Hero helps 'broken' troops
Thursday, September 2, 2010 02:59 AM
By Jeb Phillips
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
One of the most highly decorated Marines during the war in Iraq had to drink to fall asleep. He once tried to kill himself.
Thursday, September 2, 2010 02:59 AM
By Jeb Phillips
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
One of the most highly decorated Marines during the war in Iraq had to drink to fall asleep. He once tried to kill himself.
1st Marine Division
Story by Sgt. Dean Davis
Date08.31.2010
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – When Cpl. Jeff Van Cleave left the Marine Corps in 1990 in hopes of becoming an officer, he wasn’t sure he would ever come back to the Marine Corps. Now, the U.S. Army major, who proudly wears the 1st Marine Division patch on his uniform, has returned and is responsible for all artillery in Helmand province, but the journey back to the “Blue Diamond” has taken him farther than he ever expected.
By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press
Aug. 29, 2010, 1:54PM
ALBUQUERQUE — Tourists hurry inside a shop here to buy books about the famed Navajo Code Talkers, warriors who used their native language as their primary weapon.
Continue reading "Original Navajo Code Talker still tells his story" »
Richard Verrier
August 24, 2010
Actress Shannon Lucio has just overpowered two rogue cops using everything from a pants belt to a shard of glass. She applied the “one-mind-many-weapons” technique taught to her by former Marine sergeant Jon Barton, who was watching the action unfold as the cameras rolled inside a former shoe warehouse in North Hollywood late Sunday night.
Continue reading "From here to Moorpark: Ex-Marine drills Hollywood in weapons & tactics" »
Jim “Seamus” Garrahy didn’t set out to become the guest of honor at the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks at 8th and I streets in Washington, D.C. Friday evening.
With an Oct. 21 deadline approaching to apply for a $500 monthly stop-loss allowance, the Defense Department appears to have exhausted most conventional means of trying to contact eligible veterans and is now asking current service members to get involved by calling any buddies who may be eligible.
Continue reading "DoD to troops: Tell buddies about stop-loss pay" »
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Aug 2, 2010 8:39:19 EDT
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — A suburban Chicago veteran of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps who received numerous awards during his more than two-decade military career was named the Illinois Veteran of the Month for July.
Continue reading "Former Marine named Illinois vet of the month" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. • The reading of Sophocles' classic drama "Ajax" was polished and powerful.
Continue reading "'Ajax' strikes chord with Marine veterans" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 28, 2010 17:18:55 EDT
Time is running out for current and former troops involuntarily held on active duty beyond their service commitments to apply for retroactive $500 monthly payments.
Continue reading "Oct. 21 is deadline to apply for stop-loss pay" »
By Natalie Bailey - Medill News Service
Posted : Tuesday Jul 13, 2010 18:08:55 EDT
With her copper hair, pale skin and small stature, Army Reserve Sgt. Jennifer Hunt, 26, stands out in the Veterans Affairs Department hospital waiting room filled with Vietnam War-era veterans.
Continue reading "Back home, female vets fight for recognition" »
TOPSAIL BEACH — Two families proved this weekend that, even if six-and-a-half decades go by, it’s never too late to fulfill a promise.
Continue reading "After 65 years, WWII veteran meets family of man who saved his life" »
Battle is on to add ‘Marine Corps’ to name
Dick Agler, an 80-year-old retired Marine, sat in the dim glow of a veterans canteen and chuckled into his beer. He chose that service in 1949 to avoid the Navy. “I didn’t want to be trapped on a ship,” he recalled.
HARRISBURG — Tim Salisbury never thought anyone but family and close friends would remember his brother, Jim, who died in Vietnam 42 years ago.
Lima Company of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Corps Regiment had a storied history in Vietnam. From Operation Hastings in 1966 to the Battle for Hue in 1968 to the end of Marine Corps combat operations in 1971, Lima was in the thick of things. Its veterans have a reunion every year, and this year it's in St. Louis.
Continue reading "Marine's brief time with Marine company brings long-lasting bond" »
Sitting at the kitchen table interviewing the retired master sergeant, it was clear that the former tank platoon leader was someone who had given his all in his devotion to country - serving in both Korea and Vietnam.
Continue reading "Joe Martinez: Once a Marine, always a Marine" »
Marine and Stafford resident Harry Clark was among the 'Devil Dogs' who fought in an iconic battle with the Germans in June 1918
The date June 6 is usually remembered for the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.
Continue reading " Honoring the heroes of Belleau Wood fight" »
Even though nearly 60 years have passed, Jess Meado still gets emotional when he thinks about fellow Marines killed in Korea.
Continue reading "Memories of ‘Forgotten War' linger for vets who were there" »
By Casey Cora - (Tinley Park) Southtown Star via Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 8:13:15 EDT
OAK LAWN, Ill. — For any potential homebuyer, searching for the right house is a struggle, one fraught with choices over aesthetics, location and practicality.
Continue reading "Volunteers refit home for injured Marine" »
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 13:54:13 EDT
A study shows that there may be a reason that those with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder deal with more physical health issues as they age: Their immune system has been compromised.
FREEHOLD — Though the process to name a bridge after a hometown hero took four years of legislative work and fundraising to come to fruition, the effort to honor Marine Cpl. Philip Reynolds was 60 years in the making.
Continue reading "Rt. 9 bridge in Freehold renamed to honor late Marine" »
By Todd Richmond - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 17, 2010 10:08:25 EDT
MADISON, Wis. — Thousands of Vietnam-era veterans are set to converge on Lambeau Field next weekend hoping for the words they’ve waited 40 years to hear: Thank you.
Continue reading "Thousands of Vietnam vets to gather for thanks" »
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The inaugural Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center here will draw to a close this evening, leaving in their wake a few hundred happy, but very tired troops, family members and volunteers.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 13, 2010 – When retired Marine Corps 1st Sgt. John Fuller was asked how he thought the inaugural Warrior Games archery competition would turn out, his answer was complicated, yet simple. And it was right.
Continue reading "Marines Earn Gold, Silver in Warrior Games Archery" »
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 13, 2010 – The Marine Corps teams competing at the inaugural Warrior Games here have a wealth of coaching knowledge available to their athletes.
