Marine, war veteran beaten in possible hate crime
WMCAction
News5.com Staff
Posted: Aug 26, 2014
West Point, Miss.
(WMC) - A 32-year-old Marine and Iraq war veteran attacked and beaten in what might be a hate crime.
Investigators say several men jumped Ralph Weems in a parking lot in West Point, Mississippi.
One man is in custody, but West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley says there were more attackers. His department is developing a list and trying to bring them in for questioning.
The Associated Press reports that Weems' friend and fellow veteran David Knighten says the beating was racially charged.
Knighten says someone outside a Waffle House told him politely that it was not a safe place for whites to be at the moment, because people inside were upset over the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Latest Fort Lee Suicide Part of Many
Fort Lee has history of soldier killings, suicides
Times Dispatch
Mark Bowes
Richmond Times Dispatch
August 25, 2014
Fort Lee has seen at least four other soldiers commit suicide in the past three years, with two of them collectively killing five other people before fatally shooting themselves.
The soldiers who killed had served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and at least one of them was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from his last deployment.
Three years ago today, Fort Lee Army Capt. Leonard J. Egland, 37, committed one of the worst multiple slayings in Chesterfield in a decade. Police said he fatally shot his estranged wife, Carrie P. Egland, 36; her new boyfriend, Scott T. Allred, 40; and Allred’s 7-year-old son, Morgan, in the Chester home the Eglands had shared before they separated about a year earlier and Egland moved out.
Police said Egland, an 18-year Army veteran who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, then traveled to Pennsylvania, where he fatally shot his estranged wife’s mother, Barbara Reuhl, 66, before dropping off his daughter unharmed at a hospital. Egland then fatally shot himself in Jamison, Pa., after firing at police who tried to stop him.
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Fort Lee Suicide
Times Dispatch
Mark Bowes
Richmond Times Dispatch
August 25, 2014
Fort Lee has seen at least four other soldiers commit suicide in the past three years, with two of them collectively killing five other people before fatally shooting themselves.
The soldiers who killed had served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and at least one of them was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from his last deployment.
Three years ago today, Fort Lee Army Capt. Leonard J. Egland, 37, committed one of the worst multiple slayings in Chesterfield in a decade. Police said he fatally shot his estranged wife, Carrie P. Egland, 36; her new boyfriend, Scott T. Allred, 40; and Allred’s 7-year-old son, Morgan, in the Chester home the Eglands had shared before they separated about a year earlier and Egland moved out.
Police said Egland, an 18-year Army veteran who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, then traveled to Pennsylvania, where he fatally shot his estranged wife’s mother, Barbara Reuhl, 66, before dropping off his daughter unharmed at a hospital. Egland then fatally shot himself in Jamison, Pa., after firing at police who tried to stop him.
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Fort Lee Suicide
Tulsa researchers attempt to end nightmares of PTSD
Local Researchers Take New Approach to Treating PTSD
NPR
Matt Trotter
August 25, 2014
Nearly 8 million Americans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychologists at a local institute believe they’ve found a better way to treat it, and they have backing from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the form of a six-figure grant.
The typical course of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder involves nine to 12 sessions with a therapist.
"And there’s no medications involved. It is an approach that focuses on the way that trauma impacts the way that you think, the way that you behave and the way that you feel," said Joanne Davis, codirector of the Tulsa Institute for Trauma, Abuse and Injustice, and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Tulsa.
She’s launching a study of a two-sided treatment approach for PTSD because traditional therapy helps with functional issues "but nightmares and sleep problems are considered to be the hallmark of posttraumatic stress disorder," Davis said.
"And they’re really looked-at important factors that not only help in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder but also in maintaining it over the long term."
read more here
NPR
Matt Trotter
August 25, 2014
These nightmares tend to stick around a long time. Think of the worst night’s sleep you’ve ever had, then multiply it. By a lot.
"In our clinical trials, the noncombat trials that we’ve done, it’s an average of 16 to 18 years that people have suffered from nightmares multiple times per week," Davis said. "And in our combat study that we did a couple years ago, it was an average of 40 years."
Nearly 8 million Americans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychologists at a local institute believe they’ve found a better way to treat it, and they have backing from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the form of a six-figure grant.
The typical course of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder involves nine to 12 sessions with a therapist.
