Family of soldier who took own life asks VA whistle-blowers to come forward
AZ Family
Lindsey Reiser
September 24, 2018
The 2016 letter specifically mentioned Castaneda, among other veterans, saying the Phoenix VA failed him by not checking on him. "He was considered such a high risk that they were supposed to be having someone check on him at his home, and apparently they weren't not checking on him all the time," Smith said.
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Arizona's Family has been covering problems at the Phoenix VA for years. We told you in 2016, whistle-blowers wrote a letter alleging serious problems there.
Now, the family of one of the veterans mentioned in that letter is making a plea, asking those whistle-blowers to come forward to give them closure.
Three years after Army Ranger Antouine Castaneda took his own life, his mother-in-law, Margaret Smith, said they are still searching for answers. And she said her granddaughters ask questions about their dad.
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Hardin County veteran reported missing
Jackson Sun
Cassandra Stephenson
Sept. 24, 2018
A 30-year-old veteran suffering from PTSD has been missing for several days, according to the Hardin County Sheriff's Department.
Terry Michael Woodall was last seen in Hardin County. He recently received treatment at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Memphis, according to the Hardin County Sheriff's Department.
Officials have no vehicle description and do not know Woodall's intended direction of travel.
Woodall is described as a 6-foot-tall white male weighing approximately 195 pounds.
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Female Veterans Honor Flight
"M*A*S*H" actress Loretta Swit (second from left) poses with participants in Monday's honor flight for female military veterans at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.
MIKE THEILER, For the Journal Star (Go to link above for more great pictures)
Women-only honor flight takes 135 veterans from Nebraska to D.C.
Lincoln Journal Star
JULIE KOCH
September 24, 2018
OMAHA — Since 2008, Bill and Evonne Williams have taken more than 3,500 veterans to Washington, D.C., on honor flights.
But Monday's trip to the nation's capital is different. The Patriotic Productions flight consists of all females. All of the 135 veterans are women, as are the volunteers, members of the media and the plane's pilots.
The trip, which is free to the veterans, left Omaha at 4 a.m. The veterans will spend all day Monday visiting military memorials in Washington, including Arlington National Cemetery, the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
But before their trip to Washington, the veterans were treated to a dinner at a hotel in La Vista on Sunday evening. The guest speaker was Loretta Swit, who played Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the hit TV series "M*A*S*H."
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Homeless Nashville Marine sees outpouring of support, receives new wheelchair
FOX 17 News
Alex Apple
September 21, 2018
"It's the right thing to do. He didn't ask to be in this situation," Terry Mobley said. "Things happen and it's good that we still have good people around that look after one another."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A homeless Marine living in Nashville has seen an outpouring of support.
Edward Kendall, known as Too Tall, lost all of his toes to frost bite. On top of that, someone stole his wheelchair a few days ago.
Now, people in Nashville have stepped up to help him out.
Too Tall said the hardest part of living on the streets is finding a place to lay your head. He said he usually sleeps under a box. He struggles to walk after frost bite led to him losing half of his feet earlier this year.
A thief stole his wheelchair, so FOX 17 News did last night what he was too proud to do - ask for Nashville's help. And the people of Nashville responded.
Two good Samaritans brought Too Tall what he called "two Cadillacs" - one wheelchair to use and another ready to roll, with help from Ed Medical Supply.
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PTSD Patrol: Cranky Shafted?
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
September 23, 2018
This is for the majority of veterans in the US. Older, but unfortunately, not as wise as you should be when it comes to PTSD.
Veterans over the age of 50, are also the majority of veterans known to be committing suicide. Yep, that long after surviving combat, the battle to stay alive is lost all too often.
Most of it is because you thought you escaped all you went through while you were busy working, raising kids and doing what everyone does. Filling up time instead of relaxing.
Faced with retirement and other life changes, no longer too busy, time catches up with you. Suddenly it is as if you were hit by a sledgehammer when nightmares, flashbacks and mood swings take over. Not knowing what is going on, it is easy to get cranky.
AutoZone Crankshaft
"Your vehicle is a smoothly operating machine, unless of course your crankshaft and camshaft have gone bad. A faulty crankshaft inhibits the pistons from rotating properly while a damaged camshaft prevents correct opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves- hindering your ability to drive altogether. The crankshaft and camshaft work together in-sync, so the valves don't contact the pistons, which are all controlled by the timing belt. Overtime, these parts become faulty from wear and tear, and inevitably need to be replaced within the lifetime of your vehicle."
If you had been hit by PTSD in younger years, then more than likely, you have already been to the VA, diagnosed and treated for PTSD. That is great because PTSD stops getting worse when you #TakeBackYourLife and fight to heal.
If you managed to "stuff it" then you may have been under the delusion you escaped what others did not. It is a huge shocker to find out you did not, especially when you are ready for your "golden years" when you are supposed to be enjoying life.
