AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - Fall 2021 : simplebooklet.com

PUBLISHERDevil Doc PublishingEDITORChristine WalkerASSISTANT EDITORShannon RobinsonSTAFF WRITERSShannon RobinsonJudy SkillingMike SaundersChristine WalkerSALES STAFFChristine WalkerLAYOUT & DESIGNChristine WalkerCONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Tim BailesZach CocoChristine DeaneCh. Stacey HansonCaroline HerschbachAnthony LecoursMaj. Edith LagunasFrank ManteauEric McNailChristina MortelVictor MurrayCristie RemmelEric SowerLes StevensonPaul SullivanFIND US ON:FB:@AtEaseVeteranMagazineTheATEASEmagazine.comCopyright 2021 © 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 EDITORAT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 3If it’s OK, We’d like to get a little real with you. In every issue, there comes a point in the editing process where we step back from wearing our ‘editor’ hat’s and allow our hearts to engage in what we’re reading. As we read story after story, we are always humbled by the trust placed in us as the publisher & editor, and also our staff writers, to tell your stories.We pour ourselves into every word of this magazine, and we honor these souls and experiences laid bare in these stories. There is a balance in presenting your stories in an authentic way, that not only brings honor to you as a Veteran, but also to your branch of service. At the same time, we made the decision early on that we wanted this magazine to be REAL. And while it’s never been our purpose to be offensive, we will not sugar-coat or ﬁlter the voices of our Veterans. In this magazine alone, we have 14 contributing writers along with our four staff writers. This is amazing to us, considering we have only three issues to date. Our readers have really stepped up to the plate, and for that, we thank you. Finally, let us take this opportunity to say HAPPY Veterans DAY & ‘Thank you, for your Service.’It’s ALL about the Vets! Chisne & San

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6 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineNear an upstairs entrance of the newly renovated student union building at the University of North Texas, you’ll nd an unassuming, yet stately, Veteran’s memorial wall. Covered in plaques big and small, this wall commemorates the UNT Veterans who fought and served for our country.This wall is the work of James Davenport, the campus’s Director of Veteran’s Services. An Army Vet himself and UNT alumni, he remembers excavating the basement of the student union before its renovation. In 2014, when he was hired to his current position, he found several damaged and corroded plaques in the basement; noticing the names and dates, he realized their importance and knew they needed to be restored.“It’s a miracle the plaques survived the hot and cold Veteran history in the United States,” James remarked. He pointed out that several names on the World War I and World War II memorial plaques had been ripped off; he assumes they were removed during the Vietnam conict because of the tension in the country and hostility towards Veterans at the time.The wall honors the UNT Veterans of Korea and Vietnam, those who gave their lives in World War II, and the POW and MIA servicemen of the Southeast Asia. A much larger plaque memorializes the students who gave their lives in World Wars I and II, listing the names of the fallen. This plaque was part of the original dedication of the Memorial Student Union on March 31, 1949.Lastly, there is one plaque that is particularly important to Davenport. He wanted to ensure every UNT Veteran feels represented and honored in this memorial, so he commissioned a new plaque commemorating the Veterans of every major conict since 1914. VETERAN’S WALLVETERAN’S WALLVETERAN’S WALLVETERAN’S WALLRsing the Lgacy  theRsing the Lgacy  theRsing the Lgacy  theRsing the Lgacy  theBy Shannon RobinsonJames DavenportJames DavenportDirector of Veteran ServicesDirector of Veteran ServicesUniversity of North TexasUniversity of North Texas

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8 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineWhere were you on 9/11/2001? Many of us who are old enough remember that tragic day. For Stacey Hanson, he more than remembers, he acted. On 9/19/2001, he was sworn into the United States Army as his call to duty and to make a difference.In December 2001 Ch Hanson was directly commissioned as a United States Army Chaplain Candidate while attending Erskine Theological Seminary. Ch Hanson graduated ETS in May 2002 and was ordained and endorsed by the United Methodist Church. In May 2004 he was commissioned as a Chaplain in the South Carolina Army National Guard. In December 2004, he completed 400 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education. In February 2006, he transferred to the United States Air Force Reserve Chaplain Corps. In twenty years of federal service, Ch Hanson has served as an Army Guard and Air Force Reserve Chaplain in South Carolina, Georgia, and the District of Columbia as both a traditional reservist and an IMA. Ch. Hanson has served as an Arlington National Cemetery Chaplain, a Mentor and Senior Mentor for the Chaplain Candidate Intensive Internship, a Deputy Wing Chaplain, and a Wing Chaplain. He completed the Academic Instructor Course in November 2019 with professional expertise in strategic visioning, conﬂict transformation, squadron-focused warrior-care, honoring the dead, and servant leadership. Prior to his current position, Ch Hanson was the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Deputy Commandant of the Air Force Chaplain Corps College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Today, Ch. Lt Col Stacey L. Hanson is the Division Chief of Plans, Programs and Training, Headquarters, and Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He assists and advises the Command Chaplain with career ﬁeld management tasks, such as recruiting, commissioning, and training, and directs the total force Chaplain Candidate Program. He manages the education and training requirements, monitors readiness for active and reserve Chaplain Corps personnel, and monitors policy guidance for Chaplain Corps programs.In addition to serving his country, Stacey dreamed of owning his own business to service his community. Although he knew that business ownership was his next big step, he didn’t know where to start, so he reached out for some professional advice and guidance. Stacey worked with a franchise consultant to explore business ownership options that would meet his goals. After reviewing several franchise options, Stacey and his wife Melissa decided to open an ACE Handyman franchise. This will be a true family business as their adult son Jacob will also be working in the business along with Melissa and Stacey.The The ENTREPRENEURIALENTREPRENEURIAL ChaplainChaplain“As I think beyond my military service, my goal is to achieve ﬁnancial freedom by owning my own business. After some research I decided to purchase a franchise for my family.”Why 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.comSTACEY L. HANSONCh. Lt Col, USAFHQ AFRC/HCX

