Tag Archives: Veteran

Nation of Patriots motorcycle ride comes to Williams

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WILLIAMS — In the shadow of the Bill Williams statue, the group Nation of Patriots rolled into Williams today. A ceremony was held at the Williams Own Veterans Memorial at the Memorial Park on the west end of town. Williams Mayor John Moore was on hand to give and receive a proclamation for the event.

640-NationofPatriots-15-07-19-11The group carries an American flag starting in Wisconsin on Memorial Day through the continental United States with local flag bearers in each of the 48 States. It returns to the Wisconsin Harley Davidson in on Labor Day. The proceeds of the ride are intended to benefit veterans.

Bob Sherer reads a proclamation from Nation of Patriots to the City of Williams.

Bob Sherer reads a proclamation from Nation of Patriots to the City of Williams.

Dan Smith, flag bearer for the State of Arizona, introduced Bill Sherer, the founder of the group ride. Sherer and Mayor Moore exchanged proclamations. The proclamation of the City of Williams declared July 19 as Nation of Patriots day. The proclamation claimed that 100% of the proceeds of the ride go to help benefits.
640-NationofPatriots-15-07-19-16After the exchange, taps was played with a gun salute.

Marine veteran bicycles through Williams to benefit charity

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marine-640-15-06-05-01WILLIAMS — Last Friday, June 5, Air Force veteran, Detective Bob McCarty, escorted Marine veteran Toran Gaal through Williams on his bicycle trek to Arlington. His mantra is, The only limits in life are those we set on ourselves.

Toran left San Diego Monday June 1 followed in the chase car by Brian Reilly with the goal of reaching Arlington, Virginia in 52-days. You can follow the ride at Toran’s web site or on Twitter.

Both men are amputees from Afghanistan, but Torin does not concentrate on that. He meets in competition, surfs, does public speaking tours and even finds time to coach basketball.

On the ride he carries two flags. The American flag; the symbol of the freedom for which he fought. The other is the Marine Corps flag which represents him—the Marine. In his continuing service to the Marine Corp, this ride is to benefit the Semper Fi Fund.

Air Force veteran detained for picking up flag off of ground

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voldosta-1VALDOSTA, GA — According to the Valdosta Daily Times, a military veteran was “detained but not charged” by Valdosta State University police after she interrupted a demonstration by taking the flag they were walking on off of the ground.

It appears that Air Force veteran Michelle Manhart was contacted by a student informing her that a group of protesters were walking on the American flag. She went to pick up the flag and refused to return it when ordered to by campus police.

It is unclear what the demonstration was about as the group refused to speak with The Valdosta Daily Times.

The protestors did not press charges and Manhart was given a criminal trespass warning effectively banning her from any campus activities such as football games.

Keeping our Promises to Veterans Act of 2015 moves to Subcommittee on Health

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300tom-emmerWASHINGTON — The Keeping our Promises to Veterans Act of 2015, H.R. 1532, was introduced by Tom Emmer [R-MN-6] on March 23 and has moved through the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs to the Subcommittee on Health yesterday. The bill would expand the ability of veterans to get access under the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act passed last year.

The Veterans Access Act (38 U.S.C. 1701, PDF) allows veterans to seek outside VA assistance if they live a certain distance from a VA facility. The act did not account for those who might not have or have difficulty in transportation.

This brief bill would reduce the 40-mile radius requirement to 20-miles and require access to the closest medical facility that could treat the need of the veteran. The bill reduces the wait time goal from 30-days to 15. It also requires VA to set up prompt payment system to non-VA facilities which provide care to veterans.

H.R. 1603 submitted by Andy Barr [R-KY-6] would improve treatment for victims of military sexual assault under the Veterans Access Act.

Another bill in Congress, H.R. 1302 would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that VA Form 9 appeals are resolved within one year of submission. The bill was introduced by Ohio Representative Robert Latta [R-OH-5].

Representative Ron Kind [D-WI-3] has submitted H.R. 1628, the Veterans Pain Management Improvement Act which would require VA facilities to set up a Pain Management Board for veteran victims of chronic pain whether out- or in-patient.

The board would provide treatment recommendations for patients with complex clinical pain who are being treated at a medical facility of the Department located in the Veterans Integrated Service Network covered by the Board.

The membership in the board would require a certan number of medical pain specialists, clinical patients or the family members of clinical patients.

IC Wounded Warrior Outreach Fair Comes to NGA

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DASD-at-OWF-IC-Fair-at-NGA-2015.03.24-214x300National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) opened its doors to wounded warriors as part of the Department of Defense internship program, Operation Warfighter, at the Intelligence Community Wounded Warrior Outreach Fair, March 24.

These Service members, many of whom had traveled from treatment centers in the National Capital Region, Virginia Beach and North Carolina, came to the event to network and learn more about the internship opportunities available to them.

