Free Republic

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Now, each fiscal quarter, the FOX Nation will donate a portion of its merchandise proceeds to a different charity. Now, this quarter, the FOX Nation will be contributing to the Special Operations Warrior Fund. Now, the charity was chosen after hearing the story of Keith Zeier, a U.S. Marine who was severely wounded in Iraq by an IED explosion in July of 2006. Now, Keith's left leg was shattered so badly in that attack that he was told by doctors that he would not be able to walk again without the help of a cane, but Keith,...

Even when half your skull is missing, life goes on. For ex-soldier Erik Castillo, gravely wounded by mortar fire in Iraq in 2004, life is going better than expected. Five years have passed since he woke up drooling and paralyzed in an Army hospital with a coconut-sized hole in his cranium — an injury from which doctors said he would never fully recover. The road back to some sort of normalcy has been rife with pain and indignity. He's been stared at by strangers, coped with countless surgeries and infections, and battled rage, self-pity and depression. Through it all, he...

Generations ago, horses were used to wage war. Now they're being used to heal the psychic wounds of war. In an trend still viewed as strange by much of the mental-health mainstream, some Southern Arizona counselors are using the beasts as co-therapists to treat troops suffering from combat trauma. "When I first heard about it, I thought, 'Are they kidding?' " said Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Richard Quinn, who returned from Iraq in 2007 with a brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. But after a recent weekend spent communing with Kairos, a hulking black draft horse, Quinn is a...

td> WASHINGTON, June 4, 2009 – Before he was wounded in Iraq while serving in the Army as a special operations soldier, Matt Nyman’s life revolved around family and outdoor activities. Now, despite having lost his right leg below the knee, he’s planning on fulfilling a long-time dream as he tries to conquer North America’s highest peak. Army Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister, top left; Army Spc. Dave Shebib, top right; retired Marine Capt. Jon Kuniholm, bottom left; and retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Nyman -- all wounded veterans -- are attempting to summit North America's highest peak, June 1,...

This is not disputed at snoopes...... Subject: Fw: Fwd: From my brother Dave This e-mail is from the father of a young man that left a very lucrative position to join the USMC . He was a Lieutenant who sustained life threatening , and permanently disabling injuries from IED in Iraq . It will fill you with emotion . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Joan and Red, Since Dave Jr. has been injured he has met and been overwhelmed by many, many political and military "celebs". The list includes Bob Gates, Sec. of Defense, who came into his room and told him 3...

5/7/2009 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Staff Sgt. Daniel Acosta woke May 7 thinking he was a senior airman. He was surprised to discover that he was promoted to staff sergeant without his knowledge. Lt. Col. Michael Glass, 59th Medical Support Squadron commander, advised Sergeant Acosta that Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, deputy chief of staff for Manpower and Personnel, approved the promotion with an effective date of Nov. 1, 2008. "I am really happy and excited about this promotion," said Sergeant Acosta. "It was such a surprise." Sergeant Acosta, an explosive ordnance technician from Hill Air Force...

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen praised everyone who is participating in Silver Star Service Banner Day; a day set aside every May 1st to remember and honor the wounded and ill or our Armed Forces from all wars.

BOSTON, April 24, 2009 – Two Special Forces soldiers who are close friends have much in common. Both were wounded in combat -- one in Iraq, the other Afghanistan. Both are recipients of the Silver Star Medal for their actions in combat. Both are single-leg amputees. And both were official finishers of the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20. Special Forces soldiers Army Staff Sgt. John Walding and Army Maj. Kent Solheim, both wounded warriors, start the 113th Boston Marathon together, April 20, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Curt Squires  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army...

