Category: buddies

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It is Very Hard to Exist After Losing a Buddy During Your Time in The Military

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Military news…

VA Offers $3 Million Prize for Ideas to Stop Veteran Suicides

The goal is to get thousands of new ideas on how to better help and support veterans over the next six weeks and award cash prizes for the best 40 ideas in the coming months.

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Senators From Rural States Trying to Stop Wave of VA Hospital Closures Before They Start

The medical centers slated for closure include areas where the veteran population is expected to decline, while new facilities would be built in regions where veterans are relocating, largely in the South and West.

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US Marines Train for a Possible Future Chinese Invasion of Taiwan As the war of words ramps up between the Biden administration and Chinese government over the status of Taiwan, U.S. forces in Japan are gearing up for a possible conflict.

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Marine Corps Considers Abandoning Parris Island Amid Rising Extreme Weather Threats

A string of recent reports has predicted that Parris Island will face increasingly frequent and ferocious hurricanes, floods, and extreme heat. Those escalating temperatures are already a growing risk to trainees on the island.

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5 missiles hit Iraqi base hosting US troops; no casualties

Iraqi security officials said the missiles hit only a few yards from where U.S. forces are stationed.

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Ukraine war volunteers are coming home, reckoning with difficult fight

Foreign fighters from the United States and elsewhere have described glaring disparities between what they expected the war in Ukraine to be like and what they experienced. 

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Ukraine suffers on battlefield while pleading for US arms

Gloominess descends on Ukraine as the war tide turns. “They’re just raining down metal on us,” said a soldier fresh from the front line where Russia is advancing.

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I can’t help but think back to Memorial Day. While in the service I lost two buddies. The first one was a high school buddy that signed up with me the same day. We went through basic training together. I have a funny story about him from basic training in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

We also were also sent to Korea together. He was sent to another camp. I heard the horrible news about six months later that he had died. Not in combat, but from a rare disease he caught. I was devastated.

The second buddy I lost was also in Korea. Again this was not in combat. He liked going to the near village a lot and have parties. One night he partied too much and on the way back to our camp, he fell into a honey bucket and suffocated. (A honey bucket is what the Koreans used to put all of their human waste, for fertilizer from their rice fields.) It was a horrible way to die.

Have you lost a buddy? I know you anger and hurt feeling. I interviewed many veterans who lost buddies. All of the interviews are in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for The Military: IN and Out of the Trenches of Life.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling from losing a buddy?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,968 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

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If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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Ukrainian strikes against Russian vessels are more than just lucky hits

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Military news…

Soldier who ran into burning helicopter in Vietnam War honored with street name

Sgt. Gary McKiddy was a member of the 1st Squadron, 9th Calvary Regiment, 1st Calvary Division, when he was killed in action May 6, 1970, at age 20 in Cambodia after pulling fellow soldier Spc. Jim Skaggs from a burning helicopter.

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The Navy is unprepared to fight in two conflicts at once with current fleet size, the service’s top officer tells senators
The current fleet of about 298 ships “is not sized to handle two simultaneous conflicts,” Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, said during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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Ukrainian strikes against Russian vessels are more than just lucky hits

The destruction of at least eight Russian vessels in recent weeks points to an emerging strategic effort to break a Black Sea blockade that is strangling the Ukrainian economy.

North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles off its eastern coast, South’s military says

North Korea launched three short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast on Thursday, according to South Korean military officials.

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Finland will apply to join NATO in decision welcomed by US and allies

Finland’s announcement of its intent to join NATO, prompted by Russia’s war on Ukraine, reverses Finland’s quasi-neutral status, which dates to the Cold War.

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US intelligence officials warn of prolonged war in Ukraine as Russia expands territorial goals
Fighting in Ukraine will be “significant” in the coming months as Russian President Vladimir Putin sets his sights beyond conquering the eastern Donbas region to building a land bridge across the entire Ukrainian Black Sea coast, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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Here is another “interview” with WWII veteran. I sat down to interview him, and after the first question, he never stopped talking.

