Business rips off Disabled Veterans Of America!

DAV, their name got stolen...again!

"I call myself the Disabled Veterans of America instead of David's Advertising so I don't get hung up on," he explained.

Is Valley veteran business really doing charitable work?

Make a lot of money all while helping veterans? Sounds like a great job, but it's not a charity. So is this local business doing a good thing or is it a misleading way to make money?

An alluring ad you may have seen on Craigslist promises up to $8,000 a month for salespeople. And you'd be able to help veterans by working for the Disabled Veterans of Arizona.

For $199, businesses would get a disabled vet sticker for their window, an advertising tax deduction, and their name listed on a website showing they support vets.

But it was another part of the ad that we really questioned; it said that salespeople get to keep 60% of what they take in.
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UPDATE
Here are a few more that ripped off veterans recently!

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - A Thompsontown man has admitted in court that he defrauded a disabled veteran of more than $300,000.Jason Ehrhart, 48, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to health care fraud. He also agreed to make full restitution to the veteran’s estate, U.S. Attorney David Freed said.A sentencing hearing was not immediately scheduled.Prosecutors say Ehrhart in October 2006 successfully applied to serve as the legal custodian of a former Perry County resident who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while serving in the U.S. Army.The veteran received $476,260 in federal disability benefits from October 2006 to August 2016.

Legal News Line

SAN DIEGO — A California jury handed the state a legal victory by rendering an $8.8 million award in the state's lawsuit against operators of a veteran's charity scam who used donated funds for personal expenses. 

In a lawsuit filed last year, the California Attorney General's Office alleged Matthew and Danella Gregory, along with their adult children who served as directors for the Wounded Warriors Support Group and Central Coast Equine Rescue and Retirement, used donations earmarked for wounded veterans for personal use. According to the Attorney General's Office, the defendants used donated funds for shopping trips, personal credit card debt and traveling.

“These unscrupulous con artists exploited the generosity of Americans by falsely claiming to help our country’s wounded warriors and their families," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "Instead, they used our charitable donations for personal gain. A jury of their peers has justly slapped down the Gregory family and their corrupt enterprise. 

New firefighter has a leg to stand on...really!

Disabled veteran graduates fire academy

NBC News
November 19, 2018

(KING) An injured veteran in Washington continued his tradition of serving others with an important graduation ceremony Saturday.

Retired Air Force Tech Sgt. Daniel Fye was serving his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011, when he stepped on an IED.

He lost his left leg below the knee, and fought for months of surgery to keep his right leg.

Within two years, he was able to walk without any help.

Today, he's achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter, after graduating with honors from the South Sound Fire Academy.
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Suicidal veteran had to find help from James Woods?

James Woods was traveling across country when he received a Tweet from a desperate veteran. By all accounts, Woods went above and beyond to try to save his life and find help for him.

Early this morning, I read this and shared it on Google+. Freaking out a bit, since this happened in the city I work in, it made me want to scream. 

How is it that a veteran, right here, could not find the help he needed, right here? How is it that he did not know where to turn? THIS IS FLORIDA! There are events all over the place every week, groups around every block and stunts to "raise awareness." Much like the one I have been blasting that happened Saturday.

I heard he had been found safe from a friend in the building I work in. I could not find confirmation, so I called Maitland Police Department. They said he had not been found, but they were talking to him.

So, when it comes to all the "awareness" being raised, it seems that local veterans have been unaware of "how much fun" the event was on Saturday to talk about veterans killing themselves!

How many veterans have to commit suicide in public before the public catches onto the fact all these stunts do more harm than good? They not only drain financial resources from groups actually doing the work to save lives, they have taken over social media to the point where veterans cannot find those who are willing and able to help them!

So this local veteran, thank God, was found by an actor traveling across the country BECAUSE HE COULD NOT FIND THE HELP HE NEEDED RIGHT HERE!!!!!

