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WASHINGTON — General Electric Co. plans to hire 5,000 veterans over the next five years and invest $580 million to expand its aviation business. The announcements Monday were part of a four-day event that the global conglomerate is hosting with partners in Washington, D.C., that focuses on issues such as manufacturing and job creation in America. GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt heads up President Obama's 27-member jobs council, which also includes AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, AOL co-founder Steve Case and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. GE said Monday that its "Hiring Our Heroes" partnership will help match veterans with jobs....

A woman thought to be the world's last known surviving service member of World War I has died aged 110. Florence Green, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, served as a mess steward at RAF bases in Marham and Narborough. She died in her sleep on Saturday night at Briar House care home, King's Lynn. Mrs Green had been due to celebrate her 111th birthday on 19 February. The world's last known combat veteran of World War I, Briton Claude Choules, died in Australia aged 110 in May 2011. The last three World War I veterans living in the UK - Bill...

The New York Giants on Tuesday will be showered with confetti and greeted by throngs as they are feted with the city’s most storied honor: a parade through its Canyon of Heroes. But all the fanfare — the parade this week is the fourth since 2000 to honor a sports team — has touched off anger and unease among some returned Iraq veterans, who are eagerly awaiting their own recognition. “Everybody recognizes that the Giants deserve a parade,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. But, he added, “If a football team gets...

... In his election-year State of the Union address, President Barack Obama painted a vision of a post-WWII society where triumphant veterans came back and created the strongest economy in the world. In his words, they understood that they were “part of something larger.” Part of that “something larger” after the defeat of fascism was a growing free economy, but they also faced a long twilight struggle against the spread of communism. To restore prosperity today, President Obama called for a “common purpose” to rally behind. But the obvious common purpose, the reduction of the staggering national debt, was largely...

A federal lawsuit was filed Wednesday challenging the Veterans Affairs Department for refusing to recognize legally married gay and lesbian military couples and denying them the same family benefits as their heterosexual colleagues. With the repeal last year of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military, activists have now turned their focus to gaining full benefits for legally married same-sex active duty and veteran service members and their families. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the law firm WilmerHale filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles on behalf of military veteran Tracey Cooper-Harris...

A few weeks ago, we warned against an increasingly prevalent narrative in news: That war Veterans are violent, unstable, and dangerous. I explained why that simply isn’t the case, and how those aspersions can hurt Vets and deepen the divide between us and civilians. Thursday, the national media moved a step closer to establishing this unfortunate characterization as conventional wisdom in the newsroom. USA Today, a national newspaper second to only the Wall Street Journal in distribution, published a story with a headline brimming with violent imagery:

As Britain announces that it is adopting the US concept of charity-funded houses for families of ill or wounded soldiers, the BBC's Joan Soley looks at how the Fisher House programme has helped American service personnel who have been scarred by war. As is often the case, great ideas are also simple. The impetus for the Fisher House Foundation stemmed from one family seeing an obvious problem and taking it upon themselves to find a solution. Any parent or spouse of a member of the military will tell you their biggest fear: receiving that phone call or that knock on...

"When your tour ends," Obama said to those now serving, "when you touch our soil, you will be home in America that is forever here for you, just as you've been there for us. That is my promise." We hope that when the President is made aware of this situation, he will bring these troops that is forever here for them as he states.....

Stefan Cook, Roaddog 727 on FR, in terminally I'll in the Tampa VA. His story is long and distinguished, but here is the synopsis Stefan is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve. He was called to active duty in 2009. He was worried about the legality of an order from a POTUS who might not be legally elected because of citizenship questions. He had legal concerns that he could be accused of war crimes if an order to take military action was held to be invalid because it emanated from an improper authority Stefan sued, and rather than proving...

His voice breaking, J.R. Martinez recalled his first visit home to Dalton from Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas in 2003 where he was being treated for burns on over 40 percent of his body. He recalled a memorable reunion with some of his football teammates from Dalton High School. “We had a little barbecue at Ryman Farm, just to talk about the old days. I’m sitting at a table with Aaron Ward and two girls,” he said. “I’m looking at the hamburger on my plate and saying, ‘I can’t put that in my mouth.’” Martinez couldn’t open his mouth...

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Even Rick Perry's top advisers thought it was over. After the Texas governor finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday night, Perry's staff and volunteers gathered around the bar in a Des Moines hotel to say goodbyes, drink beer and mourn what appeared to be the end of his quest for the Republican nomination for president. Perry had, after all, just said that he would return to Texas and "reassess" his campaign in a speech that had all the markings of a withdrawal from the race. Only it wasn't. Less than 12 hours later,...

