Memorial Weekend events 2012 - for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties

Cathy Haynes keeps Central Florida up to date on what is going on for the military/veterans community and works tirelessly putting together a list of events topped off with showing up at most of them. If you think I work hard, I can't figure out how she does what she does!

Memorial Weekend events 2012 - for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties


Friday, May 25

8am - American Legion Post 109 at Ocoee Cemetery - The Colors will be raised and posting of American flags on veterans’ graves. The flags will remain posted until 1700 Monday, May 28th when they will be collected and Colors struck at the Cemetery. Info: 407-656-7285

11am - The City of Ocoee will remember and honor fallen soldiers at the Starke Lake Gazebo, 125 North Lakeshore Drive, next to City Hall. The keynote speaker for the Memorial Day Ceremony will be JD Lopez. In 2002, Mr. Lopez became a combat soldier with the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Infantry division. He is a two-time Iraq War veteran who survived a near fatal car explosion. Ceremony includes patriotic songs, Ocoee Police Department Honor Guard, Ocoee High School Air Force JROTC Color Guard, honor wreath to be set at Ocoee’s Memorial Wall inscribed with the names of Ocoee residents who sacrificed and served their country. Mayor Scott Vandergrift will recite the names of Ocoee residents who gave their lives for freedom. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ocoee High School student Nathan Kimbrell will play Taps. Refreshments afterwards. For more information, please call (407) 905-3100. (filming this)

Saturday, May 26

10am - Vietnam War Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony - Veterans Memorial Park, 2380 Lake Baldwin Lane, Orlando. Presented by Vietnamese-American Memorial Committee in Florida. Veterans, Vietnamese-Americans and their families and friends are invited. (Info courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel.)

Sunday, May 27

9 am-5 pm - Team Patriot Paddle - Katie's Landing on Wekiva River, 190 Katie's Cove, Sanford. Eight-mile Memorial Day River Run event for kakaks, canoes and stand-up paddlers to raise funds and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project and Heroes on the Water. Bring your own gear. $5 donation. Details: 407-461-9420. (Info courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel)

11am – American Legion Post 112 honors and remembers the persons who served and died for our freedoms. 4490 N. Goldenrod Road, Winter Park, 32792. The public is invited. Free. 407-671-6404 or 407-212-6587.

12 noon – American Legion Post 331 and JROTC will place flags on veterans’ graves and have a ceremony at Taft Cemetery, 501 Landstreet Road in south Orlando, 32824. The public is invited. For more information, call 407-294-7228 or 407-405-3786.

2:30pm – Annual Memorial Day service at the Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum (aka: the Bunker”) at 3400 N. Tanner Rd. in east Orlando. A solemn ceremony of 5 Color Guards, Vietnamese Veterans of Central FL, Guest speaker Marine Col. David Smith, wreath ceremony, and dedication of the new T-34 and Caribou airplanes. Optional und raising picnic style dinner following. The public is invited. Website and directions: www.nwmvocf.org For more info: 407-463-0192 or 508-523-7192 . (filming this)

Monday, May 28 – Memorial Day ceremonies
Orange County

8:30 am - Veterans Park, 420 S. Park Ave., Winter Garden. West Orange High School JROTC with roll call of veterans, placement of wreaths and patriotic songs. (Info courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel.)

10am – Orange County Courthouse Veterans Memorial Wall, 425 N. Orange Ave. downtown Orlando on south side of bldg. Ceremony honoring the 2 Orange County soldiers who died in Afghanistan this past year – Pvt. J. Vaquerano and Pvt. A. Obod, Jr.. Their names will be engraved on the Memorial Wall of the Orange County persons who were killed serving our country and were county residents upon joining the armed forces. Mayor Teresa Jacobs, guest speaker SSgt Christopher Olejnik, the fallen warriors families, Color Guard, Orange County Sheriff’s Dept. and others, Public is invited. Free. 407-836-2857.