"And there’s no medications involved. It is an approach that focuses on the way that trauma impacts the way that you think, the way that you behave and the way that you feel," said Joanne Davis, codirector of the Tulsa Institute for Trauma, Abuse and Injustice, and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Tulsa.
She’s launching a study of a two-sided treatment approach for PTSD because traditional therapy helps with functional issues "but nightmares and sleep problems are considered to be the hallmark of posttraumatic stress disorder," Davis said.
"And they’re really looked-at important factors that not only help in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder but also in maintaining it over the long term."
read more here
Woman ran 3,400 miles for veterans
Woman runs 3,400 miles for wounded veterans
By MYFOX NEW YORK STAFF
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
NEW YORK (MYFOXNY)
Long-distance running helped Anna Judd overcome challenges in life and she used that experience to help America's veterans struggling with their own conditions.
Judd completed a 3,400- mile run from Venice, California to Lower Manhattan over five months in an effort to draw awareness to America's wounded soldiers. She arrived in New York City on Saturday afternoon.
"I feel pretty good. I think your body can adjust to anything. It was a huge physical challenge. I wanted to challenge myself to my limitations not just physically but emotionally and make a difference in the world," said Judd.
The veteran suicide rate is 22 a day, added Judd, and the number with psychological and mental health problems including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder is high.
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By MYFOX NEW YORK STAFF
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
NEW YORK (MYFOXNY)
Long-distance running helped Anna Judd overcome challenges in life and she used that experience to help America's veterans struggling with their own conditions.
Judd completed a 3,400- mile run from Venice, California to Lower Manhattan over five months in an effort to draw awareness to America's wounded soldiers. She arrived in New York City on Saturday afternoon.
"I feel pretty good. I think your body can adjust to anything. It was a huge physical challenge. I wanted to challenge myself to my limitations not just physically but emotionally and make a difference in the world," said Judd.
The veteran suicide rate is 22 a day, added Judd, and the number with psychological and mental health problems including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder is high.
read more here
Fort Hood Soldier's Death in Afghanistan Under Investigation
ABC News 25
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
FORT HOOD - The Department of Defense has released the name of a Fort Hood soldier who died from a "non-combat" related incident on Friday, August 22 in Gardez, Afghanistan.
According to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, Sgt. Christopher Waugh Mulalley, 26, whose home of record is listed as Eureka, California, entered active-duty service in July 2006 as an infantryman.
Circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation. Further details into the incident were not released.
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Monday, August 25, 2014
Data on VA suicide prevention shows "shh" moment extended
VA touts progress on suicides; data tell another story
USA TODAY
Dennis Wagner
August 25, 2014
Seven years ago, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rejected allegations by media outlets and watchdog organizations that America faced a suicide epidemic among former military personnel.
The VA claimed just 790 veterans under department care had taken their own lives that year. Yet, by reviewing available public records since 2005, CBS News uncovered 6,256 suicides.
As VA officials publicly disputed the network's data, Dr. Ira Katz, the top mental-health officer, was sending internal e-mails titled "Not for the CBS Interview Request."
"Shh!" Katz wrote in one message. "Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our medical facilities."
When the e-mails were disclosed, confirming the CBS findings, some members of Congress called for Katz's resignation or termination.
Today, Katz remains at VA headquarters as acting director of mental health operations. In a phone interview with The Arizona Republic, he and Caitlin Thompson, deputy director for suicide prevention, said veterans' mental-health care is a national success story that merits a B+ if graded on a curve against other programs. Katz said recent data indicate the suicide rate is increasing among men in the general U.S. population but is stable among VA patients. "We're doing relatively well by fighting this trend," he added.
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I made a promise about not writing anything that was not positive on military suicides so I am reserving what I want to say now with this latest report. So here is just a reminder.
This is from 2008 and the promises made by the VA to respond to the suicide crisis
USA TODAY
Dennis Wagner
August 25, 2014
But other evidence hints at the magnitude of the crisis. As of June 2012, the national VA Suicide Prevention Line was getting roughly 17,000 calls per month — up more than 17 percent from 2009. Four out of five were veterans seeking help, nearly one-third of them contemplating suicide.
Seven years ago, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rejected allegations by media outlets and watchdog organizations that America faced a suicide epidemic among former military personnel.
The VA claimed just 790 veterans under department care had taken their own lives that year. Yet, by reviewing available public records since 2005, CBS News uncovered 6,256 suicides.
