There's No Holiday From War

IndyStar.com

December 28, 2007
Ken Bode

For the holiday season, the American media suspended most of the bad news from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, we're given reports on refugees returning, Christmas at Camp Liberty and Baghdad churches crowded for the holiday. In the presidential campaign, the candidates in both parties now tailor their themes to new polls showing that immigration, health care, taxes, foreclosures, even toys from China top the public's concerns. America seems ready to give the war in Iraq a rest.

John Rutherford toils in a different precinct. Rutherford is a Vietnam vet, wounded in that war and decorated for his service. Now he is an NBC News producer who writes a blog each Friday on http://www.dailynightly.msnbc.com/, in which he tracks the casualties still rolling in from the war in Iraq. After his regular reporting duties for the network, Rutherford examines official reports from the Pentagon and scours hometown newspaper accounts about soldiers who have died in the war to build profiles for his blog, which is called "Fallen But Not Forgotten."

Last week he reported on Army Spc. Jonathan Lahmann, 21, of Richmond, Ind., who was killed 15 days before Christmas in a roadside bombing in Bayji, Iraq. Among other things, back home Lahmann mowed his neighbor's lawn. Little details enrich Rutherford's reviews. The dead are mostly young. This one loved skateboarding and paint ball; another loved to hunt and fish; one dreamed of pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rutherford reported on Army Staff Sgt. Michael Gabel, from Crawley, La., who once told a newspaper that some guys think that being in Iraq is like sitting at a PlayStation, only for real. "But the thing about a PlayStation is, when you die, you can hit the reset button," Gabel said. Sgt. Gabel died on Dec. 12, in the lead vehicle of a convoy, when a roadside bomb exploded, destroying his truck.

A year ago this Christmas, support for the war was so low that President Bush finally said he would seek a new Iraq plan. At that time, 21 percent approved of the way he was handling the war. The last time he had majority support was just at the turn of the year in 2004.
Reports on the changed security situation in Iraq may have driven the war out of the headlines and off the top of the presidential candidates' campaign agendas, but there is much to remember and think about as we turn our calendars to 2008.

Our Army is suffering. When the scandals erupted at Walter Reed, more than 50,000 soldiers had returned from Iraq with serious injuries. It wasn't until March of this year that President Bush bestirred himself even to name a bipartisan commission to look into the problems of military and veterans hospitals. Five years into this war, he has used his bully pulpit to advertise his concern but none of his political capital to fix the problem.

Recruitment to the all-volunteer army is a constant problem. The Army is offering bonuses of $20,000 to enlist, $35,000 and higher for junior officers to re-up, and still it is hemorrhaging captains. It is accepting more recruits without high school diplomas, and more with waivers for criminal offenses.

The war may be going well in the American media, but nearly 5,000 American soldiers defected in 2007, a 42 percent increase from 2006. Then there is the stress on soldiers and their families. Increasing combat tours to 15 months, and then repeating them two and three times, has caused a serious lapse in morale, especially in the lower ranks.

National Public Radio recently reported on Pentagon statistics showing that among those in their third deployment, only 15 percent say their morale is high. One-third of privates and corporals say they intend to divorce.

Soldiers with mental health problems are often considered by their superiors to be laggards, and reports abound of the Army ignoring and punishing the mental anguish that comes with extended combat tours. Returning veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome are underserved and often forgotten.

This week, NBC's Rutherford reported that Army Sgt. Austin Pratt, 22, of Cadet, Mo., died in a noncombat incident. The Army assured his family that Pratt did not take his own life. But many have, and many others think about it. Suicide is on the rise, to the point that the Army is now sending suicide prevention teams to Iraq.

It is a troubled Army that celebrated Christmas at Camp Liberty. John Rutherford helps us remember. Mr Bode, a former senior political analyst for CNN, is the Pulliam professor of journalism at DePauw University.

Contact him at enbode@depauw.edu.

