This is a poem being sent from a Marine to his Dad.
For those who take the time to read it,
you'll see a letter from him to his Dad at the bottom.
It makes you truly thankful for not only the Marines, but ALL of our troops
The Marine
We all came together,
Both young and old
To fight for our freedom,
To stand and be bold.
In the midst of all evil,
We stand our ground,
And we protect our country
From all terror around.
Peace and not war,
Is what some people say.
But I'll give my life,
So you can live the American way.
I give you the right
To talk of your peace.
To stand in your groups,
and protest in our streets.
But still I fight on,
I don't bitch, I don't whine.
I'm just one of the people
Who is doing your time.
I'm harder than nails,
Stronger than any machine.
I'm the immortal soldier,
I'm a U.S. MARINE!
So stand in my shoes,
And leave from your home.
Fight for the people who hate you,
With the protests they've shown.
Fight for the stranger,
Fight for the young.
So they all may have,
The greatest freedom you've won.
Fight for the sick,
Fight for the poor
Fight for the cripple,
Who lives next door.
But when your time comes,
Do what I've done.
For if you stand up for freedom,
You'll stand when the fight's done.
By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps
USS SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF
Hey Dad,
Do me a favor and label this "The Marine" and send it to
everybody on your email list.
Even leave this letter in it.
I want this rolling all over the US; I want every home reading it.
Every eye seeing it. And every heart to feel it.
So can you please send this for me?
I would but my email time isn't that long
and I don't have much time anyway.
You know what Dad?
I wondered what it would be
like to truly understand what JFK said in His inaugural speech.
"When the time comes to lay down my life for my country,
I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it."
Well, now I know. And I do. Dad,
I welcome the opportunity to do what I do.
Even though I have left behind a beautiful wife,
and I will miss the birth of our first born child,
I would do it 70 times over to fight for the place that God has made for my home.
I love you all and I miss you very much.
I wish I could be there when Sandi has our baby,
but tell her that I love her, and Lord willing,
I will be coming home soon.
Give Mom a great big hug from me and give one to yourself too.
Aaron
Soldier Says He Was Charged for Armor
By ALLISON BARKER, Associated Press Writer Wed Feb 8, 10:45 AM ET
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A former U.S. soldier injured in
Iraq says he was forced to pay $700 for a blood-soaked Kevlar vest
that was destroyed after medics removed it to treat shrapnel wounds to his right arm.
First Lt. William "Eddie" Rebrook IV, 25,
of Charleston had to leave the Army because of his injuries.
But before he could be discharged last week,
he had to scrounge up cash from his buddies
to pay for the body armor or face not being discharged for months —
all because a supply officer failed to document
that the vest had been destroyed more than a year ago as a biohazard.
"I last saw the (body armor) when it was pulled off my bleeding body
while I was being evacuated in a helicopter," Rebrook told The Charleston Gazette for Tuesday's edition.
"They took it off me and burned it."
Rebrook's story spurred action Tuesday from U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va.
"I've been in touch with his family, and I've already written (Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld)
to request that they immediately refund his money and review this horrendous policy," said Rockefeller,
who is a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
"I'm shocked that he has been treated this way by our military."
Byrd questioned Gen. Peter Schoomaker, chief of staff of the Army, on Tuesday during a
Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing in Washington.
"How can it be that the Defense Department, which is requesting $439 billion in this budget
has to resort to dunning a wounded soldier for $700 to replace a piece of body armor?" Byrd asked.
Schoomaker called Rebrook's story unusual and promised Byrd to "correct it if there's any truth to it."
Rockefeller said he first met Rebrook when he was an ROTC cadet at George Washington High School
in Charleston and later nominated him to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.,
where he graduated with honors. Rebrook then spent four years on active duty,
including six months in Iraq.
Rebrook's mother, Beckie Drumheler,
said she was angry when she learned about the $700 bill.
Soldiers who serve their country,
those who put their lives on the line, deserve better, she said.
"He couldn't get out of the Army until he paid it and he had to pay cash," Drumheler said.
"My son loved the Army and was proud of serving his country.
For any soldier to be treated like this is outrageous."
Rebrook was standing in the turret of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle
when a roadside bomb exploded Jan. 11, 2005.
The explosion fractured his arm and severed an artery.
A Black Hawk helicopter airlifted him to a combat support hospital in Baghdad.
He was later flown to a hospital in Germany
before being transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
His arm never completely recovered despite seven operations.
He still has range of motion problems and pain.
After eight months at Fort Hood, Texas,
he gathered up his gear to leave. Things went smoothly until officers
asked him for his missing body armor. In the past, the Army allowed to soldiers to write memos,
explaining the loss and destruction of gear but a new policy requires documentation from the field.
Rebrook said he tried to get a battalion commander to sign a waiver,
but the officer declined. He was told he would have to supply statements
from witnesses to verify the body armor was taken from him and burned.
"First Cavalry Division leadership is going to do everything to ensure
this issue is brought to a conclusion that is both in line with procedures
that apply to all its soldiers and in the best interest of our veterans
who have served so proudly and honorably in Iraq," Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl,
the division's spokesman at Fort Hood, told the Killeen (Texas) Daily Herald for Wednesday's edition.
Bleichwehl said soldiers are not held financially responsible for any equipment lost,
damaged or destroyed in combat operations.
Rebrook's story has prompted donations from residents.
A local radio station raised $700 within 90 minutes Tuesday,
and one woman dropped off a $200 check by his mother's home,
said Rebrook's stepfather, Charles Drumheler.
"I thought that was pretty nice that people care," Charles Drumheler said.
Rebrook's father, Ed Rebrook, a Charleston lawyer,
said while the donations were appreciated, his son did not plan to accept them.
Please Click into this link to support our soldiers
Saving the world isn't easy, Saving a life is,
Give blood and be a hero.
Food for thought, While Major League Sports Players are paid huge salaries, our policemen,firemen, and military risk lives daily for small salaries. We are willing to pay more for
entertainment and sports, than we are for safety and true heros.
Quote
"For those who have had to fight for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected shall never know."
United this world will stand ,overcome terrorism and find peace.
We will overcome terrorism,for instead of destroying the world with it's hatred,
it has bought the world together united to fight terrorism and to seek peace.
Bradley
They call this a BFV.
this vehicle does not have air condtioner,
as our soldiers ride for hours
in the hot desert.
