Soldier's Parent Went to Hockey Game and Love Broke Out

Living in Massachusetts most of my life, folks usually said "Went to a fight and hockey game broke out" but in this case, Soldier's parents went a game and love broke out. The shock was clearly seen on his Mom's face, especially after Soldier and Dad ended up falling.


Apr 11, 2015
U.S. Army Sergeant Dan Urman surprises his family as they are about to drop the ceremonial puck before the Coyotes final game of the season.

VA Suicide Mockingwitch Resigned!

Aside from the best part of this article is the resignation of the Mockingwitch (apologies to Hunger Games Mockingjay) this part pretty much sums up what went on.

"The 'elf' email I sent in December 2014 was to an internal staff email group following a clinic holiday lunch party," she said. "I take full responsibility for sending the email; however, the intent of the email and pictures has been misrepresented. My intent was not to mock Veterans; the intent was to thank the team for their work in dealing with tough issues on a daily basis. The elf did not represent a Veteran; it was a toy elf — nothing more."

In other words, she's sorry she got caught.

VA supervisor resigns after email controversy
Indy Star
Tony Cook
April 10, 2015

Paul said the email was taken out of context and was never intended to mock veterans.

The supervisor at Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center who sent an email that appears to mock veteran suicides has resigned.

Robin Paul, who managed the Indianapolis hospital's transitional clinic for returning veterans, submitted her resignation on Tuesday.

"Even though I have had an excellent work history with the VA, my career with the VA is effectively over as a result of this incident and the resulting public and political pressure," she said in a statement provided to The Indianapolis Star through her attorney, Barclay Wong.

Paul said she and her family have been subjected to "harassment and hostility" as a result of the email's publication.

"I received death threats, my minor child was harassed, and we had to seek police protection," she said.
read more here

Death threats are not cool and shouldn't have happened. Nothing righteous in them at all. For her part, she should have resigned and cooled tempers right away. After all, VA Suicides Bigger Than 1 Employee with Elf! In the end, she is not ashamed of any of this but blames everyone else for learning about what she did.

Judas Johns Sacrificed Veterans Instead of Fixing VA

There are many problems with this speech. McCain was talking about problems veterans faced while he had been in the Senate for decades along with the other simple fact that George Bush was President at the time this speech was given.
FIXING THEM EVEN WHEN THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC ARE NOT WATCHING.

REFORM BEGINS WITH APPOINTING A SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WHO IS A LEADER OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER AND WHO LISTENS TO VETERANS AND VETERANS' SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. MY VA SECRETARY MUST BE A FORCEFUL ADVOCATE FOR VETERANS AND A FORTHRIGHT ADVISER TO ME SO WE CAN MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES ABOUT BUDGETING, HEALTH CARE, AND OTHER VETERANS' BENEFIT ISSUES. HE OR SHE WILL ALSO NEED TO BE A HIGH ENERGY LEADER, TOO, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN IMPROVING SERVICE TO VETERANS. VETERANS MUST BE TREATED FAIRLY AND AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS THEY SEEK COMPENSATION FOR DISABILITY OR ILLNESS. WE KNOW THEM COMPASSION AND HANDS-ON CARE IN THEIR TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE. 

So why exactly didn't they fix all the problems veterans have faced for decades? Why did reform lead to more trouble for veterans and their families?

AS PRESIDENT, AND WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO SERVE TODAY AND THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE PAST HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, AND REHABILITATIVE CARE IN THE WORLD. I WILL NOT ACCEPT A SITUATION IN WHICH VETERANS ARE DENIED ACCESS TO CARE ON ACCOUNT OF TRAVEL DISTANCES, AND BACKLOGS OF APPOINTMENTS, AND YEARS OF PENDING VISIBILITY EVALUATIONS AND CLAIMS. WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN.

Then why didn't he do it as Senator? Why didn't he ever serve of the Veterans Affairs Committee if veteran were so important to him?

WE SHOULD NO LONGER TOLERATE REQUIRING VETERANS TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO STAND IN LINE FOR A TICKET TO STAND IN LINE FOR ANOTHER. I AM NOT HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A COST THAT IS TOO HIGH TO BE PAID IN THE CARE OF OUR NATION'S VETERANS. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT CONGRESS OF FUNDS THE VA HEALTH CARE BUDGET IN A SUFFICIENT, TIMELY, AND PREDICTABLE MANNER. 

