AT EASE! Veterans Magazine Spring 2022 : simplebooklet.com

PUBLISHERDevil Doc PublishingEDITORChristine WalkerASSISTANT EDITORShannon RobinsonSTAFF WRITERSEric McNailShannon RobinsonJudy SkillingMike SaundersEric SowerChristine WalkerFEATURE WRITERSChristina MortelCristie RemmelLes StevensonPaul SullivanSALES STAFFJennifer McNailScott NeideckerChristine WalkerLAYOUT & DESIGNChristine WalkerCONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Dr. Matthew BonanderDaniel DancerDr. David L. GearyEverett C, GoodwinRet. Sgt. Maj. G. LealJoe McBride, Esq.Randall SurlesFIND US ON:FB:@AtEaseVeteranMagazineTheATEASEmagazine.comCopyright 2022 © AT EASE! Veterans Magazine and Devil Doc Publishing All Rights Reserved.AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, a subsidiary of Devil Doc Publishing, reserves all rights connected to all copyright and proprietary property contained in our official publication, website(s), social media accounts, videography, email marketing, branding and printed materials. This includes, but is not limited to, authoritative and/or written content, photographs, graphics and infographics, ad design, artwork including official company logos in design, color, and format and video(s). Any use of the above aforementioned in whole or in part may not be used for any reason without the express written consent of Devil Doc Publishing.A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORA MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORChristine WalkerSpring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 3Cover Photo Credit: Bill Konway | Real Tree PhotographyCover Photo Credit: Bill Konway | Real Tree PhotographyAs we begin the second year of publication of AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, we continually have remarkable Veterans and Veteran organizations sharing their stories, and this is what this magazine was created for. One of our regular features, ‘Girls & Grit,’ is on hiatus this issue, but it will return in our Summer 2022 edition. Since our inception in 2020, we have had the privilege to have Shannon Robinson, our Head Writer and Assistant Editor, as an integral part of this publication. Her passion for Veterans and editing prowess have been invaluable to our team. Nevertheless, she is building her own dream and will be leaving Devil Doc Publishing & AT EASE! Veterans Magazine. We would like to wish her every success and happiness this life has to offer her! On a personal note, Shannon, thank you for the thousands of words you wrote telling our stories and the many hours of editing, and being our #1 cheerleader in the community! You will be missed, but you will always have a home at DDP & AT EASE!We are also proud to announce that staff writer, Eric Sowers, and our newest feature writer, Les Stevenson, have agreed to assist in editing duties for our future issues. In addition, we have a new staff writer, Eric McNail. He has been a feature writer for Veterans2Veteran Group since the Summer of 2021 and is looking forward to taking on more stories. And last, but certainly not least, we welcome Jennifer McNail! She is our newest sales representative and is an absolute delight to work with. If you would like to advertise with us, you can reach her at jennifer@devildocpublishing.com . The more advertisers we have, the more Veterans we can reach! Now, on a more serious note. In our current public court of opinion, there are some issues facing Veterans and our Active-Duty Military service members that may be considered political in nature. However, as a publication and publishing company, we believe that no matter how difcult or divisive these topics may be, we have a responsibility to hear these Veterans' voices, bringing uncensored, fact-based, informational and educational articles to our Veteran readership that allow each of us the freedom to decide for ourselves and to choose what we believe. We have also reached an incredible milestone: THANKS to you, our READERS, we have reached a readership of almost 12,000 in just our rst year! This issue is jam packed, so hang on to your hats! It will ALWAYS be ALL about the Vets!

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Table of ContentsTable of ContentsMessage from the Editor 3The Veterans Who Healed A Nation 6WELCOME HOME: The Longest March 10Rosie the Riveter 13Leashes of Valor: One Leash Saves Two Lives 20DD-214 & Beyond: The Gap and Gain! 22VA Disability 24Veteran News from Texas 30Digging Out of the Rubble 31Iwo Jima: Sulfur, Sand & Sacrifice 36The Precedent of an American President 38'I Remember When...': From Cap & Gown to Esprit de Corps 40'From My Point of View: Step Into Your Happiness, Pt 2 42Porcelain Doll: My Nightmare 44V2VG: Speaking the Unspoken 46Regarded as the Adversary Within 48Mind, Body & Soul: Dr. Matthew Bonander, P.T, D.P.T 50Poem: The Child that Would be Missed 51 Veteran Fitness: How Lifting Weights Saved My Life 52A Voice for the Voiceless 6024 Veteran Podcasts You Should Check Out 64Crossword: Military Rations 66Check This Out... 67Coming Up... 68Memorial Day Poem 70TAPS 71SO WHY THE QR CODES? It is simply a way for us to utilize technology and help make your reading experience more interactive. IT’S EASY!1. Open your phone’s QR Reader or Camera.2. Hold it over the QR Code3. A drop down link will appear, just tap it and it will take you to the extra content/website.1414EVERY VETERAN HAS A STORY TO TELL252532325454YOU ARE NOT ALONE!YOU ARE NOT ALONE!Veterans CRISIS LINE800.273.82554 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022DIVING DEEP: DIVING DEEP: The Carl Brashear StoryThe Carl Brashear StoryCANNABIS:CANNABIS: Curse or Cure?Curse or Cure?CANNABIS:CANNABIS: Curse or Cure?Curse or Cure?

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6 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022When news reached Washington, D.C., that the Civil War had ended, a crowd gathered at the White House. President Abraham Lincoln made a few remarks, then asked a band to play his favorite song, Dixie.The healing had begun. But six days later, Lincoln was dead. The healing stopped. The conict went on, only in a different way. Northerners bragged victory. Southerners suffered years of military occupation.When the Civil War ended, 750,000 veterans were dead. Two million four hundred thousand survived. The war was so horric that these veterans went home and tried to forget it. But there was a bond among them that they could not forget. No one but them knew the fellowships that came from marching and ghting over and over again, in the terrible conditions of weather, horrible injuries, disease and death.And so groups of veterans began to meet. They had but few goals but they existed well into the next century: to honor those who had died in the war, to take care of the widows and orphans of fellow veterans, and to take care of each other.Union Veterans began Decoration Day, now Memorial Day, in part from an event in Charleston, S.C., only weeks after the end of the war. Rich whites had abandoned the city; blacks freed from slavery had the city. They had but one focus, a nearby Confederate prison where 257 Union soldiers had been hastily buried. They reburied them in the middle of a racetrack that had been built by rich white Southerners to show off their horses.The ceremony at the new graves began with 3,000 black school children carrying armloads of roses. Men and women marching in cadence and Union infantry followed, some 10,000 in all. The children sang "The Battle Cry of Freedom" and "The Star Spangled Banner."Union veterans formed one large organization, the Grand Army of the Republic. Confederates formed United Confederate Veterans and began their own Decoration Day. THE VETERANS WHO HEALED A NATIONby David L. Geary, Ph.D.

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Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 7As the years went by, meetings of Union and Confederate veterans were separate. Hard feelings remained for decades.With the 50th anniversary of the war approaching, Pennsylvania’s governor proposed hosting a reunion of Union and Confederate veterans on the Gettysburg battleeld where nearly 166,000 had fought with more than 51,000 casualties. Responses were enthusiastically positive.President William Howard Taft and Congress and every state and territory pledged support.The head of the United Confederate Veterans told his members, “May our gray heads rest in peace in those graves which will soon claim us, with the satisfaction that we have contributed to bringing to our country the blessings of peace and good will.”The head of the Grand Army of the Republic told him, “Let us assemble there, where so many comrades of the Blue and Gray found common sepulcher on that historic eld. There, in that sacred presence, mutually pledge to each other our constant fealty to a reunited and indissoluble American Republic.”Interest spread even more across the nation. The long-awaited invitations were sent. The process was simple. Fill out a short form, prove veteran status, and mail. For the rst time, veterans caught a glimpse of what they’d experience.Once at Gettysburg, it was all free. They would live much as they had done 50 years earlier — in more than 6,500 tents, grouped by states on the old battleeld. Families could attend, but were told Gettysburg was small and they couldn’t use the veterans’ camp. Most veterans came alone.Many veterans couldn’t afford to get there and back. Railroads offered low fares. Some states paid the way for their veterans. Vermont gave its veterans cash, and said if any was left over to share it. Private donations poured in. Ladies in Virginia gave their veterans new Confederate uniforms.One aged veteran in ill health prepared to attend the “Great Reunion,” as it was called, against his family’s wishes. He was asked why he was determined to go. “It’s the last duty I have,” he said, “to show the younger folks there aren’t any hard feelings. It’s a duty we owe the country, about the last we can ll, most of us, and I gured we ought to do it.” Nine veterans died during the reunion, surrounded by their comrades.On June 30, 1913, the day before the 50th anniversary of the Gettysburg battle, the greatest single movement of people by train in American history began. Planners had expected 40,000 veterans to attend, but that quickly swelled to 56,000. Former privates to generals would pour into acres of tents. The U.S. Army and another army of volunteers — nurses, doctors, scouts, Red Cross, companies, construction workers and others had surged forward to help.As hundreds of special trains full of veterans carrying old battle flags, drums, and other keepsakes arrived, a brightly shining sun lifted temperatures above 100 degrees.The instant small city had its own post ofce, telegraph station, 32 bubbling ice water fountains (before refrigeration), 50 miles of streets, 155 street lights, 122 telephones, eight huge wash houses and latrines, a fully-equipped hospital, mess tents and a massive tent seating 13,000 for ceremonies. More than 2,000 Army cooks in 173 kitchens served three-quarters of a million pounds of food in 688,000 meals.More than a hundred reporters and photographers arrived to send stories across the nation and around the world. It Union and Confederate veterans shaking hands at reunion to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg | Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs | Library of CongressCivil War veterans William H. Calvert of Co. C, 77th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, with ladder badge and crutches, and William G. DeLashmutt of Co. D, 1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion, with United Confederate Veterans medal shaking hands at the 1913 Gettysburg reunion

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8 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022would be captivating front page news every day for four days.A new president, Woodrow Wilson, was there, along with the vice president, senators, congressmen, Supreme Court justices, and state and territorial governors.State and unit reunions, ceremonies, dedications, concerts, parades, speeches, walking the monument-laden battleeld, and visiting the spot where President Lincoln gave his famous address filled the veterans’ days. Army bands were on-call day and night, and accompanied groups of states as they “attacked” each other in great fun after dinner. The veterans usually ended up singing Yankee Doodle Dandy and Dixie together into the night.Emotions would soon be at their highest. Exactly 50 years before, on July 3, 1863, a large group of Confederates at Gettysburg hurled themselves across an open eld against Union forces behind a stone wall. The 12,500 Confederates had no protection. Half of them died. The assault, Pickett’s Charge, became one of the most known in American history and the beginning of the end of the war.On July 3, 1913, to the minute, 50 years later, nine old, tottering Confederate survivors of that charge entered the open field. A slow walk became a slow run. To rousing cheers from thousands of onlookers, they hollered the Rebel Yell, and waived hats, canes and umbrellas. When they reached the stone wall, they were met by Union survivors who 50 years before had met them in bloody hand-to-hand combat. Some survivors clasped hands across the wall and cheered. Others buried their heads in each other’s shoulders and cried.Suddenly a Union veteran surged forth, holding aloft a new American ag to give the Confederate veterans, and said, “Since the days of Betsy Ross, the Stars and Stripes has been the emblem of this nation. It was your ag and our ag in the closing days of the Revolution. We had no quarrel then, for we stood side by side in grand and successful resistance to our common attacker. It was your ag and our ag when we marched upon the Mexican capital. Grant and Lee supported it then. It was our ag when you raised the Stars and Bars, but we continued to hold and to cherish it not alone for ourselves, but for you.”“It is still your ag, as it is still our ag. Today you have truly made this ground more sacred by uniting upon it in bonds of amity and fellowship. When the nal summons comes, you can face eternity with the mantle of charity and kindness covering the last vestige of enmity that may have found a lurking place in your heart.”That night the veterans were treated to a massive reworks display. With spectators, Gettysburg’s population briey rose to more than 100,000.The next day saw President Wilson address the veterans. “We have found one another again as brothers and comrades,” he said, “enemies no longer, our battles, long past, the quarrel forgotten— except we shall not forget the splendid valor, the manly devotion of the men then arrayed against one another, now grasping hands and gazing into each other’s eyes.”Newspaper reporters telegraphed their stories. “Few days in American history have been so big as this. You may search the world’s history in vain for such a spectacle.” And “The very idea of the Reunion itself, the merging of friend and foe on the eld that was the Armageddon of the Civil War, has all the elements of drama on a huge scale. Better than all this is the thing for which it stands — the world’s mightiest Republic purged of hate.”Before the veterans left for their homes, they had one last duty to perform. It was a duty they had planned. At noon on the Fourth of July as sounds of church bells rolled across the old battlefield, cannon began to boom in the distance. Flags were lowered. And then for five minutes — before hearing The Star Spangled Banner and Saluting raised flags, that mighty brotherhood of 56,000 weathered Veterans, some frail old men, stood silently at attention.Approaching the end of life, they gave us a great gift. They who fought each other ended up uniting us all.**Oh, how good, how pleasant it isfor brothers to live together in harmony.Psalm 133:1 (CJB)Under Blue & Gray, Gettysburg Reunion (the Great Reunion) of July 1913, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. | George Grantham Bain Collection | Library of Congress

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There was no moon; it was the darkest of nights. Each step forward was unsure and treacherous. If the Marine in front of you gained more than a body length of separation, he would disappear into the darkness. It would be a never-forgotten march. It was my rst operation—a baptism by re!I was a Field Radio Operator with the 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, an infantry battalion. In mid-April of 1967, we participated in Operation Big Horn. It was a multi-battalion sweep in the Co Bi-Thanh Tan Valley of South Vietnam coordinated with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). Before it ever started, I disliked the operation’s name—made me think of Custer! On this operation, Major Sheridan, the battalion S3 operations ofcer, requested me and McNeal as his personal radio operators. I had been in Vietnam for four months, and this would be my rst time outside the perimeter wire except for a one week stint on Hill 180 radio relay station near Phu Bai.I was apprehensive about my rst outing, but with 700 other Marines traveling with me, I felt safer. My fear was never a head-on enemy confrontation but the ever-presence of snipers and booby traps. But I had another fear lurking deeper inside—the fear of failing. I was still unsure how I would react under pressure. On the rst day, helicopters landed the battalion in an open eld. As the forward company entered the treeline some distance away, I could hear gunre. A Viet Cong (VC) was spotted and shot but didn’t die immediately. We called in a medevac chopper, but he died minutes before it landed. Our S2 intelligence ofcer was upset he died and could not interrogate. The incident prompted him to devise an incentive plan to offer a 3-day in-country R&R for anyone who could deliver a live VC. However, the plan proved unsuccessful during this operation.By late afternoon, we had completed the initial sweep, arriving at the location where helicopters would take us back to Camp Evans, our home base. However, because of unfavorable weather, the choppers could not y and were canceled. We were supposed to be on the other side of the valley by the next morning to start another sweep with the ARVNs.The only way to move the battalion and reach the destination by morning would be a forced march through the night. It was a pitch-black night of trudging 14 hours non-stop through jungles, rivers, and rice paddies. It’s difcult enough moving through jungles in daylight, but in darkness, it was tenfold. We employed the artillery base re illumination ares in front of us just to nd our way! It was critical to keep in contact with the Marine in front of you. Losing sight meant splitting the column, which could result in getting lost.The rst obstacle was a river crossing near dusk. The water was waist deep, cold, and swift. This is where I made my rst rookie mistake. My cargo pockets were stuffed with toilet paper rolls and cigarettes. As I crossed, I noticed my cigarettes oating out of my pockets into the river. The TP turned to mush and remained in the bottom of my pockets. When I nally exited the river, I had to remove the mushy TP.As we marched on through the night, I kept feeling pain on my shoulders and back near my waist. I knew something was wrong and Day 5 of Operation Big Horm, April 1967Home sweet home. the standard 2-man poncho hootch. Note the socks hanging to dry on the bamboo cross bar. © 1967 VL Stevenson10 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine |Spring 2022AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, in honor of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, in honor of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29thth, would like to say to each and every Vietnam Veteran, WELCOME HOME! , would like to say to each and every Vietnam Veteran, WELCOME HOME! We honor your service & sacrifice, while remembering the countless Soldiers that never made it home. As Veterans ourselves, we will take up the We honor your service & sacrifice, while remembering the countless Soldiers that never made it home. As Veterans ourselves, we will take up the mantel to remember those 'Missing in Action' and will not rest until every soldier is home where they belong. You have our Love & Respect! mantel to remember those 'Missing in Action' and will not rest until every soldier is home where they belong. You have our Love & Respect! THE LONGEST MARCH...By VL Stevenson, Cpl. USMCVL Stevenson with abraded shoulders and back from an all-night forced march. (R) GS McNeal a fellow radio operator. In the background, (L) Major MK Sheridan talking to (R) Master Sergeant AJ Metzler. Day 2 of Operation Big Horn, April 1967 © 1967 VL Stevenson

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tried to readjust my radio backpack many times, but nothing helped. I wanted to take my pack off to nd the problem, but I wasn’t able to stop long enough.The next morning we reached our destination. Along with the rest of the battalion, I had survived my rst test—endurance! Finally, I was able to take off my radio backpack, and that’s when I discovered 2nd-degree abrasions on my shoulders and waistline on both sides. The Navy Corpsman said it appeared as if someone had taken sandpaper to my shoulders and back. The Corpsman disinfected, bandaged, and patched me with a material called Moleskin. He also treated both feet with Moleskin, but my shoulders were the most painful. When I put the radio backpack on my shoulders, the pain was still present, but the Moleskin stopped the abrading. I never considered being medevaced; it was the fear of failing that kept me going seven more days. Also, I felt guilty letting it happen. But the Corpsman and Moleskin worked a miracle and allowed me to continue. Marines have always asserted that Corpsmen are their guardian angels!AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, in honor of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, in honor of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29thth, would like to say to each and every Vietnam Veteran, WELCOME HOME! , would like to say to each and every Vietnam Veteran, WELCOME HOME! We honor your service & sacrifice, while remembering the countless Soldiers that never made it home. As Veterans ourselves, we will take up the We honor your service & sacrifice, while remembering the countless Soldiers that never made it home. As Veterans ourselves, we will take up the mantel to remember those 'Missing in Action' and will not rest until every soldier is home where they belong. You have our Love & Respect! mantel to remember those 'Missing in Action' and will not rest until every soldier is home where they belong. You have our Love & Respect! Even though we had just completed an all-night marathon march, we only rested for a few hours then continued with the sweep. We didn’t stop until later that evening. We completed a forced march and a sweep in 24 hours—on no sleep, little rest, and minimal food. It would be the longest single march our battalion would ever endure.Things I learned as a rst-timer: use plastic bags to keep stuff dry; store socks in your helmet liner to keep dry; button your pockets; take things you need, not want; clean your M16 rst; and most importantly, when you start thinking about quitting, don’t…you’ll always regret it!VL Stevenson – Corporal, USMCVietnam 1966 – 1968VL Stevenson with abraded shoulders and back from an all-night forced march. (R) GS McNeal a fellow radio operator. In the background, (L) Major MK Sheridan talking to (R) Master Sergeant AJ Metzler. Day 2 of Operation Big Horn, April 1967 © 1967 VL Stevenson

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Who is Rosie? Americans are surely familiar with the iconic image that portrays a woman, sporting her coveralls and signature red, polka-dotted bandana, rolling a sleeve over her exed bicep, proudly standing beneath the words “We Can Do It!” The propaganda poster was originally drawn by artist J. Howard Miller for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1942. However, there has been much speculation over the years about who inspired him. Some claim our “Rosie” is Geraldine Hoff Doyle, who worked in a Navy Machine shop in Michigan; others name her Rose Will Monroe, a riveter at the Willow Run Bomber Plant near Detroit. However, the most notable and credible identication belongs to Naomi Parker Fraley. In a photograph, Fraley is at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, CA, working tirelessly in the machine shop, red polka-dotted bandana tied tight around her head.While most people will recognize the poster with the can-do slogan, Rosie appeared in a few other places as well. In 1943, Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb debuted their song “Rosie the Riveter,” performed by Allen Miller and His Orchestra. This patriotic tune was inspired by Rosalind P. Walter, a riveter from Long Island, New York, who worked on Corsair ghter planes. As the song goes, “She’s making history, working for victory, Rosie… the Riveter.”Famous Americana artist Norman Rockwell immortalized Rosie on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943. Rosie sits atop a post, the American ag ying behind her. She casually eats a sandwich with her tool laying across her lap and a copy of Mein Kampf under her feet. Rosie is the American woman who got work done and easily crushed the threat of Nazi Socialism—all with a full face of makeup.The fact of the matter is, all of the 350,000 women who joined the Armed Services during World War II were Rosie. The 5 million female civilians who served in the defense and commercial industries were Rosie. The Women’s Army Corps, the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots, the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, the Army Nurse Corps—the 1 in 4 married women who stepped up to serve our nation when their husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons were called overseas—they were Rosie. We can all recognize the poster, but we must also recognize the generation it represents. These strong women played a crucial role in the preservation of our American freedoms, forever changing the course of women’s military service.RoSiE ThE RiVeTeRAll the day long, whether rain or shineShe’s a part of the assembly lineShe’s making history, working for victoryRosie, brrrrrrrrrrr, the riveterKeeps a sharp lookout for sabotageSitting up there on the fuselageThat little frail can do more than a male can doRosie, brrrrrrrrrrr, the riveterRosie’s got a boyfriend, CharlieCharlie, he’s a MarineRosie is protecting CharlieWorkin’ overtime on the riveting machineWhen they gave her a production ‘E’She was as proud as a girl could beThere’s something true about, red, white, and blue aboutRosie, brrrrrrrrrrr, the riveterby Shannon RobinsonSpring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 13

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14 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022Jason Zaideman, an Army Veteran, served between 1996 – 2000 with the 70th Engineer Batallion. In 1997, he was part of a joint taskforce operation, training Combat Engineers for deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of a peacekeeping mission. “The Dayton Accords, which ended the 3 1/2-year civil war, called for the deployment of thousands of peacekeepers to man cease-fire lines between the warring sides. They also oversaw the removal of heavy weapons from the front lines and the demarcation of the boundary between Bosnia’s two constituent entities — the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic.”1 In 1999 he was deployed to Nogales, Arizona where he helped build 2 miles of fence on the Mexico border (counter-drug campaign) with the Army Corps of Engineers.1 https://www.stripes.com/20-years-ago-us-troops-began-peacekeeping-mission-in-bosnia-1.389846A year after his discharge, hell was unleashed on September 11, 2001. “I tried going back in, but I still had four years inactive. They’re like, unless it becomes a World War, [we don’t need you]” Jason recalled. Jason settled into civilian life, and “for the longest time, I forgot that I was a veteran, like I don’t even think about it. You know, every once in a while, there’s a ‘Thank you for your service’ kind of thing and I always enjoyed hanging out with other veterans,” Jason said.

