Veteran 9 21 2017

35 cents

VOL. 5/ISSUE 46

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

STORM STORM THE

AFTER THE

SEE STORY ON PAGE 4

Photo courtesy of NASA

COMBAT VETS, PTSD SUFFERERS EXPERIENCE MAGNIFIED EFFECTS AFTER HURRICANES

2 • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • VETERAN VOICE

BREVARD COUNTY Second Saturday of each Month Warbird Air Museum Monthly Fly-in Breakfast, 8-10:30 a.m., Warbird Air Musum, 6600 Tico Road, Titusville. Monthly Fly-in Breakfast is for pilots and aviators to stop by the museum by plane. The pilots and their guests pay a $12 fee. 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. Next date is Sept. 9.

Please RSVP by phone or email. The phone number is (321) 268-1941 and the email address is Warbirds@ valiantaircommand.com.

Second Wednesday of the Month Monthly meeting, Brevard Veterans Council, 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.

CALENDAR Third Thursday of the Month

First Monday of the Month

First Tuesday of the month

Space Coast Honor Flight monthly lunch gathering, 11:30 a.m., Dixie Crossroads, 1475 Garden St., Titusville. All veterans invited to enjoy lunch (at own expense) and camaraderie. For more information, contact us at (888) 750-2522 or info@ spacecoasthonorflight.org

Monthly meeting, Jack Ivy 666 Detachment, Marine Corps League, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 318, 1000 Savannas Club Blvd., Port St. Lucie. All Marines, Navy corpsmen and chaplains welcome.

Monthly meeting, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1041, 7 p.m., Sewall’s Point Town Hall.

Ongoing

Monthly meeting, Air Force Sergeants’ Association, Chapter 564, 6:30 p.m., DAV Post 113 Hall, 1150 SW California Blvd., Port St. Lucie.

For more information, call (772) 3422653.

Jobs available in Brevard County, via careersourcecentralflorida.com — for local locations, visit www.employflorida.com

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY First Wednesday of the Month Monthly meeting, Veterans Council of Indian River County, 1 p.m., County Administration Complex, Building B. Fourth Thursday of the Month Monthly meeting, Indian River Detachment of Marine Corps League, 7 p.m., at the Victory Center in Indian River Mall.

Third Tuesday of the Month Space Coast Honor Flight monthly lunch gathering, 11:30 a.m., Smoky Bones Restaurant, 1510 W. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. All veterans invited to enjoy lunch (at own expense) and camaraderie. For more information, contact us at (888) 750-2522 or info@spacecoasthonorflight.org First Thursday of the Month Space Coast Honor Flight monthly lunch gathering, 11:30 a.m., Red Lobster, 215 E. Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island. All veterans invited to enjoy lunch (at own expense) and camaraderie. For more information, contact us at (888) 7502522 or info@spacecoasthonorflight. org.

First Tuesday of the Month

Monthly meeting, American Military Retirees Association Chapter FL1, 7:30 p.m., DAV Chapter 113 building, 1150 SW California Blvd., Port St. Lucie. Contact clavalle567@ att.net or call (772) 342-5730 for more information.

Third Wednesday of the month Monthly meeting, DAV Chapter 113, 7 p.m., 1150 SW California Blvd., Port St. Lucie.

For more information, call (772) 3422653.

MARTIN COUNTY

Third Monday of the Month Monthly meeting, VFW Post 8191, 6 p.m., 4210 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne. For more information, call (321) 254-9885.

Donate $10 to sponsor a local veteran with a yearly subscription.

Third Tuesday of the Month Space Coast Honor Flight monthly lunch gathering, 11:30 a.m., Capt. Hiram’s restaurant, 1606 N. Indian River Drive, Sebastian. All veterans invited to enjoy lunch (at own expense) and camaraderie. For more information, contact us at (888) 750-2522 or info@spacecoasthonorflight.org

ST. LUCIE COUNTY Every Friday Bingo, American Legion Post 355, every Friday at 6:45, 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.

