80 soldiers against 300 insurgents--and won

Veteran Honoring Veterans in Central Pennsylvania

WNEP 16 News
BY KRISTINA PAPA
OCTOBER 3, 2018

JERSEY SHORE, Pa. -- Later this month, veterans in central Pennsylvania will be walking to help raise awareness about suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder.

A veteran from Clinton County is hoping his story will help others reach out for help.

It's been nine years to the day since Army veteran Alex Folmar from Lock Haven was in a firefight for his life.

"October 3, 2009, our combat outpost in Afghanistan got attacked," Folmar recalled.

Eighty soldiers, including Folmar, found themselves up against 300 insurgents.

"We ended up winning or so, but we ended up losing eight people."

Folmar came home safely but not without scars. Aside from back problems, he's been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
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(Editor's Note) While I do not like to share any of these "stunts" to raise awareness, this veteran's story needs to be shared. 

MOH Benjamin Wilson

No rifle, no problem — soldier single-handedly killed dozens of enemies, including 4 using his E-tool

Military Times
J.D Simkins
October 13, 2018

His mad scramble provided the time necessary for his unit to arrange an orderly withdrawal, during which time Wilson was wounded once again. Despite his mounting injuries, he continued to provide cover fire as his men moved down the hill. Wilson would go on to receive the Medal of Honor for his herculean feats that day, but his story doesn’t end there.

Benjamin Wilson was in Hawaii when the Japanese unleashed their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor during the morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941.

Benjamin Wilson received both the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross for actions that took place within a week of each other. (Army)

The Washington state native had enlisted in the Army as an infantryman only a year before the attack and found himself stationed at Oahu’s Schofield Barracks, watching as Japanese planes devastated the unsuspecting naval base.

Despite the timing of his enlistment, however, Wilson would miss combat entirely during World War II, attending Officer Candidate School in 1942 and getting subsequently assigned to stateside training roles despite multiple requests by the young officer to lead men into combat. At the war’s conclusion, Wilson would go back to Washington to work in a lumber mill, but the life didn’t agree with him, and the desire to serve called Wilson back to the Army.

Because the service was drawing down its officer ranks, Wilson signed back up as a private, but quickly rose through the ranks due to his previous experience.

It didn’t take long before he found himself as a first sergeant on the front lines of the Korean War, where he would become a legend among his men.
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Allentown Firefighters need help to fight PTSD

Local firefighters union Allentown 302 president speaks against PTSD

WFMZ 69 News
Josh Rultenberg
October 12, 2018

In a statement Schlossberg says "Jeremy Warmkessel's op-ed today couldn't have been more accurate. Our first responders deal with so much, and they deserve more than we are giving them now."

ALLENTOWN, Pa., - It's been almost two weeks since a man blew himself up in a car in Allentown along with his 2-year-old child and another man.

"Typically, we're not going to a scene of that magnitude on a regular basis and thank goodness for that," said the president of the local firefighters union Allentown 302 Jeremy Warmkessel.

But first responders did respond to the explosion which Warmkessel says hit home.

"Anytime that you have a situation that involves children, no matter what the situation is, I think people tend to take it a little bit harder," said Warmkessel.

That incident, among others, is why Warmkessel, wrote an op-ed about PTSD in the Morning Call.

"Inside Allentown in the last 20 years we've suffered three suicides. So it's real and it's on a grand scale," said Warmkessel.
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Police Officers share stories of trauma to encourage others

Marysville officers share stories of trauma to encourage others to seek help

Herald Net
By Stephanie Davey
Sunday, October 14, 2018

They both talk about being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and how they found help. They initially spoke together this summer at a statewide convention for school resource officers, and they plan to share their stories at a national conference in July 2019 in Las Vegas.

At Marysville Getchell High, School Resource Officers Chris Sutherland (right) and Jeremy Wood pose for a photo on Thursday in Marysville. Both men have been diagnosed with PTSD; Wood witnessed a shooting and later held a man as he died, and Sutherland was the first officer to go into the cafeteria after the shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)

MARYSVILLE — He’s been through a lot here.

But this might be the last year Chris Sutherland watches over Marysville Pilchuck High School. He’s been the school’s resource officer for about six years, the length of his contract.

He was one of the first people to enter the cafeteria after the shootings on Oct. 24, 2014. Four years later, the freshman class from that day graduated. Sutherland spoke during their commencement ceremony.

“You are all my heroes,” he told them, pausing at times to hold back tears.

Sutherland knows the campus well. It is where he met his future wife and graduated, and it’s where he hopes to stay for many years to come.

He and his best friend, Jeremy Wood, have started giving presentations about mental health. Both are 44.
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Ellen DeGeneres sent Marine couple on honeymoon

Camp Lejeune Marine couple get $20,000 after being on 'Ellen'

WCTI News 12
by Jason O. Boyd
October 13th 2018

Cpl. Brandon Crespo and wife Francis (EllenTube via Facebook photo)

LOS ANGELES — A reunion video that has netted over 17 million views on social media landed a Camp Lejeune Marine couple a special gift when they appeared on "Ellen" on Friday.

Cpl. Brandon Crespo and wife Francis shared a video of his return from a six-month deployment. In the video, Crespo got to meet his son, Noah, for the first time. Francis was pregnant during Crespo's sea deployment.

The video has racked up over 17 million views, which got the interest of Ellen DeGeneres. She invited the couple onto her show Friday to discuss the deployment and pregnancy process.

Crespo stayed on the phone during Noah's birth and said he "was filled with anxiety. I couldn't believe it was happening."

DeGeneres gave the couple $20,000 from Shutterfly so they can go on the honeymoon they were unable to have so far.
go here for video