Soldier’s remains ID’d six decades later
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 20:50:52 EDT
AVA, Mo. — The remains of a Missouri soldier who died in the Korean War are being returned to his family.
Defense Department officials say a North Korean farmer found the remains of Sgt. Charles “Leo” Wilson in 2000. Wilson is believed to have been killed in late November 1950.
Officials at Fort Leonard Wood said Friday that Wilson’s remains are being returned to his family in the southern Missouri town of Ava.
Memorial services and a funeral will be held the afternoon of Aug. 8.
Soldier remains ID six decades later
Friday, July 31, 2009
Harvey-based religious center helps turn lives around
Restoration Ministries opens new $5 million facility
By Lolly Bowean TRIBUNE REPORTER
July 31, 2009
When Matthew Bennett hit rock bottom, he found himself in a jail cell and perhaps facing 13 years behind bars after years of robbing and scheming to pay for his drug habit.
From the time he was 11, Bennett said he was getting high, first on marijuana, then with heroine, cocaine and prescription painkillers. When he was working, he would spend his entire paycheck on drugs. After he lost his job, he took to robbing dealers and committing break-ins.
"I kept wanting to get the next high," the 25-year-old from Gary, said. "Next thing I know, I was taking [pills] every day."
Facing a possible 13-year term, Bennett received a lighter sentence and got out of jail after serving several months. He knew he needed help getting over his addictions. That's where Restoration Ministries, a Christian-based social agency in Harvey comes in.
Bennett is one of about 30 men who recently moved into the agency's new $5 million facility. It is one of the largest investments in the gritty city of Harvey and will be able to serve more people in a program that numerous public officials praise as very effective.
"This place here is a lifesaver," Bennett said recently as he gave a tour of the building. "Here, they give you stable ground to stay focused on the Lord and work. The support is key."
read more here
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-restoration-ministries-sw-zojul31,0,4775428.story
By Lolly Bowean TRIBUNE REPORTER
July 31, 2009
When Matthew Bennett hit rock bottom, he found himself in a jail cell and perhaps facing 13 years behind bars after years of robbing and scheming to pay for his drug habit.
From the time he was 11, Bennett said he was getting high, first on marijuana, then with heroine, cocaine and prescription painkillers. When he was working, he would spend his entire paycheck on drugs. After he lost his job, he took to robbing dealers and committing break-ins.
"I kept wanting to get the next high," the 25-year-old from Gary, said. "Next thing I know, I was taking [pills] every day."
Facing a possible 13-year term, Bennett received a lighter sentence and got out of jail after serving several months. He knew he needed help getting over his addictions. That's where Restoration Ministries, a Christian-based social agency in Harvey comes in.
Bennett is one of about 30 men who recently moved into the agency's new $5 million facility. It is one of the largest investments in the gritty city of Harvey and will be able to serve more people in a program that numerous public officials praise as very effective.
"This place here is a lifesaver," Bennett said recently as he gave a tour of the building. "Here, they give you stable ground to stay focused on the Lord and work. The support is key."
read more here
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-restoration-ministries-sw-zojul31,0,4775428.story
Skeleton without coffin found at Burr Oak
Skeleton without coffin found at Burr Oak
July 31, 2009 4:05 PM BREAKING STORY
Sheriff's police revealed a shocking new discovery today in their investigation of the Burr Oak cemetery: a skeleton wearing a suit and tie, sitting in a burial vault without a coffin.
Records show the man was originally buried in a coffin, but it isn't clear where that coffin now is, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said at a press conference today.
The skeleton's vault, found in an open pit, is one of three vaults Cook County Judge Arthur Hill ordered exhumed, Dart said.
The second and third vaults are in different parts of the cemetery, he said.
The second vault, near the cemetery entrance, had been "double-stacked," Dart said. In that case, a properly buried body appeared to have been dug up, then re-buried on top of another, hidden body, Dart said.
read more here
Skeleton without coffin found at Burr Oak
July 31, 2009 4:05 PM BREAKING STORY
Sheriff's police revealed a shocking new discovery today in their investigation of the Burr Oak cemetery: a skeleton wearing a suit and tie, sitting in a burial vault without a coffin.
Records show the man was originally buried in a coffin, but it isn't clear where that coffin now is, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said at a press conference today.
The skeleton's vault, found in an open pit, is one of three vaults Cook County Judge Arthur Hill ordered exhumed, Dart said.
The second and third vaults are in different parts of the cemetery, he said.
The second vault, near the cemetery entrance, had been "double-stacked," Dart said. In that case, a properly buried body appeared to have been dug up, then re-buried on top of another, hidden body, Dart said.
read more here
Skeleton without coffin found at Burr Oak
When getting up is so very hard to do
by
Chaplain Kathie
There are songs dealing with breaking up but I can't think of one that deals with getting up at all. Can you? Have you ever had one of those days when you thought it would have been better to just stay safely in your own bed for the day? Sometimes days can just be as if you woke up in someone else's life and everyone is out to get you.
It could start out with your coffee pot not being in the machine right leaving it to over top where they grounds come out. Not only do you get to miss your cup of wake up, you get to clean up the gritty mess from the counter and the floor. If the day is really out to get you, you're already dressed for work and get dripped coffee all over your clothes. Nice!