Continue reading "Husband, Wife Coach Marine Shooting Team" »
An Afghan insurgent's homemade bomb shattered Marc Esposito's lower legs, broke his back and knocked him cold for four days. But the Air Force staff sergeant says the worst part was being torn from his Special Operations teammates who stayed in the field after he was evacuated.
Continue reading "Warrior Games give injured vets kinship, strength" »
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 12, 2010 – The Marine Corps team is on top after yesterday’s first day of competition at the inaugural Warrior Games here, sweeping their opponents and finishing 4-0 in team play.
Continue reading "Marines Dominate in Early Competition at Warrior Games" »
ARLINGTON, Va. — Garage sales and quilt raffles helped a determined group of female World War II veterans raise money to transform a rundown wall at Arlington National Cemetery into a grand stone memorial to women who served their country. But those women are dying off, even as the memorial runs short of funds.
Continue reading "Women’s memorial at Arlington struggling" »
Disabled veterans with sight, hearing and mobility limitations who might benefit from having a service dog at their side are being encouraged by a major veterans service organization to apply for government reimbursement of some dog-related expenses.
Continue reading "More vets eligible for service dog benefits" »
For Gerald Fuller, the thought of accomplishing something that his son had talked about before passing away in 2009 brought tears to his eyes Friday.
Continue reading "Memorial restoration drive launched in memory of Marine" »
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — George Chavez Sr., a member of the Navajo Code Talkers who confounded the Japanese during World War II by transmitting messages in their native language, has died. He was 85.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - From remembering people from the past to relaxation and even shaping the war atmosphere, one man has found a way to use bagpipes to fulfill many different needs
Vancouver man endured decades of nightmares
Rudy Podhora has relived images of World War II combat plenty of times over the last 65 years.
Continue reading "HBO series ‘The Pacific’ stirs Marine’s memories" »
WASHINGTON - With 153,000 veterans enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill this semester, and new automation tools to arrive this month to improve processing procedures, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki declared the program "on track" and headed toward greater efficiency.
Continue reading "Automation to Improve Post-9/11 GI Bill Processing" »
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama's top officials on Thursday honored two Mobilians whose World War II service in the Marines has become famous through television specials.
Continue reading "State honors WWII veterans Sidney Phillips, Eugene Sledge" »
In September 1967, the 1st Marine Division headed Operation Swift, a search-and-destroy operation the division undertook in Vietnam’s Que Son Valley.
Marine Corps veteran G. Dudley Bowers said he won’t watch HBO’s ongoing 10-part World War II miniseries, “The Pacific.”
Continue reading "Area veteran pops up in famous war photograph" »
Bruce Heilman, 84, said he can still remember the sound of gunfire blazing throughout the historical battle that took place more than six decades ago during World War II on the island of Iwo Jima.
Continue reading "Veterans return to Iwo Jima 65 years later: Heilman's story" »
William Faulkner was 21 when he landed on Iwo Jima for what would become one of history's bloodiest battles.
Continue reading "St. Charles ex-Marine shares memories of Iwo Jima" »
All eyes were on World War II veterans as they were honored and recognized at the World War II Memorial in Washington March 11 for their participation in the Pacific Campaign more than 65 years ago.
Continue reading "World War II vets honored on the grounds of their memorial" »
Medical providers stress that there's a commitment to serve all military personnel.
CHEYENNE -- Veteran health care is changing along with changing military demographics.
Continue reading "VA focuses on needs of more female vets" »
Marine Corps veteran and Broomfield, Colo., native, Joe Weinmeier, also known as "Flaming Joe," 83, gave serious thought about returning to the place where he fought in one of the fiercest battles of World War II and where he witnessed so many pay the ultimate sacrifice.
Continue reading "'Flaming Joe' returns to Iwo Jima 65 years later" »
A new series follows soldiers who fought in that war on the islands.
I whispered goodbye to the men of Fox Company
and all the other men in green
that we left on the beach at Iwo.
Cal Atwood, a Marine corporal wounded in battle on Iwo Jima, wrote those words about 30 years ago, decades after saying goodbye to his fallen comrades from a hospital bed in Guam.
Continue reading "Pacific theater Marines happy to have story told" »
R. Lee Ermey made his reputation using words and expletives as blunt-force instruments as a drill instructor in the iconic movie “Full Metal Jacket.”
NEW YORK — HBO is paying to send 250 veterans to Washington next week to visit the World War II memorial, coinciding with the networks’ premiere of a miniseries about the war.
Continue reading "HBO paying for honor flight for Marine vets" »
SAN DIEGO -- Many local military leaders, members of the military community and veterans attended the San Diego premiere of "The Pacific" aboard the USS Midway, Feb. 25.
IWO TO, Japan – Hundreds of U.S. Marines landed on the remote island of Iwo Jima on Tuesday to prepare for the 65th anniversary of one of World War II's bloodiest and most iconic battles.
Continue reading "US Marines land on Iwo Jima to mark anniversary" »
NEW YORK — For a civilian it's a source of inspiration. For a photographer it's a dynamic study of composition and structure. For a historian it inspires debates on amphibious tactics and whether an island a third the size of Manhattan should have been bypassed in favor of other objectives.
Continue reading "The picture of Marines: past and present" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — LEROY HULSER
It was Feb. 19, 1945, and Cpl. Leroy Hulser, a 19-year-old radioman with Company B, 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, was looking at the beach of Iwo Jima from a landing ship tank, an amphibious vehicle designed to transport personnel in shallow water where coral reefs made it hard for conventional vessels to travel in.
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — Dozens of Marines, sailors and Republic of Korea service members with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, gathered for a Korean War presentation Feb. 25 at the Sunset Lanai, Camp H.M Smith Hawaii.
Today is the 65th anniversary of the U.S. landing
Salt water drops sprayed over the gray gunnels of the landing craft and darkened the green uniform of U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Clarence Robinson. He eyed the black sands ringing the shore of Iwo Jima, a pork-chop-shaped spit of sulfur-belching volcanic rock sprouting from the Pacific Ocean.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — He has faithfully dedicated three times the required years necessary to retire and is still going.
Continue reading "Former Marine dedicates 60 years to Corps, still going strong" »
A 68-year-old Marine veteran fended off a knife-wielding, 6-foot-tall, 300-pound attacker in a Cumberland, Md., parking lot during a minutes-long struggle on Sunday, local media reported.