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Spring 2022| AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 15By 2015, he owned Zink Factory, a graphics & screen printing company. As a way to give back, he was helping a lot of non-prots, including Veteran organizations, raise money at no cost to them. Jason took on the marketing role and was making their events super “bad-ass” so they could make an impact and help their cause. “But after a while, I noticed some of these people are doing stuff for awareness, [but] what impact are they actually making? We were making these people tons of money, [but] where is It going? Where is your product?” Jason goes on to say, “A non-profit organization is supposed to be solving a problem, or at least trying to. So, if you’re just blowing money telling people about a problem that everyone already knows exists and you’re not actually solving it, or at least trying too, what’s the point?” It took Jason about a year to realize that he had joined the organization he thought was making an impact, but ultimately, he was just spinning his wheels. “I’m like screw this, I’m working on my own shit. I don’t have any ties to any other organizations. I have my business, my bike, my wife, and my kids. So, I just focused on that. I decided to work on my bike and actually get it nished, ‘cause I’ve been riding it and it kind of looked like a polished turd. It was not what I wanted but it ran. I was like, you know what, I’m going to build this bike bad-ass and nally build it the way I want it.”THE BIRTH OF OPERATION COMBAT BIKESAVEROn his personal mission, Jason went to his garage, every evening and all-day on the weekends, for two-weeks, focused on nothing else than nishing his motorcycle. Once it was completed, he spent the next two weeks riding and enjoying his accomplishment, but something was still missing.“I kind of went into a slump. My wife said I was being a grumpy asshole. She’s like you need to get back out in the garage and build something. ‘I know, that’s why you’re in a bad mood’ and I was like ‘bling’ light bulb! Working on that motorcycle. I wasn’t thinking about anything. I gave her a kiss and went out to the garage. I was out there till probably three in the morning writing the mission statement of this organization. [Operation Combat Bikesaver] kind of started out of my angry vet status, like I’m pissed off and aggravated that people are still spinning their wheels and not solving the problem. So, I started it mainly out of frustration, aggravation. Plus, on the other hand I’m an engineer and I love xing problems. Motorcycles was the key niche. I had to do something that I already knew about. So, I had to create this program that was built around what I could teach, which is all about building motorcycles, fabricating them, welding, airbrushing, painting, electrical, everything that goes along with building a motorcycle was [what] I had to offer.” The next day, Jason shared what he calls ‘his little booklet of chicken scratch’ with his wife. She was absolutely on board with the idea and after rewriting his mission, the " IMPACT or Die Trying" " IMPACT or Die Trying" by Christine Walker

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16 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022two of them began the journey of building Operation Combat Bikesaver or OCB over the next year. The rst year was difcult, but they established their non-profit and opened the garage at their home on Sundays for ‘shop day.’ The following February, they held their rst ‘Kickstarter’ event and raised $11,00.00 within the rst two hours. “So, within 364 days, one day shy of a year, I kicked the hole in the wall in this building here and it’s been off to the races since. I wanted to start an organization that that was always mission focused and solving problems all the time.” Jason said. “At Operation Combat Bikesaver we build bikes with Heroes for Heroes. At NO COST to the participant andthey get to keep the nished products. We believe that breathing new life into tarnished motorcycles by honing in on learned skill sets will relinquish the deafening grasp PTSD / TBI / Depression has on Veterans. “By creating distinctive works of art, those candidates can give back to others suffering in a brotherhood of unity, targeting relief to the chaos of one’s own mind.” They will be introduced to building, fabricating, welding, and painting to resurrect something that was once damaged and forgotten into something new and truly unique while rebuilding themselves at the same time. We have lost way too many to PTSD / TBI and Depression. All of us here at Operation Combat Bikesaver have lost someone to the aftereffects of defending their country and community.2 “We would love nothing more than to help our Heroes return to feeling normal again.” 3OCB & THE VETS“If somebody asks me what we do, I would rather you ask somebody else in the organization, I don’t want you to hear what I have to say. For all you know, I could be blowing smoke up your ass , selling you on how amazing we are,” Jason said about OCB. One Veteran said, “The constant work, joking, and honest interactions really helps keeping the thoughts of what’s inside in the back of my thoughts for the moment.” Another wrote, “I learned how to take off carbs and all that goes into it, love the way I feel when I’m here.”Operation Combat Bikesaver is open to all Veterans. If the doors are open, you never need an appointment. “Our place, yeah, our place will always be an open door. Eventually I want this place to be able to be open 24/7. We’ll have staff duty here all the time. So, 2 EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS A STORY - American Legion3 Mission First - Operation Combat Bikesaver, INC.the guys can come out anytime they want to, once they’ve earned their code to the door here. So, we’re like an open gym. So, all day long I’m here Monday through Thursday and Sundays are shop days that are open to the public.” Jason stated. OCB’s primary program is ‘Hot Rod Therapy,’ the Bike Build program. Veterans seeking to build their own motorcycle as therapy at no cost to them; OCB gives them a 2k budget. Then, Jason and the crew will take them through the entire process of building a custom motorcycle. “They will be introduced to building, fabricating, welding and painting to resurrect something that was once damaged and forgotten into something new and truly unique while rebuilding themselves at the same time,” the OCB website states. 4 MORE THAN JUST METAL & GEARSJason and the crew at OCB are more than just Veterans hanging out in a garage. The mental health and the well-being of their Veterans is their number one priority. “Here we’re about facts. Fact is, you have a DD214. Fact is, you have injuries sustained while acquiring that DD-214. And here is the place for you to fix that. Fact of the matter is, Veterans are committing suicide. 4 “Mission First - Operation Combat Bikesaver, INC.”)

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Spring 2022| AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 17Fact of the matter is, Veterans are disabled, they have problems and need a little extra help. Fact is, they need camaraderie and to be surrounded by like-minded individuals to help push them through a situation and not treating them like they’re fucking broken and worthless. It's not like a doctor sitting there staring at their watch, not even listening; waiting for the time to be up so they can say 'that all the time we have for you.' - If I had a nickel... Because we all know, we’re all broken on some level. Yeah, there’s no agenda or motive other than to help each other,” Jason stated.On Thursday nights, OCB hosts their Veteran Peer support group, Lima Charlie. “So tonight, we sit around the war room table, and we spill the beans with each other. We take turns going around the table and after a while, sometimes, like the last few Thursday nights, we haven’t had any new people, so sometimes we just sit around and tell war stories and tell jokes and talk shit you know. It doesn’t always have to be bad; you know there’s sometimes we walk out of there just rolling, [and] in a way better mood, laughing our asses off.” Lima Charlie is “very organic,” and Jason makes sure that absolutely no one leaves in crisis. “You know there’s no real end time to the therapy here, there’s no disconnect, we treat each other like family here. There’s been times we’ve been here till 1 o’clock in the morning.”OTHER OCB PROGRAMSBlaster Program - This program was created to help Blaster’s namelive on through Operation Combat Bikesaver. Richard W. Pratt, aka ‘Blaster’ passed away in his sleep on February 11, 2019. A retired Air Force TACP Veteran - Master Airborne Jump Status, ‘Blaster’ donated his personal vehicle to an OCB Veteran and “the impact he made on that Veteran was life changing.” Since Blaster’s initial donation, several other vehicle donations and other various Veteran-specic donations have come in beneting countless Veterans to help improve their daily lives. 55 “Blaster Program - Combat Bikesaver”FAT Program - The Fitness and Tranquility Program (F.A.T.) is an internal program that will service members of Operation Combat Bikesaver who would like to make health and tness a priority in their lives in order to regain the ghting spirit they had when they were in the military. IT’S A BIKER THINGPart of the mystic and often a misnomer, is that the general public had the perception that OCB was a biker organization or a Motorcycle Club (MC). For years, Jason would shout from the rooftops that they were a Veteran non-prot that teaches ‘motorcycle stuff.’ Recently however, they created a rider’s group as a department of OCB. Instead of the traditional MC designation, Jason decided on MF or Motorcycle Family. “My dad was in a club back in the 60s and they were an MF. I haven't seen it used and I’m like, oh, I like that, think I'll bring it back. It makes more sense for what we truly are... Family! We have tons of clubs and organizations around us that support us, like Law Enforcement, but I’m also very good friends with all the one percenter clubs and rider groups from all over. I’m friends with all of them. I get along with everybody and that has Richard W. Pratt AKA "BLASTER" AUGUST 25, 1965 – FEBRUARY 11, 2019

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been one of my other motives in creating this. To get people that are normally fighting with each other, being counter productive, to work together toward impactful common missions. Hating each other and ghting is not helping this planet. A saying I always use is #teamwork makes the dream work, trying to unite and get everybody together to be impactful and not destructive,” Jason said. “IMPACT OR DIE TRYING”Over the years, OCB has impacted thousands of Veterans through their shops and Lima Charlie peer support group. After every visit, the Veteran fills out the SITREP survey. This measures where they were at emotionally when they arrived and when the departed. The importance of these surveys is for program improvement, and over time it has produced the recipe for a highly successful Veterans service model. The findings have shown to be invaluable when it comes to the impact of OCB for the betterment of Veterans. So much so, that a university has been studying the statistical data for the last 3 ½ years. After seeing the data, it really brought home their commitment “to push that out there to be impact driven and not just standing around complaining,” Jason said. And thus, was born their new motto: “Impact, or die trying.” MAKING A GOOD THING BETTERCurrently, OCB has three locations, the national headquarters in Indiana, with two additional shops in Alabama and California. OCB continues to be open to expanding to other states, but it requires people who are willing to start from the ground up; following the OCB recipe and using their own garages, if necessary. With Jason's help in creating their own OCB non-prot, " We want you to succeed," Jason said. “I’m working on a few other states, but I’m quality over quantity, so I gotta make sure that people can follow the recipe. I’ve got people down in Texas, and a few in several other States that have reached out, but nobody pulled the trigger on it yet. They just gotta have their team [who are committed] together.” As the second largest Veteran populous in Indiana, Jason and the crew want to have the space available for more Vets to receive the therapy and camaraderie that OCB offers. As for OCB’s headquarters, they are popping at the seams. In 2017, Operation Combat Bikesaver was featured on Mike Rowe’s “Returning the Favor,” and in the last 6 years, OCB has seen more and more Veterans come into the program. “Our end game goal is to have a huge Disneyland 40 acres, you know, 20,000 square feet with separate buildings, paint booths, powder coating and we want to teach everything so that way they have the opportunity when they come in to have any kind of distractive therapy that they want. Plus, they’re also fullling a need in their life. You know they have this lawn tractor that they’re trying to x so they can mow their lawn; xing or replacing a lawnmower isn't cheap. They have all the tools and stuff given them... no excuse, right? 18 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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There’s no reason why you can’t have cool nice shit, on a budget, and keep yourself distracted, not thinking about the negative.”Long before AT EASE! Veterans Magazine existed, I rst learned about Operation Combat Bikesaver in 2017 after watching Mike Rowe's "Returning the Favor" on Facebook. To this day I can't watch those episodes without shedding a few tears. Shortly after publishing our rst issue, I met Jason Zaideman in a Veterans entrepreneur group and when I nally connected the dots, I knew we had to feature OCB in our magazine.What Jason doesn't know, is the lasting impact he, Andy and OCB have had on myself and this magazine. How we decide what VSO's to feature, is determined by the 'boots on the ground' model I saw with OCB. Thank you to the OCB crew for that inuence! ~ Christine WalkerWE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU SCAN THE QR CODES BELOW AND WATCH BOTH EPISODES. HOW CAN VETERANS HELP? • Become a Member – OCB support membership is $45/year. • Volunteer• Investigate Opening an OCB Chapter/Shop in your area. For more information, visit Operation Combat Bikesaver at: combatbikesaver.org or scan the QR code. Returning the Favor OCB | IndianaReturning the Favor OCB | AlabamaProfessional Photograhy by: Bill Konway | Real Tree PhotographyAll other Photos, Logos, Graphics and Branding likeness used with permission of Operation Combat Bikesaver.

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20 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022ONE LEASH SAVES TWO LIVES: THE FOUNDERSTHE FOUNDERSLeashes of Valor President and co-founder Danique Danique MasingillMasingill is a Navy Veteran and leading expert in the service dog industry helping advance both law and science surrounding service dogs as treatment for PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. “Danique completed graduate and undergraduate degrees at Syracuse University, where she established herself as an expert in the eld of military working canines and service dogs.” (“About Us - Leashes Of Valor”)CEO and co-founder Jason HaagJason Haag spent 13 years in the Marine Corps before retiring as a Captain. He credits his service dog, Axel, for saving his life from PTSD after a machine gun injury sustained in an Iraqi combat mission. Featured on more than 50 news outlets, Haag tours the country educating policymakers, Warrior organizations, and Warriors on the benets of service dogs for veterans.Director of Canine Operations and co-founder Matthew Matthew MasingillMasingill is a 21-year Navy Veteran and advocate serving the Veteran and military community. His extensive experience in program management and development includes acting as the lead Warrior trainer with over 200 Warrior K-9 teams graduating and recertifying under his leadership.THE JOURNEYTHE JOURNEYWhile one would think Danique Masingill worked with police dogs during her Navy career as a Master at Arms, instead it has been quite the surprising journey. Originally from Germany and raised as a dual citizen with a German mother and American father, Danique came to the US at 17-years old to “do a year abroad,” as she recalls. A year turned into two and then September 11th happened. “I felt compelled to become a police ofcer. It was a very impactful experience for me. I denitely was very naive. You know? Obviously, growing up in a completely different culture, so this whole idea that there is National Defense was so far away from my reality, right? So, I gave up my German citizenship to join the American Navy.” After bootcamp and A-School, Danique settled into a routine of patrol work, and even though each command had a K9 unit, it just wasn’t in the cards for her until she arrived at her last Command in 2005. “I got to work very closely with K9 units and one of my best friends was a K9 ofcer, so I drove boats for canine teams that did vessel inspections in the harbor. And that was really where my love for canines came about. And I had the privilege of adopting a dog, Ben, that was retiring whose last handler couldn’t take him. That was what sealed the deal for me. I was absolutely smitten. That dog changed my world. And it was also last year that I had him, and I was in a really bad place. That relationship with Ben also just kept me alive,” Danique said.After being discharged from the Navy by Med Board, Danique continued to struggle. Ben had to be put down due to old age, and a very close K9 friend was killed in a car accident. It was at the funeral that she remembers, “that is really what brought me full circle, brought me back to canines while I was using my GI Bill. So then fast forward, I meet a girl in the Student Veterans Club who’s getting a service dog, and I’m like 'oh what do you mean Service dog?' I was still very focused on the military working dog side. I’ve never really understood the concept of the human-animal bond for mental health purposes, especially PTSD.”At the same time, Matt Masingill had just retired from the Navy himself and was struggling with PTSD. Once Danique learned about the benets of having a service dog, she told Matt, “You denitely have all those symptoms. You’re gonna go get yourself a service dog.”“Through his experience, and you know, walking through the process, how it’s being done, my love “Leashes of Valor is a national nonprot working to provide a highly-trained service dog to every post-9/11 Veteran who needs one to ease the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress “Leashes of Valor is a national nonprot working to provide a highly-trained service dog to every post-9/11 Veteran who needs one to ease the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST), an underlying trauma to PTSD. Our mission is as simple as it is critical: Bring service dogs and Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST), an underlying trauma to PTSD. Our mission is as simple as it is critical: Bring service dogs and post-9/11 Veterans together to enrich the lives of both. Follow-up communication with our Veterans after they leave us continues for life. This level of dedication is how we are setting a post-9/11 Veterans together to enrich the lives of both. Follow-up communication with our Veterans after they leave us continues for life. This level of dedication is how we are setting a new standard for excellence in the world of service dogs.” (“About Us - Leashes Of Valor”)new standard for excellence in the world of service dogs.” (“About Us - Leashes Of Valor”)

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Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 21ONE LEASH SAVES TWO LIVES: for canine already and then just seeing the changes in him really solidied my interest in in service dog work. So, I ended up switching my entire degree eld and doing public policy administration specically focused on service dogs.”After Danique graduated, she was hired by a Florida based service dog training program. That is also where she met co-founder Jason Haag. “He was a graduate and board member and we worked together there. Then he got a job in DC doing more policy stuff. They hired me away from that organization and brought me on at the DC organization, and I really got to experience the policy side. Like when people talk about the PAWS ACT and how the VA doesn’t provide service dogs for mental health… we really got to dive deep into that and [found] the missing link was the grassroots movement of peer to peer. Being in the halls of Congress in DC, I really noticed the lack of representation of people [who] actually walk the walk.”ONE LEASH SAVES TWO LIVESONE LEASH SAVES TWO LIVESIn 2017, the corner stone for Leashes of Valor was put into place as Danique, Jason, and Matt went to the drawing board to create a peer-to-peer concept for their organization, relying heavily on input from Veterans, their own working experience within the industry, and their personal experiences of the “healing power of canines.” The Leashes of Valor facility is located on a 20-acre rural farm in Virginia that allows on-site canine training, in addition to the live-in accommodations for the monthly Warrior and service dog training. When asked what the basic cost is for their program, Danique said, “It’s free to the Warrior, but raising & training service dogs is expensive. Each dog costs about 25,000 to train, but we don’t charge our Warriors, they get the dog at no cost to them.” Veterans in need of service dog assistance can submit an application online. “My experiences denitely have impacted how we view applications. We do it by committee and we read through [the applications] and look for what’s not written, reading between the lines. Sometimes people over exaggerate things ‘cause they don’t feel like they’re going to deserve it. Treating them as a human and sometimes just hearing them, even if we’re not the solution, or they’re not viable for Leashes, sometimes it’s just nice to be heard and understood. ‘OK, this is not the right step for me, but at least they told me and pointed me in the right direction and not just leaving me oundering,’ right?”Currently, LOV has 24 canines in training, and their operation has scaled up over the years. “Now we have actually built a relationship with another nonprot through this COVID mess. They have a bigger facility, so we take our little circus on the road for 10 days. We take the Warriors, the dogs, and our entire team to Patriot Point in Maryland. It’s about 3 1/2 hours from where we are, we stay there because now we’ve scaled to four veterans per class, and they have the room for us. So, it’s a nonprot that doesn’t charge us a dime, and we just take the show on the road and host it there. That allowed us to scale by 400% basically. Last year we did 4 veterans at a time and then this coming year we’re going to again do four Vets but three [separate] classes,” Danique said. GET INVOLVEDGET INVOLVEDFor more information about Leashes of Valor, scan the QR Code “Leashes of Valor is a national nonprot working to provide a highly-trained service dog to every post-9/11 Veteran who needs one to ease the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress “Leashes of Valor is a national nonprot working to provide a highly-trained service dog to every post-9/11 Veteran who needs one to ease the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST), an underlying trauma to PTSD. Our mission is as simple as it is critical: Bring service dogs and Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST), an underlying trauma to PTSD. Our mission is as simple as it is critical: Bring service dogs and post-9/11 Veterans together to enrich the lives of both. Follow-up communication with our Veterans after they leave us continues for life. This level of dedication is how we are setting a post-9/11 Veterans together to enrich the lives of both. Follow-up communication with our Veterans after they leave us continues for life. This level of dedication is how we are setting a new standard for excellence in the world of service dogs.” (“About Us - Leashes Of Valor”)new standard for excellence in the world of service dogs.” (“About Us - Leashes Of Valor”)

