Sword-Wielder Killed At Scientology Center
Security Guard Shoots Man Waving Pair Of Samurai Swords At Hollywood Building, LAPD Says
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24, 2008
(AP) Police said a man who waved a pair of Samurai swords on the grounds of a Hollywood Scientology building had a "previous relationship" to the church, but released little other information about the man shot and killed by a security guard.
The unidentified man, described as being in his 40s, approached three guards Sunday in the parking lot of the Scientology Celebrity Centre, Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Terry S. Hara said.
The man was "close enough to hurt them" when one of the guards shot him, Hara said, and after questioning the guards and looking at surveillance tape decided the shooting was justified.
"The evidence itself, it's very, very clear," Hara said. "The security officers were defending their safety."
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Monday, November 24, 2008
Unhappy couples staying together as economy makes divorcing too costly
‘I just want to leave him, but I can’t afford it’
Unhappy couples staying together as economy makes divorcing too costly
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
msnbc.com
updated 7:42 p.m. ET, Sun., Nov. 23, 2008
what pastors, family therapists and matrimonial counselors have long struggled to accomplish: keeping troubled marriages together.
Marriage counselors and divorce lawyers nationwide say more distressed couples are putting off divorce because the cost of splitting up is prohibitive in a time of stagnant salaries, plummeting home values and rising unemployment.
While the stress of economic uncertainty often worsens already shaky unions, it also can make couples more financially dependent on each other, said Pamela Smock, a researcher at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27808110/
Unhappy couples staying together as economy makes divorcing too costly
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
msnbc.com
updated 7:42 p.m. ET, Sun., Nov. 23, 2008
what pastors, family therapists and matrimonial counselors have long struggled to accomplish: keeping troubled marriages together.
Marriage counselors and divorce lawyers nationwide say more distressed couples are putting off divorce because the cost of splitting up is prohibitive in a time of stagnant salaries, plummeting home values and rising unemployment.
While the stress of economic uncertainty often worsens already shaky unions, it also can make couples more financially dependent on each other, said Pamela Smock, a researcher at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27808110/
Sunday, November 23, 2008
1 dead, 2 wounded in N.J. church shooting
1 dead, 2 wounded in N.J. church shooting
Published: Nov. 23, 2008 at 6:14 PM
CLIFTON, N.J., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A man opened fire in a church in Clifton, N.J., Sunday, killing his estranged wife and critically wounding two other people before fleeing, police said.
The shooting -- just before noon in the vestibule of St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church -- left Reshma James, 24, dead and a 47-year-old woman, described as James's cousin, and a 23-year-old man clinging to life with head wounds, The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger reported.
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Non-combat death in Iraq
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Charles Yi Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Maryland, died on Nov. 20 of
injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The incident is under investigation.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Charles Yi Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Maryland, died on Nov. 20 of
injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The incident is under investigation.
Police search for shooter in mall slaying Tukwila, Washington.
Police search for shooter in mall slaying
Story Highlights
Police trying to determine if mall shooting was gang-related
Some people said group of teens had been involved in a fight
Store manager: "Parents grabbed their kids and ran out of there"
Mall placed on lockdown while police search for suspect
(CNN) -- Authorities continued to search for the person who shot one man to death and critically injured another Saturday evening at a shopping center in Tukwila, Washington.
The shooting victims, believed to be in their 20s, were removed from the Westfield Southcenter on stretchers and taken to Harborview Medical Center, police spokesman Mike Murphy said Saturday.
He didn't know how many times they were shot.
A woman who appeared to go into labor and a man who suffered a neck injury as people rushed from the shopping area were also taken to the hospital, Murphy said.
Eyewitness Chris Plummer told CNN affiliate KIRO-TV there was a fight between a group of 18- to 20-year-olds, and one of them pulled out a gun and started shooting. Plummer told KIRO-TV he was standing next to the shooter when bullets started to fly -- six to seven shots in all.
Murphy told KIRO-TV that authorities are trying to determine whether the shooting was gang-related.
The mall was placed on lockdown as SWAT teams searched store-to-store for the shooter. At least two people were detained for questioning, but neither was the shooter, Murphy said.
Shoppers and employees described a chaotic scene.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/23/mall.shooting/index.html
Story Highlights
Police trying to determine if mall shooting was gang-related
Some people said group of teens had been involved in a fight
Store manager: "Parents grabbed their kids and ran out of there"
Mall placed on lockdown while police search for suspect
(CNN) -- Authorities continued to search for the person who shot one man to death and critically injured another Saturday evening at a shopping center in Tukwila, Washington.
The shooting victims, believed to be in their 20s, were removed from the Westfield Southcenter on stretchers and taken to Harborview Medical Center, police spokesman Mike Murphy said Saturday.
He didn't know how many times they were shot.
A woman who appeared to go into labor and a man who suffered a neck injury as people rushed from the shopping area were also taken to the hospital, Murphy said.
Eyewitness Chris Plummer told CNN affiliate KIRO-TV there was a fight between a group of 18- to 20-year-olds, and one of them pulled out a gun and started shooting. Plummer told KIRO-TV he was standing next to the shooter when bullets started to fly -- six to seven shots in all.
Murphy told KIRO-TV that authorities are trying to determine whether the shooting was gang-related.
The mall was placed on lockdown as SWAT teams searched store-to-store for the shooter. At least two people were detained for questioning, but neither was the shooter, Murphy said.
Shoppers and employees described a chaotic scene.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/23/mall.shooting/index.html
PTSD:“Killing really changed me.”
When I was in Ohio for the IFOC conference, I was interviewed by another chaplain who is also a therapist. I told her about the depth of cuts. They come in all sizes when we're talking about PTSD. Combat soldiers have the deepest cuts because they are exposed to horrific events more often and they are also forced to kill. The second comes the police officers, there again, horrific events and often they are force to kill. The third level are the National Guards, reservists and firefighters. They are exposed to horrific events as well, but in their core, they do what they do in order to help. Most never think of having to take a life when they enter into the world of the citizen soldiers but they find themselves in combat between Iraq and Afghanistan, a rock and a hard place. The numbers are higher for the citizen soldiers but I believe the depth of the wound is higher in the soldiers, then the Marines, Navy and Air Force. Each time they kill, the cut of the wound sinks deeper.
