http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2009/10/22/free-dog-tag-and-id-card-to-tbi-veterans/ Updated information on Veteran Benefits, featured Military Bloggers, the You Served Podcast and various other news and information relevant to Veterans. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:25:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2009/10/22/free-dog-tag-and-id-card-to-tbi-veterans/comment-page-1/#comment-463016 J. Matt Duffin Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:02:25 +0000 http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=3421#comment-463016 I'm a 9-year U.S. Navy veteran, from 1978 - 87. I served in during the hostage crisis for 11 months off the coast of Iran. In 2008, I wrecked my motorcycle (helmetless of course), which put me in a coma for 54-days. My LOC was 4 at the scene, and Indy's Methodist Trauma brought me back to life 3 times in 6 days. There was a 4th when the plug was pulled, but I get credit for that save! I spent recovery time (still) at RHI, and spend time with vets coming home at our Brain Injury Coping Skills class. It's cool, we can talk, and somehow I can to normal folks as well (thank you Dr. Backhaus). As a Peer Mentor, I facilitate a BI Support group for Eastern Indiana. A year after my wreck, a county deputy saw me walk funny in front of the hospital. He thought I was drunk and brutilized me. Worse yet, my 90-year old Pearl Harbor surviving father for trying to tell the cop I was a TBI patient. I thought if I could get these dog tags it would of helped me a bunch, and the other TBI guys must be identified before this takes place more often. One day, a trained vet is going to not realize it's Al Smith the cop being ruff with him, it's Al-qida, and some one will be hurt REAL bad, and I bet it isnt the cop. Thank you for your time, and reading my rambles. I’m a 9-year U.S. Navy veteran, from 1978 – 87. I served in during the hostage crisis for 11 months off the coast of Iran. In 2008, I wrecked my motorcycle (helmetless of course), which put me in a coma for 54-days. My LOC was 4 at the scene, and Indy’s Methodist Trauma brought me back to life 3 times in 6 days. There was a 4th when the plug was pulled, but I get credit for that save! I spent recovery time (still) at RHI, and spend time with vets coming home at our Brain Injury Coping Skills class. It’s cool, we can talk, and somehow I can to normal folks as well (thank you Dr. Backhaus). As a Peer Mentor, I facilitate a BI Support group for Eastern Indiana. A year after my wreck, a county deputy saw me walk funny in front of the hospital. He thought I was drunk and brutilized me. Worse yet, my 90-year old Pearl Harbor surviving father for trying to tell the cop I was a TBI patient. I thought if I could get these dog tags it would of helped me a bunch, and the other TBI guys must be identified before this takes place more often. One day, a trained vet is going to not realize it’s Al Smith the cop being ruff with him, it’s Al-qida, and some one will be hurt REAL bad, and I bet it isnt the cop. Thank you for your time, and reading my rambles.

]]>