About To Be Killed, Mom Calls Daughter To Say Goodbye
Amy Kuscmas' Body Found Dumped In Wilkinsburg's Hunter Park
POSTED: 10:22 am EDT July 24, 2009
WILKINSBURG, Pa. -- Amy Kucsmas knew she would soon be a murder victim, and the 36-year-old Mt. Oliver woman made a final phone call to her daughter while her apparent killer stood nearby.
Two weeks later, on Friday morning, Kucsmas' body was found bound with electrical tape and wrapped in a carpet in a wooded area of Hunter Park in Wilkinsburg.
"Kayla got a call the night that it happened. She said that she's going to die tonight," Kucsmas' sister, Jayme, told WTAE Channel 4's Marcie Cipriani on Wednesday. "She told Kayla not to cry and that everything will be OK, and then Kayla heard some man in the background screaming. Then, she said her mom was hysterically crying. She couldn't understand what she was saying, and then the phone hung up."
linked from CNN
read more here
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/cnn-news/20165920/detail.html
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Army report warned of burn-pit effects
Army report warned of burn-pit effects
Cited long-term damage at odds with DoD posture
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 30, 2009 12:03:53 EDT
Seven months before Defense Department officials said there were no known long-term health effects due to exposure to open-air burn-pit smoke, Army researchers sent out a report on the health effects associated with particulate matter exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan that paints a slightly different picture.
“Particulate matter air pollution is hypothesized to affect health on two time scales,” states the report by the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. “Long-term exposure, on the scale of months to years, may influence the incidence of chronic disease and susceptibility; and short-term exposure, on the scale of days, may precipitate acute health events. Health effects of particulate matter on both scales may range in severity from subclinical to deadly.”
The report, “Potential Health Implications Associated with Particulate Matter Exposure in Deployed Settings in Southwest Asia,” was submitted for publication to Inhalation Toxicology Journal in December and published in March.
It included data from a second report, “Characterizing Mineral Dusts and other Aerosols from the Middle East,” that showed particulate matter levels at each of 15 sites — including Joint Base Balad, Iraq, where an open burn pit once devoured as much as 240 tons of trash a day — was above World Health Organization, as well as military, standards for fine particulate matter.
read more here
Army report warned of burn-pit effects
Cited long-term damage at odds with DoD posture
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 30, 2009 12:03:53 EDT
Seven months before Defense Department officials said there were no known long-term health effects due to exposure to open-air burn-pit smoke, Army researchers sent out a report on the health effects associated with particulate matter exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan that paints a slightly different picture.
“Particulate matter air pollution is hypothesized to affect health on two time scales,” states the report by the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. “Long-term exposure, on the scale of months to years, may influence the incidence of chronic disease and susceptibility; and short-term exposure, on the scale of days, may precipitate acute health events. Health effects of particulate matter on both scales may range in severity from subclinical to deadly.”
The report, “Potential Health Implications Associated with Particulate Matter Exposure in Deployed Settings in Southwest Asia,” was submitted for publication to Inhalation Toxicology Journal in December and published in March.
It included data from a second report, “Characterizing Mineral Dusts and other Aerosols from the Middle East,” that showed particulate matter levels at each of 15 sites — including Joint Base Balad, Iraq, where an open burn pit once devoured as much as 240 tons of trash a day — was above World Health Organization, as well as military, standards for fine particulate matter.
read more here
Army report warned of burn-pit effects
Osceola man accused of murdering his 5-year-old son
This is a case of a 5 year old boy who didn't want to eat his breakfast. A "woman" if you want to use the word, beat him with a belt according to the report. When the 5 year old hit the woman, his father kicked him to death. A 5 year old boy is dead because he didn't want to eat his breakfast!
When we read appalling accounts like this it makes us all wonder what kind of people do things like this. What we tend to not think about is that the life of the child must have been hell all along.
When we read appalling accounts like this it makes us all wonder what kind of people do things like this. What we tend to not think about is that the life of the child must have been hell all along.
Osceola man accused of murdering his 5-year-old son
Records show father, his girlfriend beat the child.
Walter Pacheco and Sarah Lundy
Sentinel Staff Writers
Five-year-old Kenyon Jeriel Ortiz didn't want to eat his breakfast Friday.
The boy's childish act angered his father's girlfriend, Frances Marie Rodriguez, who swatted him with a belt, investigators said.
Kenyon responded by hitting her back.
Melvin Ortiz wasn't going to let his son's behavior stand. He beat and kicked the child -- so hard the boy died hours later, according to authorities.