CPL. PaulC.Puckett
321 BOMB 448TH SQD.
Army Air Force
A Tribute to my dad
A ww2 soldier
He was one of the soldiers,
That was sent to Normany Beach,
I just got his silver star.
A salute to Veterans
I couldn't do the graph correct with the html
'A special code that some websites including this website uses for transfering data'.
This is a general idea of the number of Veterans .
Estimated Numbers of U.S. Veterans in Civil Life
Wartime veterans
Demographic group Total Veterans Total1 Persian Gulf War Vietnam era
Korean conflict World War II Peacetime veterans
Under 35 years old 2,213,000 2,050,000 2,050,000 - - - 163,000
35-39 years old 1,457,000 568,000 568,000 - - - 889,000
40-44 years old 1,833,000 369,000 368,000 - - - 1,465,000
45-49 years old 2,029,000 1,210,000 285,000 1,016,000 - - 819,000
50-54 years old 2,637,000 2,517,000 198,000 2,474,000 - - 120,000
55-59 years old 3,321,000 3,105,000 80,000 3,096,000 - - 217,000
60-64 years old 2,344,000 1,094,000 21,000 1,072,000 22,000 - 1,249,000
65 years old and over 9,784,000 8,245,000 5,000 636,000 3,710,000 4,762,000 1,539,000
Female, total 1,655,000 1,084,000 556,000 266,000 87,000 210,000 571,000
Total 25,618,000 19,157,000 3,573,000 8,293,000 3,733,000 4,762,000 6,461,000
Veterans who served in more than one wartime period are counted only once.
A way to say thank you to Veterans Make donations
for paralyzed veterans to
Paralyzed Veterans of America 7 Mill Brook Road
Wilton,NH 03086-0921
Quote from my Uncle a Marine of 5 wars
A war doesn't end when the last gun is fired.
Young soldiers come home with their lives forever changed.
The government needs to be careful about going to war,
and make sure it is really unavoidable.
If they can afford a war,they should be able to afford,
to take care of the veterans who served.
Is the war every truly over?
The last bullet was fired,the gun laid down,
But the war is not over.
Now soldiers come home to find their live has changed.
And some soldiers families have to face life without their loved ones. A father that will no longer be the emotional and financial provider for his family,leaving a family fatherless,or a family who's mother won't return to nurture her children and help provide their financial and emotional security ,leaving a family motherless.
One war may be over,
But a new one begins.
Rebuilding lives.
Soldiers are short changed.
They don't receive enough benefits,
and some receive no benefits.
There are soldiers who lose limbs in the line of duty,
That will go home to fight the war of poverty,
and disability.
Soldiers who come home with emotional illness,
Sometime come back from overseas to face a war
of homelessness.
We spend every available resource to start wars,
and the minimum to clean it up,
and care for our soldiers and our veterans that fought them.
Once a marine always a marine"
William C Henley'Uncle Sam'
pttSgt .
Squard Leader Dog2-7
Marines
2 PURPLE HEARTS
William C Henley'Uncle Sam'
pttSgt .
To all soldiers
quote
It's not the fact that we are living in America
But, America is living in us-
Edwin Robinette
A very special friend and possbily distant cousin.
Leland M. Puckett
6306091 Chief Boatswain Mate
United States Navy
1942- 1963
Leland Morris Puckett was born 13 Mar 1926 in Sharp County, Arkansas, the fourth son of Earl Ditzler and Dora Minnie Voyles Puckett. Leland grew up with five brothers and two sisters. In 1929 his family moved to Hickory Ridge, Arkansas. As a lad of 15, Leland used his older brother's birthday to seem 16 and entered the CCC. At the end of his enlistment for the CCC, he used his CCC discharge that showed his age as 17 (when he was actually 16) to enlist in the U.S. Navy on 29 September 1942.
Leland served in WWII and the Korean War, earning eight combat stars and thirteen ribbons, plus a Vietnam Service Medal. After retiring from the Navy he worked for the Veterans Administration in the Nursing Department for 13 years and retired on a disability, then moved to Cave City, Sharp County, Arkansas.
He and his wife, Dorothy Imogene Henderson Puckett have four daughters, Joyce Sue, Carol Benita, Cherrie Lee, and Terry Dee Puckett; and two sons, Leland Charles and Langley Puckett. Two of their daughters are adopted.
Leland, now retired, suffers from heart problems and diabetes. One of his hobbies is family research. He has three registered Revolutionary War Veteran ancestors and he is a lifetime member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
In contrast to the ideals, opinions and feelings of today's "Hollywonk" the real actors of yester-year loved the United States.
They had both class and integrity. With the advent of World War II many of our actors went to fight rather than stand and rant against this country we all love.
They gave up their wealth, position and fame to become service men & women, many as simple "enlisted men".
This lists but a few, but from this group of only 18 men came over 70 medals in honor of their valor, spanning from Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distinguish Service Cross', Purple Hearts and one Congressional Medal of Honor.
So remember; while the "Entertainers of 2004" have been in all of the news media lately I would like to remind the people of what the entertainers of 1943 were doing, (61 years ago).
Most of these brave men have since passed on.
Real Hollywood Heros
Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.
James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) landed in Normandy with the U. S. Army on D-Day.
Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.
David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy.
James Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel.
During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany, and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty.
Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre,and 7 Battle Stars during World War II.
In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force as a reservist, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.
Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles.
He attended the Officers' CandidateSchool at Miami Beach, Fla. and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942.
He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where flew operational missions over Europe in B-17s.
Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for combat.
Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.
Earnest Borgnine was a U. S. Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.
Charles Durning was a U. S. Army Ranger at Normandy earning a Silver Star and awarded the Purple Heart.
Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29s in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan
George C. Scott was a decorated U. S. Marine.
Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U. S. Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Nov. 1943.
Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.
Lee Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was wounded earning the Purple Heart.
John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal.
Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. in Yugoslavia.
Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded M arines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts?
Most Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Med al of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.
So how do you feel the real heroes of the silver screen acted when compared to the hollywonks today who spray out anti-American drivel as they bite the hand that feeds them? Can you imagine these stars of yester-year saying they hate our flag, making anti-war speeches, marching in anti-American parades and saying they hate our president?
I thought not, neither did I!
And let us not forget Elvis Presley who left fame and fortune to do a tour in the military.
America
A simple way to take measure of a country
What A Great Answer
In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-Americansentiment and negativity about our government and its policies, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words to his own people.
During a recent interview, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain was asked by one of his parliament members as to why he believes so much in America ...
and does he think America is on the right track?