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BackBack on theon the Home Front Home Front Yes, my son is in the service. But I Yes, my son is in the service. But I don’t think I want to write about it.don’t think I want to write about it.And it’s not that my story is tragic. And it’s not that my story is tragic. It’s the same as all the other moms It’s the same as all the other moms across the nation, across the world.across the nation, across the world.I’m just not comfortable writing I’m just not comfortable writing about it. My feelings. Personal about it. My feelings. Personal stories. I was really never much of a stories. I was really never much of a journaler. Never felt the need.journaler. Never felt the need.This level of self disclosure in writing, This level of self disclosure in writing, to me, feels even more intimate to me, feels even more intimate than speaking it. Because once it’s than speaking it. Because once it’s in writing, it makes it real. Forever. in writing, it makes it real. Forever. Eternal. And it’s more than I want to Eternal. And it’s more than I want to think about. And I can’t even write it think about. And I can’t even write it without crying.without crying.But someone has to share the story But someone has to share the story from the other side. The story of the from the other side. The story of the moms and dads and grandparents moms and dads and grandparents and sisters and brothers and cousins and sisters and brothers and cousins and all those who are left behind and all those who are left behind when our loved ones serve this when our loved ones serve this great country of ours. And this is my great country of ours. And this is my story…story…I’ll never forget when my airman I’ll never forget when my airman received his ﬁrst orders. He received his ﬁrst orders. He requested to go to Japan, and requested to go to Japan, and they approved it. A week after they approved it. A week after tech school, I was talking to him on tech school, I was talking to him on the phone and he said, “Everyone the phone and he said, “Everyone seems to be leaving slowly. I’ll seems to be leaving slowly. I’ll probably be here for a while.”probably be here for a while.”Less than 48 hours later, he was Less than 48 hours later, he was calling me to tell me that he ﬁnally calling me to tell me that he ﬁnally got his orders and was heading got his orders and was heading out. He would be leaving within 24 out. He would be leaving within 24 hours.hours.I heard the enthusiasm in his voice I heard the enthusiasm in his voice and how excited he was about and how excited he was about going to his ﬁrst duty station. I going to his ﬁrst duty station. I wanted to cry, but I knew what my wanted to cry, but I knew what my son needed was for me to be happy son needed was for me to be happy for him. That’s why I smiled through for him. That’s why I smiled through my tears, and I said what he needed my tears, and I said what he needed to hear.to hear.“You’re going to do great! What a “You’re going to do great! What a grand adventure you’re going on. I grand adventure you’re going on. I am so proud of you! Be sure to see am so proud of you! Be sure to see the world while you’re young and the world while you’re young and dumb and before you settle down dumb and before you settle down and start a family.” We laughed…and start a family.” We laughed…Inside, I was hurting so bad because Inside, I was hurting so bad because there was no time to plan a trip to there was no time to plan a trip to go see him one last time.go see him one last time.One day he was stateside, and then One day he was stateside, and then he was gone. Up until that time, he was gone. Up until that time, I don’t think I realized what that I don’t think I realized what that meant.meant.I cried for a week straight. I think I I cried for a week straight. I think I was in shock. Everything made me was in shock. Everything made me cry. I would just randomly burst into cry. I would just randomly burst into tears for no reason.tears for no reason.This is my little boy. My little angel. This is my little boy. My little angel. One that I raised from the womb One that I raised from the womb and kept safe. I knew he was going and kept safe. I knew he was going to be in harm’s way, and it goes to be in harm’s way, and it goes against everything in a mother’s against everything in a mother’s instinct to step back, and just let it instinct to step back, and just let it happen.happen.As a parent, you are so proud. And As a parent, you are so proud. And you’re so scared. And you miss you’re so scared. And you miss them. And there’s nothing you can them. And there’s nothing you can do about any of it.do about any of it.Nowadays, I say that I gave my Nowadays, I say that I gave my oldest son to his wife, and I gave my oldest son to his wife, and I gave my youngest son to the government. youngest son to the government. There’s a lot of times I don’t feel like There’s a lot of times I don’t feel like I have any kids at all.I have any kids at all.But that’s what you do when you But that’s what you do when you raise boys. You raise them to be raise boys. You raise them to be independent and strong. And there independent and strong. And there are days that I think that I was a little are days that I think that I was a little too good at my job of being a mom. too good at my job of being a mom. Because it’s so hard to let go and let Because it’s so hard to let go and let little boys grow up to be real men.little boys grow up to be real men.I couldn’t be more proud of my I couldn’t be more proud of my youngest son for choosing to serve youngest son for choosing to serve our country, but that doesn’t make our country, but that doesn’t make the holidays any less lonely. It the holidays any less lonely. It doesn’t make it any easier.doesn’t make it any easier.My heart breaks, but that’s what we My heart breaks, but that’s what we do. We raise them for export. We do. We raise them for export. We hope that we have guided them hope that we have guided them to be good people, contributing to be good people, contributing members of society, with big hearts members of society, with big hearts of gold. I know that I did my job of gold. I know that I did my job right because my son joined the Air right because my son joined the Air Force.Force.Love you, son, and no matter how Love you, son, and no matter how far away you are, you’re always in far away you are, you’re always in my thoughts, my prayers, and my my thoughts, my prayers, and my heart.heart.By Christine DeaneLOVE IS LETTING GO...If you have a story to share as someone who served on the home front, email stories@theateasemagazine.comAT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 9

