Sunday, October 14, 2018

MOH Benjamin Wilson

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

Military Times
J.D Simkins
October 13, 2018
His mad scramble provided the time necessary for his unit to arrange an orderly withdrawal, during which time Wilson was wounded once again. Despite his mounting injuries, he continued to provide cover fire as his men moved down the hill. Wilson would go on to receive the Medal of Honor for his herculean feats that day, but his story doesn’t end there.
Benjamin Wilson was in Hawaii when the Japanese unleashed their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor during the morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941.
Benjamin Wilson received both the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross for actions that took place within a week of each other. (Army)
The Washington state native had enlisted in the Army as an infantryman only a year before the attack and found himself stationed at Oahu’s Schofield Barracks, watching as Japanese planes devastated the unsuspecting naval base.

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

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

It didn’t take long before he found himself as a first sergeant on the front lines of the Korean War, where he would become a legend among his men.
read more here

Allentown Firefighters need help to fight PTSD

Local firefighters union Allentown 302 president speaks against PTSD

WFMZ 69 News
Josh Rultenberg
October 12, 2018
In a statement Schlossberg says "Jeremy Warmkessel's op-ed today couldn't have been more accurate. Our first responders deal with so much, and they deserve more than we are giving them now."
ALLENTOWN, Pa., - It's been almost two weeks since a man blew himself up in a car in Allentown along with his 2-year-old child and another man.

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

But first responders did respond to the explosion which Warmkessel says hit home.
"Anytime that you have a situation that involves children, no matter what the situation is, I think people tend to take it a little bit harder," said Warmkessel.

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

"Inside Allentown in the last 20 years we've suffered three suicides. So it's real and it's on a grand scale," said Warmkessel.
read more here

Police Officers share stories of trauma to encourage others

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

Herald Net
By Stephanie Davey
Sunday, October 14, 2018
They both talk about being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and how they found help. They initially spoke together this summer at a statewide convention for school resource officers, and they plan to share their stories at a national conference in July 2019 in Las Vegas.
At Marysville Getchell High, School Resource Officers Chris Sutherland (right) and Jeremy Wood pose for a photo on Thursday in Marysville. Both men have been diagnosed with PTSD; Wood witnessed a shooting and later held a man as he died, and Sutherland was the first officer to go into the cafeteria after the shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)

MARYSVILLE — He’s been through a lot here.

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

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

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

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

He and his best friend, Jeremy Wood, have started giving presentations about mental health. Both are 44.
read more here

Ellen DeGeneres sent Marine couple on honeymoon

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

WCTI News 12
by Jason O. Boyd
October 13th 2018
Cpl. Brandon Crespo and wife Francis (EllenTube via Facebook photo)

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

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

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

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

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

How to clean your air filter

PTSD Patrol: Owners Manual and Your Air Filter
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
October 14, 2018

The owner's manual frustrates me! I was looking up how to check the air filter. Sure enough, I found the page to tell me what to do with it, but it DID NOT TELL ME WHERE THE HECK TO FIND IT!

CARS.COM — The cabin air filter, a feature found on most late-model vehicles, cleans the air that comes into the interior through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. It catches dust, pollen and other airborne material that can make riding in a car unpleasant, particularly if you have allergies or other respiratory problems.

Some signs that you need a new cabin air filter are reduced air flow through your climate control system, such as when you crank up the fan too high and get more noise than results. Another is persistent bad odors. Even if you don't have these warnings, however, you should have the air filter checked at least once a year, and you may be able to do that yourself.
How can you fix anything if you do not know where it is? You cannot do it until you find it. Then again, how can you know fixing something is even possible unless someone figured out how to do it?

Have problems with your vehicle that you cannot fix yourself, you turn to a mechanic with more training and tools than you have. New cars go to owners with owners' manuals, so we can figure some things out on your own.

People are not born with owners' manuals. Well, that does not mean we cannot get our hands on one.
read more here

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Cell Phone Companies need to respond to Florida

In this report from CNN, there is a video about how survivors of Michael are desperate to get news to their families they are still alive. 

This is a challenge to see which cell phone company really cares about the service they provide. GET TRUCKS DOWN TO MEXICO BEACH and let people use the cell phones to contact their families! Set up phone banks for them. What it will cost you is nothing compared to what you have to gain by helping these people actually communicate in this heartbreaking time of need to hear the voice of someone they love!
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Hurricane Michael death toll climbs to 18 with new victim reported in Virginia

CNN
By Ray Sanchez and Nicole Chavez
October 13, 2018
CNN)Hurricane Michael's death toll climbed to 18 Saturday, after another victim was discovered in Virginia.