Predictable to veterans was and is a lot different from veterans' point of view.  They predicted they would continue to get the raw end of the deal.  They were right.

REFORM DOES NOT STOP THERE. WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS RECEIVE BENEFITS QUICKLY BASED ON FAIR AND PREDICTABLE STANDARDS. WE MUST ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF CAPACITY EXCESS WITHIN THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM. THIS WILL INVOLVE A WIDE RANGE OF INITIATIVES. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SIMPLE AND DIRECT REFORM THAT WE SHOULD MAKE RIGHT AWAY.

Again, then why didn't he or any other member of Congress manage to do that? Remember, this speech was way back in 2008.

MY ADMINISTRATION WILL CREATE A VETERANS' CARE ACCESS CARD TO BE USED BY VETERANS WITH ILLNESS OR INJURY INCURRED DURING MILITARY SERVICE AND BY THOSE WITH LOW INCOMES. THIS CARD WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH TIMELY ACCESS TO VA FACILITIES. IT WILL GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO USE THE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES CLOSER TO THEIR HOMES. FOR MANY VETERANS, THE CLOSEST HEALTH CARE FACILITY IS NOT CLOSE ENOUGH. MANY LOCAL PROVIDERS ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMON NEEDS OF VETERANS. OFTEN, ALL THAT PREVENTS THEM FROM RECEIVING LOCAL CARE IS THE SYSTEM FOR SHARING MEDICAL RECORDS AMONG VA, DOD, AND CIVILIAN DOCTORS AND HEALTH-CARE SYSTEMS. THIS WILL IMPROVE CARE, REDUCED RISK, AND BROADEN ACCESS AT THE SAME TIME. NEVER AGAIN SHOULD A VETERAN STAND IN LINE TO STAND IN LINE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT TO GET AN APPOINTMENT.

THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
THIS CARD IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE THE VA OR PRIVATIZE VETERANS' HEALTH CARE.

That part is really funny considering it isn't just want some thought would happen.  It is what most feared was the ultimate goal.

SOME HAVE WRONGLY CHARGED THAT. I BELIEVE THE VA ALWAYS BE THERE TO PROVIDE TOP-QUALITY CARE FOR OUR VETERANS. I BELIEVE THE VA SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BROAD SPECTRUM HEALTH CARE TO ELIGIBLE VETERANS IN ADDITION TO SPECIALIZED CARE IN AREAS SUCH A SPINAL INJURIES, PROSTHETICS, AND BLINDNESS. THESE ARE SERVICES WHERE THE VA AT THE STANDARD IN MEDICAL CARE. EVEN SO, THERE ARE VETERANS ELIGIBLE FOR CARE WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY ABLE TO RECEIVE IT BECAUSE OF DISTANCE, READ IT WAITING TIMES, OR THE ABSENCE OF CERTAIN SPECIALTIES.

THE NEW CARD I PROPOSE WILL OFFER BETTER ALTERNATIVES TO PROVIDE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE EARNED. REFORM MUST ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT GREATER CARE IS NEEDED FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF INJURIES. IN THE SENATE, WHO HELPED AUTHOR THE WOUNDED WARRIORS ACT. IT WAS THE FIRST MAJOR LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.


YOU HAVE MY PLEDGE, MY REFORMS WOULD NOT FORCE ANYONE TO GO TO A NON-VA FACILITY. THAT IS MY PROMISE. [APPLAUSE] THEY WILL NOT SIGNAL PRIVATIZATION OF VA. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE ANY SCHEDULED EXPANSION OF THE VA NETWORK, INCLUDING THOSE FACILITIES DESIGNED TO HELP VETERANS LIVING IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS. I SUPPOSE FROM MY OPPONENT'S THE VANTAGE POINT, THIS IS JUST ONE MORE ISSUE TO BE USED TO ADVANTAGE.

Nice speech but not much more than that. McCain said that he did not intend to privatize the VA. That is what he said, at least in this speech, however, it seems that was exactly what he intended.

