Veterans in New York City have finally seen their City Council petitions pay off. On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a law to create a new Department of Veterans' Services that will help the more than 225,000 veterans living in the Big Apple. De Blasio had opposed the bill for some time, but was persuaded to reverse course last month after the City Council proved overwhelmingly in its favor.
"Our veterans fought for us and served us and served through all the challenges," said de Blasio, standing on the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, according to SIlive.com "So many continue to face challenges and they should never have to face them alone."
De Blasio had stated concerns over the intended future for the department, but perhaps his own father's fight with PTSD in his life after service in World War II had something to do with his decision to give it the greenlight. "He came back with the physical wounds and the mental health wounds of that war," the mayor said. "And so many families can tell a similar story. It's not abstract. What happens in war does not end for anyone at the conclusion of that war. Unfortunately, it carries on."
According to the New York Daily News, the new veterans' department will replace the Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs at the cost of an extra $335,000 a year, with additional costs likely in the future as the agency works out what veterans benefits it will provide and on what scale.
The 20,000 veterans living in Staten Island will be among those helped. Charlie Greisnky, the only member of the Mayor's Advisory Board for Veterans Affairs from Staten Island, was more than pleased to be involved in the decision.
"I'm proud to be part of this historic step forward," he said in a statement, "the greatest step forward since MOVA was founded in 1987."
It became very clear this week to four Ohio veterans that France doesn't forget those who were there to fight in its hour of need. Neal Burdette, Bernard Eshelman, George Zwahlen and Vernon Miller all participated in the liberation of France in World War II, and they are now some of the most recent recipients of the country's prestigious Medal of Knight of the Legion of Honor.
Created by Napoleon in 1802, the Legion of Honor is, according to The Associated Press, presented to "those who have achieved remarkable deeds for France." Members of the military, government and the arts have all been among those named Knights of the French Legion of Honor.
The French Consul General, Vincent Floreani, awarded the medals at a ceremony in the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday.
One of the four honored veterans, Bernard Eshelman of Columbus, hasn't let 91 years of age dim his sense of humor. When 10TV asked him how he felt about earning one of France's top honors, he replied "I thought it was kind of late…70 years ago."
Eshelman was 18 when he was drafted into the Army. He made it through D-Day unscathed, crossing Normandy Beach late in the day, but he was injured twice while serving in France.
Neil Burdette wasn't so lucky. The 90-year-old veteran, who was overseas from 1944 to 1946, looked so bad after he was shot in the head that another soldier covered him with a blanket, presuming the worst.
"They were ready to dump me with the rest," Burdette told 10TV. Obviously the Lancaster resident wasn't quite ready for that maneuver.
While the four men took the opportunity to laugh and reminisce, there was a solemn understanding among them that not everyone survived to live a long life after service. They accepted their medals with all those who didn't make it back home in mind.
A soldier whose story was worthy of the movies passed away on Saturday, leaving behind a legacy of bravery and service. Tibor Rubin, a Hungarian who survived the Holocaust to join the U.S. Army and fight in the Korean War, was 86 when he died of natural causes in his Garden Grove, California home, according to the Associated Press.
In 2005, President George W. Bush presented Rubin with a long-delayed Medal of Honor for his unbelievable actions in the fall of 1950.
"When Corporal Rubin's battalion found itself ambushed by thousands of Chinese troops," said President Bush at the White House ceremony, according to the New York Times, "the Americans' firepower soon dwindled to a single machine gun. The weapon was in an exposed position and three soldiers had already died manning it. That was when Corporal Rubin stepped forward. He fought until his ammunition was gone. He was badly wounded, captured and sent to a P.O.W. camp."
Rubin joined the Army to express his gratitude to the American troops who rescued him and so many others from imprisonment in a concentration camp. He was prevented from enlisting until his English met Army standards, so he worked hard until the service accepted him. Because Rubin was not a citizen, he was not required to fight, but that didn't stop him.
"My commander told me that I didn't have to go to war," he reportedly said. "So I told him: 'Well, what about the others? I cannot leave my fellow brothers.'"
More than once, an anti-Semitic sergeant ignored paperwork recommending Corporal Rubin for the Medal of Honor, even after he held off waves of North Korean soldiers – by himself – for an incredible 24 hour period.
The Leonard Kravtiz Jewish War Veterans Act and President Bush corrected that mistake, and now Rubin's bravery lives on forever.
According to the American Humane Association, there are roughly 2,500 dogs serving overseas in the military roles. As part of a new bill from the U.S. government, there will be a greater effort to bring home these animals at the end of their service.
When the Senate voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act on Nov. 10, they granted the military $607 billion to spend on the defense of the country. Part of these funds will be used for the transportation costs incurred when bringing home dogs that served in military roles.