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12 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineAt 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, America as we knew it changed forever! It has been 20 years since we were attacked on our own soil, but I doubt there is an adult over 35 today that doesn’t remember exactly where they were or what they were doing that morning as vividly today as the day it happened. For Retired NYPD Detective, Frank DeMasi, every detail of that beautiful September morning turned into a horriﬁc reality that is forever etched into his very soul. Frank was assigned to the Emergency Service Unit. As he explains it, the ESU was the “Navy SEALS” of the NYPD. They did it all. From SWAT to Bomb detection and diffusion, under water recovery, bridge jumpers, and Search & Rescue. “When someone needs help, they call a cop. When a cop needs help, they call Emergency Service,” Frank said. The ESU consists of just 1% of the over 40,000 NYPD ofﬁcers. Those 400 ofﬁcers are assigned to 10 Trucks throughout the ﬁve boroughs of New York City. Ofﬁcer DeMasi was assigned to Truck 9 in Queens, but that day he and his partner, ofﬁcer Jimmy Nessenthaler, were on the “ﬂy.” This meant that they would go to whatever truck was short staffed. At 0700 on September 11, Frank and Jimmy were assigned to Truck 8, out of Brooklyn. That morning at Quarters, Frank ran into Ofﬁcer Sgt. Rodney Gillis. He had just gotten off shift and was about to head to his second job when a call came over the radio. “Central, plane in WTC.” American Airlines Flight 11 had hit the North Tower at the World Trade Center. Sarge jumped in his uniform again. Jimmy and Frank had just pulled up to Quarters in an unloaded vehicle they had transported from Queens. Rodney yelled, “Frank… Jimmy… lets go! I have a vehicle here and I’m shooting over the Williamsburg Bridge.” Frank shot back, “Rodney, what kind of load do you have on that truck?” and Rodney replied, “it’s empty, we’ll get to Manhattan and get equipment from one of the other (big) trucks on the scene.”“No, Rodney, I don’t wanna go down without equipment, I’d rather have a loaded vehicle, I know when we get there, we’re gonna have the walking wounded coming up to us and I don’t wanna be there with just my dick in my hand. You go ahead to Manhattan, and we’ll be right behind you in Adam car.” Now normally when a Sergeant gives an order, subordinate ofﬁcers just do it. But Frank and Rodney came up through the ranks and served together; they were friends, and they had a tremendous amount of respect for each other, so this exchange was just not an issue. Later, Frank would realize this is just one of the decisions made that day that would save his life. Driving over the Williamsburg Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, Frank remembers looking at the tower and couldn’t believe his eyes. The gaping hole, ﬂames and dark smoke coming from the upper ﬂoors in the North Tower, he recalls, “We knew in our hearts this was no accident. As an NYPD ofﬁcer assigned to the ESU, we were constantly called on to handle accidents and emergencies… but no amount of training could’ve prepared us for the true evil we were about to witness on this day.”Arriving in lower Manhattan, Frank and Jimmy parked Adam car at Broadway & Cedar Streets, just on the North side under the South Tower. Truck 8’s ‘Big Truck’ arrived at their location about the same time. Frank made a promise to Rodney that he would meet up with him, so he got on the secure TAC channel calling for Rodney, but he didn’t get a response. Photo by Gerd Altmann Adam ‘car’ is actually a Ford F550 REP

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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 13Frank knew he needed his medical bag, so he went to the REP Truck and was bent over starting to remove gear from the bins when the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, hit the South Tower. “Holy Fuck, Jimmy! What was that?” Frank said as he could feel the heat of the plane on his neck.Since there wasn’t a ESU supervisor present, Frank, with his 17 years on duty, became the ‘Senior Man’ for the time being. Someone asked Frank, “where should we go?’“I don’t know where we’re going, but we’re not going into those towers blindly. We need to be accountable and we gotta get on a roster. If we go in those towers and something happens to us, nobody knows we’re in there. So, we’re gonna make our way to West Street and the ﬁrst ESU supervisor we come in contact with, we’ll be guided by them,” Frank recalls. There were ﬁve members from 8 Truck, but Sgt. Rodney Gillis was already there. he said, “he was at least 10 minutes ahead of us. So, the four of us started to walk to West Street.” As they approached West Street and the towers, the only people there on the street were FDNY, but no cops and no ESU. “Why the hell are they just standing there?” Frank thought.But then he found out why … People had been blown out of the building. They were stepping over bodies and body parts and every few minutes they would hear what sounded like small explosions caused by the jumpers from the 98th & 99th ﬂoors of North Tower hitting parked cars, rooftops, or the sidewalk. “We watched countless people who woke up that morning to go to work, who had probably kissed their loved one goodbye, without knowing that it would be for the last time, standing at the broken windows above the 80th ﬂoor. I doubt any of them thought as they were leaving their homes that morning, in a few hours I’ll be jumping out of the 98th ﬂoor of the World Trade Center to release myself from the hell that was behind me. We were horriﬁed and helpless knowing there was nothing we could do to help these people.” Frank recalls. Frank and his team continued North. And that’s where they located their guys, who had already mobilized at the corner of West and Vessey Streets, in close proximity to the North Tower and about a block away from the South Tower at the World Trade Center. They encountered Sgt. Tommy Sullivan along with Sgt. Urban, Lt. Serras, and ESU Commanding Ofﬁcer, Ronnie Wasson. “8 Truck, and a few others plus a few guys from 9 Truck connected to Sgt. Sullivan as the ESU supervisor,” Frank remembered. In the meantime, two ofﬁcers went back to Broadway & Cedar to get the 8’s Big Truck and bring it to the West & Vessey location so the squad could have the equipment they needed. Sullivan, Frank, and 8 others were suited up for the Rescue and getting ready to go