Author Topic: Memorial Day 2019  (Read 2074 times)

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Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Memorial Day 2019
« on: May 27, 2019, 07:09:02 AM »
Last weekend a a buddy brought his neighbor for a visit.  Ryan, the neighbor, was a combat medic in Afghanistan, and was on the roof of a building tending to injured soldiers, when the howitzers started banging away - at the wrong building!!  Ryan's building got hit and he managed to survive crashing from the rooftop to the second floor, six stories down, where he lay buried and trapped for 8 hours 'til he got found and rescued.  He has since developed Parkinson's disease from the injuries he suffered.

And he sat in the kitchen telling me this story, and how he now is participating in medical research on injury-related Parkinson's.

AND HE WAS SMILING THE WHOLE TIME.  No regrets.

Me?  I broke into tears as he told me his story.

Thank you, veterans.
Jon E. Wennerberg
 a/k/a Seldom Seen Slim
 Skandia, Michigan
 (that's way up north)
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Offline Jack Gifford

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Re: Memorial Day 2019
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2019, 01:51:32 AM »
Thanks for the story Slim.
And my "thank you" to all other veterans.
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F/BFL 1-mile Loring record 2020

Offline JimL

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Re: Memorial Day 2019
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2019, 12:12:13 PM »
Yes, thank you for that.  A note to all the vets who got banged around in one of the wars.....go through the process and exams in the VA program.  Find your local VA Advocate office and they will help you get started.  Aside from the help from our monthly disability check, an important reason is to give the system more knowledge and info about what happens to the human body with the odd injuries. 

Some of it is a little uncomfortable (I really hated that lung test chamber), but don't hide facts from them to avoid their choice of testing.  Each of us may have tests that others may not need, somewhat dependent upon what happened to you or what they see that you didn't know about!   

It takes some time, a lot of poking, prodding, MRI, etc., but your effort may help other soldiers in the years to come.  I have talked to too many folks who say, "I don't want to take anything away from others hurt worse than me."

Wrong answer, friends.....you still have this duty to complete.  It is not just for the past or you personally, but for the future (perhaps of our sons and daughters.)




Offline Jack Gifford

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Re: Memorial Day 2019
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2019, 02:14:42 AM »
Jiml- I hadn't thought about VA that way. I'll do some thinking about the point you made.
I recently contacted VA about my mother-in-law entering a nursing home (98 years old). Because she's been receiving VA benefits since her late husband died on active duty in 1945, she didn't think anything else was available. But I thought it was worth asking, and- sure enough- we've made an application for A & A surviving spouse Special Pension. It will be a small part of the nursing home cost- probably about $1,100/month- but it's a lot more than nothing. And it will allow her more time "on her own nickel" before an application for Medicaid is required (stupid pride, you know!).
M/T Pontiac hemi guru
F/BFL 1-mile Loring record 2020