This made me cry. But they're right, so right.

They are heroes twice over, and my condolences to their families

Three Americans killed in Australian plane crash identified – and all are U.S. military veterans

A wonderful story, a great programme

Taking a moment to remember

November 11th, Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day, and I am thankful for the men and women who have given so much for their country. My father spent several years in Southeast Asia during Vietnam, and spent 20 years in the Air Force. My maternal grandfather was at Iwo Jima in the Marines. Both my paternal grandfather and grandmother served during WWII as well, my grandmother as an Army nurse. I grew up with a clear sense of patriotism and respect for them and others like them. As much as I dislike war and wish we lived in a world without it, I respect the sacrifice of veterans (and of their families).

I had a reminder today that what I am going through

Is nothing compared to others' experiences, and with some luck and healing should be a temporary setback only. I ordered dinner from Papa John's and was obviously embarrassed by my mobility issues when I answered the door. The delivery driver was very nice and he said he understood, he had come home from combat in a wheelchair, and that the most important thing was to do everything the doctors and therapists told me to do, because he said that made all the difference in the guys he saw getting better or not. I promised I would, tipped him well, and ate a little and put the rest away for later, thinking of what he must have gone through. Again, I am getting a lot of perspective these days. Without my injury, I might never have thought twice about the delivery driver, and he would not have said anything beyond enjoy your meal. I mean, I try to tip well, and treat everyone nicely, but this is someone who was wounded in a war I didn't support but I still appreciate the service he and others have given, and the sacrifices made. And I am sure he has had a far more difficult road than I have. Yet he was upbeat and encouraging, and made me feel that there would be a point soon where I would feel better. And that was worth more to me than any tip could cover.

Sweet

Tom Eblen: Married 65 years, couple who served during World War II keep memories alive

Time is accomplishing what the combined forces of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan could never do: wipe out the generation of Americans who won World War II.

Nearly 16 million U.S. veterans came home after the war ended in 1945. Only about 1.5 million of them are still alive, including about 3,100 in Kentucky. The Veterans Administration estimates that these men and women in their 80s and 90s are passing at the rate of 740 a day.

So when I got a call recently from Donald and Mary Jane Roser of Lexington, who both served in the military during World War II and have been married for 65 years, I figured they would have interesting stories to tell.

Donald Roser, 93, was in the First Marine Division in the South Pacific, including nearly five months in the Guadalcanal campaign. "I always say I must be going to heaven, because I've already been to hell," he said.

Mary Jane Roser, 91, was one of 350,000 women accepted into military service during the war. She joined a new Navy unit called the WAVES, which stood for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.

I'm so glad to hear that these two not only survived the war, but have managed to live long and productive lives together for so long.

I had three grandparents who served in the war--both grandfathers and a grandmother who served as an Army nurse and lost a kidney in the war when a patient kicked her. One of my grandfathers was at Iwo Jima in a tank division. I never knew the other; he survived the war but he and my father were estranged. My father, in turn, served in Vietnam.

Both of the grandparents I knew fell not to war, but to tobacco--one had emphysema and was on oxygen for years; another had lung cancer.

I miss them still, even though it's been several years since they passed. My grandmother died in 1993. She got me through my divorce and helped me back on my feet, dying just before I graduated from library school. My grandfather, whom I loved dearly, died in 2000. I can still remember the sound of their voices. There's only my last remaining grandmother left, and she turns 88 on Tuesday.

Tom Brokaw called them 'The Greatest Generation'. I'm just sorry we're losing them so quickly now. It's nice that these two are still together, going strong.

I hope he'll be okay

Iraq veteran in critical condition after getting hit with police projectile during Occupy Oakland demonstration

Scott Thomas Olsen, 24, of Onalaska, Wisc., was admitted to Highland after he was hit on the head above his right eye during clashes with police, said hospital spokesman Curt Olsen, who is not related to the veteran.

"It's absolutely unconscionable that our citizens are going overseas to protect other citizens just to come back and have our own police
hurt them," said Joshua Shepherd, a six-year Navy veteran and friend of Scott Olsen's.

Fellow protesters brought him in after he failed to respond to basic questions. Doctors at the hospital said that Olsen had brain swelling and placed him under immediate supervision.

"He survived two tours in Iraq," said Adele Carpenter, a friend of Olsen's and a member of the Civilian Soldier Alliance. "This struggle has high stakes, I really respect the fact that Scott was standing up for what he believes in. He's really passionate about social justice causes."

A devoted mother, a shattered son

After a Baghdad bullet, a mother's love: Mom turns home into ICU to care for severely wounded soldier son

Joseph Briseno Jr., Eva's 27-year-old son, is one of the most severely wounded soldiers ever to survive. A bullet to the back of his head in a Baghdad marketplace in 2003 left him paralyzed, brain-damaged and blind, but awake and aware of his condition.

Eva takes care of "Jay" in her suburban Virginia home where the family room has been transformed into an intensive care unit, with the breathing machine and tubes he needs to stay alive.

Try to imagine this life.

Each day starts with two hours of bowel care, an ordeal as awful as it sounds. She labors over his body, brushing his teeth, suctioning fluid from his lungs, exercising his limp arms and legs, and turning him every other hour to prevent bedsores.

She sleeps a few hours at a time, when the schedule says it is her turn, often slumped in exhaustion by his side.

