A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ABOUT VETERANS ISSUES, ORGANIZATIONS, EVENTS AND OUR MILITARY HEROES
VOL. 9/ISSUE 37
35 CENTS
THURSDAY • JULY 22, 2021
Captive settlers
STORY ON PAGE 7
Quanah Parker, photographed here with one of his many wives circa 1890, was a war leader of the Kwahadi band of the Comanche Nation. He was the son of Kwahadi Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, an Anglo-American who had been kidnapped as a child and assimilated into the tribe. He went on to become an influential advocate for the Comanche Nation of tribes before the U.S. legislature, assimilating well with whites of the time. Source: Wikimedia Commons
2 • JULY 22, 2021 • VETERAN VOICE
BREVARD COUNTY DATED EVENTS Sunday, July 25 Second Annual First Responders and Military Appreciation BBQ presented by Back Brevard Heroes at Kiwanis Island Park, Merritt Island, noon-3 p.m. Open to the Community so come out and show your support. For more information contact BACKBREVARDHEROES on Facebook. Sunday, Aug. 8 Annual Military Order of the Purple Heart Ceremony at the VMC and Memorial Plaza to recognize 10 recipients of the Purple Heart after combat operations (2-4 p.m.). Contact VMC for more information. ONGOING EVENTS Space Coast Honor Flight luncheons. All Veterans and guests are welcome. Meals are at own expense, camaraderie is free. Melbourne — First Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m., Smoky Bones restaurant, 1510 West New Haven. Merritt Island — First Thursday of each month, 11 a.m., Red Lobster restaurant, 215 East Merritt Island Causeway. Sebastian — Third Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m., Capt. Hiram’s restaurant, 1606 N. Indian River. Titusville — Third Thursday of each month, 11 a.m., Dixie Crossroads, 1475 Garden St. Warbird Air Museum Fly-in Breakfast, second Saturday of the month, 8-10:30 a.m., Warbird Air Museum, 6600 Tico Road, Titusville. NEW Drive-in GUEST Costs: Between 8-10 a.m., fly-in and drivein traffic can pay $12 per person (no additional discounts) at the gift shop and they can enjoy both the breakfast, which includes delicious pastries, fresh fruit, breakfast meats, made to order omelets, and more — and tour the museum. For children (ages 5-12) not eating breakfast, $5 to enter and tour the museum. Wrist bands will be issued to indicate who can participate in the breakfast. The breakfast is also open to the public as Museum visitors can also attend. Breakfast for visitors is free with paid admission to the Warbird Air Museum. Please RSVP by phone or email. The phone number is (321) 268-1941 and the email address is Warbirds@valiantaircommand.com. VFW Post 8191 monthly work day, first Saturday of the month, 9 a.m.-noon. This is a reminder to post members and an invitation to Auxiliary members to join us. We will do whatever tasks the House Committee
CALENDAR Please visit www.VeteranVoiceWeekly.com to submit Calendar events at least 2 weeks in advance, so that we may ensure your events receive timely publication. Chairman/Canteen Manager/Commander/President have in mind that don’t require extensive skills. Tasks can include cleaning the kitchen and deep fat fryer, replacing the electrical cord on the bingo machine, replacing some baseboard black plastic pieces, placing a few more signs in our storage lot, etc. on an as-necessary basis. For more info, visit vfw8191.org. Monthly meeting, Brevard Veterans Council, second Wednesday of the month, 9 a.m., Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, 400 Sykes Creek Parkway, Merritt Island. Every Wednesday, second drink free, VFW Post 8191, noon to 2 p.m., 4120 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne, for those who wear a VFW 8191 logo hat, shirt or beer cozy. Reduced bar specials. Monthly meeting, VFW Post 8191, third Monday of the month, 6 p.m., 4230 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne. For more information, call (321) 2549885. Jobs available in Brevard County, via Jobs: www.careersourcebrevard. com – for local locations, visit www. employflorida.com for job listings.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY ONGOING EVENTS BookWorm Podcast and Radio Show, hosted by Ralph Nathan Oko, airs Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. EST on REAL Radio 101.7 FM and Sunday mornings at 6:30 a.m. EST on WAXE Radio 107.9 FM and 1370 AM. Podcastswill be available on iHeart Radio. Interview guests will include authors, publishers, editors, readers, booksellers and store owners, scholars and bibliophiles. Ralph Nathan Oko is currently booking interviews. To secure a guest spot, suggest a book to review, an author to interview or for sponsorship information, connect with Ralph Nathan Oko at (954) 557-6226 or RalphOko@hotmail.com. Monthly meeting, Vietnam Veterans of Indian River County, first Wednesday of the month, 6 p.m. at VVIRC Office, 696 8th Court, Vero Beach. For more information email VVIRC at vvirc@comcast.net, or at our website VVIRC.org. You can also call us
at (772) 794-0005. *** IMPORTANT NOTICE *** The USN Armed Guard/Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII Museum has temporarily closed due to COVID-19; however, the expenses are ongoing. We would greatly appreciate a donation from you and/or someone that you know who might be interested in helping to keep the Museum open and the story of the USN AG/MM alive. Donor names will be listed on the Museum Honor Roll for all to see. To receive a donation form, please contact C.F. “Korky” Korker, President, phone: 772-571-0230, or E-mail: korkykorker@gmail.com U.S. Navy Armed Guard World War II Veterans, monthly breakfast meeting, third Saturday of the month, 9 a.m. at Marsh Landing Restaurant, 44 North Broadway, Fellsmere. Interesting and informative speakers at each meeting. Please try and get to the restaurant early so you can get your order in before the kitchen gets busy. A lot of work was accomplished over the summer at the USNAG & MM Museum. Come and enjoy the camaraderie of your old buddies and meet some new ones. Everyone is welcome at our meetings, so please bring a friend. For anybody that needs a ride to the meetings, please call Korky at (772) 571-0230. Please note: Meetings are held September through May. There are no meetings June through August. Korean War Veterans Association, Chapter 318, meets first Thursday of the month, 11 a.m.-noon, at Vero Beach Veterans, Inc. 2500 15th Avenue, Vero Beach. Monthly meeting, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1038, 6 p.m., second Wednesday of the month, Victory Center Military Store in the Vero Mall. For more information email vva1038@yahoo. com or www.vvachapter1038.org or call 772-562-8794. Monthly meeting, American Legion Post 39, second Monday of the month, 1535 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach. E-board meeting begins at 6 p.m., followed by general membership meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Monthly meeting, Veterans Council of Indian River County, first Wednesday of the month, 1 p.m., County Administration Complex, Building B. Monthly meeting, Indian River Detachment of Marine Corps League, fourth Thursday of the month, 7 p.m., at the Victory Center in Indian River Mall. PTSD Support And Recovery meetings, every Monday, 7 p.m., Dogs For Life Administration Building, 1230 16th Avenue, Vero Beach. Military licensed health professionals are facilitators. For more information, contact Dogs For Life Service Dog Training Center at (772) 567-8969 or visit www.dogsforlifevb.org.
