Under two previous Executive administrations and wars from, father and son. With son and conservative congresses leading the extremely quick abandoning of the missions and those sent to accomplish after 9/11:
Honor our living brothers and sisters all the time! Fully Fund the Veterans Administration, no questions asked, as we fund the Department of Defense, no questions asked. Sacrifice comes from the rest who send those of us who serve into Wars and Occupations of others, they and their families are not the only ones who should be Sacrificing their all!
Iraq, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn Sept 1, 2010
There have been 4,748 coalition deaths -- 4,430 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of January 1 2011, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. At least 32,000 {31,992 up to last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan
As the draw down continues, both in theater as to opporations participation and troops leaving the theater and not being replaced, the numbers of killed and injured draws down drastically as well. But those who die later, from wounds received or from ailments they developed or from suicides, are still not counted and will continue for the years and decades to come!
Pfc.David Dustin Finch 24 Bath Springs, Tennessee, USA 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Numaniya, Wasit province, Iraq, on December 8, 2010
ATTENTION: This is for all Stop Loss Soldiers and their Beneficiaries, please pass on if you suspect you might know someone and they hadn't yet applied for this owed benefit, they deserve much more!
Deadline for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Extended
Washington - December 22, 2010 - The deadline for eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP) has been extended to March 4, 2011, allowing personnel more time to apply for the benefits they've earned under the program guidelines.
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To apply for more information, or to gather more information on RSLSP, including submission requirements and service-specific links, go to Stop Loss {read rest here
POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009. The information below reflects the name, an unknown, officially listed as Prisoners of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41 Army reservist assigned Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad Ann Arbor, Michigan On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to missing-captured on December 11.
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Ketchum, Idaho Captured in Paktika province in Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1 and his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3.
Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 2,281 coalition deaths -- 1,445 Americans, 21 Australians, 348 Britons, 1 Belgian, 154 Canadians, 3 Czech, 39 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 5 NATO, 8 Estonians, 1 Finn, 52 French, 46 Germans, 4 Hungarian, 34 Italians, 1 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 9 Norwegians, 22 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 17 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 30 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 2 Turks, 1 New Zealand, 1 Jordanian and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of January 1 2011, according to a CNN count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 9,675 {9,469 up to last month} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.
Cpl.Chad Stafford Wade 22 Bentonville, Arkansas, None Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 1, 2010
Sgt.Matthew Thomas Abbate 26 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan on December 2, 2010
Sgt. 1st ClassJames Earl Thode 45 Kirtland, New Mexico, USA 118th Engineer Company, 1457th Engineer Battalion, 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Utah Army National Guard Killed when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in the Sabari district of Khost province, Afghanistan, on December 2, 2010
Lance Cpl.Lucas Christopher Scott 20 Peebles, Ohio, USA 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 3, 2010
Staff Sgt.Vincent Wayne Ashlock 45 Seaside, California, USA 287th Engineer Company, 890th Engineer Battalion, 168th Engineer Brigade, Mississippi Army National Guard Died in a non-combat related incident at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province, Afghanistan, on December 4, 2010
Pvt.John Howard 23 Wellington, New Zealand Company B, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, attached to Brigade Reconnaissance Force, 16 Air Assault Brigade Howard was killed when he was shot during a patrol six miles (10 km) southwest of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2010. An investigation is being conducted as the British Ministry of Defense said his death may have been the result of friendly fire.