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DD-214 & BEYONDTHE GAP AND THE GAIN!Welcome to 2022! Welcome to 2022! Like many of you, I kicked off January thinking about personal and professional goals to set in the coming year. My goal- to read at least one new book a month. I picked up The Gap and the Gain, and glad I did. Written by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, Organizational Psychologist, with Strategic Coach Founder, Dan Sullivan, this book is a quick read for entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to achieve more by starting with a check-in on individual mindset. Do you have a gap or a gain mindset?Let’s dene:Let’s dene: When we think from the Gap, we measure ourselves against the ideal. When we do so, we undoubtedly come up short, thus thinking from the Gap—our shortfalls and missed goals.When we think from the Gain, we measure ourselves backward from where we are currently. How often do we stop and think where we were a year ago, a month, even a week ago? By doing so, we leap into the Gain mindset, acknowledging all we have accomplished over time toward our goals. The gap and gain concept is the outcome of a conversation between Dan Sullivan and one of his entrepreneur clients. The client felt he was slow to make progress. During the conversation, Dan walked the business owner through where he had started 90 days previously to what he had achieved in those 90 days. Dan noted the owner measured himself against the ideal, rather than recalling all he actually achieved in that timeframe. By measuring himself to the ideal, the business owner was staying in the gap, rather than focusing on all that he had gained. How often are we thinking from the gap?How often are we thinking from the gap?Hardy includes an eye-opening discussion that describes how social media keeps people in the gap. Hardy writes, “Social media stops people from becoming self-determined.” With constant comparisons to others, there is a huge prevalence to think from a gap mindset. When I am speaking with entrepreneurs, it is easy to focus on next steps to work on. After reading this book, I realize the importance of taking time to reect on past activities, outcomes, and lessons learned. This essential look back is a step toward making progress in your business and personal life.The book is full of helpful ideas to keep the reader accountable to goal setting. Dr. Hardy suggests keeping a journal and log the answers to these ve questions.• • Where am I right now? Where am I right now? • • What are my wins from the last What are my wins from the last 90 days? 90 days? • • What are my desired wins for What are my desired wins for the next 90 days?the next 90 days?• • Where will I be in 12 months?Where will I be in 12 months?• • Where will I be in three years?Where will I be in three years?Written by: Christina MortelBook Review: Book Review: The Gap and the GainThe Gap and the Gain - - by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardyby Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy22 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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I began journaling in October, focused on these questions. This exercise helped see the big picture while noting the everyday wins I previously did not consider. Coupled with writing my top three priorities daily, I am more focused on staying on track and keeping myself accountable to my future. Dr. Hardy also discusses what is important versus what is urgent. He makes the distinction, reminding us to put our energy toward what is important in the long term while tending to what is urgent in the short term. The author incorporated self-reection exercises as well as inspiring quotes from Dan Sullivan that drive home key concepts throughout the book. Hardy summarizes key takeaways at the end of each chapter, providing a roadmap for the reader. Take time to work these exercises.The book is loaded with stories of people who transformed their work and achieved personal success using this process. Hardy also shares his own personal, compelling story. While Hardy illustrates the before and after transformations with many examples of gap and gain, at times, it may feel redundant. ...I have been following Dr. Benjamin Hardy for nearly a year and am interested in his work on the Future Self. This video brought me to The Gap and the Gain. By taking these steps outlined in the book, you can embark on a successful year full of achievements and a roadmap to your future. Stay the course and stay in the GAIN! I would love to hear your thoughts on whether taking one action from this book has helped you to advance your goals in 2022.Christina Mortel is a US Army Veteran and Business Consultant with Texas Veterans Commission Veteran Entrepreneur Program. She also hosts Texas Veterans Mean Business Podcast. Christina is a business owner and Managing Member of Get Write to Business LLC.Do you have a start up story? Connect with Christina www.linkedin.com/in/christina-mortel/“We are kept from our goals not by obstacles but from a clear path to lesser goals” – Robert Brault -

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This article is about the VA rating called 100% Permanent and Total. When a Veteran separates from the military, they can submit for VA Disability Compensation Pay, and the Veterans Affairs will assess the Veteran’s situation to determine a disability rating which can equate to a monthly payment. Additionally, this disability rating can make the Veteran eligible for several additional benets.What Is VA Permanent And Total Disability 100%?Also referred to as P&T, this status of disability refers to veterans whose disabilities are total (rated 100% disabling by VA due to service-connected disabilities or if their service-connected disability makes them unemployable (38 C.F.R. § 4.15)) and permanent (zero or close to zero chance of improvement). To be considered for P&T status, the law (38 U.S.C. § 3501(a)(8)) requires veterans to have a “total disability permanent in nature.”It’s important to differentiate Permanent and Total (P&T) with veterans who can have a total disability that’s temporary or a permanent disability rated less than 100% because service members with these statuses might not be eligible to receive the same benets as a service member who is classied as P&T. A Veteran rated at 100% that is not P&T will receive the same monthly disability payment as a Veteran rated at 100% P&T, however, might not be eligible for the same additional benets.What Does “Total” Mean?Veterans’ disabilities are rated based on VA’s Schedule of Rating Disabilities. The rating levels for each type of disability are based on how much the residuals of said disability impair your ability to function in life and at work. A 100% rating indicates that your disability is completely, or “totally,” disabling.Total disability can also be assumed to exist when the average person would be unemployable with the respective Service Member’s medical conditions.What Does “Permanent” Mean?VA deems a disability “permanent” when it is reasonably certain, based on medical evidence, that the level of impairment will continue for the rest of the Veteran’s life. The law (38 U.S.C. § 3501(a)(8)) requires the disability to be “based upon an impairment reasonably certain to continue throughout the life of the disabled person”. For this reason, VA is allowed to take age into account when determining whether a disability is permanent, and it can be more difcult for younger Veterans to be considered permanently disabled.What Benets Are Entitled At 100% P&T?It’s important to note that other disability ratings may receive these benets, but the benets listed below are what 100% P&T rated Service Members can receive.• No more Compensation and Pension (C&P) examinations (with some exceptions); P&T ratings are protected from being reduced and since the VA does consider them permanent, they will not require further C&P exams to assess your current medical conditions unless the Service Member requests a relook.• Property tax exemptions (depending on the state the Veteran resides in)• Dependents Education Assistance (DEA) program (spouse and kids)• Free healthcare with VA and Free Dental Care• Free Hunting and Fishing license for Federal Parks• CHAMPVA Health Insurance for dependents• Free ights Space-A• Government Life Insurance (VGLI) despite injury• Discharge of a student Loan• Veterans Health Identity Card (VHIC) allowing access to military bases, recreational, and shopping• Possible free life insurance policy from the VAWhat Is The Process For Applying For 100% P&T?• No formal application process• If you are 100% and if your disability is unlikely to improve, that is a static disability. If the majority of your disabilities are static, the rater who is deciding your case can decide to rate you as permanent and total.• If your rating documents say that your condition is likely to improve, frequently you will have a date for your next C&P exam on your documents. You can’t get a permanent and total rating until your disabilities become static.• If after multiple examinations your disabilities don’t improve, the rater can give you a permanent and total rating.• Submit a statement to your regional ofce, normally they order a C&P exam to reevaluate all disabilities. They can determine one of three outcomes: a permanent and total rating, the same rating, or a decreased rating. Consider checking medical consulting to verify disabilities through the 38-CFR.• You can request a permanent and total status with a letter from your provider and their recommendation that it is unlikely that your medical conditions will not improve.• Enlist help from a VA accredited disability attorney to request permanent and total status by sending in a legal brief requirement for the VA to evaluate their condition.Can Your Permanent And Total Rating Be Taken Away?• If you le an appeal, and the VA reassesses your situation, then the VA could possibly change your rating.• If the VA suspects or determines fraud, they can change your rating.Useful Links• Benets link PDF: https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-8760-ARE.pdf• How to le a disability claim: https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-le-claim/Check out my other articles on Medium about how to maximize your active duty and Veteran benets: https://medium.com/@randall.surles.More about me and my editing for military novels: https://www.randysurles.com/VA Disability – 100% Permanent and TotalVA Disability – 100% Permanent and TotalWhat does it mean and what benets are you entitled to?What does it mean and what benets are you entitled to?by Randall Surlesby Randall SurlesRandall (Randy) SurlesRandall (Randy) Surles spent over 25 years serving in Army Special Operations as a Green Beret and a Ranger, deploying numerous times to the Middle East, Africa, and South America. He Retired as a Sergeant Major and then worked as a VA Benets Advisor helping Veterans and transitioning Service Members maximize their benets. Randy now works as a freelance writer and editor, helping authors write more compelling stories.24 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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The cool damp Okinawan night air forms a droplet on the tip of my dress blue cover as in the distance a C17 cargo plane ramp begins to lower. The whines of the engines give way to the clanking of combat boots impacting metal ramps. My band begins to play as caskets adorned with the stars and stripes make their way to distraught surviving family members. Wailing permeates the air as inconsolable tears descend to the ightline. The drop from the tip of my cover falls then glides down my arm as I lift my ute to play my part. Of all the Marine Corps has asked of me, the most difcult was holding my composure as loved ones grieved in unfathomable pain. Drum beats reverberate against my chest as inside my heart breaks for them. As part of the Marine Band, I wasn’t asked to march into battle. I helped bring solace to loss and to honor the sacrices so many made. I’ve represented America before Kings and to the people of nations that host our troops. I’ve kept the ceremonial traditions of our Corps alive. I’m Michaela Dahlke, and I served from 2007 to 2015 until worsening injuries from a training accident separated me from my Marine family.On a sunny day in 2007, I was sitting comfortably on my couch when I heard a knocking at my door. Opening the door, a man in a goofy looking outt introduced himself as Gunnery Sergeant McDermitt. “Why are you dressed like a clown?” I asked. “These are dress blues, you don’t like them?” he replied. I wasn’t sold on the uniform. He asked for ve minutes of my time, and I gured why not. After losing my interest the rst minute he suddenly slammed the presentation book he had with him shut. "Do you play ute that is sitting up on the shelf?" he asked. I’d been playing forever and, without tooting my own horn, knew I could play professionally given the opportunity. After some discussion I agreed to do some auditions. Aced all of them with the ute and the piccolo. An excited Gunnery Sergeant once again visited my apartment only to discover I decided I wasn’t going to join. I was about to nish college and had plans in life. So, I said if he gives me all the sign-up benets plus a bonus I would join as I escorted him out the door. The next day he returned and said they approved my request, as long as I leave for bootcamp tomorrow. Challenge accepted. There is a running joke in the Corps that band members complete the boot camp MCI or test packet. I guess no one told my Drill Instructor that. Looking around at my fellow recruits, I saw my new family. The bonds we formed while overcoming challenges as a team were stronger than relationships I had experienced up to this point in my life. We ate together, showered together, and went through hell together. I’d found a family worth dying for. Growing up in foster care, I had eventually found a family that made me feel a sense of home. The same people swiftly cut ties as I turned 18, and I realized I was completely alone and unloved. After MCT I found that being in the band meant we traveled with the commanding general everywhere. This required all of us to specialize in different types of weaponry aside from the M16. The .50 Cal machine gun became my backup piccolo. At the Ronald Regan Presidential Library, we had the honor of playing at the purple heart ceremony for both those present and posthumously awarded. The ceremonies we perform at play to the ear of grief and remembrance. Purple Heart recipients get the opportunity for their experiences to be better understood as their citations are read aloud. They give us an opportunity to nally let out how we feel and to support each other as we do. Being able to help comfort the families of those who made the ultimate sacrice was why I was in the Marine Corps. High stress from conicts on the job caused a secondary TBI from a TBI I had experienced in a severe training accident in 2010. Instead of cracked ribs and physical injuries my 2014 secondary TBI seemed like a stroke. I had difculty walking and talking and was in a recovery clinic for 8 months. Imagine waking up and no longer being capable of enjoying something you have done all your life. More importantly, it promised that I would be separated from what had become my family for eight years. This was especially distressing and felt like I was reliving the separation I experienced leaving foster care. At 28, those deep wounds were torn open as I would come to know the struggle many veterans face. Lacking the purpose “A .50 CAL & A PICCOLO”The Story of Michaela Dahlke - USMC – Marine Corps Band“A .50 Cal & a Piccilo” continued on page 4326 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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Taking command of the soldiers in the area, PFC Arnone coordinated the ammo and repair of the mortar system while under heavy re. Quickly Arnone and his team began launching 120mm mortars onto enemy positions in the offensive that had them surrounded. The majority of enemy re focused on his position as rounds impacted all around him. As Sergeant Upp approached the pit, another 107mm rocket howled and illuminated the darkening sky as he shouted for Arnone to get down.Amidst the ricocheting of bullets and explosions Alex locked eyes with Sergeant Upp and for a fraction of a moment felt like it was the last thing he was going to see. Sgt Upp was honest, really tough, and was thick skinned. He always led from the front and never hesitated under re. Arnone recalled, “There was no one I’d rather go to war with than him. He made you feel like by being with him you had a better chance of making it home.” Though Sgt Up had survived the encounter, the 107mm rocket had severely wounded Lieutenant Hall. Though the aid station was able to get his heart going again, he was lost during the medivac. This was the rst American KIA PFC Arnone witnessed. After 45 minutes of battle and 75 mortars launched, Arnone’s efforts were directly attributed to repelling the enemy attack, and he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor. Departing the military after 5 years and 2 combat tours, Sergeant Arnone had become more of a man than most have had the opportunity to become. His irreplaceable experiences had bonded him with those he served with for life. Though he would no longer serve as a soldier, the Army values he lived would serve him in the coming trials of tting into a country that cannot understand what he had been through. “I knew who I was, what I had done, and what I had to offer.” Sowers: We talked a lot about your darkest hour, and so I wanted to end contrasting with what the brightest or best experience you had in your service?Arnone: There is a lot of bad with silver linings. On my second deployment I brought all the soldiers home safe to their families. Knowing they were home safe was the best feeling I could ever have. “COURAgE & vALOR”The Story Sgt. of Alex Arnone - USA – AfghanistanA 107-millimeter rocket with a lethal radius of 12.5 meters landing 5 meters in front of you could be the last thing you see. Alex Arnone served from 2006-2011 in the 173rd Airborne Brigade with two combat tours in Eastern Afghanistan along the Pakistani border. Over the course of his deployments, he would see positive societal changes that his unit helped to facilitate, and the reprisals of Taliban ghters who returned from their safe havens in Pakistan. Regardless of the state of today’s Afghanistan, warriors like Arnone did not hide when their bodies were 6 inches from becoming 6 feet deep. They courageously did what their comrades needed them to do to survive in the fray of battle. They painstakingly left their loved ones to support America’s plan for a more stable and democratic Afghanistan. They did their best upon returning home to not let the scars of war prevent them from continuing as soldiers. Born on September 11th, Alex marked his 16th birthday watching the 2001 terrorist attacks unfold from his high school classroom. Viewing the wars that followed from his couch at home, he said to his Army veteran father, “Dad, I need to be part of this.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Arnone’s newfound discipline and strength became more than the call to defend his nation. Becoming a soldier was his ticket to nding who he truly was and to developing into a formidable man. When Private First Class Arnone was deployed to Chowkay Valley in 2007, the soldier he had become would encounter his darkest hour. The surrounding mountains began to cast their shadow as the sun slipped behind them. As PFC Arnone stood next to a bunker, the slight howl of a 107mm rocket was immersed in the deafening explosion 20 meters away. Grabbing his gear and sprinting for the mortar pit, machine gun re, RPGs and 107mm rockets continued to rain down on the Vehicle Patrol Base. Reaching the mortar pit, a 107mm rocket impacted 5 meters from his position knocking him to the ground, collapsing the ammo storage bunker and damaging the mortar bipod legs.Arnone swiftly began digging out another soldier that survived and was buried in the damaged bunker. Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 27

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It is rare to meet someone who exudes positivity like Jeff Willie. The tenth of twelve children (the “Willie Dozen”), Jeff grew up a hard-working, driven country boy in Deberry, Texas. All 12 family members lived in a four-room home in the woods without electricity, without indoor plumbing, and without an automobile. Jeff’s father was a World War II Veteran, and his stories rst planted the military idea in Jeff’s mind. In 1965, his older brother joined the Air Force and helped that idea grow.It was at 19 years old that Jeff’s focus had to change. He had left Houston City College to work odd jobs and support himself. In January 1977, he was rushed to the hospital and received an acute appendectomy, “just in the nick of time” as the doctor told him. While recovering, Jeff lost his job. Pat, his girlfriend at the time—now his wife of over 45 years—had their rst child on January 1, 1977, and the couple soon married. Now, married, jobless, and with a baby girl, the next question Jeff had to answer was “how do I feed my family?”Enter the Air Force.The excellent salesmen that they are, a recruiter convinced Jeff to join the Security Police and focus on resource protection. The recruiter asked “Do you like to y? If you sign up to be in the Security Police, you guard the aircraft, and every time it leaves, you get to y on it as part of aircraft security.” Jeff, who had never been on a plane or to an airport, saw this job as an opportunity. Excited and ready to y, he eagerly signed up to be a Security Police.However, as he soon found out, Security Police did not y—the aircraft took off, and Jeff stayed behind on base.This wasn’t a problem though. Responsibility and resilience are characteristics Jeff was taught from a young age. He learned responsibility from his father, living the mantra that “if I say I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it well.” The rules, regulations, and routine in the Security Police could be mundane, but Jeff found ways to navigate his profession and engage himself as much as possible. While on his rst permanent assignment at Hahn Air Base in Germany, Jeff prepared himself for any situation he could encounter on base, learning as much as he could about the different military branches, weapons, and aircraft nomenclature. He began to develop his training and speaking skills and soon became a Security Police Trainer with just two stripes (Airman First Class/E3). Where many other airmen left the career eld because of the lack of excitement, Jeff saw opportunities to become the best Security Police possible. “When you don’t have a childhood, you grow up very quickly. You learn to be mature and responsible.” He took this attitude into every assignment and deployment, training at Army Infantry School to learn combat skills for Air Base Ground Defense, as well as becoming a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) instructor and a Combat Security Police instructor. In October of 1983, the United States enacted Operation Urgent Fury and rescued the Saint George Medical School hostages in Grenada. The morning they were called, many men from Jeff’s cadre at Little Rock AFB were on Alert—except for Jeff. However, by the afternoon on the same day, as he was helping his fellow cadre members onto the bus, one member came to him and said “Jeff, go home and get your stuff. You’re coming also.”Jeff went home and grabbed his “go bag.” Pat was working. His daughters were in school. Standing in the kitchen alone, he called his wife. “Honey, I don’t know where I’m going, but I’ll try to get in touch with you as soon as possible. But I gotta go.” Pat had to tell his daughters goodbye for him. Nine days later, he was nally able to contact Pat through a C-130 Loadmaster ferrying Army troops from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Grenada. Jeff recognized the loadmaster, gave him his home phone number, and asked him to call Pat when he arrived at Fort Bragg. Pat received the phone call, and she informed the other cadre members to let them know they were okay. To this day, that memory stirs heavy emotions in Jeff.Jeff also served at Florennes AFB in Belgium and Dyess AFB in Abilene, Texas. He worked as a Security Police instructor at both locations, but at Dyess AFB, he switched into Human Resources career eld, (United States Air Force First Sergeant) wearing the rank of Master Sergeant and Senior Master Sergeant. After a 26-year military career, Jeff’s transition back into civilian life wasn’t easy. In fact, he states that his mindset and discipline are still military to this day. However, his transition was also opportunistic. Visiting Dallas for a job fair, he had a fateful meeting with a woman who got his resume to a “A MAN OF ACTION & RESOLvE”The Story of SMSgt. Jeff Willie - USAF – Retired28 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022“A Man of Action & Resolve” continued on page 43

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When Mike Wilcox graduated college in 1968, he knew he was going to be drafted. A country boy who grew up in the small, rural hamlet of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, he had never seen anything outside of his town. However, he wanted to y and gured he’d get a jump on the draft, so he signed up for the military himself.Wilcox dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps, who was a pilot in World War II. He applied to the Air Force and was told to meet the recruiter in Muskogee. Mike drove through an ice storm to meet them, but they never showed up. Then, he was sent to the Air Force recruiting station in Tulsa. The recruiters told him that the test he was supposed to take was being revised, so he would have to come back at another time if he wanted to join the Air Force. As he was leaving the recruiting ofce, Mike spotted a “Fly Navy” poster directly across the hall. That day, he enlisted in the United States Navy and was on his way to the Naval Air Station in Dallas.On October 15, 1968, Mike and 40 other enlisted men passed their tests in Dallas and were soon on their way to Aviation Ofcer Candidate school in Pensacola, Florida. The 16-week course was meant to turn these young men from “a person into an ofcer and a gentleman.” Before the course concluded, his group was chosen to y the T-34B to test their capabilities and see if they could handle the aircraft.Four months later, Mike was commissioned an O1 Ensign in the US Navy Reserve. He was second in his class, so he had second choice if he wanted to y prop planes or jets. Number One in the class chose the prop pipeline, so Mike chose jets. “Wilcox, you’ll kill yourself!” Number One told him. However, about six months later, that same student, an admiral’s son, and his instructor pilot were killed.Wilcox had to first complete basic jet training in Meridian, MS, where he passed everything for both the basic and the advanced squadrons. Then, he went back to Pensacola to complete his carrier qualications, so he could land aboard aircraft carriers. Passed. Soon, he was in Beeville, TX, completing his advanced jet training in VT-26. In May of 1970, he was designated an able aviator. Then, Mike had another choice to make—which plane he wanted to y. This decision took him to the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, CA, training the A7-Echo, a single seat, single engine attack jet. He and his fellow aviators trained formations, carrier landings, and dropping bombs; they prepared extensively to go to war.Flying was exhilarating. “To y across the Nevada Desert at 500 mph, 200 feet up, come across I-80, and cars are stopped for 5 miles to watch you—it doesn’t get any better than that.” However, it could come at a cost. In Mike’s words: “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.”Wilcox was assigned to VA-22, better known as the “Fighting Redcocks”, and deployed to the West Pacic in October 1971. The Anti-War movement was in full-force at the time, and as the squadron arrived at NAS Alameda, protestors crowded the gates. “They got all the coverage and attention, and we were the bad guys,” Mike remembers. Apparently, as they embarked from NAS Alameda, Jane Fonda stood on the Golden Gate Bridge and urinated on their ship as they passed under it.Anticipation was high on the aircraft carrier. “We knew what we were in for. If you play a football game, you lose, you go home. In war, you lose, you may not go home.”VA-22 sailed to the Philippines and docked at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. They started ying combat missions and bombing South Vietnam on Thanksgiving Day. When Nixon was elected, he wanted to push back North, so, VA-22 began bombing North Vietnam. They lost two more from their squadron as well as their Carrier Air Group Commander.“War is not pretty, and it’s not nice. But that’s how it is,” Mike remarked. Even when they asked themselves “how are we going to win in a war of attrition in the South Pacic?” The squadron did what they were told. One of Mike’s most memorable ights was the Alpha Strike on Haiphong Harbor. They ew 24 jets in the sky with one mission: blow up a North Vietnamese power plant. Wilcox was ying on the XO’s wing, so wherever he ew, Mike was right on his tail. Enemy missiles bombarded the sky. “It was about as scary as you can get. I’ve had other ights, but when there’s 20 to 30 surfaced air missiles in the air at one time,” Mike chuckled, “you just hope they miss you. That was a wild experience.” From feet dry to feet wet, the whole mission was probably 15 to 20 minutes of high-adrenaline ying.“A FIgHTINg REDCOCK”The Story of Commander Mike Wilcox - USN – Vietnam“A Fighting Redcock” continued on page 43Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 29