towards the South Tower, when they heard the most chilling communication come over the radio. “Central, we have conﬁrmation that the Pentagon has been hit.”Sgt. Sullivan stopped in his tracks, looked at his team and said, “Guys, fuck all this Rescue shit, we’re going (in) tactical!” The team walked back towards 8 Truck to switch out gear and devise a plan. As they were crossing West Street in their Tactical gear, it was at that moment, that Frank heard what can only be described as the ear-piercing sound of twisting metal echoing through the canyons of Lower Manhattan and then the overwhelming sound like a freight train as the 110 story South Tower came crashing down like a house of cards with a power, intensity, and speed none of them had ever seen before. They ran from the debris cloud that chased them, a dozen or so of the team dove under the ESU ‘Big’ truck. “I remember being consumed by the debris cloud. Etched in my mind is the distinct odor of that cloud and what felt like broke glass hitting my exposed skin. It became pitch black… the debris was ﬁlling my ears and there was a deafening silence. I remember not being able to breath and thought, ‘so the tower didn’t get me, but they’re going to ﬁnd me suffocated under this truck’.” Frank vividly remembers. Thinking about his family, Frank thought, “this is not how I’m going to go out!” The ESU ‘BIG TRUCK’

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14 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineUsing his ballistic helmet, he covered his face, coughed into it to clear his lungs, and then breathed in whatever air was left over. “We were under that truck for a full 9-minutes, but it felt like 9 hours,” Frank said. He remembers saying, “Oh my God! How many guys just got killed?”Frank would later learn that Sgt. Rodney Gillis from ESU Truck 8 and Sgt. John Coughlin from Truck 4 each took a squad of men into the South Tower to help rescue hundreds, if not thousands, of lives that day, but they traded their own lives in the process. As Frank and the rest of his squad crawled out from under the truck, he remembers that one of the guys was overcome with heat, “we had to get his clothes off and get him oxygen, asap.” It was during these few minutes of respite, as the dust began to slowly settle that photographer Bill Biggart caught a shot of Frank and a few of his team members. And then they heard that demonic sound of twisting metal again… the North tower started to collapse, and this time they ran for their lives towards the Hudson. Frank ducked into the American Express lobby and saw hundreds of terriﬁed people, many wanting to run out of the building. But Frank reassured them that they were safer right where they were. After the collapse of the second tower, he roamed the streets of lower Manhattan aimlessly, walking through the thirty feet of collective debris of the 220 stories of destruction and death. Radios went silent because the repeaters were on the towers and Frank was on his own. No one would’ve blamed him if Frank got lost in his thoughts, but now was not the time. His job wasn’t ﬁnished, it was just beginning. Frank knew of one place he might reconnect with his ESU squad and started making his way to the Police Memorial located between what was left of the Word Trade Center and the Hudson. It was a good call, the Memorial became a hub for ﬁrst responders, ﬁrst 20, then 40 started showing up. It was then that Frank learned he was on the list of the missing. Payphones were dead, and even though he had a beeper, what he needed was a cell phone. 6 Truck was parked near the Memorial, and Frank’s friend Franco was sitting in the truck talking on the phone. He approached and said. “You talkin on the phone? Holy Shit! I need to call my wife!” “I must’ve redialed her number like 20 times, but couldn’t get through, so I handed the phone back to Franco and would try later. He must have redialed again and ﬁnally got through. I let my wife know I was OK, but that I’m gonna be here for days.” Frank remembered. The rest of that day was a blur of regrouping, search and rescue, and beginning the process of dealing with the loss and the city that was now a literal hell on earth. At midnight, as Frank was ﬁnally driving over the bridge toward his home on Long Island, everything hit him at once! Tears of grief and anger streaming down through the thick dust on his face, Frank thought about all the people hanging out of the broken windows above the 80th ﬂoor trying desperately to breathe and hold on to a false hope of being rescued, knowing damn well there was absolutely nothing anyone could do for them, seeing people leap to their deaths with the eventual explosive crash of bodies hitting roofs, cars or the ground. Sullivan giving the order to change to tactical gear, which saved their lives. He thought about his fellow ofﬁcers and ﬁreﬁghters… how many died today? Will we ﬁnd any of them alive? And what about the photographer, Bill Biggart who survived the collapse of the ﬁrst tower, but would die when the North tower fell. How many lives were lost today?The next day, Frank arrived at Ground Zero at 0600 and would

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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 15spend the next 18 hours searching for survivors. “This continued day in and day out for weeks. Search & rescue turned into a recovery operation about 3-4 weeks later, while working 14-15 hours a day until someone ordered you to go home. Personal protection was a joke. When we were working on the piles (of debris), sometimes it took us 15 minutes just to climb up the damn thing... The ﬁres lasted for months, being careful not to step on the hot metal, or it would melt your shoes. Every time an air horn would sound, it meant another building was coming down and we had to climb down to get to a safe zone. We ﬁnally said ‘fuck it… if I die, I die.’ And after a while, everything you tasted, tasted like the WTC. And the smell… you just couldn’t get that damn smell out of your nostrils” Frank remembers. All of this was, in between attending funerals, sometimes 3 a day, with some of them burying an empty casket because they couldn’t ﬁnd a body. “Eventually, we went to 12-hour tours, 0700-1900 & 1900-0700 with a mandatory day off. We’d work our normal patrol shifts for two days, then go dig for the other four days, putting in an extra 36 hours a week. In the beginning, nobody was taking days off --- but eventually we were ordered to take at least 1 day,” Frank said. Meanwhile, the Red Cross set up a huge tent in a nearby parking lot that would become a 24/7 Restaurant for First Responders. People across the country came to help the search, rescue & recovery, providing meals, water, and places for responders to rest. Outback Steakhouse even set up a Tractor Trailer on the FDR. In a speech written for the 10th Anniversary, Frank writes, “In the months that followed, members of the Police Department would work 24 hours a day at ground zero. Digging, sifting, & raking while looking for the remains of all who were lost that day. People with hopes and dreams – not just remains to unearth. We always thought we would ﬁnd many more people than we did. There were times when all we would ﬁnd was a ﬁnger and that would be cause for excitement. We felt at least some wife, husband, mother, or father will have some kind of closure. Sometimes it was just and ID card of a WTC working that we’d ﬁnd and again, we knew there was something we can return to a loved one. Once found, their remains were gently placed onto stretchers, American Flags draped over them, and then one ﬁnal salute as they were escorted out of ground zero.” In the 20 years that have passed, there isn’t a day that goes by that Frank doesn’t remember this day and all of his NYPD brothers who lost their lives, like Rodney Gillis and Mike Curtin. “Three months later, we found Sergeant Mike Curtin in proximity to what would have been the lobby of the North Tower. He had gone in to check the stairwell for people one more time, and it collapsed on him. Of the 14 Emergency Service Unit heroes who died on September 11th, 2001, the bodies of 5 would be recovered, the remaining 9 were gone forever.” Frank disclosed. Frank, along with every single ﬁrst responder that day, faced the impossible propagated by sinister evil on what started out as a beautiful September day. And while he has been through the ﬁre of survivor’s guilt and grief, he has learned to live for his brothers, because they can’t. But even more importantly, Frank remembers their names, remembers Years ago, Frank DeMasi (pictured above) set out to memorialize the heroic sacrifice made by the 23 NYPD officers who gave their lives in the pursuit to save others with this custom paint job on his Harley.their faces, and with him, we will also remember and to never forget.* On behalf of AT EASE! Veterans * On behalf of AT EASE! Veterans Magazine, We would like to offer our Magazine, We would like to offer our sincere gratitude to Frank DeMasi for sincere gratitude to Frank DeMasi for taking the time to be so candid about taking the time to be so candid about his experience. Our thoughts and his experience. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your brothers prayers are with you and your brothers & sisters of the NYPD & ESU. & sisters of the NYPD & ESU. NEVER FORGET!

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HONORCOURAGESemper Fi, the abbreviated Marine Corps motto—is an expression Marines use with each other as a greeting and farewell. But, what does it actually mean? The Latin translation of Semper Fidelis is, “always faithful.” Faithful to God, country, and Corps. In boot camp, we were taught about honor, courage, and commitment. However, I shall submit another Latin phrase that should be commonplace, “Semper Honesta,” always honorable. One of life’s greatest accomplishments a Marine reﬂects upon is graduating from Marine Corps boot camp. A sense of pride is instilled from the event that cannot be removed. Why? Because it was completed not only by physical endurance and perseverance but by building a moral character using Marine Corps core values. Becoming a Marine is an honorable endeavor that will stay with you all the days of your life. The adage, “once a Marine, always a Marine” is not just a saying, it is an absolute truth.The moment your feet touched those yellow footprints, it began—the indoctrination into Marine Corps values. Without a doubt, if you have never been taught about the meaning of honor, you were about to ﬁnd out. An “esprit de corps” that will be embedded in your core and will never fade. What is it about honor that captivates? The belief is that you should never lie, cheat, steal, and always maintain your integrity. Always doing the right thing—even when no one is looking. These are universal traits, but in the Marine Corps, they are drilled into you so they will never be forgotten. Once you leave military service and reenter civilian life, the Marine core values you were taught continue. They are just as valuable in civilian life as they were in the military.Honor in the Marine Corps is also about respect. Respect for your superior ofﬁcers, your fellow Marines, and yourself. Honor and respect are inseparable. On the very ﬁrst day of boot camp, you were taught to answer with “yes sir” and “no sir” to all Marines. Once graduated from boot camp and becoming a Marine, the “sir” and “ma’am” are extended only to ofﬁcers. At ﬁrst, the boot camp “siring” was mostly rendered out of fear of retribution. But soon after enduring the struggles and pain of boot camp training, it became apparent the Marines you were addressing with a sir had earned that respect and honor. Even now in my senior years, I still give a courteous sir or ma’am to individuals I consider honorable. Something the Marine Corps taught me is to honor and respect those who have earned it.When you think of honor, the ﬁrst thing that comes to mind is the Medal of Honor, the highest United States military award for bravery. What more exempliﬁes honor than this award? The qualiﬁcations are rigorous with only about 3,500 recipients since its inception in 1861. With such an honorable and highly respected award, all uniformed members of service render a salute to Medal of Honor recipients regardless of their rank.Throughout history there have been many thousands of honorable men and women in military service—I also wish to be remembered as honorable...and so should you.VL Stevenson - Corporal, USMCVietnam 1966 – 1968In the Marine Corps, courage is ingrained into us as part of our core values. We are taught Honor, Courage and Commitment. Courage is 2nd. I believe the reason why it is second is because in order for you to have courage, you must have honor ﬁrst. Because without honor, your courage has nothing worth working hard for. Courage is the mental, moral, and physical strength of a Marine. It carries us through the challenges of training and combat, and aids us in overcoming fear. Because of courage, I have been able to adapt and overcome many challenges in my life. I went into the Corps just 6 days after graduating high school. After the Marines I knew very little about how the civilian world would be. I now had two kids to support while I was going through a failed marriage. Courage kept me pressing forward to make necessary decisions to ﬁnd US MCUS MCUS MCUS MC246246thth246246thth16 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine

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COMMITMENTwork and support my kids once I became a single father. After my failed marriage and relationship, it soon led to the risky decision to move to California as a single parent with my teenage kids. I had no job, no vehicle, and didn’t know anyone. I had a responsibility to support my kids. I hit the ground running. Got a job and a place of our own within a few months.Fast forward 4 ½ years later, I was not happy at my job; I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and do something that I was passionate about. Because of the courage instilled in me, I quit and started my own woodworking business called Kamikaze Wood Werks. I took a big risk starting it. Woodworking was a big part of my young and young adult life. Throughout my Marine Corps career, I was making things one way or another; like turning pallets into a bench while stationed in Kuwait. After about 6 months into the wood working another opportunity happened that took courage to pursue, something I had no clue about. I started another business making Chocolate Crayons called Crayons Ready-to-Eat. This idea came from turning the Military joke of calling us Marines “crayon eaters,” and I wanted to turn the joke into a reality. This is also a passion for me because of the interaction it has with the military community. I’m putting smiles on others’ faces with a lot of laughter. We hit many roadblocks when we started. But I didn’t stop. I have the courage and strength to press forward and work through each hurdle. 3 years later, the woodworking business is on hold while Crayons Ready-to-Eat is my main focus. Now we are crowdfunding and in talks with facilities so we can bring this to market and put smiles on many faces. Without the courage that the Marine Corps gave me I would not have been able to take the risks and be the man I am today. I’m honored to be here today because of the courage to be committed to everything I do in life and business. Happy 246th Birthday Marines! Semper Fidelis. FE Manteau - Sergeant, USMC - Desert Thunder - Post 9/11 1995 - 2002In the Korean War, pulling the trigger at Chosin Reservoir when you no longer feel your frozen ﬁngers. Flying back to lead your embattled Marines in Iraq while your mother succumbs to cancer. Taking your ﬁnger off the trigger when the deep wounds of war and ﬂeeing family create a pain that seems unparalleled. From the yellow footprints where we began to yellow ribbons that recall the ultimate commitment to each other and our nation, Marines’ resolve has taken many forms. 246 years of sharpening the mettle of the next generation of war ﬁghters and adapting to ever-changing national priorities has cemented the Marine Corps as a cornerstone for the security of the United States and our allies across the globe. With the end of America’s longest war in Afghanistan, the rising threat of major power conﬂicts, and our nation wrestling with agendas at home, Marines remain steadfast in defending the constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic. Marine Veterans across the nation never dropped their packs as they volunteer to respond to natural disasters, risk their lives to defend those in our communities, and remain on call in the Reserves. One month after graduating from Parris Island, Lance Corporal Byrd maneuvered himself between a bleeding motel receptionist and a knife wielding assailant. Byrd fought off the attacker then applied ﬁrst aid to the receptionist’s wounds. Lance Corporal Byrd embodied our commitment to being Marines 24/7, regardless of danger, in any time and place. In every generation of Leathernecks there are unsung heroes who never had the recognition of their valiant deeds. Yet every Marine knows full well the expectations to act deliberately and appropriately from dining halls to the folding of the ﬂag for fallen comrades. Retirement ceremonies are particularly a bittersweet reminder that no matter how dedicated, there comes a time when our commitment to Corps and country shifts from the front lines to nation building at home. Veterans bring unequivocal experiences and tenacity to communities across America. To cities and towns unsure of what next steps to take in local societal conﬂicts. As in Vietnam, Somalia, and every conﬂict our Corps has fought, Marine Veterans continue to strive to foster a greater peace and combat our nations foes. The 30th Commandant General Mundy stated that commitment is “…the value that establishes the Marine as the warrior and citizen others strive to emulate.” Today’s America can rely on the commitment of Marines from all eras to help dress the wounds felt by many of her citizenry while deterring those within our borders bent on tearing apart her virtuous and moral fabric. Our motto of Semper Fidelis, “Always Faithful”, warns our enemies, assures those we protect, and is a lifelong promise from one Marine to the next to stand by them and never leave a Marine behind.E Sower - Sergeant, USMCPost 9/11 2002 - 2017AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 17SEMPER FI

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18 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineDD-214 & BEYONDYES! WE’RE OPEN!Ready for a New Job? Resources to Get You on Your WaySHIFT. The word describes what is happening in our almost post-Covid world. A shift in the workplace, a shift in careers, shift in job skills, and a shift in mindset. The pandemic demonstrated how a virus could impact our economy. Disruption of work and home life, loss of family members, friends, and relationships were experienced by so many for nearly 16 months. As a result, people began re-evaluating priorities. Work was one of those priorities. Work - the how, when, where, is being redeﬁned and spans many industries and professions. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics July 2nd report details that in June 2021 the national unemployment rate was 5.9%. For vets, in the same period, it was 4.8%. What these numbers do not show are the challenges employers face to keep and draw much needed talent to their companies. Positions need to be ﬁlled as businesses expand to meet pent up demand. Add employees who are searching for new jobs, and you can understand the challenge businesses face to ensure an environment that fosters a work life balance.Employers are incorporating ﬂexibility and beneﬁts in offers to entice new and qualiﬁed workers to return to company worksites. These incentives may include a hybrid work environment - working partially remote and onsite, providing childcare onsite or emergency care for children and family members, and signing and retention bonuses. These considerations are now front and center for many job seekers. Although there are many changes to work out and how we approach work, somethings do not change when it comes to the job search. Lee Ware, a Veteran Employer Liaison with Texas Veterans Commission Employment Team, shared these best practices when preparing for your job search and next opportunity. • Do not focus on one Employer - Be open minded and open to unexpected opportunities. • Do your research – Research the company and the position you are seeking. This will help to conﬁrm why the company, its values, and its culture, are a good match for you.