Wounded Times tribute to riders of past riders after Melbourne Veterans Reunion canceled for 2020

Melbourne Veterans Reunion Canceled for 2020

Florida Vietnam and All Veterans Annual Reunion
THIS YEARS REUNION HAS BEEN CANCELED

Campers need to contact Wickham Park after Monday 4/6/20 to change your reservations to 2021

Thank You Doc R.

The Florida Veterans Reunion is one of the largest and longest running veterans reunions in the country.

2021 dates Escort April 11th Reunion April 15th - 18th
read it here

Since the Veterans Reunion in Melbourne Florida has been canceled, for the right reasons, I am putting up videos from past years.

All of the people showing up to escort the Wall are disappointed this year you will not be able to do it, so here is my tribute to you!

2012

2013

2014

2015

Also footage from that ride on this video

2016

2017

2018

2019

PTSD Patrol golf cart getaway

PTSD Patrol: Drive time toward divine

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 12, 2019

First, I want to say, Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. We know what it is like to feel joy when our children are happy, and what it is like to grieve when they are hurting.

Right now there is a battle going on all across the country, but you may have only heard about one side doing more harm than good. They may have had good intentions, but much like warning Jesus gave about "fruits of their deeds" facts have proven raising suicide awareness equals what the Pharisees were doing.

Yet, while their intentions may have begun from God speaking to them to act, they chose to seek the glory by publicity stunts, having fun and doing pushups, instead of lifting up the spirits of the wounded and waiting for hope.

Others, like members of Point Man International Ministries have been doing the work God called them to do since 1984, quietly and humbly. Much like the 72 others Jesus sent with his Disciples no one knows our names but those in need see the results of our work.

Yesterday at the Veterans Reunion in Wickham Park I was trying to find members of Point Man and walking around in 90 degrees of heat. Not good for someone like me and I was drained to the point where I wanted to just faint. I had a hard time finding the strength to more one more step.

As I was looking for their tent, I came across some friends of mine with a golf cart. My buddy Jonnie drove me around, but it became clear that I would not be able to find them.

We drove past a tent that caught my eye. I wanted to go and talk to the man in the tent. You know what it is like when you are tugged to do something you may not really understand why you need to, but I have learned to just surrender to that strong pull a long time ago.

Gareth Burkinshaw was speaking to another man, and I looked at the brochures on his table. As I was reading, I thought he was on the right road and passionate about providing the hope that is so desperately needed.  

I pretended to not listen to what he was saying to the man, until he took his hand to pray for him. Couldn't help it, I had a smile take hold of my face.

We talked for a bit and I was even more sure of the fact he was about doing the work of not just offering hope, but helping those in need find a way to heal. I asked Gareth if he wanted to do a video, and he agreed to meet a couple of hours later.
read more here

Melbourne Vietnam Wall Escort into Wickham Park

Murray likes the reunion even though it is a long ride to get there!

Veterans Reunion Missing Far Too Many

Vietnam Veterans Forgotten Again?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 13, 2018


When I read that there will be a display to remember veterans lost to suicides at the Veterans Reunion, I thought they would get it right. Considering this reunion began for Vietnam Veterans, their lives should matter here at least.

After reading the article on Florida Today, it is sickening to discover yet again, they just do not matter enough.

When will reporters ever correct something as serious as veterans committing suicide? What made this one even worse was that apparently, now they can use "troops" and "veterans" lumping them together in a mashed up number like 660? 

That number is supposed to be how many veterans commit suicide every month. Too bad no one thought to actually do the work to figure out that there are far too many more not being remembered at all. 

OK, harsh reality check here. These are the numbers of the "troops" we lost in 2016 and 2017. 

No, they are not even mentioned in the numbers people pass around like a treat. Too bad it is a wicked trick since even the numbers of veterans committing suicide are wrong too.

That 660 is supposed to be from "22 a day" but they did not mention that report involved just 21 states. So, no, nowhere close to what is real. That report also said that among the known suicides, 65% of those veterans are over the age of 50, but since they are escorting the Vietnam Memorial Wall into Wickham Park to honor Vietnam veterans, guess they thought that these older veterans do not deserve even honorable mention!

Then within the report from the VA is this reminder that the known suicides have not gone down since 1999 however the number of living veterans has gone down by over 5 million.

Am I pissed off ? Yes. When I film the riders coming in this year, I think I'll shed more tears knowing how they have been forgotten all over again!

They are killing themselves in higher numbers and none of these new groups pulling stunts will lift a finger to help them or even remember they started everything available for all the other generations!

I feel terrible for Robin Thomas, who lost her husband to suicide, because she had no way of knowing, what she had been told, was not the truth. She wants to honor her husband at the same time, save another family from going through the same thing.

Lord I hope to give her a hug and tell her how sorry I am that after all these years, veterans like her husband are still taking their own lives.

This is from last year.

Melbourne Vietnam-veterans reunion to feature 660-flag display for troops lost to suicide 

Florida Today 

Rick Neale 

April 12, 2018

MELBOURNE — An array of 660 American flags will silently flutter along the north shore of Back Lake in Wickham Park during next week's Florida Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion, standing somber testimony to the estimated 660 U.S. troops and veterans lost to suicide every month.

The "flags for forgotten soldiers" display is a new addition to the 31st annual reunion lineup, which is billed as the largest of its kind in the nation. Flag installation begins at 1 p.m. Sunday.

"We just thought we had an issue with one person. Well, after Terry died, his suicide was tragic to our family — it's inconceivable. But he acted the same as many PTSD veterans," said Merritt Island resident Robin Thomas, who is spearheading the 660-flag display.

Thomas is a former Air Force staff sergeant who served from 1979-88. She gave birth to her son, Terrance O'Hearn, while stationed at Patrick Air Force Base. He later served combat tours as an Army specialist from 2006-10 in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he committed suicide at age 30 in 2016 in his California apartment. It was his fourth suicide attempt.read more here 

Imagine if he had been told that he could heal and actually knew where to go to get it? Too many were too busy yelling about something veterans already knew...how to kill themselves. 

This video is from 2015 before I got my hands on the report itself and saw where the data came from. At least we knew that Vietnam veterans were the majority of the veterans committing suicide. Would have been better if the rest of the country bothered to actually care.