Orlando veteran gets car fixed via AAMCO program for Purple Heart recipients
By Carolina Salazar
Staff Writer
May 26, 2013
For months, Army veteran Eduardo Figueroa had been saving money for his wedding, but an unexpected expense came up: the transmission of his 12-year-old sport utility vehicle failed, and to fix it, he needed around $4,000.
Fortunately, something else also happened: He was chosen for free car repairs at a local AAMCO service center.
The Puerto Rican veteran, 63, was selected to be part of AAMCO's "50 Cars in 50 States" national program. Through a partnership with the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), the auto chain is helping combat veterans with the goal of repairing one car in each state — for free.
"I am really grateful to receive this help. Otherwise I would have taken out a loan. This has saved me from going into debt," Figueroa said while picking up his repaired 2001 Acura MDX, which he on to go to his medical appointments.
The east Orange County resident explained that his SUV transmission failed just as he learned about the program, so he rushed to submit his application.
read more here
Monday, May 27, 2013
Iraq veteran Jason Glover killed by police leaves family searching for answers
Family of veteran killed in deputy-involved shooting searching for answers
Monica Hernandez
Eyewitness News
May 26, 2013
ABITA SPRINGS, La. -- A song of remembrance filled the air before hundreds of balloons filled the sky.
More than 100 friends and family gathered to remember Jason Glover outside his parent's Abita Springs home Saturday. The Iraq war veteran was 32 when he was killed in March.
“He was an American hero. That's how I want them to remember him,” said Glover’s mother, Beth.
Glover earned a Purple Heart in 2003, after nearly dying in an IED explosion. He wasn't killed until after his time in the service.
A decade after Glover returned from Iraq, he was shot in front of his Abita Springs home by a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputy. The sheriff's office says Glover pointed a gun at the deputy, forcing the deputy to shoot.
read more here
Monica Hernandez
Eyewitness News
May 26, 2013
ABITA SPRINGS, La. -- A song of remembrance filled the air before hundreds of balloons filled the sky.
More than 100 friends and family gathered to remember Jason Glover outside his parent's Abita Springs home Saturday. The Iraq war veteran was 32 when he was killed in March.
“He was an American hero. That's how I want them to remember him,” said Glover’s mother, Beth.
Glover earned a Purple Heart in 2003, after nearly dying in an IED explosion. He wasn't killed until after his time in the service.
A decade after Glover returned from Iraq, he was shot in front of his Abita Springs home by a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputy. The sheriff's office says Glover pointed a gun at the deputy, forcing the deputy to shoot.
read more here
Washington taken over by rev of half a million motorcycles
Rolling Thunder 2013(Go to the link above for the video and more great pictures.)
Veterans, POWs Honored In Nation's Capital With Annual Motorcycle Rally (PHOTOS) (VIDEO)
Posted: 05/27/2013
WASHINGTON -- On Sunday, many thousands of motorcyclists rode from the Pentagon to the National Mall, ending their 10-mile trip near the Lincoln Memorial.
Rolling Thunder 2013
2013 marks the 26th Rolling Thunder -- an annual rally that honors veterans and fallen soldiers, and raises awareness about prisoners of war and soldiers who are missing in action.
By some estimates, this year's event brought some 500,000 riders to the nation's capital.
Former VA Employee claims retaliation over doing the right thing
A veteran reached out and wanted his story told. I have no means to verify his story so I told him he could do a guest post and I would post it.
If you are a reporter, I can put you in touch with him. If his story is true, then it means there is a lot more going on with our veterans than we knew about.
If you are a reporter, I can put you in touch with him. If his story is true, then it means there is a lot more going on with our veterans than we knew about.
Guest Post
Former VA Employee claims retaliation over doing the right thing
A Veteran and former Veterans Affairs employee turned whistleblower filed a complaint of retaliation and reprisal with the Office of Special Counsel against VA Officials at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
The former employee and whistleblower named Oliver Mitchell was employed at the nations largest VA Medical Center in the Radiology department. In light of recent news regarding the Veterans Affairs Mr. Mitchell alleges officials are retaliating against him for his whistleblower complaint filed in March 2009. In that complaint the whistleblower alleges management officials instructed him to delete a 10 year backlog of orders and service request for the Radiology Imaging Department.