Then getting in your car, you notice your neighbor's new roof also gave you a gift of a nice big nail in your rear tire.
All the way going to work, already late, every driver must have received the same text message saying you were on the road so they could all meet to get you pissed off. They cut you off and then slow down. The guy behind you keeps getting closer. The driver next to you keeps playing games trying to turn the highway into a huge bumper car rally.
You don't know how you made it but when you do pull into the parking lot, there aren't any spaces left. This never happened before because you were always on time for work, finding plenty of spaces near the door. Oh, no, not this day. You end up parking in an adjacent lot. Walking to your own building, your heal breaks.
Next comes the ribbing you take from your coworkers for this one day you are late when the last 10 years you've been early but no one noticed those times. You get called into the office by the new boss without a clue what your record has been.
You're so upset, you make the biggest mistake of your career and snap at the owner of the company. Somehow you managed to not get fired but you didn't need anyone to tell you how close you were to losing your job that day but everyone you talked to managed to make sure you got the message.
Going home it's the same group of other drivers out to get you. Your body screams "I need a drink!" By the time you get ready for bed, you are still not sure who's life you were in that day, because no of it was normal for you.
This is life with PTSD.
It's one day after another when it seems as if the world is out to get you. This comes from paranoia. It creates a conspiracy against you and it's all personal to you.
The drivers out to get you are not driving down streets in America, but in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Vietnam, Korea, or any of the other places all over the world veterans risked their lives in. This comes from flashbacks without warning.
Nothing is normal to them so they think they are no longer normal either. They think they are living in someone else's body. They don't think the same, feel the same or most of the time, they don't even look the same when they see their reflection in the mirror.
Each day is a challenge to find reasons to get up out of bed but they push themselves as the last remnant of hope remains to cling to. Maybe today the VA will approve their claim and everything will be wonderful again? Maybe today the drink in the class will be a soda instead of beer or whisky? Maybe the pack of cigarettes will last more than a few hours? Maybe today the hands won't shake so much? Maybe the TV will be on and watched instead of just sitting in front of it without a single clue what was on?
When they live with family members it becomes maybe today there won't be an argument.
They go to bed after living someone else's life. For them, it's not a matter of bad days once in a while. It's everyday is bad until they get help to heal and reclaim their lives. When they do the "maybe shreds of hope" turn into reality and life becomes maybe tomorrow it will be even better. It happens. It takes a lot of work to get there, but it's been done throughout the centuries man has walked on this planet.
Next time you have a day that only Satan could have conjured up for you, think about how hard it was to get through it and then know what it's like to have PTSD when everyday is like that. Maybe you won't be so quick to judge anyone else ever again. Maybe you can find it in your heart to actually talk to a veteran so that you can make their day a little better? Maybe you won't walk by another homeless person with a sign saying homeless veteran the next time? Maybe when the Vietnam Vets call you to tell you there will be a truck in your area in case you have something to donate, you won't hang up the phone without even thinking if there is anything in your house you really don't need but someone else may?
Chaplain Kathie
There are songs dealing with breaking up but I can't think of one that deals with getting up at all. Can you? Have you ever had one of those days when you thought it would have been better to just stay safely in your own bed for the day? Sometimes days can just be as if you woke up in someone else's life and everyone is out to get you.
It could start out with your coffee pot not being in the machine right leaving it to over top where they grounds come out. Not only do you get to miss your cup of wake up, you get to clean up the gritty mess from the counter and the floor. If the day is really out to get you, you're already dressed for work and get dripped coffee all over your clothes. Nice!
Then getting in your car, you notice your neighbor's new roof also gave you a gift of a nice big nail in your rear tire.
All the way going to work, already late, every driver must have received the same text message saying you were on the road so they could all meet to get you pissed off. They cut you off and then slow down. The guy behind you keeps getting closer. The driver next to you keeps playing games trying to turn the highway into a huge bumper car rally.
You don't know how you made it but when you do pull into the parking lot, there aren't any spaces left. This never happened before because you were always on time for work, finding plenty of spaces near the door. Oh, no, not this day. You end up parking in an adjacent lot. Walking to your own building, your heal breaks.
Next comes the ribbing you take from your coworkers for this one day you are late when the last 10 years you've been early but no one noticed those times. You get called into the office by the new boss without a clue what your record has been.
You're so upset, you make the biggest mistake of your career and snap at the owner of the company. Somehow you managed to not get fired but you didn't need anyone to tell you how close you were to losing your job that day but everyone you talked to managed to make sure you got the message.
Going home it's the same group of other drivers out to get you. Your body screams "I need a drink!" By the time you get ready for bed, you are still not sure who's life you were in that day, because no of it was normal for you.
This is life with PTSD.
It's one day after another when it seems as if the world is out to get you. This comes from paranoia. It creates a conspiracy against you and it's all personal to you.
The drivers out to get you are not driving down streets in America, but in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Vietnam, Korea, or any of the other places all over the world veterans risked their lives in. This comes from flashbacks without warning.
Nothing is normal to them so they think they are no longer normal either. They think they are living in someone else's body. They don't think the same, feel the same or most of the time, they don't even look the same when they see their reflection in the mirror.