I do not come to this conclusion lightly. It's from years of communicating with them online. It comes from listening to them from different walks of life. Just as I believe the God factor plays a huge role in the wounded warriors, also from what they've said, it does not take a lot to see what connects them and what makes them different.
I do not come to this conclusion lightly. It's from years of communicating with them online. It comes from listening to them from different walks of life. Just as I believe the God factor plays a huge role in the wounded warriors, also from what they've said, it does not take a lot to see what connects them and what makes them different.
Study: PTSD rates higher for troops who kill
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 22, 2008 12:51:21 EST
CHICAGO — New research presented at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies shows post-traumatic stress disorder rates are higher in service members who have had to kill someone.
Shira Maguen, health sciences assistant clinical professor at the University of California, began her research when she realized that the Vietnam vets she treated at the San Francisco VA Medical Center were “really struggling with taking another life,” she said, adding that they often told her: “Killing really changed me.”
She started hearing the same complaint from veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but found “there’s not much discussion” about the issue in VA and Pentagon research. She and her colleagues decided to look into past research to see if there was a correlation between those who had killed and those who had mental health issues. They found that killing is “strongly predictive of PTSD.”
She talked to 259 veterans involved in the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, and found that if a person had killed someone, they were 3½ times more likely to have symptoms of PTSD than someone who hadn’t killed.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/military_ptsdkill_112208w/
Staff Sgt. Travis Twiggs and the story behind the story
Here's the story behind the story. It isn't written in the article from Bill Finnegan in this version or the one the New Yorker published.
Dear Ms. Costos,
I've recently started researching a story about the difficulties faced by soldiers now returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. I know that a lot of journalism has already been produced on this subject, but it seems to me that PTSD and related problems can't get too much publicity. The New Yorker is also able to devote more time and space to a subject such as this one than most other magazines and news outlets are.
Well, I emailed him back and we spent about an hour on the phone. Bill spent some time on my blog and picked the "subject" which turned out to be Travis Twiggs. In July he emailed me that he was in Texas.
When I first posted the link to the New Yorker, I was devastated. Finnegan said that he was using some quotes from me but said his editor cut me out of the story. I thought for once the videos I did would finally get some attention because the need is so great. I keep getting contacted by reporters and others working on PTSD and they will pick my brain dry, which is fine but when I am stuck in obscurity no matter what I know or how many hours a day I spend doing this, they don't take any of this into consideration at all.
When this article was in the New Yorker, I decided to avoid doing a rant but now that the UK picked it up, enough is enough. There is always someone behind these reporters giving them the stories they cover. When it came to Travis Twigg, there was another one working on this story, to make sure the world did not forget about him. Lily Casura at http://www.healingcombattrauma.com/ also had her site gone over looking for information on Travis by Bill and other reporters. When it came time to publish the stories by these so called reporters, none of them gave her any credit either. Just go into her site and see how well she covered the story of this hero who was let down. Had it not been for us, he would have ended up just another veteran who met a tragic end. We did not let the story die but the "real reporters" who have their names published around the net did until they thought they had an easy way to cover this.
It's one thing to spend countless hours a day trying to bring the suffering of our veterans into the light of day, doing it for the sake of helping them, without much financial gain, and another to use people like us.
I don't make a habit of posting emails I receive but if I just ranted about this without proving it, no one would believe me. I've been doing this for 26 years! I track it everyday and live with it so all of this is personal to me. I take this so personally that in 2004, the hours I spend were taking too much time and I was working too many hours. I figured Florida would give me the chance to do this full time and work a part time job for the income. In February of 2005 I started my other blog after several others and 9,992 posts later, you can see how much went into that one. It's at http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/.
Last year, I started this one to devote it to trauma, mainly focusing on the men and women who serve this nation and the veterans. This post is 4,781. Think of how much work goes into this. Think about all the articles I read that don't get posted. If it's the editor's fault when a reporter tires to give credit where credit is due, then they are eliminating getting their hands on stories people like me find. I know I will not be so willing to help a reporter the next time. As for the reporters who think they can just take the work other people do and get all the credit for it, you should think twice about doing it because you never know when a blogger will be so fed up with the way they are treated that they turn around a blast you publicly. Finnegan can live with the global fame he's getting for this, he has the true talent to write a compelling story but as for the state of his heart and conscience, that is left up to your own imagination.
Dear Ms. Costos,
I've recently started researching a story about the difficulties faced by soldiers now returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. I know that a lot of journalism has already been produced on this subject, but it seems to me that PTSD and related problems can't get too much publicity. The New Yorker is also able to devote more time and space to a subject such as this one than most other magazines and news outlets are.
Subject:
New Yorker Magazine interview
Date:
7/9/2008 6:02:58 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
From:
billfinn@rcn.com
Reply To:
To:
Namguardianangel@aol.com
I would like to speak to you, if you have a few minutes. I am looking for leads and insights and I gather, from what I've read so far, that you have a lot of experience in this area.
Please give me a call or drop me an email if you might be willing to chat.
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Bill Finnegan
William Finnegan
Staff Writer The New Yorker Magazine 4 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA
Well, I emailed him back and we spent about an hour on the phone. Bill spent some time on my blog and picked the "subject" which turned out to be Travis Twiggs. In July he emailed me that he was in Texas.
When I first posted the link to the New Yorker, I was devastated. Finnegan said that he was using some quotes from me but said his editor cut me out of the story. I thought for once the videos I did would finally get some attention because the need is so great. I keep getting contacted by reporters and others working on PTSD and they will pick my brain dry, which is fine but when I am stuck in obscurity no matter what I know or how many hours a day I spend doing this, they don't take any of this into consideration at all.