The whistleblower states he refused that order and was subjected to harassment and retaliation. Additionally, the complaint alleges VA Officials retaliated against Mr. Mitchell after he reported another VA employee who threatened to shoot Mr. Mitchell on VA grounds citing “he was a threat to management.” Mr. Mitchell says that after he reported the incidents to hospital administrators the Chief of Staff began ordering psychiatric evaluations of the veteran. Mr. Mitchell states that in an effort to silence him management officials tried to coerce him to have his tonsils removed. As a result, the whistleblower says he was prompted to file a HIPPA complaint alleging retaliation and manipulation of his VA healthcare services.
Ultimately, Mr. Mitchell was forced to resign in March 2011. The veteran says that in the 2 years since his resignation the agency has continued to discriminate against him. He has filed several complaints for retaliation based on his prior EEO and Whistleblower activity. In his new complaint, Mitchell states on March 4, 2013 a VA Official told him the Los Angeles VA was making him a target. As such the whistleblower says he believed the comment to be a threat and combined with some recent events that had occurred in Mobile, Alabama he felt his life was in danger, prompting the new complaint to Special Counsel.
Additionally, the whistleblower alleges that on April 4, 2013 the same VA Official stated “management officials at the Los Angeles VA Medical Center were set out to destroy, ruin and hurt the veteran because of his 2009 complaint. The official continued saying, she didn’t feel this would ever end, they are doing things to draw you back in.” The veteran says that since his resignation he’s had little to no contact with the VA and he cant understand why officials are still targeting and retaliating against him. At the time of this story Mr. Mitchell told The Bronx Times that within the last year he has received several death threats to include having his home broken into while in Alabama. He continued, saying the retaliation did not escalate until November 2011 when a VA employee began questioning him about his complaints. He said despite being fearful for his life he has reached out to VA Officials in DC to address the situation.
This same story is posted at Bronx Times.
Also I invite you to see my blog at veteranwhistleblower.blogspot.com. These people are really trying to kill me by any means necessary.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
If you care, ask them what they need
Last week I put up a post saying that I was in need of emergency donations to cover the long list of events I was supposed to be covering this weekend. I know people read it but not one of them thought to respond. It makes my wonder what it would be like if I did the same to other people asking me for help. What if I said "let someone else do it" instead of wondering what I can do for them?
I sent out a couple of emails to people I know about this and one person called me. She didn't ask what I needed. She was too busy telling me that maybe God was telling me it was time to stop doing what I do. After all, it has been long enough. She didn't seem to understand that if God wanted me to stop this, He would get the phone to stop ringing and the emails to stop coming in. She was so busy telling me what I needed to do that she didn't ask what happened or why I needed the money. She told me she would pray for me. I got off the phone actually feeling worse. It isn't that I do not believe in the power of prayers. I really do believe God hears prayers and one way or another, He comes through but He has to work with other people to answer most of the prayers we offer up. What I don't believe in is when I hear someone say they will pray for someone without one single clue about what they need. I felt as if I didn't even matter enough for her to listen to me or help with what I needed. She turned it over to God and hung up the phone.
How is it helpful to anyone to ignore them? To not care about what they need? To not even wonder if what they need is something you can give? How is it helpful to not even take the time to listen and let them know you at least care enough to give your time?
That is what is happening right now to our veterans and their families. I am sure if you think about how many times you were in need of help and no one came, what it felt like. How did it feel to know you found the courage to ask for help and no one did? The need for them is great and growing stronger while they are running out of hope. We know that because the number of veterans taking their own lives along with active duty war fighters has also gone up. The only reason people commit suicides is when they run out of hope tomorrow can be better than what "right now" is for them.