VA Begins New Suicide Prevention Program

Listen to the Archived "Veterans Forum" Shows at http://internetvoicesradio.com/ E. Everett McFall, Host

Remember: 120 Vets per Week!!!
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New Suicide Prevention Program within the VA
By Derek Meurer, The Daily Courier

Tuesday, December 25, 2007 "The biggest myth about suicide is that people should not talk about it," according to Ali Cassidy.
"People think that talking about suicide with someone will 'put the idea in their head,' and that's just not true," said Cassidy, the Mental Health Clinic Suicide Prevention Coordinator working at the Bob Stump VA Medical Center. "People who are dealing with suicidal thoughts are begging for someone to notice. We make sure there's always someone available to talk to who is knowledgeable, and who will listen."Cassidy, a former employee of the West Yavapai Guidance Clinic, is heading up the local effort to enhance suicide prevention measures for veterans as part of a nationwide cooperative effort of VA hospitals

Veterans are a special risk group for suicide," said Cassidy. "There's a number of reasons for that, but mainly due to the experience of trauma in battle, post traumatic stress disorder and their familiarity with guns. That makes it more likely if they attempt a suicide, it'll likely be fatal."

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, (1-800-273-8255), a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention hotline, now has a prompt of, "if you are a U.S. military veteran ... please press 1 now." The call will then route to Canandaigua, N.Y., where a staff of specially trained suicide counselors wait to help veterans through their time of crisis.

"It does require some special knowledge of what a veteran goes through to counsel a veteran, and they have that knowledge," said Cassidy. "Just as important, it immediately enters them into the VA Medical System, if they weren't already, and cross references their location to find the closest appropriate facilities to help them." (1-800-273-TALK)-8255

The Department of Veterans Affairs has established several new programs to combat the
threat of suicide among veterans. Cassidy estimates more than 100 life-saving emergency interventions, "where they were literally going to do immediate harm to themselves," since the beginning of the suicide prevention effort less than a year ago.

"Just last week I got a call from the suicide hotline about an Iraqi war veteran in California who was suicidal," said Cassidy. "I spoke with the young man for over an hour. He had returned from active duty and had a cascade of problems not unusual for a young man returning from war; numerous personal losses.

"With the help of the new information networking system, VA personnel were able to enter the veteran into the VA medical system and arrange for emergency care through a local community hospital.

"He was later transferred to a hospital in Phoenix, where I saw him at the end of the week," said Cassidy. "He looked at me and said, ''I was really going to kill myself.'' I thought, thank God for that hotline. It would have been so needless, such a waste if he'd taken his life. He was just a kid.

"In addition to the veteran-specific hotline and the information network, the suicide prevention program involves educating VA hospital staff and the Prescott community in how to look for the signs of suicide and what measures to take to prevent it.

"There are definite, tangible signs to look for, with suicide. It's another myth that suicide happens without warning," said Cassidy. "When trained to look for the signs, you can intervene and avoid a senseless death. Suicide is the permanent solution to a temporary problem. More people die every year by suicide than by HIV, or murder, things that are always on people's minds. People need to take notice. It's the only way we can make this change.

"The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

For more information, visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

Contact the reporter at: dmeurer@prescottaz.com

Battle On The Homefront

Listen to the Archived "Veterans Forum" Shows
Http://InternetVoicesRadio.com E. Everett McFall, Host


By Jon Seidel Post-Tribune staff writer(Northwest Indiana)

Sgt. Jacob Blaylock won't be counted among the casualties of the Iraq war.
But he, like many soldiers, was haunted by its ghosts. (PTSD)
Blaylock, 26, was a fun-loving man when he went to Iraq, his family said. In photographs, he tends to be the one giving a thumbs-up to the camera. When he came home from war, though, his family said he wanted a beer, he wanted a cigarette, and he never wanted to go back to battle. Blaylock, who grew up in Calumet City, shot himself this month.

He left a note behind in his glove box for his family. "I'm sorry I let everybody down," Blaylock wrote. Blaylock was living in Houston, but his father, Ricky Blaylock, lives in Lowell. Ricky Blaylock said his son's depression medication, from doctors who were treating his son for post-traumatic stress disorder, arrived the day after the suicide.

"The military actually dropped the ball right there," Mr. Blaylock said.
-->According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, between 12 and 20 percent of Iraq war veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

Much of it has to do with guilt. Days after he died, Blaylock's family members said they were still learning more about how bothered he was about what happened overseas. Rob Wisniewski, Blaylock's uncle, lives in Highland. He said his nephew saw two of his friends die in Iraq when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Originally, Blaylock told his family he was told not to ride in that vehicle. It was the lead vehicle in a military convoy, and he was scheduled to go home in two weeks, Wisniewski said. Wednesday, Wisniewski said they learned that Blaylock asked not to ride in the vehicle. "He was supposed to be in that Humvee," Wisniewski said. Instead, Blaylock came home to his fiance, Heidi, and their 8-year-old daughter, Lilly. He also continued singing in his band, Nine Volt. The band was scheduled to play at the House of Blues in Chicago, his father, Ricky Blaylock said. Wisniewski said the lyrics in Blaylock's latest music were a sign that he was bothered by what went on in Iraq.