Continue reading "Marine vet repels knife-wielding attacker" »
GAUTIER, Miss. — A retired Marine is walking across the country in honor of veterans.
Continue reading "Marine walks across country for disabled vets" »
Medal of Honor recipient Lewis Millett of Idyllwild died Saturday morning at Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center in Loma Linda. He was 88.
Continue reading "Medal of Honor recipient Lewis Millett dies at age 88" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2009 – Senior federal officials today pledged their support of President Barack Obama’s directive to increase the hiring of military veterans.
Continue reading "Federal Officials Pledge Support for Hiring Veterans" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — A good mind is a terrible thing to waste, but failing to maximize GI Bill benefits is just plain foolish.
Continue reading "Get educated: Ins, outs of Post 9/11, Montgomery GI Bills" »
Liquor store owner: Fund raised $2,000 within about an hour
Jackson small business owners have started a reward fund to draw out information about who shot locksmith Troy Mitchell while he was working at an apartment complex earlier this week.
Continue reading "Business owners announce reward fund in shooting" »
Washington -- Former Marine Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez completed his third Marine Corps Marathon on a crisp fall Sunday, one of about 60 riding hand-cranked bikes on a course that passes by memorials to Jefferson, Lincoln and Washington.
LEWISTON, Idaho — It was during the Battle of Saipan in 1944 that Laverne Coulthard came to possess the flag. His squad had orders to cross Japanese lines to establish an observation unit on Mount Tapotchau.
Continue reading "Flag taken by Marine at Saipan draws attention" »
WASHINGTON — Female soldiers and others serving in dangerous roles behind the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained it was hard to prove their combat experience when applying for disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Continue reading "Proposal could ease way for disability payments" »
Last week, Loveland veteran Tom Buchanan was given a Marine’s challenge coin that had been accidentally left behind at a local restaurant
Continue reading "Marine memento returned to owner in Loveland" »
Loveland’s Tom Buchanan — commandant of the Loveland Marine Corps League and a retired Marine himself — knows how important a challenge coin can be to a Marine.
Continue reading "Marine on mission to find special coin’s owner" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2009 – Checks for up to $3,000 soon will be available to students who have applied for Veterans Affairs educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment
Continue reading "VA to Provide Emergency Checks to Students Awaiting Benefits" »
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. —
Once a Marine, always a Marine, is a slogan many Marines have heard at lest once during their career.
Continue reading "Marine celebrates 90th birthday with special flagpole ceremony" »
The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving closer to simplifying the process for many veterans to link post-traumatic stress disorder to their military service, whether in a war zone or not, which opens the door for disability benefits.
Continue reading "Change would streamline PTSD claims for vets" »
Teal Moran stood at a window of her family's brand-new two-story home on Monday afternoon, staring at a growing throng of Boy Scouts waving American flags and Marines standing at attention in dress uniforms.
WASHINGTON | It wasn’t a bullet or roadside bomb that felled Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez three years ago, after just nine days in Iraq.
Continue reading "Missouri veteran injured by vaccine ineligible for benefit" »
FAIRBORN — Marine Lance Cpl. Larry Draughn Jr. credits his remarkable recovery after losing both legs in Afghanistan on May 31 to his stubbornness and something he learned from his late father.
Continue reading "Local Marine loses both legs, not his spirit" »
One of the most oft-cited benefits to military service is that it gives members training and skills that they can use in private life. But few companies seem eager to help veterans convert these disciplines to civilian employment. In fact, a stint in the military is often not a career salvation but a job killer.
Continue reading "Maid Brigade's new program helps veterans clean up" »
The Corps has stopped putting Individual Ready Reserve Marines on involuntary orders, phasing out recalls as the active-duty force has grown to 202,000.
Continue reading "Bigger Corps stops calling up IRR Marines" »
“I came here [to Quantico] to tell a story,” said Alexander J. Mlodzianowski, former Marine and veteran of the World War II battle for the island of Guadalcanal.
MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. — On Independence Day, a local family was surprised to discover something about their freedom that they never knew.
Continue reading "Daughter honors grandfather’s heroic service with the help of local Marine" »
Received 59 medals for actions in three conflicts
CLACKAMAS, Ore. — Retired Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, who was called the most decorated Marine aviator in history and was shot down in three wars, has died at age 89.
Continue reading "Highly decorated Marine pilot dies at 89" »
There were no lines when I got to the Veterans Health Administration office.
Continue reading "Island Getaways for Vets a 'Click' Away" »
Department of Veterans Affairs officials expressed confidence that the Aug. 1 launch of the Post-9/11 GI Bill will go smoothly, with the first benefits checks to be cut by the Treasury Department on Aug. 3.
Continue reading "Post-9/11 GI Bill going smoothly, VA says" »
WASHINGTON (June 25, 2009) -- The first $250 payments to veterans as part of President Obama's recovery plan were sent Monday, and officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs said all payments will be distributed by June 30.
Continue reading "VA begins stimulus payments to veterans" »
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Another Navajo Code Talker has died.
Continue reading "Another of famed Navajo Code Talkers dies" »
ROY, Utah — George E. Wahlen, a Medal of Honor recipient wounded during the battle of Iwo Jima, has died at 84
Continue reading "Wahlen, Navy MoH recipient for Iwo Jima, dies" »
ORLANDO, Fla. — Charles Donald Albury, co-pilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, has died after years of congestive heart failure. He was 88.
Continue reading "Nagasaki A-bomb plane co-pilot, 88, dies" »
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — It seems like a simple request: Plant 1,000 U.S. flags along a stretch of Interstate 5 aboard Camp Pendleton during Labor Day weekend in September.
Continue reading "Marine vets want to put flags along busy road" »
WENDOVER, Nev. — Veterans Johnnie Franklin Callahan, James William Dunn and Isaiah Mays may have died years apart, but they're now on a joint cross-country journey to a final resting place.
Continue reading "Bikes escort vets' remains through Utah" »
PHOENIX — A Navajo Code Talker who was part of the original group recruited to develop what became an unbreakable code that confounded the Japanese during World War II has died.
Continue reading "1 of last original Navajo Code Talkers dies" »
RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- It started in 1989 as a road trip across the heartland of the United States. Participants of the inaugural Run For The Wall ride were just a couple of veterans who loved their motorcycles and loved their country even more.
