Archive for the ‘News’ Category
January 20, 2010 By Claire
Posted in Military News, News, Spouse and Family
I don’t know if they mean prevent it totally or prevent a more severe case of PTSD, but it makes perfect sense that the faster horrific pain is addressed and the less suffering that happens, the better the injured solider will fare in the long run.
Health News
By Allie Montgomery
Published: Thursday, 14 January 2010
EXCERPT
Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) affects both active duty soldiers and war veterans, but now there may be a way to help prevent it. Immediately administering a treatment of morphine to troops wounded in the field can cut the chance in half that they will develop PTSD, according to a new study that is suggesting a new strategy for preventing the psychological fallout of war.
Researchers from the U.S. Naval Health Research Center led the study of approximately 700 troops that were injured in Iraq between the years of 2004 and 2006. Troy Lisa Holbrook, who is an epidemiologist at the Naval Center and the leader of this study, said, “It was surprising how strong the effect of the morphine was.” The findings of this study were published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.
Of course, whether or not the Pentagon will adopt this practice on the battlefield remains to be seen. Dr. Jack Smith, who is the acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for clinical and program policy, stated that the “very interesting findings” are “likely to stimulate further research.”
Approximately 53,000 troops that have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq have been treated for PTSD, a disorder in which someone who has endured a traumatic event keeps re-experiencing both the event and the fear and emotions it caused. These patients often have trouble with relationships, substance abuse, work and physical ailments.
The researchers have been testing different ways to treat it, and this new study looked at whether fast and strong pain relief can help to prevent it. However, it was still unclear as to whether it was the fast pain treatment or something more specific to the morphine that made the difference. READ MORE
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January 16, 2010 By Claire
Posted in News
I found this while perusing the news and my jaw hit the ground. I can not even begin to imagine what an overwhelming reunion this must have been!
Vietnam Vet Reunites With War Buddy He Thought Was Lost
foxnews.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
EXCERPT
He lost his friend at war almost half a century ago. Or at least, that’s what veteran Rick Valenzuela, from Oregon, thought, MyFoxOrlando.com reported. Valenzuela served with friend and fellow U.S. Marine Gary Benson during Vietnam.
Both men were in the Fox Company in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1969, Valenzuela believed that Benson died in a rocket attack, the site reported.
This turned out to be a very fortunate mistake.
The two men reconnected through a veterans group four decades later. READ MORE
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January 14, 2010 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Milblog Conference, News, You Served Radio
We’re proud to launch a cool new feature on You Served – the You Served MilBlog Map.
What is it?
The Milblog map is a “dashboard” that tracks updates from milbloggers around the world from their blogs and Twitter accounts. It goes a step further by showing these milblogger’s location on a Google Map interface.
Why sign up? Why use it?
Sign up so others can see where you’re located, along with a mashup of recent posts/tweets. Use it to find other milbloggers in your area, when you travel, or just to see where everybody’s at!
You can also use this feature as a jumping off point for your daily dose of milblog-goodness.
Please spread the word so we can get the whole community “on the map”. Share this link: http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/map or http://bit.ly/6MJziC.
Please Retweet!
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January 11, 2010 By Marcus
Posted in News
We’ve updated the Facebook fan page a bit over the last week and highly encourage everyone to check it out. The highlights include a new RSS/Blog module in the top box module that will pull from the main blog here and the radio show feeds so you can stay up to date directly from Facebook. If you’re a fan, you’ll also see blog entries appear in your news feed! We’ve also updated our profile picture and it is much more spiffy.
Not a fan? Become one and you’ll be the first to hear about special interviews from CJ and Troy that aren’t live during our Thursday show and you could even call in to speak with that guest live!
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January 8, 2010 By Troy
Posted in News, Spouse and Family, Veteran Benefits, Wall of Honor
H/T to www.blackfive.net for the lead on this story. I was checking out some of the latest B5 blogs this morning when I came across this one. I am not an emotional person, but by the time I got to the end of this story I had tears in my eyes. So for those of you with tissues nearby, you may want to grab for them now.
This story is really something that will fill you with three noticeable emotions. At least it did me, as it made me sad, angry and proud all at pretty much the same time. You will feel sadness that human remains were treated this way and that they had no loved ones. It will make you angry that true hero from WWII and his mother in law and wife were thrown out with the trash, but I think it will also make you proud to see how these young people stepped up and did the right thing. It is good to see that the upcoming generation still has scruples and ethics. This is a story that needs to be told, so I hope you will help me spread the word. This story originally appeared in the St. Petersburg Times and online at www.tampabay.com
BUSHNELL — The two teenagers got to the cemetery first.
