On This Veterans Day 2010

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A four part series, on Veterans of the past decade, was reported by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:  A Soldier’s Heart – “Caring for the invisible wounds”

from the beginning of the week, 7 November 2010 to 10 November 2010, with the written stories as well as video’s for each. The above video is the combination of all four as well as two others they have  and a PSA from another site. The “What is PTSD” cut can be found at the bottom right under the brief description of the first video in the series. The Vietnam brothers video found in same place but at the forth video of the series.

All four video’s in the series can be found here

Caring for the invisible wounds that warriors bring home

‘A SOLDIER’S HEART’: DAY ONE  OF A PG SPECIAL SERIES

November 07, 2010 – Derrick Earley steers a four-wheeler up the gravel driveway to his father’s hand-built stone home and climbs off. Fit and goateed, the 23-year-old is wearing a cutoff T-shirt, camouflage shorts and cap as he shyly greets visitors, not quite making eye contact, not quite avoiding it, either.

Carrie Kleeh carries the unseen battle scars from Iraq

‘A SOLDIER’S HEART’: DAY TWO  OF A PG SPECIAL SERIES

November 08, 2010 – Carrie Kleeh is calm and relaxed behind the steering wheel in Pittsburgh as other drivers fret and fume in the city’s stop-and-go traffic.

But put her on an open road where traffic is flowing nicely, near her hometown of Wheeling, and her anxiety spikes at the danger she imagines.

Over and over: ‘Why am I alive?’

‘A SOLDIER’S HEART’: DAY THREE OF A PG SPECIAL SERIES

November 09, 2010 – In his mind’s eye, Mike Cranmer is a young boy, romping amid the rural lushness of a Greene County farm, his family’s rustic getaway from suburban Pittsburgh. He’s safe among the trees, the rolling hills, the foliage. A calmness envelops him.

He opens his eyes, the memory ends. If that was heaven, this is hell.

Medevac soldier makes peace with PTSD diagnosis

‘A SOLDIER’S HEART’: DAY FOUR OF A PG SPECIAL SERIES

November 10, 2010 – Don Bankosh stands next to the bathroom door in his bedroom and points to large holes he punched into it during a fit of rage several years ago.

He could have replaced the door. Instead, he keeps it damaged so he won’t forget that day and others like it.

The PSA: Hearts of Heroes is from Real Warriors * Real Battles

Veterans from past wars explain how combat stress has affected service members of every generation and how reaching out for support is the way to address it.

The other day the VA created another connection for Veterans to use, the VA’s New Communications Tool: VAntage Point Blog

VA Launches VAntage Point Blog

Online Communications Tools Between VA and Veterans About to Increase

WASHINGTON – November 8, 2010 – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching its first official blog, opening a new line of communication between the department and its stakeholders.  The debut marks VA’s latest outreach effort aimed at improving the way VA and its clients engage online.

“As methods of communication change and evolve, we don’t just want to keep up at VA.  We want to lead the way.  This tool will allow us to interact with Veterans, their families, and the public in ways we’ve never done before,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.  “Instead of waiting for Veterans to find us, we’re going to seek them out where they already are-which is, increasingly, online.”

The blog, called  VAntage Point, will be edited by VA’s Director of New Media Brandon Friedman. The blog will launch with two primary features: a main column of articles written each day by VA staff and a section comprised of guest pieces submitted by other stakeholders including employees and the public. Readers will be able to comment and participate on all articles. {rest rest}

And the DoD also rolled out a very useful tool, DoD Helping Vets Find Jobs

Portal Helps Vets, Reserves, Guardsmen Land Jobs

{A new user-friendly Web portal will make it easier for veterans – as well as reserve-component members, their families and wounded warriors – land jobs with civilian employers who value their military experience. U.S. Army Reserve image}  

Nov. 10, 2010 – Just in time for Veterans Day, new, state-of-the-art Web portal is being rolled out tomorrow to help veterans – as well as reserve-component members, their families and wounded warriors – land jobs with civilian employers who value their military experience.

The user-friendly tools will enhance the popular Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces program by making it easier for both job-hunters and employers seeking their skills, Army Lt. Col. Matt Leonard, the program’s public affairs officer, told American Forces Press Service.