Second Sunday of the Month AMVETS Post 92, monthly meeting, noon, 747 NE Dixie Highway, Jensen Beach. Also, lunches, dinners and Sunday breakfast by Debbie. Karaoke by Cowboy Bob Fridays and Saturdays.

For more information, call (772) 3348407.

Every Friday Music by Saxman and Posse Band, VFW Post 10066, 1805 N.E. Savannah Road, Jensen Beach, 7-10 p.m. Dinner to be announced. For more information, call (772) 3349659.

Every Wednesday Karaoke, 7-11 p.m., American Legion Post 126, 3195 N.E. Savannah Road, Jensen Beach. For more information, call (772) 334-6966.

VOLUSIA COUNTY Third Thursday of the Month Monthly meeting, VVA Chapter 1048, 6:30 p.m., at VFW Post 3282, 5830 S. Williamson Blvd., Port Orange.

Every Tuesday Pool and poker, 6 p.m., VFW Post 3282, 5810 S. Williamson Blvd., Port Orange.

Ongoing Canteen hours, VFW Post 8093, 351 S. Charles Richard Beall Blvd., DeBary: Sunday-Thursday, 10:30am – midnight; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.; Happy hours: 7 days a week from 36 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) 848-0035.

SEMINOLE COUNTY First Saturday of the Month Monthly meeting, VFW Post 9272, 10 a.m., 10997 72nd Avenue North, Seminole.

Third Monday of the Month Monthly meeting, VFW Post 10139, 7 p.m., 300 Lake Mills Ave., Chuluota.

Every Monday Lunch, bar poker at 2 p.m., darts 7 p.m., American Legion Post 252, 7 p.m., 11433 Park Blvd., Seminole.

For more information, call (727) 3916324.

VETERAN VOICE • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • 3

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Florida veterans' homes fare well in Irma Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE

patrick@veteranvoiceweekly.com

Florida’s six state veterans nursing homes and its veterans’ domiciliary fared well in Hurricane Irma.

“The good news is all of the homes are operational and were operational throughout the storm,” Steve Murray, emergency coordinator for the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs, said.

During the storm, five of the state’s six veterans’ nursing homes had to use their generators, some for several days. At press time, days after Irma, two were still using generators: one in St. Augustine, the other in Land O’ Lakes.

“The power outages in Florida have been unprecedented in this storm,” Murray said.

Statewide outage challenge The Department of Homeland Security estimated that Irma knocked out power for about 15 million Floridians, nearly 75 percent of the state. No other hurricane has ever come close to knocking out so much electrical service. Few could have imagined such widespread power outages before Irma. The FDVA, however, is among them. It’s planned for years to have all of its homes out of power simultaneously.

“We go into hurricane season with tanks that are topped off,” Murray said.

Each home has a different number of days it could generate power without additional fuel, because of differences in technology when they were built. Murray, who was in the field during the

interview, said the minimum time any of the state veterans homes could operate on their generator power is counted in weeks.

Andrew’s history, legacy The state opened its first veterans’ nursing home, Emory L. Bennett in Daytona Beach, in 1993, shortly after Hurricane Andrew, which struck the state in 1992.

That home was already under construction when the devastating storm hit South Florida, so it didn’t affect the home’s design. Nevertheless, Murray said the state had a lot of experience with hurricanes before Andrew and built the Bennett veterans home to keep residents during the storms.

That’s called “sheltering in place.” That included having reliable independent power for weeks.

As other homes were built, each followed lessons learned

in different hurricanes.

The Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes was the next built. It opened in 1999. The Alexander “Sandy” Nininger Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines followed in 2001. Panama City’s Clifford C. Sims State Veterans Nursing Home opened in 2003. Then the Douglas T. Jacobson State Veterans Nursing Home followed in 2004.

Cluster of hurricanes That year was significant for Florida’s emergency planning.

Four hurricanes hit the state back-to-back, leaving no part untouched. The state’s veterans department learned to anticipate statewide devastation in weeks. Those lessons went into the designs of The Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home, St. Augustine. They’re going into

the design of the Ardie R. Copas home, which is being built in Port St. Lucie.

