Vietnam Veteran "Santa" Took the Hill, Then Float

TIME-LAPSE: Ride along on our Veterans Day float
Channel 13 News
Sarah Panko
November 13, 2017

ORLANDO -- 

Frank Schmidgall was going to stop playing Santa Claus.

Dressed in familiar red and white, the Vietnam War veteran has sat in the same spot for the Orlando Veterans Day Parade every year for the past 15 years.

"I am what you call a charity Santa Claus," Schmidgall said.

But before his mother died, he promised her he would continue the tradition.

“I enjoy it. To watch their faces and to see the people in the parade passing out the candy, it’s fun. I hope they enjoy it," Schmidgall said.

But he doesn't just watch the parade, he buys candy to hand out to spectators. He said he spends hundreds of dollars and several hours getting the bags ready.
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Veteran Needs Help With Medical Bills?

Bellevue community rallies around Iraq War veteran

KETV 7 ABC News 
James Wilcox 
November 10, 2017

And Justin also recently learned his prosthetic, part of a rare procedure done in Australia, also isn't covered by insurance. The cost is close to six figures.

BELLEVUE, Neb. — Justin Anderson was deployed to Iraq in 2003. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a high school student in Bellevue. "Two weeks after after graduation he was on the plane heading to boot camp. He was ready to rock n roll," Justin's mom, Lisbeth Anderson, said. 

Nobody was ready for what happened next. Just four months into his tour, Justin and his fellow soldiers were attacked. Justin suffered a gunshot wound to the knee. "To date, I've had a total of 27 major surgeries. 23 of those were on my left knee," Justin said.

The injury eventually led to the amputation of his leg, which came a year after another setback. "In June of 2013 I was diagnosed with Astrocytoma, which is a form of brain cancer," Justin said. He fought the cancer with chemotherapy and radiation. The battle lasted more than two years, but Justin is now in remission. read more here

Five Year Old Helped Homeless Veteran's Heart

This picture of a 5-year-old helping a homeless veteran will warm your heart

WCPO

Ashley Zilka

November 10, 2017

The pair talked for 30 minutes, and True's mother snapped a picture to capture the heartwarming interaction.

CINCINNATI -- True Garcia isn't a typical 5-year-old girl. She's one of the youngest volunteers with Maslow's Army, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing Cincinnati's homeless with food, first aid kits, clean clothes and basic hygienic supplies every Sunday.

"Their belief is that, by providing the basic needs, you can help rehabilitate the homeless rather than just treating the symptoms," True's mother, Vanessa Garcia, said.

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Disabled Veteran Ripped Off Trying to Buy New Home

Disabled Florida veteran loses $100K in phony home sale

WPTV 5 News

Erik Waxler

November 9, 2017

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is after the home’s former owner, Joseph Burke. There was talk he may have gone to the Cayman Islands.

Lamm, who suffers from serious back pain and PTSD, doesn’t expect to ever see that money again, but he does want justice.

HUDSON, Fla. - It was the house Lenny Lamm thought he was buying. The perfect place for his wife and four sons.

“My kids were so excited when things were going to happen. They loved the house. They loved the property. It was everything we wanted. And it’s just gone.”

Gary Sinise Foundation Starts Veterans Day With New Home

Disabled veteran gets new home from Gary Sinise Foundation

FOX 35 News

Noelle Newton

November 10, 2017

"Thank you for all you've given on behalf of this nation. It's a great honor to say ‘welcome home, my friend.’ May God bless you and your beautiful family always, and may God bless the United States of America you so faithfully served,” said Sinise.

A disabled veteran will spend this Veteran's Day in a brand new home. With that home comes a sense of independence he has not been able to enjoy since being shot on the battlefield.

A day before Veteran's Day, Alan Babin Junior and his family arrived to their new home.

Babin nearly lost his life in 2003 trying to save the life of another solder in Iraq. He endured more than 70 abdominal surgeries and five brain surgeries.
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