Monthly Archives: July 2011

Veterans Benefits

Statement by the President on Change of Condolence Letter Policy

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The writer A.Alvarez once spoke of suicide as the savage God. In polite society we may just consider it a savage subject. Yet with the staggering number of suicides on a monthly basis the topic begs to be tamed and spoken of as the “women come and go and speak of Michaelangelo.”

 

“A black stormcloud of pain shrouded Achilles/ On is bowed head he scattered dust and ash/in handfuls and befouled his beautiful face/ letting black ash sift on his fragrant khiton/ Then in the dust he stretched his giant length and tore his hair with both hands.”  Homer

While this explosive display of anguish and pain is the by product of war, you will not see it reported on the evening news.  The proverbial, “tearing ones hair out,” is a clear metaphor for the intolerable pain and psychic suffering that is part of the package called combat.  Some gentle souls, frequently those with a solid moral upbringing, simply do not have the mettle or internal tools to cope. They do indeed warrant consolation.

We just recently celebrated the author Ernest Hemingway.  A reminder is in order that this man served in five wars and also had head injuries. He committed suicide. The burden of memory overcame him.

Many military historians speak of the storied legend of the Lost Battalion of WWI. These men were surrounded for days by the Germans. Had no food or water, yet they continued to fight. Major C.W Whittlesey maintained cohesion and refused to surrender and emboldened his dwindling survivors to fight forward. For this bravery, the Major was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. This story is well known to the Army archivists. What is not reported is that Whittlesey committed suicide just after the war.

 

Us Vietnam veterans are reminded of the phrase and poem;  “Chesty Puller is Not On The Wall.”  The legendary Marine General Chesty Puller’s son committed suicide after the war.

 

Admiral Zumwalt’s son committed suicide.

 

I wonder if the parents of these noble men thought that condolences were in order?

 

 

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        
July 6, 2011

Statement by the President on Change of Condolence Letter Policy


As Commander in Chief, I am deeply grateful for the service of all our men and women in uniform, and grieve for the loss of those who suffer from the wounds of war – seen and unseen.  Since taking office, I’ve been committed to removing the stigma associated with the unseen wounds of war, which is why I’ve worked to expand our mental health budgets, and ensure that all our men and women in uniform receive the care they need.

As a next step and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the military chain of command, I have also decided to reverse a long-standing policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who commit suicide while deployed to a combat zone. This decision was made after a difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy, and I did not make it lightly.  This issue is emotional, painful, and complicated, but these Americans served our nation bravely.  They didn’t die because they were weak.  And the fact that they didn’t get the help they needed must change.  Our men and women in uniform have borne the incredible burden of our wars, and we need to do everything in our power to honor their service, and to help them stay strong for themselves, for their families and for our nation.

Veterans Benefits

Guitars For Vets

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This is absolutely the pinnacle of compassion! Having experienced PTSD early on after Vietnam, I was simply not able to pull together the concentration needed to play music and it drove me nuts. Just now at 63 years old I am again trying to tinker with the piano.  One day someone amongst us will write a love song about Vietnam. All the others are sad, mad and bad. We do have some moments of loving actions to share from our war time experiences. A bunch of guitars across America would make for one helluva of  Veteran Band! God Bless the founders of this gratitude filled charity.
About Guitars for Vets

Copyright music and lyrics reproduced by kind permission of Special Rider — for original, exclusive performances by Bob Dylan, check-out the official channel at youtube.com/bobdylan.

Guitars for Vets, Inc. (G4V) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that enhances the lives of ailing and injured military veterans by providing them with guitars and music instruction. Through self-expression and the healing power of music, it is our intent to restore the feelings of joy and purpose that can be lost after suffering trauma.

History
In 2007 Patrick Nettesheim, a Milwaukee-area guitar instructor, was introduced to Viet Nam Era Marine, Dan Van Buskirk. Dan wanted to play guitar, but felt that the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) had left him with the inability to coordinate the hands and the mind. What Dan soon discovered was that the same strong heart and spirit that got him through Viet Nam was all that he needed to make music and learn guitar. The lessons that Patrick and Dan shared together were enlightening for them both. Patrick’s success as a teacher was not simply about his ability to play guitar, it had much more to do with the teacher-student bond– Patience, Acceptance, Gratitude and Empathy, or being on the same P.A.G.E., as Patrick describes it. It is when these human qualities are in place that quality learning begins. “The guitar is a catalyst for positive human interaction,” Patrick explains.