ST. LUCIE COUNTY ONGOING EVENTS Monthly Meeting, Military Officer’s Association of Port Lucie County, all officers from all branches of service are invited to meet fellow officers and learn latest military news. For information call Col. Martin Rosen at 772-233-0691. Air Force Sergeants Association, Elmer Andrews Chapter 564, meets on the first Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November at 12:30 p.m., DAV Hall Post 113, 1150 California Blvd., Port St. Lucie. For more information, call (772) 342-2653. Welcome Korean Defense Vets — Monthly Meeting, Korean War Veterans Treasure Coast Chapter 106, third Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. at the Botanical Gardens, 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd, Port St. Lucie. Come early and enjoy coffee and donuts with your fellow Vets. For more information, contact Harold Trieber at (561) 568-9347. Monthly meeting, Vietnam Veterans of America Michael F. Bradley Chapter 566, St. Lucie County, third Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., DAV Hall, 1150 SW California Blvd., Port St. Lucie. For more information call (772) 359-1607. Monthly meeting, Seabee Veterans of America Island X-10, American Legion Post 40, 810 S US 1, Fort Pierce, fourth Saturday of the month. For all Seabee Veterans living in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. Meeting at 11 a.m. For information contact Vice Commander Paul Wilson at (772) 2090570, email toolie1@comcast.net. United Veterans of St. Lucie County, Inc., meeting, second Friday of the month, 9 a.m., DAV Post 113, 1150 California Blvd., Port St. Lucie.
See CALENDAR page 8
VETERAN VOICE • JULY 22, 2021 • 3
‘VA police officers are still saddled with a complicated chain of command’ Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
pmccallister@veteranvoiceweekly.com
Rep. Chris Pappas had a question for the Department of Veteran Affairs. “My first question for our VA witnesses is just meant to be a simple one,” he said. “Who’s in charge of VA police?” Lewis Ratchford’s answer took 24 seconds and was so complex it was still unclear who’s in charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs’ police, because so many are. Ratchford is the VA’s chief security officer. Pappas, a New Hampshire Democrat, is the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The subcommittee had a hearing about modernizing the VA’s police force on July 13. Criticism for the amorphic leadership of the VA police was bipartisan. Rep. John “Jack” Bergman, a Michigan Republican, was the acting ranking member at the hearing. He threw out several criticisms for the leadership of the Veterans’ department’s cops. Then — “Lastly, but most importantly, VA police officers are still saddled with a complicated chain of command,” he said. “I believe this is an Achilles heel for the force.”
Praise for the VA cops Praise for the VA police Veterans meet at medical centers was also bipartisan. “The responsibilities of VA police are above and beyond those of most police forces across the country, because VA police operate in a healthcare center and must serve the needs and experiences of the Veterans community,” Pappas said. “A VA police officer is often the first person that a Veteran will see when arriving at a VA facility, and the last person they will see when they leave. And for those Veterans in crisis while at a VA facility, police officers may be the first to respond and to offer help.” Bergman echoed Pappas. “Unlike other federal law enforcement officials, VA police
Image courtesy of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Lewis Ratchford is the Department of Veteran Affairs chief security officer. He appeared at a recent hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to discuss efforts to modernize the VA’s police.
officers must complete their mission in the ever-demanding world of VA healthcare,” he said. “That means police officers are expected to be both law-enforcement officers and at times quasi-social workers helping vulnerable Veterans navigate complex security and healthcare situations. It’s a difficult job, to say the least. So to our VA police officers I say, ‘Thank you. Thank you very much.’”
Criticism for the chains of command Bergman asked a question to highlight how the VA police have too many chiefs making the seemingly straightforward convoluted. “Mr. Ratchford, and Ms. (Tammy) Czarneki (deputy assistant under secretary for health and operations), how many violent crimes such as active shooter, aggravated assault, robberies, sexual assaults, were committed on VA property last fiscal year?,” he asked. Ratchford said he would have to follow up with an answer after the hearing. Bergman already knew the answer was 5,002 violent crimes, according to documents the VA had
already filed with the subcommittee. His point in asking was to illustrate there was a sharp increase in crimes at VA facilities from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020, and so many people are in charge of the police department it’s been clumsy to respond to that jump. “Let’s do the math, and why I’m so concerned here — concerns are justified by the fact that we have four VA witnesses from two different offices here today to discuss the same topic,” he said. “Also concerning is the VA has yet to close a 2018 (Office of Inspector General) recommendation to clarify program responsibility between (the Veterans Health Administration) and (the Human Resources and Administration/ Operations, Security and Preparedness). How will the police modernization — since you’re working on modernization — address this governance issue, this chain of command, this structure issue?”
Congress wants body cameras The VA has about 4,000 cops covering its about 170 medical centers. Bergman pointed out unspecified reports that on av-
erage they’ve been paid about 22 percent less than their local law-enforcement peers. There are now special salary rates individual medical center directors have the power to use to reduce that pay gap. About 120 have. But, though there’s bipartisan agreement giving center directors some discretion, it is not a permanent solution to resolving the pay problem. And the special pay rate doesn’t contribute to those cops’ retirements. Another piece of bipartisan agreement is VA cops need to get body cameras. When answering a Republican’s question about body cameras, Ratchford said there’s progress on that. “Currently VA is working on it — we have a draft policy for body-worn cameras and we are also working in conjunction with the Veterans Health Administration to develop multiple pilots to identify the feasibility of implementing, and the requirements associated with implementing, requiring body worn cameras across our campuses,” he said. “The VA believes bodyworn cameras are something that are essential to accountability for VA police.”