Blair's reply:
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in .. and how many want out."
Iraq
VERY INTERESTING -
1. The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq , was the cradle of civilization!
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq!
6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq!
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.
9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
10. Amos cried out in Iraq!
11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq !
13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the fiery
furnace!)
14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq .
15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq .
16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.
17. The wise men were from Iraq.
18. Peter preached in Iraq.
19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon , which was a city in Iraq!
And you have probably seen this one. Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers . The name Iraq, means country with deep roots.
Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.
No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated it than Iraq.
And also... This is something to think about! Since America is typically represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages...
The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)
Koran (9:11) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace.
(Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?! God Bless you all Amen !
A quote from a soldier in Iraq
The Charters of Freedom give you the right to voice your opinion....
I swore to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, but for me, that means the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and all the other amendments....
Question:
How do you guys do it?find courage and live with the hardships?
Answer:
When something bad happens, we always know that our fallen would want us to continue the fight and not give up....?
SSG Cory "Shane "Guidry
Army National Guard
IRAQ held elections due to the freedom giving to them by our military,
When in doubt of the war in Iraq refer to the freedom others now know because of our military.
"They grow weary of the calm, who have known the storm."
Purple Heart Hall of Fame
Information to add soldiers who received a purple heart
into the Purple heart Hall of Fame.
For more information or to share the story of a Purple Heart recipient,
contact the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor,
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site,
P.O. Box 207 (374 Temple Hill Road),
Vails Gate, New York 12584-0207,
telephone 845-561-1765, or fax 845-561-6577.
Be a Part of History Again... At the Opening of the
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
Friday, November 10, 2006
By Arianne Aryanpur
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 27, 2007; Page A14
The sun had started to set at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday by the time a silver hearse carrying the body of Army Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright pulled into Section 60.
A coffin bearing the 28-year-old father was draped in an American flag, and mourners followed as uniformed soldiers carried it to the grave site, where it was placed among the rows of white headstones.
Army Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright, 28, who was killed in Iraq Jan. 13, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. (By Lois Raimondo -- The Washington Post)
Wright, of Boston, was killed Jan. 13 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations, according to the Defense Department. He was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan., and was the 298th person killed in the Iraq war to be buried at Arlington, cemetery officials said.
A chaplain delivered a brief Protestant service to the 100 or so mourners assembled, and in military tradition, a three-shot volley was fired in salute and a bugler played taps. As the soldiers stood at attention, their coats flapped in the cold winter wind.
Wright's father, Conroy Wright, and his mother, Rubena Watson, received folded American flags. His grandmother, Fay Wright, accepted a flag as well and nodded when the presenter offered his condolences.
Shortly after his son's death, Conroy Wright told reporters that his son wanted nothing more than to serve his country. Wright immigrated to the United States from Jamaica when he was 19, but he had a strong desire to show his appreciation for his adopted country by joining the military, according to the Boston Globe. Wright applied to Boston College but decided to join the Army National Guard instead. In 2004, he joined the Army full time.
"I knew he'd be something great, and this is a proud moment," his father told a Boston television station.
Wright's heroes included Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela and "all men and women who serve in this country's military," he wrote on his MySpace page. In the weeks since his death, the Web site has become a place for friends to share their grief.
A friend from Salem, Mass., posted pictures of Wright wearing an Army beanie and a Livestrong bracelet. In each photo, he is holding an infant. "Greg, I don't want to believe it right now that you're gone," she wrote. "You're too good to be gone this soon."
Wright, who listed himself as divorced, left behind a 3-year-old daughter, Tiaja, his father said.
In another posting, "Cuff" echoed feelings of loss: "God bless you so much brother for sacrificing yourself for friends, family and country. I'm gonna miss the laugh, the smile and the way you made us feel when we were in your presence. I cry because we all lost a very special person."
High-tech Army rehab center opening
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer Mon Jan 29, 6:09 AM ET
SAN ANTONIO - Of the roughly 20,000 soldiers injured since the start of the
Iraq war, more than 500 have lost a limb — many of them in roadside bombings.
On Monday, a $50 million high-tech rehabilitation center opens that is designed to serve the growing number of soldiers who return from war as amputees or with severe burns.
The 60,000-square-foot Center for the Intrepid will allow the Army to move its rehabilitation program out of the Brooke Army Medical Center and into a separate facility.
"The Center for the Intrepid is going to let us keep advancing what we've been doing," said Maj. Stewart Campbell, the officer-in-charge of rehabilitation at Brooke.
The facility tells soldiers "we're going to take care of you for as long as you need us, to get you back to where you want to be," he said.
At Brooke, amputees were being treated in offices and facilities carved out of the larger hospital. The new facility includes a rock-climbing wall, wave pool and a 360-degree virtual reality sphere to help soldiers recover their balance and other basic skills.
The center will be officially dedicated at a ceremony Monday. Sens. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., both 2008 presidential hopefuls, are scheduled to attend.
Brooke's amputee program started two years ago and has about 50 patients, but the new center will allow it to expand and offer more advanced rehabilitation, Campbell said.
Prior to the Iraq war, amputees were generally given acute care by the military and then turned over the Department of Veterans Affairs, said retired Col. Rebecca Hooper, program manager for the Center for the Intrepid. But since 2003, the military has kept those patients and made rehabilitation part of its mission.
Amputee rehab programs are now being run at Brooke, Walter Reed Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Medical Center.
Because the new Center for the Intrepid offers high-tech equipment and better facilities for severely injured soldiers, Hooper expects it to become a magnet for advanced amputee rehabilitation.
The center was funded by private donations to the Intrepid Foundation, a charity that has built dozens of houses to shelter families of wounded soldiers while they undergo treatment.
As part of the construction at Fort Sam Houston, two new houses have been added to two already there so that additional families could be housed near the center.
Staff Sgt. Jon Arnold-Garcia, who lost part of a leg in a grenade attack, got his first look at the rehab center on Sunday.
"This place is amazing, that the American people donated the money for this," said the 28-year-old from Sacramento, Calif.
Arnold-Garcia has been in rehabilitation at Brooke since May, but he was anxious to get to work at the Center for the Intrepid, a four-story glass building decorated with art and modern decor.
Arnold-Garcia and other amputees have been eyeing the rock climbing wall, visible through the glass. They have also heard about the wave pool, in which they can use wake boards to strengthen their back and stomach muscles.