10am – Woodlawn Memorial Park, 62nd Annual service, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Rd., Gotha, 34734. Guest speaker Former Congressman Lou Frey, Orlando Concert Band, Color Guard, JROTC and Scouts, Wreath laying and more to honor those who died while in military service. Band begins at 9:30 am. Following the service on the opposite side of the grounds will be the free 5th Annual Cruise-In car show and BBQ lunch (while supplies last.) 11am-3pm. Public is invited. Free. 407-293-1361.

10am – American Legion Post 19 and Ladies Auxiliary will conduct a ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery, 1603 Greenwood St. in downtown Orlando, 32801. The ceremony will include a guest speaker, wreath laying, rifle volley and Taps. Food and Entertainment at Post from 2pm – 5pm. The public is invited. For more information, call 407-453-5695.

11am – Glen Haven Memorial Park, 2300 Temple Dr., Winter Park, 32789. Featuring guest speakers Capt. Tae Shin, FLNG, and Capt. Joshua Walker, FLNG, VFW Post #2093 Band, singers, Civil War Reinactors, Winter Springs AJROTC, Scouts and others. Public is invited. Free. 407-647-1100. (filming this)

11am – American Legion Post 242 honors and remembers the persons who died for the freedoms of Americans and others. 17142 E. Colonial Dr. in eastern Orlando, 32820. Cookout at 1pm. Public is invited. 407-568-3416.

Osceola County

8:30 am – Ceremony at Osceola Memory Gardens by the Osceola County Veterans Council and numerous groups. 1717 Old Boggy Creek Rd., Kissimmee, 34744. Public is invited. Free. 407-957-2511

10am – VFW Post 3227 and American Legion Post#80 ceremony at Mount Peace Cemetery, 755 E. 10th St., St. Cloud, 34769. Guest speaker Peter Olivo – wounded Vietnam soldier, wreaths representing various wars and Posts, flags placed on veterans graves by Boy Scouts. Public is invited. Refreshments at American Legion Post 80 after the ceremony – 1019 Pennsylvania Ave., St. Cloud. 321-624-7093 or 407-892-8808.

11am – American Legion Post 10 honors and remembers the persons who died for our freedoms while serving our country. Ceremony at the Post flagpole. 200 Lakeshore Blvd., Kissimmee, 34742. Public is invited. Free. 407-847-4193.

Seminole County

10am – Memorial Day Parade in downtown Sanford featuring many veterans, military and patriotic groups. Begins on 1st Street in Sanford and thru the historic downtown area. Immediately following the parade is a tribute at the Veterans Memorial Park on the waterfront with honorary guests, gun volley salute, and helicopter flyover. Public is invited. 386-837-3973.

3pm – Casselberry Veterans Club will honor and remember the persons who died for our freedoms while serving our country with a Flagpole ceremony. 200 Concord Dr., Casselberry, 32750. A BBQ meal will be available for a small charge after the ceremony and until 6pm. Public is invited, ceremony is free. 407-340-9780.

3pm – American Legion Post 183 and VFW Post 10180 will have a patriotic ceremony at 3pm and picnic meal following the ceremony. Maitland/Casselberry/FernPark Post, 2706 Wells Ave., Casselberry, 32730. Public is invited. 407-831-8004.

Florida National Cemetery (6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, 33513, in Sumter County) The Memorial Day Ceremony begins at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 30, rain or shine. The Guest Speaker will be Major Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips, assistant deputy chief of staff; Hernando High School Band will play patriotic music prior to the ceremony and music will be performed during the ceremony. Seating is limited, those attending are encouraged to arrive early, wear comfortable clothing, and bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Organizations with colors are invited to participate in the massing of colors at the beginning of the program and should plan to arrive by 9:30 A.M. The Florida National Cemetery Visitor's Center will be open to the public on Memorial Day from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. For more information call 352-793-7740.