The Department of Defense says year after year they are doing this or doing that but it is always the same failed attempts followed by "we don't know why" instead of asking what they are missing. Asking the men and women they trained to tell them what they need would go a long way. Maybe it would be a good idea to have an honest discussion with survivors of attempted suicides? After all they had over 900 of them last year alone. Oh, sorry, something else no one wants to talk about.
Better than nothing is often worse than anything. It is time for the people in charge to actually ask what is needed instead of deciding what they are willing to give. The veterans are in worse shape because of all the "attempts" the military did because they never listened to what the troops had to say.
I sent out a couple of emails to people I know about this and one person called me. She didn't ask what I needed. She was too busy telling me that maybe God was telling me it was time to stop doing what I do. After all, it has been long enough. She didn't seem to understand that if God wanted me to stop this, He would get the phone to stop ringing and the emails to stop coming in. She was so busy telling me what I needed to do that she didn't ask what happened or why I needed the money. She told me she would pray for me. I got off the phone actually feeling worse. It isn't that I do not believe in the power of prayers. I really do believe God hears prayers and one way or another, He comes through but He has to work with other people to answer most of the prayers we offer up. What I don't believe in is when I hear someone say they will pray for someone without one single clue about what they need. I felt as if I didn't even matter enough for her to listen to me or help with what I needed. She turned it over to God and hung up the phone.
How is it helpful to anyone to ignore them? To not care about what they need? To not even wonder if what they need is something you can give? How is it helpful to not even take the time to listen and let them know you at least care enough to give your time?
That is what is happening right now to our veterans and their families. I am sure if you think about how many times you were in need of help and no one came, what it felt like. How did it feel to know you found the courage to ask for help and no one did? The need for them is great and growing stronger while they are running out of hope. We know that because the number of veterans taking their own lives along with active duty war fighters has also gone up. The only reason people commit suicides is when they run out of hope tomorrow can be better than what "right now" is for them.
The Department of Defense says year after year they are doing this or doing that but it is always the same failed attempts followed by "we don't know why" instead of asking what they are missing. Asking the men and women they trained to tell them what they need would go a long way. Maybe it would be a good idea to have an honest discussion with survivors of attempted suicides? After all they had over 900 of them last year alone. Oh, sorry, something else no one wants to talk about.
Better than nothing is often worse than anything. It is time for the people in charge to actually ask what is needed instead of deciding what they are willing to give. The veterans are in worse shape because of all the "attempts" the military did because they never listened to what the troops had to say.
'Open season' for sex at Alaskan base, military officials say
'Open season' for sex at Alaskan base, military officials say
By Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
NBC News
May 25, 2013
An Army battalion commander at the Space and Missile Defense Command at Fort Greely, Alaska, is under investigation for allegedly "condoning" adultery and creating an "open season" climate when it comes to sexual activity among the troops, military and defense officials tell NBC News.
According to one military official, "It's as if that was the only thing to do" at the remote Alaska base.
As of now, there appear to be no allegations of sexual assault involved in the investigation. The sources report there are allegations that an officer or officers had sexual relations with female soldiers under their command.
read more here
By Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
NBC News
May 25, 2013
An Army battalion commander at the Space and Missile Defense Command at Fort Greely, Alaska, is under investigation for allegedly "condoning" adultery and creating an "open season" climate when it comes to sexual activity among the troops, military and defense officials tell NBC News.
According to one military official, "It's as if that was the only thing to do" at the remote Alaska base.
As of now, there appear to be no allegations of sexual assault involved in the investigation. The sources report there are allegations that an officer or officers had sexual relations with female soldiers under their command.
read more here
Iraq veteran faces another fight for life here at home
Injured Iraq veteran and Trinity High grad faces battles abroad and at home
Courier Journal
Written by
Chris Kenning
May 25, 2013
He’d joined the Army alongside his best friend at age 18, the ink on his 2005 Trinity High diploma barely dry.