Now Ortiz, 28, is charged with murder and Rodriguez, 24, is charged with child neglect and battery. The Poinciana couple were arrested Tuesday and appeared in Osceola County Court on Wednesday.
read more here
Osceola man accused of murdering his 5-year-old son
Good Samaritan Rescues 4 People, Including 2 Children
Odd thing is that the woman has the same last name as the creek the car ended up in.
linked from CNN
Man Rescues Family From Sinking Car
Good Samaritan Rescues 4 People, Including 2 Children
POSTED: 7:48 am CDT July 30, 2009
CHILLICOTHE, Mo. -- A Good Samaritan is being heralded as a life-saver after he helped four people, including two children, out of a car that ended up in a creek.
go here for more and for video
http://www.kctv5.com/news/20223308/detail.html
linked from CNN
What makes America Great
What Makes America Great?
Did you know that volunteer fire companies are a uniquely American tradition? In Europe, it would be unthinkable for anyone but the government to engage in the dangerous work of firefighting. But in America, the majority of firefighters are still volunteers. Ordinary Americans save the lives of others in countless communities across America -- simply for love of neighbor.
This fact speaks volumes about what has always made America great. As a nation we have a tradition of ordinary people caring for one another – even to the point of risking their lives. We sometimes forget that in many other societies this would seem absurd. But when we forget that, we forget who we are. That is why I love this video portrait of one volunteer fire company in Maryland. It captures the greatness of the ordinary Americans who volunteer to serve as firefighters in every community in our country:
Notice how most of the firefighters interviewed say that they serve because they saw someone else in their family do the same. That is the power of positive role models – and the reason that that Great Americans exists.
Matt Daniels
Creator and Executive Producer
Please forward this email to help us share the stories of our nation's real heroes.
About a year ago, after fighting with YouTube over my videos, I found Great Americans. I needed a place to show my videos without having to find them threatened by people blocking the music I use on the videos. It happened way too much and was also happening on Google videos.
They use software to find copy right music, which is fine since the sites are loaded with videos using music that others worked very hard to produce and they are not paid for the use. When their music is used in videos it's like advertising for them, but they never manage to see it that way. I have no argument with them at all. The problem comes in when under laws covering educational use are not taken into consideration.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 17 U.S.C. SECTION 107, THIS MATERIAL IS DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT PROFIT TO THOSE WHO HAVE EXPRESSED A PRIOR INTEREST IN RECEIVING THE INCLUDED INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.
When this did not solve the problem with YouTube, I also obtained a Creative Commons License. This didn't solve the problem either and there is no one to talk to in order to explain what these videos are for.
Even when I had permission from the artists involved, YouTube blocked the music. Nothing worked once YouTube had flagged my videos and then they began to block music on all of them.
It is frustrating that when I look at some of the videos on YouTube providing no educational purpose at all, the music is playing loud and clear. How they get away with it, I'll never know. I won't know because I will not put any of my videos back on their site.
Wounded and Waiting video was too long for YouTube so it was broken up into two parts. It used the music from BlackHawk Down. Leave No Man Behind was the song, which I've since found on YouTube still able to play. Can you think of a better sound track to use for a video like this?
Wounded And Waiting Part One
08:00
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 828
Wounded And Waiting Part Two
07:27
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 276
Wounded and Waiting is about wounded soldiers and Marines and the price they pay for serving this nation and then having to come back forced to wait for their claims to make it thru a backlog pile of another 800,000, which was the figure at the time the video was made. This is just one example.
I saved all the emails I received on the videos I produced, so I know they are helping veterans and their families coping with PTSD. You'd think a service like this would matter to YouTube but it doesn't. I have 27 videos right now that can only be found on Great Americans, my blog and web site. They are on other sites linked back to Great Americans instead of YouTube.
The other issue is that Great Americans does not get the same kind of traffic YouTube does. This is a shame considering how many people a site like Great Americans can serve.
Great Americans covers video subjects like veterans, our troops, firefighters (like the one above) police officers and American heroes. It's another reason why I am so grateful to have my videos included in on this site. They are dedicated to taking care of the people always taking care of the rest of us.
If you have not been in the Great Americans site, I urge you to take some time and go to Great Americans and watch some of what they have on their site. Pass the word on to all the people you know especially if you value the people risking their lives for the rest of us everyday.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Airman from Great Falls Montana died at Jackson Memorial Hospital
myartprints.com
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Andrew Scott Charpentier, 21, of Great Falls, Mont., died July 23 at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., from a non-combat related illness incurred while assigned to the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
http://icasualties.org/oef/
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Andrew Scott Charpentier, 21, of Great Falls, Mont., died July 23 at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., from a non-combat related illness incurred while assigned to the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
http://icasualties.org/oef/
Baby safe after snatching attempt at Fort Hood
Baby safe after snatching attempt at Fort Hood
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 14:39:47 EDT
FORT HOOD, Texas — Army officials are investigating the attempted kidnapping of a baby from the hospital at Fort Hood.