Staff Sgt.Nicholas Jose Aleman 24 Brooklyn, New York, USA Marine Corps reservist assigned to Deployment Processing Command-East Killed along with a U.S. soldier when a roadside bomb detonated at a bazaar near an International Security Assistance Force operating base in the Gardez district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2010
Staff Sgt.Jason Allen Reeves 32 Odessa, Texas, USA Company A, 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 66th Military Intelligence Brigade Killed along with a U.S. Marine when a roadside bomb detonated at a bazaar near an International Security Assistance Force operating base in the Gardez district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2010
Cpl.Derek Allen Wyatt 25 Akron, Ohio, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 6, 2010
Pfc.Colton Wesley Rusk 20 Orange Grove, Texas, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 6, 2010
Sgt.Jason Darren Peto 31 Vancouver, Washington, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died on December 7, 2010, at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, from wounds received during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on November 24, 2010
Sgt.James Anthony Ayube II 25 Salem, Massachusetts, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment One of two soldiers killed when an insurgent attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Chehel Gazi, Balkh province, Afghanistan, on December 8, 2010
Spc.Kelly Joseph Mixon 23 Yulee, Florida, USA Company B, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment One of two soldiers killed when an insurgent attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Chehel Gazi, Balkh province, Afghanistan, on December 8, 2010
Lance Cpl.Michael Erick Geary 20 Derry, New Hampshire, USA 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 8, 2010
Staff Sgt.Stacy Andru Green 34 Alexander City, Alabama, USA 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 10, 2010
Spc.Ethan Louis Goncalo 21 Fall River, Massachusetts, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts Army National Guard Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 11, 2010
Sgt.Willie Atlas McLawhorn Jr. 23 Conway, North Carolina, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of six soldiers killed when an insurgent drove a minibus packed with an estimated 1,000 pounds of explosives past a security checkpoint and then detonated next to a small building at a newly established combat outpost, causing it to collapse on the soldiers, in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 12, 2010
Cpl.Jorge Emmanuel Villacis 24 Sunrise, Florida, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of six soldiers killed when an insurgent drove a minibus packed with an estimated 1,000 pounds of explosives past a security checkpoint and then detonated next to a small building at a newly established combat outpost, causing it to collapse on the soldiers, in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 12, 2010
Cpl.Kenneth Edward Necochea Jr. 21 San Diego, California, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of six soldiers killed when an insurgent drove a minibus packed with an estimated 1,000 pounds of explosives past a security checkpoint and then detonated next to a small building at a newly established combat outpost, causing it to collapse on the soldiers, in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 12, 2010
Cpl.Patrick David Deans 22 Orlando, Florida, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of six soldiers killed when an insurgent drove a minibus packed with an estimated 1,000 pounds of explosives past a security checkpoint and then detonated next to a small building at a newly established combat outpost, causing it to collapse on the soldiers, in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 12, 2010
Sgt.Sean Martin Collins 25 Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of six soldiers killed when an insurgent drove a minibus packed with an estimated 1,000 pounds of explosives past a security checkpoint and then detonated next to a small building at a newly established combat outpost, causing it to collapse on the soldiers, in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 12, 2010
Cpl.Derek Todd Simonetta 21 Redwood City, California, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of six soldiers killed when an insurgent drove a minibus packed with an estimated 1,000 pounds of explosives past a security checkpoint and then detonated next to a small building at a newly established combat outpost, causing it to collapse on the soldiers, in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 12, 2010
Lance Cpl.Jose Alonzo Hernandez 19 West Palm Beach, Florida, USA 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 14, 2010
Gunnery Sgt.Justin Edward Schmalstieg 28 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 15, 2010
Spc.Sean Russell Cutsforth 22 Radford, Virginia, USA Company C, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on December 15, 2010
Cpl.Sean A. Osterman 21 Princeton, Minnesota, USA 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died on December 16, 2010 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 14
Capt.Benoît Dupin 34 France 3e Compagnie, 2e Régiment Etranger de Génie, Légion étrangère (3rd Company, 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, French Foreign Legion) Killed when a detachment of French, U.S., Romanian and Afghan soldiers engaged in a reconnaissance operation at the entrance to Alasay Valley were attacked by insurgents with small-arms fire in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on December 17, 2010
Cpl.Oliver O. 21 Waldhausen, Germany 2. Kompanie, Gebirgsjägerbataillons 232, Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23 (2nd Company, 232nd Mountain Infantry Battalion, 23rd Mountain Infantry Brigade) Died of a non-hostile gunshot wound at a German Provincial Reconstruction Team outpost in Pul-i Khumri, Afghanistan, on December 17, 2010
Lance Cpl.Jose Luis Maldonado 21 Mathis, Texas, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 17, 2010
Cpl.Eric M. Torbert Jr. 25 Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died after a roadside bomb attack in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 18, 2010
Petty Officer 2nd ClassJonathan Lefort 28 Pompey, France Commando Trepel, Commandos Marine (Commando Trepel, Naval Commandos) Killed when a detachment of the Special Forces Brigade Lafayette and Afghan security forces were attacked by insurgents using small-arms fire in an operation in southern Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on December 18, 2010
Cpl.Steve Martin 24 Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover, Canada 3rd Batallion, Royal 22e Régiment (3rd Battalion, 22nd Royal Regiment) Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while on operations in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 18, 2010
Pfc.Conrado D. Javier Jr. 19 Marina, California, USA 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 19, 2010
Cpl.Steven Thomas Dunn 27 Gateshead, England 216 Parachute Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals, attached to 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment Battlegroup Killed when his Jackal patrol vehicle struck a roadside bomb during an operation to disrupt insurgent freedom of movement in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2010
Lance Cpl.William H. Crouse IV 22 Woodruff, South Carolina, USA 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb explosion during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2010
Lance Cpl.Kenneth A. Corzine 23 Bethalto, Illinois, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died on December 24, 2010, of wounds received during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2010
Sgt.Garrett A. Misener 25 Cordova, Tennessee, USA 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died after a roadside bomb exploded during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 27, 2010
Cpl.Tevan L. Nguyen 21 Hutto, Texas, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 28, 2010
Warrant Officer Class 2Charles Henry Wood 34 Middlesborough, England 518 Squadron, 23 Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, assigned to the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while his unit was clearing a route through the Khushdal Kalay area of the Helmand River Valley in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on December 28, 2010
Cpl. Maj.Matteo Miotto 24 Thiene, Italy 7° Reggimento Alpini (7th Alpine Regiment) Shot by a sniper while on duty in a guard tower at an Italian forward operating base in the Gulistan district of Farah province, Afghanistan, on December 31, 2010
Sgt.Michael Joe Beckerman 25 Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, USA Company A, 2nd Brigade Support Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Howz-e Madad, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on December 31, 2010
'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal signed by Obama
22 December 2010 - "We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot," Obama says. But the policy prohibiting openly gay troops from serving is in effect until the military certifies it is ready to comply. {continued}
PTSD - TBI - Military and Veterans Suicides
Department of Defense "Restoring Hope": You Can Help Save A Life
Children cope with parents' deployment
January 1, 2011 - It's been more than three months since Rylan and Adarra Conklin felt their parents' embrace.