As VA officials publicly disputed the network's data, Dr. Ira Katz, the top mental-health officer, was sending internal e-mails titled "Not for the CBS Interview Request."
"Shh!" Katz wrote in one message. "Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our medical facilities."
When the e-mails were disclosed, confirming the CBS findings, some members of Congress called for Katz's resignation or termination.
Today, Katz remains at VA headquarters as acting director of mental health operations. In a phone interview with The Arizona Republic, he and Caitlin Thompson, deputy director for suicide prevention, said veterans' mental-health care is a national success story that merits a B+ if graded on a curve against other programs. Katz said recent data indicate the suicide rate is increasing among men in the general U.S. population but is stable among VA patients. "We're doing relatively well by fighting this trend," he added.
read more here
I made a promise about not writing anything that was not positive on military suicides so I am reserving what I want to say now with this latest report. So here is just a reminder.
This is from 2008 and the promises made by the VA to respond to the suicide crisis
Justice Department lawyer Richard Lepley argued Monday that the VA has responded to the unprecedented number of claims, which officials say is being driven by aging Vietnam veterans and other warriors of the Cold War era, by launching a massive new hiring process.
Lepley told the judge that the VA has added more than 3,700 new "mental health physicians" to a mental health professional staff of 17,000 that treats increasing cases if post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems in the last year.
"We are staffing up," Lepley said. "We can't do it overnight."
Government lawyers say the VA has been devoting more resources to mental health and making suicide prevention a top priority. They also argue that the courts don't have the authority to tell the department how it should operate.
Earlier in the morning, veterans lawyer Gordon Erspamer told the judge that the VA isn't doing enough, calling for the judge to order a massive overhaul of how the VA processes claims and perhaps hire a "special master" to preside over the agency.
Erspamer cited a RAND Corp. report released last week estimating that 300,000 U.S. troops—about 20 percent of those deployed—are suffering from depression or post-traumatic stress from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Erspamer showed the judge two e-mails written last year among high-ranking officials that said an average of 18 military veterans kill themselves each day—and five of them are under VA care when they commit suicide. Another e-mail said 1,000 veterans under VA care attempt suicide each month.
Minnesota: Veteran Suicides Almost Double Civilian Rate
Veterans and suicide: A national issue with local consequences
St. Cloud Times
Kirsti Marohn and David Unze
August 25, 2014
Almost 19 percent of suicides in Minnesota from 2007-12 were veterans
That's the estimated number of veterans in the United States who died by suicide every day in 2010, according to a February 2012 report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
A St. Cloud Times analysis of state death records found that 686 veterans died by suicide in Minnesota from 2007 to 2012. Almost 19 percent of suicides in Minnesota during those years were veterans, which closely tracks the national numbers.
Veterans also are dying from suicides at a higher rate than the general population, according to the Times analysis.
The average rate of veteran suicides in Minnesota during that six-year period was 30 per 100,000 people, almost double the suicide rate of the overall population of 15.4 per 100,000.
Scars of Service
read more here
St. Cloud Times
Kirsti Marohn and David Unze
August 25, 2014
Almost 19 percent of suicides in Minnesota from 2007-12 were veterans
That's the estimated number of veterans in the United States who died by suicide every day in 2010, according to a February 2012 report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
A St. Cloud Times analysis of state death records found that 686 veterans died by suicide in Minnesota from 2007 to 2012. Almost 19 percent of suicides in Minnesota during those years were veterans, which closely tracks the national numbers.
Veterans also are dying from suicides at a higher rate than the general population, according to the Times analysis.
The average rate of veteran suicides in Minnesota during that six-year period was 30 per 100,000 people, almost double the suicide rate of the overall population of 15.4 per 100,000.
Scars of Service
read more here
New York Daily News called Fort Lee soldier "unhinged" in suicide report?
Fort Lee suicide soldier identified as Sgt. 1st Class Paula Walker from Yonkers, NY Paula Walker was a human resources specialist, the U.S. Army says. The 14-year veteran shot herself to death in a barricaded office on the Virginia base.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Soldier dies after shooting at Fort Lee
WWBT
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
FORT LEE, VA (WWBT)
Fort Lee officials say a soldier has died after she likely shot herself at the post Monday morning.
The shooting caused the post to be placed on lockdown for around 45 minutes.
Army officials have not released the soldier's identity, but say she is an E7 Sergeant First Class who was deployed to Iraq in 2007 for 15 months in the personnel arena.
