Disabled Florida veteran gets home upgraded by "Military Makeover"

Disabled Iraq War veteran Aaron Cornelius, floral shirt, is greeted by Marcus Luttrell, also an Iraq War veteran, as he is presented with Military Makeover's renovation of his home in Bradenton

If your group ignores older veterans shame on you!

Keep in mind that this chart is from the Veterans the VA knows about. Too many others were not counted. What it does show is that most of the veterans committing suicide in Missouri, as well as the rest of the country, are over the age of 50. If your group won't help the majority of the veterans needing help the most, shame on you!

Why shame on you? Just read what came with this report from St. Louis Post Gazette

Phillip Crews, 62, shot himself in the hospital’s emergency room waiting area just after 4 a.m. on March 26, city and VA officials said.

An estimated 20 to 22 veterans die of suicide each day, at an average age of 60. While it is unknown how many of those deaths occur at VA facilities, they include a 76-year-old who shot himself in a parking lot of a New York hospital in August 2016, a veteran of Afghanistan who hanged himself at age 32 in a Tennessee hospital in November 2016, a 63-year-old Navy veteran who shot himself in a car at a North Carolina hospital and a 35-year-old Marine who overdosed on fentanyl at a Massachusetts VA psychiatric facility.

Melbourne Vietnam Wall Escort into Wickham Park

Murray likes the reunion even though it is a long ride to get there!

Blue Jacket Park Honors Female Sailors

Statue of female sailor at Blue Jacket Park honors Navy legacy, women who served at sea

On Saturday, a bronze statue of a woman in a Navy uniform was unveiled at Blue Jacket Park in Baldwin Park, a community with more than 4,600 homes that sprouted after the 1,900-acre Naval Training Center was shuttered in the 1990s.

The statue, named the Blue Jacket Recruit — a Navy term for an enlisted sailor, honors the 188,000 female recruits whose graduation from the nation’s first coed boot camp proved they were not only as ready as men but also willing and able to serve their country.

read more from Orlando Sentinel here

Five Years After Bombs, Boston Strong and Inspirational Survivors

CARLOS ARREDONDO

AP FILE - In this Nov. 26, 2017 file photo, Carlos Arredondo, center, gives a thumbs-up before participating in a Salute to Service military appreciation campaign before an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass. Arredondo helped save the life of marathon spectator Jeff Bauman after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. He now volunteers with the Red Cross, and his family foundation works to prevent military-related suicides. He is preparing to run in his first Boston Marathon on April 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

THEN: Millions know him as the man in the cowboy hat who helped save the life of marathon spectator Jeff Bauman, the double amputee played by Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2017 movie "Stronger." Arredondo had become an anti-war activist and suicide prevention advocate after one son was fatally shot by a sniper in Iraq and another killed himself, and he was at the finish line handing out American flags when the bombs went off. Instantly, Arredondo became a symbol of courage.

NOW: Arredondo continues to do whatever he can to help others. He volunteers with the Red Cross, and his Arredondo Family Foundation works to prevent military-related suicides and hand out Thanksgiving turkeys to veterans and their families. He's now preparing to run his first Boston Marathon.

In his own words: "What many people don't realize is that first responders also go through some of the same trauma as survivors. I've been dealing with some issues, but that doesn't slow me down. It's been an amazing journey." 
read other inspirational stories of survivors here