Joe Violanti, legislative director of the Disabled American Veterans, a nonpartisan organization, said the proposal would increase costs because private hospitals are more expensive. The increased cost could lead to further rationing of care, he said.
Republican offers plan to let some get care outside VA

But as with most things, members of Congress cause the problem and then blame the VA for what goes wrong.

Veterans who need to see a doctor often have to travel long distances – 40 miles or more – to get to a Department of Veterans Affairs facility. So last year, after scandals involving long wait times for vets, Congress tried to make getting care easier.

The Veterans Choice Act gives veterans the option of using a doctor outside the VA system if VA facilities are more than 40 miles away, or there's more than a 30-day wait for an appointment.

While the rule seems simple, making it work hasn't been as easy. In Indiana, for example, veterans are still having to go far to get the care they need.

John Birdzell is a retired Army vet who volunteers to pick up other veterans at their homes and bring them to the Adam Benjamin Jr., VA Medical Clinic in Crown Point, Ind. On this cold, early morning, Birdzell waits in the facility's empty parking lot while 30 mile-an-hour wind gusts swirl the lake effect snow coming off of Lake Michigan.

"We owe it to veterans not to burden them further as far as this travel."
- Rep. Peter Vosclosky (D-Ind.)

"I guess I've driven in worse conditions," he says. "It just gets to be a challenge on days like this."
Veterans Choice Act Fails To Ease Travel Burdens For Vets In Need Of Care

The message has been delivered but care has not. The promises have been made but not kept. Members of Congress have had too many decades to fix the VA for all veterans. Why haven't they? Because some members like John McCain and John Boehner want it turned over to for profit doctors and hospitals.

From John Boehner's webpage

FACT: The president has failed to offer a long-term, comprehensive plan to address the problems at the VA.

On his recent trip to Phoenix, President Obama signaled his lack of focus on veterans issues by skipping a visit to the VA facility where at least 40 veterans lost their lives awaiting care.

Meanwhile, “More than 600,000 veterans — 10 percent of all the Veterans Affairs patients — continue to wait a month or more for appointments at VA hospitals and clinics,” according to a recent USA Today report.

The White House has been on notice for years that “VA medical facilities were reporting inaccurate waiting times and experiencing scheduling failures that threatened to deny veterans timely health care,” says the Washington Times.

Boehner simply omitted a few facts such as Congress writes the bills and not only sets the rules, funds the Department of Veterans Affairs, they have the obligation to make sure it all works.

Boehner did an interview with the Columbus Dispatch and explained why they haven't fixed anything in decades.

More than two decades ago, House Speaker John Boehner said, he floated an idea that was controversial: Why not privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs?

The idea was soundly rejected by veterans’ organizations.

Now, in the midst of a sweeping scandal over allegations that government officials falsified reports on how long veterans were waiting for medical treatment, Boehner said yesterday that the idea still has merit.

“I still like the idea, and especially now,” he said.

So they decided to break the VA in order to do exactly what they wanted to do.

Just goes to show that these Judas Johns didn't care how many veterans had to be sacrificed in the process of getting what they wanted.

War Followed Chris Journeau Home

Chris Journeau returned from a war that followed him home 
New Hampshire Sunday News
By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
April 11, 2015

Police later gave the Clarks the gun Chris had used to kill himself. "Merrill put it in a vise and just smashed it so it would never be used again," Clark said.

STRATHAM - Chris Journeau was always an outdoors kind of kid. He loved mountain biking, camping, bonfires and playing guitar.

After high school, he went to work for his uncles' construction business. He had good friends and a happy life.

Then one day he told his mother he was joining the Army.

"I begged him not to," Jo-Ann Clark said.

The day the recruiter showed up to pick Chris up, Clark said, "I didn't answer the door. I was hoping he'd just leave."

He didn't.

Chris served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He always told his mother not to watch the news about what was going on over there. She tried not to.

Her son returned safe from Iraq and at first was "ecstatic" to be home, Clark said.

The officers told them to wait outside and then one came back out. "I'm sorry. The person inside is deceased," he told Clark. "I honestly thought there must have been an accident," she said. "I knew he didn't want to die."