Since posts do not go away, I removed the veteran's name. Update from local news WESH 2 had this, "Officials with the Maitland Police Department said a welfare check was performed. The suicidal man told officers he is OK and declined any help from law enforcement or a mental health agency."

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James Woods uses Twitter to help veteran contemplating suicide: 'You could save another'

USA Today
Cydney Henderson
Nov. 20, 2018

"So think about this. A lot of vets, I understand, have come to where you are tonight," Woods continued. "If you could just push this decision off tonight, at least, maybe you would also inspire another vet to seek help. You could save another man, too. By waiting to do this."

Actor James Woods used his Twitter account to call attention and help to a distressed veteran who was contemplating suicide.

The "Salvador" actor, 71, alerted the Orlando Police Department Monday night and asked authorities to perform a wellness check on former Marine XXXXXXXX.

"A man named XXXXXXXX just said on @Twitter that he is sitting in a parking lot and is going to kill himself," Wood tweeted to his nearly 2 million followers. "He’s sitting with his dog, a black lab, possibly in a WalMart parking lot."

Woods' plea for help included a screenshot from MacMasters' Twitter account, which has since been deleted.

"I'm on Twitter every day, I retweet all the time but this is the first tweet I've ever written," user XXXXXXXX tweeted Thursday. "I'm (a) good guy, I'm a veteran, I love America. I'm gonna kill myself tonight. I've lost everything I have nobody, nobody cares."
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When veterans commit suicides in public

SUICIDE AWARENESS: When veterans commit suicides in public

Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 19, 2018

It is an epidemic! All over the country groups of people are having events to raise funds because veterans are killing themselves. What makes it worse is these events are intended to be "fun" times.

This just happened in Florida over the weekend when the American Legion held one of the "awareness" events. This is the flyer they used to promote it.

Pay close attention to this part.

Nov. 17th, 2018

Challenge 22 - 2.2 Mile "Ruck" Walk and Block Party

Come out to join the Winter Garden American Legion Post 63, in partnership with the Crooked Can Brewery,  and our community for a walk , block party and a day of camaraderie to raise awareness for PTSD and Suicide in Veterans. 

Bring your family and friends to join the hike or just come out to enjoy the festivities, there will be something for everyone! Again, the goal is to have a great time, while raising awareness to a tragic epidemic of 22 suicides per day due to PTSD and lost HOPE.

While some keep focusing on the very public suicide of the veteran after he opened fire at the Borderline Bar, the truth is, more veterans are more dangerous to themselves, than to anyone else.

Yet this is list of suicide awareness, by veterans who committed suicide IN PUBLIC AS A SCREAM FOR HELP!

How much louder to they have to scream?


Last year veterans were facing off with law enforcement almost every week, maybe even more, but while these reports should have been national news, they were ignored.

Oh well, it is just so much easier to just use a number as if that is supposed to make any difference to the men and women screaming for help to stay alive.

When veterans commit suicide in a very public way, that is exactly what it is. Oh, not help for themselves. They have already made up their minds it is too late for them. They are screaming for someone to do something to help the other veterans! Like these;
(UPDATE: Added more from this year)

January 2018
Clinton Michigan
Veteran committed suicide at East Olive Elementary School

February 2018
Texas
Army veteran dead after SWAT Standoff 

March 2018
Yountville California
Veteran and hostages dead at PTSD program


Vietnam veteran committed suicide in Sheridan Police Department Parking lot after calling dispatch to let them know where he was.

Joint Base Lewis McChord Airman committed suicide after killing his family.

Waterbury 
Suicide by cop, Marine veteran

Oklahoma
Suicide by Cop: Duane served in the Air Force for 16 years, completing three tours overseas. 

Soldier dead after standoff at Aberdeen Proving Ground

Oklahoma
Air Force Veteran dead after police were called to help him.


St. Louis
62 year old veteran committed suicide in John Cochran VA Medical Center waiting room

April 2018
Boynton Beach
Florida
76 year old Vietnam veteran committed suicide in Boynton City Hal parking lot. Not first time this happened. 