I sat down with WWII veteran Bob Kosta, who is still alive at 97 years old recently, and had a very pleasant surprise. After I asked him one question, he talked for an hour about his experiences:

What rank did you have?

CPL.

I was sent to France to fight in the war with Germany. On the way there our ship’s propellers broke down, and we were dead in the water. There were German subs in the area. We were very lucky to get the propellers fixed before we were spotted. (Near death experience # 1)

Once we landed we pushed our way into the center of France.

While we were maneuvering we came across a cave full of Russian lady’s, who were hiding from the Germans. If they would have been found, they all would have been killed. We got them to safety.

Then at another spot we were pinned down by enemy fire. A buddy and I could only find one spot to hunker down. It was in a furrow. Whereas trenches are over six feet deep. a furrow is only about 12 inches deep, so some of your body was still sticking up. My buddy and I figured we were goners at that time.

Then we heard some equipment making noise behind us. It was two tanks. They came over the top of both of us and they opened the hatch and pulled us in. (Near Death Experience # 2.)

Then we came to some concentration camps. One was full of military people. We set them free. We also came to another centration camp full of Jews. We set them free too.

At another time our vehicle was lost. We tried to find our convoy, and saw one up ahead that we got in behind a followed. After a while we realized it was a German convoy, and exited left. (Near death experience # 3)

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Talk about a wild ride! Bob is a hero in my book. A true greatest generation person. Come back often, because I have at least two other WWII interviews. The both had near death experiences as well. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you all future posts will come directly to you inbox.

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This Military Appreciation Month, I hope you will take an extra minute to recognize the sacrifices made by our Nation’s service members.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,700 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

_______________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

________________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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Pentagon: Russia has lost about 25% of its power originally used in the Ukraine invasion

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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Military news…

Soldiers will be able to get the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon – as soon as there is enough ammo

The fielding of the weapon is based upon ammunition production,” Army Brig. Gen. Larry Burris said.

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What this old Russian tank tells us about the invasion of Ukraine

“The Russian philosophy is … you’re either going to get to your objective or you’re going to die trying.”

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Pentagon: Russia has lost about 25% of its combat power originally used in the Ukraine invasion
Russia has lost about one-quarter of its troops, weapons and military equipment originally sent to invade Ukraine less than two months ago, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

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Despite North Korean missile ‘provocations,’ diplomacy still an option, US officials say

U.S. officials on Tuesday continued to call for North Korea to return to the negotiating table days after Pyongyang conducted another round of missile tests.

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Russia pours in more troops and presses attack in the east

Russia assaulted cities and towns along a boomerang-shaped front hundreds of miles long and poured more troops into Ukraine on Tuesday in a potentially pivotal battle for control of the country’s eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

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Army veteran recounts experience delivering relief supplies in Ukraine

Steve Castlen, who was a legal clerk and then a military lawyer during his tours in Germany, was very much aware of the possibility of the Soviet Union launching an attack on West Germany and the NATO alliance. But he said he has been shocked by the horror he has seen caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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First American howitzers bound for Ukraine arrive in Europe as US troops begin training Ukrainians on the cannons
The first US 155mm howitzers from the latest $800 million military aid package for Ukraine have arrived in Europe as American troops there begin training Ukrainian forces on the artillery, a senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday.

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Here is a one question interview with a Medal of Honor soldier. He was a huge hero to 18 of his buddies that he saved in one day.

Sgt Dakota Meyer Thank you so much from being here with us. When you went rushing in to save your brothers, and when you thought, “I don’t think I’m going to die, I know I’m going to die,” how did you keep going? How did you face the storm? This may help the thousands of our brothers who are facing PTSD, and trying to transfer to civilian life.

Sgt Dakota Meyer 

Sir, thank you for being here. It wasn’t about me, it was about my guys. The honest answer is that it’s just what we do for each other.

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I am now sharing some of the interviews I have gotten. There are many so keep coming back to see others. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

________________________________________________________________

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,345 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

________________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

________________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.