"It doesn't look like a hospital," Arnold-Garcia said, sitting in the center's cafe. "It's a place I can see myself getting up and being motivated instead of walking hospital hallways with doctors."
Heros
My dad was a world war 2 vet,
He placed a ad in the newspaper for a pen pal,
my mother and her sister answered the letter,
She was 18,
He only answered my mother's.
She waited for him.
and they married.
He was a airplane mechanic
Id walk to the store with him as a child,
and we would march.
My father passed away when I was almost 19.
I never saw him as a hero,
until my uncle told me the reason he joined
the military was because my dad was in the service,
and he gero worshipped my dad,
who received silver stars,
and had landed on Normandy Beach,
My father kept his military experiences
to his self.
But for my uncle to have looked up to him.
I guess I never really knew my dad
as well as I thought I did,
although I lived with him though my childhood.
My Uncle was also in the military.
He had a little hero worship of my dad,
and joined the service.
He is a retired 30 yr Marine sgt.
His wife alwas is a retired Marine sgt.
3 of his 5 kids served in the Marines,
so when they came to visit,
My mother would say the Marines are coming.lol.
My Uncle's name is Bill,
but is also refered to as Uncle Sam,
I wanted to have him honored once,
for the 2 purple hearts he has received.
one for a saber wound,
one for a hand granade wound,
he has fought in 5 wars,
WW2,Korea,Cuba Conflict and 2 tours of Viet Nam.
He told me he knows men that have 5 purple hearts,
and his wasn't any big deal,
a modest man,
He has always been my hero.
Hi romance story was while waiting for a physical
he saw my aunt who was also a marine.
and asked her if he could sit next to her.
and he said the minute he looked at her,
he knew she was the one he always wanted to be next to,
he asked her for a date.
but befor the date he was injured.
she found him in the hospital,
and stayed with him.
Later they married and had 5 kids.
One day while stationed in the states.
right after getting his paycheck,
he was told he was to leave
without notice,
he had no time to contact her or give
her the check before he was shipped out.
he said that was one of his moments
when it was hard to leave.
But he did,and she worked out
the family problems on her own like a true military wife.
He became involved with the Veterns of foreign wars,
and became president of the local chapter,
in his late years he and his wife have fought for the wive
who was also in the military to receive her own rightful benefits,which were denied in the past,
for the wife was only allowed benefits through her husband,
My uncle and his wife have fought not only for their own benefits,
but hopefully for all military personal to receive their rightful benefits.
My uncle and his wife are in their 70's now
with failing health,
He has always been my hero.
To the soldiers and their loved ones. past,present,and future.
Thank you
Thank you
Dedicated to soldiers and their loved ones
For those who have laid in fox holes, carried guns,marched for hours,
For those who have had cold sleepless nights,endless days of discomfort,
For those who have endured the agony of war for my sake.
Thank you.
For those who have gently kissed a loved one goodbye,
and with a tear looked back for a last time,
For those who have found courage to carry the sword of liberty,
For those who have flown with the eagle,
For those who have landed on foreign soil,
to take freedom to other countries while keeping
freedom in ours,
Thank you.
For those who have lost limbs,lifes and loved ones,
For those who have lost friends,sisters ,brothers,mothers and fathers,
For those who have sacrificed and gave their all for freedom's sake.
Thank you.
For those who have found the courage to stand,
For those who have reached out a hand for their fallen friend.
For those who give freedom to strangers ,and a hope for peace.
For those who sacrifice all they love, and pay the price for freedom.
Pearl Harbor survivors meet for last time
By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - With their number quickly dwindling, survivors of Pearl Harbor will gather Thursday one last time to honor those killed by the Japanese 65 years ago, and to mark a day that lives in infamy.
This will be their last visit to this watery grave to share stories, exchange smiles, find peace and salute their fallen friends. This, they say, will be their final farewell.
"This will be one to remember," said Mal Middlesworth, president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. "It's going to be something that we'll cherish forever."
The survivors have met here every five years for four decades, but they're now in their 80s or 90s and are not counting on a 70th reunion. They have made every effort to report for one final roll call.
"We're like the dodo bird. We're almost extinct," said Middlesworth, now an 83-year-old retiree from Upland, Calif., but then — on Dec. 7, 1941 — an 18-year-old Marine on the USS San Francisco.
Nearly 500 survivors from across the nation were expected to make the trip to Hawaii, bringing with them 1,300 family members, numerous wheelchairs and too many haunting memories.
Memories of a shocking, two-hour aerial raid that destroyed or heavily damaged 21 ships and 320 aircraft, that killed 2,390 people and wounded 1,178 others, that plunged the United States into World War II and set in motion the events that led to atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"I suspect not many people have thought about this, but we're witnessing history," said Daniel Martinez, chief historian at the USS Arizona Memorial. "We are seeing the passing of a generation."
The attack may have occurred 65 years ago, but survivors say they can still hear the explosions, smell the burning flesh, taste the sea water and hear the cries.
"The younger ones were crying, 'Mom! Mom! Mom!'" said Edward Chun, who witnessed the attack from the Ten-Ten dock, just a couple hundred yards away from Battleship Row.
Chun, 83, had just begun his workday as a civilian pipe fitter when he was thrust into assisting in everything from spraying water on the ships to aiding casualties.
"From the time the first bomb dropped and for the next 15 minutes, it was complete chaos," he said. "Nobody knew what was going on. Everybody was running around like a chicken with their head cut off."
Chun saw the Oklahoma and West Virginia torpedoed by Japanese aircraft. He heard the tapping of sailors trapped in the hulls of sunken ships. He escaped death when Ten-Ten was strafed, leaving behind dead and wounded.
"How I never got hit, I don't know," said Chun, who was later drafted and served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. "I'll tell you a secret: When your number comes up, you're going to go. Well, every morning I get up, I change my number."
Everett Hyland doesn't know how he stayed alive when almost everyone around him didn't. He was radioman aboard the Pennsylvania, which was in Dry Dock No. 1, and was helping transport ammunition to the anti-aircraft gun when a bomb exploded.
Badly burned, Hyland regained consciousness 18 days later, on Christmas night. During that time, his older brother visited.
"The only way he knew it was me was the tag on my toe," Hyland said. "He (later) told me we looked like roast turkeys lined up."
Today, scar tissue covers most of his arms and legs.
"I got a quick facial out of it. I used to be a freckled-faced kid," he said. "I don't have any lips. They could fix faces, but they couldn't build any lips."
And he was lucky.