Irma brought this lesson to the FDVA — expect that the entire state can be knocked off electric lines over the course of hours, not weeks. That lesson will go into the Copas’ home design and construction.

“The only thing I can think of off-hand is we want to make sure the generator that’s built and installed in that site is able to fully power the facility,” Murray said.

He explained that some of the older homes have generator power for residential and medical sections of the buildings, but not others.

When power will likely be restored in hours or a couple days, that’s no big deal. When it could be weeks that a facility is on a generator dark areas can disrupt residents’ routines, something important to preserve.

No structural damage Murray said none of the veterans nursing homes had structural damage. Each has about 120 residents. Most, Murray said, probably almost didn’t notice the storm. The staff stayed with the residents throughout the storm and kept daily activities going.

“The normal routine was as least interrupted as possible,” Murray said. As an example, “In the midst of a hurricane, there was ping-pong going on throughout the state.”

The Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Veterans’ Domiciliary is in Lake City. It was the state’s first veterans facility and takes those who don’t require around-the-clock skilled nursing. It opened in 1990, two years after creation of the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs.

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The storm after the storm Combat vets, PTSD sufferers experience magnified effects after hurricanes Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE

patrick@veteranvoiceweekly.com

Hurricane Irma approached Florida tearing apart the Caribbean islands. Televisions flooded with images of destruction. Meteorologists gushed a glut of scary adjectives, nouns and verbs to describe the storm. “Monster” became commonplace in Irma reporting. Gov. Rick Scott pleaded with people to evacuate.

If it reminded combat veterans of war, it’s no surprise.

“It’s stressful to anyone,” Dr. Elizabeth Bosarge, manager of the West Palm Beach Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center’s PTSD program, said.

Bosarge said that’s especially true for combat veterans and people with post-traumatic stress disorder. She said for combat veterans, hurricanes are often reminiscent of war and battles they experienced. Knowledge of a coming danger, preparation, ever increasing reporting culminating in hurricane-night wall-to-wall coverage full of tense voices and dramatic images, the building danger outside.

And finally the clamorous hurricane hit and seeing the aftermath the next morning.

Numerous ‘triggers’ The aftermath has an abundance of PTSD triggers, as one wife told Veteran Voice.

“My husband is a vet, and the worst part for him is the heat and sound of generators,” she responded to a Facebook query. “Said it took him right back to Iraq. He was weird for days.”

The veteran politely declined discussing it with Veteran Voice, which opted to withhold

the family’s name to preserve their privacy.

Bosarge said the wife’s statement fits everything known about PTSD. She said for most with combat-related PTSD, the approaching storm gave them a “mission,” in which symptoms such as hypervigilance better fit what everyone else was feeling. The manifestation of the symptom was within psychological norms.

But, for most, the passing of the storm cued them to return to a normal level of vigilance.

Bosarge said for combat veterans with PTSD, it could take weeks or months to follow their peers to that psychological state of relative calm.

“When the danger had passed, especially if they were still cooped up in their homes, you might have seen them have meltdowns,” Bosarge said. “They’re more irritable, more verbal explosions. If they were able to sleep at all, more nightmares.”

‘Fight or flight’ similarities While it’s not exclusive to combat veterans, they’re one of the highest risk groups to develop PTSD. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people are wired to detect and respond to danger. The so-called “fight or flight” survival response that generally serves us well. PTSD, essentially, is when a person remains in the alert state long after danger has passed to the point that it’s negatively affecting his or her daily life.

A common manifestation of the PTSD symptoms, Bosarge said, is continuing to “hunker down,” as we hear hundreds of times during hurricanes.

“Some of them might to really, really withdraw,” the psychologist said. “Some might not want to come back out of their bunkers.”

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Dealing with loss A post-hurricane danger for everyone is handling loss.

“There’s all kinds of loss that can be associated with a storm,” Bosarge said.

Some lost employment, because businesses flooded. Some lost property, due to wind or water damage. Some lost contact with loved ones, due to widespread power outages. Loss, Bosarge explained, can initiate or exacerbate suicidal ideation, especially among older folks.