It is estimated that a military dog will save almost 200 soldiers in its career, according to the American Humane Association. However, before the new bill was passed, many of these dogs were left in the country of their service because the military could not afford the transportation costs home.
"[The bill] will ensure that our four-legged veterans will finally have their chance to come home and live a comfortable, quiet life, hopefully with a handler they deployed with or a fellow veteran," retired Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeff DeYoung wrote in a press release.
Many are pleased with this part of the bill and hope that the returned dogs may be used to help veterans in need.
Monday, Dec. 7 marked the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and citizens around the country had different ways of commemorating that infamous day. Students at Allentown High School in New Jersey did their part by conducting video interviews with war veterans as part of the U.S. Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.
Covering the experiences of military veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan all the way back to World War I, the project simply asks volunteers to record interviews with those who served to preserve their stories for future Americans.
New Jersey.com reported that students with the History National Honor Society talked to 10 veterans over two interview sessions while students in Allentown's technology program – run by Michael Dean, a U.S. Navy Reserve public affairs officer since 1988 – filmed the men's responses with school equipment.
"It's really cool," Mari Kay Hannon, a junior honor student, told the site. "I'm glad I got to do this."
At first there were concerns not enough veterans would volunteer, but after the project was announced, so many offered their time and stories that more sessions are already in the works.
Chicago experienced an even larger turnout last month, when nearly 30 veterans were interviewed by volunteers from the local legal community and media. Lake County Chief Judge John Phillips, who chose to study law in his life after service, told the Chicago Tribune that the project was important for how it captured the on-the-ground details of battles whose number of veterans is always shrinking.
All of the transcripts of the oral histories will be archived at the Library of Congress indefinitely. Researchers and anyone interested enough to go looking will find there thousands of personal stories of war and service in the veterans' own words.
As the holidays get closer, many families and kind-hearted civilians are probably searching for items to send deployed soldiers. Many of these servicemembers will not get to spend Christmas with their loved ones, and care packages make their holidays a little brighter. But what do military members really want in their care packages? AFBA has compiled a list of the most requested items to assist you in building your next care package.
Coffee
Most branches of the military provide soldiers with basic coffee brands, but many prefer a little variety. Including specialty coffees from your soldier's favorite shop can be the perfect way to make your deployed soldier's life a little brighter.
Shaving cream
Some units may provide this item, but according to Army Strong Stories, most soldiers are always in short supply. You could be your servicemember's hero if you include a couple canisters of shaving cream in his or her next care package. Send the kind with extra moisturizers if your soldier is in a dry climate.
Books
Every servicemember experiences down time, and reading is a great way to spend that free time. Army Strong Stories reported that books are always put to good use, as most units have a makeshift library where soldiers can donate books once they are done with them. Having fresh reading material to add to these collections can keep your deployed loved one happier in his or her spare time.
Specific odds and ends
If you have a personal connection to a deployed servicemember, it can be easier for you to find out what your loved one needs most. However, if you are putting together a care package for a stranger, it can be a little bit more of a guess. Many soldiers will appreciate any comfort item from home, so there is not much to worry about. Try to think of things you would want if you were far away. Sudoku puzzles can help pass the free time, foot powder can make them more comfortable and new socks are always needed. Try to get in touch with your local military base and see if they have a list of items requested by deployed soldiers.
As you exchange gifts with your family and friends this holiday season, try to keep deployed servicemembers in your mind. If you have the time to compile a care package and send it overseas, you may be the one to make a soldier's holiday really special.
Service dogs have longed helped veterans with physical disabilities. But a new Veterans Administration study has been launched to determine the difference specially-trained service dogs can make for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder in their life after service. Those veterans who have depended on their service dogs for years say the research is long overdue.
According to Breakthroughs, a Kera news blog, a nonprofit organization in Rockwall, Texas called Patriot PAWS has specialized in training service dogs to assist disabled veterans. Cheryl Woolnough, the group's training director, teaches her dogs 65 different commands, including how to open and close drawers, retrieve dropped items and even fetch the phone in case an emergency call is required.
The dogs Woolnough trains to help veterans with PTSD learn specific commands, like how to create a boundary of personal space around their owner by blocking people from approaching too closely both in front and behind, or even how to search a house for intruders.
"We teach them something called perimeter," Woolnough told Breakthroughs. "Where they go into the house and they check, they just touch all the doors and all the windows."
Terri Stringer, Patriot PAWS' assistant executive director, said that "We have 100 veterans on our waiting list waiting for dogs. So we have to get more dogs."
Service dogs trained for veterans with PTSD have already proven their worth. In Iowa, a Labrador retriever named Honor helped Wade Baker fight nightmares and delusions that had plagued him for more than 20 years. According to the Associated Press, for a time the dog was able to seriously calm Baker's anxiety. In the end Baker wasn't able to beat his PTSD – his battle ended in August, in a tragic confrontation with police – but Honor never stopped trying to help.