Incensed by the negative ads that have spoiled his campaign, Newt Gingrich recently complained he’d been “Romneyboated,” an allusion to the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, whose ads helped derail Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004. John O’Neill, the swift-boat captain who led the anti-Kerry movement, is none too pleased with the comparison. “To me, it reflects Gingrich’s very cynical hypocrisy, which he shares with Kerry,” O’Neill tells National Review Online. That hypocrisy “is the reason why he can appear with [Nancy] Pelosi in climate-change ads and why he can take money from Freddie Mac: If you’re part...

Ron Paul often says that he has received more donations from active military personnel than the other GOP candidates combined. That's intriguing, given that Paul is the only candidate calling for significant cuts in military spending. Pro-Paul veterans in Iowa explain why they support him. A claim by Ron Paul's presidential campaign, and confirmed by the fact-check website PolitiFact, asserts that the Texas congressman has received more donations from active military personnel than the other GOP candidates combined. That's intriguing, given that Paul is the only candidate calling for significant cuts in military (not defense, he says) funding, the closing...

DES MOINES, IOWA Wednesday, December 28, 2011 GOP presidential contender Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) holds a rally with his "Veterans for Ron Paul" coalition highlighting issues of importance to servicemembers.

'Five thousand Irish soldiers who swapped uniforms to fight for the British against Hitler went on to suffer years of persecution. One of them, 92-year-old Phil Farrington, took part in the D-Day landings and helped liberate the German death camp at Bergen-Belsen - but he wears his medals in secret. Even to this day, he has nightmares that he will be arrested by the authorities and imprisoned for his wartime service. "They would come and get me, yes they would," he said in a frail voice at his home in the docks area of Dublin. And his 25-year-old grandson, Patrick,...

After some 60,000 burials over the past three decades, the veterans on the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad have gotten used to their World War I vintage Springfield 03 bolt action rifles. Now the Army wants to replace them with a newer model. But it won't be without a fight. "What the heck is the problem?" said Tom Mullon, a 74-year-old Vietnam War-era veteran and 12-year volunteer for the squad, which fires off three rifle volleys followed by taps at veterans' burials. "The whole squad is irked about it. We're doing a job for the Army, and we don't cost...

(NATIONAL CEMETERY OF THE PACIFIC – HONOLULU) It looked strange from the moment we pulled up to the Punchbowl, a sacred Hawaiian site once the location for human sacrifice before Cook's arrival to the islands. Our tour bus, filled with 23 WWII Pearl Harbor survivors as part of The Greatest Generations Foundation came to the beautiful location in an old crater above downtown Honolulu for a closing ceremony and presentation. The National Cemetery of the Pacific pays tribute to those veterans of all faiths who served their country, many who lost their lives during WWII. I admit I was not...

There was a time when there was no need to explain what happened on December 7, 1941. It was one of those dates every American knew, and it opened a well of hurt and rage, pride and determination, and a hundred other memories and emotions. Nothing else needed to be said. December 7th. That was enough. It was one of those dates. Much like September 11th today. A date which would live in infamy. So said Franklin Roosevelt when he appeared before Congress the next day and asked it to declare that a state of war had existed between the...

Twenty years ago, wreath company owner Morrill Worcester and a dozen other people laid 5,000 wreaths on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. It was Worcester's way of giving thanks to the nation's veterans with leftover unsold wreaths. This year, Worcester has arranged for up to 100,000 wreaths to be placed on gravesites at the military cemetery on Dec. 10 in his biggest wreath-laying undertaking yet. A convoy of more than 20 trucks left Worcester Wreath Co. in the eastern Maine town of Harrington on Sunday to begin the six-day journey to the cemetery in Arlington, Va., outside Washington, the final...

No celebration of our freedom can be complete without a tribute to the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to preserve and protect our country. The WVU Band presents our "Armed Forces Salute," which features a medley of the songs from all branches of our great military.

EXCLUSIVE: Captain Katherine Jenerette Gives A Woman’s View From AfghanistanAbout Katherine: Katherine Jenerette is Captain in the US Army Reserve and a paratrooper from North Myrtle Beach, SC. She is serving with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division ‘Task Force Arctic Wolves’ in the Horn of Panjwa’i in one of the most volatile districts in Kandahar Province (and Afghanistan). She is a former U.S. Congressional Field Representative for South Carolina’s First District and a North Myrtle Beach Planning Commissioner and was a Candidate for US Congress in 2010. Katherine was recently name as one of THE 45...

This weekend will be quite the spectacle in Bartlesville. A group of Oklahoma veterans plans to picket the Starbucks. Tjuana Boulanger, says, "This is how we feel. We will not support Starbucks anymore in Bartlesville." Boulanger was at the coffee shop last Saturday when a manager kicked the veterans of the property and called police for trespassing. The vets were on motorcycles to attend the funeral for Sgt. Chris Gailey. He was killed recently in Afghanistan. Boulanger says, "At one point I looked over and I saw one of the workers out with an apron out in the parking lot...

