Iraq veteran wrestles with his invisible wounds
By David Crary
AP National Writer
On the plus side, David McBee has a fiancee who stuck by him, a 2-year-old son who loves him. They've helped him persevere through dark times -- blackouts, anger, confusion -- as he struggles with the invisible wounds of his combat duty in Iraq.
As a Marine, McBee engaged in the initial assault on Iraq from Kuwait in 2003 and the often-chaotic battle of Fallujah in late 2004.
He returned to the United States in 2005, worked for a time with the postal service and got engaged. His fiancee, Audra Cardoza, gave birth to a son in 2006.
About a year after his return, McBee began to notice a change in his personality, including what he describes as "blackouts" -- periods of time he couldn't account for.
"One day, me and my buddies and fiancee, we went out and started drinking," he said. "I had a meltdown. ... All this stuff that was in my head that I'd never said to anybody started coming out. I couldn't stop crying."
The "stuff" included images of Fallujah residents, children among them, killed by his own unit as it swept through neighborhoods that were supposed to have been evacuated.
"We search houses. We see people in there -- they're not supposed to be there. They're considered hostile. We just opened fire," he said.
"We saw a little kid in the middle road. There was no stopping the convoy. We ran him over."
go here for more
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008374857_webvethome11.html
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Maj. Gen. Polly A. Peyer of Leesburg caps 33 years of military service with commander job
Maj. Gen. Polly A. Peyer of Leesburg caps 33 years of military service with commander job
Sara Sheckler | Special To The Sentinel
November 11, 2008
LEESBURG - A Leesburg native has been named the first female commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
Maj. Gen. Polly A. Peyer, who graduated from Leesburg High School in 1967, took command during a recent ceremony at the base.
The center is one of three Air Force air-logistics centers and the largest single-site industrial complex in Georgia, with more than 25,000 people.
"It is an honor to be the commander, regardless of gender," Peyer said.
Peyer, 59, is responsible for worldwide logistics support for C-130 and C-5 transport aircraft, F-15 fighter aircraft, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, remotely piloted vehicles, Air Force helicopters, air-to-air missiles, surface motor vehicles, high-technology airborne electronics, avionics and electronic warfare requirements.
click link for more
Sara Sheckler | Special To The Sentinel
November 11, 2008
LEESBURG - A Leesburg native has been named the first female commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
Maj. Gen. Polly A. Peyer, who graduated from Leesburg High School in 1967, took command during a recent ceremony at the base.
The center is one of three Air Force air-logistics centers and the largest single-site industrial complex in Georgia, with more than 25,000 people.
"It is an honor to be the commander, regardless of gender," Peyer said.
Peyer, 59, is responsible for worldwide logistics support for C-130 and C-5 transport aircraft, F-15 fighter aircraft, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, remotely piloted vehicles, Air Force helicopters, air-to-air missiles, surface motor vehicles, high-technology airborne electronics, avionics and electronic warfare requirements.
click link for more
I year old missing baby found, under floorboards!
KPTV: Missing girl, 1, found under floorboards
Missing Child, 1, Found Under Floorboards
Police Say Child Dirty, Unhurt After Ordeal
WOODBURN, Ore. -- A 1-year-old child reported missing Monday was found under the floorboards of her grandparents' home, causing the floor to have to be torn up, police said.
Woodburn police responded to a call of a missing child on Sallal Rd. at about 5 a.m. Monday after the child's father woke to find the room his daughter had been sleeping in empty, officers said.
Lawrence Higgins Jr. told officers that he went to bed in the room in the grandparents' house at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday with his three children: a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and the missing 1-year-old.
When Higgins awoke at about 4:50 a.m. he discovered that his daughter, Kate, was no longer in the room, police said. Higgins checked with the girl's grandparents who said they hadn't seen her and, after searching, they called police
click link for more
Linked from CNN
Missing Child, 1, Found Under Floorboards
Police Say Child Dirty, Unhurt After Ordeal
WOODBURN, Ore. -- A 1-year-old child reported missing Monday was found under the floorboards of her grandparents' home, causing the floor to have to be torn up, police said.
Woodburn police responded to a call of a missing child on Sallal Rd. at about 5 a.m. Monday after the child's father woke to find the room his daughter had been sleeping in empty, officers said.
Lawrence Higgins Jr. told officers that he went to bed in the room in the grandparents' house at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday with his three children: a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and the missing 1-year-old.
When Higgins awoke at about 4:50 a.m. he discovered that his daughter, Kate, was no longer in the room, police said. Higgins checked with the girl's grandparents who said they hadn't seen her and, after searching, they called police
click link for more
Linked from CNN
Rural West Virginia Vets have higher rate of trauma risk
Study: Rural W.Va. vets at higher trauma risk
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 9:37:31 EST
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new study shows that rural West Virginia veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than their urban counterparts.
The analysis is based on the ongoing West Virginia Returning Soldiers Study, which has surveyed more than 930 veterans.
The study shows that about 56 percent of returning soldiers from rural counties suffer from post-traumatic distress and other mental health problems, compared to 32 percent of soldiers in urban areas and 34 percent of those living on out-of-state military bases.
