Posts from October 2009 by Douglas Karr, U.S. Navy Veteran

After Robert Gates, Department of Defense Secretary, finished his unprecedented speech on Monday, it was clear that change was going to happen for the better. His plans focused on alleviating “frustrating, adversarial and unnecessarily complex” paperwork that injured or traumatized veterans undergo throughout their treatment protocol.

It is clear that adequate and accessible support for veterans is much needed. Gates especially urged the support for those retired or discharged who have endured physical wounds or developed mental disorders. He supported this by shedding light on the large backlog of patient requests as well as the high case rate of post-traumatic stress disorder. It has been estimated that 1 in 20 men and women returning from active duty suffer from PTSD.

I wanted to share the story of Army Staff Sergeant Elizabeth Cowie. Sgt. Cowie, a noncommissioned officer with the California Army National Guard, was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer, which, according to her physician, is quite rare.

Stage 0 indicates that the cancer has been detected “very, very early,” stated Sgt. Cowie.

During a month when the focus of the country has turned to breast cancer awareness and women’s health care in general, a report released by the Government Accountability Office admits that the state of health care for female vets at veteran’s facilities throughout the country is less than adequate.

While the study reports that most Department of Veterans Administration (VA) facilities offer basic services for veterans of the female persuasion, such as gynecological exams, many lack a number of other fundamental elements, such as private check-in areas for women, exam rooms that provide an appropriate degree of privacy, and even rest rooms with sanitary napkin dispensers. As a matter of fact, only about one-third of all VA treatment centers offer a separate space for women to receive gynecological, mental health and social work services, according to Patricia Hayes of the Women's Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Group.

In a small close-knit town in northern Virginia, family, friends, coaches and teachers, line the streets to say ‘Thank you’ to a young community member who lost his life on October 3^rd in a Taliban attack on a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan.

Stephan Mace, 21, of Purcellville, Virginia, was in involved in the deadliest battle for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since July 2008. Mace, along with seven others, battled Taliban insurgents for a total of 12 hours, with the most vicious fighting lasting seven of those twelve. All eight soldiers involved were assigned to the 3^rd Squadron, 61^st Cavalry Regiment, 4^th Brigade Combat Team, and 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado.

The Downtown Committee in Syracuse, New York has announced that a Veterans of Central NY Parade will be held on Saturday, November 7^th. The parade will serve as a “tribute to all of our CNY veterans.”

According to the committee, the parade will lead veterans and others through the downtown area, beginning on Salina Street and ending at the Onondaga County War Memorial. Last year, about 45 local veteran organizations were represented in the parade, including representatives of American Legion posts, VFW posts, Army ROTC members and representatives from the VA Medical Center.

Good question. I consulted the Naval Historical Center website for the answer.

As you know, the 234^th birthday of the United States Navy was last week, on October 13^th. Way back then, the ships of the Continental Navy were not given names with any real significance – ship names came from all kinds of sources. For example, the very first Continental Navy ship was named Alfred, in honor of the King of Wessex, Alfred the Great, who reportedly commissioned the first naval force in England [remember, at this point, the colonists still felt some allegiance to Britain, so this name choice made sense].

More than 7,000 miles away in a sweltering desert, where temperatures reach 125 degrees, 600 soldiers will be participating in their own LIVESTRONG Challenge. The heavily secured streets at Victory Base camp in Baghdad will be host to a 50 mile bike ride and a separate 10k run on October 25^th. Organized by Maj. Scott LaRonde, a U.S. Army intelligence planner, this challenge is in memory of his father-in-law, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer this June.

So far LaRonde, 38, and his crew has successfully raised over $16,000 for the Austin-based Lance Armstrong Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. This race has not only given LaRonde’s family and his crew honor his father-in-law, but it has also kept him in close touch with his hometown.

On October 13, 1775, Continental Congress approved the procurement, staffing and arming of two ships that would attempt to stop the British Army from receiving ammunition and other supplies. The two vessels commissioned by the CC cruised the waters off the shore of what we now call America, but was then known as the Colonies. These two ships were the first vessels of the Continental Navy [1775-1783] and by the conclusion of the Revolutionary War the Continental Navy fleet consisted of about fifty vessels, including approximately twenty warships.

To gain a better understanding of why the CC decided to acquire and arm two ships, one must understand what was happening between Britain and the Colonies – if you’re a history buff, pardon the mini-history lesson. 1775 was a year of rebellion for the Colonies, and the CC decided to take control – they created the Continental Army, began issuing paper currency, and even created a committee that would be responsible for interactions with other countries. While the Colonies were getting their business in order, Britain was dominating the sea, creating a range of problems for the Colonies [from destroying colonial communities close to the shores to attempts to block ships from entering colonial ports with imports].

Have you visited the National WWII Museum in New Orleans yet? Tom Hanks thinks you should.

Are you following us on Twitter?

John Finn, who was wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor, received a Medal of Honor for his service and was recognized by President Obama and other veterans during the September Congressional Medal of Honor Society convention. If you ask Mr. Finn about being a hero, this is what he will tell you:

“That damned hero stuff is a bunch of crap. Well, it is one thing that I think any man that is in that, you gotta be in that position. You gotta understand that there’s all kinds of heroes, but they never get a chance to be in a hero’s position.”