• Highlight your skills - Log onto the website such as: O*NET OnLine (onetonline.org) that allows you to translate your military skills to civilian language. This helps the hiring manager understand the breadth of your experience in their terms.• Prepare a good Resume, Cover letter, and Thank You letter. No longer can we submit one resume for all jobs. Automatic tracking systems scan the resume for speciﬁc skills required for each position. Applicants must customize their resume to address the job description and the employer needs. The use of Cover letters allows the applicant to hit the high notes of their qualiﬁcations. The use of a Thank You letter tells the employer that you are interested, detailed, and have good follow-up skills.• Be prepared for the Interview. Have a good 30 second pitch. Dress to impress - the ﬁrst impression is sometimes the last. The more you Written by: Christina MortelNavigating the Post-COVID Job MarketNavigating the Post-COVID Job Market

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know about the organization and the position they need to ﬁll, the more it will increase your chances of success. If doing an online video chat interview, here are some helpful suggestions.Whatever your next step is, take time to prepare and use these resources to help guide your search. Lee also mentioned that depending on the type of job and industry, the hiring process may take a few days to a few months, so plan accordingly. Remember to use your existing network to help ﬁnd your next position. Informing friends and family may broaden your reach and shorten the time to your new opportunity. Job Search and Training ResourcesAmerican Job Centers: American Job Centers | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov) . Search the closest American Job/Workforce Center by entering your zip code. It will bring up a list of locations including whether a Veterans representative is available at that site.Veterans Employment And Training Service: Find a Job | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov) – This site includes a variety of resources and includes the CareerOneStop. There is an extensive list of training resources that includes apprenticeships and internships, certiﬁcations, and professional development as well as Adult Education and GED.VETS | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)- this site provides access to workshops for military spouses too. Veterans Administration: Careers And Employment | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)The VA offers Career and Employment assistance Careers And Employment | Veterans Affairs (va.gov); On this site you can ﬁnd information on employment tracks for Veterans with disabilities to learn skills, conduct job search, and more. Contact information is readily available if you have questions.Check employment websites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, Zip Recruiter, and others. After setting up a few key words and location for your search, create an alert to notify you of potential jobs matches in the area. LinkedIn is also a good resource as recruiters search LinkedIn for candidates who are actively seeking employment. Through ID.me program, Simple, Secure Identity Veriﬁcation | ID.me, Veterans and service members can sign up for a Premium account for a designated period at no cost.State and Local Workforce Ofﬁces • State Job Board. Register on the site to complete a job search, upload your resume, and search request assistance. Veteran employment resources may be listed on this site as well.• Job Fairs conducted by state and local agencies - The local Workforce will be aware of employment events as well as colleges, universities, veteran organizations, and agencies.• Resume Assistance. Workforce Centers also offer Resume Workshops for updating your resume. 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/AT EASE! Veterans Magazine- 19Visit: theateasemagazine.com/issues-1 to view this article in our flip-book and access the article links. "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln

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There is no doubt that joining the There is no doubt that joining the military was in Terry’s future. After military was in Terry’s future. After all, He had come from a legacy all, He had come from a legacy of Military service. Terry’s father of Military service. Terry’s father was a WWII Veteran who served in was a WWII Veteran who served in the U.S. Navy and his grandfather the U.S. Navy and his grandfather was an Army Veteran from WWI, was an Army Veteran from WWI, who was wounded in action at the who was wounded in action at the Battle of Somme in France in 1916.Battle of Somme in France in 1916. In 1967, the Vietnam War was in full In 1967, the Vietnam War was in full force and Terry knew that’s where force and Terry knew that’s where he would be heading just he would be heading just two weeks after graduating two weeks after graduating high school. As a 0341 high school. As a 0341 Mortarman, he started his Mortarman, he started his tour at Phu Bai Combat tour at Phu Bai Combat Base, with Company Bravo Base, with Company Bravo 11stst Battalion 1 Battalion 1stst Marines. Marines. The Battle of HuThe Battle of Huếế, also , also called the Siege of Hucalled the Siege of Huếế, , came to Terry’s doorstep at came to Terry’s doorstep at Phu Bai in January of 1968. Phu Bai in January of 1968. It was one of the bloodiest It was one of the bloodiest battles in Vietnam, with battles in Vietnam, with 142 Marines KIA and over 142 Marines KIA and over 1000 wounded. 