Rural veterans are also at greater risk for suicide.
Hilda Heady, a rural health specialist at West Virginia University, says part of the problem is a lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_wvruralvets_111108/
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 9:37:31 EST
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new study shows that rural West Virginia veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than their urban counterparts.
The analysis is based on the ongoing West Virginia Returning Soldiers Study, which has surveyed more than 930 veterans.
The study shows that about 56 percent of returning soldiers from rural counties suffer from post-traumatic distress and other mental health problems, compared to 32 percent of soldiers in urban areas and 34 percent of those living on out-of-state military bases.
Rural veterans are also at greater risk for suicide.
Hilda Heady, a rural health specialist at West Virginia University, says part of the problem is a lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_wvruralvets_111108/
PTSD veterans 2-3 times more likely to be involved with domestic violence
PTSD ups veterans' domestic violence risk
Published: Nov. 11, 2008
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An increasing number of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder means an increased risk of domestic violence, U.S. researchers said.
Monica Matthieu, an expert on veterans' mental health, and Peter Hovmand, domestic violence expert, both at Washington University in St. Louis, are merging their research interests to design community prevention strategies to address what they say is an emerging public health problem.
"Treatments for domestic violence are very different than those for PTSD," Matthieu said in a statement. "The Department of Veterans Affairs has mental health services and treatments for PTSD, yet these services need to be combined with the specialized domestic violence intervention programs offered by community agencies for those veterans engaging in battering behavior against intimate partners and families."
I've posted about this many times. This was the last post I did on it and it is important to understand.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
PTSD:When domestic violence is not what you think
I've written often about this issue. When it comes to PTSD and domestic violence, sometimes, it isn't what you think.
Are there combat veterans who commit domestic violence without PTSD being involved? Absolutely. We forget that the men and women who serve are just like the rest of us.There are many cases where abuse and domestic violence have the contributing factor of PTSD. This is not blame the victim but without knowing what PTSD is and what it does to some people, all too often the reaction of family members contributes to the escalation of angry situations.
click the link for more of this so you can understand there is a difference and it does not have to happen to anyone.
Published: Nov. 11, 2008
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An increasing number of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder means an increased risk of domestic violence, U.S. researchers said.
Monica Matthieu, an expert on veterans' mental health, and Peter Hovmand, domestic violence expert, both at Washington University in St. Louis, are merging their research interests to design community prevention strategies to address what they say is an emerging public health problem.
"Treatments for domestic violence are very different than those for PTSD," Matthieu said in a statement. "The Department of Veterans Affairs has mental health services and treatments for PTSD, yet these services need to be combined with the specialized domestic violence intervention programs offered by community agencies for those veterans engaging in battering behavior against intimate partners and families."
Research in the Veterans Administration shows that male veterans with PTSD are two to three times more likely than veterans without PTSD to engage in intimate partner violence, and more likely to be involved in the legal system, Matthieu said.
go here for more
I've posted about this many times. This was the last post I did on it and it is important to understand.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
PTSD:When domestic violence is not what you think
I've written often about this issue. When it comes to PTSD and domestic violence, sometimes, it isn't what you think.
Are there combat veterans who commit domestic violence without PTSD being involved? Absolutely. We forget that the men and women who serve are just like the rest of us.There are many cases where abuse and domestic violence have the contributing factor of PTSD. This is not blame the victim but without knowing what PTSD is and what it does to some people, all too often the reaction of family members contributes to the escalation of angry situations.
click the link for more of this so you can understand there is a difference and it does not have to happen to anyone.
Why Phil Donahue made Body Of War
By Gilbert Cruz
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008
Long-time talk show host Phil Donahue wants America to take a long look at what the Iraq War is doing to its young men and women. Body of War, which Donahue produced and co-directed with Ellen Spiro, and which airs tonight on the Sundance Channel in honor of Veterans Day, tells the story of Tomas Young, a formerly gung-ho soldier who was paralyzed after less than a week in Iraq. Donahue spoke with TIME about getting kicked off MSNBC, why Iraq war movies are not a draw, and the death of the word "liberal."
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008
Long-time talk show host Phil Donahue wants America to take a long look at what the Iraq War is doing to its young men and women. Body of War, which Donahue produced and co-directed with Ellen Spiro, and which airs tonight on the Sundance Channel in honor of Veterans Day, tells the story of Tomas Young, a formerly gung-ho soldier who was paralyzed after less than a week in Iraq. Donahue spoke with TIME about getting kicked off MSNBC, why Iraq war movies are not a draw, and the death of the word "liberal."
How did you come across the story of Tomas Young?
I was invited to visit Walter Reed [Army Medical Center] by Ralph Nader. I had been on the Nader bus in 2000. And after the 2004 election, Nader said, "A mother at Walter Reed has asked to see me. Do you wanna go?" I said yes immediately. I'd never been to America's most famous military hospital, so off we went. And here is this young man. 24 years old. Very thin. His cheekbones stuck out. He was totally whacked out on morphine. And his mother explained his injury to me. He was in Sadr City, in an uncovered truck, when a bullet entered his shoulder from above. How it didn't hit a major artery, I'll never know. And now Tomas is paralyzed from the nipples down. Tomas can't walk. Tomas can't cough. Tomas throws up every morning.