When this article was in the New Yorker, I decided to avoid doing a rant but now that the UK picked it up, enough is enough. There is always someone behind these reporters giving them the stories they cover. When it came to Travis Twigg, there was another one working on this story, to make sure the world did not forget about him. Lily Casura at http://www.healingcombattrauma.com/ also had her site gone over looking for information on Travis by Bill and other reporters. When it came time to publish the stories by these so called reporters, none of them gave her any credit either. Just go into her site and see how well she covered the story of this hero who was let down. Had it not been for us, he would have ended up just another veteran who met a tragic end. We did not let the story die but the "real reporters" who have their names published around the net did until they thought they had an easy way to cover this.
It's one thing to spend countless hours a day trying to bring the suffering of our veterans into the light of day, doing it for the sake of helping them, without much financial gain, and another to use people like us.
I don't make a habit of posting emails I receive but if I just ranted about this without proving it, no one would believe me. I've been doing this for 26 years! I track it everyday and live with it so all of this is personal to me. I take this so personally that in 2004, the hours I spend were taking too much time and I was working too many hours. I figured Florida would give me the chance to do this full time and work a part time job for the income. In February of 2005 I started my other blog after several others and 9,992 posts later, you can see how much went into that one. It's at http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/.
Last year, I started this one to devote it to trauma, mainly focusing on the men and women who serve this nation and the veterans. This post is 4,781. Think of how much work goes into this. Think about all the articles I read that don't get posted. If it's the editor's fault when a reporter tires to give credit where credit is due, then they are eliminating getting their hands on stories people like me find. I know I will not be so willing to help a reporter the next time. As for the reporters who think they can just take the work other people do and get all the credit for it, you should think twice about doing it because you never know when a blogger will be so fed up with the way they are treated that they turn around a blast you publicly. Finnegan can live with the global fame he's getting for this, he has the true talent to write a compelling story but as for the state of his heart and conscience, that is left up to your own imagination.
Sergeant Travis Triggs: Driven over the edge
Times Online - UK
A US soldier tried to drive himself and his brother over the rim of the Grand Canyon. When that failed, he blew their brains out. What did the war do to Sergeant Travis Twiggs?
William Finnegan
When the Twiggs brothers got to the Grand Canyon, on May 12, Willard called his girlfriend, a married woman in Louisiana, on Travis’s mobile phone. She had to see the canyon someday, he said. “It will make the hair on your arms stand up.” A few minutes later, driving east along the South Rim past a spot called Twin Overlooks, Travis took a sharp left and drove his Toyota Corolla straight towards the 5,000ft drop. The Corolla jumped over the kerb, but did not take the plunge. It got caught in a small fir tree clinging just below the rim.
Travis and Willard Twiggs were not in trouble with the law. Willard, 38, was a former maritime-logistics specialist in New Orleans. He had been working in construction, intermittently, since Hurricane Katrina. Travis, 36, was a Marine Corps staff sergeant, a decorated combat veteran with one tour of duty in Afghanistan and four tours in Iraq. In January 2008 he had created a minor stir by writing an article about his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Marine Corps Gazette.
Twiggs emphasised his recovery; he soon found himself working with a new unit, the Wounded Warrior Regiment, spreading the word about the treatment and prevention of PTSD. In late April, he met President Bush at the White House. Rather than shake the president’s hand, Twiggs bear-hugged him, proclaiming: “Sir, I’ve served over there many times — and I would serve for you any time.”
Three weeks later, he tried to drive into the Grand Canyon. Witnesses said the brothers behaved oddly after the crash. They tried to reverse the Toyota out of the tree branches but could gain no traction. They did not want anyone to call for help. One seemed interested only in finding his cigarettes. They put on backpacks, said they were going to continue with their plans, and set off on foot before park rangers arrived. More likely, they went across the road and waited in the scrubby conifer forest while the rangers cleared the wreck.
click link for more
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Disabled veteran's dream of a new home comes true
Laney Cope and her father, Joshua, test the water in the pool at their new Oakland home this week. (Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel)
Home at last: Disabled veteran's dream of a new home comes true
Nov 22, 2008
Darryl E. Owens | Sentinel Staff Writer
November 22, 2008
As soon as the Honda Element eased into the driveway Tuesday morning, a barefoot Laney Cope bolted from her car seat and scampered around to the passenger side to greet her father. The 2-year-old just couldn't wait. Neither could Joshua Cope.The doors of his adaptive vehicle couldn't open soon enough, the hydraulic ramp couldn't lower quickly enough, and his motorized wheelchair couldn't roll out of the hold fast enough. Finally, this was the day. Joshua and Erica Cope were homeowners.
The Copes' 3,775-square-foot house, nestled on a tree-lined half-acre plot in this west Orange County town, was built and paid for by West Orange Habitat for Humanity. The group's "Home at Last" project, which will be dedicated this morning at Oakland Avenue Charter School, was a pioneering venture to build a house for a severely injured veteran of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Its first recipient: Army Sgt. Joshua Cope.
Usually, recipients of Habitat houses must invest hundreds of hours of their own labor in building their home, which in the United States costs an average of $60,000. The "sweat equity" requirement was waived for the Copes.
click links for more
The Copes tour their new home Photos
Do you know a severely injured vet who need a home?
Josh Cope - Long journey back, a step at a time Photos
Two US Generals and Iraqi General survive suicide bomber
Close call
Senior leaders’ MRAP is destroyed by suicide bomb, but they survive
By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 22, 2008 8:05:14 EST
Two U.S. generals and an Iraqi general survived an Aug. 24 suicide car bomb attack that destroyed the armored vehicle in which they were riding.
The attack occurred as a convoy rolled out of Forward Operating Base Marez on the edge of Mosul, said Multi-National Division-North spokesman Maj. Dan Meyers. “They had just left the base,” he said.
The bomber aimed his car, packed with 800 pounds of explosives, at a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle carrying Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, and Brig. Gen. Raymond “Tony” Thomas, assistant division commander for support of Multi-National Division-North. Also riding in the vehicle were an Iraqi general, a linguist and the MRAP crew, said MNSTC-I spokesman Col. Steven Wujciak, who added that he did not know the Iraqi general’s name.