Hickory resident provides another memory for Gold Star families
HICKORY - Russ Meade knows the power of a ballot.
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2009 – Surfs up! Military children of wounded or fallen servicemembers will be able to catch their first wave this summer, thanks to Freedom Is Not Free, a California-based troop-support group.
Continue reading "'Little Warriors' Surf Camp to Host 100 Military Children" »
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – Tanya Queiro, a former Marine Corps noncommissioned officer, was named the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year at a ceremony held here today.
Continue reading "Former Marine NCO Takes Military Spouse of the Year Honors" »
Rulon Davis may or may not make the final 53-man roster for the Denver Broncos. If he doesn't, though, it won't be because his work ethic, attitude or discipline are lacking.
Continue reading "Iraq war veteran tries to catch on with the Broncos" »
New GI Bill Transfer Rules Give Members More Control
Servicemembers nearing the end of their careers will find it easier than first thought to transfer new Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to their spouse or children, under Department of Defense regulations.
Applications for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill will be accepted by the Veterans Affairs Department beginning May 1, according the VA and Defense Department officials.
Continue reading "VA to accept new GI Bill applications May 1" »
President Obama announced plans on Thursday to computerize the medical records of veterans into a unified system, a move that is expected to ease the now-cumbersome process that results in confusion, lost records and bureaucratic delays.
Continue reading "Obama Offers Plan to Improve Care for Veterans" »
- Larry Garrett, of Northwest Austin, says he won't be able to vote next month. His polling place is the high school he recently got banned from
Vietnam veteran to receive Silver Star for bravery in battle 42 years ago
Nighttime cloaked Hill 881 South in a blackness that filled the Marines of Mike Company with a well-founded dread.
JOSHUA TREE — Korean War veteran and Navy Cross recipient Richard Blasongame raised his American flag on a sturdy new pole Wednesday thanks to help from the United States Marines and some clandestine calls by a fellow veteran.
Obama Drops Vet Insurance Plan; More Showdowns Loom
President Obama won style points from veterans' service organizations this week even as he was forced, under heavy fire, to withdraw his plan to have the Department of Veterans Affairs bill veterans' health insurance for the cost to VA of treating service-connected medical conditions. More disputes are likely between a White House struggling to impose new restraints on federal spending, and advocates for military members and veterans who have borne the brunt of two long and difficult wars. To learn more, read the full article on Military.com.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans groups are angry after President Obama told them Monday that he is still considering a proposal to have treatment for service-connected injuries charged to veterans' private insurance plans.
Continue reading "Veterans groups irate at Obama's private insurance proposal" »
NORMAN, Okla. — A disabled Gulf War veteran who left Norman earlier this month on a hand-propelled bicycle headed for Washington, D.C., to honor fallen soldiers has died.
Continue reading "Veteran on cross-country bike trek dies" »
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Marines take care of their own. It’s a mantra every Marine learns in recruit training, and a proud declaration of devotion passed along from generation to generation.
The Inspector-Instructor staff here recently kept true to the saying, by taking care of a Marine who died 37 years ago.
In late December, a former NCO decided to rejoin the Corps.
Continue reading "Re-enlistment getting tougher for Marines" »
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2009 – Sixteen million new toys were distributed to 7.6 million children over the Christmas holiday through the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.
Continue reading "Toys for Tots Successful Despite Slow Economy" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The best things in life are not always planned.
Continue reading "Retired Marine paves way for Leathernecks everywhere" »
MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — Former Marine Cpl. Joshua Hoffman was paralyzed from the chest down two years ago by a sniper’s bullet in Iraq. He uses a wheelchair and has been in and out of hospitals with infections.
MIDDLEVILLE -- Heather Lovell suspected it all along, but now she is certain: People do care.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2009 – Stephen Cochran was a normal 19-year-old with a dream of making music his life when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led him down an unplanned path to the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Country Music Star Earned Stripes in Iraq, Afghanistan" »
NEW YORK — James Brady, a decorated Marine officer who went on to become an author and Parade magazine’s celebrity columnist, has died at 80.
Continue reading "Author, columnist and Marine James Brady dies" »
For over 60 years, they knew only that he was lost in battle. Then a Globe account reunited a family with its hero.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The rain fell steadily from an opaque sky, but the Marines stood ramrod straight, eyes fixed ahead. In the historic graveyard, the Rev. Peter Lanzillotta gazed down at the urn. "You served your country with a full measure of your devotion. We shall salute you and say hail and farewell, good and noble Marine."
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — When Russ Meade was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1994, the former infantryman thought his separation would be only temporary. After obtaining his college degree, he planned on returning to the Marine Corps as an officer and making it a career.
Continue reading "Devil dog providing the Corps with some new threads" »
James Elms Swett of Redding once said that notoriety can at times be a “damn nuisance.”
Continue reading "Medal of Honor recipient James Swett of Redding dies at 88" »
Episode explores the needs of America’s returning service members
Washington D.C. – Congressman Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, will appear on Dr. Phil in an episode focused on honoring America’s contract with our military veterans. Dr. Phil talks with veterans and their families about the challenges of returning home after deployment. Congressman Filner shares his views about the medical and mental health care needs of returning service members. He also discusses the need for a good faith reform effort at the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the care and services offered to America’s veterans. The show, entitled “Beyond the Front Lines,” is scheduled to air on Friday, December 19. Check your local listings for air time.
Continue reading "Filner Discusses Veterans Issues on Dr. Phil Show" »
A U.S. Marine from Montana camped in Willits during a stop in what he figures will be a more than 8,000 mile journey across the United States of America.
Continue reading "Marine walking across U.S. reaches Mendocino County" »
A U.S. Marine from Montana camped in Willits during a stop in what he figures will be a more than 8,000 mile journey across the United States of America.
Continue reading "Marine walking across U.S. reaches Mendocino County" »
After 63 years, WWII vet receives Purple Heart
At Pensacola Naval Air Station on Tuesday, Marine Corps Pfc. Johnny Smith finally got his medal.
Just a year after the Women Marines were created, Adene Thompson enlisted. Today, the same woman proudly flies the U.S. Marine flag from the front of her house in Eaton.
