Father John Fergueson On Accepting His Darkside And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Jamala Henderson
08/28/2010
Father John Fergueson is an Episcopal priest at the Church of the Redeemer in Kenmore, Washington. In 1967 he was a Marine fighting in the Vietnam War. He was part of a counterintelligence unit whose mission was to take down the Viet Cong infrastructure. In order to do that, they took prisoners. Father John Fergueson talks about becoming a priest and accepting who he was as a soldier in order to manage his post–traumatic stress disorder.
listen online here
Father John Fergueson On Accepting His Darkside
Saturday, August 28, 2010
President Obama weekly address focused on Veterans
It is all true what President Obama said and again he focused on TBI and PTSD.
CIA blocking lawsuit over experiments on troops during Vietnam War
Veterans’ group: CIA blocking lawsuit over experiments on troops
By Daniel Tencer
Friday, August 27th, 2010
An advocacy group working on behalf of Vietnam veterans has asked a federal judge in California to sanction the CIA, saying the spy agency has been blocking efforts to uncover its role in alleged experiments on US soldiers from the 1950s to 1970s.
The Vietnam Veterans of America filed a lawsuit on behalf of six Vietnam War veterans in January, 2009, claiming that the CIA had used an estimated 7,800 US service members as "guinea pigs" in experiments involving "at least 250, but as many as 400 chemical and biological agents," according to Courthouse News.
Among the chemicals the lawsuit alleges were used on the soldiers were LSD, sarin and phosgene nerve gases, cyanide, PCP and even THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
The lawsuit described it as a "vast program of human experimentation" that was "shrouded in secrecy" and carried out without the informed consent of the experiment subjects.
"In 1970, [the CIA] provided Congress with an alphabetical list showing that they had tested 145 drugs during Projects Bluebird, Artichoke, MKULTRA and MKDELTA," the lawsuit stated, as quoted at Courthouse News.
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CIA blocking lawsuit over experiments on troops
By Daniel Tencer
Friday, August 27th, 2010
An advocacy group working on behalf of Vietnam veterans has asked a federal judge in California to sanction the CIA, saying the spy agency has been blocking efforts to uncover its role in alleged experiments on US soldiers from the 1950s to 1970s.
The Vietnam Veterans of America filed a lawsuit on behalf of six Vietnam War veterans in January, 2009, claiming that the CIA had used an estimated 7,800 US service members as "guinea pigs" in experiments involving "at least 250, but as many as 400 chemical and biological agents," according to Courthouse News.
Among the chemicals the lawsuit alleges were used on the soldiers were LSD, sarin and phosgene nerve gases, cyanide, PCP and even THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
The lawsuit described it as a "vast program of human experimentation" that was "shrouded in secrecy" and carried out without the informed consent of the experiment subjects.
"In 1970, [the CIA] provided Congress with an alphabetical list showing that they had tested 145 drugs during Projects Bluebird, Artichoke, MKULTRA and MKDELTA," the lawsuit stated, as quoted at Courthouse News.
go here for more
CIA blocking lawsuit over experiments on troops
Honolulu Police Department award goes to two hero soldiers
Two soldiers honored for car crash aid
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 28, 2010 8:39:20 EDT
Staff Sgt. Cameron Grimone and his wife were giving a friend visiting on leave, 1st Lt. Joseph Fontana, a scenic tour of sunny Honolulu when a terrible crash happened before their eyes.
An old Toyota pickup truck raced by them on the H-1 Freeway, slammed into an embankment and flipped three times. The truck was on its side and on fire, the driver’s legs were pinned beneath the cab, and his head was bleeding heavily.
What Grimone and Fontana did next earned them the Honolulu Police Department’s highest medal for bravery, the Civilian Medal of Valor. Grimone received the award at an Aug. 7 ceremony, though Fontana had returned from Iraq the day before and missed the ceremony.
The two childhood buddies from Saranac Lake, N.Y., said they did not do anything extraordinary. As soldiers, they were trained to help, and that’s what they did.
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Two soldiers honored for car crash aid
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 28, 2010 8:39:20 EDT
Staff Sgt. Cameron Grimone and his wife were giving a friend visiting on leave, 1st Lt. Joseph Fontana, a scenic tour of sunny Honolulu when a terrible crash happened before their eyes.
