+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.
The Marine Corps is seeking public comment on its plan to base squadrons of KC-130J cargo planes and MQ-9 Reaper drones in Hawaii, a project calling for demolition of a landmark World War II-era hangar.
The carrier’s last deployment in 2017 included service in the Arabian Gulf, where it supported missions targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
An Air Force base west of Dallas let the robotic dogs out to patrol the installation this month, the second base in two years to give the machines a try.
Numerous Chinese military vessels and aircraft were spotted near Taiwan on Thursday, just a day after Beijing announced the end to a weeklong series of drills around the self-governed island.
“Quiet diplomacy is continuing, and it should bear fruit, if of course, Washington strictly follows it without slipping into propaganda,” according to a Russian Foreign Ministry official speaking about a prisoner exchange involving WNBA star Brittney Griner.
I promised you a big surprise today. I told you I had a incredible endorsement coming it. It came yesterday. I am so proud to be endorsed by such a high ranking officer. Here it is:
Doug is a veteran turned counselor, blogger, and prayer warrior. His most recent book provides the ammunition that we need to turn the tide in the battle against PTSD and suicide.
Doug Bolton’s “Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life” is a powerful tool in the battle against PTSD. He provides the insights that we…. that you need to stem the tide of hopelessness that many of our veterans and first responders experience.
Doug is a counselor and author, but most importantly an “encourager” who knows the daily pain and discouragement that so many experience. You can feel Doug walking beside you acknowledging the hurt and depression. But at the same time that he validates what you are feeling, Doug provides down to earth guidance and encouragement to move you forward.
Most importantly, Doug “walks the talk.” Whether through his blogs or his leadership in several veteran’s organizations, Doug is engaged in this battle daily. He is a founding member of the board of directors of Victory for Veterans actively encouraging the Board and senior leaders to raise funds and provide the tools so desperately need in the battle against PTSD.
Jim Jaeger, Brig Gen, USAF ret.
Jim Jaeger is a retired USAF Brigadier General and was the founding President of Arete Incident Response. He continues to fight cybercrime as Partner and Senior Cyber Strategist at Arete and serves as a member of the Victory for Veterans’ board of directors.
Doesn’t get any better than that. Thank you General for the wonderful support. Come back often to see other developments for my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. 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 fighting back memories?
FEAR NOT!
There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.
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 highlyqualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK. 1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.
+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.
+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.
The aid will include 75,000 rounds of ammunition for 155mm howitzers and an unspecified number of additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, also known as HIMARS, the U.S. has recently sent Ukraine.
North Korea has conducted 17 rounds of missile tests so far this year in addition to several artillery drills, which has strengthened the U.S.-South Korea alliance, according to officials.
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain set off from the port of Odesa on Monday under an internationally brokered deal that is expected to release large stores of Ukrainian crops to foreign markets and ease a growing hunger crisis.
Chinese ships and aircraft were ramping up their military activity in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday in Taipei, according to news reports.
________________________________________________________________ I have been run through the ringer. I caught COVID on July 3rd. I got over that, but then I have what they call, Post COVID. I have been struggling with that up today. It feels like it is almost over. However, there has been some damage. My Iron count on the last blood was 766 the high allowable is 306. That is more than double the maximum. Also I have had sudden loss of hearing in my left ear. Both are connected to the COVID virus. I see my primary doctor today for the iron problem. I will also do a follow-up with my ENT doctor in a month. ______________________________________________________________ This took a heavy toll on me completing my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. I have been too exhausted and weak, to do much. But keep coming back to check on the progress. I hope to have it out the end of summer. 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 fighting back memories? FEAR NOT! There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back. 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 highlyqualified 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. +Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you. _________________________________________________________________
+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.
+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.
House lawmakers told officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs this week to halt their launch of the agency’s new electronic health records system at any other facilities until the problems that caused outages at the first two medical centers to use the new system are fixed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not fit to serve, said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and any opportunity to restore ties with Russia will need to be predicated on the next leader of the country.
A Russian spy plane violated NATO airspace in recent days, prompting the Kremlin’s ambassador to Denmark to be summoned over the incident, the top Danish diplomat announced.
The Biden administration has a plan to rob Russian President Vladimir Putin of some of his best innovators by waiving some visa requirements for highly educated Russians who want to come to the U.S., according to people familiar with the strategy.
In a town near the front with Russia in eastern Ukraine, grease-stained Ukrainian soldiers huddled over the engine hatch of a battle-damaged T-64BV battle tank. They had been working for three days straight.
What follows are several combined interviews for my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. with veterans who are at the Trinka Assisted Living Facility for veterans.
Interviews with Veterans from The Trinka Assisted Living Facility
The following interviews will not have names. I just used the initials of the men who fought mostly in WWII. Others were in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. I am honoring their wishes to not name them, but they are still heroes. They are all residents of the Trinka Davis Assisted Living Facility in Carrolton, Georgia. Their stories may make you sad and yet give you hope.
My first interview is with WJ. He passed away recently. He was almost 97.
Tell us why you enlisted since you were married and had a small child?
WJ– I felt it was my duty just like the many other men and women who enlisted. I joined the Navy in 1942. I became a Petty Officer. I served in many navel stations during my career.
Then what happened?
WJ- I became seriously ill in 1945. I was granted total disability, and received an honorable discharge.
What happen in the private sector?
WJ- I worked for a lumber company, and later for a plastic company. I eventually started a lumber company that I operated until I retired.
+WJ and his wife received the coveted, “The Book of Golden Deeds Award,” for consistently serving their fellow man, and for their kindness and compassion for others.
WJ- Had his own garden where he raised tomatoes, and okra. He also fed the local birds with his bird feeder, which he could see right out of his window. The birds really flocked there and he had to reload the feeders several times a day.