Officials say a woman wearing hospital scrubs took a newborn from a Darnall Army Medical Center room Monday morning, setting off the hospital’s infant abduction warning alarm. Hospital officials say the infant never left the ward and all babies were accounted for.
read more here
Baby safe after snatching attempt at Fort Hood
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 14:39:47 EDT
FORT HOOD, Texas — Army officials are investigating the attempted kidnapping of a baby from the hospital at Fort Hood.
Officials say a woman wearing hospital scrubs took a newborn from a Darnall Army Medical Center room Monday morning, setting off the hospital’s infant abduction warning alarm. Hospital officials say the infant never left the ward and all babies were accounted for.
read more here
Baby safe after snatching attempt at Fort Hood
2 Vietnam vets return from Iraq deployment
2 Vietnam vets return from Iraq deployment
By Kristin M. Hall - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 19:46:03 EDT
SMYRNA, Tenn. — The first two Tennessee National Guardsmen that stepped off a plane Wednesday after a yearlong deployment to Iraq shared a similar experience decades earlier as Vietnam War vets.
Master Sgt. Dennis Proctor, 60, and Master Sgt. Robert Potts, 59, both served in Vietnam and then returned to military service as citizen-soldiers, putting aside work and family to deploy to Iraq.
read more here
2 Vietnam vets return from Iraq deployment
By Kristin M. Hall - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 19:46:03 EDT
SMYRNA, Tenn. — The first two Tennessee National Guardsmen that stepped off a plane Wednesday after a yearlong deployment to Iraq shared a similar experience decades earlier as Vietnam War vets.
Master Sgt. Dennis Proctor, 60, and Master Sgt. Robert Potts, 59, both served in Vietnam and then returned to military service as citizen-soldiers, putting aside work and family to deploy to Iraq.
read more here
2 Vietnam vets return from Iraq deployment
Fort Benning Private accused of killing his mother
Benning private accused of killing his mother
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 18:57:08 EDT
AUSTIN, Texas — A soldier arrested in a Texas border city has been charged with capital murder in the death of his mother.
Pvt. Travis Wayne Baczewski of Austin was in the Travis County Jail on Wednesday on bonds totaling $1.1 million. That’s according to Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade.
read more here
Benning private accused of killing his mother
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 18:57:08 EDT
AUSTIN, Texas — A soldier arrested in a Texas border city has been charged with capital murder in the death of his mother.
Pvt. Travis Wayne Baczewski of Austin was in the Travis County Jail on Wednesday on bonds totaling $1.1 million. That’s according to Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade.
read more here
Benning private accused of killing his mother
Women veterans memorial in financial trouble needs donations
Women veterans memorial in financial trouble
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 16:50:04 EDT
The foundation that maintains and operates the nation’s only major memorial to female veterans is hurting for cash and has launched a fundraising campaign it hopes will help maintain operations — and ultimately stave off closure.
But despite a two-year shortfall in funding for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, closure is not imminent, according to retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught, the foundation’s president.
“We all go through tough times,” Vaught said Wednesday. But “there is no question that we’re going to meet our financial requirements. And we will be open. We will continue to be open. We will work our way through this.”
read more here
Women veterans memorial in financial trouble
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 16:50:04 EDT
The foundation that maintains and operates the nation’s only major memorial to female veterans is hurting for cash and has launched a fundraising campaign it hopes will help maintain operations — and ultimately stave off closure.
But despite a two-year shortfall in funding for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, closure is not imminent, according to retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught, the foundation’s president.
“We all go through tough times,” Vaught said Wednesday. But “there is no question that we’re going to meet our financial requirements. And we will be open. We will continue to be open. We will work our way through this.”
read more here
Women veterans memorial in financial trouble
Apopka Florida woman walks 2,700 miles for Homeless Veterans
Woman Walking 2,700 Miles to Raise Money for Homeless Veterans Extends Route to Reach NYC on 9/11 Anniversary
By: Marketwire .
Jul. 28, 2009 11:31 AM
APOPKA, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 07/28/09 -- Keela Carr, the 36-year-old personal trainer who is walking across the country to raise $300,000 for homeless veterans, has extended her planned route to end in New York City on September 11th. The last leg of her walk will follow the previously planned arrival at Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington, Va.) where she will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on August 14th.
Inspired by the spirit of service of American service men and women, Carr completed a cross-country walk last summer solely to thank at least 1,000 veterans in person. This year, the journey will also act as a fund-raising activity for homeless vets through her organization, A Thousand Thanks, of which she is founder and president.
"This is a deeply personal journey for me," said Carr, a Florida resident. "I have felt a bond with our soldiers my entire life, and this walk gives me the opportunity to thank them in person, reflect on their sacrifices, and give something back to them in return for what they have done for me and our country."
On any given night, 150,000 U.S. veterans sleep homeless on the streets of America. Because they have no physical address, they are unable to receive the benefits and services available to them to get them back on their feet. The funds raised by Carr's walk will be used to purchase land for facilities where these veterans can go, establish an address, and begin receiving the services that will help them rebuild their lives and families.
read more here
http://uk.sys-con.com/node/1051060
By: Marketwire .
