Rachael Ray surprised Gulf War veteran for service dog program

Rachael Ray surprises Glassboro vet who started service dog program for other vets

Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Carol Comegno
May 16, 2019

Ray stunned Eberle, a Desert Storm veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, with the $7,000 needed to finish the Paws Healing Heroes training facility on a Williamstown farm. The money comes courtesy of Petmate, which also provided 100 leashes and collars for the program.

GLASSBORO – TV star Rachael Ray shocked U.S. Army veteran Mark Eberle of Glassboro when her staff called to invite him and his service dog Batman to be special guests on a show segment set to air Friday

When Eberle arrived at the studio recently for taping of the "Rachael Ray Show," she had even more surprises. Ray showered him with gifts for helping other veterans through his nonprofit Paws Healing Heroes, a program to rescue, train and provide service dogs to disabled veterans in need like himself.
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Ret. Major General Eldon A. Bargewell killed in lawnmower accident

Retired Maj. Gen. Eldon A. Bargewell dies in East Alabama lawnmower accident

WRBL News
By: Samuel Sachs Chuck Williams
Posted: Apr 30, 2019

(WRBL) - Former Delta Force Commander and retired Major General Eldon A. Bargewell has died, age 72, Barbour County Coroner Chip Chapman confirmed.

Bargewell died in a lawnmower accident at his Eufaula, Ala., home on Monday.

Bargewell was pronounced dead at 9:36 p.m. CDT, following when a lawnmower rolled over an embankment behind his house on Barbour creek, said Chapman.

He was an American soldier who fought on the nation's battlefields from Vietnam to Afghanistan.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Mellinger has known Bargewell for 45 years.

"I remember in 1974 as a young Ranger in the still-forming 2d Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis seeing and meeting quite a few legendary and highly decorated officers and non commissioned officers. Among those was Lt. Eldon Bargewell," Mellinger said. "Eldon stood out even then amongst those giants, for he had earned a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in 27 September 1971 as a Staff Sergeant while serving with Command and Control (North), Studies and Observations Group, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)."
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Who or what killed Michael Hermon

Gulf War veteran who was arrested in Berkeley died after fight at Santa Rita Jail

Berkeleyside
By Emilie Raguso
April 5, 2019

Hermon also struggled with PTSD from his time in the military, she said: “We all struggle with our demons, and I know that Michael had his.”

Michael Hermon. Photo: Kat Alexander

According to Hermon’s Facebook page, he was a combat engineer in the U.S. Army working in explosive ordnance disposal. These soldiers are described online as “the Army’s preeminent tactical and technical explosives experts.” He served during Operation Desert Storm, according to his family.

A 47-year-old Gulf War veteran with a PhD in philosophy, who was arrested in Berkeley in February, died one month later after a brief altercation in jail, according to the Alameda County sheriff’s office.

Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly told Berkeleyside that Michael Hermon was punched once in the nose during the fight March 13. When he didn’t stop bleeding, Hermon was taken to Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare in Livermore. At some point, Hermon stopped breathing and was placed on life support. He later died.

Hermon was due to be transferred out of jail to a diversion program for veterans, Kelly said. But the transfer had not happened yet due to lack of space. Kelly said Hermon’s cause of death has not been determined, but that authorities will look closely at his medical history, as well as any medical procedures that took place in the hospital, as part of the autopsy report: “It was a very unusual situation and a very unfortunate one for this family,” he told Berkeleyside. “It’s just a very bizarre series of events.”

Meanwhile, friends told Berkeleyside they are struggling to make sense of Hermon’s death.
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Veteran “it” all started with my Combat PTSD

How Becoming an Entrepreneur Helped Me Overcome Suicidal Thoughts

Entrepreneur
Steven Kuhn
GUEST WRITER
Principle of Immediate Impact Consulting
February 13, 2019
Army veteran Steven Kuhn discusses his ongoing battle with Combat PTSD.