4 • JULY 22, 2021 • VETERAN VOICE
Letter to the EDITOR
Veteran strongly disagrees with VA position on PAWS Act To the Editor: Your article in the July 8, 2021 issue about Service Dogs [by Patrick McCallister] caught my eye. I was a USAF Sgt. and a Vietnam Veteran. I have a service dog and have been involved with dogs and training for over 20 years. I agree with the opening statement that the VA does not love dogs. They do not believe that dogs can be a help to people with PTSD. I totally disagree with that. I have a VA rating for PTSD and can say that from the day I took my dog home and went out on my own, I felt a complete sense of calm come over me. I had not felt that with any other dog, but then the dogs I was with were not being trained for me. I knew they
would go to another person. I am sure it was the bond that we achieved that made me feel this, because I do not think it can be trained. But it is there and is a definite help! The VA says “that at the core of the proof just isn’t there that service dogs do the wonders for people with anxiety disorders that advocates claim.” I think they just don’t want to have to start supplying dogs to Veterans. I support the PAWS Act and the benefit that Veterans will get from it. Dogs are really man’s and woman’s best friend. Sincerely, Jim Kamen Former Sergeant, U.S. Air Force
Got a new address? Send us your new one. Change@VeteranVoiceWeekly.com
A weekly newspaper about veterans issues, organizations, events and our military heroes. Veteran Voice is published weekly by Veteran Voice, LLC. 900 SE Ocean Blvd, STE D232, Stuart, FL 34994 (772) 247-0123 Office LEGAL NOTICE ADVERTISING (Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River & Brevard) Frankie Agosto or Tori Spoth 407-286-0807 Legal notices may be emailed to: legal@flalegals.com (please note county in the subject line) SUBSCRIBE TODAY $18 YEAR (52 weeks) $12 Veterans or Active Military For more information on distribution and subscriptions of this newspaper, please call our main office (772) 247-0123 or contact us by email at: subscribe@VeteranVoiceWeekly.com POSTAL STATEMENT Veteran Voice (USPS# 9749, ISSN 23302267) is published weekly by Veteran Voice LLC, 900 SE Ocean Blvd, STE D232, Stuart, FL 34994-3501 Periodicals Postage Paid at Stuart, FL 34994 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Veteran Voice LLC, PO Box 1487, Stuart FL 34995-1487
Phil Galdys Publisher Mary Kemper Staff Writer/ Marketing Consultant Patrick McCallister Contributing Writer Ted Elkins Subscriptions
Victory Center Military Store celebrates grand re-opening Michele Peters
VETERANS COUNCIL OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
Proud of its new location, The Victory Center Military store welcomed the community to its Grand Reopening on June 21 at its new location near Dillard’s in the Indian River Mall, located at 6200 20th Street, Vero Beach. The Victory Center Military Store is a 501c(3) foundation that operates a retail military store. In 2011, County Commissioner Joseph Flescher spearheaded the collaboration between former mall owners Simon Malls and the Veterans Council of Indian River County, with funding from the late Doris Jorgensen to create the Victory Center Military Store. The store opened its doors 10 years ago as a place for Veterans to gather to share stories and wartime experiences, in addition to a place for Veterans and civilians alike to find a variety of military and patriotic-themed items. The Victory Center is operated by an all-volunteer staff under the direction of Sandy Koehn, who has been the acting volunteer manager from
Photo courtesy of Veterans Council of Indian River County Martin Zickert (left) and James Darling welcome the community to the new location of the Victory Center Military Store near Dillard’s in the Indian River Mall, Vero Beach.
the very beginning. Proceeds from the Victory Center Military Store support the Veterans Council of Indian River County and other local Veteran organizations. Visit the Victory Center Military Store for military and patriotic items such as flags, challenge coins, pins, hats, apparel and more. The Victory Center Military Store is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Victory Center Military Store, visit http://vcms-fl.com or call (772) 226-5316.
Veteran Voice would like to give a special thanks to
JOHN FAULKNER of HOLLY HILL, FL
for sponsoring a veteran with a year-long subscription to Veteran Voice.
Tori Spoth Legal Advertising Colleen Penlon Bookkeeper Wayne Newland Distribution Sharon Elkins Owner
To sponsor veterans in your community visit our website at: www.VeteranVoiceWeekly.com
VETERAN VOICE • JULY 22, 2021 • 5 Edmund O’Neil and Tyler Wells share a moment of camaraderie at Boca Raton’s Grey Team. The Veteransassistance organization combines longstanding wisdom and emerging tech to help Veterans dealing with various mental-health problems. O’Neil served in the Army, Wells in the Air Force.
Photo courtesy of Grey Team
Body-mind synergy
Grey Team combines conventional wisdom and evolving tech to help Veterans Within the first minutes of our phone conversation, Cary Reichbach, president and co-founder of Boca Raton’s Grey Team, said, “Photobiomodulation.” OK, not the sort of word I went into the conversation expecting. I called to discuss mental health and death by suicide among Veterans and what Grey Team is doing to help address it. But, back to photobiomodulation. “It’s a 50-year-old science,” Reichbach said. That was the claim, so I checked. Yes, photobiomodulation is one of the recognized branches of photomedicine — one of the low-level laser therapies. And, yes, there are peer-reviewed articles on transcranial photobiomodulation for treating, among other things, traumatic brain injury. Some of those articles are available online at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. Library of Medicine’s website, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. I admit that the moment I hear someone talking about “healing light” I get wary about whether it’s cutting-edge science or unproven alternative medicine. I basically told Reichbach that to gauge his
response, and he didn’t get defensive. That’s a good sign to me. He talked about how Grey Team is founded on helping Veterans with open-minded experimentation and common sense. “We treat each person with a custom approach,” Reichbach said. “It’s remarkably successful, because we’ll go through a series of treatments until we find one that works for them.” Grey Team’s website claims the organization has helped more than 400 Veterans. Normally I’d say “400 Veterans in crisis,” but Reichbach said part of Grey Team’s approach is trying to get to Veterans and help them before they’re at cliff’s edge. Honestly, I don’t have room in this article to do justice to Reichbach’s and my conversation, so I urge readers to follow up at www. greyteam.org.