It happened last year in Amarillo Texas when a veteran shot himself in front of the VA hospital.


May 2018
Airman at Cannon Air Force Base found dead in Ned Houk Park

June 2018
Fort Knox 
21 year old Private committed public suicide at Clarksville High School after he stole a gun.

Kansas
Vietnam veteran committed suicide at in the VA emergency room.


Colorado Springs

Hours after being discharged from a mental health treatment facility, 38-year-old disabled veteran Lee Cole hiked into a wilderness area in southwest Colorado Springs with a backpack and the cellphone on which he planned to record his final message.

Georgia
Navy Veteran set himself on fire in front of Georgia Capitol protesting the VA system. 

Not first time this happened. It also happened in New Jersey last year.

Norfolk Navy Yard
Sailor walked into helicopter blade, death ruled suicide.

July 2018
Alabama
Air Force veteran shot family, and himself after setting house on fire.

Chicago Police Officer and Marine veteran committed suicide in parking lot of police station.


Phoenix AZ
Veteran shot himself inside the VA Hospital Chapel 

Not the first times since it happened last year when a 33 year old veteran shot himself at the VA.

August 2018
Employee found dead inside Topeka VA Medical Center office

A Veterans Affairs employee died Tuesday morning inside an administrative office at Topeka’s Colmery O’Neil VA Medical Center. Joe Burks, spokesman for the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, said the employee died of an apparent suicide.

Suicide in Mishawaka VA parking lot puts spotlight on veteran mental health crisis

A veteran shot himself yesterday in the parking lot of the VA Health Care Center in Mishawaka -- dead from an apparent suicide.

UPDATE
November 2018 
Gunshot in lobby of Nashville VA Medical Center


NOW THAT IS SUICIDE AWARENESS! Veterans commit suicide in public so that other veterans will get the help they did not find for themselves. It is not that the help is not out there, but they cannot find it because all of the people having fun with stunts are getting in the way!

UPDATE Add jumping rope in Chicago to the list of stunts. This one was to raise funds for something that has been researched for decades...and does not work. Read more about how veterans got snookered.

From 2010 we have this piece of news about the "God shot" as you will read in the next event. In 2011 this was the report about the "blocker" they want to raise funds for. This is from 2015 about ganglion block no better than a placebo.

During the "Jump for Vets" charity event, around 70 people pushed themselves to do 2,200 jumps, or the equivalent of 100 jumps for every veteran that takes their own life each year. Sponsored by Rags of Honor, the charity event aims to raise around $15,000 to provide medical care for soldiers battling PTSD... The money raised will also go towards helping veterans to undergo a nerve block procedure called a stellate ganglion block, also known as the "God Shot," which eases PTSD symptoms, and could ultimately curb the veteran suicide rate.

Just because they know how to raise money, that does not mean they know what they are advertising! 

Powerball winner donates chunk to veterans!

Powerball winner donates $500,000 to veterans charity

7 News Miami
November 16, 2018

(WSVN) - A woman who won half of the $687 million Powerball is donating half a million dollars to a veterans charity.

Lerynne West, 51, made an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show where she told the story of how she won the lottery and how she set up The Callum Foundation with her winnings.

West said the foundation was named after her grandson, Callum, who was born prematurely and only lived for a day. The organization’s website says it focuses its grantmaking on several areas, including poverty, hunger, education, animal welfare and veteran affairs.

“I have a responsibility to do good for other people and to help other people out as well,” West told DeGeneres.

West also announced that she will be donating $500,000 to the Travis Mills Foundation through her organization. The Travis Mills Foundation helps wounded and injured veterans and their families.

West said veteran affairs has always been something she cared about, especially with her father and brothers all having served in the military.

West was one of two winners who split the $687 million jackpot for a total of $343.9. According to CNN, she opted to take the lump sum option of $198.1 million.
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