A short time later, the medical examiner came out to deliver the grim news: it wasn't an accident. Chris had left a note."If I do this I'm sorry. I just can't and don't want to do this anymore. I'm sorry but I'm really just sick of this. Goodbye for now." Police later gave the Clarks the gun Chris had used to kill himself. "Merrill put it in a vise and just smashed it so it would never be used again," Clark said.
read more here

Vietnam Veterans Need No Reminders of War

Vietnam veterans say they need no reminders of war 
Standard Speaker
BY JILL WHALEN
Published: April 12, 2015

“Every single day, I think we all think of Vietnam almost every single day,” said Dando, of Gordon.

Daniel Krauson has a ritual when he visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“There are a few names on there that I always walk over to,” he said.

So does fellow Vietnam veteran Ed Bickowski.

“I guess we all do,” Bickowski said, referring to others who made it back from the war.

This year marks 50 since U.S. combat troops became involved in the Vietnam ground war, and to mark the event, the Pentagon is planning a series of commemorative events beginning in May.

Krauson, Bickowski, and fellow veterans Ed Macknis and Tom Dando recently met at the Anthony P. Damato American Legion “Medal of Honor” Post 792 in Shenandoah and agreed that they don’t need to be reminded of the war.

“Every single day, I think we all think of Vietnam almost every single day,” said Dando, of Gordon.

And while they’re not opposed to the commemoration, the local men agreed that all veterans — regardless of where and when they served — deserve respect and support.

“We don’t want to see our troops coming back the way we did. Not at all,” said Krauson, of Shenandoah, who served in the U.S. Air Force Security Police from 1967-68.

“After the way Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home — the lack of honoring them really played a big part of what goes on today,” said Dando, who served in the Army infantry from 1968-69. “I think people in this country did not want to allow what happened to the Vietnam veterans for whatever reasons to happen to the young men and women of today.”

For the most part, there were no parades or celebrations. Some, like Krauson, ran into anti-war protests upon their return.

“We got off the plane and they briefed us in a room,” Krauson said, remembering the landing in California with Air Force, Marine and Army personnel. “They said, we are going to put you on buses to take you out to the airport. Expect eggs. Expect tomatoes being thrown at you. When you get off the bus, you’re going to have protesters.”
read more here



If you don't believe that part, they listen to what happened to MOH Sammy Davis after he was wounded saving lives in Vietnam. The citation is read while Sammy talked about when he came home.

Disabled Veteran Loses Caregiver Wife's Benefits

4 tours in 4 years! Wow. There is a section in this article that sums up what has been missed all along.

“The stipend is not an entitlement or benefit but rather recognition of the care and support a caregiver provides to the veteran,” Meyer said in the email. “The stipend may change or be discontinued if the veteran’s care needs change.”

Thanks to Congress, they do not give the same recognition to older veterans families, offering the same care for the same wounds for a lot longer.

Hill County veteran, wife fighting loss of VA caregiver benefits
Waco Trib
By REGINA DENNIS
April 12, 2015

The couple lost their initial appeal of the decision. The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, which administers the caregiver benefits to veterans in this region, wrote in a decision letter to the family that Thomas Hopkins’ case “does not indicate a serious physical or psychological injury” that requires full-time caregiving assistance.

Staff photo— Jerry Larson
Kristina Hopkins kisses her husband, Thomas, on the forehead. The couple says they were wrongfully dropped from the caregiver program at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System despite that they say Kristina must stay home full-time to care for her husband due to his injuries.

A Hill County veteran and his wife think they were wrongfully dropped from a Veterans Affairs program that helped cover caregiver services he relied on because of debilitating service injuries.

Kristina Hopkins was accepted into the VA’s caregiver support program in 2011. She provided round-the-clock care and assistance for her husband, Thomas, a disabled Army veteran who completed three tours of duty in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2005, plus an 18-month stint in Iraq beginning in 2006.

The program grants compensation to the spouse or designated relative who provides full-time care to a veteran, presumably forgoing full-time job opportunities to do so.

But the Hopkinses, who live in Blum, were notified in June that they were being dropped from the program, despite Thomas Hopkins being confined to a wheelchair most days because of degenerative arthritis he says he developed as a result of his paratrooper duties with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Kristina Hopkins quit working six years ago to take care of her husband. Without the caregiver benefits, the family cannot afford the mortgage on their home and now must move.