Many of the dead were teenage sailors and Marines away from home for the first time. They died before they had an opportunity to get married, have children, build lives.
Four in five servicemen on the USS Arizona — 1,177 in all — did not survive the day. It was the greatest loss of life of any ship in U.S. naval history. They remain entombed in the battleship's sunken hull, which still seeps oil every few seconds, leaving a colorful sheen on the harbor water.
The survivors say they have more than horrific memories to offer. "Remember Pearl Harbor" is just the first half of the association's motto; the rest is "Keep America alert."
Martinez said many Pearl Harbor survivors were disheartened by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, "as if they had not done their job hard enough."
Once again, it seemed that America had been caught sleeping. Interest in Pearl Harbor and its aging survivors surged. The old soldiers are much in demand — to sign autographs, walk in parades, speak to classrooms and pose for pictures. Visits to the USS Arizona Memorial are at record levels.
Not that everyone sees similarities between the two attacks. "There is no comparison," Hyland said. "That was terrorists killing a pile of civilians. Here, you had professional fighters versus professional fighters. Two different things."
There are those who are unable to forgive the Japanese, But others testify to the power of reconciliation.
"There are some guys that are going to die with hate in their heart. I don't have in me any hatred in my heart," said 87-year-old survivor Lee Soucy, of Plainview, Texas. "They were doing their job just like we were."
Hyland, who was almost killed in the attack, married a woman from Japan. They met at the 50th Pearl Harbor anniversary and wed the following year.
"I got over it a long time ago," he said.
___
Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, who dubbed Americans who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II "the greatest generation," agreed to be keynote speaker for Thursday's ceremony. A moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. was to mark the time when the attack began.
Martinez, the USS Arizona historian, likened it to another reunion 68 years ago — the final gathering of Civil War veterans in Gettysburg, Pa., when aging warriors in blue and gray shook hands and shared war stories. In 1938, as in 2006, the nation faced an uncertain future in a world gripped by conflict.
"The passing of that generation had its moment and we're going to have ours," he said.
But some veterans don't believe, or refuse to accept, that this will be the last major gathering.
"They claimed the 60th was going to be the last one. Now they have the 65th. When they have the 70th, then they'll be claiming, 'This will be the last one,'" Hyland said. "They've been crying wolf too many times."
Hyland does accept the fact that their numbers are falling fast.
"We all have our turn and our turn is getting closer," he said.
But until then, they are drawn to Pearl Harbor, and to each other. Military historian Douglas Smith, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., says they are proud of their service and eager to return "to their glory days," but most of all they revel in the bonds they formed long ago, when they were young.
The bond is so strong that some ask to have their ashes interred inside the Arizona, laid to rest with shipmates who were not so fortunate as to survive Dec. 7, 1941.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day
Congress has set aside the THIRD FRIDAY of September in each year as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. It is a time to remember those who never came home. Congress has further recognized the POW/MIA flag of the National League of Families as the official flag to represent our missing soldiers.
This flag is to be flown over:
The Capitol and the White House in Washington, DC,
The Korean War and Vietnam Veterans War Memorials,
Every National cemetery,
Any building containing the official offices of the Secretary of State
The offices of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
The offices of the Director of the Selective Service System,
Every major military installation,
Every VA Medical Center, and
Every Post Office.
The POW/MIA flag is displayed daily in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol Building, and should be flown at all VA Medical facilities on any day the National colors are displayed. In addition to POW/MIA Recognition Day, the flag should be displayed at all the above locations on:
Armed Forces Day
Memorial Day
Flag Day
Independence Day
Veterans Day
Prisoners of War / Missing In Action
World War I World War II Korean War Cold War Southeast Asia
Total POW/MIA 7,323 194,879 12,654 124 2596
POWs Returned 3,973 116,129 4,439 0 591
Still Missing and Unaccounted For 3,350 78,750 8,215 124 2,005
Statistics from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office
Displaying the POW/MIA Flag
Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action come from EVERY STATE, thus the POW/MIA flag has precedence over state flags. The following guidelines should be followed in flying the POW/MIA flag:
If flying the flag from ONE FLAG POLE, the POW/MIA flag is flown directly below the National Colors.
If flying National, POW/MIA and State flags from TWO poles, the POW/MIA flag should be flown from the same pole as the National Colors, and beneath the American Flag, with the state flag flying from the pole to the left.
Our soldiers who become POW's do not receive the purple heart.
I deeply believe this should be changed.
The soldiers that become POW's fight daily for survival,
and often die in captivity.
God bless our troops.
This situtation should be changed soon.while there are a few ww2 vets left to receive purple hearts due to them, purple heart they deserve.
Your email concerning ex-pow’s receiving the Purple Heart was referred to our office from the Governor. Although we may agree with you, the issue is outside the realm of state authority. I believe the issue to be of national concern requiring U.S. Congress action. I did however, while researching your emails issue, come across this article concerning the same issue.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2000 -- Former American prisoners of war may be eligible to receive the Purple Heart medal due to a little-publicized four-year-old change in the award rules.
President John F. Kennedy started the change by signing Executive Order 11-1016 on April 25, 1962. Until that time, service members could receive the Purple Heart only during a formally declared state of war. Kennedy's order made it possible to award the medal even without a formal declaration of war.
The 1962 order didn't specifically mention POWs or their eligibility because of wounds and injuries suffered in captivity. An Army policy change dated Sept. 27, 1962, allowed Purple Heart awards henceforth to members who might become prisoners of war and be wounded or injured by their captors.
Neither Kennedy's executive order nor the Army change was retroactive. No former prisoners of war of any service, living and dead, who were wounded or injured during captivity before April 25, 1962, were eligible until Congress passed legislation as part of the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act.
Prior to the 1996 legislation, for instance, none of the 140,000 U.S. service members who surrendered to the Japanese in the Philippines in May 1942 could qualify for a Purple Heart. Also ineligible were the thousands of former POWs who came later in World War II and in the Korean War.
Since 1996, a number of World War II and Korean War vets have applied for Purple Hearts on the basis of wounds and injuries received while they were POWs, officials of the Army's Military Awards Branch said. Supporting documentation is required and may include copies of repatriation medical exams, or a witness statement from a cellmate, for example, stating their buddy was abused at hands of captors.
The injuries or wounds must be deliberately inflicted by captors, they said. Injuries received while on work detail, for example, probably would not qualify -- but if in doubt, apply.