The generals were on what Wujciak called “a normal battlefield circulation,” a phrase the military uses when senior leaders tour their areas of operations, visiting troops. Although the blast destroyed the vehicle and left a crater five feet deep and 10 feet wide, none of the vehicle’s occupants was seriously hurt, he said.
Thanks to the MRAP’s protection, the only casualty of the attack was the suicide bomber.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/army_generals_112208w/
Senior leaders’ MRAP is destroyed by suicide bomb, but they survive
By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 22, 2008 8:05:14 EST
Two U.S. generals and an Iraqi general survived an Aug. 24 suicide car bomb attack that destroyed the armored vehicle in which they were riding.
The attack occurred as a convoy rolled out of Forward Operating Base Marez on the edge of Mosul, said Multi-National Division-North spokesman Maj. Dan Meyers. “They had just left the base,” he said.
The bomber aimed his car, packed with 800 pounds of explosives, at a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle carrying Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, and Brig. Gen. Raymond “Tony” Thomas, assistant division commander for support of Multi-National Division-North. Also riding in the vehicle were an Iraqi general, a linguist and the MRAP crew, said MNSTC-I spokesman Col. Steven Wujciak, who added that he did not know the Iraqi general’s name.
The generals were on what Wujciak called “a normal battlefield circulation,” a phrase the military uses when senior leaders tour their areas of operations, visiting troops. Although the blast destroyed the vehicle and left a crater five feet deep and 10 feet wide, none of the vehicle’s occupants was seriously hurt, he said.
Thanks to the MRAP’s protection, the only casualty of the attack was the suicide bomber.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/army_generals_112208w/
Friday, November 21, 2008
If you think you had a bad day, read this
Pasco man pulled from burning house, sent to jail
By Erin Sullivan, Times staff writer
Saturday, November 22, 2008
ZEPHYRHILLS — A few minutes before 11 o'clock Friday morning, Henry Morgan's wife called his cell phone. When he answered, he could barely make out her voice because she was crying.
"The house is on fire," she shouted.
And then the phone went dead.
Morgan didn't know if she was stuck inside the house. He kept trying to call her back, but her phone wouldn't pick up. He and his wife, Sherry, live in the 1,200-square-foot house with their three children — daughters Brandy, 17, and Sierra, 13, and son Cameron, 7 — along with several cats and dogs. One of the cats had just had kittens.
Morgan jumped in his pickup truck and sped to the house on Chester Drive in Zephyrhills. He and Sherry have been married for 20 years and the house is nearly paid off. But he works in construction and is only getting one or two days of work a week. Sherry, who had always been a stay-at-home mom, went to work at a daycare about a month ago. They didn't want to lose their house to foreclosure, so something had to go.
They canceled their homeowner's insurance.
When Morgan got to the house one side of it was engulfed in flames. There were three firetrucks, two rescue vehicles and tons of emergency workers. Morgan, 41, said he didn't see his wife or children or pets so he thought they were inside the house.
And he ran toward it.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/fire/article912912.ece
By Erin Sullivan, Times staff writer
Saturday, November 22, 2008
ZEPHYRHILLS — A few minutes before 11 o'clock Friday morning, Henry Morgan's wife called his cell phone. When he answered, he could barely make out her voice because she was crying.
"The house is on fire," she shouted.
And then the phone went dead.
Morgan didn't know if she was stuck inside the house. He kept trying to call her back, but her phone wouldn't pick up. He and his wife, Sherry, live in the 1,200-square-foot house with their three children — daughters Brandy, 17, and Sierra, 13, and son Cameron, 7 — along with several cats and dogs. One of the cats had just had kittens.
Morgan jumped in his pickup truck and sped to the house on Chester Drive in Zephyrhills. He and Sherry have been married for 20 years and the house is nearly paid off. But he works in construction and is only getting one or two days of work a week. Sherry, who had always been a stay-at-home mom, went to work at a daycare about a month ago. They didn't want to lose their house to foreclosure, so something had to go.
They canceled their homeowner's insurance.
When Morgan got to the house one side of it was engulfed in flames. There were three firetrucks, two rescue vehicles and tons of emergency workers. Morgan, 41, said he didn't see his wife or children or pets so he thought they were inside the house.
And he ran toward it.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/fire/article912912.ece
St. Petersburg Times hero to single mom laid off
November 21, 2008
Followup: Readers respond to unemployed single mom's story
At least six people want to interview Annie Lesso for a job.
Dozens more want to donate money to her and help her give her kids Christmas. Others want to give her advice.
Dozens of readers reacted to Lesso's story, which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times Friday, and detailed her plight trying to get a job in the current economy.
Lesso, a 45-year-old widow, was laid off Oct. 1 from her job as an airline manager. She has sent out 200 resumes and has not received one reply.
"There have been many articles in the Times that I wanted to respond to and offer some assistance,'' wrote Sandi Ford of St. Petersburg. "I had to respond to this one because it hit so close to home. I have been a single working mother most of my adult life and have been laid off twice so I know what Annie Lesso is going through. I felt exactly the way she does - that my faith would get me through - and it did.''
Several said they might have a job opportunity for Lesso. One paramedic company wanted to interview her for a management position that paid $45,000, the same amount she was making before she was laid off.
Another wanted to talk to her about a new career. "Your story about Annie Lesso was compelling and made me cry,'' wrote Lynne Herrick of Valrico, a district sales manager at American Family Life Assurance Co. "I have been a single mom and know the emotional strain it can put on you, knowing you are the provider of your children and yet through all of this she relies on God and is reaching out to others in her church. What an amazing woman!''
Related content:Lesso's struggles show job crisis is far-reaching
Followup: Readers respond to unemployed single mom's story
At least six people want to interview Annie Lesso for a job.
Dozens more want to donate money to her and help her give her kids Christmas. Others want to give her advice.
Dozens of readers reacted to Lesso's story, which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times Friday, and detailed her plight trying to get a job in the current economy.
Lesso, a 45-year-old widow, was laid off Oct. 1 from her job as an airline manager. She has sent out 200 resumes and has not received one reply.