You get a sense of the domino effect here. You put a bullet through a man's spine, all kinds of things happen. Tomas has bowel and bladder issues. Tomas has erectile dysfunction—28 years old, in the prime of his life. What we're saying with this film is that what you see with Tomas is a drama taking place behind the closed doors of thousands of homes in this country. Thousands. We're trying to show the reality of this war, which is the most sanitized war in our lifetime.
go here for more
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1857979,00.html
Central Florida veterans remember what they brought to war
Central Florida veterans remember what they brought to war
Darryl E. Owens | Sentinel Staff Writer
November 11, 2008
When patriots answer the call of war, they carry with them crackerjack training, high-tech gear and the hopes of a nation.
Troops also often carry along something else: mementos from home.
War fighters bring along amulets against homesickness, reminders of why they are fighting, portable succor -- whether a piece of jewelry, a four-leaf clover or a dog-eared photo of their best girl. Just about anything that whispers sweetly of home.
Three Central Florida veterans recall, in their own words, the mementos that brought a taste of home to the front lines.
Darryl E. Owens | Sentinel Staff Writer
November 11, 2008
When patriots answer the call of war, they carry with them crackerjack training, high-tech gear and the hopes of a nation.
Troops also often carry along something else: mementos from home.
War fighters bring along amulets against homesickness, reminders of why they are fighting, portable succor -- whether a piece of jewelry, a four-leaf clover or a dog-eared photo of their best girl. Just about anything that whispers sweetly of home.
Three Central Florida veterans recall, in their own words, the mementos that brought a taste of home to the front lines.
Online social network offers support for vets
Online social network offers support for vets
By Janet Kornblum - USA TODAY
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 6:20:44 EST
After Brendan Hart left the Marine Corps in 2005, he wanted to reconnect with other veterans, people who would understand what he went through and what support he might need.
Plenty of services exist, says Hart, 26, who is on medical leave from Dartmouth College due to a contaminated smallpox vaccine he was given while serving. But finding them was another matter.
Hart launched Student Veterans of America, and now he’s applauding a new service officially launching Tuesday in honor of Veteran’s Day: MyVetwork. It is a non-profit social Web community that wants to bring together veterans, their families and their supporters.
“When I was making a transition out of the military, I had a ton of questions that I could not find thorough and honest answers for,” says Hart, who lives in New York City.
Sometimes, veterans are reluctant to seek out services, says Jaine L. Darwin, a psychologist who directs Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists, a non-profit providing free mental health support to extended family of those in the Reserve and National Guard who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the group has expanded to Michigan and soon will offer services to New York and southeastern Florida.
”So much of what soldiers are concerned about feels shameful to them,” Darwin says. “Soldiers are not supposed to be fearful. Soldiers are not supposed to be scared. They’re not supposed to be upset by things they did.”
That’s why they need support.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/gns_myvet_network_111008/
By Janet Kornblum - USA TODAY
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 6:20:44 EST
After Brendan Hart left the Marine Corps in 2005, he wanted to reconnect with other veterans, people who would understand what he went through and what support he might need.
Plenty of services exist, says Hart, 26, who is on medical leave from Dartmouth College due to a contaminated smallpox vaccine he was given while serving. But finding them was another matter.
Hart launched Student Veterans of America, and now he’s applauding a new service officially launching Tuesday in honor of Veteran’s Day: MyVetwork. It is a non-profit social Web community that wants to bring together veterans, their families and their supporters.
“When I was making a transition out of the military, I had a ton of questions that I could not find thorough and honest answers for,” says Hart, who lives in New York City.
Sometimes, veterans are reluctant to seek out services, says Jaine L. Darwin, a psychologist who directs Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists, a non-profit providing free mental health support to extended family of those in the Reserve and National Guard who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the group has expanded to Michigan and soon will offer services to New York and southeastern Florida.
”So much of what soldiers are concerned about feels shameful to them,” Darwin says. “Soldiers are not supposed to be fearful. Soldiers are not supposed to be scared. They’re not supposed to be upset by things they did.”
That’s why they need support.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/gns_myvet_network_111008/
Veteran's Day message from Veterans For Common Sense
This week's VCS update focuses on five pieces of news you will want to share with your friends on Veterans Day.
First, PTSD News. In a bold and courageous step, a high-ranking officer took a sledge hammer to the wall of silence that prevents many combat veterans from seeking mental healthcare.
If you have concerns about your mental health, it is OK to seek VA care. Thank you General Blackledge, you are saving veterans' lives.
Second, More PTSD News.
Two veterans' groups sued VA due to long delays in processing PTSD disability compensation claims. VA currently takes more than six months to process a PTSD claim, and appeals drag on for years, while veterans and their families can't pay the rent, buy food, or cover the costs of utilities. The lawsuit is a blunt and honest reminder of the abject failure of the current Administration to address the needs of our Nation’s veterans.
