Remember the Barrycades

    13 October 2013. It was a Sunday and I wasn't anywhere near a church.  Early that morning I was heading down to Washington, D.C. with a fellow Veteran.  He was a Veteran of Vietnam and all of the horrors that war was and, in some ways, still is.  I was going to the Million Veteran March.  Upset about National Parks, including every single Veterans Memorial this great country has, being closed down and barricaded off.  The Honor Flights were still going on and hundreds of World War II Veterans were being denied seeing the monuments dedicated to their selfless service.  It was said numerous times that day that our President was doing more to keep Veterans away from the war memorials than his administration did to help them (and this was before the VA Scandal broke in early 2014).  It could be said today that Obama did more to keep Veterans away from the memorials and monuments that they sacrificed for than he is doing to keep ebola victims out of this country. 
   I hate mixing politics with this blog because, in essence, I don't believe any one political party is solely to blame for the plight of our nation's Veterans.  They all are.  Truthfully, some can point fingers at the Republicans who shut down the government, which was the cause of the shut down of the U.S. National Parks and Monuments.  Of course, it really did seem like the Obama administration was going out of their way to closedown the monuments and National Parks.  The Header photo is a pic I took while at the Veterans March on D.C.  Two presumed Veterans carrying off what became known as "barrycades" named after Pres. Barack "Barry" Obama.  In truth, a U.S. Park Ranger doesn't have to be at the World War II Memorial, or the Vietnam Wall, or any other memorial I visited a year ago, so there was no reason to "close them down" or barricade them.   Truthfully, the Park Rangers and the politicians should have read the first line of the sign below.

 

   Indeed everyone should Honor Our Veterans.  Truthfully, very few really do.  Some Veterans have given their lives.  Most Combat Veterans have given blood and sweat and have injuries that are not always visible or physical. 

   The politicians should also listen to the last line of the sign.  Just as coins may damage the fountain, throwing money at a problem doesn't solve it.  The VA Scandal is an example of that because, as I have said and will tell you again, the VA Scandal isn't over.   So, one year away from the Veterans March on D.C., let us remember to Honor The Veterans.   Stay aware and keep on the politicians to always Honor Our Veterans.  The problem is, you may have to tell them how to honor them. 

 

*****

 

  In the you gotta be kidding me dept.  I am continually amazed at how gullible people can be.  Take, for example, the current scare of ebola.  Is it a very serious threat?  Hell yeah.  Any disease with over 75% kill rate is very serious.  I just don't understand why, as I alluded to above, we are letting people flying from the countries affected to come to our country without the needed precautions.  As I said above, this president's administration did more to stop World War II Veterans from going to memorials than they are doing to stop people possibly afflicted with ebola from coming to this country. 

   Another Veteran who blogs (and has mentored me in my blogging career, whether he knows it or not) had a post about a photojournalist who has launched a crowd funding campaign to pay for his medical bills, because he may have ebola.  I, like A Vet With PTSD find it hard to believe that people are actually donating to his crowd funding plea when there are hundreds if not thousands of Veterans who have to beg and plead to get the funding for service animals or other treatments for their injuries.  This is just another example of how our government is failing U.S. Veterans.  Please, take some time and read Blowing off steam by A Vet With PTSD.  Check out his blog, it is a work of therapy for him and he is also a very good writer.  I also am going to ask everyone, including myself, to take The Veteran Video Challenge it is something we all should do and that A Vet with PTSD has started to raise awareness of the help our Veterans need.  Once again, I too need to heed this call myself.

 

*****

 

   Marine Still Held in Mexico.  Once again, I write this blog and, once again, SGT Andrew Tahmooressi is still in a prison in Mexico.  Mexico themselves have said they cant treat Tahmooressi for his PTSD.  Still he sits.  The judge in charge of the case may call for final arguments any day now.  Still he sits in a cell in Mexico.  Our President is fundraising for democratic candidates, some of whom want only the money he brings, not any allegiance to his presidency.  He,President Obama, claims to have a pen and a phone.  Still, SGT Tahmooressi sits in Mexico against his will.  This is a disgrace and I hope all who read this post will call their elected officials and demand the freedom of SGT Tahmooressi.  I also ask that we all keep SGT Tahmooressi and his family in our prayers and our thoughts.  One of the good things that has happened is that Honor Air has donated 20 grand to Tahmooressi's fund for legal obligations and those of his family as they travel to Mexico (remember flights and hotels are pricey--its a tourist destination for crying out loud) to support SGT Tahmooressi.  We can only hope he will soon be free.

   Once again, if you or someone you know is a Veteran who is in a dark place, please call the Veteran Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255.  We all have to stop the madness that is Veteran Suicide.  If it will help, please check out my post on Veteran suicide here.

That is all.