An old Toyota pickup truck raced by them on the H-1 Freeway, slammed into an embankment and flipped three times. The truck was on its side and on fire, the driver’s legs were pinned beneath the cab, and his head was bleeding heavily.
What Grimone and Fontana did next earned them the Honolulu Police Department’s highest medal for bravery, the Civilian Medal of Valor. Grimone received the award at an Aug. 7 ceremony, though Fontana had returned from Iraq the day before and missed the ceremony.
The two childhood buddies from Saranac Lake, N.Y., said they did not do anything extraordinary. As soldiers, they were trained to help, and that’s what they did.
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Two soldiers honored for car crash aid
Hawaii reservists are not alone when they come home from battle
Hawaii reservists are not alone when they come home from battle
Aug 28, 2010
By Teri Okita
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Flashbacks, insomnia, hallucinations - all very real problems for some of Hawaii's returning servicemembers.
"It was pretty rough. I did have nightmares. The stress level was pretty high for me, just because of what I experienced there."
Sergeant Noelani DE Silva saw some pretty horrific things during her 10 month tour in Iraq. "I had no choice but to be strong, "she says. DE Silva's job was to meet with and collect personal information from injured soldiers - many who's limbs had been blown off from roadside bombs.
When she returned home to Hawaii in 2007, she had a hard time adjusting, although she was never specifically diagnosed with PTSD. Still, at first, she didn't want counseling. "I did actually go and seek help afterwards for relief, ‘cause I couldn't sleep, and it was real difficult."
DE Silva still battles some emotions, especially when thinking about a fellow soldier who she took under her wing in Iraq. She tears up when saying "He's still having problems, and we've been back for what, three years now? So, I still carry that burden because it kind of destroyed his personal life."
The Department of Defense finally decided it needed to specifically address the problems and challenges of reservists. Since 9-11, the military has had to call upon more part-time servicemembers for both Iraq and Afghanistan, and many have gone on multiple tours in the Middle East. When they return from war, their needs are often quite different from those on active duty.
Many return, not to the security and familiarity of a military base, but to their civilian lives where they were often left on their own. So, two summers ago - seven years after the September 11th attacks - the DOD launched the Yellow Ribbon program.
read more here
Hawaii reservists are not alone when they come home from battle
Aug 28, 2010
By Teri Okita
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Flashbacks, insomnia, hallucinations - all very real problems for some of Hawaii's returning servicemembers.
"It was pretty rough. I did have nightmares. The stress level was pretty high for me, just because of what I experienced there."
Sergeant Noelani DE Silva saw some pretty horrific things during her 10 month tour in Iraq. "I had no choice but to be strong, "she says. DE Silva's job was to meet with and collect personal information from injured soldiers - many who's limbs had been blown off from roadside bombs.
When she returned home to Hawaii in 2007, she had a hard time adjusting, although she was never specifically diagnosed with PTSD. Still, at first, she didn't want counseling. "I did actually go and seek help afterwards for relief, ‘cause I couldn't sleep, and it was real difficult."
DE Silva still battles some emotions, especially when thinking about a fellow soldier who she took under her wing in Iraq. She tears up when saying "He's still having problems, and we've been back for what, three years now? So, I still carry that burden because it kind of destroyed his personal life."
The Department of Defense finally decided it needed to specifically address the problems and challenges of reservists. Since 9-11, the military has had to call upon more part-time servicemembers for both Iraq and Afghanistan, and many have gone on multiple tours in the Middle East. When they return from war, their needs are often quite different from those on active duty.