Within two years, Brandon Welch was fighting in Iraq at the peak of insurgent violence — enduring firefights, helping blow open doors in midnight raids on homes full of screaming women, putting dead U.S. soldiers into body bags and watching children caught in the crossfire as Sunni and Shiite militants slaughtered each other.
About 10 months into his deployment, he suffered a traumatic brain injury when a roadside bomb exploded as he was rushing wounded Iraqi soldiers to a helicopter.
The injury ended his deployment, and at 22, Welch left the Army and returned to Louisville, only to face another battle — one that on this Memorial Day weekend reflects the continuing toll that America’s post-9/11 military campaigns have taken on veterans.
The brain injury damaged his balance and short-term memory. Post-traumatic stress stopped him from working, and often he would wake up screaming. He felt anxious and haunted.
Then in 2011, the best friend he’d enlisted with, a fellow Iraq war veteran who was also struggling, killed himself with a rifle. Even as he grieved, Welch decided to seek more intensive help from a veterans hospital — and today he says he’s doing better, though still faces ongoing struggles.
read more here
Courier Journal
Written by
Chris Kenning
May 25, 2013
He’d joined the Army alongside his best friend at age 18, the ink on his 2005 Trinity High diploma barely dry.
Within two years, Brandon Welch was fighting in Iraq at the peak of insurgent violence — enduring firefights, helping blow open doors in midnight raids on homes full of screaming women, putting dead U.S. soldiers into body bags and watching children caught in the crossfire as Sunni and Shiite militants slaughtered each other.
About 10 months into his deployment, he suffered a traumatic brain injury when a roadside bomb exploded as he was rushing wounded Iraqi soldiers to a helicopter.
The injury ended his deployment, and at 22, Welch left the Army and returned to Louisville, only to face another battle — one that on this Memorial Day weekend reflects the continuing toll that America’s post-9/11 military campaigns have taken on veterans.
The brain injury damaged his balance and short-term memory. Post-traumatic stress stopped him from working, and often he would wake up screaming. He felt anxious and haunted.
Then in 2011, the best friend he’d enlisted with, a fellow Iraq war veteran who was also struggling, killed himself with a rifle. Even as he grieved, Welch decided to seek more intensive help from a veterans hospital — and today he says he’s doing better, though still faces ongoing struggles.
read more here
No one held accountable for more suicides since last Memorial Day
No one held accountable for more suicides since last Memorial Day
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
May 26, 3013
Families across the country are going to graves that should have been empty. After all, the family member survived combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Vietnam, but they could not survive back home. They just didn't get what they needed to hope for a better tomorrow to come. Too many yesterdays of bad had taken them into the abyss.
The latest study puts 22 veterans a day committing suicide. That equals 8,030 since last Memorial Day. Isn't that sad? When you consider the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been spending billions a year addressing this devastating outcome for far too many, the truth is the numbers have increased. Add in the number of troops serving today's wars coupled with the citizen soldiers of the National Guards and Reservists and we're closer to 9,000. Why? Because National Guards and Reservists are not considered to be "veterans" therefore, not included in most studies just as the media failed to include them in the total of suicides for OEF and OIF veterans.
While the press put the total at 349, the truth is there are more because they left off the National Guards and Reservists, also reported by the DOD.
Families left behind blame themselves. Friends wonder what they missed.
Sheri Johnson left a comment on a Wounded Times report Why Did We Let Trever Gould Die?
Congress has held countless hearings on suicides tied to military service with Bill after Bill to "prevent" them but never seems to ask the one question everyone should have known the answer to before they tried another Bill. Why? Why do the numbers go up after all the money has been spent? Who is held accountable? What funds have been cut for what has already failed? Who has lost their jobs? Who has been demoted?
The media as a whole may do some great reporting on suicides but as soon as their editor puts them onto some other story they forget all about it. When they go out to interview military brass and VA representatives, they usually fail to take the time to discover what the facts are so when they hear something, they fail do ask followup questions. What happened to all the money spent since 2008? Why do the vast majority not seek help? Why do most of them fail to let anyone know they are in that much pain? After all we've seen the reports of the training they all received since the DOD started "resilience training" so they could become mentally tough and prevent PTSD.