Third, Hope for VA in 2009. VCS released our "Vision for a Vibrant VA in 2009," a report detailing VA’s serious problems as well as pragmatic solutions to fix them. VCS sent our report to President-Elect Barack Obama. VA remains in crisis, yet there is hope on the way.
How bitterly ironic it is to learn that last month President George W. Bush gave a stealth $140 billion dollar tax break to banks while hundreds of thousands of veterans remain homeless, while hundreds of thousands more veterans wait forever for VA assistance, and millions foreclosures rock our Nation.
Fourth, How Did Veterans Vote? Everyone wants to know how veterans voted for President.
Here are the facts. In a huge surprise, younger veterans favored Senator Obama over Senator McCain. The national Edison/Mitofsky exit poll included the following question: “Have you ever served in the U.S. military?” Veterans made up 15 percent of the voters, and among all veterans, 54 percent backed John McCain and 44 percent supported Barack Obama.
There was a tremendous difference in voting based on age, with younger voters supporting Obama, and older veterans supporting McCain:- 24 percent of veterans were under 45: 51 percent voted for Obama and 49 percent for McCain.- 24 percent of veterans were aged 45 to 59: 53 percent voted for Obama and 45 percent for McCain. - 53 percent of veterans were age 60 and older: 61 percent voted for McCain and 37 percent voted for Obama.
And, Fifth, Let’s Close Gitmo. Our service members and veterans swore an oath to protect and defend our Constitution. That’s what Veterans Day is all about. That’s why VCS urges you to join several groups in calling for President-Elect Obama to close the prisoner of war camp and torture facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
We ask you to assist VCS this Veterans Day by making a generous contribution so we can continue to hold our next President and Congress responsible for taking care of our troops, our veterans, and our Constitution.
Thank you,
Paul Sullivan, Executive DirectorVeterans for Common Sense
Veteran's Day message from VoteVets.org
On the 11th Day of the 11th Month each year, we honor all those veterans who came before us. This year, as in recent years, we also honor the newest generation of war veterans. Today is not a day for partisan politics, it's a day for the nation to come together as one to honor those who sacrificed for our nation, in uniform.
This year, however, we also have a tremendous opportunity to honor two of the greatest veterans this nation has ever seen. With the incoming administration, comes the opportunity to send incredible veterans back into government to serve this nation, as they have time and time again.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN OUR PETITION FOR MAX CLELAND AND TAMMY DUCKWORTH TO HAVE A ROLE IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Max Cleland served our nation with honor in Vietnam, losing three limbs on the battlefield. Max could have used that as an excuse to live out the rest of his life quietly, but he did not. Upon his return, he served Veterans in his home state of Georgia, and then became the head of the Veterans Administration (now the Department of Veterans Affairs). He served his home state again, as a member of the U.S. Senate. Every step of the way, Max never forgot the veterans who came before him, and those who would be coming after him.
Tammy Duckworth served America in Iraq. Duckworth lost both of her legs in 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. Duckworth received a Purple Heart and was promoted to Major at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she was presented with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal. Upon her return home, she ran for Congress in 2006, and now serves as the head of the veterans department in Illinois. Tammy has even remained in the National Guard, showing that nothing will keep her from serving her country!
Now is the time for President-Elect Obama to show the nation that he recognizes it is important to bring America's great veterans into his administration. One way he can do that is to name Max Cleland and Tammy Duckworth to roles in his administration.
CLICK HERE TO ASK THAT MAX CLELAND AND TAMMY DUCKWORTH BE GIVEN A ROLE IN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
Please use today to honor the veterans in your area – volunteer your services to the local veterans center, connect with veterans in the area and listen to them about the challenges veterans face, and above all, thank them for their service. But, also take a moment to show support for two particular veterans, Max Cleland and Tammy Duckworth, and tell your friends and family to join us in asking that they be asked back into government at this crucial time for veterans in America.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran Chairman,
VoteVets.org
Missing In America Group finds, buries remains of forgotten veterans
The remains of four war veterans are saluted by a military guard during a ceremony with full military honors at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph , Vt., Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. The remains were located by the Missing in America Project , a national nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and honoring the unclaimed remains of American veterans. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
Group finds, buries remains of forgotten veterans
The Associated Press
By WILSON RING
RANDOLPH, Vt. (AP) — In World War II, Samuel Mazur was a tail gunner on a B-17 bomber that flew over Europe.
Three decades later, he died of cancer — with no family at his side — at a Veterans Administration hospital in Vermont. His cremated remains were sent to a funeral home, where they were placed on a shelf and forgotten.
"He had an interesting life," said Euclid Farnham, who knew him. "He really did not have anyone."
Until last week.
On Friday, Mazur got full military honors and was laid to rest along with three other forgotten veterans as part of the Missing in America Project, a volunteer organization that seeks to identify and honor the unclaimed remains of American veterans.
There was no family, but there were dozens of leather-clad, motorcycle-riding veterans at the Vermont Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, and a military honor guard.
"The recognition of their service transcends their death, and in places like this cemetery, we will continue to devote ourselves to their cause," retired U.S. Army Col. Joseph Krawczyk said during the ceremony.