Each day is a challenge to find reasons to get up out of bed but they push themselves as the last remnant of hope remains to cling to. Maybe today the VA will approve their claim and everything will be wonderful again? Maybe today the drink in the class will be a soda instead of beer or whisky? Maybe the pack of cigarettes will last more than a few hours? Maybe today the hands won't shake so much? Maybe the TV will be on and watched instead of just sitting in front of it without a single clue what was on?
When they live with family members it becomes maybe today there won't be an argument.
They go to bed after living someone else's life. For them, it's not a matter of bad days once in a while. It's everyday is bad until they get help to heal and reclaim their lives. When they do the "maybe shreds of hope" turn into reality and life becomes maybe tomorrow it will be even better. It happens. It takes a lot of work to get there, but it's been done throughout the centuries man has walked on this planet.
Next time you have a day that only Satan could have conjured up for you, think about how hard it was to get through it and then know what it's like to have PTSD when everyday is like that. Maybe you won't be so quick to judge anyone else ever again. Maybe you can find it in your heart to actually talk to a veteran so that you can make their day a little better? Maybe you won't walk by another homeless person with a sign saying homeless veteran the next time? Maybe when the Vietnam Vets call you to tell you there will be a truck in your area in case you have something to donate, you won't hang up the phone without even thinking if there is anything in your house you really don't need but someone else may?
Army missteps left troops in Afghanistan open to deadly attack
Army missteps left troops in Afghanistan open to deadly attack, study reveals
A study by an Army historian documents several missteps, including lack of supplies, equipment and aerial surveillance, that led to one of the bloodiest clashes in the Afghanistan war. The battle at the remote mountain outpost of Wanat, where nine American troops were killed and 27 were wounded, is now the subject of an inquiry by the Department of Defense's Inspector General.
By Hal Bernton and Cheryl Phillips
Seattle Times staff reporters
U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan told families mission would be dangerous
In the days before one of the fiercest battles in America's eight-year war in Afghanistan, Army Capt. Benjamin Pry argued for more surveillance flights to help his beleaguered unit of fewer than 50 soldiers.
Since moving into a new outpost on July 8, 2008, they had struggled with shortages of water, fuel, food and heavy machinery to help defend against an enemy attack that they believed would eventually come. Lacking excavating equipment, the troops dug fortifications by scraping the rocky soil with spades and bare hands.
Then on July 12, headquarters commanders diverted drones — remotely operated planes outfitted with cameras to spot enemy movements — to another area. Pry argued so hard to undo that decision that he said he breached professional etiquette. Still, he was unsuccessful.
"We had no support from brigade, division or theater level assets at the time," Pry told Army historians in a study obtained by The Seattle Times.
read more here
Army missteps left troops in Afghanistan open to deadly attack
A study by an Army historian documents several missteps, including lack of supplies, equipment and aerial surveillance, that led to one of the bloodiest clashes in the Afghanistan war. The battle at the remote mountain outpost of Wanat, where nine American troops were killed and 27 were wounded, is now the subject of an inquiry by the Department of Defense's Inspector General.
By Hal Bernton and Cheryl Phillips
Seattle Times staff reporters
U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan told families mission would be dangerous
In the days before one of the fiercest battles in America's eight-year war in Afghanistan, Army Capt. Benjamin Pry argued for more surveillance flights to help his beleaguered unit of fewer than 50 soldiers.
Since moving into a new outpost on July 8, 2008, they had struggled with shortages of water, fuel, food and heavy machinery to help defend against an enemy attack that they believed would eventually come. Lacking excavating equipment, the troops dug fortifications by scraping the rocky soil with spades and bare hands.
Then on July 12, headquarters commanders diverted drones — remotely operated planes outfitted with cameras to spot enemy movements — to another area. Pry argued so hard to undo that decision that he said he breached professional etiquette. Still, he was unsuccessful.
"We had no support from brigade, division or theater level assets at the time," Pry told Army historians in a study obtained by The Seattle Times.
read more here
Army missteps left troops in Afghanistan open to deadly attack
HR 3200 Health care reform may hurt vets, groups warn
Health care reform may hurt vets, groups warn
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 13:16:44 EDT
Six major veterans groups have warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that they will oppose a national health care reform bill unless major changes are made to protect veterans and their families.
In a July 30 letter, the groups said that HR 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009, could increase veterans’ health care costs, limit their treatment options, deny coverage to their families and “threaten the quality of health care offered to veterans through the VA health care system.”
A spokesman for Pelosi’s office did not comment on the specifics but said nobody was trying to hurt veterans. The Democrat-controlled Congress “is committed to our nation’s veterans,” said Nadeam Elshami. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders as the legislation moves forward.”
The concerns are not new. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed concern about the health reform bill’s possible unintended consequences for active, reserve and retired military members, as well as veterans and their families.
read more here
Health care reform may hurt vets, groups warn
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 13:16:44 EDT
Six major veterans groups have warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that they will oppose a national health care reform bill unless major changes are made to protect veterans and their families.
In a July 30 letter, the groups said that HR 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009, could increase veterans’ health care costs, limit their treatment options, deny coverage to their families and “threaten the quality of health care offered to veterans through the VA health care system.”