For example, Thomas Hopkins said he suffered at least three traumatic brain injuries while in service, which has affected his memory and concentration. He said he also was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sciatic nerve damage and post-concussive headaches.
read more here

Veterans Message To Congress, We're Not Disposable!

Members of Congress hope that no one noticed they were responsible for how veterans were treated in this country. Any wonder why they feel like they do?

Legislation Within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Veterans' measures generally.
Pensions of all the wars of the U.S., general and special.
Life insurance issued by the government on account of service in the Armed Forces.
Compensation, vocational rehabilitation, and education of veterans.
Veterans' hospitals, medical care, and treatment of veterans.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief.
Readjustment of servicemen to civilian life.
National Cemeteries.
Complete Jurisdiction of the Committee

The Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established March 15, 1989, with Cabinet rank, succeeding the Veterans Administration and assuming responsibility for providing federal benefits to veterans and their dependents. Led by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 14 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs of health care assistance services and national cemeteries.

1930

The Veterans Administration was created by Executive Order S.398, signed by President Herbert Hoover on July 21, 1930. At that time, there were 54 hospitals, 4.7 million living veterans, and 31,600 employees.

1946
House Veterans Affairs Committee

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives was authorized by enactment of Public Law 601, 79th Congress, which was entitled "Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946." Section 121(a) of this Act provides: "there shall be elected by the House at the commencement of each Congress the following standing committees": Nineteen Committees are listed and No. 18 quotes: "Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to consist of 27 Members." This Act has since been amended so that there are now 22 Standing Committees in the House of Representatives. The number of Members (Representatives) authorized to serve on each Committee has been changed from time to time. There are currently 29 members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

VA History in Brief

WWII

On Feb. 1, 1946, Bradley reported that the VA was operating 97 hospitals with a total bed capacity of 82,241 patients. Hospital construction then in progress projected another 13,594 beds. Money was available for another 12,706 beds with the construction of 25 more hospitals and additions to 11 others. But because of the demobilization, the total number of veterans would jump to more than 15 million within a few months. The existing VA hospitals were soon filled to capacity, and there were waiting lists for admission at practically all hospitals. In addition, there were 26,057 nonservice-connected cases on the hospital waiting list.

Until more VA hospitals could be opened, the Navy and Army both made beds available. To handle the dramatic increase in veterans claims, VA Central Office staff was increased in two years from 16,966 to 22,008. In the same period, field staff, charged with providing medical care, education benefits, disability payments, home loans and other benefits, rose from 54,689 employees to 96,047.

Korea

The Korean War, creating new veterans on top of the millions who came home from World War II, brought additional workloads to the VA. The number of VA hospitals between 1942 and 1950 had increased from 97 to 151. As of November 30, 1952, the VA had a workforce of some 164,000 employees working at the Central Office and its 541 hospitals, regional offices and other field stations. A daily average of 128,000 veterans received medical and domiciliary care. Each year 2.5 million veterans received outpatient and dental care at VA facilities. Each month 2.5 million veterans and dependents received $125 million in compensation and pensions.

Vietnam

Congress at first limited benefits for the Vietnam War to veterans whose service occurred between Aug. 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975. Congress later expanded the period to Feb. 28, 1961, for veterans who served in country. During this period, more than 6 million Vietnam-era veterans were separated from military service. A major difference of Vietnam-era veterans from those of earlier wars was the larger percentage of disabled. Advances in airlift and medical treatment meant that many wounded and injured personnel survived who would have died in earlier wars. By 1972 there were 308,000 veterans with disabilities connected to military service.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

President Reagan signed legislation in 1988 to elevate VA to Cabinet status and, on March 15, 1989, the Veterans Administration became the Department of Veterans Affairs. Edward J. Derwinski, VA administrator at the time, was appointed the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs. As reorganized, the department included three main elements: the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration, which was renamed the Veterans Health Administration; the Veterans Benefits Administration; and the National Cemetery System.

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War, which began in August 1990 as Operation Desert Shield and became Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, created a new climate in U.S. society favorable to military personnel and veterans benefits. As of July 1, 1992, there were 664,000 Persian Gulf War veterans, not including Reservists called up for active duty. Of these, 88,000, or 13.2 percent, were women.