Cary Reichbach The first Veteran Reichbach helped was — Reichbach. Between active duty and the Reserves, Reichbach spent about 13 years in the military. That was from 1977 to 1990. “I had a difficult transition myself,” Reichbach said. “I came out of the military and
had a lot of self-destructive tendencies. I became a police officer, because I needed that adrenaline rush. I constantly volunteered for dangerous things. I raced motorcycles. I was always doing things to maintain that high.” Reichbach realized he was essentially self-medicating on danger and adrenaline, and that it would catch up to him. “I had experimented with ways to decelerate that side of life, adrenaline and aggression,” explained Reichbach. Things such as floatation, sensory-depravation, tanks and meditation. Along the way, Reichbach struck up a friendship with a Marine — Logan Skees — who had an odd verbal pattern. He’d stop sentences before finishing thoughts. “He had extreme traumatic brain injury from carrying a machine gun on three deployments,” Reichbach said. He later continued, “He and I started a journey to help alleviate his symptoms. We learned a lot. We were keeping tabs on what was working and what was not. We were meeting a lot of Veterans on the way.” A lot of Veterans who had various invisible injuries from
their service showing up, sometimes, as mental-health problems and suicidal ideation. A lot of Veterans who were open-minded and eager to find therapies that helped. Therapies that were and are sometimes not available at the Department of Veteran Affairs. “We created a path, and in 2016 created the 501c3 non-profit to actually start documenting everything we do and enable large corporations to donate,” Reichbach said.
Grey Team The organization was originally Trainerspace. “In 2019 we built our own facility,” Reichbach said. At the core, the facility is a gym. Around that time the organization renamed itself, but the core of all therapy for Grey Team remains personal trainers and nutrition mentors. Grey Team holds that a critical step to Veterans developing and maintaining mental health and fitness is developing and maintaining physical health and fitness. That’s really a millennia-old bit of science. The notion of a
See GREY page 11
6 • JULY 22, 2021 • VETERAN VOICE
Weekly Briefs Allied Afghan nationals to be given ‘Refuge’ by U.S. gov’t For 20 years in Afghanistan, brave Afghan nationals lent assistance to the military operations led by American service personnel. With operations in that country closing out by the end of August, the U.S. government has made plans to move those civilians and their families to other locations. As part of “Operation Allies Refuge,” by the end of the month the U.S. is expected to begin relocation flights for eligible Afghan nationals and their families who are currently within the Special Immigrant Visa program, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a briefing July 14 at the Pentagon.
Veterans sought for hiring in startups, small businesses The post-9/11 generation of Veterans is hard at work transforming industries and leaving our mark on the future of our country, either helping to build startups founded by others or creating their own. Over the past few years, Shift has helped more than 100 startups and small businesses hire more Veterans, and today that mission grows. Shift is proud to announce a significant step forward: in August it will welcome 50+ new startups onto its talent marketplace that makes it easy for some of the most ambitious new companies in America to find and message forward-thinking military Veterans. Upcoming Program Kickoffs: Career Accelerator (4 weeks): August 2, September 7, & October 12 Navigating Next (5 weeks): August
16, September 27, & November 8 Defense Ventures (8 weeks): October 4 Learn more at https://www.shift. org/navigating-next.
Airmen, Guardians to be given choices in fitness assessment The Air and Space Forces will provide Airmen five physical fitness assessment alternatives—three for the cardio portion and sit-up components and two for the push-up component of the physical fitness assessment beginning in early 2022. They will select from the traditional 1.5-mile run, 1-mile walk or the High Aerobic Multi-shuttle Run (20M HAMR) to meet the cardio requirement. Then select from traditional push-ups or hand release push-ups for one strength component; and from sit-ups, the cross-leg reverse crunch or plank for the other strength component to complete the comprehensive fitness assessment. Finalized fitness assessment scoring charts, with alternative components broken out by gender and age, will be provided at a later date. This initiative is the result of Airmen providing feedback to Air Force leaders through the physical fitness working group in conjunction with looking at the way other services complete their physical fitness programs.
American Forces Travel privileges extended to eligible Veterans The Department of Defense announced July 16 a policy change to the current shopping privileges on the American Forces Travel website.
As directed by acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Virginia S. Penrod in a memo signed April 12, the department will extend online access to the website to honorably discharged veterans of the uniformed services. On average, customers save 35-40% compared to commercial travel pricing by using AFT. This includes discounted rates on hotels (up to 60%), airfare, rental cars, vacation packages, event tickets, and cruises. Visit www.americanforcestravel.com/ for more information.
Healthcare agencies join up to create ‘Medical Market’ The San Antonio Military Health System became the San Antonio Market July 16 in a ceremony at Brooke Army Medical Center — the seventh such medical market in U.S.
military medicine. The San Antonio Market — such as other Military Health System markets — is a group of hospitals and clinics in a geographic area where Tricare partners, Veterans Affairs hospitals, other federal health care organizations, private-sector teaching hospitals, medical universities and other health care groups partner to share patients, staff, budgets and other functions to improve military readiness and to also help deliver and coordinate health services, according to a news release from BAMC. Since January 2020, the DHA has set up six other markets that comprise military treatment facilities in the National Capital area — Washington, D.C., southern Maryland and northern Virginia; Jacksonville, Florida; coastal Mississippi — Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula; Central North Carolina in Fayetteville; Tidewater in coastal Virginia; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Thank you for your service
The following veterans from the Veteran Voice readership who have recently passed away: • JOHN BRILL WENRICH, AIR FORCE • FRIEDRICH METZ, ARMY • ALWYN EUGENE WOLFARTH, ARMY, BERLIN AIRLIFT/CUBAN CRISIS • WILLIAM A. CORCORAN, ARMY • JAMES OSCAR JONES, 1ST RESPONDER • VINCE BRUNO, ARMY, KOREA • DORA “TAMMY” TAMER COUTO-SEEASHOLTS, ARMY NURSE • RICHARD L. DIASIO, AIR FORCE • JUDITH MOULTON KERR, WOMEN’S AUXILIARY CORPS, WWII • JOSEPH “JOE” CLARENCE CRANKSHAW, ARMY, KOREA
Submit your Letter to the Editor Letters@VeteranVoiceWeekly.com
Veteran Voice thanks ‘Our Veterans Voice’ radio program for furnishing the names of the fallen veterans in our readership.