A spokesman for Pelosi’s office did not comment on the specifics but said nobody was trying to hurt veterans. The Democrat-controlled Congress “is committed to our nation’s veterans,” said Nadeam Elshami. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders as the legislation moves forward.”
The concerns are not new. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed concern about the health reform bill’s possible unintended consequences for active, reserve and retired military members, as well as veterans and their families.
read more here
Health care reform may hurt vets, groups warn
Deep in the heart of a Texan, call to help Iraqi Disabled Children
Texas man brings hope to 'forgotten' disabled Iraqi kids
Story Highlights
Brad Blauser's Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids has distributed nearly 650 free wheelchairs
Dallas native Blauser lives in Baghdad and works for free
"Disabled children -- they're really the forgotten ones in this war," he said
Do you know a hero? Saturday is the last day to nominate a CNN Hero
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Brad Blauser lives in war-torn Baghdad, where he doesn't earn a paycheck and is thousands of miles from his family. But he has no intention of leaving anytime soon.
For the past four years, the Dallas, Texas, native has been providing hope to hundreds of disabled Iraqi children and their families through the distribution of pediatric wheelchairs.
"Disabled children -- they're really the forgotten ones in this war," said Blauser, 43. "They are often not seen in society."
Blauser arrived in Iraq as a civilian contractor in 2004, but quit that job last year to devote himself full time to his program, without compensation.
"There's no paycheck. It's not really safe here. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.
An estimated one in seven Iraqi children ages 2 to 14 lives with a disability, according to UNICEF. Illnesses such as Spina bifida, palsy and polio leave them unable to walk.
read more here
Texas man brings hope to forgotten disabled Iraqi kids
Story Highlights
Brad Blauser's Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids has distributed nearly 650 free wheelchairs
Dallas native Blauser lives in Baghdad and works for free
"Disabled children -- they're really the forgotten ones in this war," he said
Do you know a hero? Saturday is the last day to nominate a CNN Hero
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Brad Blauser lives in war-torn Baghdad, where he doesn't earn a paycheck and is thousands of miles from his family. But he has no intention of leaving anytime soon.
For the past four years, the Dallas, Texas, native has been providing hope to hundreds of disabled Iraqi children and their families through the distribution of pediatric wheelchairs.
"Disabled children -- they're really the forgotten ones in this war," said Blauser, 43. "They are often not seen in society."
Blauser arrived in Iraq as a civilian contractor in 2004, but quit that job last year to devote himself full time to his program, without compensation.
"There's no paycheck. It's not really safe here. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.
An estimated one in seven Iraqi children ages 2 to 14 lives with a disability, according to UNICEF. Illnesses such as Spina bifida, palsy and polio leave them unable to walk.
read more here
Texas man brings hope to forgotten disabled Iraqi kids
Louisiana National Guard Families of Fallen not being paid
Sen. wants to expand military survivors law
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 9:03:35 EDT
BATON ROUGE, La. — The chairman of a state Senate veterans committee says he wants to expand a state law that pays $250,000 to the survivors of Louisiana National Guard soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The law has been in place since July 2007, but Sen. Robert Adley says it should be made retroactive to include all troops killed since the conflicts began. The Louisiana National Guard’s call-up for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq began in 2004.
Adley is the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Veterans Affairs.
The law provides a $100,000 payment to guard members who are permanently disabled and $250,000 to the families of troops killed.
Adley says it appears no families have received the benefits so far, so he also wants the program publicized more to families who might be eligible.
Sen. wants to expand military survivors law
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 9:03:35 EDT
BATON ROUGE, La. — The chairman of a state Senate veterans committee says he wants to expand a state law that pays $250,000 to the survivors of Louisiana National Guard soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The law has been in place since July 2007, but Sen. Robert Adley says it should be made retroactive to include all troops killed since the conflicts began. The Louisiana National Guard’s call-up for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq began in 2004.
Adley is the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Veterans Affairs.
The law provides a $100,000 payment to guard members who are permanently disabled and $250,000 to the families of troops killed.
Adley says it appears no families have received the benefits so far, so he also wants the program publicized more to families who might be eligible.
Sen. wants to expand military survivors law
Army 9 month review of healthcare, worse
When the Bush Administration closed their eyes to all of this, and congress just played along, it all got worse for the soldiers and their families. Right now the infuriating part is that I keep hearing so many people say they don't want "socialized healthcare" but no one seems to be talking about the kind of healthcare the troops should be getting under tax payer funded healthcare. The VA has its own share of problems as well. The problem is not that these programs don't work, because they do, but the people in charge have to actually be in charge and know what is going on.
When congress had the chance to do something to prepare, they closed their eyes and complained that fully funding the medical end of the DOD and the VA would cost too much at the same time they had no problem finding the funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? Why were they allowed to get away with any of this?
If you want to blame the Obama Administration, you're way too late since all of this began long before he arrived in office. The question is, can he fix this fast enough? Can congress fix it fast enough? They have a lot to catch up on because for all the time they take to get things fixed, the troops and their families wait for what they should have never had to wait for.
When congress had the chance to do something to prepare, they closed their eyes and complained that fully funding the medical end of the DOD and the VA would cost too much at the same time they had no problem finding the funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? Why were they allowed to get away with any of this?