Jul. 28, 2009 11:31 AM
APOPKA, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 07/28/09 -- Keela Carr, the 36-year-old personal trainer who is walking across the country to raise $300,000 for homeless veterans, has extended her planned route to end in New York City on September 11th. The last leg of her walk will follow the previously planned arrival at Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington, Va.) where she will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on August 14th.
Inspired by the spirit of service of American service men and women, Carr completed a cross-country walk last summer solely to thank at least 1,000 veterans in person. This year, the journey will also act as a fund-raising activity for homeless vets through her organization, A Thousand Thanks, of which she is founder and president.
"This is a deeply personal journey for me," said Carr, a Florida resident. "I have felt a bond with our soldiers my entire life, and this walk gives me the opportunity to thank them in person, reflect on their sacrifices, and give something back to them in return for what they have done for me and our country."
On any given night, 150,000 U.S. veterans sleep homeless on the streets of America. Because they have no physical address, they are unable to receive the benefits and services available to them to get them back on their feet. The funds raised by Carr's walk will be used to purchase land for facilities where these veterans can go, establish an address, and begin receiving the services that will help them rebuild their lives and families.
read more here
http://uk.sys-con.com/node/1051060
Two veterans think they are the link to the VA and spread of HIV
This veteran contacted the lawyer dealing with the law suits against the VA. The kicker here is that there is another veteran also thinking he was the source. That makes two veterans suffering because they think they are to blame for this, but the truth is, the VA should have done a better job.
Nashville Vet Could Have Spread HIV
Man Says He Always Told Health Care Workers Of Virus
Reported By Nancy Amons
POSTED: 4:37 pm CDT July 28, 2009
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A Nashville veteran who had a colonoscopy there says he feels a heavy burden knowing he could have spread HIV infection to others.
Yet, he said, his conscience is clear because he did all he could to warn the Veterans Administration about his status.
Ron Hereford said his lifestyle 20 years ago contributed to his contraction of HIV. But now he wonders if his HIV made other veterans sick.
read more here
http://www.wsmv.com/health/20205835/detail.html
Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas laid to rest
CNN Barbara Starr writes about two soldiers lives she took personally
Behind the Scenes: Triumph and tragedy for two wounded soldiers
Story Highlights
CNN's Barbara Starr celebrated a victory and mourned a loss on July 15An injured Marine was celebrating getting into Harvard Law School On same night, a warrior with a traumatic brain injury was found dead in his car Men's stories are linked -- both pleaded with the government to aid injured soldiers
Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas
Vet's traumatic brain injury 4:28
Family and friends gather for the funeral of a soldier whose invisible wounds became too much for him to bear.
Behind the Scenes: Triumph and tragedy for two wounded soldiers
Story Highlights
CNN's Barbara Starr celebrated a victory and mourned a loss on July 15An injured Marine was celebrating getting into Harvard Law School On same night, a warrior with a traumatic brain injury was found dead in his car Men's stories are linked -- both pleaded with the government to aid injured soldiers
Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas
Vet's traumatic brain injury 4:28
Family and friends gather for the funeral of a soldier whose invisible wounds became too much for him to bear.
Shock and awe at human flaw
Shock and awe at human flaw
Lessons in mistakes people make
by
Chaplain Kathie
We've all made mistakes and sometimes brilliant ones! Given the fact that I've made more than my share of them, it has lead me to not trust too much of what I think without knowing I am absolutely right. When it comes to PTSD, I know what I'm talking about but when it comes to the rest of what is required to operate the blog and website as well as taking the next step of trying to get some income from doing it instead of just volunteering, well, let's say I'm totally lost in all of that.
Today I got off the phone with the IRS after over an hour because I was wondering why I had not received the rest of the documentation I should have. After the last time when I assumed the EIN number I was given was for what I asked for, only to find out it was not, I decided to follow up on it. So far the IRS has not received all they needed from the IFOC on the Charter. This I wouldn't have known had I not called and found out what I needed to do. Any donations will still be tax deductible after July 1, 2009 because that is the date of the Charter but the rest still needs to be taken care of all the way through. The other issue was with the insurance I have to have. I was wondering why I hadn't received a bill by now and found out, they had the old PO box instead of the new one. Again, something I wouldn't have known had I not asked.
While I thought everything was taken care of since I am a OCD when it comes to taking care of things, had I not remembered the times when I either totally messed up or almost did, I would have been in a total mess.
When it comes to the military, well, they have their share of problems too. As serious as they are about documenting everything possible they make mistakes too. Imagine that!
Case in point is what they did back during Vietnam. Back then everything was typed, yes with a typewriter, and most of the clerks were not that diligent about what they were doing. After all, can you really blame them? Social security numbers were used on everything. My husband ended up with 6 different social security numbers in the copies of the documents he was given with his discharge. The problem is, one of them was very important. It was for his Bronze Star award.