VETERAN VOICE • JULY 22, 2021 • 7
Captive settlers Custer rescued woman kidnapped by Cheyennes, but history tells of long, mixed tale of life with Indians
Veteran Voice will not publish details. A good resource on this can be found in “Captured and Tortured: Trilogy of Terror,” by Fritz Zimmerman (available at book outlets online).
Mary Kemper
One famous captive, Mary Jemison, had a biography written about her by Lois Lenski, which won a Newberry Prize for Children’s Literature. She was born on a ship bound for the colonies from England, her deeply religious parents seeking to escape the fractious persecutions of the mother country. For eight years, her father, mother and siblings successfully managed a comfortable farm east of Philadelphia. Then they fell under the inexorable dragnet in 1755, despite then Col. George Washington heading toward the area at the head of colonial militias. Jemison said her father, thinking the troops would prevent calamity, despite neighbors being struck down, refused to leave.
Mary Jemison
STAFF WRITER
mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com
They were seized from their farms and their families, many of them children, literally snatched out of their mothers’ arms, from the earliest days of this country right up through the late 19th century. When the first European settlers arrived in America, the practice of kidnapping was confined by Indians, or Native Americans, to members of other tribes. For centuries, tribes at war with each other would kidnap members of other tribes to “replace” their own who had been killed. Peaceful trading tribes were not immune. The motives for taking captives soon evolved onto a more economic and control-based track, however. And by the time then-Lt. Col. George A. Custer’s 7th Cavalry rescued one Amanda “Anna” Brewster Morgan from the Cheyennes in 1869, hundreds upon hundreds of white, and many black, settlers were kidnapped, and thousands of their family members brutally killed. Morgan’s 1868 capture only lasted a few months, during which she was sexually assaulted numerous times, intended to be chattel, and only rescued by the 7th Cavalry after it secured a victory during a raid on Chief Black Kettle’s village, and rounded up prisoners. It was part of the seismic clash between cultures. In a strange paradox, many of the captives absorbed themselves into the tribes as members of a new family, having mixed children and even refusing to rejoin “civilized” society. Not strange at all, from their point of view in many cases.
Earliest days It’s known that Indians began taking captives from the earliest days of American settlement, though history records are thin on the ground. Records do exist of the Spanish conquistadors seizing large numbers of Indians as slaves, however. It wasn’t until the mid-1700s and the French and Indian through the Revolutionary Wars that the practice really heated up. Both the British and French armies counted on Indian allies such as the Seneca in New York, among many other tribes, to augment their own thin numbers of troops. Many Indians were easily
‘Plundering, tomahawked’ Source: Wikimedia Commons This illustration, crafted in 1892, depicts Mary Jemison in her later years, who was captured by Seneca Indians during the French and Indian Wars in the mid-1700s as a child. Her remarkable story growing up with, and staying with, the Seneca was made into a biography in 1941 by author Lois Lenski, who won a Newberry Prize for Children’s Literature the following year.
persuaded to plunder and burn down settlements, and killing the settlers at will. In addition to the food, livestock and tools they could confiscate, Indians were given alcohol and firearms as well. Along the way, the ancient practice of replenishing tribal numbers dovetailed neatly with a ready supply of settlers to do so. And, of course, whites were willing to pay comparatively vast sums for ransom.
Brutality, acceptance Man’s inhumanity to man is sadly, thoroughly documented, from earliest times to today. Here in America, social customs had evolved to the point among colonists that egregious violence was not necessary. People got along fairly well — they were much too busy scratching out a living to bother with sadism. Murderers and thieves were hung, imprisoned or put to hard labor, but that was pretty much the extent of punitive behavior. Many Indian tribes had no such compunctions. The widespread torture, mutilation and deaths of the settlers were so horrific that
Jemison, who gave her lifelong allegiance to the Seneca after being captured at the age of 12, nevertheless vividly recalled her family’s fate one day while they went about their daily routine: “[T]he Indians had discovered [a neighbor] at his own house with his gun, and pursued him to my father’s, where they shot him as I have related. They first secured my father, and then rushed into the house, and without the least resistance made prisoners of my mother, Robert, Matthew, Betsey, the [neighbor’s wife] and her three children, and myself, and then commenced plundering.” After a long march of two days, Mary and another, unrelated small child, had their shoes and socks stripped off, and moccasins put on. Mary’s mother correctly guessed that she and the boy were to be spared, and told Mary that she, mother, and the rest were to be “tomahawked,” and never to forget her prayers or the English language. “My suspicions as to the fate of my parents proved too true; for soon after I left them they were killed and scalped, together with Robert, Matthew, Betsey, and the woman and her two children, and mangled in the most shocking manner.” (Excerpts taken from “A Narrative of the Life of Mary Jemison,” which can be read in full at archive.org (https://bit. ly/36GaGwD, shortened link). It is believed Mary was allowed to live and be absorbed into the Seneca because of her long, blonde hair, for which they named her “Corn Tassel.” Only she, out of the whole family, had hair that color.
See SETTLERS page 11
8 • JULY 22, 2021 • VETERAN VOICE
CALENDAR
Learn – Topic: Ways to Avoid Financial Exploitation
from page 2
Bingo, every Friday, 6:45 p.m., DAV Chapter 113, 1150 S.W. California Blvd., Port St. Lucie. Come on out and enjoy some fellowship, help benefit area Veterans and have fun at the same time. For more information, email clavalle567@att.net. Monthly meeting, Jack Ivy 666 Detachment, Marine Corps League, first Monday of the month, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 318, 1000 Savannas Club Blvd., Port St. Lucie. All Marines, Navy corpsmen and chaplains welcome. Bi-monthly meetings, Air Force Sergeants’ Association, Chapter 564 (January, March, May, July, September, November), 12:30 p.m., DAV Hall Post 113, 1150 SW California Blvd., Port St. Lucie. For more information, call (772) 342-2653. American Legion Post 318 Honor Guard meets bi-monthly on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., 1000 Savanna Club Road, Port St. Lucie. Meetings usually last about an hour. Anyone interested is joining the Honor Guard may attend a meeting to see if this is something of which you would be proud to be a part. Monthly meeting, DAV Chapter 113, third Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m., 1150 SW California Blvd., Port St. Lucie. For more information, call (772) 3422653.