He wore his dark green dress uniform from the National Guard. She wore a long black dress.
They stood on the edge of the road, across from rows of matching military headstones, waiting for the funeral of the man they had never met.
Mike Colt, 19, and his girlfriend, Carol Sturgell, 18, had driven more than an hour from their Tampa homes on Wednesday to be at Florida National Cemetery.
They weren’t really sure why they had come. They just knew they had to be here.
“It’s kind of sad, huh?” asked Sturgell, scanning the sea of white gravestones.
Colt nodded. “Yeah, but it feels kind of important.”
At 12:20 p.m., a Tampa police car pulled up, then a white Lincoln Town Car. Another police cruiser followed. Two officers stepped out.
“Thank you for being here,” Colt said, shaking both of their hands.
“No, thank you,” said Officer Dan College. “If it weren’t for you guys, none of us would be here.”
• • •
Three weeks ago, on the last Saturday of November, the young couple was hanging out at Sturgell’s house when her brother rode up on his bike, all excited. He had found two fishing poles in this huge pile of trash. Come check it out, he said. So they did.
At the edge of the trash mound, sticking out from beneath a box, Sturgell spied a worn green folder.
She pulled it out, brushed off the dust. Across the top, bold letters said, “Department of Defense.” Inside, she found retirement papers from the U.S. Army; a citation for a Purple Heartissued in 1945; and a certificate for aBronze Star medal “for heroism in ground combat in the vicinity of Normandy, France … June 1944.” In the center of the certificate there was a name: Delbert E. Hahn.
Why would anyone throw that away? Sturgell asked.
And who is that guy? Colt wanted to know. Must be old, a World War II vet. Looks like he served at D-Day!
That night, they took the paperwork back to Sturgell’s house and searched Delbert E. Hahn on the computer. Nothing. They talked about who he might have been, the life he might have led.
The next morning, they went back to the trash heap and searched for more clues. They rummaged through boxes, overturned furniture, picked through piles of the past. Colt moved a ratty couch — and something fell out. A metal vase, or box, some kind of rectangular container about a foot tall. On the base was the name: Delbert E. Hahn.
“It’s him,” Colt told his girlfriend. “This must be him, in his urn.”
Sturgell screamed. She didn’t want to touch it. It was kind of freaky, she said, discovering the remains of some dead guy.
“He shouldn’t be here,” Colt said. “No one should be thrown away like that, just left in a parking lot.”
The dead man wasn’t alone. Under the couch, the couple found two more sets of remains: a cylinder-style container with Barbara Hahn printed on the bottom and another urn, which had no name.
• • •
Tampa Police Cpl. Edward Croissant had just reported for the night shift that Sunday when his officers showed him the urns. This kid and his girlfriend had found them and brought them to the station.
Then an officer told Croissant about the Purple Heart. The Bronze Star. And the Normandy invasion.
And Croissant became irate. He had served eight years in the Navy. He’s in the Coast Guard Reserve. “I had three uncles in World War II. That was the greatest generation. If it wasn’t for those men, we would have nothing,” he said.
“That man saw combat. And someone just dumped him there? He deserves a better ending.”
Police called the Department of Veterans Affairs and learned Hahn had died in 1983, at the age of 62 — and was a highly decorated war hero. The staff sergeant had served in the infantry and been honored with five Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.
Barbara Hahn, they learned, was the soldier’s wife.
So how did their remains end up in that mound of garbage? Where was the rest of their family, or friends, anyone who would want their ashes? And who was in that third urn?
• • •
Neighbors filled in some of the story: Barbara Hahn had been a widow forever, they told police. For years, her mother had lived with her. Her mother’s name was Barbara, too.
The elder Barbara had lived to be more than 100. They thought she died around 2000. That third urn, neighbors told police, must be her.
The younger Barbara, the soldier’s wife, got sick in 2003. A couple came to care for her, and she wound up willing them her mobile home. When she died, the couple moved in, took out a mortgage, then didn’t make payments.
The bank foreclosed on the trailer late last year.
In November, officials sent a maintenance company to clear it out. The workers must have just dumped everything behind the vacant building on Busch Boulevard, neighbors told police. Including the remains of three people.