She encouraged veterans and their loved ones to watch out for one another and encourage those who seem to be having problems after Hurricane Irma to seek professional help if it seems needed. Bosarge said exacerbated PTSD symptoms and in some cases suicidal ideation can seem to manifest weeks or months after the storm when the recovery phase seems done.

Veterans who suspect they have service-related PTSD should report their symptoms to any VA medical professional. Those experiencing acute symptoms, such as sudden relentless or nightmares, should either immediately go to VA medical centers, or call the Veterans Crisis Line, (800) 273-8255, extension 1. Veterans can also contact the Crisis Line by texting 838255.

Friends and family members can call the Veterans Crisis Line if they’re concerned about a veteran. If there seems to be immediate danger, call 911.

Veteran Voice would like to thank

The Voice of Experience

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And many fear they’ve lost a lot of progress they made handling their PTSD. “They have not gone back to Square 1,” Bosarge assured. “They had a stressor.”

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VETERAN VOICE • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • 5

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Margaret Schumacher is an Army veteran with service-connected disabilities. She’s the national ambassador for Connected Warriors, a not-for-profit that gives veterans free yoga lessons.

Photo courtesy of Robert Sturman

Connecting warriors with PTS - forget the 'D' Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE

patrick@veteranvoiceweekly.com

Brevard County’s Margaret Schumacher doesn’t have post-traumatic stress disorder, although she experienced two horrific crimes — one at a military base.

“Connected Warriors choses to drop the “D,” she said. “(PTSD) is not a ‘disorder.’ It’s a natural reaction to stressful situations.”

Connected Warriors, Schumacher said, recognizes PTS, post-traumatic stress, as a condition that simply needs proper integration in the mind and body. She’s the national ambassador for the organization that aims to get veterans and military members practicing yoga inside and out, so to speak.

“We’re in 26 states, six countries, several military installations,” Schumacher said. “We provide over 155 classes each month.”

Help from yoga All free to the participants, which includes active duty military, veterans and their family members. In July, Connected Warriors gave more than 2,100 individual yoga instructions.

That is to say, through the month there were more than 2,100 people at classes, but many were repeat attendees.

“Our studios donate their space and our teachers donate their time,” Schumacher said.

Those teachers don’t just sign up to give free yoga classes to veterans. They get training for giving trauma-conscious yoga instruction.

Last year, a Connected Warriors instructor told Veteran Voice the idea behind most yoga classes is breaking away from the world to relax. Traditionally, yoga instructors turn students away from doorways, away from the

world. Connected Warriors instructs the yoga teachers that veterans with combat experience need to have exits in their lines of sight.

Additionally, to create a transcendent atmosphere yoga classes are often done in low lighting. Not so with Connected Warriors.

Its classes are done in lighted areas. Care is given to choosing music without sudden shifts, among other aspects to tailor classes to combat veterans.

Traumatic experience Schumacher served in the Army from 1982 to 1992. Before then, she was raped. Nine years after that crime, Schumacher was held hostage by an armed home invader for two days.

“For the time I was being tortured in my home, what was going through my head is I was a trained American soldier and this, excuse my language, piece of (expletive) was not,” she said. “He’d eventually fall asleep.”

Veteran Voice didn’t press Schumacher for more intimate details of the crime. Suffice to say, the criminal did misstep and gave her a chance to end the siege. Schumacher was later physically injured in service and medically discharged.

What followed was constant pain.

“I had an injury and lost the ability to walk without an assistive device,” she said.

So, she headed to Sebastian Yoga for classes, following a fascination for yoga that started in childhood.

“My mental health got better, my sleeping got better, my PTS got better,” Schumacher said.

From student to teacher The walking pain eased greatly, too. Even-

tually the owner of Sebastian Yoga asked Schumacher to teach a class.

“I told her I would teach that for free if she let me teach a (free) veterans class,” she said.

The owner agreed.

Schumacher approached the West Palm Beach Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center to advertise the forming class. Folks at volunteer services gave her a card for Connected Warriors. Schumacher did some Internet research and called. She said her yoga studio was enthusiastic about giving space for Connected Warriors sessions.