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30 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022On January 2nd, we attended the Grand Opening of Skyhunter Outtters, owned and operated by USMC Veteran and Helicopter Pilot, Brandi Rector.Brandi served as an aerial gunner in the Marine Corps and after being discharged, she became an A&P Mechanic and a licensed Heli Pilot. When the opportunity arose to y for the company, Brandi jumped at the chance, not knowing that she would eventually own it. We arrived to the property in Cumby, Texas and followed the gravel road up the hill to the brand new hangar & multi-purpose building still under construction. It was a beautiful day, albeit for the typical strong Texas winds at a bone-chilling 26 degrees. The moment we stepped into the common area, we were greeted with the warmth of Texas hospitality. Besides being a beautiful complex that currently houses the hangar, SkyHunter Outtters ofces, a reception & common area complete with a bar for events and a massive stone replace, the views of the surrounding landscape are stunning. When completed it will also host guest accommodations, a custom sunk-in repit, and an outdoor pavilion. Brandi’s vision is to make it a premier destination for hog hunting and Texas recreation. SkyHunter Outtters is an aerial hog hunting company. In Texas alone, there are an estimated 2.6 million feral hogs. Considered a pest, they have done almost 119 million dollars in damage to Texas agriculture. The hogs can destroy an entire crop overnight, in addition to leaving massive ruts in the ground that can severely damage farm equipment. For Texas farmers, this can mean the difference between feeding your family for a year or being financially devastated. So not only is Skyhunter Outtters a remarkable company that offers an incredible hunting experience, but the State of Texas, in a Resolution dated January 2,2022, recognized the Veteran owned company as vital in helping to reduce the population of feral hogs. To find out more about Brandi, see the SkyHunter Outtters ad on page 12. Veteran News from TEXASGrand OpeningSkyHunter Outtters Pilots in Command, Brandi Rector (L) & Allison Leinen (R)

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Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 31Veteran News from TEXASCOMING UP...JARHEAD JAM! BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASHIn the summer of 2018, Joshua Gillispie had an idea to hold a fundraising event to provide needy children with back-to-school supplies. Josh, the Texas sales representative for Devil Dog Brew, a disabled veteran coffee enterprise, is also a member of the Marine Corp League Longhorn Detachment 1069. He asked the MCL, Devil Dog Brew, and the VFW Post 9299 to help support the event and they agreed. Hence, the rst Jarhead Jam Back-to-School event was born.What started relatively small is now in its fourth year and Jarhead Jam has grown each year to become an annual summer event. The VFW volunteered their venue in Alvarado, Texas, and the MCL, Devil Dog Brew, and the Coalition of Forces motorcycle group provided support. Each year, more sponsorships are being added. Last year Jarhead Jam enabled many families in the local area to send their children to school with adequate supplies. The event is a family-friendly affair with entertainment consisting of a live band, a comedy show, food and drinks, a 50/50 cash rafe, and a rie rafe. The children can enjoy a bounce house, face painting, snow cones, and new this year, free kids’ haircuts from a local barbershop called The Headshop. The goal is to continue to grow Jarhead Jam Back-to-School Bash to serve many more children each year. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, 2022, 2 PM – 11 PM. The entry fee is a $10 cash donation or equivalent school supplies and $10 for food. If you cannot attend in person, you may make cash donations at the link below or if you prefer to pay by check, make payable to: Jarhead Jam Back-to-School BashMCL Longhorn Detachment 1069 P.O. Box 938 Crowley, Texas 76036-0938WWW.MCLLONGHORN.ORGThe Marine Corps League Longhorn Detachment 1069 is a 501(c)(4) non-prot veterans’ organization.ARTICLE WRITTEN BY: VL STEVENSONAT EASE! THANKSYOU!AT EASE! THANKSYOU!Bob & Bette ShermanDenton, TX

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DIVING DEEP: The Carl Brashear SToryOn September 18, 2008, a crowd of roughly 3000 gathered at the National Steel and Ship Building Company, (NASSO) in Sunny San Diego. Lauren Brashear, the granddaughter of Carl, stood in front of her family and the many that knew the father, grandfather, brother, and dear friend to many, who had accomplished so much in his career. Accomplishments so great, the Navy named a ship after him. Sounds of people cheering, The distinct melodies of the horns and trumpets, played on. the new Lewis and Clark Vessel was adorned with red, white, and blue ribbons, toiling in the breeze. Keeping with Navy Tradition, Lauren broke a bottle of Champagne on the striker plate of the bow to christen the USNS Carl Brashear 689 feet long, a 106- foot beam, the capability to carry 1,388,000 cubic feet of dry cargo, there is no doubt that this ship is as mighty as the man for whom it was named after. The celebration continued on as the USNS Carl Brashear departed the port and headed for the open sea.Born on January 19th, 1931, Carl Brashear was born to a family of sharecroppers, McDonald and Gonzella Brashear, in Tonieville, Kentucky, but later, moved to another farm in Sonora. He was one of eight children. The life of a sharecropper was not glamorous to say the least. They lived on someone else’s land and worked the farm. The landowners could evict at any time, for no reason. Families were charged additional fees, and it was more than likely that profits from the crop were not split evenly. Sharecroppers worked in excess of 12- hour-days, in the blazing sun, just to barely make ends meet. Due to his family’s circumstances, Carl had to give up his education from the Sonora Grade School in order to work the family farm. At the time, Carl had no idea that his family was dirt poor. He recalls a very happy childhood, he said in an interview:“We didn’t know much about it; we thought that was a good way to live." At about 13 years old, Carl became somewhat of a daredevil. He rode motorcycles, and even skipped church to go swimming, which is shocking because their faith played a big role in how the family bonded. As happy as Carl was, when he got older, he would nd bigger adventures to chase. Unfortunately for Carl, he was living through a very sad chapter in American History, a chapter that gave white people the freedom to chase the “American Dream”, while African Americans were stuck in poverty with no hopes of escaping. During an interview, Carl admitted, “I hated working in the eld, and I hated walking three miles to a segregated, one room schoolhouse.” At on 17 years of age, Carl tried to enlist in the United States Army, but failed to pass the entrance exam due to getting his cage rattled by the proctors giving the test. Feeling the sting of defeat, Carl headed home. He passed a Navy Recruiting Office, and the recruiter spoke so highly about the Navy, and was much kinder to Carl than the army was. It was at that point that he decided that he was going to join the navy. Though unsuccessful the rst time, on February 25, 1948, just 4 months after his rst attempt, Carl was nally able to join the Navy after then President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order desegregating the U.S Armed Forces. However, just like life back on that farm in Kentucky, Carl’s pursuit for a better life would be put to the test with a whole new set of challenges.Carl completed recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois. Back in those days, African American men were given jobs such as cooks and mechanics because no one believed they were t to perform combat roles and did not possess the ability to become leaders. Carl served as a steward, tending to ofcers and shining their shoes, for a full year during a two -year hitch at Experimental Squadron One in Key West. Carl made quite the impression on Chief Guy Johnson. Johnson later arranged for Carl to transfer ratings to boatswain mate. His new duties included working as a “Beachmaster,” launching and recovering seaplanes from the beach. In June 1950, Carl made third-class boatswain mate. His rst sea tour, Carl served on the USS Palau. He continued to master his skills as a boatswain’s mate. It was at this point in his career that he wanted to become a diver but was denied. Brashear wrote countless letters, advocating for himself to have the opportunity to attend the Navy’s salvage school. His interest in becoming a diver only grew stronger while serving on the USS Tripoli. A TBM Avenger plane slipped off the jettison ramp. The navy brought in a MK V diver to salvage the aircraft. Carl watched 32 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022Seaman Carl Brashear. This photo is believed to be taken when he was 17 in 1948. Photo Credit navalunderseamuseum.org/carl-brashear/

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DIVING DEEP: The Carl Brashear SToryraising gas barges to the surface and changing propellers underwater. In 1956, Carl was stationed at a Naval Air Station in Quonset Point. Though he was on land, Carl was still able to build his resume as a diver. He set his eyes for SCUBA diving, in which he recovered 16,000 rounds of ammunition from a sunken barge and recovered a Blue Angel, as well as multiple dead bodies.In 1957, he was hand -picked to drive the crash boat that escorted President Dwight Eisenhower’s yacht, while the president was visiting Newport, Rhode Island. Carl received an engraved knife that read, “To Carl M, Brashear. From Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957. Many, many thanks.” Impressed with his efforts, the captain of the president’s yacht wanted to arrange a commission for Carl, but Brashear was still focused on his goals to become chief and to be the rst African American Master Diver in the United States Navy. His plan to achieve the title of Master Diver came to a halt. In 1960, Brashear had earned his G.E.D. He reached the rank of chief, and shortly after, started his training at Deep-Sea Diving School to achieve rst class diver. The course was difcult, and Carl had failed. As a result, Carl was demoted from salvage diver to non-diver, “I flunked out of rst class [school]. “They called me in and told me, said, ‘You’re leaving as a non-diver.’” (“Man of Honor: I’ve Got to Be a Deep-Sea Diver - U. S ...”) "I could have gone through the floor [in shock]. I had been diving for seven years and [was now] a non-diver. I hit rock bottom.”Instead of giving up, Carl sucked it up, swallowed his pride, and found another avenue to Master Diver. He got orders to the Fleet Training Center at Pearl Harbor. Carl used what leverage he had to get into second-class diving school. He was no longer a salvage diver, but still better than being a non-diver.Fast forward to 1966. Carl has now been in the Navy for 18 years. the entire recovery, and he later stated in an interview, “When I saw that doggone diver coming up out of the water, I thought that was the best thing since sliced bread.” Carl continued his letter writing campaign, took correspondence courses, and even boxed on the USS Tripoli’s boxing team. Finally, after 3 years in the navy under his belt, and his determination to become a diver, in 1954, Carl was given the green light to enter salvage school, but this didn’t mean that the members in his class saw Carl as an equal. He would face additional obstacles in a school that was already designed to bring men to their knees. He faced death threats, and on two occasions, found a letter taped to his bunk, scribbled with words of degradation that aren’t even worth mentioning. Going back to his childhood, Carl didn’t know what racism was. “When I was about five or six years old, when we would be walking to school in the sleet and the mud and snow, the white kids would be riding the bus. That’s when I realized what was going on…. that there was prejudice.” In fact, one of the training ofcers at dive school mistook Carl for a steward. He warned Brashear that some of the white students would simply not accept him. Believe it or not, Carl was ready to quit, but an African American Sailor, who was part of the staff, told Carl, “Those notes are not hurting you. Show them that you are better than they are.” Those words were the thing that Carl needed to hear to get that re inside of him roaring, and he went on to graduate the U.S. Navy Diving and Salvage school in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1954. Brashear was sixteenth in his class, the rst African American to do so. “When I graduated from [salvage school], I could have stepped over the building,” he joyfully recalled. “That was one good feeling when they called me up there and handed me that diploma.” (“Man of Honor: I’ve Got to Be a Deep-Sea Diver - U. S ...”) Carl had not only accomplished his goal, but his white peers began to accept him.Now a qualied diver, Carl left the USS Tripoli and became a member of the crew onboard the USS Opportune. He was one of 18 divers, and he loved every phase of diving including Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 33Carl’s class picture from Salvage School. Photo Credit, Joe Fontana Jr.By Mike Saunders - Staff Writer

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Brashear was serving on the USS Hoist, when two United States Air Force planes collided off the coast of Palomares, Spain, one of them carrying a nuclear bomb. This is often referred to as the Palomares Mares Incident: The recovery efforts lasted over two months. In the end, the nuclear warhead was found, and Brashear was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest award given for non-combat heroism. However, this particular mission came with a hefty price tag: Carl Brashear’s Navy Career. While recovering the bomb, a line used for towing broke and sent a pipe towards some of the sailors. Brashear jumped into action, and pushed those men out of harm’s way, and a pipe struck Carl’s left leg. He was evacuated to several hospitals, and nally wound up in the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia where his lower left leg was amputated due to an infection and necrosis. Admiral Joseph Yon said during an interview, “The rst thing Carl said to me was, “I want to return to active duty.” Commander Steven Muller, an orthopedic surgeon, went on the record stating, "Carl saw his amputation as a minor inconvenience.” One thing that Carl hated most in this world is being told no. “All the doctors round here, reading papers, telling me what I can’t do, and that really taut my jaws…telling me what I can’t do. That’s not even in my vocabulary. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it makes me work that much harder.Carl had to be very careful not to let others see his pain. He was on a probation period for a year. He led morning exercise for the new recruits, and not only did they not know Carl was an amputee, but Carl was also out-performing them. Still, Carl knew one trip to the hospital, and the Navy would retire him before he had the chance to reach his goal. “Sometimes I would come back from a run [during the evaluation period], and my articial leg would have a puddle of blood from my stump. I wouldn’t go to sick bay. In that year, if I had gone to sick bay, they would have written me up. “'I’d go somewhere and hide and soak my leg in a bucket of hot water with salt in it — an old remedy.” Then I’d get up the next morning and run.” (“Man of Honor: The US Navy’s 1st African American Master ...”) Finally, in 1968, Carl returned to diving. He was assigned to the Norfolk Naval Air Station. Brashear was named Senior Enlisted Diver, and division officer. He also had control of The Demonstration Flight Squadron—The Blue Angels. He controlled them from the water during the commissioning ceremony for the USS John F. Kennedy, an aircraft carrier.In 1970, Carl qualified as a saturation diver at the Naval Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU), but the best was yet to come. It was there that the moment Carl dreamed of took place. 22 years of blood, sweat, tears, setbacks, and loss of limb. Carl’s application for the Master Diver Evaluation course was approved; he was nally going to get his shot. The Master Diver Course is designed to be difficult. Master divers must know how to supervise and direct all phases of diving. They must know how to handle accidents. They are experts on all diving equipment; they are masters of diving techniques, and the physics of diving. During these tests, the evaluators purposely try to distract the divers, this helps to test their focus. The candidates, Carl’s fellow classmates, were called in front of the board on June 10th. Carl was the only one not called. Finally, Carl was called before the board. The commanding ofcer raved about Carl’s awless performance: “We vote you master.” Carl remembered the moment: “So [the evaluation board] called me in. They said, ‘Senior Chief Brashear, the master diver’s course does not give marks. Either you make it, or you don’t.’Then the CO said, ‘Let me tell you something. If there was a mark that we’d give, you made the highest mark of any man that ever come through this school to be evaluated for master. You did not make a mistake.'" (“Man of Honor: Making Master - U. S. Naval Undersea Museum”) For the next 9 years, Carl enjoyed his time as a master diver. There were days when he missed salvage work but found himself traveling often to investigate diving accidents He always cared about his divers and took their input seriously. Carl Brashear running with his prosthetic leg. Photo Courtesy of Phillip BrashearCarl Brashear demonstrating that he still has the ability to climb a ladder. Photo Courtesy of Phillip BrashearCarl Maxie Brashear - Momodu, S. (2020, March 08). (-2006). BlackPast.org. Carl Receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Medal post amputation. Photo Courtesy of Phillip Brashear34 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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By the time the 1970’s hit, Carl Brashear’s story was getting attention from journalists to television producers. Near the end of his career, Carl began to struggle with alcohol. He checked himself into a rehabilitation center and battled his addiction with the same intensity as he did to make Master Diver. While in recovery, Brashear decided it was time to retire. It was not an easy decision to make. Brashear had been in the Navy since he was 17, he was afraid of being in the outside world at 48 years of age. Finally, on April 1st, 1979, Carl received a sendoff t for a king. His ceremony was originally to be held aboard the USS Hoist, where he had his accident, but the venue had to be moved to an auditorium to accommodate the many people who showed up to pay their respects to Master Chief Carl Maxie Brashear, the man with an unbreakable will, who saw his dream and had the guts to go and get it.The Shield: “Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally associated with the Navy. Red denotes fearlessness. The red fess is higher to signify determination of Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Brashear to triumph over racial prejudice to become the rst African American deep-sea diver and the first certied and recertied amputee in the US Navy. The triangular gads, the heraldic symbols for steel, suggest the prow of a ship, denoting the three major vessels that MCBM Brashear served as a diver, early in his career – USSTRIPOLI(LPH 10), USSOPPORTUNE(ARS 41) and the USSHOIST(ARS 40). The sea lion with the separated caudal n represents his death defying courage to continue naval service as a diver, confronting all obstacles and after losing his left leg during the mission to retrieve hydrogen bombs off the “coast of Palomares, Italy. The anchor symbolizes his persistence, nally in 1970, becoming the rst African American Master diver. The stars above the anchor is a modication of grade achieved during his naval career. The gold border honors Master Chief Brashear’s accomplishments. The Crest: The diver’s Mark V helmet bearing the shield memorializes Master Chief Brashear distinguished naval diving profession and acknowledges his struggles to become a diver and remain in the vocation. He was awarded the Navy-Marine Corp Medal for heroism during the Palomares incident, illustrated by the colors of the shield."Source: https://www.navysite.de/ake/ake7.htmCarl Brashear posing with the MK V Diving Helmet.Photo Credit: The LaRue County Herald News - laruecountyherald.com

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36 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022IWO JIMA: Sulfur,Sand,& SacrificeFebruary 19th, 1945, US Forces launched the invasion of Iwo Jima during Operation Detachment. 660 miles from Tokyo, Iwo Jima is positioned similarly to the city as Bermuda to Washington DC. Intense naval and aerial bombardment was expected to take a major toll on Japanese forces holding the volcanic island. 70,000 Marines under command of General Holland Smith would soon find that gaining a foothold on the slippery, loose, black sandy beaches would be even bloodier than the past invasion of Saipan. Holland grew up in Alabama and his father practiced law and served in the state legislature. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in law. 21,000 Japanese troops under command of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi had fortied the island for over a year and created caves in the sides of Mt. Suribachi. Tadamichi was of the 5th generations of samurai that served under the emperor and had studied at Harvard University. Fighting positions around the island were used to inict maximum damage on the invaders as opposed to banzai charges that were less effective. Japanese submarines and aircraft had spotted the approaching eet and knew the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine divisions were preparing to engage them in battle. US forces anticipated that Iwo Jima had 13,000 defenders and that the island would fall within 72 hours. Predecessors of the Navy Seals, 100 volunteer sailors assigned to underwater demolitions teams had probed the beach and helped clear mines days in advance of the invasion. Not long after Marines and Sailors hit the beach had the defenders opened with artillery, mortars, and machinegun re. Sergeant Ross Gray cleared a path through a mineeld while under enemy re. Volunteering to assault multiple pillbox machine gun positions, Gray singlehandedly advanced on and withdrew from 6 enemy positions destroying each with explosive satchels. Sergeant Gray’s bravery and selflessness earned him the Medal of Honor and undoubtedly saved the lives of Marines in his unit. Even with the exemplary courage of many Marines fighting on the island, the fantasy of achieving victory in 3 days had long dissolved. From the beaches through the airelds and a final victory on March 26th, Marines grinded their way inch by inch against an enemy determined to inict maximum casualties with no capacity of retreating. The Marine Corps would see almost one third of their losses in WWII on Iwo Jima of the over twenty-four thousand Marines Killed in Action in the War. Iwo Jima served as an emergency landing site for more than 2,200 B-29 bombers saving the lives of 24,000 U.S. airmen. This site also allowed for B29 Bombers to have fighter escorts when attacking Japan. Kuribayashi was assumed killed in action on March 26th, 1945, the last day of battle. In his farewell poem General Kuribayashi wrote, “Unable to complete this heavy task for our country, arrows and bullets all spent, so sad we fall.” Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded during the battle, more than any other battle in US history. 'Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.'” - Admiral NimitzLt. Gen. Holland M. Smith, commander of the expeditionary troops in the Iwo Jima operation, and his chief of staff, Col. Dudley S. Brown, survey the bogged-down, surf-battered wreckage that marked the landing of the Marines on Iwo Jima. While Navy Adm. Chester W. Nimitz thought Iwo Jima would be taken without a fight, Smith feared the Marines would take up to 15,000 casualties. The reality was far worse. U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTOSgt. Ross F. Gray, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and self-sacrice. by Eric Sowers