When he was given the paperwork and spotted the wrong number. He was told they would fix the error. He assumed they would do whatever needed to be done and really didn't want to hear anything more about it. It showed up on his DD214 so he never thought about it again. That is until he had to file a claim with the VA and all hell broke loose.
Fast forward twenty years later and we arrived with denials from the VA we couldn't understand. We thought they meant he had to have a Bronze Star for valor or something higher when they were talking about no awards. His MOS was a clerk but during Vietnam, no one was left out of sweeps or pulling bunker guard duty. They all did it. Six years after we began to fight the VA to have his claim honored, I held all the documentation in my hands wondering how it was possible the VA could be saying what he had was not there. Then I spotted the wrong social security number. I asked my husband about it and he just repeated what the Army told him. It was fixed. The problem was, it was not fixed all the way through the paper chain.
I called the DAV and told them what I had found. A service officer (who sucked at his job) accused my husband of falsifying his award since he was a clerk after all. I told him if he was smart enough to do that he'd be smart enough to use his right social security number. Then I really hit the roof and ended up with another service officer. I was furious! I called the administrator of the hospital to find out what to do and was put in contact with a general's office. He pulled the records with the social security numbers I gave him and bingo, the award was finally fixed all the way through the paperwork chain. My husband received a new Bronze Star certificate with the right social security numbers on it. Needless to say, his claim was approved soon after that. The new one is tucked away but the old one, the one he was given in Vietnam is hanging in a frame.
There have been many cases of Stolen Valor and veterans claiming to be something they are not. I'm glad when they are caught but part of me reserves judgment after what happened to my husband. There are too many veterans telling the truth but because people make mistakes, they end up not only paying the price for those mistakes but are assaulted for telling the truth because someone else messed up. Claims are turned down because of this and the burden of proof is always on the veterans.
In a day and age where everything is done with computers, we need to wonder if files were not transferred correctly into the data bases everyone assumes are the gospel truth. If humans made errors with typing think of the kinds of mistakes they can make with a keyboard! Would you trust any of them?
We all need to step back and think that some of the reports we read about "fake veterans" and "stolen valor" cases until all the facts are in. I applaud the efforts of the groups tracking these cases down because there are just too many people claiming to be what they are not. We just need to wait until everything has been investigated before we judge them.
Gary Amster could very well be one of these it happened to only in reverse.
What if an award was supposed to be in someone else's file but had the wrong social security number on it? "What if" is something we should always be asking because people make mistakes but they also lie. We won't know which is which unless we are willing to understand it always could be something else.
Lessons in mistakes people make
by
Chaplain Kathie
We've all made mistakes and sometimes brilliant ones! Given the fact that I've made more than my share of them, it has lead me to not trust too much of what I think without knowing I am absolutely right. When it comes to PTSD, I know what I'm talking about but when it comes to the rest of what is required to operate the blog and website as well as taking the next step of trying to get some income from doing it instead of just volunteering, well, let's say I'm totally lost in all of that.
Today I got off the phone with the IRS after over an hour because I was wondering why I had not received the rest of the documentation I should have. After the last time when I assumed the EIN number I was given was for what I asked for, only to find out it was not, I decided to follow up on it. So far the IRS has not received all they needed from the IFOC on the Charter. This I wouldn't have known had I not called and found out what I needed to do. Any donations will still be tax deductible after July 1, 2009 because that is the date of the Charter but the rest still needs to be taken care of all the way through. The other issue was with the insurance I have to have. I was wondering why I hadn't received a bill by now and found out, they had the old PO box instead of the new one. Again, something I wouldn't have known had I not asked.
While I thought everything was taken care of since I am a OCD when it comes to taking care of things, had I not remembered the times when I either totally messed up or almost did, I would have been in a total mess.
When it comes to the military, well, they have their share of problems too. As serious as they are about documenting everything possible they make mistakes too. Imagine that!
Case in point is what they did back during Vietnam. Back then everything was typed, yes with a typewriter, and most of the clerks were not that diligent about what they were doing. After all, can you really blame them? Social security numbers were used on everything. My husband ended up with 6 different social security numbers in the copies of the documents he was given with his discharge. The problem is, one of them was very important. It was for his Bronze Star award.
When he was given the paperwork and spotted the wrong number. He was told they would fix the error. He assumed they would do whatever needed to be done and really didn't want to hear anything more about it. It showed up on his DD214 so he never thought about it again. That is until he had to file a claim with the VA and all hell broke loose.