A recent example of troops earning the Purple Heart while held captive occurred more than a year ago in the Balkans. Serb forces captured three U.S. soldiers on March 31, 1999. The Americans endured frequent beatings until their May 2 release. All three received Purple Heart medals.
Assistants at the Military Order of the Purple Heart headquarters in Springfield, Va., said veterans applying for the medal should use Standard Form 180, "Request Pertaining to Military Records," readily available at Department of Veterans Affairs service and medical centers; online at http://web1.whs.osd.mil/forms/SF0180.PDF.
The back of the form includes instructions and mailing addresses, which differ by the applicant's service and rank.
For more on the Purple Heart's history, eligibility and information on the Military Order of the Purple Heart,
visit the organization's Web site at http://purpleheart.org/.
Information Courtesy of American Forces Information Service
Regards,
Robert M. Barnes, Deputy Asst. Secretary
Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
225/922-0500
Homes for Our Troops
s Gunnery Sergeant Michael Knowlton scrolled through pictures he took during his deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom, one photo in particular stood out. The image—all too familiar to Americans who have stayed tuned in to the reports returning from the front lines—was that of four U.S. Marines and a humvee with the engine blown out, the result of triggering a land mine that had been buried by insurgents. The blast, which destroyed the front of the vehicle, also shot shrapnel through the front passenger seat. Had the seat been occupied, as it typically is, the Marine sitting there would have likely sustained extensive injuries. Fortunately, the passenger seat was vacant and the faces on the four Marines tell a different story—one in which all escaped the blast with only minor injuries.
In the fight against terror, each day sets the backdrop for stories of survival, near misses and victories large or small, and each day also poses an immeasurable risk to those in action. John Gonsalves has become all too familiar with those risks. One evening late in 2003, Gonsalves was watching the news as soldiers were being interviewed about a recent insurgent attack on their convoy. “One of the humvees their buddy was driving had been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade,” Gonsalves recalls, “and they weren’t sure if he was alive.” When the wounded soldier was finally pulled from the vehicle, it became apparent that both of his legs had been severed in the ambush.
When confronted with the harsh reality of war, many change the channel; the grim presentation had an opposite effect on Gonsalves. “It got me thinking,” he says, “what happens from there? What resources are available to soldiers such as this?” Gonsalves, who had been involved in construction for nearly 20 years, decided to volunteer his time and expertise with an organization specifically devoted to building accessible homes for servicemen and women who acquire severe disabilities while in the line of duty. “At that point I assumed there was already such an organization in existence. I’d find out who to contact and just go help.” He was shocked to learn that there was no such organization. Although his original intent was to simply volunteer a few weeks of his time, he realized that establishing a new program would inspire people to action; in February 2004 he founded Homes For Our Troops, a nonprofit organization.
With a plan in place, Gonsalves began searching for a recipient for the first home. One evening, as he was watching the NBC Nightly News, the host Brian Williams was at Walter Reed Medical Center speaking to Sergeant Peter Damon, an Army soldier who had lost both of his arms in the war on terror. “I remembered watching the interview with the soldier and thinking, This is exactly why I wanted to put this together.” When it was then mentioned that the soldier was from Brockton, Massachusetts, two towns from where Gonsalves grew up, he felt things falling into place.
Prior to Damon’s deployment to Iraq he had been living with his girlfriend (whom he has since married) and their two children in an apartment. In an effort to save money while he was overseas, his family moved in with his mother. The first meeting between Gonsalves and Damon took place while the soldier was on a convalescent leave from Walter Reed Medical Center. As they talked, Damon expressed uncertainty about his family’s future and where they would live. “With his injury, it put him in a situation that was tough,” says Gonsalves, “so we offered to build him a house.”
And build him a house they did. With assistance from Homes For Our Troops, Damon was able to move his family into a beautiful three-bedroom ranch-style home with a garage. Of course, this wasn’t just a typical home, but rather one that had been customized to meet Damon’s special needs. In addition to meeting the visitability requirements of a no-step entrance, wider doorways and an accessible bathroom, Gonsalves and the team of volunteer contractors and builders also included a proximity reader. The reader, a small device that Damon keeps on him, automatically opens the front door when he comes within a certain proximity, allowing him entrance into his home and the ability to easily welcome in guests. An open (hallway-free) floor plan, lever door handles and slide-outs in the kitchen cabinets make the family quarters accessible for Damon. Body sprays in the shower and a digitally controlled, paper-free toilet-bidet combination round out the accessibility features in the bathroom.
To date, four projects have been completed (including two featured on ABC’s hit Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) and two more are nearing completion. The organization has recently purchased a home in Virginia that will be renovated to accommodate its future homeowner’s disabilities, and this year it expects to start five or six additional projects nationwide. Because of the extent of the special features recipients require for total accessibility, Homes For Our Troops prefers to build its homes from the ground up. However, finding land can become an obvious obstacle in the current real estate climate. “Real estate right now is very expensive, and that’s been one of the hardest parts,” admits Gonsalves.
Homes for Our Troops reaches out to all branches of the military, and while the initial focus has been on seriously injured service members returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, the organization will consider granting assistance to veterans who acquired severe disabilities from any wars or foreign conflicts. Because of the scope of his vision and its financial demands—homes are given to the injured service members completely free of charge—Gonsalves realizes that ultimately land won’t be their only obstacle. “Outside of acquiring the land, the main thing is raising enough money. There are so many veterans who have been injured; this is really going to take tens of millions of dollars,” he says.
For Homes For Our Troops, the more people who hear about the program the better. But as the general public hears about the organization, so do those coming back from war with severe injuries and lacking a place they can call home. “You come back with a complete change of lifestyle, but you still want your life to be as normal as possible,” shares Army Sergeant Joseph Bozik, who had both legs and his right arm amputated as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq. “Homes for Our Troops is helping soldiers adjust. When you’re at the hospital, everyone is very helpful and you have a very caring team around you all the time. But then you go home, and when you can’t access your house, the memories you had there seem to go away. Homes for Our Troops, through building adaptive homes, is helping build the foundation for the new memories you will create in your life.”
As demand builds, how will recipients be selected? “We try to establish who’s in the most need, and it’s not an easy thing to do. We look at the severity of the injury, their family situation, living situation and things like that,” says Gonsalves. “We try to make sure we do it in a fair way, but also in a way where we can help the person who’s in the most critical need.”