We read the reports and the excuses but above that, we read what really happened when families come out and plead for someone to do something to prevent another family from burying someone who should still be here.
This was in the news right after Memorial Day last year.
Fort Bliss Major General Dana Pittard had to retract his comment that he thought suicides were a "selfish act" while posting, "I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act. I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us."
Fort Hood reported 7 soldiers had committed suicide in five months. A year later more graves are filled. Most of the veterans say that "resilience" training is adding to the stigma of seeking help. They say they feel it is their fault since the military told them this training would toughen their brains and prevent PTSD. They walk away with that message and know the rest of their unit heard the same thing. They don't want to admit they have problems since that would mean admitting they are not strong enough to their buddies. Then they also have the issue of military still discharging troops under "other than honorable" conditions.
How many more will end up in graves we put flags on next Memorial Day if we keep allowing the Military and the VA to continue to provide excuses instead of solutions? How many will die because no one has been held accountable?
If you want to know how we can prevent suicides, you have to know what has already failed. Read THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR and know the bitter truth.
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
May 26, 3013
Families across the country are going to graves that should have been empty. After all, the family member survived combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Vietnam, but they could not survive back home. They just didn't get what they needed to hope for a better tomorrow to come. Too many yesterdays of bad had taken them into the abyss.
The latest study puts 22 veterans a day committing suicide. That equals 8,030 since last Memorial Day. Isn't that sad? When you consider the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been spending billions a year addressing this devastating outcome for far too many, the truth is the numbers have increased. Add in the number of troops serving today's wars coupled with the citizen soldiers of the National Guards and Reservists and we're closer to 9,000. Why? Because National Guards and Reservists are not considered to be "veterans" therefore, not included in most studies just as the media failed to include them in the total of suicides for OEF and OIF veterans.
While the press put the total at 349, the truth is there are more because they left off the National Guards and Reservists, also reported by the DOD.
 |
| 492 Military Suicides/Wounded Times |
Hello I am Sheri Johnson Trever Gould's mother. A person does not know how hard they can ache until they lose a child. It hurts even more knowing my son did not get the help he need when he asked for it. He always acted strong around me because he was trained that way and thought he was my protector. We need to help our soldiers that come home and even the ones that are deployed. They need to be heard we need to be heard. I would give anything to hold my son one more time and tell him how much I love him, but I can't do this anymore and I want to change things so other parents and spouses can hold their loved ones every day.Leaders look for someone else to blame. They point their fingers at problems with failed relationships but never seem to admit that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused many of the problems. They point to financial problems but never seem to mention the fact that PTSD also causes irrational thinking along with self-medicating. Drugs and alcohol are expensive but when they can't get the proper treatment, they use these substances to numb what they can no longer tolerate feeling.
Congress has held countless hearings on suicides tied to military service with Bill after Bill to "prevent" them but never seems to ask the one question everyone should have known the answer to before they tried another Bill. Why? Why do the numbers go up after all the money has been spent? Who is held accountable? What funds have been cut for what has already failed? Who has lost their jobs? Who has been demoted?
The media as a whole may do some great reporting on suicides but as soon as their editor puts them onto some other story they forget all about it. When they go out to interview military brass and VA representatives, they usually fail to take the time to discover what the facts are so when they hear something, they fail do ask followup questions. What happened to all the money spent since 2008? Why do the vast majority not seek help? Why do most of them fail to let anyone know they are in that much pain? After all we've seen the reports of the training they all received since the DOD started "resilience training" so they could become mentally tough and prevent PTSD.
We read the reports and the excuses but above that, we read what really happened when families come out and plead for someone to do something to prevent another family from burying someone who should still be here.
This was in the news right after Memorial Day last year.