She has been out to dinner with her husband, Joseph Sr., once in seven years.

She could have a better life if she put Jay in a nursing home. Or if she went back to using the home health care nurses the government provided. But one looked indifferently without wiping Jay's mouth when he drooled. Others fell asleep on the night shift, inattentive while Jay suffered seizures.

Kudos to the Brisenos, although I fear they're taking a tremendous toll on their own health and well-being. But at least their son is surrounded by those who love him.

What a wonderful programme

War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program: Soldiers with PTSD find comfort, inspiration in needy pooches

With the war(s) and the oeconomy being what it is, there's been an increase in both veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and homeless animals. Pairing the two seems to help each in remarkable ways.

Remembering those who won't be sitting down with their families at the table today

Military families united by tragedies: Mom of suicidal Marine befriends wife of veteran charged with murder

It is essential that we provide care to our veterans, including the hidden menace of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other psychological ills. It is the least we can do for their sacrifice, and we should also do it because it is the right thing to do. That's how to support our troops.

One section of the story I found chilling:

Months before his arrest, Windy recalled, a VA counselor told her to get used to having a broken husband.

"She told me, 'Your husband died in Iraq. You're either going to have to deal with that or move on,'" Windy said.

There must be more we can do to prepare these men and women for the horrors of war and to help them deal with the aftermath.

Also in the news

Last British Army WWI veteran dead at 111

Harry Patch survived the Battle of Passchendaele, in which 70,000 of his companions died, during the War to End All Wars.

Patch didn't speak about the war until he turned 100, the Ministry of Defence said.

"He tried to suppress the memories and to live as normal a life as possible; the culture of his time said that he was fortunate to have survived and that he should get on with his life," a Ministry of Defence biography says.

"That suited Harry; he could 'forget' his demons, the memories of what happened to him and to his close friends."

In 1998, a television producer with an interest in the war talked to Patch, who then made the decision to speak of his memories, the Ministry of Defence said. He took part in a documentary on the war and began gradually to open up.

It wasn't long before Patch became a spokesman for his generation, speaking about the horrors of the war as well as his own emotions and reactions, the Ministry of Defence said.

"In speaking about his experiences, Harry began at last to come to terms with his war, and was at peace with himself and his memories," the Defence Ministry said. "His thoughts then turned to reconciliation, to the long-term effects of suffering and coming to terms with that suffering."

Time to sleep

The last couple of nights I've averaged 4-5 hours' sleep. I had about a 45 minute nap this afternoon after work. So even though there are several news stories I'd like to blog about, I'll have to defer to tomorrow.

Tonight is Old Samhain (the Celtic New Year, last harvest, and remembrance for the dead)--oh, and it's pronounced 'Sow (rhymes with 'cow')-un' rather than 'Sam-hane'. Tonight I need to leave an offering to my Patroness. I have a nice ripe pomegranate and some honey.

And it's Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day, too, of course. I am the grand-daughter of three World II veterans (my grandmother was also a veteran, a nurse in Europe who lost a kidney during her service. One grandfather was a Marine at Iwo Jima. Another was somewhere in the South Pacific, I believe. I never knew him) and the daughter of a Vietnam veteran/career Air Force non-commissioned officer.

For such a peace-oriented person, the military has always meant a lot to me. It's kind of like a second family--I spent many years of my childhood on Air Force bases around the country. (I unfortunately never got to live or visit outside of the US). And in my own way, I'm pretty patriotic. I really appreciate that the freedoms I have as an American citizen are being and were defended by men and women who have served their country.

On the radio this morning, the disc jockey talked about a young man she'd dated, who at 21 died in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, only 6 weeks after he'd arrived.

There are many stories like his, and others of those who returned, some suffering physical and mental wounds, some changed beyond recognition. With a new war, there are plenty of veterans who need the funding and programmes to support their safety during service and their needs when they return home. So, thank you.

Kentucky has a beautiful Vietnam memorial in Frankfort that is a giant sundial. It was created by architect Helm Roberts. On the anniversary of each Kentucky soldier's death, the shadow of the gnomon falls on his or her name. The Herald-Leader had a nice story about it yesterday (Memorial built with sunshine and shadow). I don't think they keep the stories publicly available past seven days, but if you see this before that, check it out. They explain some of the process of how it works. Oh, and by the way, it happens to be on a wind-swept field next to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, where I worked as an intern one summer and became acquainted with the memorial.

Okay, I'm going to go make my offering and then go to sleep. Good night.

Sad

Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans

On a more serious note...

How the US is failing its veterans is an excellent article looking at
the job the Veterans Administration is doing (or failing to do) for those wounded or disabled as a result of the Iraq conflict.

One of the reasons they're so overwhelmed? In World War II, two soldiers were wounded for every one that died. Then medical science got better,
and by Vietnam it was three-one. Now? Sixteen are injured for every death, and these are often devastating injuries such as traumatic brain injury
or those requiring amputation. Plus, it's harder to quantify the emotional toll. Mental health issues affect thousands of veterans but many are getting little if any treatment.

It is a travesty to wage a war without taking care of the men and women who risk their lives everyday to fight it. I have and never will support this war,
but I recognise that those who serve are doing so because they want to defend their country.

Their country need to do more to provide them all the benefits promised in exchange for that service, especially when all the flags and military ritual is gone and there's only a hospital bed or a mortgage to make.