The Rise (and Fall) of the VA Backlog, TIME, By Brandon Friedman, June 03, 2013

On the January afternoon Eric Shinseki took over as the nation’s seventh VA secretary, he inherited a mess.

To his immediate front, the former Army chief of staff faced a paper mountain of 391,127 separate disability claims—filed by veterans from every conflict since World War II. Nearly a quarter of the claims (more than 85,000) had been languishing in the system for more than six months.

Expanding eligibility for veterans affected by PTSD and Agent Orange more than doubled the claims backlog.

As if the paper weren’t problem enough, Shinseki and his staff soon learned that thousands of Vietnam War veterans—many with whom he likely served—had been barred from claiming disability benefits for conditions related to their exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

The gravity of this situation in early 2009—with one war ending and another still raging—was not lost on the new boss. Compounding his problem, however, was the fact that he had little to work with in terms of a technological solution. VA was paper-bound, its IT system antiquated—and it had been this way for years.

Everyone knew this.

Everyone but members of Congress since all they've done for decades is blame the VA when they were supposed to be responsible for taking care of veterans. After all, they control all the funding, make the rules and pass all the bills.

This is from New York Times

Veterans Affairs Faces Surge of Disability Claims, By JAMES DAO Published: July 12, 2009

Veterans advocates say the actual backlog is nearing one million, if minor claims, educational programs and appeals of denied claims are factored in. They point to the discovery last year of benefits applications in disposal bins at several department offices as evidence of shoddy handling of claims. And they assert that they routinely see frustratingly long delays on what seem like straightforward claims.

One group, Veterans for Common Sense, has obtained records showing that some veterans are calling suicide hotlines to talk about their delayed disability claims. The group has called on the department to replace Veterans Benefits Administration leaders.

“We’re not saying vets are threatening to commit suicide over the claims issues,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of the group. “We’re saying V.A.’s claim situation is so bad that it is exacerbating veterans’ already difficult situations.”

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has emerged as one of the most prevalent disability claims, after ailments like back pain and knee injuries. Not only are many new veterans receiving a diagnosis of the disorder, but an increasing number of Vietnam veterans are also reporting symptoms for the first time, officials and advocates said.

Ok, so while Congress has managed to forget what they were supposed to do, veterans remembered. They have a message for politicians, WE'RE NOT DISPOSABLE!

This dumpster was supplied by Pro-Demo

Mickey Grosman

Veterans keep having to help other veterans out of where Congress

keeps sending them.

Veterans have more news coming for members of Congress

Check back tomorrow!

UPDATE, here's the video

Vietnam Veteran Killed By Police Was Passionate and Complex

Man shot by Glendale police was passionate, complex 
The Republic
Matthew Casey and Liz Nichols
April 10, 2015

"Joe was one of those guys that, if it had something to do with vets, all you had to do is ask him," Weiers said. 

Dallas Tassinari holds a photo of of his father (right), Joe, as a young family man. Joe Tassinari was fatally shot by a Glendale police officer in March 2015 after the officer said he felt threatened by Tassinari.
(Photo: Matthew Casey)

Joe Tassinari and his son, Dallas, did everything together. But when Dallas became a teenager, he found it impossible to tell his dad those three little words.

"So that is what I'm going to start telling people, especially little kids, is you gotta say you love your parents every chance you get," Dallas said, "because you don't know the last time you're going to get the chance to."

Glendale police fatally shot Joe Tassinari in March 2015 outside his home near 67th and Peoria avenues. An officer said Tassinari, who was suspected of displaying a firearm at a woman earlier that night, did not obey commands and made a threatening move by reaching for his waistband. Dallas and neighbors said Tassinari typically kept a gun on him in one of his back pockets.

"I don't understand why this happened," Dallas, 28, said. "I still can't believe he's gone. The whole neighborhood is hurting."

Family and friends — the Mayor of Glendale among them — are trying to make sense of their loss as police continue their investigation, and they want answers.

Mayor Jerry Weiers said he had been friends with Tassinari for about a decade. The men worked together on veterans issues when Weiers was in state government.