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Justin Stieglitz is as patriotic as you can get as an American. Not willing to sit on the sidelines and watch others making a difference in his commu-nity and for our country, he’s one to take on more than his fair share of responsibility. Rooted in his great love of America, he has always had great respect for the men and women who joined the military to maintain the freedoms we all enjoy every day. Justin felt that if he was going to benet from their sacrice, he should contribute so that future generations could enjoy the same benets that he had and continues to value today. So, Justin took the initia-tive to join the Army to do his part. After enlisting as a Private in the Army Reserves in 1993, he joined ROTC at the University of Georgia and was commissioned as a Regular Army Second Lieutenant in Field Artillery in 1996. Justin was stationed at the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division in Ft. Campbell, KY. He excelled in every position that he served while on Active Duty until 2000 and transitioned out of Active Duty after achieving the rank of Captain. But that wasn’t enough. Still compelled to serve our country, Justin went into the Inactive Reserves. However, in 2004 he was pulled back into Active Reserves serving as a Psycholog-ical Operations Ofcer. Justin was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and served in various command and staff positions up to Brigade Commander as a PSYOP ofcer. Ultimately, Justin would retire as a Colonel in 2020. While continuing in the Army Reserves, Justin successfully transitioned into the civilian sector holding several positions in medical sales and then in operations/management in a food manufacturing company. Not satised with his military and professional successes, Justin set his mind to pursue the quintessential American Dream of owning his own business. After all, being his own boss and owning his own business has always been a desire of his. Having the confi-dence from already achieving a very successful military and corporate career, he took the big leap in 2021 to invest further into his future. After leaving his corporate job, Justin pursued franchise ownership and decided to buy four Koala Insulation terri-tories in the northeast OH area (Koala Insula-tion of Summit). In this role, Justin not only creates jobs for his community but helps businesses and homeowners achieve greater comfort, reduce energy expenses, and reduce the negative impact on the environment by reducing their energy consumption. Justin is once again taking the initia-tive to achieve a new level of success as well as take an active role to better his community.FROM ARMY COLONEL TO CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRYWhy are Veterans Why are Veterans Selecting Franchises?Selecting Franchises?• • Proven track recordProven track record• • Less riskLess risk• • Established infrastructure Established infrastructure • • Full operating proceduresFull operating procedures• • Comprehensive training and Comprehensive training and ongoing support ongoing support • • Brand awarenessBrand awareness• • Experienced leadership teamExperienced leadership team• • Marketing resourcesMarketing resources• • Easier fundingEasier fundingWhy are Veterans Why are Veterans Selecting Franchises?Selecting Franchises?• • Proven track recordProven track record• • Less riskLess risk• • Established infrastructure Established infrastructure • • Full operating proceduresFull operating procedures• • Comprehensive training and Comprehensive training and ongoing support ongoing support • • Brand awarenessBrand awareness• • Experienced leadership teamExperienced leadership team• • Marketing resourcesMarketing resources• • Easier fundingEasier fundingIrving Chung is a franchise consultant with FranChoice. He is also the Director of Entrepreneurship and Board Member at the Dallas/Fort Worth Veterans Chamber of Commerce.To learn more, contact Irving for a free consultation.Irving ChungFranChoice Franchise Consultantichung@franchoice.com(214) 908-9791bigconsideration.comJUSTIN STIEGLITZColonel, US ArmySpring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 37Lt. Gen. Holland M. Smith, commander of the expeditionary troops in the Iwo Jima operation, and his chief of staff, Col. Dudley S. Brown, survey the bogged-down, surf-battered wreckage that marked the landing of the Marines on Iwo Jima. While Navy Adm. Chester W. Nimitz thought Iwo Jima would be taken without a fight, Smith feared the Marines would take up to 15,000 casualties. The reality was far worse. U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTO

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38 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022Washington at Constitutional Convention of 1787, signing of U.S. Constitution. (1856)Painting by: Junius Brutus Stearns - Public DomainWhen we think of the qualities an elected President When we think of the qualities an elected President should have, we often have differing opinions on what should have, we often have differing opinions on what those characteristics should be. those characteristics should be. Since our Republic-based government was designed, Since our Republic-based government was designed, citizens have been vocal and opinionated about their citizens have been vocal and opinionated about their choice of leader. We are just as outspoken as ever, but choice of leader. We are just as outspoken as ever, but the divide between Presidential supporters and critics the divide between Presidential supporters and critics is seemingly becoming deeper and more rigid. is seemingly becoming deeper and more rigid. So, instead of taking the easy route and spouting So, instead of taking the easy route and spouting empty opinions like many followers do in today’s empty opinions like many followers do in today’s media-driven world, we should take a hard look at media-driven world, we should take a hard look at what the Executive ofce was designed to do to help what the Executive ofce was designed to do to help us determine who deserves its seat.us determine who deserves its seat.The Pew Research Center conducted a poll in 2018 to see The Pew Research Center conducted a poll in 2018 to see how Americans felt about their democracy. About one how Americans felt about their democracy. About one third of polled members said that “’who the president third of polled members said that “’who the president is’ makes a big difference in their lives,” affecting not is’ makes a big difference in their lives,” affecting not only diplomacy and policy, but also the mood of the only diplomacy and policy, but also the mood of the country. At the same time, 76% agreed that “it would country. At the same time, 76% agreed that “it would be ‘too risky’ to give presidents more power to deal be ‘too risky’ to give presidents more power to deal directly with the nation’s problems.” Those same directly with the nation’s problems.” Those same opinions aren’t too different from what the Founding opinions aren’t too different from what the Founding Fathers argued about when writing the Constitution and Fathers argued about when writing the Constitution and building our government.building our government.As they drafted the Constitution, Federalists were in favor As they drafted the Constitution, Federalists were in favor of a Presidential head. They pointed out the need for an of a Presidential head. They pointed out the need for an executive to enforce domestic and foreign policy, citing executive to enforce domestic and foreign policy, citing the checks and balances system as the way to ensure the the checks and balances system as the way to ensure the leader did not get too power hungry. Accountable in leader did not get too power hungry. Accountable in every way, he could simply be reelected if he did not meet every way, he could simply be reelected if he did not meet the needs of the nation or impeached if he did any wrong. the needs of the nation or impeached if he did any wrong. His power would be limited, but impactful.His power would be limited, but impactful.The Antifederalists understandably feared a new The Antifederalists understandably feared a new monarchy developing in the United States. They thought monarchy developing in the United States. They thought it would be all too easy for the President to abuse his it would be all too easy for the President to abuse his power and saw loopholes in the Constitution for the power and saw loopholes in the Constitution for the position to be corrupted. Patrick Henry implored the position to be corrupted. Patrick Henry implored the Convention in 1788 to consider that if the “American Convention in 1788 to consider that if the “American chief, be a man of ambition, and abilities, how easy is it chief, be a man of ambition, and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute.” He believed that with for him to render himself absolute.” He believed that with an unchecked President, we were setting ourselves up for an unchecked President, we were setting ourselves up for a new, despotic King.a new, despotic King.These two groups argued and fought to discern what our These two groups argued and fought to discern what our By Shannon Robinson - Head Staff WriterThe Precedent of an American PresidentThe Precedent of an American President

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Commander in Chief should look like—a leader, who guides Commander in Chief should look like—a leader, who guides with wisdom in policy, but has a restrained place amongst the with wisdom in policy, but has a restrained place amongst the lawmakers and judges; he has more power than a gurehead, but lawmakers and judges; he has more power than a gurehead, but less threatening strength than a king. less threatening strength than a king. However, Henry pointed out something else in his address that However, Henry pointed out something else in his address that resonated with me. He describes how fundamentally awed it resonated with me. He describes how fundamentally awed it is if a functional government is based on “the supposition that is if a functional government is based on “the supposition that (y)our American Governors shall be honest.” Blind faith in this (y)our American Governors shall be honest.” Blind faith in this assumption inevitably leads to “the consequent loss of liberty.” assumption inevitably leads to “the consequent loss of liberty.” We must always question and push for truth behind our leaders’ We must always question and push for truth behind our leaders’ actions. We must disregard the novelty of media hype and avoid actions. We must disregard the novelty of media hype and avoid the trap of blind faith. Because even if we have ultimate trust in the trap of blind faith. Because even if we have ultimate trust in our Commander in Chief, it is foolish to assume he always acts our Commander in Chief, it is foolish to assume he always acts altruistically and transparently. altruistically and transparently. I encourage you, reader, in a world so often crowded with I encourage you, reader, in a world so often crowded with sensational noise, to put purpose behind your opinions. Then, sensational noise, to put purpose behind your opinions. Then, take the bold steps forward in action to be the same kind of leader take the bold steps forward in action to be the same kind of leader you wish to see in your President. It is then that we begin to you wish to see in your President. It is then that we begin to shift the fabric of our society bit by bit to shape its legacy as our shift the fabric of our society bit by bit to shape its legacy as our forefathers intended.forefathers intended.* Historical information was researched from the documents provided * Historical information was researched from the documents provided at the University of Wisconsin—Madison’s Center for the Study of the at the University of Wisconsin—Madison’s Center for the Study of the American Constitution.American Constitution."The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity."PresidentPresidentDwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerAMERICAN OWNED AND OPERATED COFFEE ROASTER OFFERING HAND CRAFTED, GREAT TASTING "ROAST TO ORDER" COFFEE ALONG WITH AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE.COFFEE | SUBSCRIPTIONS | GEAR | APPARELFULLMETALJAVA.COMinfo@fullmetaljava.comDICOUNT CODE: ATEASE10TRY OUR MOST POPULAR ROASTS!

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I Remember When...I Remember When...As a student teacher at Worcester State Teacher’s College in Worcester, Massachusetts, I was required to do some “live teaching."This was my time to get my feet wet, learn how to present material, what to present and how to get and keep my audience interested while they learned from someone who was also learning. I also had to get used to being under the watchful eyes of teaching professors who would monitor and grade my performance. One such professor was John Sullivan. He was a very nice gentleman but I could tell he knew his stuff and that I was going to be held to a high standard in his class. Professor Sullivan lived a bit further out from the college than I did but still enroute. He offered to stop by and give me a ride once in awhile. There I was in the backseat of his brand new Edsel, a tall thin hopeful with his large black valise lled with all the paraphernalia needed for my day of teaching. Boy was I scared; hopeful, but scared. Then the big day came. I was approved to move on to the real world.I could not have been more proud as I received my degree, a BS in Education, and at the top of my graduating class, besides. Well, actually, I was first in the graduation line. Being President of my class, I was required to make a speech. I was a bit nervous because I wanted to impress my parents who were in the audience. I was given the privilege of going rst to receive my degree. Worcester State was the rst college, that I am aware of, to introduce the process of handing out a diploma and performing a military induction ceremony at the same time.Upon receiving my degree, I returned to my proper place and waited for the end of my class to complete its walk across the stage. Once my classmates had returned to their seats, I removed my cap and gown. I placed my degree on my seat and straightened my Marine Corps summer dress uniform complete with Second Lieutenant’s gold bars on my shoulders, sharpshooter rifle and expert pistol badges over my breast pocket. I was given the signal to march to the center of the stage. There, I was sworn into the United States Marine Corps by one of our professor. His name was John Sullivan. Yes, the same Professor John Sullivan who had been overseeing my student teaching. He just happened to be a Commander in the United States Naval Reserve. What an absolutely outstanding, fantastic feeling. I had arrived! I completed a daunting task by graduating from college. I will forever owe Worcester State Teachers College a debt of gratitude. It was unbelievable. Think of it. I was a college grad AND a Marine Corps Ofcer. WSTC will always remain in my heart, and I will be a Marine forever! I knew how lucky I was.A week or so after graduating from Worcester State, I traveled to Quantico, VA and began my Ofcer Basic School (OBS). In spite of a few academic problems, it was an outstanding time for me. From Cap & Gown to Esprit de Corpsby Paul Sullivan, Ret. Captain, USMC40 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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God only knows how much I learned and how much I matured as well. This time was used to develop leadership skills, teaching skills and numerous military tactics and strategies. Each arrow in my quiver would prepare me for my job of molding young men, not much older than myself, to defend our country and to face whoever our enemy might be.Talk about pride!! The uniform, the camaraderie and the gung ho attitude, the profound feelings of brotherhood and loyalty, and the Esprit de Corps that make up the heart and soul of a Marine is what I felt, I still do. “Once a Marine, always a Marine”. Oorah! A classmate of mine, Ben V, also received his BS that day and was also sworn into the USMC by the same Commander. Ben went on to the USMC Air Wing. The last I heard of Ben, he was a lawyer in Texas. I’m still trying to find my OBS graduation group photo so I can post it on my page on the Together We Served Website. So far, no luck.I spent approximately eight months in OBS, 4th Basic Class June 1957 to April 1958 in Quantico. It was a tough but good experience in preparation to do all that I could do for God and country, and of course, my Marine Corps. Paul Sullivan, Ret. Captain, USMC resides in Massachusetts with his wife Beverly. *Waived $1440.00 lender fee available for VA loans that have a triggered RESPA app date as of January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022 at 11:59pm EST. This offer does not extend to Housing Finance Agency loans. ‘Triggered RESPA’ in accordance with Regulation X, is defined as lender receipt of all six pieces of information received in a secure format; applicant name, property address, home value, loan amount, income and SSN. Not all borrowers will be approved. Borrower’s interest rate will depend upon the specific characteristics of borrower’s loan transaction, credit profile and other criteria.Offer not available from any d/b/a or operations that do not operate under the Guaranteed Rate name. Restrictions apply.**Using funds from a Cash-out Refinance to consolidate debt may result in the debt taking longer to pay off as it will be combined with borrower’s mortgage principle amount and will be paid off over the full loan term. Contact Guaranteed Rate for more information. Guaranteed Rate, Inc is a private corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. It has no affiliation with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Agriculture or any other government agency. (20220207-1070652)Contact me to learn more and save on your home financing today!Judd KearbyO: (940) 600-2398rate.com/juddkearbyjudd.kearby@rate.com8668 John Hickman Pkwy, Building 10, Suites 1001 Frisco, TX 75034VP of Mortgage LendingNMLS ID: 2230713, LO#: TX - Licensed Guaranteed Rate Inc.; NMLS #2611; For licensing information visit nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Conditions may apply TX - 3940 N Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60613, (866)-934-7283

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that is your inner being asking you to get into alignment. That is the right side of your brain trying to wake you up. It is constantly bothering you, making you feel uncomfortable about where you are in life.Joy: Nothing works unless you are willing to nd joy (contentment) in your life. When you are out of alignment with who you are, then your life is chaotic, and you are miserable. When you are in alignment with who you are, you are in harmony. If you are living in harmony then your life is peaceful, and you will nd the peace and joy you deserve. How do you accomplish this if the train you are in is going 80 miles per hour in the wrong direction? You work on it every day; you don’t give up, and you change how you feel for one second, one minute, and one hour at a time. Make it a game. Notice your feelings, gure out what you are feeling then ask yourself if you can change your feelings for 1 minute? Or for 1 hour? Regardless of what is showing up in your life, don’t blame other people for your feelings. Only you can give others the power to “make you angry, sad, disappointed etc.” You are in control of your feelings.Now please don’t think that your memories will go away or that you won’t have anxiety or panic attacks or that life will be absolutely perfect because it’s not. I still have bad days...I just move through all that faster, and I realize it’s temporary and it will pass. Certain memories will never leave you-it’s just a fact. You can have a peaceful life and a good life.You are deservingYou are deservingWhen you harmonize with your inner being you will be able to have the life you were meant to have. Heck, you are here on this planet, and you are alive for a reason. My purpose in life is to make a difference in people’s lives even if it’s one person at a time. Take the time to take the tiny little steps that it takes to change the direction of your train, and over time, you will see that things are changing. You begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Trust that you can do; this, trust that you are here for a reason. You still have a purpose, and you are not doing what you are meant to do if you are letting the left side of your brain control you.Be satised with the potential of things getting better over time. Be satised with taking tiny steps to get into alignment. Be satised with who you are right now. Be satised with the potential of your future. Be satised with the belief you are still here for a reason. Be satised with the knowledge that you are slowing down the train you are in. That tiny bit of satisfaction indicates your alignment-you can inuence your own life. Play the game of being satised and see what happens...Till next time...FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:By Cristie RemmelStep Into YourHappinessStep Into YourHappinessStep Into YourHappinessStep Into YourHappinessLesson 2: Being HappyLesson 2: Being HappyPart 2Part 2My disclaimer is that I am not a physician of any kind and what I write is from my own personal experience and point of view. Please seek professional help if you need to. The resources are there and yes; you are deserving. Your true power is the Your true power is the power to harmonize your power to harmonize your lifelifeThe three intentions for your life are: freedom, growth and joy. They are equally valued the same in your life. Can’t work on only one: it is a juggling act-gotta work on all three. Freedom: You are free to do whatever you choose to do in life. You are free to be lazy, productive, happy, sad, etc… you are free to attract things into your life or reject things in your life. You are free to feel good or not. You are free to think anything you want. Your freedom is absolute! You are so free that you make yourself your own slave to your own thoughts. You allow yourself to live in anger, you allow yourself to have anxiety and to let the crab bucket keep you in bondage. You allow the left side of your brain to be in control, to be the victim of your life experiences because you don’t know you are living unconsciously. Growth: Growth is a given because the contrast asks you to ask questions: why do I feel angry all the time? Why do I feel anxious? Why, why why...42 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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Landing back on the aircraft carrier after the intensity of a mission wasn’t always easy, and “there’s nothing scarier than landing aboard an aircraft carrier at night.” Once, a squadron mate hit the ramp in front of Wilcox. His plane slid right off the ship. “He died, and I still had to come aboard. It made you search your soul. While you’re out on the deck looking for debris, you ask yourself ‘how could this wonderful guy die and you have all these evil people still living.’ It’s one of the reasons I became a Christian.”Wilcox returned to the US in May of 1971. There wasn’t exactly a “ticker tape parade” to welcome returning military, but Mike said that he didn’t face the Anti-War movement as much as other military members. He deployed back to the West Pacic in 1972; by that time, the Paris Peace Accord had been signed, so he didn’t engage in any combat missions. In October of 1973, Mike was discharged from active duty and remained in the Navy Reserves for 15 years. Back home, Mike decided he wanted to attend Veterinary school at “Sacrifice & Dedication” continued from page 29EVERY VETERAN HAS A STORY TO TELL...LET US TELL YOUR STORY! Contact christine@devildocpublishing.com “A .50 Cal & A Piccilo” continued from page 26and sense of belonging that we were immersed in as we served with some of the most amazing people the world would know. Leaving military life after 8 years of service, I felt lost. I found myself endangering my life with risky behavior. Abandonment by those I thought loved me as a child meant leaving my Marine family triggered those emotions into resurfacing. I was again alone and unloved. One day while walking in front of moving vehicles, another veteran literally pulled me to the side. He told me about a place called the Vet Center that assists veterans and said I really need to go there and check it out. I was really nervous about how I would be accepted. What I discovered is that my trauma is not foreign to the combat veteran who experienced the worst of war. I learned it is better to seek help before you desperately need it. Together in group meetings, we aid each other in nding ways to mend what is torn and lay new paths forward in life. My brothers and sisters are from various specialties from all branches of the military. We eat together, have yet to shower together, but denitely go through hell together. I discovered my loving family amongst these disgruntled thrown away vets, and they’re a family worth living for. Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 43University of Phoenix recruiter. With his years of teaching experience and multiple degrees, the recruiter at the school called Jeff and said he’d be perfect for their communications department. The rest is history—Jeff has been teaching at the University of Phoenix since May 2003, and he is currently working on his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. Alongside teaching and research, Jeff is the CEO of Jeff Willie Leadership, an Executive Director of the John Maxwell Team (where he is a leadership consultant and leadership trainer), a motivational speaker, a speech and life coach, a conict resolution trainer, a “A Man of Honor & Resolve” continued from page 26diversity/equity/inclusion trainer, and a DISC Behavior Analysis consultant. His one leadership tip that applies to everyone is “learn to lead yourself well.” No matter where you are in the chain of command, if you can lead yourself, you will make a difference in your life and the lives of others.Jeff Willie can only be described as a man of action and resolve—a true leader. Every “NO” he has received in his life simply means “New Opportunity.” There will always be naysayers and challenges, but Jeff Willie simply works harder, learns more, and nds a way to succeed.Oklahoma State University; however, the process was very political, and the networking bureaucracy turned him away from the career. So, Wilcox got his Master’s in Chemical Engineering instead. He pursued a career in Oil and Gas, which took him to Texas, Alaska, and Indonesia. Mike remained in the Reserves until he was in Alaska, where he retired as a Commander O5.“I really enjoyed the Navy. It was a wonderful experience for me,” Mike said of his 20-year military career. The Navy took him across the world and introduced him to people from every corner of the United States. “I don’t want to do it again, but I’m glad I did do it.”