(Reuters) - In a rare display of cooperation, Republicans and Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly approved a limited jobs bill on Wednesday that would help some veterans find work but otherwise do little to bring down the nation's 9 percent unemployment rate. The bill, aimed at government contractors and veterans, is so far the only piece of President Barack Obama's $447 billion job-creation package to clear Congress. Republicans have lined up behind a contrasting agenda of their own ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. It passed the House of Representatives by a unanimous vote of 422 to 0. Only...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a rare display of cooperation, Republicans and Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly approved a limited jobs bill on Wednesday that would help some veterans find work but otherwise do little to bring down the nation's 9 percent unemployment rate. The bill, aimed at government contractors and veterans, is so far the only piece of President Barack Obama's $447 billion job-creation package to clear Congress. Republicans have lined up behind a contrasting agenda of their own ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. It passed the House of Representatives by a unanimous vote of 422 to 0....

Like many in my generation, I look back on my career and am exceedingly grateful that it began with service to my country. With military experience comes a distinct set of values that simply can’t be taught in a classroom or by starting out in the mailroom. These values are what make military men and women the ideal candidates for any job — particularly jobs in the business world. I learned many of these values from an early age, but they were truly ingrained in me as a student at the U.S Naval Academy and while serving our country in...

NEW WINDSOR – It was very fitting that the late Sgt. Maurice Dower was awarded the Purple Heart Medal at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor on Veterans’ Day. The award was presented to Dower’s 90-year-old daughter, Bernice Bernhardt. She said her father would have been thrilled to have received the medal, which he earned when he was wounded in 1911 while serving in France during World War I. “He loved the Army,” she said. Congresswoman Nan Hayworth participated in the ceremony and had words of praise for all veterans. “What a marvelous place in which...

SALT LAKE CITY – More than six decades after being freed from a Japanese prisoner of war camp, a Utah veteran was compelled to relive the horrors and triumphs of his World War II experience this month when he received a mysterious package containing seven military medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star. The medals have become a source of pride for retired Army Capt. Tom Harrison, 93, since they arrived in a box with nothing more than a packing slip from a logistics center in Philadelphia on Nov. 4, which happened to be his 65th wedding anniversary....

First lady Michelle Obama announced commitments from companies Thursday to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014, a dramatic step in her Joining Forces initiative. She said the show of support demonstrates to military families that “America has your back.” The first Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. In her keynote address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Steps Up: Hiring our Heroes event, Michelle Obama announced that the International Franchise...

In a Veterans Day homily at St. Paul in Ellicott City, Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer of the Archdiocese for U.S. Military Services challenged Catholics to never forget the needs of the nation’s veterans. “We must not ignore the silent suffering of over 23 million American veterans who are suffering from substance abuse, family breakdowns, domestic violence, homelessness (and) suicide rates that continue to rise,” said Bishop Spencer, a former priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore who served as pastor of Western Maryland’s St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland. “Although only 7 percent of Americans have ever served in the...

Not forgetting that during March, 1836, a small band of men at the Alamo stood between Santa Anna's 5,000 man army and the unprepared small army of Sam Houston.

Generations of Valor - Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraces Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr.

Actor Gary Sinise is easily recognizable for his role as Det. Mac Taylor on "CSI:NY" as well as for his Oscar-nominated performance as Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump." But Veterans Day provides a chance to look at another, arguably more important, role that he plays -- as advocate for U.S. military men and women. In addition to having received an Emmy ("George Wallace") and a Golden Globe ("Truman"), Sinise is the recipient of the 2008 Presidential Citizens Medal -- one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Through...

A Veterans Day Message from Rick Perry Today we celebrate the courage and sacrifice of all living veterans. They are the men and women who answered the call of duty with courage, love and devotion. They served something greater than themselves. They served the cause of freedom. And many to this day bear the scars of freedom, suffered on foreign battlefields, on the high seas and at high altitudes. I served my country from 1972 to 1977 as a C-130 pilot in the United States Air Force. But I will be the first to tell you that my country has...

Thank you From Governor Rick Perry 0:29 video statement at link

I recently attended a wonderful celebration with several generations of our military heroes. One of the few advantages of working in Washington is the occasional chance to do something special. Last Saturday night offered just such an opportunity. And, so, my wife and I attended the annual dinner of the American Veterans Center (AVC). The banquet room was filled with veterans who had participated in some of the greatest achievements of the American armed forces. That evening, we were in the middle of history. AVC’s mission is to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s servicemen and women from every...