In two years, the group's volunteers have visited 592 funeral homes, found 6,327 sets of unclaimed remains, identified 491 of them as belonging to veterans and interred 325, said Bruce Turner, the Vermont coordinator.
The Department of Veterans Affairs supports the effort.
click link for more
One of the Chaplains in my group out of Broward County Florida is a memeber of Missing in America as well. When I first heard about this, I was shocked that the remains of so many veterans have just been left on the shelf, unclaimed. We are deeply grateful this group is there working to insure that all veterans are provided with a proper military burial.
Honoring our veterans takes more than words
JOHN MURTHA Honoring our veterans takes more than words
BY JOHN MURTHA
The Tribune-Democrat
Veterans Day is a time to honor those Americans who answered the call to service and who proudly fought to defend our freedoms.
America owes an immeasurable debt to each of the 23.4 million veterans alive today, including the tens-of-thousands living right here in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Honoring our veterans means more than just words and speeches.
For Congress, it means putting our money where our mouth is and fully funding the Veterans Administration. It means ensuring that our veterans have first-class health care and providing them with access to jobs and higher education.
For too long, the Veterans Administration was under-funded and unable to adequately meet the needs of our veterans. We’ve changed that over the past few years.
The Democratic Congress has made an unprecedented commitment to our nation’s veterans by passing the largest spending increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration – a record $16 billion increase in just two years.
For the 5.8 million veterans in the VA health-care system, this increase provides for the hiring of an additional 15,000 VA health-care workers, including 1,700 new doctors and 6,450 nurses.
This means better care, more services, and shorter wait times.
The Veterans Administration will also hire more than 5,200 new caseworkers to reduce the significant backlog in the claims processing system, which will help our veterans get their earned benefits faster.
For the first time since 1979, when gasoline cost less than $1 per gallon, Congress increased the veterans’ mileage reimbursement rate from 11 cents to 41.5 cents per mile.
Veterans in our area who are forced to travel to Pittsburgh or Altoona for care will now be more fairly reimbursed for their travel.
Congress also provided significant research, treatment, and counseling funds for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
It is estimated that more than 300,000 of our returning troops will suffer from these mental-health problems, and we provided over $1.2 billion in just the past two years to take care of these injuries.
We have seen a dramatic increase in suicides in the wake of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Congress passed legislation directing the Veterans Administration to develop a comprehensive suicide prevention program which includes access to mental-health staff and a 24-hour toll-free suicide prevention hotline.
Already some 30,000 veterans, family members and friends have used the hotline, and it has helped to prevent more than 1,200 suicides.
Also this year, Congress passed a new 21st Century GI Education Bill to benefit our service members who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.
The new GI Bill funds a full, four-year public university tuition, provides a monthly living expense, and allows service members to transfer unused educational benefits to their spouse and children.
I was given the opportunity to attend college under the G.I. Bill, and I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that America’s next generation of veterans receives the same higher educational benefits.
Over the past two years, the Democratic Congress has put its money where its mouth is.
The new Congress and President Obama will continue to provide our veterans with the services and benefits worthy of their courage and sacrifice.
On this Veterans Day, let us remember the sacrifices of millions of Americans who answered our nation’s call to service.
While we can never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe to the men and women who put on the uniform, we can and will work to fulfill our promise of taking care of each and every veteran.
We owe them no less.
U.S. Rep. John Murtha,
D-Johnstown, is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_315221830.html
BY JOHN MURTHA
The Tribune-Democrat
Veterans Day is a time to honor those Americans who answered the call to service and who proudly fought to defend our freedoms.
America owes an immeasurable debt to each of the 23.4 million veterans alive today, including the tens-of-thousands living right here in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Honoring our veterans means more than just words and speeches.
For Congress, it means putting our money where our mouth is and fully funding the Veterans Administration. It means ensuring that our veterans have first-class health care and providing them with access to jobs and higher education.
For too long, the Veterans Administration was under-funded and unable to adequately meet the needs of our veterans. We’ve changed that over the past few years.
The Democratic Congress has made an unprecedented commitment to our nation’s veterans by passing the largest spending increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration – a record $16 billion increase in just two years.
For the 5.8 million veterans in the VA health-care system, this increase provides for the hiring of an additional 15,000 VA health-care workers, including 1,700 new doctors and 6,450 nurses.
This means better care, more services, and shorter wait times.
The Veterans Administration will also hire more than 5,200 new caseworkers to reduce the significant backlog in the claims processing system, which will help our veterans get their earned benefits faster.
For the first time since 1979, when gasoline cost less than $1 per gallon, Congress increased the veterans’ mileage reimbursement rate from 11 cents to 41.5 cents per mile.
Veterans in our area who are forced to travel to Pittsburgh or Altoona for care will now be more fairly reimbursed for their travel.
Congress also provided significant research, treatment, and counseling funds for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
It is estimated that more than 300,000 of our returning troops will suffer from these mental-health problems, and we provided over $1.2 billion in just the past two years to take care of these injuries.
We have seen a dramatic increase in suicides in the wake of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Congress passed legislation directing the Veterans Administration to develop a comprehensive suicide prevention program which includes access to mental-health staff and a 24-hour toll-free suicide prevention hotline.