Others – Courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel: 9 am-5 pm - Saturday-Monday - Valiant Air Command Open House - Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, 6600 Tico Road, Titusville. Vintage aircraft and memorabilia, flybys throughout weekend and pilots who flew the aircraft on display. Admission free for military (active or retired) and Florida residents. I.D. required. Details: 321-268-1941.

Memorial Remembrance Service: 9 a.m. Monday; Rockefeller Gardens, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach. Music by Daytona Beach Concert Band, flyovers by Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight and 21-gun salute by Volusia County Sheriff's Office, followed by taps. Parking at The Casements, Fortunato Park and the Ormond Memorial Art Museum. Details: 386-676-3241.

Memorial Day Service: 10 a.m. Monday; Deltona Memorial Gardens, 1295 Saxon Blvd., Orange City. Sponsored by Veterans Community Education Partnership and Deltona Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Presentation of colors and placement of wreaths at Veterans Memorial by veterans groups and other organizations. Details: Bob McFall, 386-775-4260, or Mick Cotton, 386-960-5425.

Ponce Inlet Memorial Day Ceremony: 11 a.m. Monday; Davies Lighthouse Park, 4931 S. Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet. Flyover by Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight, 21-gun salute, wreath-laying and playing of taps.

Information was compiled by Cathy Haynes, member/supporter on numerous veterans and military organizations with the help from each organization.
All information is correct to the best of my knowledge with care. Sincere apologies if there are errors as the best of intentions and efforts were made. If additional ceremonies were not included, please contact me so that the information can be included next year.
407-239-8468
chaynes11629@yahoo.com

Tim McGraw to give 25 homes to veterans

Tim McGraw to give 25 homes to veterans
CHRIS TALBOTT
Associated Press
Friday, May 25, 2012

Nashville, Tenn.

Tim McGraw will be saluting veterans in a big way while on tour this summer.

The country music superstar is giving away 25 mortgage-free houses - one for each stop on his upcoming Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney - to wounded or needy service members.

McGraw will kick off the campaign with a Memorial Day concert for military members at New York City's Beacon Theatre during Fleet Week.

"My sister's a veteran, my uncle's a veteran, my grandfather was a veteran, one of my best friends is a veteran," McGraw said. "I've known people my whole life who are in service to America. And I think in my position to be able to do something like that is probably the ultimate thing. So to be able to go on tour and provide sort of a stable foundation for a veteran and their family is something I really look forward to."
Read more

Marines to offer early retirement, with benefits

Marines to offer early retirement, with benefits
By MATTHEW M. BURKE
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 25, 2012

U.S. MARINE CORPS

SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The Marine Corps soon will offer early retirement with benefits to some troops as part of force-shaping efforts aimed at cutting 20,000 jobs from the rolls over the next four years, Corps officials said this week.

Under the plan, expected to start this fall, Marines and officers with 15-20 years of service will be offered early retirement with benefits. It’s part of a larger Marine initiative that includes voluntary early discharges and the convening of a selective early retirement board for lieutenant colonels and colonels already eligible for 20-year retirement benefits, who have stagnated in their grade.
read more here

Marine back from Afghanistan dies in Grand Canyon

Marine on way home to Kansas after Afghanistan tour dies in sightseeing fall at Grand Canyon
By Associated Press
Published: May 24

DERBY, Kan. — A young Marine returning to civilian life in Kansas died this week after falling from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where he had stopped to do some sightseeing on his way home from Camp Pendleton, Calif., his father said.

After two years in the Marines, Jeffery Klingsick had big plans, said his father, Russ Klingsick. The 20-year-old veteran of Afghanistan planned to join a band, become an emergency medical technician and, said his father, watch lots of John Wayne movies.
read more here

US lawmakers probe food contract for troops in Afghanistan

US lawmakers probe food contract for troops in Afghanistan
Reuters
Thu May 24, 2012

* Pentagon asked for refund of over $750 million last year
* Lawmakers question Pentagon oversight of contract
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers are investigating a billing dispute of at least $750 million between the main supplier of food to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the Pentagon.