"There have been many articles in the Times that I wanted to respond to and offer some assistance,'' wrote Sandi Ford of St. Petersburg. "I had to respond to this one because it hit so close to home. I have been a single working mother most of my adult life and have been laid off twice so I know what Annie Lesso is going through. I felt exactly the way she does - that my faith would get me through - and it did.''
Several said they might have a job opportunity for Lesso. One paramedic company wanted to interview her for a management position that paid $45,000, the same amount she was making before she was laid off.
Another wanted to talk to her about a new career. "Your story about Annie Lesso was compelling and made me cry,'' wrote Lynne Herrick of Valrico, a district sales manager at American Family Life Assurance Co. "I have been a single mom and know the emotional strain it can put on you, knowing you are the provider of your children and yet through all of this she relies on God and is reaching out to others in her church. What an amazing woman!''
Related content:Lesso's struggles show job crisis is far-reaching
Angel to homeless, Brenden Foster died in his mom's arms
May the Good Lord comfort Wendy and Brenden's family. This little angel changed the world for the better.
Brenden Foster: 'I had a great time'
Brenden Foster, who inspired countless people around the world with his wish to feed the homeless, died early Friday in his mother's arms. He was 11. Read more »
By Elisa Jaffe BOTHELL, Wash. -- The day I met Brenden Foster, I met an old soul in an 11 year old's body.
"I should be gone in a week or so," he said calmly.
When I asked him what he thought were the best things in life, Brenden said, "Just having one."
I didn't understand how this child, who was a year younger than my own son, could be so courageous facing death.
"It happens. It's natural," Brenden told me.
Three years ago, doctors diagnosed Brenden with leukemia. The boy who once rushed through homework so he could play outside found himself confined to a bed. But there was no confining his spirit.
"I had a great time. And until my time comes, I'm going to keep having a great time," he said.
Brenden's selfless dying wish was to help the homeless.
"They're probably starving, so give'em a chance," he said, "food and water."
But Brenden was too ill to feed them on his own. So volunteers from Emerald City Lights Bike Ride passed out some 200 sandwiches to the homeless in Seattle.
Then Brenden's last wish took on a life of its own.
A TV station in Los Angeles held a food drive. School kids in Ohio collected cans. People in Pensacola, Florida gathered goods.
And here in Western Washington, KOMO viewers from all over took part in the Stuff the Truck food drive in Brenden's honor. Hundreds with generous hearts donated six and a half huge truck loads of groceries and more than $60,000 in cash to benefit Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline.
Brenden touched hearts all over the world. His wish came true, and he lived to see it.
"He had the joy of seeing all of the beautiful response to his last wish," said his grandmother, Patricia McMorrow. "It gives him great peace and he knows that his life has meaning."
"He's left a legacy and he's only 11," said his mother, Wendy Foster. "He's done more than most people dream of doing just by making a wish."
click link for more
Related Content
Hundreds help grant Brenden Foster's wish
Watch the story
Dying boy inspires goodwill in people near and far
Watch the story
Boy shares heartbreaking last wish
Watch the story
Brenden Foster: 'I had a great time'
Brenden Foster, who inspired countless people around the world with his wish to feed the homeless, died early Friday in his mother's arms. He was 11. Read more »
By Elisa Jaffe BOTHELL, Wash. -- The day I met Brenden Foster, I met an old soul in an 11 year old's body.
"I should be gone in a week or so," he said calmly.
When I asked him what he thought were the best things in life, Brenden said, "Just having one."
I didn't understand how this child, who was a year younger than my own son, could be so courageous facing death.
"It happens. It's natural," Brenden told me.
Three years ago, doctors diagnosed Brenden with leukemia. The boy who once rushed through homework so he could play outside found himself confined to a bed. But there was no confining his spirit.
"I had a great time. And until my time comes, I'm going to keep having a great time," he said.
Brenden's selfless dying wish was to help the homeless.
"They're probably starving, so give'em a chance," he said, "food and water."
But Brenden was too ill to feed them on his own. So volunteers from Emerald City Lights Bike Ride passed out some 200 sandwiches to the homeless in Seattle.
Then Brenden's last wish took on a life of its own.
A TV station in Los Angeles held a food drive. School kids in Ohio collected cans. People in Pensacola, Florida gathered goods.
And here in Western Washington, KOMO viewers from all over took part in the Stuff the Truck food drive in Brenden's honor. Hundreds with generous hearts donated six and a half huge truck loads of groceries and more than $60,000 in cash to benefit Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline.
Brenden touched hearts all over the world. His wish came true, and he lived to see it.
"He had the joy of seeing all of the beautiful response to his last wish," said his grandmother, Patricia McMorrow. "It gives him great peace and he knows that his life has meaning."
"He's left a legacy and he's only 11," said his mother, Wendy Foster. "He's done more than most people dream of doing just by making a wish."
click link for more
Related Content
Hundreds help grant Brenden Foster's wish
Watch the story
Dying boy inspires goodwill in people near and far
Watch the story
Boy shares heartbreaking last wish
Watch the story
Marine from Miami non-combat death in Iraq
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Gunnery Sgt. Marcelo R. Velasco, 40, of Miami, died Nov. 19 from injuries sustained in a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I MEF, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The incident is currently under investigation.
Viewers could have saved teen as they watched him die online
This is to all the people who watched this teenager die.
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? What would it have cost you if you contacted the police to let them know what you were seeing even if he was faking? Would it have cost you anything at all? What's wrong? Were you afraid some of the other people on line would have made fun of you if you were wrong but reacted as any decent, normal human being would have? The medical examiner said that if someone had picked up a phone and reported it, his life could have been saved but all of you just watched him die debating if he took enough pills or if he really did want to die. How horrible are you? Do you feel any shame? Remorse?
Is it because he's a stranger? Well I have news for you. So is everyone else you're online with.
I spend my days trying to save the lives of people who want to die because they have lost hope. They are all strangers but they are people who need help and then I go into CNN to see this! There is no excuse for any of you that would ever make this right. The difference between me and you is that I can go to bed at night knowing I did what I could everyday to make a difference in a stranger's life but you get to go to bed knowing someone took their own life while you watched and did nothing.