At Baker's funeral, Honor refused to leave his master's casket. Now he's essential in helping Baker's family to cope with his absence.
"Honor gave the boys their dad for more years," Michelle Baker said. "And that's an amazing gift."
Sometimes surviving just isn't good enough. A group of Knoxville, Tennessee veterans who made it through the violence of the Vietnam War headed back to the small Southeast Asian country on Dec. 1 for a sense of closure. Some wanted to experience the new Vietnam, while others were looking for a chance to put their past behind them.
Maybe what was most important to the men, however, was finally getting the welcome they deserved all those decades ago when they returned to Knoxville on Tuesday. Friends, family and members of both the Patriot Riders and American Legion Riders cheered Joseph Spencer and the others on as they disembarked their plane.
"This is a welcome home 47 years later," Spencer told his Local 8 station.
Bill Robinson was among the 14 returning veterans. Robinson was taken prisoner in North Vietnam after his helicopter was shot down in the middle of a rescue mission. For the next seven years he was a prisoner of war. Last week's trip was the first time he'd stepped foot in the country since.
"I would be doing a disservice to the 58,000 who gave their life if I was unhappy," he told ABC 6. "Seeing their smiling faces of the Vietnamese and realizing we weren't overrun by English speakers, so that meant they were able to make it on their own. That makes us proud because we went over there independent and now they're independent and doing quite well."
Johnny Hurst, another Vietnam veteran, agreed. "You can see that the Vietnam people are better off. They've got better. Everything is better for them. They treated us good and made us feel welcomed."
The group paid for the trip themselves, but organizers hope that in the future enough money can be raised to give all veterans who wish to return to Vietnam a chance to do so.
Many veterans find in their life after service that the pains associated with military duty – like heavy Kevlar helmets and 60-plus pound packs – don't just vanish upon entering the civilian world. Instead, they can often times get worse, leading to anxiety and depression. Rather than treat these mental pains with heavy doses of medication, scientists have begun to use light therapy.
Earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that researchers with the VA Boston Healthcare System were experimenting with the effects of light therapy on the brain functions of veterans with Gulf War illness. After pilot work produced encouraging results, the researchers had veterans wear an unusual helmet. Unlike their old Kevlars, this helmet was lined with diodes emitting red and near-infrared light to their scalps. Applied for 30 minutes at a time, the light was totally painless and without heat.
"We are applying a technology that's been around for a while," said Dr. Margaret Naeser, the research team's lead investigator, "but it's always been used on the body, for wound healing and to treat muscle aches and pains, and joint problems. We're starting to use it on the brain."
The diodes work by increasing blood flow to the brain. There is also evidence that they have some effect on damaged brain cells, as the LED therapy moves into the skull and into brain cells where the lights trigger mitochondria to produce more ATP, a chemical that can improve thinking processes.
Jacquwlyn Jackson, a former aircraft mechanic and field medic for the U.S. Navy who experienced horrible pain after returning from the Middle East, told WGN TV that after trying out the light therapy a few times "I got into a routine of preparing for bed and going to sleep and then actually sleeping thru the night. When I got up I did feel like I had actually rested and I wasn't as irritable. I would say since then I've been 90 percent pain free so that is excellent for me."
Recent data seemed to suggest it would happen, but it's now official: the unemployment rate for all U.S. military veterans of working age fell to 3.6 percent in November. According to Fox News, that is the lowest it has been since the federal government began tracking veteran employment in November 2006.
The jobless rate for men and women in their life after service fell from 3.9 percent in October. It is also significantly lower than the 5.3 percent recorded in 2014. These gains follow nationwide efforts made by numerous companies to specifically hire veterans and their family members.
"Hiring a veteran can be one of the best decisions a company can make," said Kevin Gardner, Walmart's spokesman. Two years ago the company launched a public initiative to hire 100,000 veterans, but has since raised its goal to 250,000. "They're quick learners, team players, leaders with discipline, training and a passion for service. They help us to build a better business."
As positive as the employment news is, it was received with muffled optimism by some.
"The issue is that veterans, overall, are older, and overall, older people have a lower unemployment rate," said Gary Steinberg, of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Perhaps this is not a fair comparison."
Veterans have traditionally had a lower unemployment rate than the general, non-veteran population, which is why some concern – especially over young former servicemembers – remains.
"Nineteen to 35-year-olds are a vulnerable population across the board – veterans or nonveterans," Susan Kelly, director of the Department of Defense Transition to Veterans Programs Office, told Fox News. "The economy is improving, and that's certainly great news for the entire nation, but in reference to our veterans, there is a cumulative impact in corporate American and small businesses to hire veterans because it is the right thing to do."