The Pentagon says Supreme Foodservice GmbH overcharged it, but the Netherlands-headquartered company said the rates were properly based on the complexities and dangers of supplying food in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

The Republican and Democratic leaders of a House of Representatives panel have written to the company as well as the Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency, demanding information and documents within ten days about the dispute on a contract dating to 2005 that so far has cost U.S. taxpayers $5.5 billion.

The lawmakers' probe comes amid continuing concerns about waste and abuse of tax dollars in Afghanistan, with scrutiny intensifying as the Pentagon budget faces big cuts.
read more here

Soldier found guilty of trying to blow up Fort Hood families

It seemed important to add "families" into the title of this report. I've been on Fort Hood, ate in the food court a few times and it is full of families along with soldiers.

AWOL Muslim soldier guilty in plot to blow up eatery full of Fort Hood troops
He was found at motel with numerous bomb-making components
AP
updated 5/24/2012

WACO, Texas — A federal jury on Thursday convicted a Muslim soldier on six charges in connection with a failed plot to blow up a Texas restaurant full of Fort Hood troops, his religious mission to get "justice" for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jurors in U.S. District Court in Waco deliberated a little more than an hour before finding Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo guilty of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempted murder of U.S. officers or employees, and four counts of possessing a weapon in furtherance of a federal crime of violence — two involving a gun and two involving a destructive device.
read more here

Veterans Face Ruin Awaiting Benefits As Wounded Swamp VA

UPDATE May 25, 2012
My two cents
After having lived with some of these same problems, it is heartbreaking to know so little has changed. My husband didn't want help from the VA when he got home from Vietnam. He wanted to work. He adopted his father's attitude that the VA was for "guys that couldn't work" especially the veterans missing arms and legs. No matter how hard I tried to get him to go to the VA, it took ten years from the time we met for him to go to a Veterans Center. The fight to have his claim approved took 6 years.

What veterans and their families go through is a pile of bills that cannot be paid getting higher as someone at the VA says, "Well once the claim is approved, you'll get all the money prorated" as if all the suffering means nothing.

First comes denial. The veteran says they don't need help. It isn't that bad. They just need time to get over it. As their family is falling apart, their job is in jeopardy, they begin to think they should get some help. They look at veterans living with physical wounds and think they don't deserve the same kind of help for their own wounds. A bullet wound leaves a visible scar but you can't see the whole damage done. A bomb blast leaves scars on the body but you can't see what lives beneath the flesh. PTSD and TBI can't be seen with your eyes. You have to see them with your heart and know the human you see lived through something you probably will never have to experience because they did it for you.

Then there is the stigma they don't want to face. They don't want the label they still don't understand. As claims are denied, they begin to think that whatever is going on inside of them is their fault and not because they survived combat. After all, the VA is there for them and if the VA is turning down their claims, well then, it has to be their fault. It is like a knife in their back.

Somehow they find the courage to file an appeal. They may even get some help from organizations like the DAV to help them with all the paperwork that has to be done exactly right. More time goes by, more damage done to their families and to them but still they find just enough hope to keep fighting for what they wouldn't need help with if they didn't serve. The world no longer makes sense to them. A lot of veterans end up homeless because of the stress placed on them and their families. Everyone is at the end of their endurance. A VA doctor told me many years ago for ever 10 veterans filing a claim, 8 drop out from frustration, but it also could be because they lose the support of family members and friends. None of this is good. Most of it makes PTSD worse and for a veteran with TBI they cannot fight alone. What are we if we cannot take care of our disabled veterans and stop putting them through more hell than they survived during combat?

Veterans Face Ruin Awaiting Benefits As Wounded Swamp VA
By William Selway
Bloomberg News
May 23, 2012

Rebecca Tews sat at her kitchen table in North Aurora, Illinois, stared into her laptop and tried to find a place for her family to live.