UPDATE ON THIS STORY
Teen Commits Suicide Live on Web
By RASHA MADKOUR, AP
Nov. 22) -The family of a college student who killed himself live on the Internet say they're horrified his life ended before a virtual audience, and infuriated that viewers of the live webcam or operators of the Web site that hosted it didn't act sooner to save him.
Only after police arrived to find Abraham Biggs dead in his father's bed did the Web feed stop Wednesday — 12 hours after the 19-year-old Broward College student first declared on a Web site that he hated himself and planned to die.
"It didn't have to be," said the victim's sister, Rosalind Bigg. "They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours."
Biggs announced his plans to kill himself over a Web site for bodybuilders, authorities said. He posted a link from there to Justin.tv, a site that allows users to broadcast live videos from their webcams.
go here for more
http://news.aol.com/article/teen-commits-suicide-live-on-web/256594?icid=200100397x1213345890x1200878860
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? What would it have cost you if you contacted the police to let them know what you were seeing even if he was faking? Would it have cost you anything at all? What's wrong? Were you afraid some of the other people on line would have made fun of you if you were wrong but reacted as any decent, normal human being would have? The medical examiner said that if someone had picked up a phone and reported it, his life could have been saved but all of you just watched him die debating if he took enough pills or if he really did want to die. How horrible are you? Do you feel any shame? Remorse?
Is it because he's a stranger? Well I have news for you. So is everyone else you're online with.
I spend my days trying to save the lives of people who want to die because they have lost hope. They are all strangers but they are people who need help and then I go into CNN to see this! There is no excuse for any of you that would ever make this right. The difference between me and you is that I can go to bed at night knowing I did what I could everyday to make a difference in a stranger's life but you get to go to bed knowing someone took their own life while you watched and did nothing.
Officials: Teen commits suicide on webcam as others watch
Story Highlights
Some urged him to take more drugs; others debated whether he had used enough
Hours passed before someone notified authorities, officials say
Teen had a history of depression; posted suicide note online
Dad laments that no one gave him "the assistance that he was crying out for"
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- With his webcam trained on him, a Florida teenager died in his bed of a drug overdose while others watched over the Internet, officials said Friday.
Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper said it was clear that the teen committed suicide.
Some of those watching urged him to take more drugs while others debated whether he had taken enough to kill himself. Hours passed before someone finally notified authorities that he appeared lifeless, officials said.
The teenager was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon in Pembroke Pines, Florida, said Wendy Crane, investigator for the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office.
The cause of death was found to be an overdose of benzodiazepine, an antidepressant, as well as other opiate drugs used to treat depression, Crane said. CNN is not reporting the teenager's name.
The youth's body was found in his apartment behind a locked door, which police broke down. Police turned off the webcam and computer, Crane said.Watch CNN's John Zarrella detail the webcam suicide »
The story
With his webcam trained on him, a Florida teenager died in his bed of a drug overdose while others watched over the Internet, officials said Friday.
Some of those watching urged him to take more drugs while others debated whether he had taken enough to kill himself. Hours passed before someone finally notified authorities that he appeared lifeless, officials said.
The teenager was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon in Pembroke Pines, Florida, said Wendy Crane, investigator for the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office.
UPDATE ON THIS STORY
Teen Commits Suicide Live on Web
By RASHA MADKOUR, AP
Nov. 22) -The family of a college student who killed himself live on the Internet say they're horrified his life ended before a virtual audience, and infuriated that viewers of the live webcam or operators of the Web site that hosted it didn't act sooner to save him.
Only after police arrived to find Abraham Biggs dead in his father's bed did the Web feed stop Wednesday — 12 hours after the 19-year-old Broward College student first declared on a Web site that he hated himself and planned to die.
"It didn't have to be," said the victim's sister, Rosalind Bigg. "They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours."
Biggs announced his plans to kill himself over a Web site for bodybuilders, authorities said. He posted a link from there to Justin.tv, a site that allows users to broadcast live videos from their webcams.
go here for more
http://news.aol.com/article/teen-commits-suicide-live-on-web/256594?icid=200100397x1213345890x1200878860
Substance abuse numbers higher, but not drug counselors
The military seems to have a habit of making things go from bad to worse. First they don't do enough to get the soldiers to understand what PTSD, then they do, along with people stepping up across the nation, then they don't have enough people to take care of them. Then they want them to stop using drugs to kill off what they don't want to feel, but yet again, not enough people to take care of them. Like I said, it's like they're trying to hold off a tsunami with a beach shovel!
More soldiers seeking drug abuse help
By Gregg Zoroya - USA TODAY
Posted : Friday Nov 21, 2008 6:48:57 EST
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The number of soldiers seeking help for substance abuse has climbed 25 percent in the past five years, but the Army’s counseling program has remained significantly understaffed and struggling to meet the demand, Army records show.
About 13,500 soldiers sought drug counseling this year and 7,200 soldiers were diagnosed with an abuse or dependency issue and enrolled in counseling, according to Army data. That compares with 11,170 soldiers reporting to drug counseling in 2003, when 5,727 enrolled.
Army records show 2.38 percent of all soldiers had positive results on routine drug urinalysis screening, a 10-year record. In 2004, when combat troops returned from Iraq in large numbers, 1.72 percent had positive results.
The Army requires one drug counselor for every 2,000 soldiers, yet is currently operating with one for 3,100 soldiers, a chronic shortage exacerbated by the increase in substance abuse cases.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/gns_drughelp_112108/
National Resource Directory For Wounded Warriors, Families And Caregivers
Department of Defense Launches National Resource Directory For Wounded Warriors, Families And Caregivers
The Department of Defense today launched the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs.
The directory is a Web-based network of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them.
“The directory is the visible demonstration of our national will and commitment to make the journey from ‘survive to thrive’ a reality for those who have given so much. As new links are added each day by providers and partners, coverage from coast to coast will grow even greater ensuring that no part of that journey will ever be made alone,” said Lynda C. Davis, Ph.D., deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Located at http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.org , the directory offers more than 10,000 medical and non-medical services and resources to help service members and veterans achieve personal and professional goals along their journey from recovery through rehabilitation to community reintegration.