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44 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022Today my porcelain doll will cease to exist in the human form, in my mind she will live forever. She will remind me for the rest of my life that by my hand or by those I command, she will no longer exist for I am the Angel of Death. I will not use my staff, no not today, today I will use the evil weapon that shoots out a re of hot steal. This evil weapon that only mankind can make, spits out hot lead at a cyclic rate not ever seen before. My porcelain doll, come to me!Downtown Baghdad check point DELTA is in the midst of being removed. It’s blazing hot, soon the sun will go down and we will get some much-needed relief from the heat. It’s about 4:00 pm on day 20 of the invasion of Iraq. In seconds the quiet turns into chaos, Marines are yelling out, trying to get a small white car to stop. They yell back to warn the Marines behind them, CAR BOMB, CAR BOMB! Interpreters are yelling in Farsi. They too are trying to get the driver in the vehicle to heed the warnings to stop or they will be shot. In an instant gun re erupts, I hear the fty-caliber machine gun open up. The fty-caliber machine gunner hits the vehicles engine block and instantly the vehicle stops. Other Marines have red at the vehicle as well pop, pop, pop as the Marines pull the triggers on their M-16s. Wow fucking Baghdad we made it. Now as the white vehicle was slowly approaching the Marine check point, we lookrd and then as our minds start to kick into high gear, I begin to think. I yell to myself go, go, go, as we run to the oncoming vehicle. My heart is racing like it is going to jump out of my chest. Fuck! Another fucking car bomb fuck (The combat load that my Marines and I have been carrying for weeks now don’t seem as heavy as regular days, but then what the fuck is a regular day?). running towards the car, I’m yelling at myself “pull the trigger, pull the trigger, pull the goddamn trigger you dumb fuck!” Then I pulled the trigger, and I knew at that time my life will never be the same. She wasn’t the rst person I killed but she was my last. The entire reaction to the car bomb is basic. Immediate Action (IA) is based on previous car bombs on our nice little stroll to Baghdad. The decision re is made in a split second. I’m constantly looking, looking for the day that I will nd the release of this excruciating pain. The screaming (in my head) that sound, that God awful sound, please make them stop screaming. The darkness and wickedness of death has returned. Almost in a ash I’m back to day one. The ght begins for Baghdad. As we wait for our turn in the shoot, the air is lled the sounds of gun re. Even in combat you can make out the difference in the types of weapons being red. Even though the air is lled with the smell of gun powder, there is the smell of death. Death is not only ugly but the smell and the look on the nameless and faceless, now forever chiseled in my brain and in my senses. As we run to the vehicle with our weapons up at the ready, the smoke starts to clear. We cautiously approach the vehicle, (maybe another car bomb) from the passenger side I see an elderly the man (turns out to be the father), he is wounded but he is worried about his daughter. I look across to her and its then that I see what I will for the rest of my life the call the “porcelain doll”. I stare at her face, its perfect, but because she was hit with gun re on the right side of her face it appears as if her face has moved forward no more than one inch. There isn’t any blood, anything, just an empty space, and her face perfect ct in every way possible. Her eyes are open staring forward with a look of shock. Her mouth slightly open. As Porcelain DollPorcelain DollMY NIGHTMAREBy Ret. Sgt. Major Gregory Leal, USMCDisclaimer: Content in the following article may be distressing to our readers with PTSD. Proceed with caution/support"I REMEMBER THAT DAY, MY LAST DAY."

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we make our way to her side of the car, everything that was in her head had sprayed out though her blown out window, and when I say everything, I mean everything.The images of the bullets hitting her skull run though my mind rst hit second hit third thump, thump, thump. The shear impact of the third just as devastating as the rst. When the rst round hits her skull, I can see in slow motion as on the other side of the car the rst round exits her skull with it comes blood, brain matter, bone hitting the glass all of this coming out in a blood red spray, and as if that isn’t enough, it happens two maybe three more times. What I can’t gure out is how the rounds are lined up. The car was moving fast, she died that day and so did I. There was such emptiness inside me, nothing, death has reached inside me and took my very soul. But this wasn’t the rst time I felt like I had died, but it would be the last time. The blood bath in Nasiriyah was the rst time, that too set deep inside me, waiting to come out and hit me like a sledgehammer. Years later I gave Elena (my wife) a set of porcelain face mask (Known as the comedy and tragedy mask). She thought it to be an odd gift and it was. It wasn’t until I told her this story that she connected the dots. The comedy represented the dead woman’s life before we killed her, and tragedy was her death. Years later I was painting my daughters’ room with a paint sprayer, she wanted it red. After a few minutes of using the paint sprayer a mist began to form. It was at that time the images of the porcelain doll came back and I remember the vision of the woman in the car getting hit and the spray of her blood coming from her side of the car, I can hear the sharp breaking sound of glass, I feel the recoil of the rie into my shoulder ring! ring! ring! At the vehicle and I don’t know why I would feel this because I am not the one who shot at the vehicle. That day I was carrying a benally shot gun just as I had on most days. I stopped painting and ran outside. I died again. What makes this event worse, her father when asked why they didn’t stop he says, it’s because they were afraid that they would get into trouble because they had stolen some items that meant nothing. The Regiment had just made it to Baghdad, and we had received no word on what to do with looters. There was nothing in the ROE (rules of engagement) that said what to do with looters. As far as we are concerned the Iraqi people can take what they want. They have been denied just the basics. For the rest of my fucking life, I will pay for wanting to be that guy, the guy who has seen it all and done it all. My wish has been fulllled and I will remember for every second of every hour of every day for the rest of my fucking life that I am the angel of death! When Cpl, Foy and Sgt Lunsford got to the site she was already dead.After years of having this event spinning in my head like a movie that was in loop and constantly playing and blaming myself for her death. It nally hit me. I took the blame of her death, because it was my Marines that killed her. She died by the hand that I command. Editor’s Note – This story was used with permission by the author, Gregory Leal. Copyright 2022 © Amongst Warriors | Gregory Leal. Copy and/or reproduction in any form is unauthorized.Sgt. Maj. Gregory Leal was born and raised in Abilene, Texas and enlisted in the Marine Corps May of 1976. After completing Communications School at Twenty-Nine Palms, Pvt. Leal reported to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. Just three years later, after a deployment to Okinawa Japan, now a Sergeant, Leal returned to MCRD San Diego First Battalion as a Drill Instructor from 1979 - 1981. In 1982, Staff Sgt. Leal reported for duty as an Instructor to Communications Electronic School, Twenty-Nine Palms. From 1983 to 1985, Staff Sgt. Leal Reported back to MCRD San Diego, as a drill instructor, senior drill instructor and series chief drill instructor for First Battalion, Alpha Company. Staff Sgt, Leal was meritoriously promoted to Gunnery Sergeant, and completed his tour as the standard operating procedure instructor and physical training instructor at Drill Instructor School in January 1987. Over the course of his exemplary Marine Corps Career, Sgt. Maj. Leal participated in Operations: Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Joint Task Force-6 Counter Drug Operations, Anvil 2, Desert Fox, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. His personal awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Combat “V” Device, Meritorious Service Medal, with one gold star, the Navy Achievement Medals with two gold stars and the Combat Action Ribbon. He currently holds a 2nd-degree black belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.Sgt. Maj. Leal is married to the former Elena Hernandez of San Diego. They have two daughters: Monica and Sonia.Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 45When I get to Heaven, to Saint Peter I will say, 'One more Marine reporting; I've spent my time in Hell.'

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SPEAKING THE UNSPOKENAccording to the Department of Veteran Affairs a staggering one in three female veterans as well as one in fty male veterans report incidents of Military Sexual Trauma.Likewise, MST is loosely dened as “any sexual activity you are involved with that does not include your consent.” (Military Sexual Trauma Fact Sheet, VA May 2021). This is an issue that has plagued every branch of the US Military and continues to do so, and most unfortunately, many, if not most occurrences of MST go unreported due to the prevailing climate and culture of the military regarding sexuality and gender.Veterans2Veterans Group has been fortunate enough to work with survivors of MST on multiple occasions and has decided to establish a program named ODNEC, Opportunity Does Not Equal Consent, to address survivors of MST and ways in which we may be able to obtain assistance for them. The program’s name was developed by our very rst MST client, Jami. Jami came to us for assistance on Christmas Eve of 2020 after her and her family just arrived to the area from California. The assistance she needed did not involve Military Sexual Trauma; we only later learned she was a survivor of that crime. However, she quickly became established as a client and a friend. Eventually she opened up about her experience. It was shocking and eye-opening for us to be sure. I remember sitting in stunned silence as she recounted her experiences both during the occurrence(s) of MST as well as the extensive, and varied, trouble she had trying to obtain help after the assault. We knew we had to do something to help if even in a small way, to light a re in our area agencies to assist these folks in getting help and, with the establishment of ODNEC, provide a safe place to bring survivors together.Jami was totally on board and agreed to run the program, which is currently in its infancy. She knows rst hand how life-changing MST can be to a person. In fact, she tells us she suffers the consequences of the attacks to this day. Some of the residual effects of the assaults include the development of PTSD and serious anxiety around men who bear physical resemblance to her attacker. Likewise, she is situationally apprehensive as well and will even have a physiological response to men in uniform putting hands on her even if they are trying to help.As a strong woman and proud veteran, this is very humiliating to her, but she cannot help the response. So, she takes steps to try to mitigate them. Breathing exercises, meditation, medication, and more are all ways she attempts to cope with the effects of her assault. However, one of the issues that angers her the most is the lackluster response the military has when incidents of Military Sexual Trauma are reported and then, when it is taken seriously, the likewise lukewarm availability of assistance that is offered. The civilian world may be better, but not by much. There is a shame surrounding MST and its survivors that must be addressed and shattered. Our program at ODNEC, headed by Jami, aims to do that. Survivors must know it’s not their fault. They must absolutely know they are the victim of a crime, and they did not “ask” for it or secretly “like” it. There is no shame in seeking help, and there is no shame in advocating for fellow survivors. Please understand that you, wherever you are, are not alone. You are loved, you are not powerless, you are not voiceless. We see you. We hear you. We will do our best to help you or get you in touch with folks who can. Please reach out to us at Veterans2VeteransGroup@Gmail.com or nd us on Facebook or even look up our ODNEC program, also on Facebook. You are not alone, not anymore.Written by: Eric McNail46 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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Winter 2021 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 4726 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine| 8620 US-377 #300 | PILOT POINT, TX 76258 | (214) 529-5338 | |TKMTX.COM | FB: @| 8620 US-377 #300 | PILOT POINT, TX 76258 | (214) 529-5338 | |TKMTX.COM | FB: @AUBREYTXKRAVMAGAFITNESS |AUBREYTXKRAVMAGAFITNESS |Taccal Krav Maga (pronounced “krahv mahGAH”), meaning Taccal Krav Maga (pronounced “krahv mahGAH”), meaning “Contact Combat,” is a highly eecve, modern, and dynamic self-“Contact Combat,” is a highly eecve, modern, and dynamic self-defense and ghng system that was developed for the Israeli defense and ghng system that was developed for the Israeli Military. Since 1948, the IDF and Israeli Special Forces have Military. Since 1948, the IDF and Israeli Special Forces have used KRAV MAGA as a method to teach an eecve means of used KRAV MAGA as a method to teach an eecve means of realisc ghng and defensive taccs QUICKLY, to both men realisc ghng and defensive taccs QUICKLY, to both men and women who are required to serve in the military at the age and women who are required to serve in the military at the age of 18.of 18.The techniques of KRAV MAGA are based on your natural insncve The techniques of KRAV MAGA are based on your natural insncve reacons and responses in stressful aack situaons to develop skills reacons and responses in stressful aack situaons to develop skills rapidly and eecvely while enabling rapidly and eecvely while enabling you to address ‘Real World’ aacks you to address ‘Real World’ aacks under any scenario. under any scenario. Designed to be very praccal, KRAV Designed to be very praccal, KRAV MAGA is intuive and easy to learn MAGA is intuive and easy to learn for people of any age, shape, or size. for people of any age, shape, or size. You will learn how to defend yourself You will learn how to defend yourself and your loved ones while gaining and your loved ones while gaining increased awareness, insncve increased awareness, insncve reexes, improving your condence, reexes, improving your condence, and developing your overall health & and developing your overall health & wellness!wellness!“I lost 38 pounds in under 2 months. The training is something that is “I lost 38 pounds in under 2 months. The training is something that is much needed today, and it’s a blast so it keeps me coming back!” much needed today, and it’s a blast so it keeps me coming back!” Ma K. Denton, TXMa K. Denton, TX** NOW OFFERING VIRTUAL CLASSES **** NOW OFFERING VIRTUAL CLASSES **< Scan the QR Code to nd out more …< Scan the QR Code to nd out more …KRAV MAGAKRAV MAGA** IN PERSON** IN PERSON OROR VIRTUAL CLASSES **VIRTUAL CLASSES **

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On November 17, 2021, Lance Corporal Jordan Dedo received his discharge from the United States Marine Corps. But instead of it being a time of anticipation and moving forward after his service in the Corps, it was the beginning of a new battle for LCpl Dedo. Why? Because Jordan Dedo was discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination. As Veterans, we all can recall lining up in boot camp, holding our breath and getting shot with air guns lled with vaccines and God only knows what else. It was a part of the program. We were technically government property and we accepted that as part of our service. However, there were medical and religious exemptions allowed and those recruits stood off to the side while the rest of us received the ‘secret sauce.’VACCINE ETHICSDr. Robert Malone, physician and inventor of the mRNA vaccine technology, warns that new data is now showing that the COVID vaccines are causing antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). He also stated in an interview with The Epoch Times in January of 2022, “The masses formed around the idea that the vaccines are going to magically relieve them of this problem, which is infection of SARS Covid 2. The Government is not allowing the true data on risk to be distributed.” Dr. Malone went on to state, “there is no licensed vaccine (for Covid-19) in the United States, it is all emergency use authorization (or EUA).” This means that all COVID-19 vaccines are still in the experimental and clinical stage of research. The Nuremberg Code and Helsinki Accord says you cannot mandate that someone accept an experimental medical product without full informed consent and willing acceptance of the risks and to do so completely goes against Bioethics. The Nuremberg Military Tribunal’s decision in the case of the United States v Karl Brandt et al. includes what is now called the Nuremberg Code, a ten point statement delimiting permissible medical experimentation on human subjects. According to this statement, humane experimentation is justied only if its results benet society, and it is carried out in accord with basic principles that “satisfy moral, ethical, and legal concepts.”1The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, 1 –“Permissible Medical Experiments.” Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10. Nuremberg October 1946 – April 1949, Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office (n.d.), vol. 2., pp. 181-182.By Christine WalkerREGARDED AS THE ADVERSARY WITHIN48 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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offense. He is disqualied from ever serving in the Military again and the cherry on top, they took away his GI Bill and all the money he had paid into it during his service in the Corps. All of this punitive damage to an otherwise exemplary Marine for simply for not wanting to be coerced into taking an experimental vaccine? What in the hell is really going on? ADAPT & OVERCOMELCpl Jordan Dedo may be down, but he is certainly not out. As all Marines know, it’s time to adapt and overcome, and that is exactly what he is doing. Jordan has made it his mission to speak out about what is really going on within our Military. “The woke influence in the Marine Corps is demoralizing our most intense fighting force. We are setting up our young Marines to be victims of the brutality of our enemies by coddling them. I have watched guys get NJP’d just for a damn st ght. I had superiors above me who are hard charging, but the ones sending down the orders, they are killing the Corps,” Jordan said.….Meanwhile, a case brought to Federal Court by 26 Navy Seals received a ‘stay’ in January 2022.“The Navy servicemembers in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacriced so much to protect,” U.S. Judge Reed O’Connor, a George W. Bush nominee, said in his order on Monday. “The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms. There is no COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment. There is no military exclusion from our Constitution.”33 https://www.theepochtimes.com/federal-court-grants-navy-seals-temporary-injunction-in-lawsuit-over-covid-19-vaccine-mandate_4191743.html?utm_source=ai&utm_medium=searchSpring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 49or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion, and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. This latter element requires that before the acceptance of an afrmative decision by the experimental subject there should be made known to him the nature, duration, and purpose of the experiment; the method and means by which it is to be conducted; all inconveniences and hazards reasonably to be expected; and the effects upon his health or person which may possibly come from his participation in the experiment. According to the Helsinki Accord, adopted by the World Medical Association, items 7 & 8 are as follows: 7. Medical research is subject to ethical standards that promote and ensure respect for all human subjects and protect their health and rights.8. While the primary purpose of medical research is to generate new knowledge, this goal can never take precedence over the rights and interests of individual research subjects.2CHOOSE THIS DAY…Stationed at Camp Pendleton in the 1st Transportation Battalion, LCpl Dedo loved the Corps and adored his brothers and sisters. He honestly thought he might make a career in the Marine Corps. All that changed last August when the Biden Administration issued the sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandates within the DOD. So why then did Jordan refuse the C-19 vaccine? “It’s not about the vaccine, its about the forced mandate with something that is barely effective,” Jordan said. LCpl Dedo did 2 https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/his research, and what he found gave him the courage to stand his ground, even if that meant being forcibly discharged from the Marine Corps. THE LONELY ROAD With the wheels in motion, it started with a brief from the Battalion Commander issuing a verbal warning that the vaccine was required. Still standing his ground, Dedo was then required to sign a page 11 and ‘Non-Req’, a document that states a Marine would not be eligible for promotion. Several days later, Jordan met with the Battalion Commander who issued a 6105, giving him 5 days to x the discrepancies. If he and the others still refused the vaccine, administrative separation would begin immediately. Some of the men had led exemptions either for religious or medical reasons, but Jordan said “in October a MarAdmin came down and it stated that no matter whether you claim a religious exemption or medical exemption, they were to be denied, and the individual was to be administratively discharged via involuntary separation.”Jordan stood strong in his convictions, but “It was a lonely journey. I was ostracized from my brothers,” he said. As his discharge progressed, there was more punitive salt to be poured into this open wound… Jordan was ordered to turn in his uniforms. All of them! The uniforms that he not only bought and paid for, but more importantly, the uniforms he earned as a Marine! Jordan contacted a JAG Lawyer, and they spoke to MLG (Marine Logistic Group). MLG said "do not turn in any of your uniforms," yet the next day, MLG sent down an order that yes, in fact, all uniforms must be turned in. The nal nail in the cofn came on November 17th, when Jordan was told he would receive a General Discharge under Honorable conditions, yet the separation code on his DD-214 is designated as JKQ1, or Misconduct under the auspice of Commission of a Serious AT EASE! Veterans Magazine and it's publisher Devil Doc Publishing beleive that individuals have the right to medical freedom

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I have always appreciated the opportunity to meet the honorable men and women who have served our country. I love hearing and reading about their stories-the courage, bravery, and sacrice that they possess. It truly is an honor to serve those who have served our country. My grandfather was a World War II veteran who served in the Air Force, and being the quiet man that he was, he didn’t share many stories or insights from his experience in ghter planes. There was, however, always an unspoken sense of pride in our family owed to his contributions in keeping our land safe and helping sustain the freedoms that we enjoy.In my role as a physical therapist, I have had the privilege of helping individuals recover from various accidents, injuries, and disabilities that hindered their function, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Most of my practice focuses on helping patients enhance their health while addressing the normal physiological changes that occur as we age. The body is unique in that it often responds positively to the training that is applied to it.Socrates said, “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” One of the great benefits of exercise is protein retention in the muscle. This helps offset conditions such as weakness and debility. The bones also benet from exercise by demonstrating improved strength in their matrix. This strengthening helps to prevent or even reverse physical frailty which is often seen in conditions such as osteoporosis as well as fractures.Research has also shown that physical activity and exercise improve responses of the nervous system, including enhanced reactionary times and movement patterns.1 Our balance systems, including our vision, inner ear, and nervous system, are stimulated and help promote the stability our body needs to prevent falls and injuries from occurring. When the neuromuscular system (which includes the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and innervated muscles) is stimulated and trained by exercise, stability and safety are enhanced. The heart and lungs are also positively impacted by exercise. Many individuals can become less short of breath as they engage in aerobic, or endurance-related, physical activities. As tness increases, the body’s ability to effectively transport oxygen-rich blood throughout the body is enhanced. The lungs efciently exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen that binds to red blood cells. The heart pumps to foster this process and promote normal functioning levels. The heart and vascular system also become healthier as exercise is applied. For instance, research has shown individuals return to work earlier, have enhanced measures of quality of life and self-condence, as well as reduced levels of stress and anxiety. Dr. Johnathan Myers' research has revealed that consistent exercise and physical activity improves exercise tolerance, reduces in blood pressure, improves cholesterol (decreased “bad” [LDL and total] as well as improved “good” [HDL]) levels, and insulin sensitivity.2The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes or more of aerobic (endurance) moderate intensity exercise per week for adults. Moderate to high intensity muscle-strengthening activity can be added 2 or more days per week. The amount and intensity should be gradually increased over time.3 It is advised that individuals seek appropriate medical and/or exercise professionals to help set parameters for exercise, especially ENHANCING HEALTH THROUGH APPLIED TRAININGDr. Matthew Bonander, P.T., D.P.T. Dr. Matthew Bonander, P.T., D.P.T. Matthew Bonander, PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist and doctor of physical therapy in the Dallas area. He is the author of the book "Exercise, Health and Vitality." Dr. Bonander enjoys serving patients to help them optimize their health and quality of life. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. 50 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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ENHANCING HEALTH THROUGH APPLIED TRAININGCleanOn an island in a swamp,As I grew into a Marine,I was taught to always stand tallAnd to keep my honor clean.Our squad bay was spotless all the day,As we pushed dirty water out the door.We scuzzed the deck, killing every speckFor our country and our corps.Our drill instructors were crisp and sharpWith starched shirts and angelic voices.They were our conscience in the darknessIn times of challengingLest we make immoral choices.In war, we cleaned up each otherAfter being blasted across the land:A hand, a foot covered in soot,An honor so heavy some still can’t stand.Stand the memories of those we’ve lost,Who are buried deep within our souls,And family lost in lives we tossedWhile digging our new foxholes...Veterans CREEDI AM A VETERAN, I HAVE SEEN AND DONE THINGS MANY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.I AM A WARRIORI WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT.I WILL NEVER QUIT AND I WILL NEVER LEAVE A FALLEN BROTHER OR SISTER.IF THEY ARE HURT, I WILL CARRY THEMIF I CANT CARRY THEM, I WILL DRAG THEM.I WILL HELP THEM FACE THEIR ENEMIES.TO INCLUDE THE DEMONS FROM WITHIN.THEY ARE MY BROTHERS & MY SISTERS.I AM A VETERAN! when initiating a program as well as when patients have comorbidities. Healthy and appropriate exercise choices enhance the person’s health, vitality, and quality of life.4THE CHILD THAT WOULD BE MISSEDBy Eric SowersSpring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 51ReferencesMcArdle, W., Katch, F., Katch, L. (2001). Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance. (5th ed.). LWW.Myers, J. (2003). Exercise and cardiovascular health. Circulation, 107(1), 2-5.American Heart Association. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. Retrieved on November 27, 2021.https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults. Bonander, M. (2021). Exercise, Health and Vitality: A Concise, Science-Based Guide for Adults and Older Adults. HIS Publishing Group.