The old man waited quietly in his wheelchair, an oxygen line lacing his face, a military cap atop his head. On Monday just after 11 a.m., a commotion erupted at the Ormond Nursing and Care Center's front door as a slight, somewhat younger gentleman approached.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- Orange County deputies are still looking for a robber who held a butcher knife to the throat of woman and demanded cash.
Continue reading "Female Ex-Marine faces down knife welding robber" »
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida man has been honored for his service during the Vietnam War about 40 years after everyone in his 15-man patrol was wounded in a firefight.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2008 – Wounded warriors who call into the Marine Wounded Warrior Call Center near Quantico, Va., find truth in the motto, “once a Marine, always a Marine.”
Continue reading "Staying Power: Marine Corps’ Call Center Contacts, Assists Wounded Warriors" »
Tackle life's trials together
The two old Marines, both legally blind, touch fingers while navigating the living room. Their vision has been reduced to shadows and fuzzy shapes. They work as a team to avoid tabletops and footstools.
Seasons change, people grow older and military aircraft retire to the Arizona desert.
Continue reading "Former Marine, KC-130 meet up one last time" »
Seasons change, people grow older and military aircraft retire to the Arizona desert.
Continue reading "Former Marine, KC-130 meet up one last time" »
Charles Meacham, better known as Chuck to his friends and family, has pretty much seen it all.
Continue reading "Once a Marine Raider, always a Marine Raider" »
Navajo Marine visits school on U.S. base, tells of role during WWII
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A piece of living history visited Yokosuka Naval Base’s elementary school Wednesday to give students a first-hand account of his role in World War II.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – A troop-support group that provides education on the brain’s and body’s natural responses to stress launched its redesigned Web site yesterday.
“Our Web site is completely redesigned to power our mission of providing the best education, training and resources for supporting strength and resilience in all areas of military life,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, executive director of “One Freedom.”
Continue reading "Troop Support Group Launches New Web Site" »
Active-duty members, retirees and veterans can get a free meal at a limited number of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants on Veterans Day, with proof of military service.
Continue reading "Applebee’s offers free meals to military" »
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Retired Marine Col. John Ripley, who was credited with stopping a column of North Vietnamese tanks by blowing up a pair of bridges during the 1972 Easter Offensive of the Vietnam War, died at home at age 69, friends and relatives said Sunday.
Continue reading "John Ripley, Vietnam War hero, dies at age 69" »
KEVIN BLANCHARD’S freshman year at George Washington University was unlike anybody else’s on campus.
WASHINGTON -- Veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect this month.
Continue reading "New Law Authorizes Veterans’ Salutes during National Anthem" »
Gold Star Families License Plate Bill To Be Signed By Governor
Governor Schwarzenegger is signing SB 1455 (Cogdill) – Gold Star Family License Plates – and you are invited to witness this very significant event. Gold Star Families have been waiting a long time to proudly display these license plates which will honor their fallen family members. These families have endured a most painful sacrifice for the sake of our country; let’s now come together to show them our gratitude and support.
Troops can shift them to spouse, kids
All career service members, regardless of their military occupational specialty, will be offered the opportunity to transfer GI Bill benefits to immediate family members starting next summer, under a plan taking shape in the Pentagon.
In the first of what could become many revisions in its disability ratings, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Sept. 23 that it is changing how it evaluates traumatic brain injuries, a move that could increase disability compensation for thousands of veterans who have been injured by roadside bombs or other explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "VA rule change may mean higher TBI payouts" »
Bob O’Rourke is a Vietnam War veteran and instructor for Outward Bound veterans courses. Here are three truths he emphasizes to veterans.
What active-duty service members need to know
If you think leaving active duty to join the National Guard or reserve means no more deployments, think again. Prior service and prior deployments won’t keep you on home turf.
Congress appears to be on the verge of abandoning major veterans’ issues in a rush to leave town to run for re-election, charges the legislative director of one of the nation’s largest veterans’ organizations.
When benefits start. Who will qualify. How much you may get
Just more than a year from now, on Aug. 1, 2009, veterans’ education benefits will undergo a life-changing transformation that will make a four-year college degree suddenly affordable for a new generation of wartime veterans.
Full-tuition educational benefits included in a new veterans’ program signed into law on June 30 will not take effect until Aug. 1, 2009, unless Congress approves a change in the new law.
LONGVIEW, Wash. — After a 63-year wait, Lyle Chambers has received a Purple Heart for his heroism as a 19-year-old Marine private during the World War II South Pacific island battle of Peleliu.
Continue reading "Marine receives Purple Heart, 63 years later" »
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Cpl. Mark Marcoux set his sights on college long before he was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Continue reading "Wounded Warrior job fair offers opportunities" »
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Monday signed into law a 162-billion-dollar spending bill funding the Afghanistan and Iraq wars well into 2009 -- roughly six months into his successor's term.
Continue reading "Bush signs Iraq and Afghanistan war-funding by Olivier Knox" »
Lawmakers have approved some of the most significant improvements to the GI Bill since its inception during World War II, an expansion of benefits that will enable new generations of veterans — and for the first time, family members — to fully cover the costs of obtaining a college degree.
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2008 – Tomorrow the United States observes National Flag Day, an annual tribute to the American flag, the ideals it stands for and the sacrifices made to preserve them.
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO — A former depot Marine has found a new way to honor his brothers in arms instead of only extending his thanks or by buying them drinks.
Continue reading "Custom chopper is mobile memorial for veterans" »
Gen. John A. Logan was a Union officer, a fierce Republican partisan, an early advocate of the kind of volunteer army the United States now fights wars with. He is also one of the people credited with coming up with the holiday that we celebrate today. A statue in Logan Circle in Washington shows the general on horseback flanked by two female figures said to represent America at war and America at peace.
TOPSHAM — Everett Pope doesn't care how he's referred to during Monday's Brunswick-Topsham Memorial Day pa-rade, as long as he can ride through it in a rusty Hum-vee instead of a shiny convertible.
Continue reading "Always faithful to his 'boys': Parade marshal embodies Marine Corps ideals" »
A luxury housing development in Wailea is the site of a newly dedicated monument honoring the 4th Division Marines who trained on Maui during World War II before shipping out to battles in the Pacific.
Continue reading "Monument to Marines dedicated at development" »
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — You gave four to the Corps.
