled, it had to have been about eight feet deep.”

Five Army soldiers died and at least three were injured in connection with the Army light medium tactical vehicle accident Thursday morning where Owl Creek meets East Range Road on Fort Hood.

Crews are still searching for at least four missing soldiers, according to Army officials.
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Fort Hood Grieving for Soldiers Lost in Accident

Search ongoing for missing soldiers at Fort Hood
Killeen Daily Herald
June 3, 2016

FORT HOOD ACCIDENT MM 02

A Texas DPS helicopter flies over Lake Belton near the scene of an accident at Fort Hood at Owl Creek Park in Gatesville on Thursday, June 2, 2016.

FORT HOOD - Officials said the overturning of an armored vehicle that left five Fort Hood soldiers dead and another four missing Thursday remains under investigation today.

Names are not being released at this time.

Maj. Gen. John Uberti and officials with III Corps held a brief news conference on the matter this morning.

"This accident is a tragedy – the loss of one soldier is too many," said Chris Haug, III Corps media relations chief.

The armored vehicle the soldiers were in overturned at a low-water crossing during a training mission. Officials said the truck overturned at the Owl Creek tactical low-water crossing and East Range Road near north Belton Lake. Owl Creek is on the northern fringe of Fort Hood.

Three soldiers were in stable condition Thursday evening at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. They were rescued from the water near the vehicle and immediately transported to the Coryell Memorial Healthcare System in Gatesville before their transfer to Darnall.

Emergency responders continued searching for soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
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TEAM Rubicon Vietnam Veteran Still Serving Others

Team Rubicon: Veterans help flood victims
Veterans who served their country, now serve their communities
4 News Detroit
Author: Lauren Podell
Local 4 Reporter
Published On: Aug 20 2014

DEARBORN, Mich.
They served in the military at different times.

“I am actually still serving, I am an Army reservist,” said Eric Burghardt of Kalamazoo.

They served at different places.

“I’m a Vietnam veteran, so I am considered one of the older guys in the group,” said Bob Pries of Farmington Hills.

Meet Team Rubicon.

When disasters strike anywhere across the country, this veterans group helps with the clean up. That’s exactly what the cities of Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Southfield did after last week’s flooding left so many homeowners helpless.

“We like to say disasters are our business but Veterans are our passion,” said Pries, Team Rubicon’s incident commander.
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Heroic efforts of Fort Carson MedEvac company save lives in Colorado floods

Heroic efforts of Fort Carson MedEvac company save lives in Colorado floods
Army
By Valecia L. Dunbar, D.M., Army Medicine Public Affairs
September 24, 2013

FORT CARSON, Colo. (Sept. 24, 2013) -- Three Army Medicine MedEvac crews from Fort Carson deployed to flood areas this week to assist in evacuation and rescue efforts.

They joined members of the Colorado and Wyoming National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other local emergency response teams in support of flood evacuation operations.

According to Lance Blyth, U.S. Northern Command historian, the military response to the Colorado floods, dubbed "Operation Centennial Raging Waters," is likely to be the biggest rotary-wing airlift mission since Hurricane Katrina.

Operating out of Boulder Municipal airport, the MedEvac crews equipped with three Black Hawk and four Chinook helicopters flew upwards of 9.5 hours each on a single Saturday evacuation event before running out of daylight, and crew endurance. From Friday evening through Tuesday, flight crews completed several rounds of non-stop evacuations and 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, rescued/evacuated 1028 civilians and flew over 150 total flight hours.

Charlie Company Archangels flew over 75 flight hours and conducted 43 hoist missions, most of which included five or more lifts per mission in order to clear evacuation sites of all personnel, pets, and baggage. A total of 3,054 people were evacuated by military personnel as of mid September.

At the time, authorities were reporting more than 1,000 individuals were still unaccounted for, which increased concern that flight crews would start seeing patients by the time the mission was complete.
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Stranded Guard members continue evacuating residents from flooded homes

At least 1,000 await rescue from Colorado flooding as helicopter flights resume
CNN
By Michael Pearson and George Howell
September 16, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Stranded Guard members continue evacuating residents from flooded homes
More than 3,000 families register for FEMA help, agency head says
Some communities run low on food, water, officials say
As many as 1,500 homes destroyed in one county, officials say

Longmont, Colorado (CNN) -- Food and water are running low in some of the Colorado communities cut off by epic flooding, but well-organized residents are holding their own while awaiting rescue, officials said Monday.

"Within the communities, all of these people are helping one another out," deputy incident commander Chuck Russell told reporters in Larimer County. "They're being very resourceful."