• • •
Just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, the two teenagers led the car line through Florida National Cemetery. Police followed, then the funeral director who had the urns. Outside a wooden gazebo, two rows of National Guardsmen stood at attention.
The funeral director handed the first soldier a flag, the next one the cylinder with Barbara Hahn’s remains, the third one the brass urn with Delbert Hahn.
(Barbara’s mother’s remains are still in the evidence room of the police station. Since she wasn’t a veteran or married to one, she wasn’t entitled to be buried in the military cemetery.)
“Let us open the gates of the Lord,” said a military chaplain, who led the procession of strangers into the gazebo. “Let us remember,” said the chaplain, “none of us lives only unto himself.”
The teenagers sat on the front bench. Three officials from Veterans Affairs sat behind them. They had spent weeks searching for the Hahns’ relatives, any distant kin or friend, someone who might want their ashes — or at least want to come to their burial.
They couldn’t find anyone. Even the couple whom Barbara Hahn had willed her home to didn’t show.
By the time the chaplain lifted his head from the Lord’s Prayer, a long line of men had wrapped around the gazebo. Wearing blue denim shirts and work boots, they clasped their caps in their hands and bowed their heads. Dozens of groundskeepers from the cemetery had left their Christmas party to come pay respects to the man who, in death, had been so disrespected.
A bugler played taps. The riflemen fired three shots. And 56 people watched the honor guard fold a flag over the urns of the man and woman they never knew.
News researcher John Martin contributed to this story.
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December 14, 2009 By CJ
Posted in News
Now that I’m safely out of Huntsville and reunited with my kids, I wanted to take a moment to address the people of Huntsville.
I want to start with the fact that Huntsville is probably the best place I’ve ever been stationed. The people are kind and generous and generally very supportive of the military. The city itself offers more community activities than I’ve ever seen at any other place I’ve been. The concerts in the park stand out above all else.
There was never any lack of finding things to do in the evenings or on the weekends. The Space and Rocket Center offers free entrance to military families and we took advantage of it for sure!! My kids LOVED going to Sci-Quest and Early Works museums – so much so that we bought annual memberships.
Downtown Huntsville is so full of history and fun. We discovered a little late, though, that the ducks and fish like being fed. We would often find ourselves downtown watching the baby ducks follow their mothers around the edge of the water as the beautifully colored fish swam beneath them, occasionally nipping at their feet I think. In the past two years we’ve been to more parades and hockey games than our past 15 years combined! Huntsvillians know how to fight boredom. The trails are to die for! I loved losing myself in thought as I navigated the miles and miles of trails spread around the city. Monte Sano will be sorely missed.
Huntsville is also the city that introduced me to geocaching! Geocaching is a world wide scavenger hunt in which players hide and seek “caches” of various sized using GPS units and a little imagination. Huntsville lays claim to about 1,000 of these, but I only found a few less than 400. As a matter of fact, it was this hobby that helped me find the trails where one can find numerous Earthcaches, or geologic sites.
As a very active person in my community, I also found a lot of kindred souls as I sought to express my political opinions on a variety of levels, from local to federal. I enjoyed hanging out with the group at the corner of Airport and Whitesburg as we waived the American flag and supported our troops in opposition to the hippies across the street who were ignorant to the sacrifices our troops are making on their behalf. But, I enjoyed seeing them exercise the freedoms those men and women have laid down their life for. I attended my first Tea Party there and was honored to have been able to contribute to its success (I’ve since repaired my archaic system to prevent further power outages). Finally, rallying with like-minded, constitutionally supportive Americans against government run health care and similar stupidity.
Unfortunately, I had to end my time there earlier than I would have liked, in large part due to the terrible education system I was confronted with. The interesting part of it is that we never had any problems with the school system until this school year. When we had issues with something at the school, my wife and I approached the principal, Mr. McAllister, and felt fairly confident that the problem was taken care of. When we had issues, he listened to us – or at least made us think he did. Even when he knew I was upset about something, he still invited me into his office to discuss it. We talked about discipline issues, bullying, and class sizes. And we did it like adults.