In economics, the first lesson I teach my pupils is the lesson of things that are seen and things that are not seen. Actions have some effects that are readily apparent and others are overlooked or not perceived. It’s the same with our military veterans. We see the obvious price they’ve paid—the time they spent far away from home and some of the physical injuries, such as lost limbs. What we don't see are their psychological wounds. Sadly, these are more numerous than physical injuries, and they often cause greater suffering. It took me many years to understand this. The...

It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion. It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves...

Just a special tribute to all the Vietnam Vets out there. Have a great day. We honor your bravery and service. Happy Veterans Day to all veterans, but a special shout out to the Vietnam vets who didn't get the respect they deserved. And to those who served--THANK YOU. --Huck

This appeared in Sarah Palin's "America by Heart." I think it is especially appropriate today. It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble. It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. .It is the veteran, not he politician, who has given...

Google remembered, which is a step in the right direction.

[Note to all: I've finally resurrected what was a tradition here for several years on FR....the "Veterans' Check-In". Much has happened since I started this...twelve years ago. Three of my five sons are now veterans, including a Bronze Star-winning Stryker platoon leader in Iraq back during the 'surge' days (FReeper "Future Snake Eater"), a combat videographer who jumped in so young I had to sign papers to allow him to serve, and a 'grunt' from Ft. Polk who just got back from Afghanistan). God bless them, God bless you all. I've included the original text from all those years ago...

As an eighteen year old infantryman who knew everything, our unit was once assigned to the S-4 Logistics shop for a “working party.” A welcome sign admonished, “Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.” We snickered, handled the office “pogues’” heavy lifting and left. “Every marine is a rifleman,” and Napoleon affirmed, “An army marches on its stomach,” but surely it was the “grunts” who won wars. Friday, 11/11/11, America will honor her veterans, particularly those who paid the supreme price protecting our cherished principles. We should solemnly reflect on this, holding those most heavily engaged in the highest esteem. Tales...

November 11, 2011. Veterans Day. As a retired United States Army veteran. Veteran of the Vietnam war. I want to wish each and every member of the Band of Brothers and Sisters of the military a great holiday. I love each and every one of you. Many will remember our sacrafices. However, for some reasons, I do not feel that many in the federal government will feel that way. They will pay lip service, too look good, but I seriously doubt they mean it. Especially with a president whose wife hates the flag and nation.The true heroes of our service...

As the monument nears its 25th anniversary, the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a tribute in granite that stirs pride, inspiration, and never-ending sadness. America changed during the Vietnam War, but the nation has changed even more since the end of the war, according to the men who fought it. When soldiers returned stateside after their combat service, civilians mocked, insulted and spat upon them. Some branded the veterans as failures for allowing the communists to overrun the former French colony, while others called the soldiers “baby killers,” a reference to the large number of civilian deaths that occurred during...

CLOVIS, Calif. — This little town not far from Fresno may be the perfect place to observe Veterans Day as our nation closes a decade of war. A quiet San Joaquin Valley community in the heart of our most populous state, Clovis has lost 10 of its sons — eight of them from local Buchanan High School — in Afghanistan and Iraq. Though the Defense Department apparently doesn't keep statistics on per capita losses for American communities, Clovis may be for this war what Bedford, Va., was for World War II. According to local records, 19 "Bedford Boys" —...

  Thoughts on Veterans Day David C. Stolinsky Nov. 10, 2011 November 11 is Veterans Day. Some cities have parades or other ceremonies to honor those who have served their country in uniform, often at the risk of their lives. Other cities ignore the day and its deep meaning. Of course, it is difficult to appreciate the deep meaning of anything if we ourselves are shallow. Some time ago, I accompanied my wife to San Diego for a convention of psychologists. By chance, the hotel where the convention was being held was also the site of another meeting. As...

Aboard the USS Nimitz, Alex Martinez helped assemble bombs dropped on Iraq and Afghanistan. Now in civilian life, he's looking for any job he can get. After nearly 5 1/2 years in the Navy, he was discharged and moved last year from San Diego to Sacramento for a fresh start. So far it has been sour. Hoping for better luck, Martinez, 26, came to the annual "Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet" job fair. At the Sacramento Kings table, he asked about working as a janitor. [snip] A week later, I sat in on a special class for veterans at...

It happened almost a hundred years ago - the Great War, the World War - now known as World War One, as there would be more than one great world war in the 20th century. For many of us, our great grandparents, grandparents, and even parents may have fought in this war. To all of us still living, the Great War seems like ancient history. Volumes were written about this war, which H.G. Wells called - "The War That Will End War." For a summary, below is a brief history of the First World War: .... The "armistice" to end...

I was talking with a young man about his experience in Iraq and said I was of a different era the Vietnam War and we had the likes of Jane Fonda. He was did not have a clue as to Jane Fonda was and what she had done. This video I did several years ago very short yet conveys the feelings of many vets from my era with a little humor.