In attendance were recruiting and outreach personnel from sister agencies and other IC stakeholders, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Read more at DOD Warrior Care Blog

Thank you Vietnam Veterans

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Rolling Thunder Photo

In accordance with Arizona Revised Statute, March 29 is Vietnam Veterans’ day. Although it is not considered a legal holiday, we should reflect this Sunday on the sacrifices that the brave men and women of America made in an unpopular war.
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We also take time to note the continuing effort of these heroes on behalf of POW/MIAs and other veterans in their Run For the Wall and Rolling Thunder events. Anyone who would like to support these events can go to the web site and make a donation or purchase their products.

Run for the Wall begins May 13 and one of the routes makes their first stop in Williams and Phoenix. They sell products on their run to help support their efforts. Anyone may purchase items or simply come by the American Legion hall and show their support.

Links:
Department of Veterans Affairs Vietnam Veterans benefit page
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall page
Vietnam Veterans of America
Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.

Pastor brings prayer walk down Route 66 in Flagstaff and Williams

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640-McGill-01WILLIAMS — Williams was visited, yesterday, by a man carrying an United States flag and saluting passersby. Pastor Walter “Chick” McGill is traveling cross country with several goals.

The flag is a tribute to veterans. Pastor McGill is a Vietnam veteran who went through a difficult time upon returning—as did many veterans. He credits the natural healing of God for his recovery. Although he still suffers from a disease which makes his walk difficult, he wants to plant the flag in Santa Monica after carrying it from “sea to shining sea.”

That leads to another purpose of his journey. To spread the good news—aka the Gospel of Jesus. His walk is also a prayer walk in which he prays with and for communities through which he passes.

He also wants to inspire communities to restore God into those communities and schools. He wants to promote the ideal of the laws of God being the basis of our Constitution and other documents as the founders intended.

His journey began in Kills Devil, North Carolina 197 days ago on his anniversary with wife Barbara who travels in the following car. He traveled along U.S. Route 64 connecting with U.S. Route 66 in Arizona. He hopes to end his journey in Santa Monica in April of this year.
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He noted that he was happy to pass through Williams as he found the most friendly people in the area since leaving Oklahoma.

A few days ago he spoke with NAZ Today in Flagstaff.

(NAZ Today video)

VA, IG warn against rush of veterans into private care

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Republican Representative Jeff Miller of Florida.

A report by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general and a separate “access audit” of appointment scheduling practices across VA healthcare facilities confirm system-wide abuses to distort wait times for care, which have put patients at risk and shaken confidence in how VA hospitals and clinics are staffed, managed and resourced.

Yet even as the acting IG and another senior VA official confirmed the depth of the patient wait-time scandal at a hearing Monday of the House veterans affairs committee, as well as possible criminal activity by some administrators, they cautioned irate lawmakers against sending thousands more VA patients into the private sector for healthcare needs.

The caution flags haven’t slowed Congress. On Tuesday, the House unanimously passed the Veterans Access to Care Act (HR 4810/PDF) from Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), VA committee chairman. It would require VA to offer non-VA care to enrolled veterans who cannot get an appointment within VA wait time goals or who live more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility.

Read more at Stars And Stripes

Marine Vet Held by Iran to Kerry: Don’t Set Bad Precedent by Trading for My Release

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From Free Amir Facebook Page.

From Free Amir Facebook Page.

The news cycle is currently focused on the swap to release Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl — five Taliban commanders for the Idaho native — but many Americans still remain held abroad by nefarious regimes or terrorists.

One of those, a Marine veteran who served with distinction in Iraq, specifically said last fall that, even though his unlawful imprisonment in Iran was taking a horrible toll, he would not want his release to come from any sort of swap with Iran.

From our Yellow Ribbon Project story on Flagstaff, Ariz., native Sgt. Amir Hekmati:

Amir took his case directly to Kerry in a letter smuggled out of prison and obtained by the Guardian in September. After thanking Kerry for lobbying on his behalf, Amir stressed that the confessions on false charges were “obtained by force, threats, miserable prison conditions, and prolonged periods of solitary confinement.”

“This is part of a propaganda and hostage taking effort by Iranian intelligence to secure the release of Iranians abroad being held on security-related charges. Iranian intelligence has suggested through my court-appointed lawyer Mr. Hussein Yazdi Samadi that I be released in exchange for 2 Iranians being held abroad,” Amir wrote in the letter confirmed authentic by his family. “I had nothing to do with their arrest, committed no crime, and see no reason why the U.S. Government should entertain such a ridiculous proposition. I do not wish to set a precedent for others that may be unlawfully (obtained) for political gain in the future.”

Read more at PJ Media

Free Amir Web Site (Facebook)

Secret Vietnam War Memorial in Colorado

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colorado-memorial-2COLORADO – While Williams waits for the riders of Run for the Wall, a video of an unusual Vietnam memorial in Colorado is making the rounds of the Blogosphere.

The video of the Vietnam memorial is located in deep woods off of Highway 50 near Gunnison, Colorado along the Continental Divide. Gemini Journey, a blogger, wrote about it and posted a video on YouTube.

There is no information on who built the secret Vietnam memorial.