Weiers said Tassinari, a Vietnam veteran, was a complex and compassionate man who didn't have much, but he always gave of himself to his neighborhood and Glendale.
read more here

Veteran Gets Home Detention After Police Standoff

Veteran accused of shooting at police on home detention
By The Associated Press
POSTED: 04/10/15

ATLANTIC CITY
A veteran accused of shooting at Atlantic City police officers during a standoff is out of jail.

A judge is allowing 36-year-old Christopher Gerace to stay with his brother as long as he wears a monitoring bracelet while he awaits trial.

Gerace barricaded himself in the home in July and the standoff ended after he ran naked out the back door and was subdued.
read more here

Police standoff in Atlantic City brings focus to veterans' problems
Press Of Atlantic City
By LYNDA COHEN Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 9, 2014

“Our family had put our faith in his commanders and they have failed him and us,” Gerace’s wife wrote in a June 2012 email to government officials. “I am not only concerned about our situation, but how you may continue to fail soldiers who need help in the future.”

ATLANTIC CITY — Christopher Gerace’s untreated post-military mental health issues could have been deadly, his family said.

The Army and Marine veteran barricaded himself inside his parents’ Chelsea Heights home late Tuesday, with a large collection of weapons and a insistence that he didn’t want to live.

With Gerace cursing at hostage negotiators and shooting at police, those on scene said they feared it would end in “suicide by cop.” Instead, about an hour and 45 minutes after the call came in, the Atlantic City native ran from his childhood home naked, and was taken into custody.

“Here’s a guy who goes in, eyes wide open and wants to serve his country, and comes out a battered individual, a hurting individual, and doesn’t know how to cope,” said Capt. Tim Friel, who helped talk Gerace out without anyone hurt.

It’s a prime example of the problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs and its lacking of service for suffering veterans, U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, said Wednesday. Despite a bipartisan effort to fund services, the problems being uncovered daily are worse than the day before, he said.

“You can throw all the money at it you want, but if it’s not administered properly, the veterans are not going to get the help they need,” he said.
read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Killed in North Carolina Shooting

FORT BRAGG SOLDIER KILLED IN EARLY-MORNING FAYETTEVILLE SHOOTING
ABC News 11
By Nicole Carr
April 10, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) -- A Fort Bragg-based soldier was shot and killed in an early-morning shooting Friday.

Fayetteville Police identified the man as 24-year-old Duane Derek Davis. They initially stated Davis was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, but a military spokesman confirmed he was assigned to Fort Bragg.

Police said Davis was shot just before 5:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of Coronada Parkway. They said Davis was in the living room of the home when someone fired several shots into the house.

Davis was critically injured and pronounced dead at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Another unidentified male was in the home. That person was not injured.

Several hours after the shooting, about a dozen bullet markers lined the front yard of the home, from the bushes to the end of the driveway.
read more here

Family's 45 Year Wait Ends As Fallen Soldier Brought Home

Fallen soldier comes home from Vietnam 45 years later 
WCNC.com
April 9, 2015

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bunyan Price died 45 years ago during the Vietnam War. Today his family was finally able to see him come home.

The family was joined at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport by a police escort along with some 300 members of the Patriot Guard.

They looked on as the casket with Price's remains was slowly lowered from the aircraft that carried him on the last leg of his long journey home.

His uncle, Harley Walker Jr. said, "We were kind of shocked but it is a relief."

Relief that the family now knows what happened to Price, who was a 19 year old fighting in Vietnam.
read more here

Subclass of Fort Hood Wounded Don't Count

Fort Hood’s mentally wounded veterans don’t qualify for Purple Hearts 
2009 shooting now classified as ‘terror’
The Washington Times
By Jacqueline Klimas
Thursday, April 9, 2015

“They don’t think we should have that medal, because they don’t think we have been wounded. Well, I beg to differ,” said Mr. Woods, who is a Vietnam-era veteran who suffers from PTSD himself.

As victims and families are honored Friday for the sacrifices they made in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, some say the Department of Defense is ignoring soldiers who died from invisible wounds suffered that day.

The Defense Department is awarding 47 Purple Hearts and Defense of Freedom Medals, the latter being the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart, to victims and the families of those who were killed in the shooting.