Schumacher said yoga has been great for her mental and physical health. She’s lost 100 pounds, among other physical health improvements. She no longer uses assistive walking devices.

‘Battle buddies’ Among Schumacher’s students is Dawn Knight, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and Purple Heart recipient. In addition to combat trauma and injuries, Knight endured military sexual trauma. She’s always been introverted. After leaving the military, Knight was debilitated by social anxiety.

“I had a hard time going to the (yoga) studios,” she said. “I was practicing yoga, but I was nervous around people.”

Connected Warriors allows participants to take guests with them. Knight called that her “battle buddy” system. Taking a friend allowed her to start going to the classes where she met new friends, friends who understood her on many levels.

“The yoga has helped me in so many ways to feel good about my body and mind,” Knight said.

To learn more about Connected Warriors and see where and when classes are, visit www. connectedwarriors.org.

6 • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • VETERAN VOICE

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Impacted by hurricanes?

Here's help from the VA VA Vantage blog

General Information

(Editor’s note: The following is reprinted from the VA Vantage blog. A link to the site is provided at the end of this article.)

VA has guidance in place for Veteran borrowers who are participating in the VA home loan program and have experienced a natural disaster.

Click here to download a PDF with information.

Vocational Rehab: Veterans participating in VR&E services programs may be eligible for up to two additional months of the Employment Adjustment Allowance, if they are displaced from their home as a result of a natural or other disaster. Veterans should contact their assigned VR&E counselor for eligibility questions/criteria at their local regional office. Nearest facilities can be found here: https://www.vets.gov/ facilities/.

GI Bill: VA will consider school attendance as continuous and payments will not be affected. Read more on VBA’s Facebook page.

Automobile Adaptive Allowance: VA may provide or assist in providing eligible Veterans with a second automobile or other conveyance when: The first vehicle purchased with VA financial assistance is destroyed as a result of natural or other disaster; The destruction was not the Veteran’s fault, and The Veteran does not receive compensation for the loss from a property insurer.

VA will make the payments to the seller, as the law prohibits VA from making payments for automobile/conveyance grants directly to Veterans.

There isn’t a web page specific to natural disasters and this benefit. There is, however, general information on automobile allowance at www. benefits.va.gov/homeloans/ documents/docs/va_policy_ regarding_natural_disasters. pdf.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Benefit Payments and VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration has mechanisms to help Veterans receive their benefit payments if their normal mail cannot be delivered: Veterans can sign up for direct deposit on eBenefits.

Veterans can call 1-800-8271000 to sign up for direct deposit.

The Direct Express Cardless Benefit Access program is offering beneficiaries who use Direct Express and reside in the affected area the option to obtain cash without their card, up to $1,000.

The service is being offered free of charge; however, due to system limitations, a fee will be charged and then refunded to the beneficiary.

The beneficiary will be asked to go to a MoneyGram store to retrieve the funds. If the beneficiary is unable to locate a MoneyGram store in operation in his/her area, the funds will be placed back on the Direct Express card.

MoneyGram agents will require ID before releasing funds. They will accept a passport, driver’s license, military identification card, social security card and/or state identification card. The beneficiary must also have a MoneyGram reference number (provided by the Direct Express Call Center).

Contact the Direct Express Call Center toll-free number, 1-888-741-1115, and offer to transfer the caller. Callers must choose the “Direct Express Cardless Benefit Access” option on the IVR.

Veterans Crisis Line: If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran experiencing mental distress, the Veterans Crisis Line provides 24/7 top-tier mental health support at 1-800-273-8255, press 1.

(1-888-628-9454 Español).

Veterans also have the option to chat online with a crisis counselor via web at https:// www.veteranscrisisline.net.

VA’s VAntage Point blog has the latest information on hurricane impact to VA facilities and services. For those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, visit www.blogs. va.gov/VAntage/hurricaneharvey/. For information on Hurricane Irma, visit www. blogs.va.gov/VAntage/ hurricane-irma/.