"There's no hope/There's no doubt/Keep it up, kid, you're doing fine," Blaylock wrote in his song, "Like Peter Pan and His Shadow." Blaylock was buried last week with full military honors in Houston National Cemetery, at the request of his daughter. Ricky Blaylock said it is ultimately everyone's duty(especially the Veterans Administration), to make sure soldiers are taken care of when they come home from war. It's a task, he said, that the military can't handle alone. "If you've got somebody coming back from there," Blaylock said, "you've got to stay on them."

A memorial service for Blaylock has been scheduled for 10 a.m.,
Dec. 29 at St. James Parish, 9640 Kennedy Ave., Highland, IN .

Contact Jon Seidel at 881-3148 or jseidel@post-trib.com
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E. Everett McFall, Vietnam Veteran,PTSD Internet Radio Host, Author of
(I Can Still Hear their Cries, Even In My Sleep),
Http://InternetVoicesRadio.Com

Singing for Heroes

By TK Rosevear
December 17, 2007 09:49 PM EST


Unsung heroes of time and eternity gone by,
upon eagles wings please hear harmony's cry;
I know of the courage in your brave, purple hearts,
the valor that runs deep through all body parts;

No medals or ribbons could suffice true zeal
of facing the Devil, declaring, "NO Deal!"
Senses denatured to the ills of humankind,
focusing on 'cause' without losing one's mind;

War, we were taught, is freedoms price tag,
for waving or planting the colors of our flag;
Laying claim to faith and dignity to rites
for victim nations, to empower from plights;

A noble choice to risk one's life and limb,
while ignorance decides whether to sink or swim;
My promise to you from this moment on,
your memories heard in epiphenomenon;

With love and honor, respectfully I'll close -
each dawn 'sound the bugle', each eve with a rose.

TK Rosevear's website is http://www.freewebs.com/peacecandles/
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Listen to E. Everett McFall's weekly podcast,
"The Veterans Forum" Archived on http://internetvoicesradio.com/

Highest Army Suicide Rate in 26 Years

Paul Rieckhoff
Posted August 16, 2007 06:31 PM (EST)

Read More: Iraq, Afghanistan, United States, Washington, Persian Gulf, The Pentagon, James Joyner, Jimmy Carter, Vietnam, US Department of Defense , Breaking Politics News

I've talked before about troops' and veterans' suicides and the looming mental health crisis facing those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The numbers in today's new military report are a bleak reminder that this problem isn't going away.

In fact, it is growing. According to the Army Suicide Event Report (ASER), 2006 marks the highest rate of military suicides in 26 years, and more than a quarter of those troops killed themselves while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A total of ninety-nine U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year.

This new report only confirms what we veterans have been saying for years:
Our troops are facing serious mental health problems, and they aren't getting the treatment they need. At least one-in-three Iraq veterans and one-in-nine Afghanistan veterans will face a mental health issue like depression, anxiety, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). About 25% of those who committed suicide had "a history of at least one psychiatric disorder."

Longer, repeated tours are increasing the risks. Soldiers and Marines who have deployed to Iraq more than once have a 50% higher rate of combat stress. This new study reports that suicide is closely linked to long combat deployments, and that multiple deployments may also be a risk factor.

The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs aren't ready to cope with the problem. 90% of military psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers reported no formal training or supervision in the recommended PTSD therapies, and there is a general shortage of trained mental health professionals in the military. And even VA officials have admitted that waiting lists render mental health and substance abuse care "virtually inaccessible."

And this report does not even include the unknown number of military personnel that have committed suicide after they have left the military's payrolls. People like CPL Jefferey Lucey are not even counted in this report. The number of veterans in that category is not even counted by the military or the VA--and is probably much higher.

Anyone who remembers the post-Vietnam era knows that these numbers, scary as they are, are just the tip of the iceberg. But we can learn from history, and we can prevent another generation of veterans from suffering as the Vietnam generation did.