Fast forward twenty years later and we arrived with denials from the VA we couldn't understand. We thought they meant he had to have a Bronze Star for valor or something higher when they were talking about no awards. His MOS was a clerk but during Vietnam, no one was left out of sweeps or pulling bunker guard duty. They all did it. Six years after we began to fight the VA to have his claim honored, I held all the documentation in my hands wondering how it was possible the VA could be saying what he had was not there. Then I spotted the wrong social security number. I asked my husband about it and he just repeated what the Army told him. It was fixed. The problem was, it was not fixed all the way through the paper chain.
I called the DAV and told them what I had found. A service officer (who sucked at his job) accused my husband of falsifying his award since he was a clerk after all. I told him if he was smart enough to do that he'd be smart enough to use his right social security number. Then I really hit the roof and ended up with another service officer. I was furious! I called the administrator of the hospital to find out what to do and was put in contact with a general's office. He pulled the records with the social security numbers I gave him and bingo, the award was finally fixed all the way through the paperwork chain. My husband received a new Bronze Star certificate with the right social security numbers on it. Needless to say, his claim was approved soon after that. The new one is tucked away but the old one, the one he was given in Vietnam is hanging in a frame.
There have been many cases of Stolen Valor and veterans claiming to be something they are not. I'm glad when they are caught but part of me reserves judgment after what happened to my husband. There are too many veterans telling the truth but because people make mistakes, they end up not only paying the price for those mistakes but are assaulted for telling the truth because someone else messed up. Claims are turned down because of this and the burden of proof is always on the veterans.
In a day and age where everything is done with computers, we need to wonder if files were not transferred correctly into the data bases everyone assumes are the gospel truth. If humans made errors with typing think of the kinds of mistakes they can make with a keyboard! Would you trust any of them?
We all need to step back and think that some of the reports we read about "fake veterans" and "stolen valor" cases until all the facts are in. I applaud the efforts of the groups tracking these cases down because there are just too many people claiming to be what they are not. We just need to wait until everything has been investigated before we judge them.
Gary Amster could very well be one of these it happened to only in reverse.
Another Medal of Honor Stolen Valor Case? Maybe not
Amster says he never knew what was on his discharge papers until he wanted to get a loan and needed it. This could be just a mistake, considering during the Vietnam War, there were many errors on records. Wrong social security numbers were typed all the time and while corrections were attempted to be made, most of them never ended up being fixed all the way through on every record in every file. The question here is, did Amster ever claim having the Medal of Honor to anyone for his own advantage? Seems really odd that it would take him until 2005 to come up with a story like this.
What if an award was supposed to be in someone else's file but had the wrong social security number on it? "What if" is something we should always be asking because people make mistakes but they also lie. We won't know which is which unless we are willing to understand it always could be something else.
Fort Hood finally takes on mind-body-spirit with new program
Hood center offers spiritual help
By Angela K. Brown - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 6:58:39 EDT
FORT HOOD, Texas — In a converted chapel, a television plays footage of soldiers talking about successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, classrooms offer battlefield ethics or marriage enrichment courses and a chaplain is available 24 hours a day.
It isn’t a church any longer but the Spiritual Fitness Center, one part of Fort Hood’s new Resiliency Campus. It is the Army’s first such facility designed to help soldiers and their families prepare better for the stress and uncertainty of being deployed — often for the second or third time.
“We want to do more going into deployments and build inner strength in soldiers and their families rather than just fix them when they return,” said Col. Bill Rabena, who oversees the Resiliency Campus. “It’s about the mind, body and spirit.”
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Hood center offers spiritual help
85 year old Veteran survived 3 wars, died in home invasion in Dayton OH
3-war vet from Ohio killed in home invasion
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 8:53:39 EDT
DAYTON, Ohio — Police say an 85-year-old decorated veteran of three wars has died from injuries suffered in an invasion of his home.
A neighbor found retired Army Sgt. Maj. North Woodall unconscious and bloody late Monday. Police say he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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3-war vet from Ohio killed in home invasion
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 8:53:39 EDT
DAYTON, Ohio — Police say an 85-year-old decorated veteran of three wars has died from injuries suffered in an invasion of his home.
A neighbor found retired Army Sgt. Maj. North Woodall unconscious and bloody late Monday. Police say he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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3-war vet from Ohio killed in home invasion
National Convention of Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville
Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 10:09:19 EDT
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Vietnam Veterans of America organization is holding its national convention this week in Louisville.
The organization says that more than 650 delegates from chapters across the nation will join hundreds of other Vietnam veterans and guests for the events.
read more here
Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 10:09:19 EDT
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Vietnam Veterans of America organization is holding its national convention this week in Louisville.
The organization says that more than 650 delegates from chapters across the nation will join hundreds of other Vietnam veterans and guests for the events.
read more here
Vietnam Veterans begin meeting in Louisville
I love God but not the church II: Wounded, but not broken
Reading this article brought to mind of why I do what I do the way I do it. Over the last couple of years, I've been trying to get the local churches involved with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to help people heal, especially our veterans. The biggest part of PTSD is the loss of faith. The problem is, no matter how hard I try, no matter how many churches I visit or talk to on the phone, they just don't want to get involved and that's a shame.