When Principal Williams took over, all this changed. We attempted numerous times to get a meeting with her, but couldn’t get one until my wife cornered her at an open house and pretty much demanded a meeting. We expressed some concerns we had and were “assured” that she would do her best to work with us. When school started, not ONE of the issues we discussed were fixed. Because of the lawsuit, I can’t get more specific than that. But, it was obvious that there was a new sheriff in town and she didn’t much care about parental concerns. The attitude we got was that SHE was top dog and we better get in line. She tried implementing a few other policies we and other parents weren’t happy about and we let her know. Then, the uniform issue came up.
What happened with regard to the uniform issue is well documented. I won’t further elaborate due to possible legal action to be taken on my behalf. I will say that the school system continues to shoot itself in the foot every time they open their mouth about this. The truth will come out, I promise you. I have lived my life dedicated to the principles of honor, integrity, personal courage, and duty. It is the duty of every American to stand against any out of control government system, especially when that system is charged with the education and care of our children. We surrender our kids to the schools for eight hours a day, five days a week most weeks. We expect that those charged with this sacred responsibility at least respect the opinions and contributions of the parents, their employers, at all times. Every government employee must understand this obligation to the people no matter how large or small their charge.
As a Soldier, I am charged to defend the citizens of this nation and will do so to the death if needed. I will never place them in danger. I pledged an oath to the Constitution of the United States of America and honor that oath to the dying breath if need be. However, I prefer to make the enemy die for their country first.
I, CJ Grisham, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
I want to thank the people of Huntsville who have provided so much support to me and my family recently, through their prayers and thoughts. My father, a retired Navy Command Master Chief, taught me early in my career to always makes the hard right decisions over the easy wrong ones. I got where I am today doing just that. I haven’t always made those with whom I work happy, but I’ve never done anything wrong. Some people in the military don’t like being told they’re wrong and they definitely don’t like being told “no” by a junior Soldier. The letters, emails, and phone calls I’ve received have been encouraging since this issue has been made public. I’ve spoken with fellow parents, educators, citizens, and even military officers who have told me face to face they support me. I can’t thank you all enough and I’ll forever remember Huntsville as a supportive and patriotic city.
I’m not a coward. I can’t tell you how many people have suggested I simply give up and save my career while on active duty. They tell me I shouldn’t make waves until I retire, then I can speak up all I want. That isn’t my style. I don’t want to leave behind a worse off Army. I don’t want to leave behind a worse off country. I’m a right and wrong guy, not shades of gray. When I see something wrong, I seek to fix it. I don’t ignore it and leave it for the next person to deal with. That causes me a lot of stress, but my hope is that it eases someone else’s. I’ve never done it before and I won’t start now.
The way I see it, a school system that doesn’t listen to parents – and in fact seeks to destroy them – that disagree with them is a problem. A school system that is inclined to ignore parents while supporting their own at all costs is a problem. A school system that values relationship with companies over relationships with citizens is a problem. I tried fixing these problems within the system, filing official complaints and working my way up the school’s “chain of command.” My official complaints – required by policy to be answered – went ignored. Other parents’ official complaints went ignored. More than ten of them were filed with Dr. Shipman and nothing ever came of any of them. I spoke before the board both publicly and behind closed doors on numerous occasions trying to resolve my issues and those of other parents but nothing ever came of it. I tried to make it easy to make this all go away by simply asking for an apology and a covenant to listen to parents in the future, but nothing ever came of it.
I’ve been backed into corner from which the only escape is possible litigation. I’m thankful and relieved that the law offices of Wolfe, Jones, Wolfe, Hancock & Daniel, specifically Wayne Wolfe and Joel Jaqubino, have agreed to take this case and have expressed optimism about it. I couldn’t have asked for better representation or more competent legal professionals.
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December 11, 2009 By Troy
Posted in News, Wall of Honor
H/T to my good friend Greta from www.kissmygumbo.com for this terrific story.
Roy Lee Gant, a Lucky Dog vendor in the French Quarter, may look like an easy mark for an armed robber.
He wears a candy-cane-striped button-up shirt. He wheels around sausage and condiments to sell in a 1,200-pound cart shaped like a ballpark wiener, opting to make ends meet in the manner of Ignatius J. Reilly in “A Confederacy of Dunces.”
None of that oozes toughness. But Gant is a former Marine, trained in hand-to-hand combat. And a 42-year-old man accused of attempting to rob Gant at knifepoint the night of Dec. 5 found that out too late, New Orleans police say.
Gant, 33, a St. Louis native, peddled his Lucky Dogs from the corner of Royal and Iberville streets about 9 p.m. that night, a Saturday. A man strolled up to his cart and asked him for a dollar.