MARTIN COUNTY DATED EVENTS House A Vet, Stuart: Wednesday, Aug. 4 Noon-2 p.m., TD Bank Lunch and Learn – Topic: Banking for your Lifestyle Wednesday, Aug. 25 Noon-2 p.m., TD Bank Lunch and
ONGOING EVENTS Every Monday House A Vet hosts Bingo at Tako Tiki, 3340 NE Pineapple Ave, Jensen Beach. Pull tabs start at 2:30 p.m. Bingo 3 -6 p.m. Cash Prizes. Visit houseavet.org for more information. Every Wednesday Hot Meals provided from noon-2 p.m. (Catered by local restaurants. Visit houseavet.org or call 772-678-8149 for details.) A VA Representative will be available at House A Vet from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to assist with Veteran Services (bring I.D.) 3rd Wednesday – Free Hair Cuts provided for Veterans, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 4th Wednesday – Camaraderie with fellow Veterans. Wednesday Lunch and Learns – noon-2 p.m., provided by Humana, TD Bank and Career Source. Schedule varies. Open to all Veterans that wish to attend. Please visit houseavet. org for more information or call 772678-8149. Every Thursday and Sunday House A Vet hosts bingo at Charlie’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill in Stuart. Cash prizes are awarded immediately. Visit houseavet.org for more information. Weekly Food PantryHours of Operation: Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p,m., Friday, By Appointment Only. Pantry contains non-perishable food items, toiletries, frozen meat and fresh food. And lastly, Gun Raffle, his and her SCCY CPX-1 9mm handguns. Tickets on sale for $5 each. Only 750 tickets will be sold. Must be 21 and be able to pass FDLE background. Purchase tickets at any House A Vet event or at the House A
RADIO SHOW FOR VETERANS REAL RADIO 101.7 FM Saturday 10:00 pm Sunday 6:00 pm OUR VETERANS VOICE
Cell/Text: 954-557-6226
c
RALPH NATHAN OKO HOST / OWNER RalphOko@hotmail.com
Vet office during office hours. All proceeds to benefit House A Vet. Drawing to be held once all 750 tickets have been sold. Date to be announced. To volunteer or drop off donations, House A Vet is located at 490 Monterey Road, Stuart, 772-6788149, email: Houseavet.org@gmail. com. Please visit our website to get event updates and information. Also, please like and follow us on Facebook. The Road To Victory Military Museum, a not for profit 501(c)(3) museum run by volunteers, is open Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and weekdays by appointment, for individuals, groups, and school classes upon request. The RTVMM is located at 319 SE Stypmann Blvd., Stuart, within Memorial Park. The museum collects & displays Veteran memorabilia, military artifacts, weapons, and vehicles. Please call 772-210-4283 to leave a message or call 703-8354166 to schedule an appointment. All military-related donations are appreciated. Free admission, but donations are always appreciated. Volunteers are needed and encouraged. Please give us a call if interested. Reverence Motorcycle Association Inc., first Thursday of the month, 6 p.m., Stuart-Jensen Elks Lodge, 1001 S. Kanner Highway, Stuart. For more info please contact: Scott Guntz at RevRidersTC@Gmail.com. House A Vet, weekly food pantry NOTE: During coronavirus crisis, visit by appointment only. Contact Director Kevin Donahue at email below. Normal hours are Tuesday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. VA Representative Melanie Swenkie will be at House A Vet every Wednesday from 10 am -2 pm for homeless Veterans, 1-4 p.m., bring ID, 490 Monterey Road. Drop off donations of canned meals like Dinty Moore or baby wipes. For more information email director Kevin Donahue at houseavet.org@gmail.com. Monthly meeting, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1041, first Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Sewall’s Point Town Hall. Monthly meeting, AMVETS Post 92, second Sunday of the month, noon, 747 NE Dixie Hwy., Jensen Beach. Post activities include:
Taco Thursdays, starting at 6 p.m., 2 tacos for $5 or 1 burrito for $6. “Show Me the Money,” bingo, Saturdays from 1-3 p.m. Monday Crockpot Lunch with Kim, Karaoke, 7-11 p.m. Sunday Brunch, 8 a.m.-noon.
VOLUSIA COUNTY ONGOING EVENTS Monthly meeting, first Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Walt Zack Memorial American Legion Post 270, 119 Howes St., Port Orange. For more information call (386) 788-6800 or email americanlegionpost270fl@ gmail.com. Monthly meeting, Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1048, third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m., social hour at 5 p.m. at VFW Post 3282, 5830 S. Williamson Blvd., Port Orange. For more information call 386-441-6022. Pool and poker, every Tuesday, 6 p.m., VFW Post 3282, 5810 S. Williamson Blvd., Port Orange. Canteen hours, VFW Post 8093, 351 S. Charles Richard Beall Blvd., DeBary: Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. – midnight; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Happy hours: 7 days a week from 3- 6 p.m. Canteen telephone number is (386) 668-8640. Acupuncture for Veterans, available on both east and west sides of county: On the East Side: Veterans Acupuncture Clinic 112 Orange Avenue, Ste. 204, Daytona Beach, (386) 944-5855 every Thursday evening from 5-7 p.m. On the West Side: Volusia Military Acupuncture Project, Deland Lions Club, 400 North Garfield Avenue, Deland, from 6-9 p.m. Contact is Mackenzie Muir at (386) 8480035.
SEMINOLE COUNTY ONGOING EVENTS Monthly meeting, VFW Post 10139, third Monday of the month, 7 p.m., 300 Lake Mills Ave., Chuluota. Please submit event information in Word document or plain text in an email to info@Veteranvoiceweekly. com at least two weeks in advance, so that we may ensure your events receive timely publication.