Over 1000 cities and counties across the United States have signed Proclamations for Wounded and Ill

BAGHDAD, April 3, 2009 – A Multinational Division Baghdad air weapons team engaged four armed men who were spotted planting a roadside bomb north of Taji, Iraq, last night, military officials reported. The attack left one of the would-be bombers dead and wounded two others. The men, believed to be members of the “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group, were seen emplacing an object in the road, near a critical road junction, with lookouts posted several meters away. The largely rural area north of Baghdad has been the scene of several attacks in the past few months, officials said. A...

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., April 2, 2009 – Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Stamatelos realized he had two choices after waking up two years ago with severe wounds in the intensive care unit at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Army Staff Sgt. Ramon Padillamunguia, one of three patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, D.C., attending this year’s National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colo., skis down a slope proving the therapeutic benefit of a positive mental mindset. The six-day clinic wraps up April 3, 2009. VA photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Stamatelos...

more than 400 severely injured veterans – 34 of whom hail from Colorado – will take part in the 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic from March 29 through April 3. It is the largest adaptive event of its kind in the world. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and co-sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the clinic teaches veterans with disabilities in adaptive alpine and Nordic skiing, and introduces them to a number of other adaptive recreational activities and sports. It’s open to U.S. military veterans with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic...

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., March 30, 2009 – Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 23rd annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here last night, encouraging more than 400 participants he said had found their way “to the top of the mountain in search of miracles.” Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, center, chats with participants in the 23rd annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colo., during a March 29, 2009, “Taste of Aspen” celebration that kicked off the six-day event. Among participating veterans are, left, retired Army Cpl. Allen Babin, an 82nd Airborne...

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 20, 2009 – The National Amputee Golf Association’s First Swing program's mission is twofold: to help military golf instructors learn how to work with wounded warriors and to encourage wounded servicemembers to get back into the swing of an active lifestyle. National Amputee Golf Association founder and President Bob Wilson, a double below-the-knee amputee, demonstrates an iron shot during a First Swing Golf Clinic for wounded warriors on the driving range at Admiral Baker Golf Course in San Diego in February 2009. The next stop on the tour is March 22 and 23, 2009, at Fort...

Apparently President Obama did not get the message that was delivered loud and clear last week by both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill in hearings on the Administration’s proposed Veterans Administration budget.  Rumors had been flying that the Obama Administration was considering a harebrained scheme to charge wounded warriors for the treatment of injuries received in battle.  Asked about the scurrilous rumors by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), the left’s favorite general, Eric Shinseki, now Obama’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, confirmed that the plan was “under consideration. “A final decision hasn’t been made yet,” said Shinseki,...

The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases. "It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is...

The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases. "It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, March 4, 2009 – Three contractors suffered minor injuries in a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack this afternoon near Bagram Airfield, Combined Joint Task Force 101 officials said today. The attack occurred outside the perimeter of the base when a vehicle exploded near an entry control point. The driver, who was carrying explosives, abandoned the vehicle before it detonated. The explosive he was carrying detonated as he ran away from the vehicle. The attacker was killed in the second explosion. It is unknown if there were additional personnel in the vehicle. No military or Afghan civilian...

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla., Feb. 18, 2009 – In an instant, Air Force Senior Airman Alex Eudy went from battling the enemies of Afghanistan to battling for his life. Air Force Lt. Gen. Donny Wurster, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, pins the Air Force Combat Action Medal on Air Force Senior Airman Alex Eudy's shirt during a ceremony at the hospital on Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 3, 2009. Eudy also received the Purple Heart for injuries he received during his deployment to Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Chief Master Sgt. Ty Foster  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

FORT BRAGG, N.C., Feb. 11, 2009 – The noncommissioned officer in charge of training operations for the Warrior Transition Battalion here appears to be a typical soldier. But if the right sleeve of his shirt should come up a bit, you might catch a glimpse of a story whose protagonist is more than typical. Army Sgt. Cameron E. Stroeh takes an early morning walk in Fort Bragg, N.C., Feb. 9, 2009. Injuries he suffered in 2007 during his deployment to Iraq have limited his physical training. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Victor J. Ayala  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...