The president knows what must be done. The recent report from the Dole-Shalala Commission laid it all out for him. The Commission delivered six clear recommendations that should be implemented immediately. There should be no more excuses.

Every day that the president delays, more troops will die as a result of a flawed military and veterans healthcare system.

This report shows us all that mental health care is literally a matter of life and death. If ninety-nine troops died in 2006 as the result of a new enemy mortar or roadside bomb, congress and the president would be rushing to find a new vehicle or piece of armor to deal with the problem. But for some reason, mental health related deaths are pushed off as something Congress and the president can get to later--after their summer vacations.

When Congress is back in session in September, IAVA will be out in front to ensure that new legislation is passed to get troops and veterans the counseling and treatment they need. We'll need to act fast to get legislation passed before the end of the year - and we'll need your help. Our troops are dying, and we need to do something about it.
Even if the president won't.

http://www2.iava.org/signUp.jsp?key=310

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff
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Listen to E. Everett McFall's weekly podcast, "The Veterans Forum" Archived on http://internetvoicesradio.com/

The Personal Impact Of War

December 12, 2007

A Review of "I Can Still Hear their Cries, Even In My Sleep"

Rated by Marc Leepson (Loudoun County, Virginia, USA)
Book Reviewer Vietnam Veterans of America Magazine


"This book shows starkly that the impact of a war does not end when the shooting stops. This was especially true among the 2.8 million Americans who took part in the Vietnam War, only to come home to a nation that was bitterly divided over the war. The nation as a whole (including the VA, the Congress and the old line veterans' organizations) treated Vietnam veterans shamefully, blaming them for the war and making the adjustment to coming home even more difficult.

Those facts are rendered starkly in this moving book that describes one man's difficult readjustment after serving in the Vietnam War. Doc McFall saw war at its worst during his year in Vietnam. His story is deeply moving and one that should be widely read."

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"A RAW Education on the Effects of PTSD !"
Anna Turner, Family Historian

The Author Slowly Educates the reader on the Mental Conflicts that come with the day to day stresses of being in a war zone. His words produce vividly painted pictures that enable you to understand what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is.

I Can Still Hear Their Cries, Even In My Sleep,...A Journey into PTSD! It Entertains and Informs. Its an easy read,a Natural Page Turner. Ideal for ALL RETURNING VETERANS and THEIR FAMILIES !!!

Thank You "Doc" E. Everett McFall. His story is deeply moving and one that should be widely read.''
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Listen to E. Everett McFall's weekly podcast, "The Veterans Forum"
Archived on Http://InternetVoicesRadio.Com

The Valley of Despair, aka PTSD

(c) 2007 E. Everett McFall

During one of my depressing low ebb tide moments I wrote:
“Death is my best buddy, my constant companion, my thoughts, the memories, the flashbacks.

As I dwell in the recesses of the valley of despair, by choice, I have slumbered in the dark caverns of depression, hiding, withdrawn from reality, seeking pity and reparations because I had internalized that the world owed me something.

Steeped in alcohol and drugs and confined within my self-induced, self-fulfilling prophetic hellish condition and saturated with a constant illusion of hopelessness, I sought to end the anguish, the frustration, the mental torment. My thoughts were focused on freeing my suffering tormented soul by taking own life. Why? Because I felt that my wretched life had no positive direction, no meaning or purpose.



So I kissed steel, and suckled on a cold blue tube, waiting, anticipating and preparing to welcome the unforgiving flaming messengers of death. My gun barrel became a lollipop without a sugar coating or a fruit flavored topping; it was however, just an obedient servant poised to release its power and deadly force. The trigger reluctantly maneuvered with resistance as I anticipated the explosive deadly projectile invading my body, searing and burning as it traveled upward to my brain.

Again, ‘Time Stood Still’ as my life flashed by and replayed within my mind. My mind was weak, my spirit was muddled, my odor challenged body was soaked with alcohol and perspiration, my hands shook as the gun barrel irritated my tongue, forcing me to gag. As I withdrew the four inch 357 Colt Python revolver from my mouth, my tongue managed to ‘French’ the barrel tip momentarily as it exited.

My heart attempted to escape from it’s imprisoned cage, and the ringing in my ears became almost deafening. So I slowly repositioned the 357 directly under my chin and angled it backwards for maximum penetration and effectiveness. Agonizing thoughts intruded as I blinked my moistened eyes in an effort to continue without succumbing to my fear. Knowing that some gun shot head wounds liquefy the contact area into chunks and/or a bloody, flakey, oatmeal type paste, I didn’t want to think too long about pulling that trigger.