After years of pushing away loved ones, ignoring help and trying to forget my past, I came to the realization that embracing Combat PTSD as a source of strength was my only way out. Sounds crazy, I know, but hear me out. It shows me that I went through war and survived. I saw my inner darkness and lived there, saw death by my own hand, and lived through it all. Combat PTSD gives me the ability to do anything I want.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The artillery was still dropping as I ran up to Sgt. Young Min Dillon’s position. I heard he was hit and arrived just in time to share the last moments of his life. That was 1991 in Iraq. I feel fortunate to have been there and at the same time, it haunts me every day because it should have been me. At least that’s how I feel and that is where my doc says “it” all started with my Combat PTSD.

Veterans are an interesting demographic. We volunteer to do things most people don’t or won’t. Once we enlist, we are told what to do and when to do it. The basics are taken care of so that we as soldiers, marines, airmen and seamen can hyper-focus on our one task at hand. We become part of a massive team effort. In the military, no one needs to say a word: who you are, what you have done, where you served, how long you served and what you accomplished is all seen on your uniform.

I know all about the realities and horrors of PTSD firsthand. In 2008, I attempted suicide after leaving the military. At the time, I was staying in Germany where I was stationed. I attempted to grab a police officer’s weapon to shoot myself and when that didn’t work I grabbed a knife to finish the job. I came out the other side with a feeling of hopelessness I never thought I could overcome.
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Desert Storm Veteran needs help for family

Fort Hood veteran in hospital with infection that could have killed him

KXXV ABC 25 News
Erin Heft
December 10, 2018

TEMPLE, TX (KXXV) -

A veteran out of Fort Hood lays in the hospital tonight with an infection that could have taken his life.

Kenny Kreiter served in the Army out of Fort Hood in the early 1990s. During his time spent serving our country, Kenny sustained knee trauma and ultimately left the military due to his sustained injuries.

The same knee injury that haunted him years ago, has now taken a turn for the worse.

On Nov. 19, he was admitted into the Olin E. Teague Veterans Medical Center, and he has been there ever since. He is fighting a staph infection that took hold in his bad knee.

As the breadwinner of his family, it has been hard financially on them during this time. Since he has not been able to work, Kenny's manager said he was gathering a $1,200 check to donate to the family to help make ends meet.

The manager had misled them.

It was that day that Kenny's fellow veteran friend started a GoFundMe campaign in Kenny's name, in hopes that it will help the family during this trying time.

KXXV Central Texas News Now

Police looking for gunman who killed Desert Storm Veteran

Surveillance video shows suspect's car in deadly shooting of Desert Storm vet

ABC 13 News
TJ Parker
November 30, 2018

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- New surveillance shows the moments a black Ford Fusion pulled up in front of a home where a veteran was killed during a home invasion.

A man was killed after a suspect broke into his home in northwest Harris County, deputies say. They say motive is robbery.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the 10800 block of Gates Randal Court.

The man has been identified as 47-year-old Leandro Morales Jr.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the victim and his wife were at home when the wife reported hearing a sound at the back door. The husband was shot while he was investigating the sound, deputies said.

The wife told investigators she heard a noise at the back door and then she heard a gunshot inside of the house.
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President George H.W. Bush Passed Away

Presidents, politicians mourn passing of former President George H.W. Bush

By ABC NEWS
Dec 1, 2018

The death of former President George H.W. Bush drew an immediate outpouring of condolences from around the country and the world. From former presidents to representatives and business leaders, the praise was overwhelming for the 41st president.

His son, the 43rd president, sent an immediate statement on behalf of George H.W. Bush's children.

"Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear dad has died. George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for dad and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens."
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Indiana changing the conversation from suicide to actually preventing them

Vets helping vets

CNHI News Indiana
By Haley Cawthon
2 hrs ago

Tackling mental health issues, one conversation at a time

“I served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, during the Cold War and then during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, so there’s that connection with my fellow veterans in terms of deployments, missions and that sort of thing. In the Army they have this thing called your battle buddy, in the Navy it’s your shipmate, in the Air Force it’s your wingman — it’s the concept of leaving nobody behind and we are all in this together.” Ken Gardner

In a divisive time in the United States, almost all politicians and civilians can find common ground when it comes to supporting the troops. Yet, veterans are still dying daily due to a lack of mental health services.