The 43-year-old psychologist spent seven years fighting for disability benefits for her husband, Duane Kozlowski, after he left the U.S. Army, unable to hold a job because of brain damage and post-traumatic stress. She borrowed $20,000 from her father’s and grandfather’s retirement accounts, stopped paying her student loans and ran up tens of thousands of dollars in bills for Duane’s tests and medical care.

While she eventually got the benefits, her credit is in ruins. This month, an eviction notice was taped to the door of her rented 5-bedroom home. She’s worried about finding a landlord willing to rent to her, Duane and five children.

“It’s basically been like a tornado,” she said of her struggle with the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department. “It’s wiped out our future. It’s wiped out our relationship with our extended family. It’s wiped everything out and we’re starting out again below ground.”

Tews and Kozlowski, 44, are among thousands of former soldiers and their families suffering the effects of a Veterans department overwhelmed by a decade of fighting overseas. With the Iraq war finished and troops returning from Afghanistan, record numbers of former service members are turning to the federal government for disability pay, adding to a backlog of claims and delays that have dogged the agency for years.
read more here

Ill and injured troops wait 394 days for military evaluations

Wait gets longer for VA disability benefits
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Army Times
Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2012

Ill or injured service members now wait an average of 394 days to move through the military’s disability evaluation process, an increase of more than 10 percent since 2010 and well off the goal of 295 days, according to the Government Accountability Office.

In fiscal 2011, just 19 percent of active-duty service members and 18 percent of National Guard and Reserve members completed the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, or IDES, process within the goal of 295 days for active-duty members and 305 days for Guard and Reserve personnel.

And at some installations, the average wait is nearly 18 months or longer. At Fort Belvoir, Va., for example, soldiers face an average processing period of 537 days, while guardsmen at Fort Carson, Colo., wait 651 days.
read more here

Homeless man upset with VA broke into TV station and stabbed 2 workers

Man upset with Veterans Affairs breaks into Kansas television station, stabs 2 workers
By Associated Press
Published: May 23

TOPEKA, Kan. — A man wielding a knife broke into a Kansas television station Wednesday morning and stabbed two sales employees.

WIBW-TV in Topeka (http://bit.ly/MnNXEV) reported the man eventually was tackled and held down by several employees until police arrived. While restrained, the man threatened to kill the staff and bit at least one worker.

The suspect and two people who were stabbed were taken to a hospital for treatment. None of their injuries were considered serious.

Topeka police Capt. Brian Desch said in a news release that the 48-year-old homeless man was booked into jail on suspicion of six counts, including aggravated battery and burglary.
read more here

American Railroad company wants to hire 3,000 veterans

Bringing America Back: Working on the Railroad
The railroad industry is on the mend and looking for new employees.
01:58
05/05/2012

The nation’s freight railroads have an almost 200 year commitment to the nation’s service men and women. Between 20-25 percent of current employees are veterans. Today, we continue this tradition by especially targeting veterans as we plan to hire more than 15,000 new employees, approximately 3,000 of whom are expected to be veterans. GI Jobs ranked four freight railroad companies in the top twenty of its 2011 “Military Friendly Employers” list. With an average annual salary and benefit package of $107,000, veterans who join the freight rail industry can expect a well-paid job—and one that can never be shipped overseas.

FREIGHT RAIL'S MILITARY VETERANS
Gary Adkins
Manager of Signals and Communications
Canadian National
Chicago, IL
17 years in the industry
6 years in the military
Base: Twenty-nine Palms, CA

As a small child, Gary Adkins remembers wanting to grow up to be in the military and work for the Illinois Central Railroad where his father, a Vietnam War veteran, had operated trains and was later an assistant superintendent.

So after leaving the U.S. Marines in 1994, Gary continued to follow his dream and took a job with the Illinois Central as a trackman laborer. Responsible for maintaining track, he steadily climbed the ranks to his current job as manager of signals and communications for Canadian National (CN), which merged with the Illinois Central in 1999. Read More »