If you want to blame the Obama Administration, you're way too late since all of this began long before he arrived in office. The question is, can he fix this fast enough? Can congress fix it fast enough? They have a lot to catch up on because for all the time they take to get things fixed, the troops and their families wait for what they should have never had to wait for.
Records: Health needs of soldiers not met
By Gregg Zoroya - USA TODAY
Posted : Thursday Jul 30, 2009 22:11:54 EDT
WASHINGTON — The number of Army medical centers and clinics that provide timely access to routine medical care has hit a five-year low, Army records show, often forcing soldiers and their families to seek treatment off base.
About 16 percent of Army patients, particularly family members, can’t get appointments with their primary physicians and are sent to doctors off the installation, according to the results of a nine-month Army review finished late last year. Some of those patients end up in emergency rooms or urgent care centers, says the study, which the Army provided to USA TODAY.
Army records show that 26 of its medical centers, hospitals and clinics are unable to meet the Pentagon standard requiring that 90 percent of patients get routine care appointments within seven days. Those are the worst results since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s a 13 percent increase from 2005 in the number of medical facilities unable to meet the standard.
read more here
Health needs of soldiers not met
PTSD on Trial: Nathan James Keyes
Iraq War vet gets 3 years
By CHAD SMITH
July 31, 2009
Jamie Keyes held her son's decorated Army jacket Thursday as she told a judge how war changed her boy, hoping for leniency before he was sentenced for shooting at a sport utility vehicle occupied by a man and his 6-year-old daughter on a busy St. Augustine street last summer.
Her son, Nathan James Keyes, had nightmares, suffered from depression and withdrew from family when he came back from Iraq the first time, in July 2004, she said, fighting off tears as she read from a letter to the judge.
When he came back the second time, it was worse.
Every day she's reminded of the "indescribable horrors of war" her son lives with when she sees the bullet hole in her trailer's ceiling from the time he tried to kill himself.
Circuit Judge Wendy Berger said she appreciated Nathan Keyes' military service and agreed that the government did not do enough to help him readjust.
"It doesn't mean, though, that you shouldn't be held accountable," Berger said. "Does it mitigate your sentence? Maybe."
She sentenced Keyes to three years in prison, in the middle of the 18-to-54-month range agreed to in a plea deal, and four years on probation, during which time he will have to get counseling for post-traumatic stress at a center in Kissimmee and take anger management courses.
read more here
Iraq War vet gets 3 years
By CHAD SMITH
July 31, 2009
Jamie Keyes held her son's decorated Army jacket Thursday as she told a judge how war changed her boy, hoping for leniency before he was sentenced for shooting at a sport utility vehicle occupied by a man and his 6-year-old daughter on a busy St. Augustine street last summer.
Her son, Nathan James Keyes, had nightmares, suffered from depression and withdrew from family when he came back from Iraq the first time, in July 2004, she said, fighting off tears as she read from a letter to the judge.
When he came back the second time, it was worse.
Every day she's reminded of the "indescribable horrors of war" her son lives with when she sees the bullet hole in her trailer's ceiling from the time he tried to kill himself.
Circuit Judge Wendy Berger said she appreciated Nathan Keyes' military service and agreed that the government did not do enough to help him readjust.
"It doesn't mean, though, that you shouldn't be held accountable," Berger said. "Does it mitigate your sentence? Maybe."
She sentenced Keyes to three years in prison, in the middle of the 18-to-54-month range agreed to in a plea deal, and four years on probation, during which time he will have to get counseling for post-traumatic stress at a center in Kissimmee and take anger management courses.
read more here
Iraq War vet gets 3 years
The Enemy Within: US Army Suicide
The Enemy Within: US Army Suicide
By Alice Massimi
Published: July 30, 2009
Improvised Explosive Devices, Suicide Bombers, and Insurgents were once the most common enemy.
But as the violence decreases in Iraq, another enemy comes into clearer focus… suicide.
Since the War in Iraq erupted in March of 2003, the number of army suicides has drastically increased, surpassing the rate of the general population.
According to the U.S. Army, last year alone 140 soldiers committed suicide…. a sixty percent increase from 2003.
This year may surpass that…. with 82 reported suicides already.
In a Special Report - News Three’s Military Reporter Alice Massimi has more on the Army’s latest foe, whose startling numbers have the army sitting up and taking notice.
Suicide much like Post Traumatic Stress was not really discussed until some could say it was almost too late. But suicide is now an issue that can not be ignored. Soldiers will tell you its bad enough to lose a comrade in action, but to lose someone stateside is a whole other matter.
read more here
The Enemy Within US Army Suicide
By Alice Massimi
Published: July 30, 2009
Improvised Explosive Devices, Suicide Bombers, and Insurgents were once the most common enemy.
But as the violence decreases in Iraq, another enemy comes into clearer focus… suicide.
Since the War in Iraq erupted in March of 2003, the number of army suicides has drastically increased, surpassing the rate of the general population.
According to the U.S. Army, last year alone 140 soldiers committed suicide…. a sixty percent increase from 2003.
This year may surpass that…. with 82 reported suicides already.