Continue reading "IRR Marines still have Corps rules to follow" »
This afternoon, the House of Representatives made history. By an overwhelming margin, lawmakers passed the landmark new GI Bill which will make college affordable to the more than 1.6 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Historic Vote in House of Representatives Tomorrow on World War II-style GI Bill
Iraq Veterans Urge Lawmakers to Vote Yes on GI Bill Funding
NEW YORK -On Thursday, May 8, the House of Representatives will vote on a World War II-style GI Bill for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, strongly endorses this critical legislation. It was originally introduced in Congress by some of the Senate's own combat veterans, including Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE). The bill has the extraordinary bipartisan support of more than 330 Senators and Representatives and the endorsement of every major Veterans Service Organization from IAVA to the American Legion to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The GI Bill is being voted on as an amendment to the war supplemental spending plan.
Time’s ‘green’ Iwo Jima cover sparks outrage among Marines
Donald Mates clearly recalls the moment, more than 63 years ago, when he stood at the foot of Mount Suribachi and looked up as his fellow Marines planted an American flag at Iwo Jima.
MIAMI — Armed and alone, Guy Gabaldon roamed Saipan’s caves and pillboxes, using his Japanese language skills to convince enemy soldiers and civilians to surrender during the hellish World War II island battle in the summer of 1944.
Continue reading "New push to award Gabaldon the Medal of Honor" »
SAN FRANCISCO — A two-week trial that scrutinized the quality of health care for veterans concluded Wednesday with the judge questioning how much authority he had to order changes in the Department of Veterans Affairs, even if he found deficiencies.
Continue reading "VA trial ends with differing views of care" »
(04-21) 17:30 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- More than 120 veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq commit suicide every week while the government stalls in granting returning troops the mental health treatment and benefits to which they are entitled, veterans advocates told a federal judge Monday in San Francisco.
Continue reading "VA stalling on care, judge told at S.F. trial" »
REDDING, Calif. (Feb 9, 2008) -- Raymond Jacobs, believed to be the last surviving member of the group of Marines photographed during the original U.S. flag-raising on Iwo Jima during World War II, has died at age 82.
Continue reading "Last original Iwo Jima flag-raiser dies at 82" »
Defense officials and lawmakers are forging ahead on a plan that would allow all troops — not just a few in critical skills — to transfer unused GI Bill education benefits to family members.
CRESCENT SPRINGS - At 22-years-old, Greg Dixon has his whole life in front of him. But already, the Iraq war veteran has achieved two life goals: He served his country as a U.S. Marine and is now playing college football at Thomas More College.
Continue reading "Iraq vet finds focus on field, in classroom" »
HOLYOKE, Mass. — For many returning troops, lifesaving combat instincts can complicate life at home: constant vigilance, agitation in confined places, bolting from loud noises and other behaviors that can be misinterpreted by police.
Continue reading "1st responders trained to spot troubled vets" »
IRVINGTON, Ala. — Two Black Hawk helicopters hovered and tipped rotors Friday in honor of Marine Sgt. Greg Edwards at a ceremony to start building a specially adapted home for the Edwards family.
Continue reading "Homes for Our Troops begins house in Alabama" »
The Corps is reaching back into the Individual Ready Reserve this week to involuntary activate 870 Marines, most for duty in Iraq, service officials said.
Continue reading "Corps involuntarily activates 870 IRR members" »
LEEDS, Massachusetts — Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran.
Continue reading "A new generation of homeless veterans emerges" »
Jay Grodner, the Chicago lawyer who keyed a Marine's car in anger because the car had military plates and a Marine insignia, finally got his day in court last week.
Continue reading "Man who keyed car gets day in court; so do Marines" »
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Marine Corps will send orders next week to about 870 members of the Individual Ready Reserve to go downrange in the fall, officials said.
The young marine lighted a cigarette and let it dangle. White smoke wafted around his helmet. His face was smeared with war paint. Blood trickled from his right ear and the bridge of his nose.
Despite concerns of overstepping, Times photographer Luis Sinco feels compelled to help the Iraq vet he made famous.
James Blake Miller was in a world of pain, and I figured I should be by his side.
Continue reading "Rescue operation aims to save a wounded warrior" »
When he celebrates the 232nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps this year, Bill Pastino will do something a little different --he's going to treat any Howard County veteran who shows up at his Ellicott City brew pub to lunch.
Continue reading "Marine veteran will thank fellows via holiday lunch" »
Door County was a nice change of scenery for Craig Nelson.
Door County was a nice change of scenery for Craig Nelson.
THE WORDS WRITTEN BY one American military veteran seem to speak volumes for the thousands of others asking the same question these days: "Where do I go from here?"
Continue reading "Returning veterans are turning to the Internet to find work" »
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 6, 2007 – Marine Gen. Peter Pace last night thanked veterans of the storied 4th Marine Division who fought in Iwo Jima and other major World War II battles for setting the example for today’s troops and demonstrating why they’ll never fail in combat.
Continue reading "Pace Thanks World War II Marines for Setting Standard for Today’s Troops" »
THE nine men who climbed to the summit of the Colorado mountain were combat veterans who had fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam.
Continue reading "Outward Bound program helps veterans heal their emotional scars" »
An Oklahoma lawmaker has changed the way veterans and out-of-uniform servicemen can honor the American flag at public gatherings.
A recently discharged Army sergeant praises a Senate committee plan to waive cell phone cancellation fees for deployed service members, saying he could have avoided a lot of time and trouble if the policy had been in effect during his deployment to Iraq.
Continue reading "Possible cell phone fee waiver pleases vet" »
IWO JIMA, Japan (AP) -- Major Sean Stinchon stands at the base of Hill 362A and scans a map drawn up by Navy Seabees in 1948 that is deeply creased and covered in reddish brown dirt. The map shows a labyrinth of caves and tunnels that runs through the brush-covered hill like the cross-section of an ant colony.
Continue reading "Iwo Jima search latest in U.S. effort to account for all MIAs" »
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Japan has rechristened the island of Iwo Jima, site of one of World War II's most horrific battles, with its pre-war name in an attempt to rectify a misnomer proliferated for a half-century by such movies as Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima."
TOKYO — Japan has returned to using the prewar name for the island of Iwo Jima — site of one of World War II’s most horrific battles — at the urging of its original inhabitants, who want to reclaim an identity they say has been hijacked by high-profile movies like Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima.”