Many return, not to the security and familiarity of a military base, but to their civilian lives where they were often left on their own. So, two summers ago - seven years after the September 11th attacks - the DOD launched the Yellow Ribbon program.
read more here
Hawaii reservists are not alone when they come home from battle
Military Suicide Prevention Task Force Report
Military Suicide Prevention Task Force Report
Aug 24, 2010
Department of Defense
Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces
The Armed Services Suicide Prevention Task Force presented its final report. The report contained a number of finding and included recommendations to overhaul the Department of Defense's ability to react to increasing suicide rates and detect potential problems. Congress established the panel in .. Read More
The Armed Services Suicide Prevention Task Force presented its final report. The report contained a number of finding and included recommendations to overhaul the Department of Defense's ability to react to increasing suicide rates and detect potential problems. Congress established the panel in August 2009 to study the issue of suicides in the military. The group has seven members from the military and seven members with professional suicide prevention and mental health backgrounds.
go here for videos
http://c-spanvideo.org/program/295153-1&personid=9274079
Aug 24, 2010
Department of Defense
Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces
The Armed Services Suicide Prevention Task Force presented its final report. The report contained a number of finding and included recommendations to overhaul the Department of Defense's ability to react to increasing suicide rates and detect potential problems. Congress established the panel in .. Read More
The Armed Services Suicide Prevention Task Force presented its final report. The report contained a number of finding and included recommendations to overhaul the Department of Defense's ability to react to increasing suicide rates and detect potential problems. Congress established the panel in August 2009 to study the issue of suicides in the military. The group has seven members from the military and seven members with professional suicide prevention and mental health backgrounds.
go here for videos
http://c-spanvideo.org/program/295153-1&personid=9274079
Korean War veteran receives medal of valor
Korean War veteran receives medal of valor
Lisa Irish/The Daily Courier
A Korean War veteran in hospice at the Bob Stump Veterans Affairs Medical Center received the Warriors Medal of Valor on Thursday afternoon as his wife Joy, daughter and others looked on in the community living center's dining room.
As flute music played, Ed Albert, a member of the Cherokee of the Bear Clan, gently touched Jim Bork, 78, of Camp Verde, with an eagle feather and blessed him with a smoldering bundle of sweet sage.
"It is an honor and a pleasure to award you the Warriors Medal of Valor for your service to this country and your people. This is just a small token of our appreciation," said U.S. Marine Corps (retired) Sgt. Alfonso Santillan Jr., commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 608. "We thank you for a job well done."
Then Larry Kimmel of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and a member of the Miami Tribe of Indians of Indiana presented Bork with his medal.
The Warriors Medal of Honor was designed by Marshall Tall Eagle Serna, who wanted to honor veterans with a medallion to show appreciation for their sacrifices, Santillan said.
read more here
Korean War veteran receives medal of valor
Lisa Irish/The Daily Courier
A Korean War veteran in hospice at the Bob Stump Veterans Affairs Medical Center received the Warriors Medal of Valor on Thursday afternoon as his wife Joy, daughter and others looked on in the community living center's dining room.
As flute music played, Ed Albert, a member of the Cherokee of the Bear Clan, gently touched Jim Bork, 78, of Camp Verde, with an eagle feather and blessed him with a smoldering bundle of sweet sage.
"It is an honor and a pleasure to award you the Warriors Medal of Valor for your service to this country and your people. This is just a small token of our appreciation," said U.S. Marine Corps (retired) Sgt. Alfonso Santillan Jr., commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 608. "We thank you for a job well done."
Then Larry Kimmel of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and a member of the Miami Tribe of Indians of Indiana presented Bork with his medal.
The Warriors Medal of Honor was designed by Marshall Tall Eagle Serna, who wanted to honor veterans with a medallion to show appreciation for their sacrifices, Santillan said.
read more here
Korean War veteran receives medal of valor
Vietnam Vet, Charles "Larry" Deibert honored by Oregon Army National Guard
This is one incredible story about a hero Vietnam Vet!
Oregon Guard aviator, who saved Marines in Vietnam, honored with Salem building
Friday, August 27, 2010
Julie Sullivan, The Oregonian
For decades, as he aged into a salesman with silver hair and a golden touch, no one knew the story, except the men he served with, and the men he saved.
Today, the two groups will meet in Salem so the rest of Oregon will know how Charles "Larry" Deibert flew a two-seater Cessna into history over South Vietnam.
The Oregon Army National Guard will dedicate its new $14.8 million aviation center to Deibert, the most decorated living Oregon Guard aviator. The center is the hub for the Guard's 12 search-and-rescue Blackhawks, firefighting and the civil support team that responds to chemical, biologic or nuclear attacks. It replaces a double-wide trailer and a hangar.