So I smiled, as I had visions of others cleaning up the chunks of my brain and the massive pool of jellied congealed blood.” HA – HA HA –HA aaah. How morbid is that? I snickered. My head throbbed, my soul was in pain. Then I bowed my head and called out for help.

A Plea From the Valley
O my God, I seek refuse in you Father
Against Satin the devil, spawn of evil.
O Lord of the worlds, I call unto thee
For guidance and discerning wisdom.

Father protect me from harm, as only
You can, from the enemy within & without.
Devine Creator; please grant unto me health,
Peace of mind, happiness and prosperity.

Most Merciful, Most Beneficent God, Lord
Bless me with enduring strength as I struggle
To find my way back to sanity and salvation
Within All your Books, and from Geneses to Revelation.
Thank You, Thank you Lord for giving me one more day. . .

Feedback wanted!!

Listen to our weekly podcast on;

http://InternetVoicesRadio.Com
"Archives", E. Everett McFall

Let Freedom Ring

America , America so beautiful, from sea to shinning sea!

We fully support and are truly "Thankful and Grateful" for our troops on the fields of battle.

Having once worn the uniform and left a deposit of blood on a foreign soil, I know what it means to hear a friendly word of gratitude form the folks back home.

So take a moment to reflect in retrospect, upon those who defend our Freedom.
THANK YOU and GOD BLESS EACH ONE OF YOU, Past, Present and Future!!!


Turn your speakers up as you "Click Here...."
(c) Jacquie Lawson 2007



Doc E. Everett McFall USN/USMC Corpsman
Vietnam, Class of 1966-1967

(Thanks "Doc" Ken Coleman)

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E. Everett McFall's Book Demands Attention!

McFall's Book Demands Attention!
by Glenda Bixler
December 04, 2007 04:55 PM EST

I Can Still Hear Their Cries: Even In My Sleep!
By E. Everett McFall


I’ve just finished reading a short book by E. Everett McFall—short in volume but not short in message! I Can Still Hear Their Cries: Even in My Sleep is a very personal story. If you read nothing else, but the two pages, “The Valley of Despair, aka PTSD,” you will come face to face with a man’s deepest despair! “So I kissed steel and suckled on a cold blue tube, waiting, anticipating and preparing to welcome the unforgiving flaming messengers of death.” (p. 37)

When you have considered suicide, as Everett McFall has, you may realize that there is only one solution and bow your head to call out for help, “Bless me with enduring strength as I struggle to find my way back to sanity...” (p. 38)
This is a portion of Everett’s personal walk through the valley of despair and depression called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He never knew what he would face when, prior to joining the service, he believed as some others that, “a man ain’t a real man until he’s been tested under fire in combat.” (p. 1)


Unfortunately, the war at that time was the one in Vietnam—the longest war ever and the one that many refuse to discuss! Those who do, like Everett, are selective because “most of us have locked those traumatic events deep within the recesses of our minds for safe-keeping and well-being, OUR OWN.” (p. 40) Even as he says this, he mentions that his novel, ''Dancing with Death—All Gave Some, Some Gave All'', reveals much more, but not all—he can’t tell it all!

Indeed, I am not sure that any caring individual is ready to know all that takes place when a loved one is sent into war. However, as with most of us, we do need to share with others and Everett has written or gathered from friends many beautiful but relevant poems that reflect upon the Vietnam War. One of the most heartbreaking is one in which he writes, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you” to beloved members of his family who died while he was overseas. (p. 5)

I think the ones that struck me the hardest were related to the title of this book. “I Can Still Heard Their Cries” speaks out of the horrors of so much death that comes into his dreams—nightmares—at night! “Little Tiny Faces” talks about the children ravaged by the war. Then there is “Purple Heart,” which expresses how the wounds for which they gave him the ribbon are now long healed... “except the scars in my mind called PTSD.” (p. 15)

The concluding message, however, struck me from a totally different perspective. Everett McFall is writing to his sons, his brothers, his friends’ children and he’s saying “Gang Bangers that wage war...are like young children playing nursery games...” He wants them to realize that life and death is not a game and he wants them to realize that before they find themselves caught in a war where losing your life is a second-by-second probability.