Helicopters from the U.S. Army and Colorado and Wyoming National Guards took to the air Monday morning, fanning out across the region to rescue people stranded across hundreds of square miles of Colorado flooded when intense rainfall last week pushed streams out of their banks and sent walls of water crashing down mountain canyons.

"Our birds are up and flying," the Wyoming National Guard tweeted. "If (you're) in trouble, we will find you! We will get you to safety!"

Among those cut off were 15 Colorado National Guard members and other emergency workers stranded Sunday when rising floodwater forced them to abandon efforts to evacuate residents from flooded areas near Lyons, a National Guard spokeswoman said.
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Colorado National Guard continues flood response efforts

Colo. National Guard continues flood response efforts
By Colorado National Guard Public Affairs
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – More than 375 Colorado National Guardsmen, along with high-mobility vehicles and helicopters, are continuing to assist local authorities in search-and-rescue operations, evacuations and security in response to major floods.

Five helicopters and crews began aerial reconnaissance, search-and-rescue and evacuations today.

As of 6 p.m., Colorado Guardsmen have helped evacuate more than 550 civilians by ground and air.

The mission of the Colorado National Guard is to provide its communities, state and nation a ready, reliable, essential and accessible military force, fully equipped for national defense and support to civil authorities.

Arkansas flash flooding kills sheriff, sweeps away officer, official says

Arkansas flash flooding kills sheriff, sweeps away officer, official says
By John Newland and Elizabeth Chuck
NBC News
May 31, 2013

Severe thunderstorms packing high winds, heavy rains, large hail and possibly tornadoes threatened eastern Oklahoma and much of Arkansas Friday, where flash flooding killed a sheriff and left a wildlife officer missing.

The death of Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter was confirmed Friday by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, which said it was still in search-and-rescue mode for missing wildlife officer Joel Campora.

Carpenter had been responding to a swift water rescue near the Fourche La Fave River in western Arkansas, close to the Oklahoma border, when flash floods overcame him, according to the Game and Fish Commission.

Thursday’s storms also injured nine.
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121212 1%ers take on Hurricane Sandy

With all the anger over GOP Congressmen fighting against raising taxes on the rich, the rich have gotten a very bad reputation. So far I've heard few rich people saying they want to keep all of their money. Last night was a glowing example of 1%ers coming together to help after Hurricane Sandy damaged so many lives.

Chase had just finished the American Giving Awards featuring average people setting aside their own needs and wants for the sake of others. Last night they pulled it off again. 121212 Concert for Sandy Relief and there were plenty of 1%ers doing more giving. From the stars taking phone calls for donations to those showing up to perform onstage it should have been easy to see that this night was more about a very different type of GOP, Group of Philanthropists working to get the Robinhood Foundation funds to help.

12-12-12: Concert For Sandy Relief Airs Tonight, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Kanye West And Others Perform
Author: Kelly Westpublished: 2012-12-12 08:27:01
Numbers fans have likely already noticed that today is 12/12/12, which is an interesting date by its numbers alone. 12-12-12 also happens to be part of the title for the concert for Sandy relief, which is airing on numerous channels tonight. And will feature performances by the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Roger Waters, Eddie Vedder, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney.

Team Rubicon represents another group from a different 1% club. The men and women that risked their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan then turned around to risk them back home to help after disasters.

Team Rubicon
The entertainment portion of the show took a pause as a presentation honoring Team Rubicon and other volunteers who helped and are still helping with the rebuilding effort. Members of Team Rubicon noted that many people still do not have power - or homes to go back to for the holidays, and that help is needed.

The part that showed New York attitude was when Adam Sandler sang this song.

Sandy Screw You

It was really great to see so many people coming together to help others but what made it even more wonderful was they did it because they could feel compassion for others.

Manhattan VA Hospital Is Closed Indefinitely

Veterans Raise Concerns Since Manhattan VA Hospital Is Closed Indefinitely
By: Zack Fink
11/15/12
While some hospitals damaged in Sandy have timetables for reopening, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manhattan does not, which is raising flags among advocates for veterans, who say they need more information about where to receive care. NY1's Zack Fink filed the following report.

As the East River crested at the height of Hurricane Sandy, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manhattan sustained severe flooding in its basement. The electrical systems were destroyed by salt water and by Thursday there was still no running water.

As a result, the facility is closed indefinitely.

"Unfortunately I don't have a timeline right now. We've just gotten an elevator back-up," said Martina Parauda of VA NY Harbor Healthcare System. "We have some power on with an emergency generator that was brought in from our Providence VA facility, but we still have a long way to go to be operational for veterans."

The hospital was built in 1954, and served 20,000 veterans before being shuttered. Veterans are currently receiving care at other hospitals, including one in the Bronx and another in Brooklyn. The latter clinic is difficult to reach via public transportation.
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