The event holds special meaning to some, as it ends a years-long battle to classify the shooting as a terrorist attack, not workplace violence.

But for others, the battle is far from over.

“I will always have an empty chair at my table,” said Harold Berry, the father of a soldier stationed at the Texas base at the time of the shooting.

“A Purple Heart isn’t going to bring him back, but it would help my family have some closure.” 

 Mr. Berry’s son, Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Berry, committed suicide in February 2013. 

While he suffered a shoulder injury in the shootout on that November day in 2009, his father said it was the mental wounds sustained during the shooting that left a lasting impact and led to his death from PTSD. The younger Berry won’t be honored at tomorrow’s ceremony.
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Congress Offers Symbol to Fort Hood Soldiers, Not in a Good Way

Unless you have no clue how the government works you know that this is all tied to Congress and what they decided to leave out of this! Basically they ended up giving them something much different than a medal and more in line with a middle finger.

Fort Hood shooting victim denied benefits, despite Purple Heart decision
FOX News
By Catherine Herridge
Published April 10, 2015

EXCLUSIVE: The Obama administration has finally acknowledged that those hurt and killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings were victims of terrorism -- and not “workplace violence,” as it was previously described. But while formal recognition of that is set for Friday, when victims will receive the Purple Heart, it may only be symbolic.

Fox News has learned as part of its ongoing investigation of the 2009 terrorist attack that the military, at least in one case, is still denying benefits for injuries sustained in the attack.

"I think it's almost unheard of for someone to receive the Purple Heart but not have their injuries deemed combat-related," Shawn Manning, who was seriously injured in the 2009 attack, told Fox News. "I know that was not what Congress intended to have happen, but it is what currently the Army has determined is going to happen."

On Nov. 5, 2009, then-Staff Sgt. Manning was shot six times by Maj. Nidal Hasan. Two bullets are still in his body -- one in his leg, the other in his back -- and he suffers from PTSD.

The 2015 defense budget -- known as the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA -- included language that meant Fort Hood victims were eligible for the Purple Heart honor because the attack was inspired by a foreign terrorist group, and not workplace violence, as the Defense Department initially labeled it.
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Orlando area veterans needed for photo shoot

We've been planning a stunt for veterans to send a message most reporters miss. Up until now, we've kept it pretty quiet but ran into a problem.

We had enough veterans lined up to do this but it took time to work out the logistics, find the piece of equipment we needed and the location. We need more veterans now!

Orlando area veterans needed for photo shoot tomorrow at 9:00 am


Location 5176 West Colonial (Route 50) Orlando
Between Kirkman and Pine Hills

Wear a hat! This is a must!!!!! If you have extra hats, bring them just in case.


If you deployed in combat, wear where you served. If you didn't then, wear hat with your branch of service on it.

You can wear whatever else you want, serious or even funny like your PJs.

Shorts are good too, if you have the legs for them but please, for the sake of others, no socks and sandals!

Details not being released to public but you can call me to get more information at 407-754-7526. 

This veterans event is for all veterans!

This should all be done in less than 30 minutes!

Camp Pendleton Marines, Everything Working Against Them, Everyone For Each Other

Marines Awarded Navy Cross, Bronze Stars for Bravery in Afghanistan Battle 
NBC San Diego
By Andie Adams and Bridget Naso
Apr 9, 2015

“I asked the guys, I said, 'Look, does anyone have a problem with risking it to take these guys out there because if we don't, they're going to die here,’” said Jacklin. “And there wasn't a second of hesitation. Everyone says, ‘I'm in, let's do it, let's do it.”

Six Camp Pendleton Marines were honored Thursday for their bravery in Afghanistan: one with the Navy Cross, and the others with the Bronze Star. All part of a Marine Corps Special Operations Team, they took part in one of the most historic battles during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gunnery Sgt. Brian Jacklin, who was the team’s second in command, described the June 2012 battle at an early morning ceremony at Camp Pendleton Thursday.

He and ten fellow Marines were helping the Army stabilize villages in the Helmand province when they were surrounded on all sides by their foes. “The enemy had the advantage in terms of geographic position, they had the advantage in terms of local fire power.

Everything was working against that team,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman at the ceremony. 
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