VETERAN VOICE • JULY 22, 2021 • 9
7 Tips In Managing Your Persistent Fears And Anxieties 6. Think of a red stop sign: At times, a person might encounter a fearful thought that may be difficult to manage. When this happens, visualize a red stop sign, which can serve as a reminder to stop thinking about that thought. Regardless of how scary the thought may be, do not dwell on it. This technique is great in dealing with your negative thinking and will help reduce your fears.
By Stan Popovich FOR VETERAN VOICE
Are you looking for all of the answers on how to reduce your persistent fears and anxieties? Fear and anxiety can ruin your life if you do not know how to overcome it. As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their everyday anxieties, stresses, and fears. 1. Take your fears apart: When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one step at a time. Completing these smaller activities will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success. 2. Take a break: Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get your mind off of the problem. A person can get some fresh air, listen to some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. 3. Get all of the facts of the situation: Gathering the facts of a certain event can prevent us from relying on exaggerated and fearful assumptions. By focusing on the facts, a person can rely on what is reality and what is not. This is a great way to take control of your mental health. 4. Use Self-Visualization: Sometimes, we can get anxious over a task that we will have to perform in the near future.
7. Get some help: Sometimes, it helps to be able to talk to someone about your stressful situations. Talking to a trusted friend, counselor, or clergyman can give you additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. Overcoming fear and anxiety takes practice. In time, you will become better able to deal with your stressful problems.
Stan Popovich
When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you have to play in the championship volleyball game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. By doing this, you will be better prepared when the time comes. 5. You can’t predict the future: While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that cannot be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. We may be 99 percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.
Stan Popovich is a Penn State graduate and the nationally known anxiety author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear”— an easy-to-read overcoming anxiety book that’s helped thousands of people to confidently manage their persistent fears and anxieties. Stan has over 20 years of personal experience in dealing with fear and anxiety. For more free mental health advice visit Stan’s website at managingfear.com and read Stan’s articles and his blog. The above is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Mr. Popovich is not a medical professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.
Did you know that you can do the following when you visit our web site at:
www.VeteranVoiceWeekly.com • Start a new subscription. • Pay your renewal dues online. • Sponsor a veteran subscription. • Submit your organization event or meeting details for our weekly calendar.
10 • JULY 22, 2021 • VETERAN VOICE
Congress considers nationwide GREEN ALERT for Vets who go missing Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
pmccallister@veteranvoiceweekly.com
A Veteran with a history of mental-health problems is distraught and goes missing. Friends and family worry, so they call police. What happens next depends on where the Veteran went missing. In most states that Veteran, who’s going to be an adult, almost always has a right to disappear if she or he wants, and cops can’t do much about it if there’s no qualifying evidence of foul play or a threat of harm. In Wisconsin that call can activate a Green Alert, because of the state’s 2018 Corey Adams Searchlight Act. The Green Alert in Wisconsin, and a few other states, will activate police and other resources to put out the missing Veteran’s image and information to the public to get help finding the Veteran fast. It’s kind of like Florida’s Silver Alert system for seniors with conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The Wisconsin bill was named after an Air Force Veteran who disappeared in 2017 and was found dead 18 days later. Rep. Chris Pappas, and others in Congress, have introduced the National Green Alert Act of 2021 to take Wisconsin’s program nationwide. He promoted the bill at a recent hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Health. “It’s a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would assist states at creating Green Alert systems. These are similar to Amber Alerts in that they locate at-risk Veterans when they go missing, so they can receive appropriate care,” Pappas said at the hearing. Not everyone cheered the New Hampshire Democrat’s bill, H.R. 2797.
National Green Alert Act of 2021 The National Green Alert Act of 2021 rehashes previous attempt in Congress to get similar bills passed. They’ve been supported by some heavy hitters, including the retired commander of U.S. Special Forces in Africa, Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc. Bolduc befriended Corey Adams’ family after his death and helped get Wisconsin’s first-in-the-nation Green Alert system established. If passed by Congress and signed by the president, the bill would create the Green Alert System Advisory and Support Committee to develop best practices and provide states with technical help to establish Green Alerts to activate when Veterans with history of mental-health
problems go missing. Veteran Voice has identified at least five states with Green Alert systems: Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Texas has the Camo Alert, which is the same thing. Critics worry about the Green Alert systems further stigmatizing Veterans with mental-heath problems as individuals and as a group.
Reasons and objections Pappas tied the National Green Alert Act directly to the persistent problem of higher rates of death by suicide among Veterans than non-Veterans. “We know that too many of our brave Veterans experience mental and emotional trauma as a result of their service to the country,” he said at the hearing. “And we’re familiar with the tragedy that occurs each and every day in this country when we lose 20 Veterans and servicemembers to suicide. It’s a tragic number that underscores that treating mental health is an essential aspect of providing full care. And we’ve got so much more work to do on this front.” Pappas added — “This legislation will greatly improve an at-risk Veteran’s chance of returning home safely, and will also further the goal of this committee and this Congress to protect the men and women who have worn the uniform of this country.” Amata C. Radewagen, a Republican representing American Samoa, asked about the Department of Veterans Affairs take. She directed the question to David Perry, chief officer of workforce management and consulting at the Veterans Health Administration. “We do have some concerns with the stigmatizing that could impact our Veterans,” Perry answered. “As this proposal is currently written, it portrays Veterans — that they would be incapacitated, incapacitated in some way. Which is actually an unfair label for Veterans with those mental illnesses. Currently individuals with mental illness have the right to refuse clinical care and contact. So long as they are not a danger to themselves or others.” Perry said there are systems in place for law-enforcement wellness checks and, circumstantially, for public notifications. “We believe our current systems, along with those other alert systems that are already in place, actually accomplish what this bill intends, or sets out to do,” he said. “That’s not to say there isn’t merit in the Green Alert Act. I think we would like to work with the committee on exploring and making sure that the intent
of that alert system and also make sure we don’t disenfranchise any of our Veterans that are suffering from mental-health illness.” Andy Blevins, operations and policy director at the Minority Veterans of America, said the Green Alert systems have conflicting problems. “While well-intentioned, we find this piece of bipartisan legislation’s focus is redundant and limited in application to an extent that the program would entirely neglect the population most in need of the benefits that this program would provide,” he said. “I’m speaking of individuals like Vanessa Guillen, Gregory Morales, Aaron Robinson, Freddy Delacruz and many other siblings in arms that may have benefited from a similar program.” All except Robinson in the list were murdered. Robinson was suspected to have killed Guillen and an alleged accomplice is facing charges. Robinson died by suicide before he could be arrested and charged. “Congressman Pappas’ legislation has the potential to ensure that this type of injustice does not happen again. We would urge that this bill be re-examined to leverage existing programs like the Ashanti Alert in national partnerships with other sovereign nations and to work with each branch of our armed services to provide insights on the feasibility and best practices of incorporating actively serving individuals into the proposed framework, a practice that has been successful in Texas’ Camo Alert for missing servicemembers and Veterans since 2019.”