Already some 30,000 veterans, family members and friends have used the hotline, and it has helped to prevent more than 1,200 suicides.
Also this year, Congress passed a new 21st Century GI Education Bill to benefit our service members who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.
The new GI Bill funds a full, four-year public university tuition, provides a monthly living expense, and allows service members to transfer unused educational benefits to their spouse and children.
I was given the opportunity to attend college under the G.I. Bill, and I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that America’s next generation of veterans receives the same higher educational benefits.
Over the past two years, the Democratic Congress has put its money where its mouth is.
The new Congress and President Obama will continue to provide our veterans with the services and benefits worthy of their courage and sacrifice.
On this Veterans Day, let us remember the sacrifices of millions of Americans who answered our nation’s call to service.
While we can never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe to the men and women who put on the uniform, we can and will work to fulfill our promise of taking care of each and every veteran.
We owe them no less.
U.S. Rep. John Murtha,
D-Johnstown, is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_315221830.html
Monday, November 10, 2008
PTSD linked to increased heart death risk
PTSD linked to increased heart death risk
Published: Nov. 10, 2008 at 9:29 PM
MUNICH, Germany, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Patients with cardiac defibrillators may have a higher death risk if they have post-traumatic stress disorder, German researchers said.
Dr. Karl-Heinz Ladwig of Technische Universitaet Muenchen in Germany and Helmholtz Zentrum National Research Center for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany, and colleagues studied 211 patients who had received implantable cardiac defibrillators -- devices that administer shocks to help restore normal heartbeat -- following a heart event in 1998. Participants were surveyed an average of 27 months after implantation and 38 reported severe PTSD symptoms.
During the average follow-up period of five years, 45 of the patients, or 30.6 percent, died.
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Published: Nov. 10, 2008 at 9:29 PM
MUNICH, Germany, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Patients with cardiac defibrillators may have a higher death risk if they have post-traumatic stress disorder, German researchers said.
Dr. Karl-Heinz Ladwig of Technische Universitaet Muenchen in Germany and Helmholtz Zentrum National Research Center for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany, and colleagues studied 211 patients who had received implantable cardiac defibrillators -- devices that administer shocks to help restore normal heartbeat -- following a heart event in 1998. Participants were surveyed an average of 27 months after implantation and 38 reported severe PTSD symptoms.
During the average follow-up period of five years, 45 of the patients, or 30.6 percent, died.
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DHL devastates Wilmington Ohio with huge layoffs
DHL job cuts devastate Ohio community
Residents in Wilmington, Ohio, knew DHL was going to cut jobs, but Monday's confirmation that the company's hub there is going to close has delivered a devastating blow to the community.
"They're taking away everything from me -- my family, my friends, this whole town," says a weeping Sherry Barrett, one of more than 8,000 DHL employees facing layoffs. full story
Residents in Wilmington, Ohio, knew DHL was going to cut jobs, but Monday's confirmation that the company's hub there is going to close has delivered a devastating blow to the community.
"They're taking away everything from me -- my family, my friends, this whole town," says a weeping Sherry Barrett, one of more than 8,000 DHL employees facing layoffs. full story
Homeless PTSD Vietnam Vet Helped To Heal Because A Stranger Cared
Richard Miley came back from Vietnam, ended up homeless and waiting to die until a stranger saw him, made the effort to stop instead of just driving by him. Because someone cared, Miley is not only alive and healing, the mystery of his time in Vietnam is finally being told and he's a decorated Vietnam Veteran Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Meritorious Unit Commendation. Back then he was Capt. Richard Miley. Today, he's a veteran who was saved because a stranger cared.
Vietnam vet struggles to reclaim his identity - and his life
Grand Junction Sentinel - Grand Junction,CO,USA
Monday, November 10, 2008
Story by MIKE SACCONE
When doctors told Richard Miley in the spring of 1981 the bone cancer in his left leg was going to kill him, he made up his mind.
He was ready to die but not in a hospital.
With death looming, Miley, a Vietnam War veteran stricken with post-traumatic stress disorder and amnesia, hitchhiked and walked as he had for years from his cave outside Estes Park to Mount Wilson, a stunning 14,000-foot peak in the San Juan mountain range southwest of Telluride.
“Basically, I had gone there to die,” Miley said. “I had the cancer of the bone, in my left leg, and I went up there, found me a fine pine tree and just laid there.”
Though Miley had never set out to die before, he had undertaken similar treks since the mid-1970s, living in caves and surviving off the land and what little money he could make working odd jobs every summer in the state’s resort or orchard communities.
He had lived in the wilderness since 1974 when he left behind a house in Loveland and a job, helping turn around failing Village Inn restaurants around the region.
Since returning from Vietnam in 1970, the stress of his two years at war had slowly whittled away his memory and desire to live around other people. Within the span of less than half a decade, Miley had transformed from a proud veteran into an ambling husk that could hardly recall much of the man he was.
However, Miley’s final trek — or what should have been his last — ended early when mine owner Bob Milner drove by the destitute veteran, who had propped himself up on an old wooden fence along a jeep road.