The soldier came into the Combined Arms Support Command Headquarters, building 5020 around 8:45 a.m. She went to the third floor of the building armed with a small, concealed handgun. She barricaded herself inside an office and began throwing stuff around the room.
An alert was sounded and officials made occupants take shelter or evacuate as negotiators tried to get the situation to end peacefully. Officials say the soldier turned the gun to her head and fired a single shot. No other injuries were reported.
Special Agents from the US Army Criminal Investigations Command are on scene and investigating.
Officials initially called the incident a 'police emergency' and asked everyone to stay indoors. The installation was locked down and all personnel were asked to enact active shooter protocols.
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Disturbed female soldier dies after she shoots herself in apparent suicide attempt at Fort Lee in Virginia
The female sergeant died after she barricaded herself in an office at the Combined Arms Support Command and threw things at police who tried to calm her down before firing a single round into her head, a major general at the fort said.
New York Daily News
BY PHILIP CAULFIELD
August 25, 2014
An unhinged female soldier died after she barricaded herself in an office at Fort Lee in Virginia and shot herself in the head on Monday, officials said.
The soldier initially survived the self-inflicted blast, but died after she was taken to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, officials at the fort said.
The incident at the heavily populated base began at around 9 a.m. when military authorities received alerts about a female soldier with a gun inside building 5020 at the Combined Arms Support Command headquarters.
Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, CASC's commander, said the sergeant 1st class had snapped, barricaded herself in an office with a gun and threw things at authorities trying to talk her down.
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There was another suicide tied to Fort Lee in January
Man dead in apparent murder-suicide a soldier, Fort Lee officials say
FROM STAFF REPORTS)
Published: January 15, 2014
FORT LEE - A man suspected of killing his wife and then turning the gun on himself was a decorated Fort Lee soldier who had done several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Terrell D. Davidson, 38, was an Army first sergeant who had deployed to Iraq for three tours and one tour in Afghanistan, according to a statement from Fort Lee officials Tuesday.
Davidson was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 12000 block of Mason Avenue around 9:15 p.m. Sunday, according to Chesterfield County police. Nearby, police found the body of the solider's wife, Nequia S. Davidson, 39. She died from a gunshot wound, police said.
Terrell Davidson entered active duty service in 1993 as an automated logistical specialist. He arrived at Fort Lee two years ago and served in a staff position as an instructor/writer. In November 2013, he was assigned as the senior noncommissioned officer in a 23rd Quartermaster Brigade training company.
Davidson deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and Iraq in 2003, 2004 and 2008.
His awards and decorations included the Bronze Star medal, five Army Commendation medals, five Army Achievement medals, six Army Good Conduct medals, two National Defense Service medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons, Combat Action Badge and Air Assault.
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Thief stole from triple amputee Afghanistan veteran!
Burglars steal triple amputee's hand movement
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
BY ALIA MALIK
AUGUST 22, 2014
SAN ANTONIO — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ben Eberle was smoking a cigarette Nov. 19, 2011, in the Tangi Valley of Afghanistan when he saw the blue wire.
He took one last drag of his cigarette, knowing what would come the moment the enemy detected his movement. He took off running and the IED exploded.
Eberle threw up his right arm to protect his face from the blast. He lost that hand, and both of his legs.
Almost three years later, Eberle, now 27 and medically retired, smoked a cigarette as he described the overnight burglary that cost him his right hand for the second time.
Eberle awoke sometime after 10 a.m. Friday to the news that someone had smashed the window of his pickup and stolen an iPod Touch out of the center console.
It was no ordinary iPod Touch. The device had an application called i-limb, which Eberle manipulated with the pinky of his prosthetic right hand to achieve a range of movements that otherwise would be impossible with so many damaged nerves.
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SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
BY ALIA MALIK
AUGUST 22, 2014
SAN ANTONIO — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ben Eberle was smoking a cigarette Nov. 19, 2011, in the Tangi Valley of Afghanistan when he saw the blue wire.
He took one last drag of his cigarette, knowing what would come the moment the enemy detected his movement. He took off running and the IED exploded.
Eberle threw up his right arm to protect his face from the blast. He lost that hand, and both of his legs.
Almost three years later, Eberle, now 27 and medically retired, smoked a cigarette as he described the overnight burglary that cost him his right hand for the second time.