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Thank you for your service

The following veterans from the Veteran Voice readership passed away as of SEPTEMBER 14:

JACK L. REDDICK, NAVY DANIEL ARLO CAMPBELL, ARMY CAPT. DON VOSS, NAVY, VIETNAM AUSTIN WALSH, NAVY, WWII HOWARD TAYLOR COOK, NAVY, WWII THEODORE FRANCIS COULTER, AIR FORCE WILLIAM ANTHONY PENTECOST, NAVY, WWII ALICE DOROTHY BODNAR, NAVY, VIETNAM WILLIAM “BILL” SALAMY, ARMY, VIETNAM WILLIAM GEORGE EISERT, NAVY, USS MIDWAY, WWII VICTOR P. KAUFFMAN, NAVY, WWII WADE L. COYLE, ARMY RESERVES JAMES LEE BEINDORF, ARMY AIR CORPS, WWII GEORGE EDWARD WESTERVELT, AIR FORCE WILLIAM “BILL” R. BRYANT, AIR FORCE, WWII Veteran Voice thanks ‘Our Veterans Voice’ radio program for furnishing the names of the fallen veterans in our readership.

Veteran Voice thanks ‘Our Veterans Voice’ radio program for furnishing the names of the fallen veterans in our readership.

VETERAN VOICE • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • 7

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First, worst traitor Benedict Arnold nearly derailed the new United States Mary Kemper STAFF WRITER

mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com

On Sept. 21, 1780, Gen. Benedict Arnold, American commander of West Point, met with British spy Major John André to hand over plans of the important Hudson River fort to the enemy.

Almost from the beginning of the Revolution, Arnold was known to consort a bit too much with the Tories (British loyalists).

According to Wikipedia: “On Nov. 10, 1778, General Nathanael Greene wrote to General John Cadwalader, ‘I am told General Arnold is become very unpopular among you oweing to his associateing too much with the Tories [sic].’

“A few days later, Greene received a letter from Arnold, where Arnold lamented over the ‘deplorable’ and ‘horrid’ situation of the country at that particular moment, citing the depreciating currency, disaffection of the army, and internal fighting in Congress for the country’s problems, while predicting ‘impending ruin’ if things would not soon change.”

Pattern of unhappiness; seeds of treason Arnold had been given several positions of authority with several different campaigns, including the defense of Rhode Island. He was promoted to major general, but passed over for many subsequent commands. He tried twice to resign, and twice Gen. George Washington refused to accept it.

Unhappy with how General George Washington treated him and in need of money, Arnold planned to “sell” West Point for 20,000 pounds (roughly equivalent to $3.5 million US, a princely sum) — a move that would enable the British to cut New England off from the rest of the rebellious colonies.

‘Sale’ of West Point As commandant of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Arnold was in a unique position to make the strategic position vulnerable. With his money problems, the sale would have given him comfortable leisure for the rest of his life.

John André (May 2, 1750 – Oct. 2, 1780)

Source: Wikimedia Commons Then-Col. Benedict Arnold, who commanded the Provincial Troops sent against Quebec, through the wilderness of Canada and was wounded in that city, under General Montgomery. Painting (unattributed) was made before Arnold betrayed the brand-new United States.

was a captain in the British Army who was enormously popular with the Philadelphia set he got together with leading up to the war, which included Arnold and his wife, Peggy.

Peggy was rumored to be having an affair with André, and she is believed to be a key go-between in the West Point sale plot.

Arnold’s treason was exposed when André was captured by American militiamen who found the incriminating plans in his stocking. Arnold received a timely warning and was able to escape to a British ship, but André was hanged as a spy on October 2, 1780.

Why the forgiveness?

Historians disagree on why Arnold was allowed to skate out of criminal charges.

Perhaps his excuse of “my actions were misconstrued” were accepted at face value.

But ultimately, Washington was the final judge.

Washington was unwilling to censure his own officers, much less subject them to courts-martial.

Though condemned for his Revolutionary War actions by both Americans and British, Arnold lived until 1801.

8 • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • VETERAN VOICE

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