The new portal simplifies the job application process by allowing users to set up a personal profile and maintain a record of their job searches and search parameters, Leonard explained. That means users don’t have to start from square one each time they enter the system, saving them time and inconvenience.

In addition, a resume builder helps users create a resume and maintain it in the system, and they can even set an alert function that notifies them when particular job announcements are posted.

The new portal will be easier for about 1,200 employers participating in the partnership program, too, Leonard said. They will now be able to enter position vacancies directly into the system and track applications. In addition, they will be able to tap into resumes already in the system and reach out directly to candidates who qualify for their positions. {read rest}

Obama: ‘Strengthen Bond Between Nation, Warriors’

Nov. 10, 2010 – In proclaiming tomorrow’s Veterans Day holiday, President Barack Obama expressed hope that the observance would strengthen the bond between the American people and the men and women who defend them.

Here is the text of the president’s proclamation:

On Veterans Day, we come together to pay tribute to the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. Americans across this land commemorate the patriots who have risked their lives to preserve the liberty of our Nation, the families who support them, and the heroes no longer with us.

It is not our weapons or our technology that make us the most advanced military in the world; it is the unparalleled spirit, skill, and devotion of our troops. As we honor our veterans with ceremonies on this day, let our actions strengthen the bond between a Nation and her warriors.

In an unbroken line of valor stretching across more than two centuries, our veterans have charged into harm’s way, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, to protect the freedoms that have blessed America. Whether Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard, they are our Nation’s finest citizens, and they have shown the heights to which Americans can rise when asked and inspired to do so. {read rest}

Some may have caught mine, and some others, putting up posts over the past year following The Phony Veterans Group and the GOP personal and political slush and the huge con from a phony criminal grifter, Well  Finally, after the election, the mainstream picks up the report, covered by local media in Florida, Ohio and a few other states for almost a year now, of this scum bag and his political/personal slush fund. One major receiver of his booty was the now AG of Virginia who Finally gave up the campaign contributions only a few weeks ago and wasn’t investigating, his job, as other states had already started doing so, especially Ohio! This phony’s girlfriend, or criminal accomplice, was captured at the Charlotte airport a few weeks back.

Major GOP Donor Scammed Millions With Phony Veterans Group, Authorities Say

Fugitive Bobby Thompson Rubbed Shoulders With Boehner, Bush, McCain

{Recognize this criminal, no not the one on the right, who just got a 30grand plus raise while speaking about cutting the fed workforce and rolling back salaries of same while no mention of his own nor Congresses compensation and benefits. The one on the left, if you see him Turn Him In!}

Nov. 10, 2010 – Top law enforcement officials in Ohio are spending this Veterans Day hunting for the man they believe exploited the good name of America’s warriors to abscond with more than $100 million.

The eccentric looking Florida man went by the name Bobby Thompson. As detailed in a report airing on World News with Diane Sawyer tonight, Thompson called his charity the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, and for eight years he raised money for the group, mostly through phone solicitations. He told donors the group was assisting needy veterans, and garnished this pitch with dollops of credibility by donating small amounts to legitimate veterans’ groups.

Federal election records show he invested far more money — more than $200,000 — in campaign contributions to top Republican politicians, including President George W. Bush, U.S. Sen. John McCain, and the presumptive incoming Speaker of the House, John Boehner. In exchange, he received grip-and-grin snapshots with American political leaders — the sort of photo that may be commonplace on office walls in Washington, DC, but looked to outsiders like evidence of an important man with heavy-duty connections.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray told ABC News that as much as $100 million donated to the charity over eight years cannot be accounted for, and Thompson was using a stolen identity. He has been indicted in Ohio and is now considered a fugitive. {read rest}

This so called Veterans Org., the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, should have tipped off many just by visiting the website, the first turn off was the blaring ‘patriotic’ music on the pages let alone the unprofessional setup, it screamed GOPer and using War and Veterans for their false patriotism and flag waving as they try and tear apart the Constitution and turn the Country into a Corporate entity, oh wait that’s what we are now!

Speaking of GOPer scams of the past decade, while two more U.S. occupations were started and continue, this Update on another use of, this time, a Very Respected and Honored Organization and the medal those wounded in our Wars who receive it was at the above sites report as related to. Talking to the once leader of the organization who know longer is after his whistle blowing to the media of what was going on.