Sgt. Sara Conklin and Sgt. Robert Conklin were deployed to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Reserve's 592nd Ordnance Company in September. They won't come home until October 2011.
When the Conklins last saw their son, he could barely walk.
He could make it only four or five steps before he fell into the arms of a watchful adult. He still leaned against his mother's legs for support while saying goodbye to her on the tarmac at Billings Logan International Airport. {continued}
Study: military children have higher levels of stress, behavioral problems
The Rand Study on Military Children: Children on the Homefront: The Experiences of Children from Military Families
Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, Suicide Prevention Report 2010
December 16, 2010 - Army Releases November Suicide Data
November 19, 2010 - The Army released suicide data today for the month of October. Among active-duty soldiers, there were nine potential suicides: two have been confirmed as suicides, and seven remain under investigation. For September, the Army reported 19 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, six have been confirmed as suicides, and 13 remain under investigation. {read rest}
The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental United States is 1-800-342-9647. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location
The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council.
Information about the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program.
The Army’s most current suicide prevention information.
The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Programs.
Suicide prevention training resources for Army families {requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials} .
The Next Chapter to ‘Wartorn 1861-2010’
We've had many chapters over these some forty years that the greater majorities were ignoring, after this past decade they can no longer push back into the dark the reality of war and traumatic life experiences nor the help needed!
HBO recently released ‘Wartorn 1861-2010,’ exploring the invisible wounds of war. While evocatively bringing the subject of PTSD to an ever-widening audience, the film leaves out the next chapter: the availability of effective, evidence-based treatments for PTSD. To better understand the breadth of options available for PTSD sufferers, their families and others, watch VA’s video “PTSD Treatment Works,” in which Dr Kate Chard describes the many VA resources available to Veterans, their families, and others. {for links to much more information}
Total Costs of Wars since 2001, the rolling tabulation, over $1,129,685,950,217+++++ and continually counting!
“The True Cost of the War”
September 30, 2010 10:00AM Full House Veterans Affairs Committee
Archived Webcast September 30 at 10 a.m. Full Committee Hearing “The True Cost of the War” {If you listen or watch No Other Congressional Hearing, This One You Should, read the opening statements and watch the back and forth talk not in the opening statements but in the Congressional Records.}
Visit Site Page for Backlinks to Participants Opening Statements
CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties
In Remembrance - Moving Tributes
Civilian Casulties - Iraq
John Hopkins School of Public Health { October 11, 2006 report } Updated Iraq Survey Affirms Earlier Mortality Estimates. Mortality Trends Comparable to Estimates by Those Using Other Counting Methods
Civilian Casulties - Afghanistan
Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
The War in Afghanistan (2001-present) has caused the deaths of thousands of Afghan civilians directly from insurgent and foreign military action, as well as the deaths of possibly tens of thousands of Afghan civilians indirectly as a consequence of displacement, starvation, disease, exposure, lack of medical treatment, crime and lawlessness resulting from the war. The war, launched by the United States as "Operation Enduring Freedom" in 2001, began with an initial air campaign that almost immediately prompted concerns over the number of Afghan civilians being killed[1] as well as international protests. With civilian deaths from airstrikes rising again in recent years[2], the number of Afghan civilians being killed by foreign military operations has led to mounting tension between the foreign countries and the government of Afghanistan. In May 2007, President Hamid Karzai summoned military commanders to warn them of the consequences of further deaths.[3]........Continued
Exact Count of Civilian Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries {of which All would be counted if this land were ever invaded} who suffer the most, during and long after!