America is the land of the free and the home of the brave; the land may not be free, but thanks to this organization, the brave will have homes.
by Romney Snyder
For more information on Homes for Our Troops, visit
Vets' disability pay is widely disparate By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 19, 3:07 AM ET
WASHINGTON - Injured veterans could be shortchanged in their government disability pay depending on where they live because of wide disparities from state to state, an internal study concludes.
The 1 1/2-year investigation, conducted by the Institute for Defense Analysis, is the first to examine scientifically the reasons behind the Veterans Affairs' uneven handling of veterans claims for disability compensation. It was launched by the VA following reports in 2005 of wide differences in payments.
The 50-page report, made available to The Associated Press, found that average annual disability payments swung widely — from $7,556 in Ohio to $12,395 in New Mexico. Nationwide, the average pay was $8,890.
Illinois, which was the lowest in the nation in 2004 at $6,961, was the seventh lowest at roughly $7,816.
"The process by which VA adjudicates claims has potential for producing persistent regional differences in rating results," said David Hunter, who compiled the study. "For certain claims, different raters could reasonably arrive at different results."
Since reports of disparities emerged in 2005, the VA has struggled to explain them. It has largely blamed problems on demographic factors beyond its control; for instance, whether a particular state had more Vietnam veterans, who on average receive higher payments, or whether a veteran had legal help when making a claim.
But the study released to the AP found that roughly one-third of the problems could be blamed on poor VA standards and inadequate training. As a result, disability raters in VA regional offices often had too much power and discretion to decide how much pay a veteran was entitled
.
The report also faulted the VA for not collecting data on certain types of claims, such as how many post-traumatic stress disorder cases are rejected. As a result, it was impossible to determine whether part of the disparity might be due to a VA office inappropriately rejecting a high number of claims for PTSD, a signature injury of the Iraq war.
Some soldiers and veterans groups have charged that Army disability review boards, which are under the Pentagon's purview, unfairly reject PTSD claims to avoid paying disability pay. No data was available to determine whether that might be the case for the VA, the report said.
Among the findings:
_PTSD claims generate among the highest disability pay, averaging $20,000 each year to more than 200,000 veterans. While VA staff expected PTSD claims would be more subjective from state to state, their ratings were actually more stable compared with other injuries and illnesses, such as cardiovascular problems.
_Veterans who receive legal help or aid from advocacy groups receive on average $11,162, compared with $4,728 for those who go it alone. Currently about two-thirds of veterans get such advocacy help; the highest representation is in North Dakota (81.9 percent), while the lowest is in Maryland (44.8 percent).
_Vietnam veterans received annual awards of $11,670, compared with $7,410 for those who fought in other wars. The lowest pay was given to Gulf War veterans — $6,506.
The report comes as the Bush administration races to improve its veterans care system following disclosures earlier this year of shoddy outpatient treatment at the Pentagon-run Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
On Tuesday, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson unexpectedly announced he would step down by Oct. 1 to return to the private sector, leaving the helm of the VA's vast network of 1,400 hospitals and clinics that provide supplementary care to 5.8 million veterans.
Both Congress and a presidential commission are considering sweeping measures that could shift more responsibility for rating a veterans' disability from the Pentagon to the VA — a move that some veterans advocates say could further strain an already backlogged VA system.
In interviews, Patrick Dunne, VA's assistant secretary for policy, planning and preparedness, and Ronald Aument, the VA's deputy undersecretary for benefits, said they welcomed the findings and would take additional measures to improve training and oversight.
Beside hiring hundreds of additional staff, the VA is beginning to collect more data on the types of claims rejected, standardizing procedures from office to office and improving collaboration with its medical personnel to ensure claims processors have enough information to make a decision based on objective criteria, Aument said.
The agency also is doubling the size of its quality assurance program — currently 15 people — to review data and audit pay outcomes on a regular basis.
A separate review of the VA system for handling disability claims is also under way to determine how to cut through bureaucratic delays, confusing paperwork and long appeals processes as thousands of veterans return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"If we work on accuracy, consistency will in turn follow," Aument said.
Injured Iraq war veterans sue VA head
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer 3 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Frustrated by delays in health care, a coalition of injured Iraq war veterans is accusing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.
The class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks broad change in the agency as it struggles to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Suing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans, it charges that the VA has failed warriors on several fronts — from providing prompt disability benefits, to adding staff to reduce wait times for medical care to boosting services for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The lawsuit also accuses the VA of deliberately cheating some veterans by allegedly working with the Pentagon to misclassify PTSD claims as pre-existing personality disorders to avoid paying out benefits. The VA and Pentagon have generally denied such charges.
VA spokesman Matt Smith said Monday he could not comment on a pending lawsuit. But he said the agency is committed to meeting the special needs of Iraq war veterans.
"Through outreach efforts, the VA ensures returning Global War on Terror service members have access to the widely recognized quality health care they have earned including services such as prosthetics or mental health care," he said. "VA has also given priority handling to their monetary disability benefit claims."
The lawsuit comes amid intense political and public scrutiny of the VA and Pentagon following reports of shoddy outpatient care of injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and elsewhere.
"Unless systemic and drastic measures are instituted immediately, the costs to these veterans, their families, and our nation will be incalculable, including broken families, a new generation of unemployed and homeless veterans, increases in drug abuse and alcoholism, and crushing burdens on the health care delivery system," the complaint states.
It asks that a federal court order the VA to make immediate improvements that would speed disability payments, ensure fairness in awards and provide more complete access to mental health care.
Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in San Francisco issued a strong rebuke of the VA in ordering the agency to pay retroactive benefits to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and contracted a form of leukemia.
"The performance of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has contributed substantially to our sense of national shame," the opinion from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals read.
Nicholson abruptly announced last week he would step down by Oct. 1 to return to the private sector. He has repeatedly defended the agency during his 2 1/2-year tenure while acknowledging there was room for improvement.
More recently, following high-profile suicide incidents in which families of veterans say the VA did not provide adequate care, Nicholson pledged to add mental health services and hire more suicide-prevention coordinators.
Some veterans say those measures aren't enough. In the lawsuit, they note that government investigators warned as early as 2002 that the VA needed to fix its backlogged claims system and make other changes.
Yet, the lawsuit says, Nicholson and other officials still insisted on a budget in 2005 that fell $1 billion short, and they made "a mockery of the rule of law" by awarding senior officials $3.8 million in bonuses despite their role in the budget foul-up.
Today, the VA's backlog of disability payments is now between 400,000 and 600,000, with delays of up to 177 days to process an initial claim and an average of 657 days to process an appeal. Several congressional committees and a presidential commission are now studying ways to improve care.