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It was sometime around October of 2013. A couple years had passed since my deployment to Afghanistan, and I was really struggling. Mentally, I carried around this extreme anger. Physically, my body was going through negative changes I hadn’t experienced. I found myself slipping into darkness. I got emotionally exhausted by how difcult life was. Overseas life was simple; you simply focus on survival.I was broken and needed an outlet. One that I could count on. So I tuned my focus on tness. Doesn’t matter where you go a 45 pound plate is still 45 pounds. I was already in love with Fitness and my body needed it too. But my mind needed it more. Much like my depression led to a gun in my mouth, the gym is what saved me. No matter how bad things got I always focused on being consistent in the gym. My love and passion for becoming strong made me want to teach others how to overcome their trials as well.The Marine Corps provided many opportunities to help one another out. At this time I was stationed in San Diego with Wounded Warrior Battalion. I would spend four years here becoming a Suicide Prevention Ofcer, Substance Abuse and Control Ofcer, and Resilience Trainer. Much like muscles atrophy, if we don’t take care of ourselves our minds will do the same. This is why exercise is so important. Not only does it help us physically but it mentally teaches us discipline if we stay consistent.With that being said, I want to share something that took me years to learn. I was told the goal of lifting weights is hypertrophy. This is the enlargement of muscle Veteran Fitness:HOW LIFTING WEIGHTS SAVED MY LIFEBy Daniel Dancer | USMC52 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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bers or organs when cells increase from break down. Remember Rucking for miles with that heavy pack on? Our legs had no choice but to grow. This is a great example of hypertrophy. So here is a complete breakdown on how our muscles grow through movement.FIRST STEP...The first way is Mechanical Tension. Heavy weight, full range of motion while controlling the movement and a slow steady pace. Time is very important. The longer the muscle is under tension the better the results. Form is also important as time under tension causes the muscle to break down.SECOND STEP...The second part to this is muscle damage, also called micro tears in the muscle bers. When the muscle is damaged or broken down it will build itself back stronger. One of the most overlooked issues is pause reps and negative reps. Often, we focus on powering through our workouts and miss out on muscle gains. By simply slowing down each repetition, we are helping our muscles get the most out of our workouts. Imagine the muscle bers ring like lightning through your rep, but this only happens if you engage the whole muscle.FINAL STEP...The nal step in muscle growth requires we put down the heavy weights and grab some medium to light weights. Yes, I know this is difcult for some, but it is benecial to all. The goal is higher reps. I remembered one day at work someone asked a fellow Marine to grab a water bottle. The Marine did so and asked why… He was ask to curl the water bottle 100 times without stopping. The Marine gladly took on the challenge and ended up stopping around 80 repetitions from the excruciating pain. Why did this happen? The muscles weren’t getting enough air, and blood was also trapped inside his arm causing his muscles to break down. Higher repetitions work as well.I really hope you enjoyed this. What ever it is you are going through, understand that you can get through it. The secret is to “Outlast Your pain”. Years later I’m glad I can share my stories with you as many of our Brothers and Sisters have been through similar situations. Every day is a gift, so let’s live life to the fullest....This journey wouldn’t be possible without my amazing wife Deanna. She’s the CEO of Camp Freedom Fitness. She cooks for our clients and does all the back end, behind the scenes work. I run the programs and coach the clients. The best part about this journey is that most of it is online. Most of our clients are all over the US. We send them workouts, build their diets, coach them, and train them. Having an online platform means we can work with more people more often. You can always nd us on Facebook at @campfreedomtness or visit our website at campfreedomtness.org . We would love to meet you. Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 53Daniel Dancer | OwnerCamp Freedom Fitness...

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As Veterans, we are often subverted to a typical VA mantra ‘that one size ts all.’ We, of course, know that this type of generalization of ‘healthcare’ may work for the few, but it most certainly does not work for all. Many Veterans are independently taking an alternative path to their own health and wellness, and one of those options is the use of Cannabis based therapeutics. Before we get the image in our heads of long haired, bearded Vets wearing tie-dye t-shirts, sitting on the couch stoned out of their minds while eating Cheetos, we really need to dig deep into the history of the plant, the science of the Endocannabinoid System, the DNA of the different Cannabis plant species, and legalities associated with this plant. THE HISTORY & LEGALITIESCannabis has been used prolically throughout history, as both a medicine and in the production of textiles. In 1839, after working in India, Irish Doctor William O’Shaughnessy published an article called ‘On the Preparations of the Indian Hemp, or Gunjah’ about his experience experimenting with the plant. His ndings would inuence over 100 additional studies and Western medical practitioners in the 19th century. Cannabis tinctures soon became commonplace.During the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), American politicians opposing immigration from Mexico began to vilify Mexican Americans with whom cannabis was more widely accepted. They started referring to the plant as ‘locoweed’ and ‘marihuana,” it’s Spanish name, in an effort to negatively associate it with the Mexican American communities. California was the rst state to outlaw the plant in 1913. “Texas, Utah & New Mexico soon followed suit and by the early 1930s, 29 states had outlawed cannabis.”1• 1930 – Federal Bureau of Narcotics created• 1936 – The movie Reefer Madness was released• 1937 – The Marihuana Tax Act criminalizes possession, sale, and cultivation of the plant with a fine of $2,200- and 5-years mandatory jail sentence. • 1951 – Boggs Act established mandatory sentences for drug offenses• 1965 – Leary v. United States ends Marihuana Tax Act• 1970 – Controlled Substances Act sets up framework for Federal regulation• 1972 – Shafter Commission recommends decriminalizing cannabis. Nixon ignores it. • 1973 – DEA created• 1977 – Seven states decriminalize cannabis penalty; possession of fewer than 100 grams is only a ne• 1984 – Comprehensive Crime Control Act increases federal penalties for cannabis possession, cultivation, and distribution. • 1996 – California legalizes medical marijuana, the rst state to go against federal prohibition• 2012 – Colorado and Washington are the rst US states of legalize recreational cannabis. 1 https://www.leafly.com/learn/legalization/marijuana-illegal-historyCurse or Cure? EDUCATIONAL54 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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As of January 2022, 46 out of the 50 states have legalized cannabis in some form. • Recreational & Medicinal – 21 States• Medicinal Only – 18 States• CBD Oil Only – 7 States• Fully Illegal – 4 StatesFor information on your state, https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-stateIt is important to note that while states are legalizing and decriminalizing cannabis, according to the Federal statutes, Controlled Substances Act of 1970classified marijuana as aSchedule I drug. Until the passage of the2018 United States Farm Bill, under federal law it was illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate cannabis in all United States jurisdictions. As a Schedule I substance, the highest restriction of five different schedules of controlled substances, it is claimed cannabis has a high potential for abuse and has no acceptable medical use. The 2018 United States Farm Bill descheduled hemp, making cannabis under 0.3% THC legal once again.2 THE SCIENCE OF THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM: The Endocannabinoid System, or ECS, is a biological system of receptors and neurotransmitters found throughout the brain and nervous system.The ECS is the largest biological system of receptors in the body. It inuences the ability to revolutionize the ways in which we view health and wellness. 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_the_United_States#:~:text=Since%20the%20Controlled%20Substances%20Act,in%20all%20United%20States%20jurisdictions.Discovery Timeline“In 1964, the very rst cannabinoid was identied, and isolated. Raphael Mechoulam was a scientist from Israel studying the Cannabis Sativa plant and trying to identify the active component inside it. He wanted to learn more about the Cannabis Sativa plant because he knew it had been used for thousands of years as a drug and as a recreational agent, but the active compound had never been isolated in pure form. It wasn’t long before Dr. Mechoulam had isolated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the rst known and isolated Phyto cannabinoid!”3According to the website projectCBD.org/science/endocannabinoid-discovery , “Thebig breakthroughcame in 1988, when scientists at the St. Louis University Medical School determined that a rat’s brain has receptor sites – specialized protein molecules embedded in cell membranes – that are activated byTHC… this cannabinoid receptor, dubbed CB1,”turned out to be far more abundant in the mammalian brain than any other G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Nearly half of all U.S.- approved pharmaceuticals targetGPCRs, which comprise a super-family of over 800 different human receptors that share the same basic protein structure.”4In 1992, research scientists identified a second type of cannabinoid receptor, the ‘CB2’ – which was found to be present throughout the internal organs, nervous & immune systems, and metabolic tissues. This breakthrough showed how cannabinoid signaling regulates the inflammation response and why ‘cannabinoid therapy’ could potentially be a viable treatment for an assortment of autoimmune diseasesUnderstanding the ECS The ECS saturates all 11 main physiological systems in the body, controlling numerous functions necessary for survival. It promotes homeostasis affecting everything from sleep, appetite, pain, inammation, memory, mood, and reproduction. The ECS also helps to regulate homeostasis across all the 3 https://directhemp.com/blogs/education/history-of-endocannabinoid-system4 https://www.projectCBD.org/science/endocannabinoid-discovery-timelineCurse or Cure? Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 55By Christine Walker

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within the ECS to recycle used endocannabinoids after the body is nished with them. Receptors - receptors receive the message transmitted by cannabinoids. There are two main types of receptors, CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors exist in the brain and spinal cord, working to regulate appetite, memory and to reduce pain. CB2 receptors exist within the immune system and many other areas of the body, working primarily to reduce inammation throughout the body. Inammation is a process the body undergoes to heal infected or damaged areas in the body. “The right kind of inammation is essential to your body’s healing system. But chronic inammation can be a problem.” 7Inammation is a main cause of multiple medical conditions such as general pain, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The ECS always has one goal in mind: homeostasis. 7 https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-acute-and-chronic-inflammationmajor physiological systems, ensuring they’re all working in synchronization with each other. “Homeostasis, any self-regulating process by which biological systems tend to maintain stability while adjusting to conditions that are optimal for survival."5 Basically, the ECS according to William Branum of Naked Warrior Recovery, “Is a giant neuroreceptor that is connected to everything, and help brings everything back into balance.”Components of the ECS The ECS comprises three primary components: cannabinoids, enzymes, and receptors. Cannabinoids - cannabinoids are groups of active compounds that interact with ECS receptors. Endocannabinoids are produced naturally inside of the body, while compounds found outside the body, like CBD and THC, are exogenous cannabinoids. Hemp, which derives high levels of CBD, is a Phyto cannabinoid, which means that it originates from plants. Cannabinoids act as the keys within the endocannabinoid system, while receptors act like locks. Every time one key ts into one lock, the lock causes an effect to occur in the body. • 2-Arachidonoylglycerolor 2-AG is the most abundant endocannabinoid found in the body and, like anandamide, is thought to play an important role in theregulation of appetite, immune system functions, and pain management. (“What Is 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG ... - Sensi Seeds”), It is one of the two most studied endogenous cannabinoids.6• Anandamide is the body’s very own endogenous cannabinoid. William Branum describes it as, “the feel-good cannabinoid molecule,” for the function that it performs in mood, appetite, sleep, and even forgetfulness.Enzymes - enzymes, are a substance within the body that cause chemical reactions to occur. Enzymes act 5 https://www.britannica.com/science/homeostasis6 https://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/cannabinoid-science-101-what-is-2-arachidonoylglycerol-2-ag/EDUCATIONAL56 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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THE PLANTThere is a lot of confusion when it comes to Cannabis, but to break it down very easily, here is the simplest denition: Hemp & Marijuana are both Cannabis“But for Hemp to be legal, it cannot contain more than 0.3% THC,” Branum said. Cannabis is the species, which is then broken down by ‘Strains’ that include: • Setiva – All Hemp is Setiva, but only certain varieties of Marijuana are among this strain.• Indica – this strain is higher in THC and therefore designated only as ‘Marijuana’The Cannabis plant family, although similar in appearance, has very distinct differences. The only way to tell a CBD Hemp plant & Marijuana plant apart, are to test their THC levels. Industrial Hemp • Grows tall and thin. Densely grown• THC levels range from .15% -.3%• Harvested into bales• Over 25,000 end uses for bers and seeds. Most include textiles. CBD Hemp• Grown for the ower• THC levels range from .15% -.3%• CBD Oil and other medicinal usesMarijuana• “Marijuana” is the name given to this plant during prohibition. • Grown for the ower• Grows bushy and as high as 12ft or more• THC levels can be greater than 10%• CBD levels are below 5%• Grown for both medical and recreational useLET’S TALK ABOUT CBDSince the Farm Bill was passed in 2017, CBD distributors have popped up on every corner. But not all CBD oil or the companies that manufacture it are the same. “Some companies will test the raw oil, but they don’t test the nal batch/product.” William said. He breaks it down: “special permits are needed to grow and must be certied. [Growers] are open to random testing of crops to see if you’re growing what you say your growing.” He goes on to Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 57HEMP PLANTS FOR CBD | Photo Provided by Robert Head, Owner of BLUE CORD FARMS, INC. | Used with Permission.INDUSTRIAL HEMP PLANTS | Photo Provided by Robert Head, Owner of BLUE CORD FARMS, INC. | Used with Permission.

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explain that CBD oil will take on whatever is in the soil where it is grown. “The soil has to be clean, whatever is in the soil, because Hemp is a bio accumulator. You need to be careful where you get your CBD. Wherever you get your CBD, it needs to be independently tested by a third-party lab. This goes for every single batch; it needs the QC or Quality Control to make sure there are no toxins [in it].”Branum is adamant that companies provide a “Certicate of analysis and QR codes to look up the batch so you will know what you are putting in your body.” So how does CBD help your body? “CBD is like a super multivitamin for the ECS,” Branum said. TESTIMONIALS: “I’ve been using cannabis since the 7th grade. As a lifelong athlete and smaller guy with a Napoleon complex, I immediately realized that cannabis was amazing for all forms of pain and recovery! Since that day I’ve advocated for its decriminalization, even during my 4 years in the Marine Corps from 1985-1988. Today, I now work closely to help other advocacy organizations like the Veteran’s Cannabis Project and NORML. I also have had a CBD business for 3 years to help Veterans transition from VA [prescribed] synthetic drugs and anti-depressants to all natural remedies through CBD & cannabis.” Michael Stevens | USMC Veteran“Since I have been using the VA for my healthcare and my mental health, they always want to give me another pill to take. It’s the same old shit, report any side-effects, let’s up the dosage, let’s try this pill instead of that one. When I smoke weed, it keeps me calm, it does not debilitate me. I am able to function without feeling like I got hit by a train.” M.S | US Army VeteranEDUCATIONAL58 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022“A Desert Storm Vet, as I've aged, I noticed that my body always felt achy, like when you have the u, but I wasn’t sick. In my mid 40’s, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, which is basically inammation of the nerves. My Rheumatologist wanted to prescribe Methotrexate, which is essentially a watered-down version of a chemo drug. But being more attuned to holistic health options, I did my research for a 6-full months and found that Cannabis was really a much better alternative. Thankfully, medical cannabis and CBD is legal in my state. What I’ve experienced over the last 8-years isn’t a cure, but it sure did make a huge difference in my pain levels and allowed me to function on a day-to-day basis, without side effects.” D.C. | USN Veteran

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Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 59“Like a vast majority, I started using as a kid, not really understanding the medicinal benets of it, I just wanted to get high with my friends because I loved the way it made me feel. After serving 9 years in the Marines, with two deployments to the desert, and now all these mental health issues, I never even considered using cannabis to help. My Wife has been studying holistic remedies for years I thought, oh, just another hippie remedy. One day my wife looked at me and said she wanted to start selling CBD. So, we got her set up as a distributor with a local processing facility in our area who is one of the largest known in the industry. Sitting and talking with my wife and having a better understanding, I started doing my own research to see if this could help me. I found there has been a big push for federal legalization and the studies about the medicinal benets look promising. For us Veterans, while in boot camp, one of the things that is done to us is that all emotions are cut from us for us to ght a war, and not feel when something impactful happens to us. The problem is, once our time of service comes to an end, how do we regrow our emotions to be there for our family and friends? Me personally, when I use cannabis, I have been told that I am a likable person and that people want to be around me. Like really? I am learning to gure out how to grow in myself. I talked with other Vets who use cannabis and they have learned how to use this plant medicine to help regrow those emotions that were cut from us and become better human beings. I nd it amazing, because to me they have become whole again. Don’t get me wrong this amazing plant isn’t the end all be all, but it is a helper to nd ourselves again. I believe with more Vets learning themselves again and having other Vets show them how to use this medicine we can rebuild ourselves as loving individuals. That is one of the reasons that as Vets we have the highest divorce rates because we are so stubborn and refuse to learn and grow to be better. That is why I am using my platform on YouTube, THE STONED VET USMC, to help educate the Veteran community on the importance of CBD and the terpenes of this plant, because those play a big role as to how the plant can help us that suffer from PTS, anxiety, depression, and other ailments that we have obtained serving our country.” ‘The Stoned Vet USMC’ | USMC VeteranCOVID-19 & CANNABISIn January, two studies were published and the research in both showed promising results that cannabis compounds, CBGA and CBDA, can block the COVID-19 and variants thereof from infecting human cells.One study was published in the Journal of Natural Products, and the other in the peer-reviewed Journal of Science Advances by a team of 33 researchers at the University of Chicago. In the latter, "a survey of real-world patients taking prescribed CBD found a 'signifigant' negative relationship between CBD consumption and COVID-19 infection." 8 Beyond the 'real-world' data, Dr. Marsha Rosner, Lead author in the University of Chicago study, stated, "our team treated human lung cells for two hours with CBD before infecting them with SARS-CoV-2 and left them for 48 hours while monitoring them for the presence of the COVID spike protein. We found that CBD inhibits the replication of genes required for the grwoth and spread of the virus throughout the body." The same result was found on three COVID variants that were tested. While these studies are promising, researchers insist that more data needs to be investigated. To read the articles, scan below: 8 https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvn743/oral-cbd-prevented-covid-19-infection-in-real-world-patients-study-suggestsZERO HEDGE ARTICLE VICE ARTICLE