When he first met James Wright, the president of Dartmouth College, two years ago, Samuel Crist was in a hospital bed at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, recuperating from gunshot wounds from a firefight in Falluja, Iraq.
Continue reading "Dartmouth president helping put wounded veterans in college" »
It was a Fuentes affair.
HAVELOCK — When patrol officer LeChone Wilson bumps into a familiar face, he can often tell how long they have known him by the nickname they use.
St. Louis, MO – April 6, 2007 - United States Marine Corps family members from around the country will gather in St. Louis at the MarineParents.com conference to learn about the Marine Corps, combat deployment, recovery from combat, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and ways to encourage awareness for Troop Support in their own communities. Attendance will range from new Marine families, families experiencing first, second or third combat deployments, and families who have experienced casualties of combat.
CAMP KINSER, OKINWA, Japan -- In the spirit of forgiveness and the celebration of an alliance between once bitter enemies, U.S. and Japanese veterans, their families, and political figures gathered on Iwo Jima for a commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of the battle for the island.
Mural artist and Vietnam War Veteran completes scenic murals for the exhibits in the new National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Mural Artist Puts War Experience to Good Use" »
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - One by one, more than 80 players seated on a back field of the Padres' spring training complex stood and gave their names and where they were last season.
Continue reading "Brannan trying to win a job, minus a finger" »
State Representative Matt Windschitl, of Missouri Valley, says he's been 'doing things young' his whole life.
Continue reading "23-Year-Old Marine 'Picking His Battles' In Iowa House" »
The Navy opens a clinic in east San Diego County for service members and retirees.
SANTEE, CALIF. — Tucked in the corner of the expansive Santee Town Center shopping complex is the latest innovation in military healthcare: a fully staffed outpatient clinic for military members, their families and veterans.
Vietnam War veteran Ken Davis believes that he has an obligation to himself, the men who fought beside him more than 30 years ago and the families who lost loved ones during the war.
Continue reading "Vietnam veterans maintain online tribute to fallen heroes" »
DETROIT - Just in time for Veterans Day, Mike Ilitch, Little Caesars founder, plans to launch a program that would make it easier for American veterans to open their own pizza businesses.
The Little Caesars Veterans Program offers a reduction on the franchise fee, credit on the first equipment order and financing. The offer is even better for disabled veterans, who would have the entire $20,000 franchise fee waived for their first store.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2006 – With National Veterans Awareness Week under way and the national Veterans Day observance on Nov. 11, the Veterans Affairs secretary is urging all veterans to show their pride by wearing their military medals.
Continue reading "Veterans Urged to Wear Military Medals on Veterans Day" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2006 – President Bush officially declared this week National Veterans Awareness Week and urged all Americans to honor veterans who “stepped forward when America needed them most.”
Continue reading "President, Senate Recognize National Veterans Awareness Week" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2006 – The nation’s capital is awash with military-themed statues and memorials. Yet, there isn’t a memorial honoring the sacrifices of America’s disabled military veterans.
Continue reading "Disabled Military Veterans to Get Memorial of Their Own" »
Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series. Part one was published on Page A1 of Sunday's Transcript.
Surgeons at Bethesda Naval Hospital prepared to drill a hole in Lance Cpl. Bret McCauley's badly swollen head to relieve pressure on his brain when he unexpectedly awoke from a two-week coma
SURPRISE - When a French newspaper recently reported the possible death of Osama bin Laden, both French and Pakistani officials were quick to deny the claim. Surprise resident Antoinette Izzo laughs at the international stir - she knew better than to believe rumors.
Editor’s notes: This is the first of a two part series. The second part will be published in Monday’s edition.
You hear the mortars going out, but you don’t know where they’ll land. This could be the last breath of your life.
Marine Lance Cpl. Bret McCauley of Kokomo, Ind., recalls crouching close to the ground, moving warily through a Sunni rebel neighborhood in Fallujah just before dusk.
Continue reading "Medical techniques keep soldiers in battle" »
TERRE HAUTE— Vietnam War veteran Doug Herrmann can’t hear a helicopter without tensing up.
Fireworks shot off to honor troops on Independence Day remind him of flares fired in Saigon, the capital of Vietnam.
More than 35 years after he left the nation in Southeast Asia, Herrmann still is unable to completely shake his military service in Vietnam. While soldiers returning home from war in Iraq have suffered difficulty adjusting from the war experience, soldiers in many previous wars also suffered mental and emotional distress long after they came back home and tried to adjust to civilian life.
Continue reading "Stress disorder a familiar occurrence in war veterans" »
Colorado Springs - After returning from Iraq, Jason Harvey, a combat soldier with the Fort Carson-based 2nd Brigade Combat Team, raced his car at speeds of more than 100 mph on Squirrel Tree Road and played paint ball to replicate battle situations.
Continue reading "War vets' mental health has police on alert" »
A call was placed.
Continue reading "Eat a burger, help Marines keep their heads" »
AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (Sept. 11, 2006) -- Marine helicopters in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, are an absolute necessity. The whirling mechanical wonders spirit cargo and passengers from place to place, providing nearly immediate firepower to ground troops or quick evacuation of casualties.
Continue reading "*Marines tag team ground support equipment" »
OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 7, 2006) -- Marines and sailors from A Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, conducted a three-day non-lethal weapons training exercise Sept. 5-7 during MEU Exercise 06-2. The training was conducted in preparation for possible contingencies throughout the Asia-Pacific theater.
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - The unemployment rate of the youngest veterans returning from war zones is double that of their civilian counterparts, something that puzzles and alarms federal and local officials.
Continue reading "YOUNG VETERANS FACING JOB HURDLES AT HOME" »
Enemies that fade into civilian crowds, using hospitals and schools as hideouts and watching every move you make from the shadows. How do American troops prevail against them?
By learning to tell apart the good guys from the bad. By winning the good guys to your side.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Through a television news report, Korean War veteran Jack Nitz found a way to help other war veterans with his craft.
Nitz, a member of the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarvers Association, got the idea of hand-carving canes for veterans with leg injuries after seeing a story about wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A roadside bomb in Afghanistan took away Chris Short’s lower right leg, but not his passion for fly fishing.
The 24-year-old Army sergeant from Little Rock, Ark., will compete in the Kenai River Classic this weekend, courtesy of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association.