“Those of us who've served and been in war, we've seen things that you haven't seen," said James Floyd, an Air Force veteran who served four tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan in six years. "We've done things that maybe some of us aren't so proud of, not that we wouldn't do it again if we had to.”In June of 2012 it was reported that there had been 140 suicides from all branches according to the Pentagon. Five Marines had committed suicide the previous month.
Floyd credits strong family support and the support of his veteran family at the V.F.W. Post 8787 in North Austin for helping him reacclimate back in to society. That hasn’t been the case for every veteran.
“Actually, I just found out that on Mother's Day one of my former troops committed suicide. He was having martial issues,” added Floyd.
The Associated Press reports that a staggering 45% of the 1.5 million soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are now filing for disability benefits at an historic rate. Other research also suggests that military suicides are now up 80%
“They're doing three, four and five tours. Where in Vietnam, unless you really wanted to, I would say the maximum tour, I would say a maximum of two years,” said P.K. Wright, a Vietnam Veteran who spoke to KVUE News Monday.
Fort Bliss Major General Dana Pittard had to retract his comment that he thought suicides were a "selfish act" while posting, "I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act. I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us."
Fort Hood reported 7 soldiers had committed suicide in five months. A year later more graves are filled. Most of the veterans say that "resilience" training is adding to the stigma of seeking help. They say they feel it is their fault since the military told them this training would toughen their brains and prevent PTSD. They walk away with that message and know the rest of their unit heard the same thing. They don't want to admit they have problems since that would mean admitting they are not strong enough to their buddies. Then they also have the issue of military still discharging troops under "other than honorable" conditions.
How many more will end up in graves we put flags on next Memorial Day if we keep allowing the Military and the VA to continue to provide excuses instead of solutions? How many will die because no one has been held accountable?
If you want to know how we can prevent suicides, you have to know what has already failed. Read THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR and know the bitter truth.
Veteran with PTSD sent to VA after police standoff
Man in Townsend standoff ordered to enter VA treatment
Sentinel and Enterprise.com
By Katina Caraganis
Posted: 05/25/2013
AYER -- A Townsend man arrested Tuesday after police said he barricaded himself inside his home was released on his own personal recognizance Thursday and ordered to enter a treatment program at a Veterans Administration Hospital.
Sentinel and Enterprise.com
By Katina Caraganis
Posted: 05/25/2013
AYER -- A Townsend man arrested Tuesday after police said he barricaded himself inside his home was released on his own personal recognizance Thursday and ordered to enter a treatment program at a Veterans Administration Hospital.
Bowers' wife called police and told officers he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and hasn't been taking his medication.
read more here
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Cypress Grove Park Memorial Day
Cypress Grove Park Memorial Day
Kathie Costos
Wounded Times
May 25, 2013
Today at Cypress Grove Park Dr. Neal Euliano gave a tribute to his friend Sgt. Bill Coleman. (Check back tomorrow for this but here is a video I found on YouTube about Sgt. Coleman.)
There was a POW Remembrance Service that always causes tears to flow when we think of all the war fighters who never saw their country again.
Kathie Costos
Wounded Times
May 25, 2013
Today at Cypress Grove Park Dr. Neal Euliano gave a tribute to his friend Sgt. Bill Coleman. (Check back tomorrow for this but here is a video I found on YouTube about Sgt. Coleman.)
WWII Army Airborne tells the amazing story of his D-Day jump over Normandy, and the days that followed. Sgt Coleman fought for his life in the European theater of operations. He was captured by the Nazis and held as a POW until he escaped and made his way home at the end of the war. This is a truly remarkable story. Some background provided on the 101st Airborne and their operations in WWII.
There was a POW Remembrance Service that always causes tears to flow when we think of all the war fighters who never saw their country again.
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| Cypress Grove Park, Orlando FL May 25 2013 Kathie Costos Wounded Times |
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| Winter Springs High School ROTC Kathie Costos Wounded Times |
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| Winter Springs High School ROTC Kathie Costos Wounded Times |
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| Winter Springs High School ROTC Kathie Costos Wounded Times |
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