"While steps can and will be taken in the political arena, responsibility for action lies with the agency itself," said Melissa W. Kasnitz, managing attorney for Disability Rights Advocates, in a telephone interview. Her group is teaming up with a major law firm, Morrison & Foerster, to represent the veterans.
"We don't believe the problems will be fixed by the VA if we wait for them," she said. "In the meantime, it is veterans who risk their lives for our country who are suffering the consequences."
The lawsuit cites violations of the Constitution and federal law, which mandates at least two years of health care to injured veterans.
The veterans groups involved in the lawsuit are Veterans for Common Sense in Washington, D.C., which claims 11,500 members, and Veterans United for Truth, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., with 500 members.
TAPS
If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in
which taps were played; this brings out a new meaning of it.
Here is something Every American should know Until I
read this, I didn't know, but I checked it out and
it's true:
We in the United States have all heard the haunting
song, "Taps".
It's the song that gives us that lump in our throats and
usually tears in our eyes.
But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I
think you will be interested to find out about its humble
beginnings.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civilar, when Union
Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near
Harrison's Landing in Virginia.
The Confederate Army was on the other side
of the narrow strip of land.
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of
a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.
Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier,
the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the
stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on
his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier
and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he
discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was
dead.
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his
breath and went numb with shock.
In the dim light, he saw the face of the
soldier. It was his own son.
The boy had been studying music in the
South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy
enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked
permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial,
despite his enemy status.
His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army
band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.
The request was turned down since the soldier was a
Confederate.
But, out of respect for the father, they did say they
could give him only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to
play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the
pocket of the dead youth's uniform.
This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" .... used
at military funerals was born.
Furor After Flag-Folding Ceremony Pulled From Cemeteries
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
A group of congressmen has asked the Department of Veterans Affairs to reconsider its ban on the flag-folding ceremony at military funerals after the agency decided last month to streamline burials at federal cemeteries.
"The flag folding recitation is a longstanding tradition which brings comfort to the living and honor to the deceased," Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., writes in his letter Tuesday signed by 11 other congressmen. "The recitations accompanying each fold pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our veterans and their families, the nation they proudly serve, and the beliefs that they hold dear."
Veterans Affairs made the new policy decision last month, after a complaint was filed about a service at Riverside National Cemetery in California.
At issue are secondary meanings attached to the folding of the flag. As the Memorial Honor Guard makes the 13 folds — traditionally representing the original colonies — they recite "the first fold of our flag is a symbol of life, the second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life, etc."
A complaint about the recitation for the 11th fold — "in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" — garnered a complaint at the California cemetery, and according to reports, prompted the ban.
In a Sept. 27 memo, the National Cemetery Administration halted the ceremony. It was an effort to create uniform services throughout the military graveyard system, spokesman Mike Nacincik said.
But it's caused a furor among veterans. Members of the American Legion have been flooding national headquarters since the decision, according to Ramona Joyce, an organization spokeswoman.
"We definitely think is a matter left up to the families," she said. "It's a nice ceremony; we've been doing it for years. Our honor guards have been doing it.
"It's respectful and it's something the family should be able to choose to have done if they so wish for their veteran," Joyce said.
Nacincik said the 13-fold recital is not part of the U.S. Flag Code and is not government-approved.
"That the actions of one disgruntled, whining, narcissistic and intolerant individual is preventing veterans from getting the honors they deserve is truly an outrage," Rees Lloyd, 59, said. "This is another attempt by secularist fanatics to cleanse any reference to God."
The 12th fold recitation is geared to Christians, saying the fold "represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost."
In the Legion's burning ceremony for the dignified disposal of unserviceable flags, a chaplain invokes the name of God with lines like "as they yield their substance to the fire, may your holy light spread over us and bring our hearts renewed devotion to God and country," Joyce said.
World War II Navy veteran Bobby Castillo, 85, said it's "a slap in the face to every veteran."
"When we got back from the war, we didn't ask for a whole lot," Castillo said. "We just want to give our veterans the respect they deserve. No one has ever complained to us about it. I just don't understand."
Lloyd and Castillo are part of a 16-member detail that have performed military honors at more than 1,400 services. They were preparing to read the flag-folding remarks at the Riverside cemetery when graveyard staff stopped them.
Charlie Waters, parliamentarian for the American Legion of California, said he's advising memorial honor details to ignore the edict.
"This is nuts," Waters told the Press-Enterprise by telephone from Fresno. "There are 26 million veterans in this country and they're not going to take us all to prison."
Nacincik said that while the flag-folding narrative includes references to God that the government does not endorse, the main reason for the new rules is uniformity.
"We are looking at consistency," Nacincik said. "We think that's important."
Rabbi Yitzhak Miller of Temple Beth El said he understands the ban.
"It is a perfect example of government choosing to ignore religion in order to avoid offending some religions," Miller said. "To me, ignoring religion in general is just as problematic as endorsing any one religion."
Shuler's letter urged Veterans Affairs to change its mind.
"Please reconsider the policy and allow the Memorial Honor Detail volunteers to perform the traditional flag-folding recitation if requested by the family of the deceased," he wrote.
"There is no greater privilege than leading American soldiers."
Lt.Col. Danny McKnight
Commander 3rd Ranger Battalion
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military worldwide
Don't let our POW-MIA become forgotten causalities of war.
We owe a debt of gratitude for their sacrifice,
and they need to be remembered as lost heroes,
continuing a effort to bring them home,
to their loved ones,
Each of them is someone's
son-daughter-sister-brother-father-mother-child.
They should always be the unforgotten.
and for their sacrifice they should receive
a purple heart.
Subject: A Special Christmas Card
When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:
A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001
Concerned by rising stress levels in the ranks, the Defense Department has quietly started an online self-screening program in hopes that anonymity will help some service members and their spouses overcome reluctance to confront possible mental-health problems.
"It's an excellent tool — available 24/7 so you can do it at night when nobody's watching," said Deborah Manning, who coordinates Army substance-abuse programs at Fort Benning, Ga. "The anonymity can make a big difference to a soldier who's been trained to think, ' I can handle this.'"
The new online program is aimed at members of all military branches, whether or not they have been in war zones, and also at their families
The online program, developed by a nonprofit group called Screening for Mental Health, is divided into subsections addressing depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse. It is free and confidential; participants are asked about deployment records and military status but not for any details that would identify them.
Click on link below if interested .