Fears were mounting for those who did not heed evacuation orders before Hurricane Michael bulldozed large swaths of Florida's Panhandle, and residents in the hardest-hit areas grew increasingly desperate for provisions.

Three days after the monster storm, with rescue workers cutting through hulking debris piles in search of survivors, residents formed long lines outside fire stations, schools and Salvation Army food trucks to collect bottled water and ready-to-eat meals.

"It's about to get stupid if people don't get food and water," Panama City Assistant Fire Chief Gary Swearingen said Saturday.
Two food and water distribution centers have opened, and others are expected, officials said. read more here

PTSD and other challenges recover and take back their lives

NDVets Host Annual Gala To Honor And Benefit Veterans

Patch California
By Emily Holland, Patch Staff
Oct 13, 2018
The event will feature a demo of "Mind at War," a VR experience that provides a look into an Iraq War veteran's struggle with PTSD.

SANTA MONICA, CA – New Directions for Veterans (NDVets), a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive housing and development services to homeless and at-risk veterans, will host its annual Veterans Canteen gala to benefit homeless veterans Saturday at the Skirball Cultural Center.

NDVets is based on the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus and provides housing and social services to about 1,800 veterans each year. The organization has served veterans facing homelessness, PTSD and other challenges recover and take back their lives for more than 25 years, the press release said. The event will honor community leaders and media for their support and advocacy for veterans.

"The Veterans Canteen gala is our opportunity to honor both our veterans and those advocating for them," said USMC Capt. (Ret) Leo Cuadrado, Chief Operating Officer of NDVets. "As more and more veterans return home from overseas conflicts, they will need our support now more than ever, and we are grateful to know we have the support of our partners and the community behind us to help raise the much-need funds to continue providing life-saving services to veterans seeking help."
read more here

OK! Looks like changing the conversation is catching on!

Have them beat on the number of years too but that's OK too! From what I hear, New Directions for Veterans are doing great work.

Ace Cafe got Cycle Fever Thursday night

Thursday night I was out at Ace Cafe in Orlando for a rare behind the scene recording of Cycle Fever TV because our buddy Sgt. Dave Matthews of Never Forgotten Memorials was their guest. Dave is also on KLRN Radio on, you guessed it, Thursday nights. 
Cycle Fever TV
To Keep Up To Date With Our Special Events, Check Out Our Podcast Every Thursday At 7:30pm EST sharp! We Are Live streaming on YouTube! Check Out Our Social As Well To Check Out What We Are Up To! See Us At Ace Cafe, Where We Regularly Stream!
And yes, bikers! Naturally, between bikers and veterans I felt right at home! 

(On a personal note, to the staff of Ace Cafe, you guys are awesome! Once I explained that basically I have a broken back and climbing stairs up to the tower was not good for me, you guys got me into the elevator! I didn't even know there was one there after being out there several times.)




In these videos it is clear to see that these guys are absolutely passionate about veterans and bikers!

These guys are awesome! I had to make sure I did not bust out laughing since I was standing right in front of them.

John of Cycle Fever and Rick of United States Motorcycle Corps Charities Inc and Hank do one of the funniest shows I've heard and on every other Thursday night.
This is Dave's show that was on when Dave was doing this show.

Remember the Fallen



Shadow Warrior Riders Fundraiser Krystal Parker
October 11, 2018•59 min
As we lose another Patriot "Krystal Parker" to the silent epidemic of 22 every day dying of suicide, we honor, remember and celebrate her life with a Fundraiser Memorial at the Ace Cafe with the assistance of Shadow Warrior Riders Motorcycle Club, LLC, Today's Veteran Organization, Never Forgotten Memorials, Inc. and Adam Martin from black Bird Anthem