Gant declined, thinking, “Hell, no. I’ve hardly sold a hot dog, yet you want money — when you can be out here working the same as I am?”
The 5-foot-8, 155-pound man then shoved his face closely to Gant’s and said, “If you don’t give me a dollar, I’m going to take it.”
Gant declined again. The two shoved each other. The man, miffed, walked away.
According to a police report filed in court, the man returned to the street corner about 11:50 p.m. He drew a knife, stood alongside Gant, reached across his body and with his right hand pressed the blade’s edge against the vendor’s throat, hissing, “Remember me?”
This time, the panhandler demanded all the money, Gant said.
Gant, however, had seen the man walk next to him out of the corner of his eye. The knifeman had barely pressed the blade against the wiener vendor’s throat when Gant lifted his right arm. He grabbed the man’s right wrist and pulled the blade away.
Then, with his left arm, he gripped the knifeman’s forearm to push the blade farther away. He freed his right hand.
“Call the police!” Gant shouted to a crowd of people streaming into a nearby drug store. “Please, call the police!”
The two wrestled. While struggling to keep the blade at bay with his left hand, Gant elbowed and punched his attacker’s body and face with his right arm and hand.
Gant sensed the robber lose his balance. He reached for the man’s crotch and lifted him up, still holding onto one of his arms with his left hand.
Gant then slammed the robber face-first off the curb, gashing his attacker’s forehead wide open.
“He definitely messed with the wrong Lucky Dog guy,” said Joni Mount, Gant’s girlfriend and fellow vendor. “Why did he even come back? How stupid is he?”
Gant kicked the blade away from the robber’s grasp and pinned him face-down with his arms and knees. A bystander waved down a passing police cruiser.
By the time the officer pulled up to investigate, the knifeman had passed out, the report stated. Paramedics later arrived and took the accused robber, identified as Gregory S. Garmany of the 1800 block of Gravier Street, to Interim LSU Public Hospital for stitches.
Gant, meanwhile, tore a ligament in his right pinky and later scheduled a surgery.
When doctors released the swollen-eyed, scraped-up Garmany, officers booked him with one count of attempted armed robbery, according to the report. He remained behind bars Wednesday in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Police officials routinely discourage citizens from resisting armed robbers because of the risk. But Gant said he reacted “instinctively.” He learned the basics of hand-to-hand combat while at Camp Pendleton, Calif., with his Marine battalion.
“My reaction was just to defend myself,” Gant said.
It was Gant’s second brush with crime since he moved to New Orleans from St. Louis in February, originally in search of work on tugboats. He sold hot dogs in the 400 block of Bourbon Street the night of Nov. 29, when five men were sprayed with bullets after an argument.
Despite his lackluster welcome to the city, Gant said he had no immediate plans to abandon his tugboat work or his spot behind the Lucky Dog cart.
He said, “I try not to think about (the danger). … People just need to keep their eyes open.”
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December 10, 2009 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
A sampling of recent mentions concerning CJ’s latest battle, most in reaction to the Military Times article, “The rise and fall of a military blogger“:
And listen to CJ on The Dale Jackson Show tomorrow at 7:05 & 8:05 am CST.
1 Comment »
December 3, 2009 By CJ
Posted in News, Patriotism
It has been my honor and pleasure to be a part of the VA Mortgage Center team through my involvement with the You Served blog as a writer and You Served Radio as a host.
We’ve raised thousands of dollars through the You Served eBay store and this blog for very worthy causes, including Fisher House and Soldiers Angels’ Valour-IT project. All of the proceeds go directly to a military charity.
While I have no problem asking for money to support these efforts, I’ve always been very bashful about asking for anything for myself. However, I feel like I must humble myself and ask for help on my own behalf in this instance.
In September, my kids brought home a note from their school stating that the school would transition to uniforms beginning in January — midway through the school year. Naturally, this concerned me as the cost for each kid (I have two who would be affected) would be at least $400. A note home to parents assured us that the principal would entertain concerns during the upcoming “uniform fashion show.” However, the principal ended that meeting without answering a question, even though numerous hands were up. After that meeting, I organized parents with concerns and began a letter-writing and phone-calling campaign to members of the school board and media. We succeeded in getting the uniform issue tabled until next year. But parents still weren’t given a voice about whether we even wanted uniforms.