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Imagine if you will, just for a moment, that you are a Veteran who served your country honorably. But now, and for the last year, you have been in a prison in a country that does not recognize the 5th, 6th, or 8th Amendments in the United States Bill of Rights. You are kept in solitary connement for up to 20-23 hours a day, living on the bare minimum of sustenance and fed the same thing for every meal. In the winter, even if you are one of the lucky ones to have a threadbare blanket, there is no relief from the bone-chilling cold. You are beaten, denied medical treatment, and coerced to deny your fundamental belief system. No, you have not been convicted a crime; you are being held in pre-trial detention. If you are the poor unfortunate soul to be ‘appointed’ counsel, you may only speak to your lawyer once or twice until you actually go to trial, which could be another year or more. You, for all intents and purposes, are a political prisoner.The above scenario is not a movie scene about a Soviet gulag, but is in fact, the day-to-day reality at The Central Treatment Facility (DC Jail)1, of the Veterans and American citizens detained in the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach.One defendant, Ryan Nichols, a USMC Veteran, has been incarcerated since January 18, 2021. According to Ryan’s attorney, Joseph McBride, in an interview with Dana Loesch, said “about 50% of the guys who are in DC right now, they’re veterans. These are people who’ve gone to war, they love their country. They’ve been discharged from the military under honorable circumstances. These guys are ghters, and these guys are patriots. This is the cohort of people who are just not gonna roll over and die because the big bully in school yard says I’m gonna come and get you. These are the people who are gonna stand up and punch the bully straight in his face.”1 The Central Detention Facility (DC Jail) is located at 1901 D Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. The telephone number for the Command Center at the DC Jail is (202) 698-4932.RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSEDRegardless of what political afliation or viewpoint we may hold, one thing unites us as a Veteran community, and that is the oath that we all swore to the Constitution of the United States of America and the rights held therein. In the American Justice system, we hold fast to the presumption of innocence, and it falls on the prosecution to bring forth the burden of proof. According to our Bill of Rights, all American citizens are guaranteed certain rights if accused of a crime, and those rights are spelled out explicitly in the 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments. • Amendment VNo person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.• Amendment VIIn all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.• Amendment VIIIExcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive nes imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inicted.22 https://www.ushistory.org/us/18a.aspA vOICE FOR THE vOICELESSDisclaimer: Content in the following article may be distressing to our readers with PTSD. Proceed with caution/supportby Christine Walker60 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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CHARGES & LEGAL RESPRESENTATIONCurrently, there are over 700 Americans who have been arrested and charged for their involvement on January 6th. Most face multiple misdemeanor and felony charges. US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stated in an interview with journalist Julie Kelly, “Not one has been charged with insurrection, no one has been charged with treason. No one has been charged with sedition.” For those facing charges, bail is being denied, even for misdemeanors and non-violent crimes. Julie Kelly said in the same interview, “And so these people have been denied bond, denied bail by judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents, they have gone along with these pretrial detention orders arguing and agreeing with the government that these people pose a unique threat for their role. Even some nonviolent offenders, for the mere fact that they were at the Capitol [on] January 6th, that they doubt the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Therefore, on its face, that defendant is a threat. They extrapolate this to mean that the person doesn’t believe in the laws of the United States government, and this is what I’ve heard from judges. It’s insane.”Cynthia Hughes founded Patriot Freedom Project when her nephew, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a 14-year Active Army Reservist was arrested for his participation on the 6th. “Tim has no violent charges. Tim has no assault charges. Tim has no conspiracy charges, right? Tim’s biggest charge is the obstruction charge, which is ridiculous,” Cynthia said. Tim was arrested on January 17, 2021, in his home state, and then subsequently moved six more times, with the Central Detention Facility in DC as his nal stop. Cynthia contacted JAG immediately, and before they could respond, Tim was assigned legal counsel who assured her that nothing would be adjudicated in regard to Tim’s service until after the resolution of pending criminal charges against him. Unfortunately, Tim’s legal counsel never met or even spoke to him. In the meantime, the Army proceeded with Tim’s separation without his knowledge, consent, or involvement. Cynthia recalls, “The JAG lawyer claims that he argued the best he could, but at the end of the day, Tim was never going to be able to stay in the Army. They booted him out with [an] Other than Honorable. “ Thankfully, in an effort to appeal Tim’s military case, Cynthia found an attorney who happens to be a Retired Army Judge Advocate and was willing to take on Tim’s military and criminal defenses. Many of the other defendants, however, are not so lucky and have been assigned public defenders. LIVING CONDITIONSWhile most detention facilities make an effort to maintain their facility and adhere to the policies in accordance with inmate rights, the DC Jail has come under intense scrutiny after a US Marshals inspection…The following is a list compiled by the ‘Patriotic Pod’ J6 inmates as told to their attorneys and family members: 1. Face to Face Attorney visits require a 14-day quarantine prior to and after the visit. This means defendants get a maximum of two visits with legal counsel every month. 2. All J6 defendants are placed in a permanent 22–23-hour solitary connement. This allows only 1-2 hours a day recreation for showers, attorney visits, and phone calls with family.3. Absolutely no Religious services or communion are allowed for any of the defendants. 4. Coerced Vaccinations – If a detainee refuses the COVID vaccine or even a test, there are punitive repercussions within the jail for defendants that even extends beyond the connes of the jail itself to the family members. Those who refuse are not allowed haircuts or shaves, nor are they or their families allowed to video chat if all parties are not vaccinated. 5. Surviving on ‘half-rations.’ Breakfast consists of a piece of bread and (1) hard-boiled egg, lunches and dinners consist of either a bologna, turkey, cheese, or peanut butter sandwich. Since their detention, not one of them has had a hot meal. If not for the commissary, these men and women would be surviving on less than 1000 calories a day. 6. Each J6 defendants’ cell consists of a bunk with a thin mattress, (1) thin threadbare blanket, while some don’t have even a blanket, no pillows, and a toilet. The winter months have been brutal for these men because there is little to no heat. Frost covers the cell windows and outside cement walls; many have reported to family members that they just cannot get warm. The sewer system backs up on a regular basis and overows onto the cell oors, which the inmate must clean up the best they can. 7. Reports of physical and psychological abuse by DC Jail Correctional ofcers. i. It’s not uncommon during recreation for a detainee’s cell to be ransacked and personal letters and items taken from the cell.ii. Recounted by another J6 detainee, “Earlier this year D.C correction ofcers savagely beat a fellow Jan 6th inmate for trying to organize a bible study. They zip tied his hands behind his back and beat him unconscious with their metal ashlights. He woke up in a pool of his own blood. He suffers from a detached retina, fractured skull, fractured orbital, blood clots and brain swelling. He is now blind in one eye. The corrupt FBI cleared the officers involved of this attempted murder and claim this man zip tied himself and detached his own retina which is obviously absurd.” He fears he may be next and can’t sleep at night having already experienced abuses from ofcers while in solitary connement.iii. On Veterans Day 2021, during recreation, a Veteran who had his legal paperwork in hand and about to call his attorney was maced by a Correctional ofcer, as he tried to run away from the assault, the guard continued to chase him down using the entire can of mace. Two other inmates, both Veterans were also caught in the crossre. Everyone else was locked in their cell. The guard used so much mace, that it got into the ventilation system causing physical injuries to other J6 detainees.iv. One detainee, A Veteran Army Ranger, after a face-to-face with his lawyer, was strip searched, handcuffed to a chair, maced, beaten and sexually assaulted. Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 61

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Thankfully, during his pre-trial court hearing, the Judge ordered an immediate transfer to another facility.v. There are many other reports of abuse by the guards who are specifically targeting the J6 detainees, both physically and mentally. This includes coercion to get them to denounce their love of country and political viewpoints. In addition, they are also being denied basic medical treatment for pre-existing conditions and injuries, like the broken nger of an inmate sustained by the beatings. IN THEIR OWN WORDSThe following segments have been taken from each of their contribution pages, linked from the Patriot Freedom Project website or interviews with their spouses.3Army Sgt., Joseph Padilla, an Iraqi Freedom disabled Veteran has been detained since February 23, 2021. Rebekah, his wife said, “he was arrested in Cleveland and moved three times until he nally ended up at the DC Jail last summer.” Jose, like many Veterans suffers with intense PTSD which has been compounded with his detainment. “Physically, he is doing OK, but losing a lot of weight. He freezes at night; he just can’t get or stay warm. The guards punish the inmates and every hearing he’s scheduled for is extended 60 days and when he had a public defender, they were trying to get him to take a plea deal.” The punishment extends to their son in school who is bullied by other kids calling his dad a ‘terrorist.’ Retired Army Sgt. Kenneth Harrelson, medically retired after serving from 2007 to 2011. In January 2022, his wife Angel writes in a letter to the US Marshal Service, “My husband, Kenneth T Harrelson has been denied all communications to his attorney and to myself (his wife) and he does not have any blanket or pillow to keep him warm, this is a violation of his rights!” In speaking with Angel, we also learned that Kenneth was recently sent to “Medical 82” for a condition that is not transmittable. Medical 82 is essentially isolation & quarantine, with very little medical treatment, if any. After his return, “his breakfast was a rotten egg, 2 pieces of dry bread and condiment packets,” Angel said. James McGrew, USMC Combat Veteran. His mother writes, “My son is being held as a Political Prisoner in Washington for Jan 6th Rally. We were there to express our voice that day on election integrity. He was arrested May 27th and is being held with no release. He is a veteran of the Marine Corp and joined after 911 to ght for his country. While he was serving his country, he and two other Marines were hit by a IED while on patrol. He would downplay his injuries until he nished his tour over there and back home. The transition was not easy getting out on Honorable discharge for medical after his enlistment of only 4 years because he wanted so bad to stay in and be there with his buddies. James’s loves his country; He is a 3rd generation Marine. His Grandfather and his Father were also Marines. James was brought up to Love and Fear God. He is a father of one son and helps take care of an Old Mom. James needs medical treatment also that may require surgery.”3 https://www.patriotfreedomproject.com/connect-with-a-1/6erSean McHugh writes, “This is absolutely inhumane treatment for the refusal of a covid test. Now that I’m out of the 14-day lockdown it’s back to 22/24 and we still get no outside recreational time, and the food is still half rations with no nutritional value. I’m losing strength and my body is deteriorating.”Ryan Nichols, USMC Veteran writes “Personally, I went through 5 jails within 50 days before nally being locked in solitary connement for 23 hours a day ... My family has been extremely impacted by all of this. My children are devastated that daddy was suddenly yanked out of their lives without any notice at all. My youngest, who just turned 5, tells me he “doesn’t even remember what I look like,” and wants to know “am I ever coming home?”Lonnie Coffman, Retired Army Sergeant and Vietnam War Veteran. “I didn’t commit any violence. I didn’t break anything, and I came all by myself, but they have got me charged with about 15 misdemeanors and 2 felonies. They have quarantined me twice and put me on suicide watch once. The way they treat you on suicide watch, at least for me, is enough to make you think even more seriously about it. I am on several medications; one is an antidepressant that I have been on for a few years. The Veterans Administration put me on it, but it took about 4 months for these DC medical people to get the dosage right and they cannot seem to get the meds to us on time. I spent almost 10 years in the Army (Sgt), a year of that in Vietnam, and even they were not as disorganized as this place. Writing about Vietnam brings back memories of the hippies and how much they hated us and how they spat on some of us and called us baby killers. Enough of that.”Jeff McKellop, 30-year Army Veteran, served in the 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Ranger Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group. “Since Jeffs incarceration, his life has been totally obliterated! He is currently going through a bitter divorce, he has lost his honorable and highly respected job, all his savings has been spent trying to nd genuine attorneys to represent him, and his two kids are experiencing extreme hardships from the backlash of this traumatic day from their peers at school. Overall, Jeff is also having a tough time nding an attorney in the DC area that would represent him aggressively and by being unbiased.…If there is a silver lining among the J6 detainees, it’s their American spirit and the resolve to stand rm for what they believe in. Every night at 2100, they sing the American Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, in solidarity with our country and each other. O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation. Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!62 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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WHERE DOES IT GO FROM HERE?Regardless of each individual’s culpability, whether justied or unjustied, their voices cannot be silenced anymore. And that’s where the Patriot Freedom Project comes in, they have created a foundation to help raise defense funds to ensure that as many defendants as possible have counsel that will ght for them. In addition, their website provides contact information for the detainees for cards, letters, and care packages. “The conditions of connement in the DC Jail, Northern Neck Regional Jail, and other gulags housing January Sixers are unforgivable. At any given time, approximately fty percent of the cohort of January 6thdetainees are veterans who served our country with honor. Many of them have disabilities related to their military service and are forced to live in conditions that exasperate their illnesses.These veterans are respectful, collegial, and leaders in every sense of the word. A source of strength to the detainees around them, they are routinely appointed to positions of responsibility and elected as detainee representatives to interact with prison staff.Despite this reality, these veterans are routinely punished and regularly denied necessities. For instance, they have been denied the right to cut their hair and trim their beards since their arrival. They are also denied nail clippers and toiletries for months at a time. And they have also been denied the right to visit with their family members and participate in religious services as well.Importantly,their Sixth Amendment rights to meaningfully participate in their defense have been completely disregarded. This is demonstrated by the fact that attorney client privileged conversations are routinely spied on, and condential information leaked to the press.Many have suffered serious medical emergenciesthat were not properly treated. Others live with documented chronic medical conditions that are atly ignored.January Sixers are also forced to endure disturbing long stints in solitary confinement— sometimes for hundreds of days at a time. Their treatment is unconscionable, unconstitutional, and unequivocally illegal, because pretrial detainees are not allowed to be punished in the United States of America.The Courts have been on notice about the horrible mistreatment of January 6th Detainees for over a year, and yet may be a difficult and emotional read.not believe that American Citizens, many of them veterans, are being tortured in pretrial detention.This is unacceptable. America needs to wake up.Veterans, you must remember your oath and promise to your country. Step up and speak out, because our way of life will be lost if you stand by and do nothing.There is a small group of lawyers preparing to le major habeas motions in some of these cases. These motions will call attention to the illegal actions taking place and demand the release of our American brothers and sisters from the gulags. We lawyers need your positivity, prayers, and generosity to make this ght a meaningful one.God Bless you all. And may God Bless the United States of America.Yours Truly,Joseph D. McBride, Esq”mcbridelawnyc.com/january6thlegalfundUPDATE FROM ATTORNEY JOSEPH MCBRIDEUPDATE FROM ATTORNEY JOSEPH MCBRIDEFOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: patriotfreedomproject.com or scan the QR Code here: Justice is Indivisible. But Injustice anywhere, is a threat to Justice everywhere! Martin Luther King, Jr. April 12, 1963……Spring 2022 | AT EASE! Veterans Magazine 63Editors Note - It has been decided to follow the development of these cases, therefore A Voice for the Voiceless will become an ongoing series in AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, to better inform our readers.

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24 VETERAN PODCASTS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT24 VETERAN PODCASTS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT1. Liberty Risk: Hosted by Billy Rubino & Hugh Borchers. Website: hp://libertyriskpodcast.com/2. The Red, White & You Show: Hosted by Dean McMurray. Website: hp://deanmcmurray.com/radio-show/3. The Truths We Hide: Hosted by Annee Whienberger. Website: hps://anchor.fm/annee-whienberger4. Someone You Should Know: Hosted by Stuart Sax. Website: hps://stuartsax.com/my-shows5. NonProt Architect: Hosted by Travis Johnson. Website: hps://nonprotarchitect.org/6. Entrepreneur on Fire: Hosted by John Lee Dumas. Website: hps://www.eore.com/7. Vercal Momentum: Hosted by Richard Kaufman. Website: hps://anchor.fm/richard-kaufman68. Jocko Podcast: Hosted by Jocko Willink. Website: hps://jockopodcast.com/9. Airman to Mom: Hosted by Amanda Human. Website: hps://www.airmantomom.com/10. The Stoned Vet: Hosted by Sgt G. Website: hps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJk55bmjx03NpyWSOyCbBGw/featured11. The Hoarding Soluon: Hosted by Tammi Moses. Website: hps://anchor.fm/tammi-moses12. Veterans Be Real: Hosted by John Valenne. Website: hps://www.veteransbereal.com/13. Disgruntled Docs Podcast: Hosted by Disgruntled Docs. Website: hps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disgruntled-docs-podcast14. The Military Veteran Dad: Hosted by Ben Killoy. Website: hps://www.militaryveterandad.com/15. The Ambious Vet: Hosted by Chris Homan. Website: hps://theambiousvet.libsyn.com/16. Home-Bound Veteran: Hosted by Keith and Laura. Website: hps://homeboundveteran.com/17. Mind of the Warrior: Hosted by Dr. Mike Simpson. Website: hps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-of-the-warrior18. Team Never Quit: Hosted by Marcus and Morgan Lurell. Website: hps://teamneverquit.com/podcast/19. Borne the Bale: Hosted by Tanner Iskra. Website: hps://www.audible.com/pd/Borne-the-Bale-Podcast/B08K568Z9120. Frontlines of Freedom: Hosted by Denny Gillam. Website: hps://frontlinesoreedom.com/21. The Warrior Soul: Hosted by Chris Alpert. Website: hps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-warrior-soul-podcast22. Mentors for Military: Hosted by Robert Gowin. Website: hps://mentorsformilitary.com/23. Bale Buddy: Hosted by Keith McKeever. Website: hps://www.balebuddypodcast.net/24. Veteran on the Move: Hosted by Joe Crane. Website: hps://veteranonthemove.com/64 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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'MILITARY RATIONS'ACROSS 1 THE ALMIGHTY _____________ IS THE ONLY EATING UTENSIL IN AN MRE4 2019 MRE MENU 21 IS LEMON _____________ TUNA6 JALAPENO_____________ SPREAD IS FORTIFIED WITH VITAMIN C9 AN ARMY TRAVELS ON IT’S _____________10 WWII D BARS HAD OAT FLOUR ADDED TO RAISE THE _____________ POINT11 DURING WWII, OVER 100 MILLION CANS OF_____________WERE SENT TO THE PACIFIC13 MRE HEATERS ARE ACTIVATED USING_____________17 IN KOREA AND VIETNAM MCI OR MEAL COMBAT_RATIONS WERE USED.18 THE_____________ IN TABASCO SAUCE HELPS BLOCK NERVE TRANSMISSION OF PAIN20 IN 1794 A DAILY RATION OF ONE-HALF PINT OF “DISTILLED SPIRITS,” OR A _____________ OF BEER/ WAS APPROVED FOR ALL SAILORS OF THE US NAVY22 TRI-LAMINATE_____________ IN THE WRAPPING IS WHAT PRESERVES MRE MEALS24 M&MS BECAME A FAVORITE OF _____________ GI'S SERVING IN WWII25 SURVEYS SHOW THAT MACARONI AND_____________ARE THE MOST POPULAR MRE27 DESERT BARS WERE CREATED BY _____________DURING THE GULF WAR29 ANTI-SCORBUTICS ARE VEGETABLES RICH IN VITAMIN C THAT HELP PREVENT_____________30 THOUGH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS, ____________WERE INCLUDED IN RATIONS UNTIL 1975.32 OXYGEN AND _____________ ARE THE TWO PRIMARY FACTORS IN FOOD SPOILAGE33 MRES AVERAGE 36%_____________DOWN2 THE VEGGIE_____________ EARNED THE NICKNAME 'VOMLET'3 THE _____________ WAS ADOPTED AS THE US MILITARY COMBAT RATION IN 19755 MRES _____________13-18 OUNCES7 _____________MEAT PRESERVES IT BY PREVENTING BACTERIA FROM SPOILING IT8 _____________IS THE HOT SAUCE BRAND IN MRES12 MRES ARE INTENDED TO BE EATEN FOR A _____________ OF 21 DAYS14 MRES AVERAGE 51%_____________15 DR. ABDUL _____________ DEVELOPED EARLY MRE PROTOTYPES16 IN 1775 CONGRESS DETERMINED TROOP RATIONS WOULD INCLUDE ONE _____________ OF MILK PER DAY19 MRES ARE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND_______DROPS FROM 1,250 FEET21 MRE MENU 8 MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE CONTAINS _____________ BLUEBERRY COBBLER23 _____________MRES ARE A FULL DAYS’ WORTH26 THE CHICKEN FAJITA TORTILLA MRE CONTAINSM _____________ CREAM COFFEE28 AVERAGE MRES CONTAIN 13% _____________31 MRE HEATERS HAVE A 5 YEAR _____________ LIFE66 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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I went to the grave of a fallen soldierI went to the grave of a fallen soldierwe will never know of medals he was the holderwe will never know of medals he was the holderFighting in air on land and seaFighting in air on land and seahe had given his life so we all could be freehe had given his life so we all could be freeHis fight had started in seventy-sixHis fight had started in seventy-sixall branches of the service were his pickall branches of the service were his pickHis first march was to the beat of a drumHis first march was to the beat of a drumusing only a flint lock gunusing only a flint lock gunCalled up to duty into many warsCalled up to duty into many warslanded upon so many foreign shoreslanded upon so many foreign shoresGoing forward and giving his allGoing forward and giving his allnever has a soldier stood so tallnever has a soldier stood so tallUnknown will always adorn his graveUnknown will always adorn his gravehe was born in the home of the bravehe was born in the home of the braveMy fellow veteran, now rest in peaceMy fellow veteran, now rest in peaceas we pray that all wars will someday ceaseas we pray that all wars will someday ceaseSource: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/memorial-day-poemby © Everett C. GoodwinMEMORIAL DAY POEM70 AT EASE! Veterans Magazine | Spring 2022

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T A P ST A P SIn an effort to NEVER forget, this page will serve as a Memorial to our Brothers & Sisters who gave everything! If you would like to have a fellow soldier or loved one remembered, Please email TAPS@theateasemagazine.com with name, rank, branch of service, war and death date. WE WILL NEVER FORGET!WE WILL NEVER FORGET!WE WILL NEVER FORGET!WE WILL NEVER FORGET!WE REMEMBER THE MEN THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE US. WE WILL REMEMBER THEIR NAMES...RANK/NAME BRANCH DEATH DATE DEATH LOCATIONPFC JAMES DARWIN US ARMY 09.13.1969 HUA NGHIASP5 EDELMIRO GARCIA SR. US ARMY 05.12.1971 QUANG NAMSP4 CASMIRO VILLON US ARMY 01.18.1968 QUANG NGAISP4 RICHARD PURCELL US ARMY 07.04.1971 QUANG TRISGT. ARCHIE IYUA JR. US ARMY 03.11.1969 TAY NINHCPL. MICHAEL HARRIS US ARMY 11.02.1969 TAY NINHSP5 JOHN FEEZER US ARMY 07.17.1968 THUA THIEN1LT. RONALD VAN SESSON US ARMY 10.31.1966 UNKNOWNSGT. LOUIS GUTIERREZ US ARMY 11.18.1965 UNKNOWNSSGT. BENJAMIN CRAIG USAF 02.24.1965 BIEN HOACAPT. THOMAS WOLFE USAF 06.28.1966 MIA - LZMAJ. EUGENE BERSSICK USAF 05.31.1968 MIA - NZPFC WILLIAM MCDONALD USMC 02.18.1967 QUANG NAM1LT. JOHN ZUEHLSDORF USMC 07.28.1968 QUANG NAMPFC JOSEPH BATTLE USMC 02.25.1968 QUANG TRIPFC. DOUGLAS HARP USMC 04.05.1968 QUANG TRICPL. DENNIS O'CONNOR USMC 06.27.1967 QUANG TRIADJ2 ROBERTH WORTH USN 12.19.1970 AM XUGENBM1 CHARLES GREEN USN 02.03.1972 KHANH HOAPO3 KENNETH STOMMES USN 10.27.1967 THUA THIEN

AT EASE! Veterans Magazine Spring 2022

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