On hand to celebrate will be 76 of the 3rd Battalion/26th Regiment Marines, who arrived in Portland Wednesday for a reunion hosted by Deibert. Their lives turned on Sept. 10, 1967, at a place called Ambush Valley in South Vietnam. More than 800 Marines were on the ground, outnumbered 6-to-1. Deibert was above, flying the improbably low and slow reconnaissance plane known as a "bird dog."
"I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for Larry," says Moe Miller, 63, who lives off the grid in rural Ohio. "And these men wouldn't be here either."
For Deibert, though, Sept. 10 was like Oct. 11, or Nov. 12, "another day." After a year in combat, he had flown 570 missions, including 73 over North Vietnam. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Vietnam Crosses for Gallantry, a Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service medals, and 25 other awards. He was back in the Oregon Guard and working when he was called to Camp Rilea on the Oregon Coast in 1968 and presented with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest American decoration, second only to the Medal of Honor for his actions on Sept. 10, 1967.
Oregon Guard aviator
Vietnan veteran Larry Deibert
US taxpayers pay for computers for Iraqi kids, but they were auctioned off
Military: Where are PCs bought for Iraqi kids?
By Rebecca Santana - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 27, 2010 16:38:53 EDT
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military is demanding to know what happened to $1.9 million worth of computers purchased by American taxpayers and intended for Iraqi schoolchildren that have instead been auctioned off by Iraqi officials for less than $50,000, the military said Friday.
The U.S. press release was a rare public admission by the military of the loss of American taxpayer money in Iraq and an equally rare criticism of Iraqi officials with whom the Americans are trying to partner as the military hands over more and more responsibility and withdraws troops from the country.
A shipment of computers intended for schoolchildren in the central Babil province was found to have been auctioned on Aug. 16 for $45,700 — before the computers could be sent to the province, the U.S. military said.
The computers were auctioned off by a senior Iraqi official at the southern port of Umm Qasr, the statement said.
“United States Division-South Commander Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks called for an immediate investigation into the actions of the Umm Qasr official to determine why computers destined for children to facilitate their education were approved for auction,” it read.
go here for more
Where are PCs bought for Iraqi kids
By Rebecca Santana - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 27, 2010 16:38:53 EDT
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military is demanding to know what happened to $1.9 million worth of computers purchased by American taxpayers and intended for Iraqi schoolchildren that have instead been auctioned off by Iraqi officials for less than $50,000, the military said Friday.
The U.S. press release was a rare public admission by the military of the loss of American taxpayer money in Iraq and an equally rare criticism of Iraqi officials with whom the Americans are trying to partner as the military hands over more and more responsibility and withdraws troops from the country.
A shipment of computers intended for schoolchildren in the central Babil province was found to have been auctioned on Aug. 16 for $45,700 — before the computers could be sent to the province, the U.S. military said.
The computers were auctioned off by a senior Iraqi official at the southern port of Umm Qasr, the statement said.
“United States Division-South Commander Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks called for an immediate investigation into the actions of the Umm Qasr official to determine why computers destined for children to facilitate their education were approved for auction,” it read.
go here for more
Where are PCs bought for Iraqi kids
Friday, August 27, 2010
Facebook Virginia Tech blogger ordered by judge to join military
Judge orders man to join military
By Scott Johnson - The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser
Posted : Friday Aug 27, 2010 13:00:19 EDT
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A judge ordered an Alabama man to join the military as a condition for of his probation for a provocative Facebook message about the mass killing at Virginia Tech.
Zachary Lambert pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of harassing communications, and a judge in Montgomery placed the 23-year-old man on probation.
read more here
Judge orders man to join military
By Scott Johnson - The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser
Posted : Friday Aug 27, 2010 13:00:19 EDT
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A judge ordered an Alabama man to join the military as a condition for of his probation for a provocative Facebook message about the mass killing at Virginia Tech.
Zachary Lambert pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of harassing communications, and a judge in Montgomery placed the 23-year-old man on probation.
read more here
Judge orders man to join military
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