Largo woman accused of stealing $2,500 from Vietnam veteran Police say Vietnam veteran was her neighbor WFTS News Adam Winer Apr 13, 2018
LARGO, Fla. — A Vietnam veteran was the victim of theft at the hands of his own neighbor.
The Largo Police Department is accusing Sonya Herrick of writing a check to herself with her neighbor's checkbook without his knowledge.
The victim, John Gibbs, 84, is a Vietnam veteran with pancreatic cancer who lives near Herrick on Seminole Boulevard in Largo.
According to the arrest affidavit, Herrick wrote herself a $2,500 check back on April 6.
Investigators say Herrick befriended the victim in the days leading up to the theft with the intention of stealing from him. read more here
Female veteran's lament becomes powerful song with help from Songwriting With Soldiers project Democrat and Chronicle Gary Craig April 13, 2018
I was just like you when the bullets flewI had your back, you had mine tooBrothers in arms, your sisters covered youDon't that make us your brother too?
Meghan Counihan’s daughter was 6 months old when Counihan was deployed to Afghanistan.
The mother of three, Counihan found herself riven by a tug-of-war of emotions, beckoned by call and duty: one for country, the other of motherhood.
Her uncles were veterans, as was her father, who'd been an Army truck mechanic in Vietnam. The military lineage spoke to her — she, too, would drive a truck for the Army — as did the vows she'd made with others in her Army unit.
“You’ve made this promise to your country, and you’ve made this promise to sacrifice, and you’ve made this promise to these people,” she said.
But at her Colorado home, she had this effervescent infant — still cuddling, still growing, still needing.
“It’s really hard to walk out that door and keep going,” Counihan said. “I was still breastfeeding. To leave when that is going on, you have a physical, visceral reaction.” read more here
Wife of World War II Medal Of Honor Recipient Reveals Their Love Story Military.com By Richard Sisk 13 Apr 2018
"More than anything, he was proud of his brothers in World War II. He had five brothers, all came back home. I've often wondered how his mother could take that, with six boys in the war," she said.
Back in 1945, when she was 15 and first set eyes on her future husband, Pauline Conner didn't think much of the scrawny fellow they were making all the fuss about in town with the parade and the speeches.
The great Sgt. Alvin York himself, the Medal of Honor recipient from World War I, had shown up for what the folks in Albany, Kentucky, called the "speakin'" at the Clinton County courthouse to welcome home Garlin Murl Conner from fighting the Nazis.
In their life together, he was a farmer and also served with the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the American Legion and Kentucky Veterans Affairs. The war stayed with him in ways he could not explain.
"I always thought if anybody had PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder], it was Murl. He'd wake up in the night, kind of fighting, because of the nightmares. Lots of times he'd just go outside and sit by himself," she said.
Last month, Pauline Conner, now 88, received a phone call from President Donald Trump about her husband, who died in 1998 at age 79. The upgrade of his Distinguished Service Cross had been approved after more than 20 years of bureaucratic and court fights. read more here
91-year-old World War II veteran crosses finish line of 5k race KTXS News by Ariana Lubelli, SBG San Antonio April 12th 2018
SAN ANTONIO - Jim Ulbrich, a WWII Navy veteran, celebrated his 91st birthday weekend by running.
"I wanted to finish strong so I took off running," Ulbrich said.
The Poteet native and retired vocational agriculture teacher competed in the '65-year-old and up' category of the Caterpillar Seguin 5K Power Race on April 8th. He came in first place, breaking a record for Seguin.
"But my knees kind of squeak so I have to watch my knees," Ulbrich said. "They're a little old."
Cell phone video posted on Facebook by 'SS American Memorial located at the Lazy U Ranch Seguin TX' captured the 91-year-old running across the finish line. read more here
Lay leaders learn veteran and military culture Tyler Morning Telegraph By LouAnna Campbell Apr 12, 2018
Enlisted. Officer. National Guard. Reserves. Active duty.
These were just some of the terms about 30 lay leaders, pastors and community leaders learned Thursday at Central Baptist Church.
With 15 military installations in the state, Texas has become a veteran-friendly place to live, and the Smith County Behavioral Health Leadership Team and Texas Veterans Commission teamed up to give free training to faith, community and lay leaders.
“Texas is home to almost 1.6 million military veterans, many of whom have experienced one or more forms of military-service-related trauma,” said Craig Combs, Texas Veterans Commission community partner coordinator.
The training gave those in attendance a glimpse into military culture and the stress and effects that continuous readiness has on military members and their families.
Local mental health authorities like the Andrews Center are part of the programs the Texas Veterans Commission relies on to reach veterans. Now they are reaching out to faith-based communities to help veterans and those serving in the Reserves and National Guard.
The veterans group is working with faith community members to give them skills in suicide awareness, military sexual trauma, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury. read more here