It was a few months into these lessons that Dan suggested the two of them bring this modality to the Veterans at the VA in Milwaukee. The idea was born, and Patrick coined the name and slogan: GUITARS FOR VETS – The healing power of music in the hands of heroes. Since 2007, Guitars for Vets has provided over 800 new guitars and 5,000 lessons to our Nation’s Veterans. Chapters have been established in over 25 cities across the country, with more being added as resources are available.

Vision
Our primary focus is using the healing power of music to help our veterans. Whether we agree or disagree with the decision to go to war, one thing is for certain: there are men and women who bravely fight for and honorably represent our country. As a consequence of war, many of our soldiers come home with physical and emotional injuries. They need our help.

Method
Guitars for Vets provides six free private lessons and a new acoustic guitar to military veterans at VA medical and community-based Vet centers. All veterans are referred to us by the VA medical team in order to integrate the Guitars for Vets program into their treatment regimen. The private lessons are taught by volunteer instructors and are then followed by group sessions that provide a forum for the veterans to talk and play music with like-minded individuals, many of whom have had the same experiences, emotions and traumas. The music sessions provide a communal atmosphere. This has proven to be a catalyst that helps the Vets continue on their road to recovery and well being.

Upon graduation, each Vet in the program is presented a guitar, gig bag, strap, tuner, method book and a certificate of completion. The testimonials throughout the website capture what it has meant to some of the Vets participating in our program.

Veterans Benefits

Texas VA Secedes From God

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Of all places in the nation to pull this off…Texas! The home of more Christians per inch than most of the 50 states.  This lady Arleen must be planning on funding from China. Does she not know that God owns oil in Texas! Sure gonna be more fun than a hog sloppin” in the mud to see how this one turns out.
VA Bans Mention of God at Funerals for Vets “The hostile and discriminatory actions by the Veterans Affairs officials in Houston are outrageous, unconstitutional and must stop,” said Jeff Mateer, Esq., general counsel of Liberty Institute. June 30, 2011


The Department of Veterans Affairs and its Director of the Houston National Cemetery, Arleen Ocasio, are engaging in religious viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, by adding new incidents of religious hostility.
Director of the Houston National Cemetery, Arleen Ocasio Since taking the directorship of the Houston facility in April, 2010, Arleen Ocasio has used her position to bully Christians, repeatedly trampling on the religious liberties of Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4, The American Legion Post 586, and the National Memorial Ladies.
On March 15, Director Ocasio told Nobleton Jones, Honor Guard Junior Vice Commander, that he couldn’t say “May God grant you grace, mercy and peace” to grieving families.
“The hostile and discriminatory actions by the Veterans Affairs officials in Houston are outrageous, unconstitutional and must stop,” said Jeff Mateer, Esq., general counsel of Liberty Institute. “Government officials who engage in religious discrimination against citizens are breaking the law. Sadly, this seems to be a pattern of behavior at the Houston VA National Cemetery.”
Our friends at Liberty Institute have amended an earlier lawsuit against the VA that states the new violations against religious liberty include:
• VA Forbids Mention of God at Funerals for Veterans and Requires Families to Submit Prayer for Approval to the Government
• VA instructs the VFW and a Private Funeral Home that they may not present the option of prayer to families
• VA Tells Volunteers to Remove “God Bless” from Condolence Cards to Grieving Families
• VA Closes Cemetery Chapel; Uses it for Storage
You can read Liberty Institute’s detailed report of Director Ocasio’s offenses here.
TAKE ACTION
Director Ocasio has already been successfully sued this year for religious discrimination. Obviously, she is not qualified to be the director of a National Cemetery and should step down.
Send an email to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki. Ask him to 1) stop his department’s religious discrimination and 2) relieve Director Ocasio of her duties.


Take Action NowSend an email to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki now!
It is very important that you forward this alert to your friends and family members.


Sincerely,


Tim


Tim Wildmon, President
American Family Association