“The VA is extremely proud to be a partner in this innovative resource. This combination of federal, state, and community-based resources will serve as a tremendous asset for all service members, veterans, their families and those who care for them. The community is essential to the successful reintegration of our veterans, and these groups greatly enhance the directory’s scope,” said Karen S. Guice, M.D., executive director, federal recovery care coordination program at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The National Resource Directory will prove to be a valuable tool for wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families as they wind their way through the maze of benefits and services available to them in their transition to civilian life. The Department of Labor is pleased to have the opportunity to work with our partners at DoD,” said Charles S. Ciccolella, the assistant secretary of labor for the veterans’ employment and training service.
The National Resource Directory is organized into six major categories: Benefits and Compensation; Education, Training and Employment; Family and Caregiver Support; Health; Housing and Transportation; and Services and Resources. It also provides helpful checklists, Frequently Asked Questions, and connections to peer support groups. All information on the Web site can be found through a general or state and local search tool.
The National Resource Directory’s launch in November is a key feature of Warrior Care Month.
http://www.defenselink.mil/utility/printitem.aspx?print=http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12357
The Department of Defense today launched the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs.
The directory is a Web-based network of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them.
“The directory is the visible demonstration of our national will and commitment to make the journey from ‘survive to thrive’ a reality for those who have given so much. As new links are added each day by providers and partners, coverage from coast to coast will grow even greater ensuring that no part of that journey will ever be made alone,” said Lynda C. Davis, Ph.D., deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Located at http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.org , the directory offers more than 10,000 medical and non-medical services and resources to help service members and veterans achieve personal and professional goals along their journey from recovery through rehabilitation to community reintegration.
“The VA is extremely proud to be a partner in this innovative resource. This combination of federal, state, and community-based resources will serve as a tremendous asset for all service members, veterans, their families and those who care for them. The community is essential to the successful reintegration of our veterans, and these groups greatly enhance the directory’s scope,” said Karen S. Guice, M.D., executive director, federal recovery care coordination program at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The National Resource Directory will prove to be a valuable tool for wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families as they wind their way through the maze of benefits and services available to them in their transition to civilian life. The Department of Labor is pleased to have the opportunity to work with our partners at DoD,” said Charles S. Ciccolella, the assistant secretary of labor for the veterans’ employment and training service.
The National Resource Directory is organized into six major categories: Benefits and Compensation; Education, Training and Employment; Family and Caregiver Support; Health; Housing and Transportation; and Services and Resources. It also provides helpful checklists, Frequently Asked Questions, and connections to peer support groups. All information on the Web site can be found through a general or state and local search tool.
The National Resource Directory’s launch in November is a key feature of Warrior Care Month.
http://www.defenselink.mil/utility/printitem.aspx?print=http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12357
Col. James C. Burris, Vietnam War veteran passed away at 78
Col. James C. Burris, Vietnam War veteran
Baltimore Sun - United States
November 21, 2008
Col. James Curtis Burris, a highly decorated career Army officer who fought in the Vietnam War, died Nov. 13 at his Havre de Grace home of cancers related to exposure to Agent Orange. He was 78.
Colonel Burris, who was born and raised in Tulsa, Okla., graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1948.
Born into a military family, Colonel Burris was the grandson of two Civil War veterans and the son of a World War I veteran. He enlisted in the Army in 1948 and was selected to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1954.
Assigned to the infantry, he served in Korea and South and Central America. He completed three combat tours of duty in Vietnam during the 1960s, where he was a combat leader with the 101st Infantry Division. During his 25 years of service, Colonel Burris held numerous command assignments throughout the world.
He was decorated for valor and heroism during combat with two Bronze Stars, three Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, a Distinguished Flying Cross and 39 Air Medals for combat assaults in Vietnam.
Other decorations included the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Ranger Tab and Master Parachutist's Badge, plus numerous decorations from foreign governments.
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Post-Traumatic Stress Under-Treated: Local Soldiers Affected
Post-Traumatic Stress Under-Treated: Local Soldiers Affected
Target 11 Investigates Treatment Gaps
A recent study was highly critical of the care the soldiers are receiving when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Target 11 talked to a local soldier who said the military turned its back on him.
Robert Reeb spent the past 17 years in the military.
In the summer of 2006, he returned from Iraq and that's when his troubles began.
"I started using inhalants, and anything I could," said Reeb.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he was sent to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Maryland.
But halfway through, the treatment program was cut off -- Reeb was ordered back to Pennsylvania and discharged under honorable conditions.
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania National Guard said Reeb was given numerous chances, but repeated problems eventually led to his discharge. But a recent survey by the RAND corporation uncovered troubling statistics about the treatment soldiers returning from battle receive.
While some 300,000 soldiers suffer from PTSD, the study revealed only half who need it are getting treated and of those, slightly more than half received care labeled "minimally adequate".
Terri Tanielian conducted the study and said the military can do better.
"There are a number of opportunities that exist within the Department of Defense and the VA where there are tools and settings where you would hope and expect that higher quality care would be delivered," said Tanielian.
Congressman Jason Altmire agrees it's a big problem.
"It's a problem with the quality of care they are getting," said Altmire.
Altmire believes the situation facing Reeb and other soldiers is preventable.
"Certainly he did not get the treatment on the front end that he should have. And unfortunately he took a downward spiral and his life went in a different direction," said Altmire.
go here for more
http://www.wpxi.com/news/18010844/detail.html
Target 11 Investigates Treatment Gaps
A recent study was highly critical of the care the soldiers are receiving when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Target 11 talked to a local soldier who said the military turned its back on him.
Robert Reeb spent the past 17 years in the military.
In the summer of 2006, he returned from Iraq and that's when his troubles began.
"I started using inhalants, and anything I could," said Reeb.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he was sent to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Maryland.
But halfway through, the treatment program was cut off -- Reeb was ordered back to Pennsylvania and discharged under honorable conditions.