In a Special Report - News Three’s Military Reporter Alice Massimi has more on the Army’s latest foe, whose startling numbers have the army sitting up and taking notice.
Suicide much like Post Traumatic Stress was not really discussed until some could say it was almost too late. But suicide is now an issue that can not be ignored. Soldiers will tell you its bad enough to lose a comrade in action, but to lose someone stateside is a whole other matter.
read more here
The Enemy Within US Army Suicide
Does Hospital's 'Virtual Iraq' helps PTSD sufferers face their fears
Reports about Virtual Iraq have been out for a while but I have yet to see any data, any figures about how well this program is working. What is more troubling is that none of the veterans I've talked to have been involved with this program. If it worked, don't you think there would be many veterans pushing for this therapy to help other veterans?
Experts have said over and over again since Vietnam, veterans need to avoid war movies and even news reports about combat. How could this be a good thing? Does it really work? Has it worked short or long term? Are there follow up studies done? These are questions that need to be answered.
Experts have said over and over again since Vietnam, veterans need to avoid war movies and even news reports about combat. How could this be a good thing? Does it really work? Has it worked short or long term? Are there follow up studies done? These are questions that need to be answered.
Hospital's 'Virtual Iraq' helps PTSD sufferers face their fears
By JOANNA RICHARDS
TIMES STAFF WRITER
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009
SYRACUSE — Upstate Medical University on Thursday unveiled a new treatment option for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"Virtual Iraq" offers an interactive, multisensory experience — like an enhanced video game — allowing soldiers to confront and gradually conquer their fears in a safe, private and controlled environment.
"The young vets seem more likely to take to this kind of therapy," said Robbi T. Saletsky, director of the university's Cognitive Behavior Program for Depression and Anxiety Disorders. "There's less stigma attached to it; it seems cool."
Ms. Saletsky demonstrated a treatment session in her office for the press. Volunteer Cristy L. Samuel, an Iraq war veteran and pre-medical student at Syracuse University, simulated the role of a patient. She is not a victim of PTSD, but said she would recommend the treatment for veterans with the condition.
read more here
Hospital Virtual Iraq helps PTSD sufferers face their fears
Navy Destroyer named after Medal of Honor Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham
FILE - This undated family photo shows U.S. Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, who died April 22, 2004, after sustaining a head injury from a shrapnel wound, April 14, 2004, in Iraq. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. A Navy destroyer will be christened in his honor Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. (AP Photo/The Wellsville Daily Reporter, courtesy Dunham family, File)
Warship honors Marine who died protecting comrades
By DAVID SHARP (AP)
BATH, Maine — Marines flushing out Iraqi insurgents after an ambush came upon a column of vehicles. A van with a father and son. A pickup truck. A tractor. A BMW with a couple of sheiks. And a Toyota Land Cruiser with four young men, all of them insurgents.
As Marines began searching the vehicles, the driver of the Land Cruiser jumped out and attacked Cpl. Jason Dunham. The two men tumbled onto the dirt road. Two Marines ran up to assist but Dunham cried out, "No, no, no, watch his hand!"
A grenade exploded, rocking the narrow street.
Dunham, 22, of Scio, N.Y., mortally wounded as he saved his comrades that day, will be honored Saturday at the christening of the Navy's newest destroyer, the USS Jason Dunham. The young corporal who threw his Kevlar helmet and his body onto the grenade became the first Marine since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.
His mother, Deb Dunham, said she can't think of a greater tribute.
read more here
Warship honors Marine who died protecting comrades
Cpl. Benjamin Kopp passed away at Walter Reed
Funeral services Aug. 1 for Cpl. Benjamin Kopp, Rosemount
Thursday, 30 July 2009
The funeral details for Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp, 21, of Rosemount have been announced. Cpl. Benjamin Stephen Kopp of Rosemount died July 18, 2009, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from wounds suffered on July 10 in Afghanistan.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
The funeral details for Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp, 21, of Rosemount have been announced. Cpl. Benjamin Stephen Kopp of Rosemount died July 18, 2009, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from wounds suffered on July 10 in Afghanistan.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Bruce Rossmeyer Killed In Motorcycle Accident in Wyoming
Bruce Rossmeyer Killed In Motorcycle Accident
Thursday, July 30, 2009 9:10:54 PM
Daytona Harley-Davidson at Destination Daytona
Destination Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH -- Bruce Rossmeyer, an icon in the motorcycle community and known for donating millions to charities, is dead.
Rossmeyer, who was instrumental in getting the bike events, such as Bike Week, that are so important to Volusia County's economy reportedly died Thursday in a motorcycle accident in Wyoming.
read more here
Bruce Rossmeyer Killed In Motorcycle Accident
UPDATE
Bruce Rossmeyer, Harley-Davidson empire builder, dies in motorcycle crash in Wyoming
"World's Largest" Harley-dealership owner Bruce Rossmeyer killed in motorcycle accident on way to Sturgis biker rally
Ludmilla Lelis
Sentinel Staff Writer
July 31, 2009
Bruce Rossmeyer staked his claim as the world's largest Harley-Davidson dealer, amassing an empire of 15 dealerships and stores across the nation, including his crown jewel, Destination Daytona off Interstate 95.