The author has also provided an excellent Veterans Resource Guide and Directory as the last part of his book. While this book may not be for everybody, it is definitely a must-read for individuals that may or have been affected through a war, PTSD or other disability directly attributable to participation in the military service.


Thank you, Everett McFall, for opening your wounds and your heart and allowing us to share them with you! God Bless you and your family!

Glenda Bixler
IP Book Reviewer

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Are They Really Supporting the Troops?

Reformer.com

Saturday, December 1
For all the talk about "supporting the troops" that we hear from the Bush administration, we keep seeing more and more evidence that the men and women who serve in the military are nothing more than campaign props to be trotted out whenever convenient.
A few stories from the past couple of weeks illustrate this:

* The Pentagon has been offering huge bonuses, up to $20,000 in some cases, to get service members to re-enlist. But there is one big catch. If you are seriously wounded and unable to complete your term of service, the Defense Department requires you to pay back a pro-rated amount of the bonus.

So if you've lost a limb or two, or your eyesight and hearing, or suffer from a traumatic brain injury and can no longer serve, the Pentagon will be at your door, looking for its money.
Apparently, wounded veterans, many of whom have no money, are being dunned by the government because of a policy that makes no sense and has no heart. Thanks Mr. President!

* The Veterans Administration remains overwhelmed by the demands of taking care of hundreds of thousands of new veterans. Despite the attention focused this spring on the deficiencies of the military's medical system, little has changed. According to the VA, it takes an average of 183 days to process a claim, and the backlog of pending claims to be processed is more than 391,000. Staff shortages plague the VA system and there seems to be little chance there will be more money and manpower available to remedy the problem.

* CBS News recently contacted the governments of all 50 states requesting official records of death by suicide going back 12 years. They heard from 45 states, and sifted through the information to find how many Americans who served in the military have taken their own lives. They found that in 2005 alone, more than 6,200 veterans committed suicide. That's an average of about 120 a week, or 17 a day.

It's not just people who've just returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. Veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam are also taking their lives.
Since post traumatic stress injuries can sometimes takes decades to manifest themselves, the stories and images from our current wars are awakening traumas from past wars.
The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't track this data. Neither does the Defense Department. Both deny there is an epidemic. Despite figures showing that more than 20 percent of active duty soldiers and more than 40 percent of reservists are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious mental health issues, the military is doing little to help these men and women.

* According to the VA, one in three homeless Americans -- about 200,000 in all -- are veterans. And the U.S. Justice Department estimates that about 12 percent of the seven million people in the nation's corrections system -- either in prison, parole or probation -- have served in the military.
Taken together, these snapshots of how our veterans are being treated shows us just how high a physical and mental toll they have paid. It also shows us how little medical and financial assistance is available to them. It also shows how "support the troops" have become the most hollow words in the modern political lexicon.

The social burden of this war is being carried by a small part of our population. Unless a member of the family is in the service, most Americans are untouched by what is becoming a growing crisis in this country. Quite simply, our military is stretched to the breaking point, and our leaders don't seem to care that there are men and women being crushed by the burdens of this war.
The next time you hear any politician say that they support the troops, ask them what have they have done to ensure that the VA gets enough money to deal with the flood of new patients. Ask them what they've done to help veterans get the mental health treatment they need. Ask them what they've done to keep the Pentagon from trying to pick the pockets of wounded veterans. Ask them what they've done to fund programs to help combat veterans readjust to civilian life.

Until we see Congress and the White House take action on these issues and end the shameful treatment of the men and women who gave their all for the country, all talk about supporting the troops is just that -- talk.

"A teenage US Marine Corps Corpsman left the U.S. for a tour in Southeast Asia in 1966 with dreams and goals of someday becoming a doctor. Those 364 days in Vietnam forever changed his life as well as those whom he would come in contact with. Forty years later, at age sixty one, he is still fighting through depression, nightmares, and recurring flashbacks with intrusive thoughts- known as PTSD. "

Writing his first two books has given E. Everett McFall rays of hope, as he continues to struggle with his inner demons that he painfully relates, "I can still hear their cries, even in my sleep."

www.outskirtspress.com/1432704575

The Poetry Review....., Disabled Veterans, Military, Poets and Writers, Retired And Former Military, The Open Journal, The Writers Cove, The writers' Guild, Veterans Party