In 2016, 6,079 veterans died by suicide across the country, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Seventy of those deaths occurred in Indiana, and more than half of those veterans were 55 or older.

As bleak as those statistics are, there is somewhat of a hidden silver lining: Indiana’s veteran suicide rate of 16.7 percent is significantly lower than the national rate of 30.1 percent, and even the Midwestern region suicide rate of 28 percent.

So while there is still room for improvement, the Hoosier state appears to be leaps and bounds ahead of the nation. What sets us apart?

Recognizing the signs

Part of the solution to improving veterans’ mental health lies within another persons’ ability to notice the veteran is struggling before a crisis occurs, said Brandi Christiansen, a Navy veteran and executive director of Mental Health America of North Central Indiana. If no one intervenes, a veteran struggling with mental illness can become dangerous to themselves or others.

“We are waiting too long. We are waiting too long to have difficult conversations, we’re waiting too long to get help and identify those warning signs and symptoms,” Christiansen said. “I think we have become complacent as a society.”

According to the VA, about 11 to 20 out of every 100 Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War veterans and 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans also suffer from PTSD.
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Community stepped up after disabled veteran couldn't pay school lunch bills

Indiana veteran receives outpouring of support after facing collection agency over kids' lunch money

RTV ABC 6 News
Rafael Sanchez
Nov 1, 2018

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. -- A local veteran who was facing a collection agency over unpaid school lunches says he’s thankful for all of the help he’s received since his story first aired on RTV6 back in September.

George White says people and other veterans from across the country have come to his assistance when he thought he was alone in dealing with a persistent debt collector. An anonymous person has also paid off the entire $562.61 school lunch bill that White owed to Shelbyville Central schools for his children’s lunches.

Because of his financial situation, White says his children have always qualified for free lunches. He said he thought they had turned in the necessary paperwork in time this year, but he somehow ended up with a large bill because his kids were not receiving free lunch.
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Canadian Widow Wins 9 Year Battle For Husband

Widow wins nine-year battle with Veterans Affairs over cancer coverage

The Chronicle Herald
Francis Campbell
November 3, 2018

“When he was diagnosed and we met with his oncologist for the first time, she asked was he exposed to chemicals. And we said, yes. He looked at me and he said, ‘Hon, the Persian Gulf War did this to me.’ He asked me to pursue it on his behalf and I did.”

Natasha Mohr stubbornly sticks to her promises.

Unfortunately, the Canadian Forces do not, she said.

“Sign on the dotted line, you’ll be taken care of,” Mohr, 49, said of commitments the Forces and the federal government make to military personnel. “And that is not so.”

Mohr said the broken promises to her Lower Sackville family began after Christmas Day, 2008, the morning her husband, Petty Officer Rick Mohr, passed away in her arms of brain cancer that was related to his 22-year naval career.

It took nine long years for Veterans Affairs Canada to begrudgingly agree that his death was service related.

Petty Officer Mohr had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour, just more than two months earlier.

“He was a brilliant naval communicator and even more so, he was a loving father and husband,” Natasha Mohr said.

Rick Mohr was only 42. His death crushed his wife and the couple’s son and daughter, both in their teens.
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Operation Desert Storm Veteran Got The Leash

Side by side: Blount County veteran sees brighter future with service dog
Daily Times
By Melanie Tucker
August 31, 2018

And on Thursday, in a emotional “Passing of the Leash” ceremony, these two were teamed for life.

The Daily Times Joy Kimbrough

Stewart’s story goes back decades when in 1989, he suffered an injury while a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. A parachute accident and a misdiagnosis of two compression fractures have left him with debilitating pain. Stewart said the injury healed incorrectly; it now also affects his hips, in addition to his back.

A deployment during Operation Desert Storm, two in Afghanistan and four to Iraq have left one Blount County veteran grateful to even be alive but also suffering the repercussions.