He made his face and name synonymous with motorcycles on TV commercials and massive highway billboards. Using his blockbuster persona, he promoted Daytona Beach's Bike Week and his favorite charities.
On Thursday, Rossmeyer died on a Harley, riding a Wyoming highway with a pack of friends on his annual trip to Sturgis, the biker mecca in South Dakota.
Rossmeyer, 66, lived in Ormond Beach. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; five children; and several grandchildren.
"He was in that moment that he lived for. He was doing what he loved to do," said Richie Supa, a fellow biker and musician who performed at Rossmeyer's charity events. "How ironic it is for him to be on a motorcycle in one of the most beautiful riding territories in the U.S.
read more here
Bruce Rossmeyer Harley-Davidson empire builder
Thursday, July 30, 2009 9:10:54 PM
Daytona Harley-Davidson at Destination Daytona
Destination Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH -- Bruce Rossmeyer, an icon in the motorcycle community and known for donating millions to charities, is dead.
Rossmeyer, who was instrumental in getting the bike events, such as Bike Week, that are so important to Volusia County's economy reportedly died Thursday in a motorcycle accident in Wyoming.
read more here
Bruce Rossmeyer Killed In Motorcycle Accident
UPDATE
Bruce Rossmeyer, Harley-Davidson empire builder, dies in motorcycle crash in Wyoming
"World's Largest" Harley-dealership owner Bruce Rossmeyer killed in motorcycle accident on way to Sturgis biker rally
Ludmilla Lelis
Sentinel Staff Writer
July 31, 2009
Bruce Rossmeyer staked his claim as the world's largest Harley-Davidson dealer, amassing an empire of 15 dealerships and stores across the nation, including his crown jewel, Destination Daytona off Interstate 95.
He made his face and name synonymous with motorcycles on TV commercials and massive highway billboards. Using his blockbuster persona, he promoted Daytona Beach's Bike Week and his favorite charities.
On Thursday, Rossmeyer died on a Harley, riding a Wyoming highway with a pack of friends on his annual trip to Sturgis, the biker mecca in South Dakota.
Rossmeyer, 66, lived in Ormond Beach. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; five children; and several grandchildren.
"He was in that moment that he lived for. He was doing what he loved to do," said Richie Supa, a fellow biker and musician who performed at Rossmeyer's charity events. "How ironic it is for him to be on a motorcycle in one of the most beautiful riding territories in the U.S.
read more here
Bruce Rossmeyer Harley-Davidson empire builder
Man jailed by dog, released by DNA
Fake scent-tracking dog sends man to prison for 26 years
Posted: 06:28 PM ET
Randi Kaye Bio
AC360° Correspondent
A Florida man who was convicted of murder in part because of the work of an allegedly infallible scent-tracking dog, is free now, because the dog and the dog’s owner has been exposed as a fraud. Unfortunately for Bill Dillon he had to spend 26 years in prison before the error in his case was rectified.
Bill Dillon, was 22 when he was sentenced to life in prison in 1981, for killing a man in Canova Beach on the eastern coast of the state.
During the trial, Dillon was adamant that he had not committed the crime. But a man named John Preston testified in court that he and his scent-tracking German-Shepherd connected Dillon to the killer’s bloody t-shirt. Preston said his dog, “Harrass 2,” even tracked Dillon’s scent repeatedly in later tests.
Dillon expected to remain in prison for the rest of his life – all because of “Harrass 2,” and his handler, Preston, who billed himself around the country as a so-called scent -tracking expert.
But nearly three decades later, in 2007, DNA testing proved that Dillon’s DNA did not match the DNA on the killer’s shirt. The dog was wrong. Just eight months ago, after 26 years behind bars, Bill Dillon walked out of prison a free man.
read more here
Fake scent-tracking dog sends man to prison for 26 years
Posted: 06:28 PM ET
Randi Kaye Bio
AC360° Correspondent
A Florida man who was convicted of murder in part because of the work of an allegedly infallible scent-tracking dog, is free now, because the dog and the dog’s owner has been exposed as a fraud. Unfortunately for Bill Dillon he had to spend 26 years in prison before the error in his case was rectified.
Bill Dillon, was 22 when he was sentenced to life in prison in 1981, for killing a man in Canova Beach on the eastern coast of the state.
During the trial, Dillon was adamant that he had not committed the crime. But a man named John Preston testified in court that he and his scent-tracking German-Shepherd connected Dillon to the killer’s bloody t-shirt. Preston said his dog, “Harrass 2,” even tracked Dillon’s scent repeatedly in later tests.
Dillon expected to remain in prison for the rest of his life – all because of “Harrass 2,” and his handler, Preston, who billed himself around the country as a so-called scent -tracking expert.
But nearly three decades later, in 2007, DNA testing proved that Dillon’s DNA did not match the DNA on the killer’s shirt. The dog was wrong. Just eight months ago, after 26 years behind bars, Bill Dillon walked out of prison a free man.
read more here
Fake scent-tracking dog sends man to prison for 26 years
Will the Army ever stop better than nothing approach?
“You don’t have to act on your emotions,” the instructor said, adding, “Emotions don’t make you weak. You need to develop emotional control.”