Eberle awoke sometime after 10 a.m. Friday to the news that someone had smashed the window of his pickup and stolen an iPod Touch out of the center console.
It was no ordinary iPod Touch. The device had an application called i-limb, which Eberle manipulated with the pinky of his prosthetic right hand to achieve a range of movements that otherwise would be impossible with so many damaged nerves.
read more here
Why do police departments get military equipment?
How and why local police departments get military surplus equipment
Stars and Stripes
By Jon Harper
Published: August 24, 2014
WASHINGTON — After seeing TV footage of the police in Ferguson, Mo., deploying Humvees and brandishing assault rifles in the face of protesters, some Americans are questioning whether local law enforcement agencies should be allowed to acquire military equipment from the Pentagon. A congressional review has been scheduled, with the president’s backing.
But few understand how the Defense Department’s 1033 Program actually works. Even Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had to ask his staffers this week to explain it to him.
The ongoing controversy raises important questions: Why does the program exist? Why do many police officers believe they need military-grade equipment? And what safeguards are in place to ensure that weapons and vehicles designed for combat zones are used responsibly in towns like Ferguson?
How it came to be
The 1033 Program was an invention of Congress, not the Pentagon. It came into being through the 1990-1991 National Defense Authorization Act, and the program’s original scope was much narrower than it is today. As the federal government’s “war on drugs” escalated, the 1990-1991 NDAA authorized the transfer of excess DOD property to federal and state agencies for use in counterdrug activities. A few years later, the program was broadened considerably to include materiel that could be used for “the execution of law enforcement activities,” to include counterdrug and counterterrorism missions, according to DOD.
The theory behind the initiative was that the military’s unneeded equipment might as well be put to good use, rather than be destroyed or warehoused.
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Stars and Stripes
By Jon Harper
Published: August 24, 2014
WASHINGTON — After seeing TV footage of the police in Ferguson, Mo., deploying Humvees and brandishing assault rifles in the face of protesters, some Americans are questioning whether local law enforcement agencies should be allowed to acquire military equipment from the Pentagon. A congressional review has been scheduled, with the president’s backing.
But few understand how the Defense Department’s 1033 Program actually works. Even Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had to ask his staffers this week to explain it to him.
The ongoing controversy raises important questions: Why does the program exist? Why do many police officers believe they need military-grade equipment? And what safeguards are in place to ensure that weapons and vehicles designed for combat zones are used responsibly in towns like Ferguson?
How it came to be
The 1033 Program was an invention of Congress, not the Pentagon. It came into being through the 1990-1991 National Defense Authorization Act, and the program’s original scope was much narrower than it is today. As the federal government’s “war on drugs” escalated, the 1990-1991 NDAA authorized the transfer of excess DOD property to federal and state agencies for use in counterdrug activities. A few years later, the program was broadened considerably to include materiel that could be used for “the execution of law enforcement activities,” to include counterdrug and counterterrorism missions, according to DOD.
The theory behind the initiative was that the military’s unneeded equipment might as well be put to good use, rather than be destroyed or warehoused.
read more here
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Australia Rolling Thunder Vietnam More Than Music
Rolling Thunder Vietnam delivers history via the big hits of the era
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
JO LITSON ARTS WRITER
AUGUST 23, 2014
WHEN musician Wes Carr was approached about performing in Rolling Thunder Vietnam, it was the thought of his two-year-old son one day being conscripted into national service that brought home the project.
A “concert drama” about the Vietnam War, told from a predominantly Australian perspective, Carr plays a young Sydney man who is conscripted in the National Ballot.
“Although I studied the Vietnam War growing up, essentially (I knew about it) through the music (of the era),” Carr says.
“Then I read the script and I started thinking about how if in 17 years time they called my son up to go to a war where they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into, as a father they’d have to lock me up before they could get to him.”
Subtitled Songs That Defined A Generation, Rolling Thunder Vietnam boasts a kick-arse selection of 20 classic hits including War, The Real Thing, Born To Be Wild, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy, All Along The Watchtower and We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place.
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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
JO LITSON ARTS WRITER
AUGUST 23, 2014
The show features screens that play archival footage from the Vietnam War.
WHEN musician Wes Carr was approached about performing in Rolling Thunder Vietnam, it was the thought of his two-year-old son one day being conscripted into national service that brought home the project.