At 51, Army Sgt. First Class (retired) Chuck Stewart has good days like anyone else, but on those bad days, his post-traumatic stress disorder takes over, and injuries from a parachute jumping accident leave him barely mobile.

“I have a 99-year-old body,” the decorated veteran said. His commendations include two Bronze Stars. He is on VA disability and turns 52 in September.
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Marine with PTSD did not hesitate to save child

Marine veteran helps save 2-year-old boy after child was pulled from pool
AZ Family.com
Whitney, Reporter
Aug 05, 2018

Serock was a Marine for four years and served in the Gulf War. He's written three books on living with PTSD, and this was the first time he's had to perform CPR since he served our country.

(3TV/CBS 5)
A Marine veteran with PTSD jumped into action to help a little boy who was pulled from a Mesa pool Saturday. And he may have helped save the toddler's life.

One minute, Robert Serock, Jr. was talking to his neighbor inside a home near Dobson and Guadalupe in Mesa.

The next minute... panic and chaos.

“I heard people screaming and yelling,” said Serock “I saw them pull the baby out of the pool.”

Serock said they never saw his neighbor's 2-year-old boy get out of the house, but they found him in the pool, unresponsive.

Serock wasted no time.

“I told them what to do… because I’ve done it before,” said Serock.
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Stolen Valor: Gulf War at 15 and Iraq when service ended in 1996

UPDATE: After being shocked by the update, I decided to go to the VA website for the answer. Here it is!

Gulf War Service
For VA benefit purposes under 38 CFR 3.317, Gulf War service is active military duty in any of the following areas in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations at any time August 2, 1990 to present. This includes Veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2010) and Operation New Dawn (2010-2011).

Southwest Asia theatre of military operations: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, U.A.E., Oman, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea

Iraq
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
The neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
Qatar
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)
Oman
Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Oman
Waters of the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea
The airspace above these locations
Note: Service in Afghanistan on or after September 19, 2001, is considered qualifying service for disability benefits associated with certain presumptive diseases.

Really odd followup to this story boils down to no one officially ended the Gulf War!

“More than 650,000 Service members served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 2, 1990 to July 31, 1991. For VA benefits eligibility purposes, the Gulf War period is still in effect,” the VA website states. “This means that anyone who served on active duty from August 2, 1990, to present is considered a Gulf War Veteran. For example, the Veterans Pension benefit requires service during a wartime period. Therefore, any Veteran who served on active military service for any period from August 2, 1990, to the present meets the wartime service requirement.”

This was reported on the Bradenton Herald along with this part.

“Even those of us who served in Operation Desert Storm were told that ‘the war was over’ when it fact there was only a cease fire declared, and no official end to the war has been declared as of this date, and all veterans who served from Aug. 2, 1990 until a date yet to be declared are Gulf War veterans.”

Holmes Beach mayoral candidate falsely claims he’s a veteran of first Gulf War. He was 15
Bradenton Herald
Mark Young
July 25, 2018

HOLMES BEACH
Holmes Beach mayoral candidate Joshua Linney claims in his campaign biography that he served with the U.S. Army in Iraq and that he is a veteran of the first Gulf War.

Holmes Beach mayoral candidate Joshua Linney claims he misspoke in misrepresenting his military service. Provided photo

“I’m a Gulf War veteran whose worked to overcome war, trauma, alcoholism, chemical dependence and PTSD, while living with disabilities, and I conquered them all,” Linney, 42, wrote in a biography submitted to the Manatee County supervisor of elections office and posted on the agency’s website

However, Linney was never in Iraq, according to his discharge papers. And as for his claim to being a Gulf War veteran, the war was fought in January-February 1991, when Linney was 15.

When he was 18, Linney enlisted in the Army in September 1993 and was medically discharged in August 1996, after he fell off a building and suffered a traumatic brain injury for which he receives disability benefits, according to his discharge papers.
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Tribute to Desert Storm Marines Painted Over!