There are a lot of missing people According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, at the end of 2020 there were more than 89,637 active missing person records. About 34 percent are children and youths. The “2020 Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics” says, “there were 543,018 missing person records entered into the NCIC. The number purged was 480,832.” The reasons for people being recorded as missing are diverse; not all who are missing are considered endangered. The NCIC considers a bit more than 72,700 of the 89,637 missing to lack evidence of being in danger, or being likely deceased under catastrophic conditions such as crime or being lost in wilderness. About 16,800 are considered to have a “proven physical or mental disability.” The NCIC doesn’t publish missing persons data that’s Veteran-specific.
VETERAN VOICE • JULY 22, 2021 • 11
from page 7
Despite the tragedy and horror of her loss, Mary grew to love and care deeply for her new relatives and the Seneca way of life to the end of her years, passing away in 1833 at the Buffalo Creek, N.Y., Reservation.
Quanah Parker Many absorbed captives took husbands and wives from their tribes, and fathered or bore many descendants. A famous one of these was Quanah (Kwana) Parker. Parker was born in Texas circa 1845-52 to Nokoni Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, an Anglo-American who had
GREY
from page 5 bifurcation between jocks and brainiacs is relatively recent in history. Ancient Greece, the birthplace of natural philosophy that evolved into our modern sciences, is also the birthplace of the Olympics. Other cultures, too, have long seen a connection between physical and mental health and fitness, and portrayed no schism between building the intellect and athleticism. But, along with that naturalistic common-sense basis for treating Veterans for conditions such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, Grey Team taps established and developing sciences such as the above-mentioned transcranial photobiomodulation. Oh, and that name, Grey Team, has multiple meanings. Most important is grey, or gray in Associated Press style, being the brain’s famous color.
Grey Team helps all Veterans Combining active and passive therapies to help Veterans dealing with various conditions isn’t the only unusual thing about Grey Team. “(Veterans) pay absolute-
ly nothing,” Reichbach said. “They do have to qualify. They have to send us the DD214, of course. They have to have spent 90 days in active duty. We do not require honorable discharge.” Yes, you read that right. “We do not require honorable discharge.” A lot of organizations and SUBSCRIPTION government programs re-
Parker’s mother, Cynthia, was taken by Texas Rangers and sent to live with her brother. After 24 years with the Comanche, Cynthia Ann Parker refused re-assimilation. She committed suicide by voluntary starvation in March of 1871.
Association with whites Parker served as a liaison between the Comanche and the U.S. legislature for some years. During this period, he made many influential friends, including many Texas cattlemen (from whom he successfully negotiated lease agreements on Comanche land, rather than the outright seizure suffered by other Indian tribes). He earned the respect of U.S. government leaders as he adapted to the white man’s
life, and became a prosperous rancher in Oklahoma. His spacious, two-story Star House had a bedroom for each of his seven wives and their children. He even made friends with President Theodore Roosevelt, with whom he shared hunting excursions. Parker was one of the founders of the Native American Church, which utilized the hallucinogenic substance peyote in rituals. A favorite saying of his: “The White Man goes into his church house and talks about Jesus, but the Indian goes into his tipi and talks to Jesus.” He died at the age of 66 of undocumented natural causes, on Feb. 23, 1911, at his beloved Star House. He is interred at Fort Sill, Okla., where an inscription on his tombstone refers to him as “the last chief of the Comanches.”
quire honorable discharges TBI and their behavior patfor membership and services. terns changed because of Reichbach said Grey Team that,” he said. “That’s a huge thought it through and realissue, because these guys are ized a lot of Veterans dealing denied care from the VA.” He with service-connected menadded, “Now they have to live tal-health issues and TBI get the rest of their life with no various types of discharges idea how to control their mind that disqualify them from and get help. That leads to governmental and non-govern- (death by) suicide.” mental organizations’ helps. - INDIVIDUAL, “They have sufferedGIFT, extremeSPONSOR FORM
VETERAN VOICE
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!!! 1 Year Subscription (52 Weeks)
TODAY'S DATE:____________
BILL TO NAME: ___________________________________________ BILLING ADDRESS: _________________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP: ___________________________________________ PHONE: _________________________________________________ EMAIL ADDRESS: __________________________________________ GIFT TO NAME: ___________________________________________ GIFT TO ADDRESS: _________________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP: ___________________________________________ MAIL SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT TO:
Veteran Voice, P.O. Box 1487, Stuart, FL 34995-1487
07/20/2021
SETTLERS
been kidnapped as a child and assimilated into the Nokoni tribe. Quanah earned admired warrior status in a number of conflicts as a young man, most notably in the Red River Wars. With the exception of a few jealous tribesmen, he was universally loved and respected. According to Wikipedia.org (sourced): “Following the apprehension of several Kiowa chiefs in 1871, Quanah Parker emerged as a dominant figure in the Red River War, clashing repeatedly with Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie. With European-Americans hunting American bison, the Comanches’ primary sustenance, into near extinction, Quanah Parker eventually surrendered and peaceably led the tribe to the reservation at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.” He was their leader for many years.
□ Individual Regular ................................$18/yr □ Individual Veterans/Active Military .....$12/yr □ Donor/Sponsor 5 Veterans..................$50/yr □ Donor/Sponsor 10 Veterans..............$100/yr □ Donor/Sponsor 25 Veterans..............$250/yr □ Other ................................................. ______ □ Enclosed check #____________ payable to: VETERAN VOICE
□ Credit Card #_____________________________________ Expiration # _______________ CVC #_______