All female veterans have waited too long

All female veterans have waited too long for equal honor


Combat PTSD Wounded Times

Kathie Costos
October 13, 2018

First the positive 
“The time to act is now” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of IAVA in the statement. “The unveiling of the Women Serve monument at Calverton National Cemetery is an important time to recognize and support women veterans.”
And now the negative headline that came with this on Newsweek
VETERANS GROUPS ACCUSE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OF DERELICTION OVER CHANGING VA’S ‘OUTDATED AND SEXIST’ MOTTO
In the article there was this
"More than 345,000 women have deployed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to IAVA. The VA reported last month that in 2016, the suicide rate for women veterans was 1.8 percent higher than for civilians."  
Does this mean that older female veterans did not deserve the same from all the other Administrations going back to President Lincoln?
It isn't as if this president came up with the motto, nor did he cause all the problems veterans have been facing since they returned from the Revolutionary War.
Ever hear of Shay's Rebellion?
"Veterans had received little pay during the war and faced added difficulty collecting pay owed them from the State or the Congress of the Confederation, and some soldiers began to organize protests against these oppressive economic conditions. In 1780, Daniel Shays resigned from the army unpaid and went home to find himself in court for non-payment of debts. He soon realized that he was not alone in his inability to pay his debts and began organizing for debt relief."
Female veterans deserve more than we could ever repay but again, the way they were treated goes all the way back to the time they decided to do whatever it took to defend this nation...including, when they had to dress like men to do it!


President Trump has made a lot of bad decisions, including pushing to privatize the VA and forcing veterans into the same healthcare the rest of us have to endure. 

It seems like his advisors have decided they could sell caring for veterans out forgetting they prepaid for all of it. Yet again, the problems our veterans have did not begin with this president.

Do women deserve to be treated like veterans? Hell no! None of our veterans should ever be treated the way they have been treated throughout the history of this nation!

We need to do the right thing but we need to keep the political BS out of it to actually accomplish it!

And if you think God did it to you, remember the Homeless Jesus statue

'Homeless Jesus' statue attracts double takes, compassion

CBC News 
Sandra Abma 
Posted: Oct 10, 2018

"I just noticed the wounded feet," said Damien Morden, who often passes the statue on his lunch hour stroll."If you strip Christianity back to its basics, it's about Jesus helping people out and taking care of the disadvantaged."
Homeless Jesus in the forecourt of Christ Church Cathedral on Sparks Street. (Sandra Abma/CBC)
At first glance, it looks like a homeless person huddling for warmth beneath a blanket, lying on a park bench along the west end of Sparks Street. A closer inspection reveals nail marks in the feet. This is Homeless Jesus, one of a series of life-size bronze statues from Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. It's been sitting outside Christ Church Cathedral since late spring and it's been getting a lot of love from passersby.  
"There have been people who have left flowers on the statue, one person actually placed coins in the wounds and someone put a blanket on it," said Shane Parker, dean of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. Parker says the statue reflects the church's ongoing work to help the homeless. read more here
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That is what a lot of people get wrong, especially if the church they attended ended up doing them more harm than good. The truth is, the Son of God did not come as a rich man, but spent His ministry as a homeless man among the people He came to lift up.

Yes, He lifted them up by getting down to where they were in life. Some were ill, some had been suffering from demons. Each one with their own struggles, yet all of them needed the same thing. HOPE!


Hope that they were not worthless than anyone else. Hope they were not unworthy of better days. Hope their pain could stop. Hope they would go to sleep without feeling the pain of hunger. Hope that everyday from the moment they heard His voice, it would all be better than the moment before was.


Right now, there are people here in Florida who just lost every possession they had with Hurricane Michael. They have no idea where they will live or how to rebuild their lives.


Hurricanes are horrible! We went through Charlie, Frances and Jeanne in Central Florida. None of them caused as much damage as Michael.


This is drone footage of Mexico Beach,



‘It’s all gone’: Tiny Florida beach town nearly swept away by Hurricane Michael



Things can be replaced and they can find another place to call home. They can find new jobs if their business was destroyed. It can all be replaced by something else including the thoughts they have.


There are many more people who witnessed the destruction of this monster hurricane. The key word they need to keep hearing is, they are not victims, but are survivors!


This is more about being proactive in beginning to heal. First, allow yourself time to grieve. Rest as much as possible. Above all else, talk about what is going on with you.


As a survivor of multiple traumatic events, that is the way something like PTSD is prevented. Do not hold in your feelings! That is the worst thing you can do. It allows the horror to gain control over your future.


Keep in mind that you could not prevent what the wind and water did that horrible day but you can prevent it from taking control of tomorrow.


If you need help, ask for it. If you need to talk, find someone who will listen. Dismiss any stupid thing they may say when they do not know what to say. Keep talking and know, they do care about you, but it is above their ability to understand what you are going through now.


And if you think God did it to you, remember the Homeless Jesus statue you just read about. Remember what He did as much as what He said. YOU ARE LOVED!