Property Owner Paints Over Deep Ellum Mural Depicting U.S. Marines
NBC DWF 5 News
By Cory Smith
Jun 29, 2018

The mural depicted a group of U.S. Marines in Desert Storm. The group is standing in a circle with a large American flag in the background watching a soldier break dance.

In Deep Ellum, murals are more than works of art, they're part of the community's story.

"This is our way of communicating, our way of expressing ourselves," said local artist Preston Pannek.

On Friday Pannek felt like a piece of that story was erased when the mural he worked tirelessly to paint on a wall outside the Green Room was covered up with black paint.

Neighborhood residents and artists are outraged.

The building is owned by Westdale. Pannek called Friday to find out why it was covered and said he spoke with a the property manager.

"Right off the bat he was extremely rude and said 'It's gone. There is nothing I can do about it,'" said Pannek.

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Soldier set to retire...after Vietnam?

From Vietnam to Afghanistan: A U.S. veteran's four decades of duty
UPI
By Susan McFarland
April 23, 2018

"Whenever our nation was in conflict, I just couldn't sit around and not be a part of defending it," U.S. Army and Navy veteran Victor T. Wright said.

After a career span of more than 40 years in the military, Sgt. 1st Class Victor T. Wright, 61, will soon retire. He may be the only recipient of a Vietnam Service Medal who is still active in the military. Photo courtesy Victor Wright/UPI

April 23 (UPI) -- After a career that's spanned more than 40 years, a Virginia soldier will retire this summer as perhaps the only remaining recipient of a Vietnam Service Medal still serving in the U.S. military.

U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Victor T. Wright entered the military in 1974 at age 17 as a way to "see the world" and get an education. Now 61, he will retire Aug. 31 after a career that included stints in both the Army and Navy, five enlistments and six deployments. His final post, as a senior aviation maintenance instructor in the Army's 128th Aviation Brigade, is at Fort Eustis, Va.

Wright has served a role in virtually every major conflict of his lifetime -- Vietnam, Gulf Wars I and II and Kosovo -- and tours in the Pacific theater, Indian Ocean, Kenya and Korea.

In fact, he may be the sole remaining active duty Vietnam veteran, according to military officials.
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Fort Logan National Cemetery won't acknowledge proper service?

‘Total Dishonor’: Marine Wife and Cemetery At Odds Over Headstone
CBS Denver
Michale Abeyta
March 29, 2018

“It’s a total dishonor of service,” said Kimberly. “Like he doesn’t matter. Like what he did for our country doesn’t matter.”

DENVER (CBS4) – A widow in Denver who went through the pain of losing her husband to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is now going through the pain of something else.

Kimberly Vigil says her husband’s headstone at Fort Logan National Cemetery is wrong.

Cpl. Elias Vigil served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

When asked to describe her husband Kimberly said, “Elias was full of life. He was an outdoorsman. He was a family man. He loved serving in the Marines.”

Vigil spent a tour in Kuwait, but like so many who have served, he came home with PTSD.

“He was very silent about it. We talked a little bit when I went with him to therapy, but it was very small sessions,” Kimberly said.

Eventually it was too much. In December of 2017, Vigil died by suicide and left behind Kimberly and four children.

“It was a nightmare,” she said.
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Gulf War Officially Ended, But Veterans Still Fight

If you're wondering why Iraq lasted as long, claimed as many lives, this day is a good reminder of what had been forgotten about by Congress.

New York Times

History:Persian Gulf War

With Iraqi resistance nearing collapse, Bush declared a ceasefire on February 28, ending the Persian Gulf War. According to the peace terms that Hussein subsequently accepted, Iraq would recognize Kuwait’s sovereignty and get rid of all its weapons of mass destruction (including nuclear, biological and chemical weapons). In all, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Iraqi forces were killed, in comparison with only 300 coalition troops.

General Colin Powell

Would you describe the decision to stop the fighting?