Instead of deal with me and other parents who disagreed with her new policy, the school’s principal began contacting the Army with fictitious complaints that I had threatened her. She pointed to posts on my personal blog about her behavior at the meeting as proof. However, after being referred to military investigators, they concluded that I had never issued any threats through email, blog or otherwise. I collected letters from other parents attesting to my behavior at the meeting.
Unfortunately, the Army took what the principal was saying at face value and formally counseled me. Suddenly, I was a trouble maker after 15 years of honorable service. The Army practically forced me to shut down my blog, though the decision was mine alone and no orders were given to do it.
At a PTA meeting a few weeks later, I again tried to present a motion to discuss the school uniform issue with the members of the association. It was shot down by the principal and the PTA president. I was harassed the entire evening by school security officials. Thankfully, I decided it would be prudent to record that meeting. When school officials again began contacting the Army about my supposedly threatening and disrespectful behavior at the meeting, I published the video on my blog to clear my name. This didn’t sit well with school officials and only emboldened them to step up their claims and use the military to force me to take down the videos — the only piece of evidence I had to prove my innocence.
The principal even used my PTSD to try and bolster her claims that I was a dangerous menace to her and her goals.
Because of these actions, I am pursuing a lawsuit to clear my name and force the school system to admit they overstepped their bounds by denying my right to participate in my children’s education and attempt to ruin my career. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to tackle this sort of lawsuit on my own. Because of this situation, my wife and I felt the need to relocate our kids after being singled out on more than one occasion by teachers and school staff. We took our kids to live with their grandparents until my orders allowed me to relocate in December. That trip cost us over $1,400, plus another $1,500 in maintenance on our elderly van, which completely wiped out our savings.
So, I’m asking if you’ll help me. I need to raise $7,000 just to pay for the retainer and initial filing of the lawsuit.
I am reaching out through various avenues to help raise the money. I’ve enlisted the help of local media, talk shows and blogs to help me raise the money. Fellow milbloggers are reaching into their pockets and tapping their readers as well. My neighbors and local Huntsville citizens are donating to a local fund at a bank where I’m stationed.
In one week, I move to Fort Hood for the next stage of my military service. I need to at least have the retainer and initial fees raised before I leave. Anything you can do is much appreciated no matter how small.
There are a few ways you can help. On my blog, there is a Paypal link that can used to send money instantly through a debit or credit card. All money sent through that link will go into this fund. You can also mail checks or money orders to:
Grisham Legal Fund
c/o Redstone Federal Credit Union
220 Wynn Drive
Huntsville, AL 35893
Please write “Grisham Legal Fund” in the memo line if you use this option.
This has been an especially difficult time for my family as we’ve been separated from our kids for over a month. We look forward to reuniting with them for Christmas. This case is not about me versus the school district. It’s about parental rights and the limits of our educators in dealing with parental concerns, especially when those parents are in the military.
Thank you in advance and God bless you all during this holiday season.
14 Comments »
September 28, 2009 By Troy
Posted in News, Patriotism
http://www.military.com/news/article/flag-burner-pilloried-by-veterans.html
This is a great story to read which will show you how justice should be handled sometime within the community. I think Valley Falls may be on to something here.
This is a red, white and blue village that is still seeing red after a flag that flew over Iraq was burned by a 21-year-old.
The payback? He was publicly humiliated last Sunday by being duct-taped to the flagpole of Veterans of Foreign War 1938 say he desecrated Sept. 18.
The bottom line is that the VFW post witnessed an infraction against their property, so they enacted a punishment that they felt was just and fair.
The 21-year-old appeared intoxicated when he entered the VFW post on the day of the alleged act, Normile said. When the man was refused service for not having a proper ID, he ran out in a fit of anger. He cut the rope of the flag, which had once flown over troops in Iraq, and ignited it with a cigarette lighter.
Two days later, Normile said the man was forced to sit in the sun pilloried for six hours as townspeople gathered across the street for a youth soccer picnic. A sign was hung around his neck detailing what he had done. It recalled the Middle Ages punishment, subjecting him to public humiliation and scorn.
"He’ll never disrespect the flag again, I can tell you that," Normile said on Friday.
And apparently the local police don’t see a problem with the way the VFW handled the situation either.
State troopers and Rensselaer County sheriffs deputies said no charges had been filed by either the VFW post or the man
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