They are not serving the Children of God the way they claim they are when they turn their backs on the wounded in spirit, especially when they happen to be among the few willing to lay down their lives for the sake of others.
This quote is the headline of my website at Nam Guardian Angel. It's there for this reason alone. They never really see it this way. If Christ said this, then what is the problem with the churches when they want to ignore the price paid by so many doing exactly what Christ said was the greatest love of all?
I just did a post about Des Moines police officers, firefighters and emergency responders setting up peer support groups to help recover from what they have to do as part of their jobs. They are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of others, but the churches seem to want nothing to do with being part of their healing. National Guards and Reservist serve side by side as citizen soldiers with the military but return home to families and jobs left alone to cope with what was asked of them but again, the churches fail them. Veterans left alone years after war suffered in silence when they could have been healing but again even though we knew about PTSD after Vietnam, the churches have turned their backs on these walking wounded. Why?
Would Christ have ignored them? Would Christ have said He didn't have time for them or the staff to take care of them? Or would Christ weep again as He did for the sister of Lazarus before He raised him from the dead? I'm sure Christ would have taken all the time they needed to help them heal and restore their faith in His Loving Father.
This is one of the biggest reasons I became a Chaplain. Too many churches are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. I've talked to enough pastors and church elders witnessing their eyes glaze over as they politely send me on my way and ignore what they need to be doing for the sake of those wounded and doubting they are loved by God. How can they believe God loves them if the churches turn their backs on them?
They are not serving the Children of God the way they claim they are when they turn their backs on the wounded in spirit, especially when they happen to be among the few willing to lay down their lives for the sake of others.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
This quote is the headline of my website at Nam Guardian Angel. It's there for this reason alone. They never really see it this way. If Christ said this, then what is the problem with the churches when they want to ignore the price paid by so many doing exactly what Christ said was the greatest love of all?
I just did a post about Des Moines police officers, firefighters and emergency responders setting up peer support groups to help recover from what they have to do as part of their jobs. They are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of others, but the churches seem to want nothing to do with being part of their healing. National Guards and Reservist serve side by side as citizen soldiers with the military but return home to families and jobs left alone to cope with what was asked of them but again, the churches fail them. Veterans left alone years after war suffered in silence when they could have been healing but again even though we knew about PTSD after Vietnam, the churches have turned their backs on these walking wounded. Why?
Would Christ have ignored them? Would Christ have said He didn't have time for them or the staff to take care of them? Or would Christ weep again as He did for the sister of Lazarus before He raised him from the dead? I'm sure Christ would have taken all the time they needed to help them heal and restore their faith in His Loving Father.
This is one of the biggest reasons I became a Chaplain. Too many churches are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. I've talked to enough pastors and church elders witnessing their eyes glaze over as they politely send me on my way and ignore what they need to be doing for the sake of those wounded and doubting they are loved by God. How can they believe God loves them if the churches turn their backs on them?
I love God but not the church II: Wounded, but not broken
Carla Roberson
Newark Spirituality Examiner
July 28, 11:35 PM
Emotional hurt; we have all experienced it in our lives at one time or another. Anguish, feelings of betrayal and spiritual bruises; these words can only skim the surface of what agitates deep inside as the wounded, attempt to gather the pieces of their wilted spirits. They go on in their lives, many times bearing a significant weight of insecurity and distrust on their shoulders. They are the emotionally wounded; but they are not broken. Fret not; for we serve a God of redemption, healing and restoration. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you {1 Peter 5:7}.
The first segment of this article was written roughly a week ago, resulting from my own experiences that I encountered in visiting various churches. I have been in attendance of my own church for close to 7 years now and a member for about 2 years. Although my church is relatively large, consisting of approximately 10,000 in multitude; I have esteemed my church honorable. I am getting spiritually fed and I am always graciously enamored by members of the congregation, making me feel welcome and giving me a sense of joy. But approximately 3-4 months ago, I started feeling restless in church. I could not understand why I was feeling this way but I knew that God was up to something.
I began to visit other churches and I quickly realized that many churches were not operating the way that God would intend for them to. God instructed me to write about the churches and their erroneous ways. It was then, that I recognized that being a part of my own church was a blessing. I knew that I was extremely fortunate to be a member of an organization intricately designed and operated by the Lord. My own church, an imperative element in God’s purpose has proved to be a significant component as a result of my observation; by which God desires to pour out His spirit.
read more hereI love God but not the church II
Des Moines Police take on traumatic stress head on
We're reading only parts of the stories when police officers are involved in shooting people or responding to murders, domestic violence especially when they involve children. We read about how they responded, read about the civilians involved but we hardly ever think about the police officers after any of it unless they have to go on trail for what they did. That's a shame because in a time when we are finally talking about PTSD in soldiers, Marines and veterans, we leave police officers, firefighters and emergency responders totally out of the reporting on PTSD.