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Missouri guardsman wrestles with post-traumatic stress disorder
Donnie Hoffman works in the main kitchen of Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital on Nov. 6, 2008. Hoffman is a veteran of the current Iraq war. ¦ ANGIE CIPPONERI/Missourian
Missouri guardsman wrestles with post-traumatic stress disorder
Columbia Missourian - Columbia,MO,USA
BY Jordan Novet
Monday, November 10, 2008 2:11 p.m. CST
COLUMBIA — One Thursday afternoon last month, Donnie Hoffmann was washing dishes in the basement of Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital.
It had already been a long day. But it was nothing like his days in Iraq.
He wasn't stuck in long-sleeve camouflage on a journey aboard a Humvee driving through 145-degree air. Or on a disturbing search-and-recovery mission amid the remains of the bombing of Baghdad's U.N. headquarters. Or coming home to a flooded tent.
No, he was only doing dishes.
The task is one of a number of duties Hoffmann, 26, performs in the local Veteran Affairs' main kitchen eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. His work is part of a VA program called Compensation Work Therapy, which offers veterans a place to sleep, the opportunity to work and the help they need.
And Hoffmann, who enlisted in the Missouri National Guard in 2001 just before graduating from Crocker High School near Iberia, appreciates the help.
Since 2004, when he came back from Iraq — where he volunteered with the 203rd Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy), building, cleaning and traveling in convoys in Baghdad and Najaf — he has been tormented by post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Physically whole but mentally torn: Veteran with PTSD
Memories of this come back.
A car bomb in Iraq
A car fire here
When they drive down a road here, they can remember there. When they hear a loud noise, they can remember them back there. It all comes back when they least expect it. This is what a flashback does. It takes them back to where their lives were in danger.
Physically whole but mentally torn: Veteran with post traumatic ...
KTKA.com - Topeka,KS,USA
Story by Mike Belt
12 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, 2008
There are certain roads Ted Lawyer won’t drive on when he’s alone. They remind him of roads in Iraq.
Driving under bridges also makes him nervous.
So do crowds. If Lawyer can’t avoid a crowd he tries to stay on its fringe.
And Lawyer has an anger problem. There have been times he’s gotten upset with other drivers so he followed them for several blocks, honking his horn and yelling at them. And he went home from work a few times because of his anger.
“I do anything I can to avoid a conflict with someone,” Lawyer said. “At the same time, if you do something to show disrespect or make me feel like I’ve got to fight, then it’s full game on. I go from flight to fight instantly.”
Lawyer, a Lawrence resident, hasn’t been the same mentally or physically since he returned from serving a year in Iraq with the Kansas Army National Guard. At age 57, Lawyer, then a 1st sergeant, arrived in Iraq in September 2005 with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery of the 1st Battalion, 127th Field Artillery. His company included 150 soldiers. Among their duties was providing security for top U.S. commanders and diplomats.
During the two years since he returned stateside, Lawyer has been diagnosed as having post traumatic stress disorder and various physical problems, including daily headaches and back, leg and neck pain. He’s had flashbacks and blackouts. A few weeks ago, a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury was added to the already-long list.
Lawyer is undergoing outpatient treatment for PTSD and taking part in physical therapy at Colmery-O’Neil Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Topeka. It all helps, he said. And he thinks he is making progress.
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Watch Hero After War on the side bar of this blog under my videos. You'll understand it more.
A car bomb in Iraq
A car fire here
When they drive down a road here, they can remember there. When they hear a loud noise, they can remember them back there. It all comes back when they least expect it. This is what a flashback does. It takes them back to where their lives were in danger.
Physically whole but mentally torn: Veteran with post traumatic ...
KTKA.com - Topeka,KS,USA
Story by Mike Belt
12 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, 2008
There are certain roads Ted Lawyer won’t drive on when he’s alone. They remind him of roads in Iraq.
Driving under bridges also makes him nervous.
So do crowds. If Lawyer can’t avoid a crowd he tries to stay on its fringe.
And Lawyer has an anger problem. There have been times he’s gotten upset with other drivers so he followed them for several blocks, honking his horn and yelling at them. And he went home from work a few times because of his anger.
“I do anything I can to avoid a conflict with someone,” Lawyer said. “At the same time, if you do something to show disrespect or make me feel like I’ve got to fight, then it’s full game on. I go from flight to fight instantly.”
Lawyer, a Lawrence resident, hasn’t been the same mentally or physically since he returned from serving a year in Iraq with the Kansas Army National Guard. At age 57, Lawyer, then a 1st sergeant, arrived in Iraq in September 2005 with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery of the 1st Battalion, 127th Field Artillery. His company included 150 soldiers. Among their duties was providing security for top U.S. commanders and diplomats.
During the two years since he returned stateside, Lawyer has been diagnosed as having post traumatic stress disorder and various physical problems, including daily headaches and back, leg and neck pain. He’s had flashbacks and blackouts. A few weeks ago, a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury was added to the already-long list.
Lawyer is undergoing outpatient treatment for PTSD and taking part in physical therapy at Colmery-O’Neil Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Topeka. It all helps, he said. And he thinks he is making progress.