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania National Guard said Reeb was given numerous chances, but repeated problems eventually led to his discharge. But a recent survey by the RAND corporation uncovered troubling statistics about the treatment soldiers returning from battle receive.
While some 300,000 soldiers suffer from PTSD, the study revealed only half who need it are getting treated and of those, slightly more than half received care labeled "minimally adequate".
Terri Tanielian conducted the study and said the military can do better.
"There are a number of opportunities that exist within the Department of Defense and the VA where there are tools and settings where you would hope and expect that higher quality care would be delivered," said Tanielian.
Congressman Jason Altmire agrees it's a big problem.
"It's a problem with the quality of care they are getting," said Altmire.
Altmire believes the situation facing Reeb and other soldiers is preventable.
"Certainly he did not get the treatment on the front end that he should have. And unfortunately he took a downward spiral and his life went in a different direction," said Altmire.
go here for more
http://www.wpxi.com/news/18010844/detail.html
Decorated Marine one day, in jail another
How War Ravages the Warrior
Reported by: Sean Carroll
Email: scarroll@13wham.com
Last Update: 11/20 9:28 pm
(Caledonia, N.Y. /Iraq) - The decorated Marine served two tours of duty in Iraq. He was in the Marines for 13 years. After Iraq, he returned home and served two years in prison--for a home-invasion assault he committed in Virginia.
"I'm here to defend my country and take part in a war on terrorism and then, unfortunately, I go and terrorize an American couple in their own home," Gianforte said.
Gianforte still says, as he did from the get-go, that he does not recall one moment of that attack.
"If I can do anything to keep someone else from having to go through this, than so be it," he said.
"Let me go through the hell so you don't have to."
Sergeant Gianforte's hell began in Fallujah with house-to-house combat searching for insurgents.
"Five weeks, inside a city, everyday you're in fire-fights, everyday you're losing friends…it's watching 13 of your friends get killed," he said.
With two tours under his belt, Caledonia's marine found himself at a Virginia Beach base training for a third deployment.
One night he hit the town with his buddies, drank a bit, then, with another Marine, bashed in the door of Dan and Debbie Shain’s home.
"They were accusing him of being a terrorist and that he killed people, and that they were going to kill him and his family," said Debbie Malone-Shain.
After a SWAT team pulled Gianforte off Dan Shain's beaten body, the decorated marine found himself in jail.
click post title for more
Reported by: Sean Carroll
Email: scarroll@13wham.com
Last Update: 11/20 9:28 pm
(Caledonia, N.Y. /Iraq) - The decorated Marine served two tours of duty in Iraq. He was in the Marines for 13 years. After Iraq, he returned home and served two years in prison--for a home-invasion assault he committed in Virginia.
"I'm here to defend my country and take part in a war on terrorism and then, unfortunately, I go and terrorize an American couple in their own home," Gianforte said.
Gianforte still says, as he did from the get-go, that he does not recall one moment of that attack.
"If I can do anything to keep someone else from having to go through this, than so be it," he said.
"Let me go through the hell so you don't have to."
Sergeant Gianforte's hell began in Fallujah with house-to-house combat searching for insurgents.
"Five weeks, inside a city, everyday you're in fire-fights, everyday you're losing friends…it's watching 13 of your friends get killed," he said.
With two tours under his belt, Caledonia's marine found himself at a Virginia Beach base training for a third deployment.
One night he hit the town with his buddies, drank a bit, then, with another Marine, bashed in the door of Dan and Debbie Shain’s home.
"They were accusing him of being a terrorist and that he killed people, and that they were going to kill him and his family," said Debbie Malone-Shain.
After a SWAT team pulled Gianforte off Dan Shain's beaten body, the decorated marine found himself in jail.
click post title for more
Mental Effects of War In-Depth Exclusive
Mental Effects of War In-Depth Exclusive
KFDA - Amarillo,TX,USA
Posted: Nov 20, 2008 10:48 PM EST
Searching for Osama Bin Ladin was his mission and bringing democracy to the less fortunate was his goal.
Every American is affected by the war in Afghanistan and Iraq in some way.
2001 Palo Duro graduate and Army Sergeant David Vasquez earned a purple heart during his first of four tours to Afghanistan and Iraq.
By telling his story he says he wants to help Americans understand the struggles and triumphs of fighting the enemy.
During his first tour Sergeant Vasquez says his platoon was asked to pull hair samples from dead Iraqis for DNA tests, in hopes of finding Osama Bin Ladin.
"You'd come across what I'd describe as a dead dog." He says,"A couple of times you'd be engaged by some diehards I guess you could say who, I think they were high on Opium because allot of the times when they would engage us they didn't seem that they were sober."
The hardest part for Vasquez was loosing fellow platoon members he calls his brothers.
"Having them killed was like having a two by four to the face but you still have a job to do."
And demonstrating the courage to continue on is why Vasquez says many of his fellow solider's developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
go here for video
Mental Effects of War In-Depth Exclusive2:39
go here for more of story
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=9390442
KFDA - Amarillo,TX,USA
Posted: Nov 20, 2008 10:48 PM EST
Searching for Osama Bin Ladin was his mission and bringing democracy to the less fortunate was his goal.
Every American is affected by the war in Afghanistan and Iraq in some way.
2001 Palo Duro graduate and Army Sergeant David Vasquez earned a purple heart during his first of four tours to Afghanistan and Iraq.
By telling his story he says he wants to help Americans understand the struggles and triumphs of fighting the enemy.
During his first tour Sergeant Vasquez says his platoon was asked to pull hair samples from dead Iraqis for DNA tests, in hopes of finding Osama Bin Ladin.
"You'd come across what I'd describe as a dead dog." He says,"A couple of times you'd be engaged by some diehards I guess you could say who, I think they were high on Opium because allot of the times when they would engage us they didn't seem that they were sober."
The hardest part for Vasquez was loosing fellow platoon members he calls his brothers.
"Having them killed was like having a two by four to the face but you still have a job to do."
And demonstrating the courage to continue on is why Vasquez says many of his fellow solider's developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
go here for video
Mental Effects of War In-Depth Exclusive2:39
go here for more of story
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=9390442
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