The last day was a fascinating one. In briefing the president, I said Norm and I thought that in another couple of days we would be asking him to end the war. The Highway of Death was all over television at that point.The president said, “Well, if we've accomplished the mission, and I think we have, then what's the point of killing more people. Why not end it in the next 12 to 18 hours?”I agreed. Mr. Cheney agreed. Norm agreed. All the president's advisors agreed. And that's what we did. We gave Norm like 12 hours to stake out a line, figure out where everybody was to give up, and halt the war at that point. It was the subject of great controversy afterward.For more than 10 years, I had people asking me, “Why didn't you go to Baghdad?” I explained why, as did the president and Mr. Cheney. Then, in 2003, we went to Baghdad, and nobody asked me again.

General Norman Schwarzkopf

Despite extensive second-guessing about the conclusion of the Persian Gulf War, former Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf said the United States and its allies never seriously considered pressing the military offensive on to Baghdad.

In a radio interview and in his forthcoming autobiography, "It Doesn't Take a Hero," Schwarzkopf, the field commander during the conflict, said that taking Baghdad would have splintered the 28-nation Gulf War coalition, cost American lives and dragged the United States into a quagmire "like the dinosaur in the tar pit."

The result:Department of Veterans Affairs

Gulf War

Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable who served in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, which includes the areas specified by regulation, but not Afghanistan, may be entitled to disability compensation for certain undiagnosed illnesses, certain diagnosable chronic disability patterns, and certain presumptive diseases ( as described below) even though these disorders did not become manifest during qualifying service. Veterans who served in Afghanistan on or after September 19, 2001, may be entitled to disability compensation for certain presumptive diseases.

Eligibility Requirements

• Qualifying undiagnosed illnesses or diagnosable chronic disability patterns, that appeared either during a qualifying period of active service or prior to December 31, 2021, must meet the following conditions:
  • There must be no other cause for your disability or illness than service in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations.
  • your disability existed for 6 months or more, AND
  • If your disability or illness did not appear during active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, then it must have appeared prior to December 31, 2021, to a degree that is at least 10-percent disabling (for VA rating purposes).

The disability must be one or more of the following:

• Undiagnosed illnesses. These are illnesses that may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, muscle and joint pain, headache, menstrual disorders, neurological and psychological problems, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and sleep disturbances.
• Diagnosable functional gastrointestinal disorders. Functional gastrointestinal disorders are a group of conditions characterized by chronic or recurrent symptoms that are unexplained. These disorders may include but are not limited to irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspesia, functional vomiting, functional constipation, functional bloating, functional abdominal pain syndrome, and functional dysphagia.
• Diagnosable Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Diagnosable Fibromyalgia

Certain presumptive diseases, which will be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated by service even if there is no evidence of such disease during active service. With three exceptions (see asterisks), one of the following must have become manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within 1 year of the date of separation from a qualifying period of active service:

• Burcellosis
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
• Malaria* (if not 10 percent or more within one year of separation, may be 10 percent or more at a time when standard or accepted treatises indicate that the incubation period commenced during qualifying period of service)
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis* (no time limit)
• Nontyphoid Salmonella
• Shigella
• Visceral leishmaniasis* (no time limit)
• West Nile Virus

 Congress did not learn from history, and the troops were destined to repeat it. 

UK Gulf War, Ex-POW hopes MOD pays attention

Top guns in tears: The bravest and the best yet weeping and traumatised, war heroes say they have nowhere to turn for help - will the MoD heed their call?
Daily Mail
John Nichol For Mail On Sunday
PUBLISHED: 27 January 2018

"My experiences have also made me a much more emotional person and tears can flow at the simplest of triggers such as Remembrance Sunday, when I recall the friends I have lost. In those moments I take solace that at least I understand what is happening to me – the processes of PTSD and how it shows its teeth."

John Nichol was beaten by Hussein's henchmen and paraded on Iraqi television, with his picture flashing across the world

Twenty-seven years ago I was shot down over Iraq, captured, tortured and forced by Saddam Hussein’s henchmen to appear on television to denounce my actions as an RAF officer.

Images of my bruised face flashed across the world and became a lasting image of the horrors of the 1991 Gulf War.

As a prisoner of war, I felt like the most insignificant, terrified human being on Earth.