Continue reading "Group helps injured vets through fly fishing" »
ARLINGTON, Va. — Authorities have found the laptop containing personal data on 26.5 million veterans and current servicemembers that was stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee, the FBI announced Thursday.
An initial review of the computer equipment indicated that the personal data had not been accessed since the laptop was stolen, an FBI news release says.
Continue reading "Stolen laptop containing VA personnel information is found" »
Lawmakers are promising to protect service members and veterans from identity theft after admissions from the Department of Veterans Affairs that personal information on up to 80 percent of the military was stolen.
ARLINGTON, Va. — To get Marines to join the Reserves after active duty, the Marine Corps is promising not to deploy them for two years, the Marine Corps has announced.
Marines who wish to deploy sooner can still do so.
Continue reading "Marines joining Reserve after active-duty to get war reprieve" »
Sonny Montgomery, campaigner for Veterans dies.
Continue reading " Secretary Rumsfeld on the Passing of Sonny Montgomery" »
New Sony PlayStation 2 consoles and games will help Marines and sailors injured in support of the global war on terrorism fill time during long recoveries
JACKSONVILLE, N.C., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless company, salutes our nation's Wounded Warriors at 1:00 p.m., next Wednesday, May 3, with a presentation of 10 Sony PlayStation 2s to "Maxwell Hall," the Wounded Warrior barracks at Camp Lejeune. The donation reflects Cingular's recognition of the sacrifice these Marines have made and is intended to help fill the hours of what can sometimes be a long recovery process.
IT wasn't all smooth sailing for the US Marines yesterday.
The marine in charge of monitoring the Townsville tides must have made a timing misjudgment, with one of the Landing Craft Units (LCU) stuck in mud close to the bank of the South Townsville beach for most of the afternoon.
IWO JIMA, Japan — Sixty-one years have passed since George Nowacki last set foot on this island — years filled with daily memories of what happened here. He thought maybe, just maybe, if he visited, those memories would fade.
Continue reading "WWII Marine hopes Iwo Jima visit will wash away memories" »
NEW YORK (Feb. 27, 2006) -- Service members and families exposed to combat-related stress recently participated in a conference on stress management coordinated and sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project here, February 15 and 16.
Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Project holds conference for stress" »
"Hey doc, when am I going upstairs? Hey doc, this bed is uncomfortable, when am I going to be admitted?"
A feisty elderly gentleman we'll call Morris (name changed for confidentiality) was in Bed 3 of Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, one of the busiest emergency departments in the military. He kept a constant barrage of running commentary on how long he had been waiting to go upstairs to complete his chest pain work up.
Ellenville - There's an answer for the concerns of the mid-Hudson, and the answer is that Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan and his family have a way for people to help.
Chris Ryan, Eddie's dad, has been fighting every day for his son, who was wounded in Iraq.
Continue reading " More help arriving for Marine and family" »
BANGOR, MAINE – It is well after dinnertime for Kay Lebowitz, but she hardly notices - she has hundreds of American troops to greet.
Continue reading "How Mainers greet troops: hugs, fudge and 41 cellphones" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2006 – Wounded servicemembers have an extra helping hand thanks to Operation First Response, a group specializing in providing them supplies and funds during their recuperation.
Continue reading "America Supports You: Virginia Group Supports Wounded Troops, Families" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-- (Jan. 23, 2006) -- Marines from the II Marine Expeditionary Force are returning from combat tours in a physical sense. However, for some, clashes with insurgents may have been replaced with a mental battle against paranoia, anxiety and the stress of re-acclimating to the environment at home. The Navy and Marine Corps team has assistance available -- organizations such as the Community Counseling Center and the naval hospital can assist Marines and sailors in overcoming these issues and get them back in the game.
Continue reading "PTSD, combat stress are not career ending" »
Psychiatric Times January 2006 Vol. XXV Issue 1
No Purple Hearts are awarded for the often hidden wounds of posttraumatic stress disorder, but ultimately those wounds can be deadly--linked to suicides, accidents and, over the long term, increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and cancer (Boscarino, 2005). Aware of the risks, government agencies, veterans groups and the U.S. Congress in recent months have grabbled with identification, treatment and benefit issues for the growing number of troops and veterans afflicted with PTSD.
Continue reading "Hidden Combat Wounds: Extensive, Deadly, Costly" »
WASHINGTON -- The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a non-profit based in New York City, hopes to raise $35 million to build a physical rehabilitation and burn treatment facility for wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Marine Corps Col. Rickey Grabowski, a southeast Iowan, received a Bronze Star on Friday for leading a battalion in Iraq involved in the March 2003 rescue of soldiers from the Army's 507th Maintenance Company, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch.
Continue reading "Iowa Marine receives Bronze Star for rescue" »
PALO ALTO, Calif. - It has taken hundreds of hours of therapy, but Jason Poole, a 23-year old Marine corporal, has learned all over again to speak and to walk. At times, though, words still elude him. He can read barely 16 words a minute. His memory can be fickle, his thinking delayed. Injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, he is blind in his left eye, deaf in his left ear, weak on his right side and still getting used to his new face, which was rebuilt with skin and bone grafts and 75 to 100 titanium screws and plates.
Continue reading "Struggling Back From War's Once-Deadly Wounds" »
LONG FORK, Ky. - The steep mountainsides in western Pike County are painted in the drabbest of winter browns and grays now, but already there is a feeling in the air that the land is ready to break out with spring color in a few weeks, bringing new life, new hope.
Continue reading "`Marlboro Man' is home, living, coping and healing" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - (Jan. 18, 2006) -- Stress is something almost every person on the face of this planet has to deal with on a regular basis – Marines are no exception. With the ongoing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the War on Terror, Marines have already begun returning to Camp Lejeune with symptoms of Combat and Operational Stress.
Continue reading "A one-stop, online shop for stress guidance" »
WASHINGTON - Construction is expected to begin this spring on a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility for amputee Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center even though the venerable military hospital is scheduled to close in five years.
New York, N.Y.(Jan. 13, 2006) -- If one were to Google “U.S. Marines” one would find that somewhere in the approximate 19 million sites that appear, one site seems to be a niche for the Marine Corps’ tightly-knit family.
Continue reading "Cutting-edge way for Marines to connect" »