The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit Welcomed Back Home

Daddy's home!
Daily Mail
By Ekin Karasin For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 07:45 EDT, 12 May 2017

Ecstatic toddler runs into his Marine father's arms while a tearful sailor cradles his pregnant wife's baby bump at emotional homecoming reunion after seven months overseas
Elijah Proctor flew to embrace his father Sergeant William, at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California
The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned after serving in Western Pacific, Middle East, and Horn of Africa
Photos also captured an emotional Lance Corporal Shane McMain embracing his pregnant wife Madison

This is the heart-rending moment Elijah Proctor ran into the arms of his Marine father William when he finally returned home after serving overseas for seven months, at a homecoming reception in California

Elijah Proctor flew to embrace his beaming father Sergeant William, while his mother Lindsey looked on lovingly, at a homecoming reception at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, on Thursday.

Sgt Proctor was among dozens of excited Marines and sailors from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit returning home after serving in the Western Pacific, Middle East, and Horn of Africa.

Sgt Proctor cradled Elijah in his arms as the sweet toddler puckered his lips to give his father a kiss

Touching photos also captured a tearful Lance Corporal Shane McMain kneeling to embrace his wife Madison, who is pregnant with their first child, and cradle her baby bump.

A tearful Lance Corporal Shane McMain knelt to embrace his wife Madison, who is pregnant with their first child, and cradle her baby bump

Elsewhere, proud mother Teresa Vickers squeezed her eyes shut as she wrapped her arms tightly around her son, Sergeant Nicholas, while Katie Sciutto tenderly kissed her boyfriend Corporal Seth Peaton through tears.
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"You've always had the power to go back"

"You've always had the power to go back"
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 13, 2017

It is no secret I love old movies! As a child, they got my imagination into high gear. When I grew up, knew more about what makes us who we are, I noticed how many lessons on life were actually in the script.

One of my favorites is The Robe. I tell veterans they need to watch this movie and see what Combat PTSD is. It has all of it but few connect the life of Tribune Galio to all the symptoms of PTSD. 

"In the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth but is tormented by his guilty conscience afterwards."

Tribune Galio was haunted by the sound of the nail being driven into Jesus, had nightmares and during flashbacks he kept asking, "Were you there?" He had mood swings, anger issues, you name it, all classic symptoms of PTSD. He believed he was possessed by the Robe that Jesus wore on his way to be crucified. 

In the end of the movie, there was an awakening to the power he had within him all along to heal. He believed in the power of love again to the point where he would rather die than return to the way he was before.
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70 Year Old Veteran Died From Choking on Trash Bag

Sapulpa veteran died with 2-foot trash bag in his throat at state care home, new autopsy report says

Sapulpa man died from choking on a trash bag while in the care of state veterans center in Talihina, report shows

• By Andrea Eger Tulsa World

A new report from the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office confirms that a Sapulpa man died from choking on a trash bag while in the care of a state nursing home for veterans.

Leonard Smith, 70, was an advanced-dementia patient living in a locked-down special-needs unit at the Oklahoma Veterans Center in Talihina when he choked to death Jan. 31 after being given food, fluids and medication. After he died, a medical provider found that he had a plastic bag lodged deep in his throat.

In its final report on the death, the medical examiner determined Smith’s probable cause of death was asphyxia due to choking on a foreign body and the manner of his death was accidental.

The ME’s report revealed that included with items sent with Smith’s body to be examined was what was found in his throat: “a twisted clear trash bag covered in pink vomitus. The trash bag is intact and measures 24 (inches) in length and 1 (inch) in width when twisted. When the trash bag is untwisted, it measures 5 (inches) in width.”

Christine Cornwell, a Tulsa County resident and Smith’s niece, whom he had entrusted with his power of attorney, said the ME’s report may close a chapter in Smith’s death but not her and other relatives’ anguish over the circumstances.

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22Kill Advocate Lost His Battle With PTSD

I can only guess at this, but I have a feeling that Benjamin Adams was one of those you'd turn to for help. You know the type, they are always ready to listen, to help and encourage. They are also the last ones to ask for help for themselves.

Man who fought suicide among veterans loses fight with PTSD
By KSLA Staff
Friday, May 12th 2017

Army Sgt. Benjamin Michael Adams / Source: KSLA News 12

TEXARKANA, TX (KSLA)
The mission of the nonprofit 22Kill is hitting close to home.

"There are 22 veterans that kill themselves every day. We are here to stop that," board member Cory Ryan said.

Now an ArkLaTex native and advocate of the group can be counted among those statistics.

The organization was started two years ago with the goal of helping military veterans fight PTSD.

Patriot Motorcycle Groups led the funeral procession of Sgt. Benjamin Michael Adams through three states to lay the Army veteran to rest in Caddo Parish.

The graduate of Southwood High School in Shreveport was injured in 2005 while serving in Iraq.

After his release from the military, he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Adams then became an advocate for 22Kill.

But last week he lost his battle with PTSD.

Now his friends are working to keep his memory and the fight alive.
read more here

How many more stories like this will it take for this country to finally figure out that talking about veterans committing suicide is not the same as raising awareness that they can heal? It isn't the same as telling them what PTSD is, why they have it or showing them how they can change their lives from grieving to thriving.

For the last three decades I've seen way too much evidence of miracles happening and lives changing. For the last decade, I've seen way too much talking about the worst outcome followed by more lives lost in the process.

We actually had better results back in the 90's when there were more veterans in the country but no social media or media coverage at all, no cell phones or computers in every house. It was done side by side, sharing our heartbreaks as well as our blessings and in that, veterans found hope they could do the same and learn how to feel the smile they showed the rest of the world.

My heart breaks for the group Adams was apparently dedicated to and for his family. Far too many like him carry the burden of everyone else yet find it impossible to share their own. That is hardest thing to get through to them.

If you know someone like that, then please remind them that in combat, they had no problem asking for as much reinforcement as they could get. They knew it meant lives would be saved. It meant they thought about saving other lives and this time, they need to think of saving their own, so they can save more by being an example of what is possible just by staying alive and healing.

WWII Veteran Turns 111

Nation’s oldest veteran celebrating his 111th birthday in Texas

KXAN StaffPublished: May 11, 2017

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It would be hard to believe anyone in Austin hasn’t heard of Richard Overton.

The World War II veteran’s journey through this life has been well chronicled. He’s been honored with plaques and memorial gardens. He’s visited the White House to meet President Barack Obama. Thursday, the county’s oldest living veteran will again be honored with a permanent display of recognition that anyone walking or driving through his East Austin neighborhood can see. 

The city is renaming Hamilton Avenue, a street Overton has called home for over seven decades, Richard Overton Avenue. “They’re putting the sign out here, putting the street sign all the way out there,” Overton told KXAN. Richard is celebrating his 111th birthday Thursday. He considers the city’s birthday gift humbling. That’s saying a lot considering Overton has seen many things, as he says, “all over the world – water, land, and air.” read more here