Mariupol teeters as Ukrainians defy surrender-or-die demand

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Russian ship sinks after battling a fire that Ukrainian forces claim was caused by their missile attack
A Russian cruiser that Ukrainian forces claim they hit with two missiles has sunk, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Thursday.

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DOD identifies remains of WWII pilot and Medal of Honor recipient Addison Baker

On April 8, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of Lt. Col. Addison Baker, a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

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North Korea tests ‘tactical guided’ weapons, condemns US-South Korean drills
The initial estimates peg the projectiles as more limited in range than a launch March 24 of an intercontinental ballistic missile that was theoretically capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.  North Korea has conducted at least 11 other rounds of missile tests so far this year.

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Mariupol teeters as Ukrainians defy surrender-or-die demand

If Mariupol is captured, Russian forces there are expected to join an all-out offensive in the coming days for control of the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin is bent on taking after failing in its bid to seize Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.

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In Lviv, displaced artists create anti-war, anti-Russian work

Ukrainians feel a need to tell the world — and especially Russians — what has happened here. The country’s contemporary artists find themselves at the forefront of that storytelling mission.

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US troops to train Ukrainian forces on howitzers in coming days
The training, which will occur outside Ukraine, will teach Ukrainian forces to operate the 155mm howitzers. They will then return to the fight and train other Ukrainians to use the American cannons, the official said.

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Zelenskky: Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun

Russia launched its long-feared, full-scale offensive to take control of Ukraine’s east on Monday, attacking along a broad front over 300 miles long, Ukrainian officials said in what marked the opening of a new and potentially climactic phase of the war.

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Two short stories about my own Uncles who fought in WWII. They are my heroes.

My Uncles in WWII

My Uncle Dwight Wood was a WWII veteran. He had a hard time sharing his time in the military, so I wasn’t able to interview him directly, but I did get some idea of what he went through to help defend our country.

Uncle Dwight was the driver of a tank during the war. One day he was in the tank with two other soldiers. A Japanese soldier climbed onto the top of the tank and threw a grenade down into the tank where they were. The grenade instantly killed one of the men right next to my uncle, and my uncle and the other men were wounded with fragments from the grenade. My uncle was given the Purple Heart, and to his death he would not talk too much about his time in the military. The event of seeing his buddy killed right before his eyes was too overwhelming, and it had haunted him until his death. They didn’t even know what PTSD was back in WWII. It was called, “Shell Shock,” back then.  This is a classic case that shows that thousands of WWII veterans surely lived with PTSD all of their lives. 

Another person who was a WWII veteran was my Uncle Claude.  He was a Seabee. The Seabees were an extremely important part of the military. They built bridges, forged roads through the brush. They built sleeping quarters for the troops. It hard to say how many lives were affected by their heroics, but they were very much admired by the rest of the troops.  I never got to ask him any question about his time.

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I will be sharing some more endorsements in my next post. Be sure to come back and check them out. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to you inbox.

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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 14,345 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.

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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.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Three Fascinating Stores About WWII Veterans

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Update on the disaster in Portland, Oregon.

Governor Brown asked the Sheriff’s Department to come help with the rioting. They have said no, because the arrested people are turned loose and not prosecuted.

She asked the State Police to do the same. They have to because she is the boss, but they had the Feds deputize them so when they made an arrest they will have Federal charges.

She doesn’t have much control over anything.

The Mayor of Portland had to move out of his home because rioters found where he lived, and started fires. He thought they loved him. Wrong!!!

I am getting tired of having to report about Portland. But it is from my home state and I am extremely upset with the lack of force there is to clear this mess up.

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I see that the military has backed off of promoting black people to Generals. What’s up with that!??You should promote because of being merited, not the color of your skin. Got to stop.

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I have been sharing interviews of veterans for my up coming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the trenches of Life.

Today I am going to share three short stories about members of my own family:

I had three Uncles who fought in WWII. One was a Seabee; another was an infantry man, and the third was a tanker.

I tried to interview two of them, but they were so shell shocked, (PTSD) they didn’t want to share much.

So I was share what I know about each of them:

My Uncle Claude, was a Seabee. They were critical people in WWII. They went in before the troops and built brides, and roads. They made the traveling much better for the troops. They were very much in harms way, and I am proud to be related to him..

My Uncle Norton, was in the infantry. One day he was on the battle field in France. His unit was over run by the Germans. Many men were killed. My uncle was wounded, but he “played dead,” while the Germans came through to finish killing anyone who was still alive. He made it even through one German was very close. He received the Purple Heart.

My Uncle Dwight was a tanker. He was the head man in a three man crew. They decided to stop and rest one day on the battle field. He opened the hatch to let some fresh air in. That was a big mistake. A Japanese soldier, climbed up on that tank and threw a grenade in to the tank. My uncle’s best friend was killed instantly, and my uncle and the other soldier were injured. Uncle Dwight, did not want to talk about it, because he had his buddy killed because of his decision. He received the Purple Heart.

Those three men are my personal heroes. They gave me the thoughts of joining the Army. I wanted to honor them.

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How are you doing? Did you get wounded while deployed? Did you lose a buddy during your time in the military?

You are certainly not alone!! There are over 9,200 fellow veterans on this site. Many of them have been through what you have been through. They have your six.

If it has become too overwhelming for you, please get help! There is a toll free number to call for help. The counselors there are excellent. Here is that number:

1-800-273-8255

Call now if you need it.

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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 for the site, please let them know about it. You may be saving a life. Your comments will not be seen by other people, just me, and I will connect with you to see if you are OK to share it.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never fosaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!