The problem is that police officers, drug agents and FBI agents have a lot in common with the troops in the military and the National Guards. They are not just exposed to traumatic events, they are also participants in them. Many times they have to make life or death decisions in a second and then have to live with those decisions for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, it is not a clear cut conclusion. Those are the times when what they thought they had to do will eat away at them.
We can read about a the shooting of a man they thought had a gun but it turns out, he was unarmed. The outcome is the same and the man is dead but the officer then must overcome the guilt they feel for making the wrong decision. We blame the officer then forget all about it, never knowing what the officer went through after. We dismiss any aftermath as being part of a group of problem officers the media loves to take on because we don't want to look at good cops making one bad decision and heaven forbid we ever look at a cop having to make these decisions every day.
We depend on them for our safety and that makes it hard to remember they are still human just like us. Unlike us, they are willing to put their lives on the line for someone else. It's time they were helped to heal as humans exposed to abnormal events just as we help the troops and veterans of combat heal.
The problem is that police officers, drug agents and FBI agents have a lot in common with the troops in the military and the National Guards. They are not just exposed to traumatic events, they are also participants in them. Many times they have to make life or death decisions in a second and then have to live with those decisions for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, it is not a clear cut conclusion. Those are the times when what they thought they had to do will eat away at them.
We can read about a the shooting of a man they thought had a gun but it turns out, he was unarmed. The outcome is the same and the man is dead but the officer then must overcome the guilt they feel for making the wrong decision. We blame the officer then forget all about it, never knowing what the officer went through after. We dismiss any aftermath as being part of a group of problem officers the media loves to take on because we don't want to look at good cops making one bad decision and heaven forbid we ever look at a cop having to make these decisions every day.
We depend on them for our safety and that makes it hard to remember they are still human just like us. Unlike us, they are willing to put their lives on the line for someone else. It's time they were helped to heal as humans exposed to abnormal events just as we help the troops and veterans of combat heal.
New Des Moines police unit helps officers fight job stress
By DANIEL P. FINNEY • dafinney@dmreg.com • July 29, 2009
Jeremy Sprague needed to get his head right.
In July 2004, Sprague, then a Dallas County sheriff's deputy, was one of four law enforcement officers who shot and killed a suicidal man who allegedly pointed a gun at authorities in rural Van Meter.
A grand jury later ruled the officers acted properly, but Sprague struggled with taking a life. He lost sleep. He tried to reconcile killing a man, even in the line of duty, with his Christian faith. He wanted to talk to somebody, but cop culture leaves little room for emotions.
"In law enforcement, you can't really expose your feelings, and I didn't feel like there was anywhere for me to turn," Sprague said. "So, I ended up bottling up all the stress. It wore me down."
With time, counseling and a job change, Sprague healed. In 2006, he became a Des Moines police officer. Now he and 14 other members of the Des Moines police and fire departments are working to make sure their peers never have to suffer in silence as Sprague did.
A handful of Des Moines police officers, firefighters and an emergency dispatcher launched a peer support group with an eye to helping colleagues avoid post-traumatic stress disorder and other crisis-related struggles. The committee began work on the project in spring 2008.
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New Des Moines police unit helps officers fight job stress
Marine from Florida gets Baptized in Afghanistan
Marine Finds Solace in Combat Baptism
MIANPOSHTEH, Afghanistan -- The bravado of Marines fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province is punctuated by quiet moments of questioning and introspection.
A few Marines ask why they survived when their best friends did not. Others question how they will deal with the stress of combat. Many wonder what people back home know about their actions here.
Spirituality is a source of solace. Lance Cpl. Zachary Ludwig, 20, of Marco Island, Florida, wanted to be baptized before he and thousands of other Marines pushed deep into Taliban-held territory beginning early this month.
But it was not until this week that Chaplain Navy Lt. Terry A. Roberts arrived at Ludwig's tiny outpost in the southern village of Mianposhteh to perform the ceremony.
read more here
Marine Finds Solace in Combat Baptism
MIANPOSHTEH, Afghanistan -- The bravado of Marines fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province is punctuated by quiet moments of questioning and introspection.
A few Marines ask why they survived when their best friends did not. Others question how they will deal with the stress of combat. Many wonder what people back home know about their actions here.
Spirituality is a source of solace. Lance Cpl. Zachary Ludwig, 20, of Marco Island, Florida, wanted to be baptized before he and thousands of other Marines pushed deep into Taliban-held territory beginning early this month.
But it was not until this week that Chaplain Navy Lt. Terry A. Roberts arrived at Ludwig's tiny outpost in the southern village of Mianposhteh to perform the ceremony.
read more here
Marine Finds Solace in Combat Baptism
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