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Watch Hero After War on the side bar of this blog under my videos. You'll understand it more.
President Elect Obama sits in Oval Office for first time
Wouldn't you love to be a fly on that wall?
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
Obama to take office amid deep public pessimism
On the day that President-elect Barack Obama visited the White House, a new national poll illustrates the daunting challenges he faces when it becomes his home next year. Only 16 percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released today say things are going well in the country today. That's an all-time low. full story
President Bush and President-elect Obama spoke in the Oval Office Monday. White House photo by Eric Drapergo here for more
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
Obama to take office amid deep public pessimism
On the day that President-elect Barack Obama visited the White House, a new national poll illustrates the daunting challenges he faces when it becomes his home next year. Only 16 percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released today say things are going well in the country today. That's an all-time low. full story
Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare sue over VA claim problems
Vets file suit over slow VA claims processing
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 10, 2008 13:20:43 EST
Two veterans’ groups have filed a suit in an effort to get a federal court to order interim benefits for veterans if a claim for disability compensation takes longer than 90 days to be processed.
Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare want an interim payment equal to what is paid for a 30 percent disability rating — between $356 and $497 a month, depending on the number of dependents — if an initial claim takes more than 90 days or an appeal of a denied claim takes longer than 180 days.
The suit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is an attempt to use the federal court system to tackle the Department of Veterans Affairs claims processing bureaucracy, said Robert Cattanach, one of the attorneys handling the case.
VA officials had no immediate comment. Spokesman Phil Budahn said VA officials learned about the suit only after it was filed, and are working on a response.
“Veterans need prompt action and they need it now,” Cattanach said. “The Department of Veterans Affairs is failing miserably.”
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By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 10, 2008 13:20:43 EST
Two veterans’ groups have filed a suit in an effort to get a federal court to order interim benefits for veterans if a claim for disability compensation takes longer than 90 days to be processed.
Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare want an interim payment equal to what is paid for a 30 percent disability rating — between $356 and $497 a month, depending on the number of dependents — if an initial claim takes more than 90 days or an appeal of a denied claim takes longer than 180 days.
The suit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is an attempt to use the federal court system to tackle the Department of Veterans Affairs claims processing bureaucracy, said Robert Cattanach, one of the attorneys handling the case.
VA officials had no immediate comment. Spokesman Phil Budahn said VA officials learned about the suit only after it was filed, and are working on a response.
“Veterans need prompt action and they need it now,” Cattanach said. “The Department of Veterans Affairs is failing miserably.”
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Church burnt down in Springfield MA possible hate crime
Congregation of Destroyed Church Moves Forward
By Justine Judge
Story Published: Nov 9, 2008 at 6:31 PM EST
Story Updated: Nov 9, 2008 at 9:05 PM EST
Mass was on as usual on Sunday at Macedonia Church of God in Christ, but the prayers and tone was much different.
Many of the parishioners, still trying to understand why their new church was burned to the ground.
Parishioner Aliesha Patterson says, "All of the church is coming together and we are basically holding up the people who are really have a hard time with it."
But many are taking the que from Bishop Bryant Robinson.
Parishioner Sharon Patterson says, "It is devastating what happened but like I said we must go on and we can't let things get us down."
Like many of the church's youth, Aliesha Patterson has worked hard to fulfill the dream of a new church.
Patterson says everyone worked together to raise money through donations, functions and dinners held at their current church on King Street.
Officials are not saying whether or not the fire is the outcome of a hate crime but the timing has left many suspicious.
Aliesha Patterson says, "It's the thought of somebody being so cruel and burning down somebody's church and if it was because of Obama then it's a hate crime and all but it's just the thought period that hurts and it doesn't matter who did it as far as race or the person you are it's just the fact of burning down somebody's church because your upset."
By Justine Judge
Story Published: Nov 9, 2008 at 6:31 PM EST
Story Updated: Nov 9, 2008 at 9:05 PM EST
Mass was on as usual on Sunday at Macedonia Church of God in Christ, but the prayers and tone was much different.
Many of the parishioners, still trying to understand why their new church was burned to the ground.
Parishioner Aliesha Patterson says, "All of the church is coming together and we are basically holding up the people who are really have a hard time with it."
But many are taking the que from Bishop Bryant Robinson.
Parishioner Sharon Patterson says, "It is devastating what happened but like I said we must go on and we can't let things get us down."
Like many of the church's youth, Aliesha Patterson has worked hard to fulfill the dream of a new church.
Patterson says everyone worked together to raise money through donations, functions and dinners held at their current church on King Street.
Officials are not saying whether or not the fire is the outcome of a hate crime but the timing has left many suspicious.
Aliesha Patterson says, "It's the thought of somebody being so cruel and burning down somebody's church and if it was because of Obama then it's a hate crime and all but it's just the thought period that hurts and it doesn't matter who did it as far as race or the person you are it's just the fact of burning down somebody's church because your upset."
Bishop Bryant Robinson says, "Our faith is our evidence it's our faith and we're going to rebuild it
Authorities are asking anyone with information on this fire to call the arson hotline at 1-800-682-9229.go here for more
http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/34176689.html
linked from RawStory
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