The memories of my abuse and brushes with death are still with me. Dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become part of my life.

For this reason I am backing The Mail on Sunday’s campaign to improve mental healthcare for serving troops, including the introduction of a 24/7 helpline.

I feel the pain of those worst affected by PTSD. As someone who has experienced it myself, I understand what they are going through and the confusion they can face. I can be enjoying a perfectly normal day or night when a sensory stimulus, or trigger, fires me back into my past.

For me it is primarily noise – loud bangs, fireworks going off, trains going past, all these sound like the Coalition jets that flew missions over Baghdad attacking several of the buildings we were held in.
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Gulf War Navy Veteran fighting for life...from flu

Father of 4 in ICU After Catching the Flu: 'The Thought of Losing Him Is Unbearable,' Wife Says
PEOPLE
Jason Duaine Hahn
January 5, 2018

“Shawn is a great man, he’s a stubborn, big-hearted softie that has a hard exterior,” Jennifer says of Burrough, a U.S. Navy veteran who fought in the Gulf War who she has been with for 17 years. “But he’s all mush on the inside.”

A father of four from Southern California is in a fight for his life after he contracted influenza during an intense flu season that has put stress on many of the nation’s hospitals as their emergency rooms continue to fill up with patients experiencing symptoms.

Shawn Burrough, 48, is now heavily sedated and breathing with the help of a ventilator at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California, after first showing signs of influenza over the Christmas holiday.

“His symptoms were a cough, body aches, runny nose, congestion, low-grade fever—typical symptoms,” his wife, Jennifer Burroughs, 36, of Lakeside, California, tells PEOPLE. “Things got worse about day five when he said his chest was tightening and he said it was hard for him to get his breath.”

On Dec. 30, Burrough went to urgent care, where doctors prescribed ibuprofen and an inhaler and advised him to rest. Yet, because he is the sole provider for his four children, Burrough—an aerospace quality assurance inspector—felt compelled to continue working as his health worsened. On New Year’s Day, Jennifer found her husband on the couch in their living room rocking back and forth struggling to breathe.

Jennifer took her husband to the emergency room, where doctors discovered Burrough had contracted influenza type-B and was experiencing renal failure. Additionally, his white blood cell count was high and he had a severe case of pneumonia.

More than 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 are hospitalized each year in the United States because of the flu, and since the virus can sometimes lead to pneumonia, it becomes increasingly deadly. According to the CDC, the flu and pneumonia combination was the eighth leading cause of death in 2016.
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Dad Keeping Promise After Army Son's Suicide

Veteran suicides: Father of late third-generation soldier takes on new mission in his memory 
Tulsa World
Tim Stanley
November 19, 2017


War at home
After 10 years of distinguished military service — including tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf, and various decorations as a squad leader — Army Staff Sgt. Michael Keith Coon took his own life in 2015.

Michael D. Coon holds the flag of his son, Staff Sgt. Michael K. Coon, who committed suicide after 10 years of service in the Army and multiple deployments to the Middle East. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World 

At a veterans appreciation event a few years ago, Michael K. Coon made his grandfather a promise.

Pointing to the combat infantryman badge on Phillip Coon’s uniform, he said, "Grandpa, I'm going to have one of those, too — just like the one on your chest,” recalled Michael’s father, Michael D. Coon.

He said it was the first time that his son, then 23, had indicated he planned to go into the military.

Phillip — a decorated World War II veteran who survived the infamous Bataan Death March — couldn’t have been more proud of the young man he still referred to as “my baby grandson.”

Going on to enlist in the Army, Michael K. Coon would represent the third generation of his family to serve, carrying on a tradition that, as a source of pride to the Coons, ranked second only to their Muscogee (Creek) heritage.

Recently, during a visit to Fort Gibson National Cemetery on Veterans Day, the memory of Michael K. Coon's promise was again on his father’s mind.

For Michael D. Coon, Fort Gibson will, from now on, be the site of an annual pilgrimage.

What more appropriate way to observe Veterans Day, Coon said, than by visiting the graves of his father, Phillip, and son, Michael.

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