A “concert drama” about the Vietnam War, told from a predominantly Australian perspective, Carr plays a young Sydney man who is conscripted in the National Ballot.
Almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam between 1963 and 1973.
More than 1000 were wounded and 521 were killed.
“Although I studied the Vietnam War growing up, essentially (I knew about it) through the music (of the era),” Carr says.
“Then I read the script and I started thinking about how if in 17 years time they called my son up to go to a war where they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into, as a father they’d have to lock me up before they could get to him.”
Subtitled Songs That Defined A Generation, Rolling Thunder Vietnam boasts a kick-arse selection of 20 classic hits including War, The Real Thing, Born To Be Wild, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy, All Along The Watchtower and We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place.
read more here
Highway through Idaho is now officially Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
I-84 now officially Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Eye On Boise
Spokesman Review
Posted by Betsy
Aug. 12, 2014
I-84 through Idaho is now officially Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, under legislation passed and signed into law this year; new signs for the route were unveiled at a ceremony on the state Capitol steps this morning. “It has been far too long for this recognition to come,” declared Sen. Mike Crapo, addressing a crowd of more than 100, including many veterans. He called the choice of the state’s busiest freeway for the designation “incredibly fitting.”
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Eye On Boise
Spokesman Review
Posted by Betsy
Aug. 12, 2014
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Community Helps Triple Amputee Afghanistan Veteran After Fire
Community helps disabled veteran after tragic house fire
NBC Today
Elizabeth Murray
August 24, 2014
Captain Edward Klein has seen his share of pain and loss. Two years ago, the veteran soldier stepped on an IED in Afghanistan, losing both his legs, and arm and most of his remaining fingers.
After 18 months in rehab, Klein and his wife Jessica were just starting a new life together, putting the worst behind them until 10 days ago when their Maryland home caught fire.
"I started to see the smoke," Klein said. " About that time the alarms started going off."
But Klein and his wife Jessica were in the basement, and due to his injuries, Klein needed help escaping the flames.
"She was able to pull me out onto the front porch," Klein said. "And this is the really amazing part — that by the time I got outside, there were neighbors already standing on the porch waiting to help."
But that wasn't the only help neighbors and others in the community were willing to give.
read more here
NBC Today
Elizabeth Murray
August 24, 2014
Captain Edward Klein has seen his share of pain and loss. Two years ago, the veteran soldier stepped on an IED in Afghanistan, losing both his legs, and arm and most of his remaining fingers.
After 18 months in rehab, Klein and his wife Jessica were just starting a new life together, putting the worst behind them until 10 days ago when their Maryland home caught fire.
"I started to see the smoke," Klein said. " About that time the alarms started going off."
But Klein and his wife Jessica were in the basement, and due to his injuries, Klein needed help escaping the flames.
"She was able to pull me out onto the front porch," Klein said. "And this is the really amazing part — that by the time I got outside, there were neighbors already standing on the porch waiting to help."
But that wasn't the only help neighbors and others in the community were willing to give.
read more here
Little girl starts miracle for Iraq Veteran to have PTSD service dog
A little girl with a big heart gives an even bigger hand to a wounded Iraq vet
BIZ Pac Review
by Don Noel
August 24, 2014
An Iraq war veteran got an unexpected helping hand from an 8-year-old girl, reminding us that America is still a special place to live.
Nick Bailey, who served two tours in Iraq, was badly injured in 2007, when he survived a mortar attack that killed a fellow member of his unit, WCSC News reported Saturday.
Bailey, who served for more than 12 years, suffers from severe spinal pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and permanent mobility issues, the station reported.
The government offered Bailey the aid of a service dog, but the veteran and his wife already had a young German shepherd named Abel. Though he wasn’t trained as a service animal, the pet had a strong bond with the ex-soldier.
read more here
BIZ Pac Review
by Don Noel
August 24, 2014
An Iraq war veteran got an unexpected helping hand from an 8-year-old girl, reminding us that America is still a special place to live.
Nick Bailey, who served two tours in Iraq, was badly injured in 2007, when he survived a mortar attack that killed a fellow member of his unit, WCSC News reported Saturday.
Bailey, who served for more than 12 years, suffers from severe spinal pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and permanent mobility issues, the station reported.
The government offered Bailey the aid of a service dog, but the veteran and his wife already had a young German shepherd named Abel. Though he wasn’t trained as a service animal, the pet had a strong bond with the ex-soldier.
read more here
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