UNHCR - Refugees and more, Afghanistan and Iraq
Iraq Refugees UNHCR - Iraq: UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Iraq Situation
Afghanistan Refugees UNHCR - Afghanistan UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Afghanistan Situation
All the Deaths, Maimings and Destruction are the Blood on All Our Hands, No One can Escape that Guilt!
97 percent {now more} of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
"Mission Accomplished!"
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is," - George W. Bush, Texas Gov., 1999
The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here
"What is the difference between an al Qaida terrorist and a misguided American terrorist?" "The planes they fly!"
In fairness, we’ve been putting ground zeros next to mosques in Iraq since 2003 - Unknown Comment Author
"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans."
How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq
Matthew Alexander who is writing under a pseudonym for security reasons
"Torture is the tool of the lazy, the stupid, and the pseudo-tough. It's also perhaps the greatest recruiting tool that the terrorists have."
Major General Paul Eaton
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends"
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Done "In Our Names"!
Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home
Soldier Missing in Action from World War I Identified
December 08, 2010 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War I, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Private Henry A. Weikel, 28, of Mt. Carmel, Pa., will be buried on Dec. 9 in Annville, Pa. On Sept. 16, 1918, as part of the 60th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, his unit encountered heavy enemy artillery barrage and machine gun fire near Jaulny, France, in a wooded area known as Bois de Bonvaux. Weikel was killed during the battle and his remains were buried with two other soldiers in a wooded area between Bois de Bonvaux and Bois de Grand Fontaine. Attempts to locate his remains by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel following the war were unsuccessful.
In September 2006, French nationals hunting for metal in the area found human remains and World War I artifacts. A Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team, operating near the location, was notified of the discovery and recovered human remains upon excavating the site.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the JPAC laboratory also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
December 02, 2010 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. First Class Wallace L. Slight, 24, of Yates City, Ill., will be buried Dec. 3 in Van Meter, Iowa. On Nov. 1, 1950, Slight was assigned to M Company, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, occupying a defensive position in North Korea, along the Nammyon River, near a bend known as the “Camel’s Head.” Two enemy elements attacked the 1st Cavalry Division’s lines, collapsing their perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. Almost 400 men, including Slight, were reported missing or killed in action following the battle.
In 1953, a U.S. soldier captured during the same battle reported that a fellow prisoner of war had told him Slight had died on the battlefield during the attack.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains in one of the boxes were exhumed near Unsan County, North Pyongan Province. This location correlates with the location of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment on Nov. 2, 1950.
Analysts from DPMO and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, experts evaluated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death and researched wartime documentation of his loss.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA -- which matched that of Slight’s brother and half-brother -- in the identification.
Information For Veterans Who Served In Desert Shield/Storm and Their Families
July 2010 - Secretary Shinseki Marked the 20th Anniversary of Gulf War with a Renewed Pledge to Improve Care and Services to Gulf War Veterans Continued in a Twelve Page PDF Download
Gulf War Illness Gets Its Due With VA Research
Dec. 22, 2010 - Approximately 697.000 men and women served in various operations during Desert Shield and Desert Storm between August 1990 and June 1991. While the war was short lived, the chronic medical symptoms are not.
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To some this an Agent Orange Deja Vu. But again, we must give some credit to the new regime at the VA, they are not trying to hide, as they did with Agent Orange.
The VA has approved $2.8 million for research into treatments for these illnesses. {continued}
It really is sad that this Country has to have it's legislators pass a binding legislation for issues such as this, especially as in many cases those running are appointed, mostly based on political affiliation, and/or are contracted out to the private sector when they should stay in Government hands!
December 5, 2010 - The Senate passed legislation Saturday that would require the Army to give a full accounting of every grave at Arlington National Cemetery and fix any errors found at one of the nation's most sacred military burial grounds.
The bill would also require the Secretary of the Army to report to Congress on its progress in reviewing and overhauling the management of the contracts at the cemetery, including those that were issued to computerize the cemetery's records. The secretary would also be required to take steps to communicate more effectively with the loved ones of service members who have been buried there.
The measure comes after the recent discovery of hundreds of mixups and lapses at the cemetery, including unmarked and improperly marked grave sites, and the Army's announcement of its first criminal investigation into the scandal. The failures occurred despite federal spending of $5 million to $8 million on multiple contracts to modernize the cemetery's antiquated record-keeping. {read rest}
110th and 111th Congress put policy before politics, from the House Veterans Affairs Committee leadership
Attached are comprehensive materials to discuss accomplishments for America’s veterans. The two page document is limited to accomplishments from the 111th Congress, while the 4 and 8 page documents cover updates from 2007-2010.
2 page Document {251K}
Four page Document {258K}
8 page Document {95K}
National World War II Memorial
National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The Wall
Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries
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