This is the part that concerns me the most. It indicates the Army still does not understand PTSD. Controlling their emotions is not the problem. They do this quite well especially when they are faced with someone trying to kill them, bombs waiting to blow them up and never knowing who the enemy really is.
Understanding their emotions is what they should focus on as well as understanding what PTSD is and knowing when they need help. If the Army does not do this the numbers will keep going up on the suicides as well as attempted suicides. Perhaps even more troubling is the consequences of sending them home with PTSD taking control. Just read some of the crimes that have been committed and know that anger is the one emotion they will allow themselves to have. Other people pay the price for this absence of real leadership.
Trying to get the troops to "control their emotions" while trying to prevent PTSD is like telling a dog it can't have the bone. You may restrain him but you have one angry dog on a very short leash.
PTSD causes the mind to build walls around it so that more emotional pain cannot penetrate it. Anger is the only emotion allowed to get out. Anything else causes more pain. This is why they become detached from people they used to care about. This is why they appear to be emotionally dead inside. Will the Army ever understand this?
In times like this I am glad I am not a psychologist or a psychiatrist because they know a lot more about diagnosing and medications to use, but they don't know the men and women they are taking care of because they never really listen. They never really hear the words they say or know what is behind those words.
I've been talking and listening to them long enough to know what is behind what they do and how they feel and that's why I know what it is they need to know to heal. All this mumbo jumbo about toughening anything is a load of crap.
They are tough already. They are trained. They are able, willing and ready to face whatever is asked of them. They endure endless days of waiting for the next bullet to be fired or bomb to blow up. They have more than enough courage to do what is asked of them. Anyone saying anything other than these facts does not know them. They do not know them anymore than they know what is needed to be done. Lives are on the line while the people in charge are at grade school level in understanding any of this.
This isn't about tooting my own horn but tooting the horns of the experts I've trusted all these years. People that have spent the greater part of their lives dedicated to this work. This is tooting the horn of veterans that have pushed themselves to contact me and open up. I learned from the best of them. I also learned from my own husband simply because I cared enough to listen but not just with my brain. I listened with my heart since PTSD is an emotional wound.
Casey: Stress programs to be added to basic
By Susanne M. Schafer - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 30, 2009 17:54:59 EDT
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Army’s top general says basic training will soon include anti-stress programs as part of a broader effort to help soldiers deal with the aftereffects of combat and prevent suicides.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey told reporters during a visit to inspect training Thursday that the new program will begin Oct. 1. It will be part of a soldier’s first week in basic and continue through all levels of Army education for officers and enlisted men and women.
“This is something that will serve the soldiers in whatever environment they are in — at war, at home, and frankly in their personal lives,” Casey said.
The Army has struggled to curb a surge in suicides. Casey says he is frustrated by the numbers and feels the Army hasn’t done enough to give soldiers preventive skills to fight stress, both in combat and when they return home.
“A year or so ago when we began thinking about this, we saw the suicide rates climbing and I remember the futility of sitting there and talking about, what could we have done differently, why didn’t we see this?” Casey said. “I thought we need to focus more on giving soldiers the tools that they need and never got.”
read more here
PTSD on Trial:Marine pleads not guilty in California attacks
Marine pleads not guilty in California attacks
(AP) – 1 day ago
FRESNO, Calif. — An attorney for a U.S. Marine accused of attacking his estranged wife and two of her relatives says his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from combat.
Twenty-six-year-old Sgt. Dejon Baskin, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is being held on $3.75 million bail.
read more here
Marine pleads not guilty in California attacks
(AP) – 1 day ago
FRESNO, Calif. — An attorney for a U.S. Marine accused of attacking his estranged wife and two of her relatives says his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from combat.
Twenty-six-year-old Sgt. Dejon Baskin, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is being held on $3.75 million bail.
read more here
Marine pleads not guilty in California attacks
HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT
A college student wrote this and I wanted to share it with you. Amazing mind! We all need to laugh from time to time and since this is a fairly easy day for me, it's a good time to share this.
Sorry folks, hell seems to be full at the moment.
Sorry folks, hell seems to be full at the moment.
HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT
The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term.
The answer by one student was so “profound” that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :
Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following:
First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let’s look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, “It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,” and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct……leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept
shouting “Oh my God.”
THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY “A”
Fort Richardson Staff Sgt. found dead in home
Richardson E-6 found dead in his home
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 30, 2009 17:43:28 EDT
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Fort Richardson soldier from Ohio was found dead in his Anchorage home.
Army officials are investigating the death of Staff Sgt. Anthony S. Schmachtenberger.
read more here
Richardson E-6 found dead in his home
UPDATE
Soldier’s death apparently a suicide
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 15:44:33 EDT
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The mother of a Fort Richardson soldier found dead in his Anchorage home told The Anchorage Daily News the death is apparently a suicide.
The woman who lives in Ohio says two soldiers who went to look for Anthony S. Schmachtenberger when he didn’t show up for work Wednesday found him in his garage with a vehicle running.
The 30-year-old staff sergeant was an artilleryman from Minerva, Ohio. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
Robin Scalero in Alliance, Ohio, said her son had separated from his wife and had stress from combat in Iraq. He leaves three daughters.
Soldier death apparently a suicide
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