WJ- was a heavy supporter of the local Masonic Lodge, which he had been a part of for over 65 years. He also was an avid recruiter for the American Legion Post in Carrollton, Georgia.
+ This kind of interview does not show you the guts and gore that war brings, but it shows you that WWII veterans are just like you and I. They are no different, and deserve equal treatment in all phases of life. I was very honored to write about WJ and his service to his country.
CB- is another member of the same assisted living facility that houses only military veterans. I will be sharing more about this facility here.
CB- At 19 years old CB sat bravely on a halftrack behind a .50 caliber machine gun firing steadily at the attacking German troops. Because of what he did he is almost totally deaf now. He was wounded in the leg with shrapnel and was sent back into the battle again. He was wounded the second time and received two Purple Hearts. (Maybe he should have received some other medals.)
When did you get into the Army?
CB- I was drafted into the Army in June of 1943. I started basic training, but I wasn’t able to finish because of a birth defect in my feet.
So what did they do with you?
CB-They assigned me to a work detail on the base. From there I was transferred to Company A of the 48th infantry Battalion and sent to Europe. I spent my time in Europe manning a .50 caliber machine gun. The noise ruined my hearing, and I have still had a heavy loss today. I am 90 years old. I was discharged and started my own funeral home.
As of this writing CB is still at Trinka Davis Assisted Living in Georgia. He is receiving intensive care for the many wounds and hearing loss he faced while serving our country.
CH- is a young thirty something Army veteran who served in Iraq during the war. He cannot tell you his story personally, because his disability has taken away his capacity to verbalize anything much beyond some grunting sounds.
He has to be fed through a tube in his stomach. What ever happened to him also caused a muscular disorder causing him to not be able to use his hands. In order to communicate his needs to others, he has a small letter board letter board and he has to force in his hands to point to one letter at a time.
His condition is irreversible, and the price he paid for his service should never be forgotten.
The “story,” is about HY- He was a highly decorated WWII veteran. He spent eighteen months as a prisoner of war in Germany. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, and two Purple Hearts.
HY- entered the Air force in 1942. (I was only three years old then.) He was nineteen years old. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant while serving with the 376th Bomber group, which was a part of the 514th Squadron.
He was a turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber. His plane was shot down over Italy on December 28th 1943. During the war the average life span of a turret gunner was approximately three missions.
HY- was wounded and had to parachute to survive. He was quickly spotted by the Germans and captured. He was taken from Italy to Austria. HY spent eighteen difficult months in Stalag 17 as a prisoner of war.
HY- was tortured, but often treated pretty well. HY went from 160 pounds to 118 pounds. He was liberated three days after the war ended.
HY- was discharged for the Army with 100% disability. He had to live with the memories from Stalag 17.
PA-served in the military from 2008 to 2010. While serving in Iraq PA contracted an airborne virus that went through his nose and into his brain. This caused tremendous irreversible damage. Despite several brain surgeries PA had serious short term memory, and some long term memory problems. This made it extremely hard to function in a normal matter.
PA was a “gentle giant,” to his friends. Because of the many surgeries PA functioned more like a child. He was one of the most gut wrenching cases at Trinka Davis.
+As you can see I didn’t interview many of the veterans at Trinka Davis Assisted Living, but I was able to share their stories of their life in the military, and after. Their privacy is of the utmost importance.
The next veteran is not a WWII veteran, but he served in Korea and Vietnam. He was a Master Sergeant who was in the Air Force. He Enlisted in 1949. He had a top secret clearance as a Flight Engineer on a C-124 Globemaster. He flew out of Warner Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, and several other bases.
Where did you do most of your flying?
FL We did most of our flights over Vietnam. We were exposed to Agent Orange, and we had a few bullets holes in our plane from time to time.
So that is about all I learned personally from FL, but he went on to start his own deli business. He also worked on maintenance for the U.S. Postal Service, and crafted glass. Eventually his health worsened to where he was sent to Trinka Davis Assisted Living along with many other veterans. While there he has become famous for his paintings, and model airplanes that he built. He was 85 years old as of this writing.
JG retired from the Army as a Sergeant First Class on December 21, 1992 after serving twenty-two years.
His training was at Fort Gordon Georgia, where I was trained. He went to the same Signal school I went to. I feel especially close to this hero. He had the usual top secret clearance routine, and even went to the Pentagon to take a polygraph test.
(I didn’t go that far, but my mom was shocked when the FBI came knocking at her door to ask questions.)
JG was then assigned the elite United States Special Security Group. They worked several bases to support the Commanding General, and the Chief of Staff at those bases.
JG Served in many countries like Korea, Germany, South East Asia, Thailand, and Turkey. This was all going on while he was apart from his family. Deployments can be very hard on a family.
Toward the end of his service JG started have some health issues. He was unable to find a job because of it. The VA gave him a 40% disability rating. His condition grew much worse and he was given 100% disability.
+As you can see I didn’t get interviews with many of the veterans at Trinka Davis Assisted Living, but I was able to share their life in the military, and after. Their privacy is of the utmost importance to me.
LB enlisted on the Army at the age of 19 just as the Vietnam war began. He served in the Army for 17 years. Six of those years were in Germany and two years near the dangerous DMZ (Demilitarized Zone,) in Korea. (I was also deployed to Korea. I went to see the DMZ Zone. I was a radio man just like LB. Small world.)
LB Developed high blood pressure and was discharged from the military in 1986. After his discharge he became an eighteen wheeler truck driver. That didn’t last long because of his progressing health problems. He had two strokes, which made it impossible for him to continue working. LB is extremely quiet about his own life. We do know he paid a high price for his dedication to his country.
Some of the interviews and information was very difficult for me. Keep coming back to see more interviews. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you all future posts will come directly to your inbox.
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 highlyqualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
+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.