1000 wounded. After that battle, he then After that battle, he then headed to An Hoa Combat headed to An Hoa Combat Base, then the Arizona Base, then the Arizona territory within Vietnam. territory within Vietnam. Most of the time, Terry Most of the time, Terry was just following orders was just following orders and didn’t know where he was and didn’t know where he was going. “It was all jungle where we going. “It was all jungle where we went” when asked how he could went” when asked how he could tell the difference between his tell the difference between his assignments. “We were just told assignments. “We were just told where to go next.” where to go next.” After his initial two-year enlistment, After his initial two-year enlistment, Terry transitioned to the USMC Terry transitioned to the USMC active reserves and in 1972, went active reserves and in 1972, went active duty again. This time it was active duty again. This time it was different. He decided he wanted different. He decided he wanted to be in the Marine Corps Force to be in the Marine Corps Force Recon. Terry recollected that when Recon. Terry recollected that when he made that decision, he was he made that decision, he was 22 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazinein a room with 300 other men. A in a room with 300 other men. A recruiter asked who wanted to be recruiter asked who wanted to be in the Force Recon. Terry was the in the Force Recon. Terry was the only one to raise his hand. The only one to raise his hand. The recruiter pulled him aside and recruiter pulled him aside and asked if he was sure he knew what asked if he was sure he knew what he was doing. Terry was well aware he was doing. Terry was well aware of what he was getting himself into, of what he was getting himself into, and with that, he was shipped out and with that, he was shipped out to U.S. Navy dive school in San to U.S. Navy dive school in San Diego, California.Diego, California. The Naval training in San Diego is The Naval training in San Diego is one of the hardest schools to pass; one of the hardest schools to pass; essentially, it’s BUDS Seal training essentially, it’s BUDS Seal training that Terry was going through. One that Terry was going through. One of the most mentally challenging of the most mentally challenging tasks he would have to endure was tasks he would have to endure was the mask water test. To pass, Terry the mask water test. To pass, Terry would be underwater, the instructor would be underwater, the instructor would pull off his water mask, and would pull off his water mask, and then the key component was that then the key component was that he had to stay underwater, not he had to stay underwater, not letting his head break the surface. letting his head break the surface. If he broke, he would’ve failed. “It If he broke, he would’ve failed. “It was all about your mentality. I had to was all about your mentality. I had to tell myself that the instructors aren’t tell myself that the instructors aren’t going going to kill to kill me. I passed the me. I passed the ﬁrst time on that test.”ﬁrst time on that test.” He passed the Navy dive school He passed the Navy dive school and went onto Army Ranger and went onto Army Ranger school in Ft. Bragg, Georgia. school in Ft. Bragg, Georgia. After successfully completing that After successfully completing that training, Terry earned his Force training, Terry earned his Force Recon pin. He shared that in order Recon pin. He shared that in order to earn that pin, he developed to earn that pin, he developed the mentality of “You don’t quit.” the mentality of “You don’t quit.” It’s the uniﬁed mindset shared It’s the uniﬁed mindset shared between Force Recon brothers. between Force Recon brothers. After his discharge from the Corps, After his discharge from the Corps, Terry went onto international Terry went onto international policing. He was deployed, yet policing. He was deployed, yet again, to several war regions, again, to several war regions, including Kosovo, Afghanistan, and including Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, serving as a private military Iraq, serving as a private military contractor during the Iraq war. contractor during the Iraq war. Terry shared that he had taken Terry shared that he had taken part in 4 different wars throughout part in 4 different wars throughout his lifetime and witnessed how his lifetime and witnessed how much war had changed from his much war had changed from his young days in Vietnam to his young days in Vietnam to his military contracting days in Iraq. military contracting days in Iraq. “My mindset was different in “My mindset was different in Afghanistan than in Vietnam. I Afghanistan than in Vietnam. I knew how to handle everything knew how to handle everything and even helped out those that and even helped out those that were witnessing war for the ﬁrst were witnessing war for the ﬁrst time.” time.” One of his favorite things about One of his favorite things about his military experience is the his military experience is the brotherhood that is within the brotherhood that is within the Marine Corps. It just never goes Marine Corps. It just never goes “ONCE A MARINE”The Story of Terry Lowe - USMC – Vietnam“Once A Marine” continued on page 38

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with their daughter, with their daughter, and with no vehicle and with no vehicle to get herself to the to get herself to the hospital, she had to hospital, she had to ride the bus to get to ride the bus to get to the base hospital. The the base hospital. The bus driver knew she was bus driver knew she was in labor and drove right up in labor and drove right up to the gate, alerting the gate to the gate, alerting the gate guards guards that he had a woman in labor on the bus. The gate that he had a woman in labor on the bus. The gate guards immediately took her and drove her to the guards immediately took her and drove her to the base hospital. When she arrived, she was greeted by base hospital. When she arrived, she was greeted by the base doctor, who took her inside. She gave birth the base doctor, who took her inside. She gave birth shortly after arriving.shortly after arriving. His favorite tour of duty, was at the Pentagon, His favorite tour of duty, was at the Pentagon, Richard shares. It was a 6-month tour where he was Richard shares. It was a 6-month tour where he was a personnel ofﬁcer assisting different leaders within a personnel ofﬁcer assisting different leaders within the Pentagon. To be at the Nation’s capital was an the Pentagon. To be at the Nation’s capital was an amazing experience for him. He would ride a shuttle amazing experience for him. He would ride a shuttle bus each day into the Pentagon, and on some days, bus each day into the Pentagon, and on some days, he was offered a ride into the facility. He explained he was offered a ride into the facility. He explained that random strangers would pick up servicemen & that random strangers would pick up servicemen & women to create the necessary occupants in each women to create the necessary occupants in each vehicle to equal 3 people because the driver needed vehicle to equal 3 people because the driver needed 3 people to drive onto the Pentagon facility.3 people to drive onto the Pentagon facility. Richard credits his Army service to his wife, Lola. She Richard credits his Army service to his wife, Lola. She was incredibly supportive of him and stood by his side was incredibly supportive of him and stood by his side as he was ﬁghting during the Korean war as well as as he was ﬁghting during the Korean war as well as during the numerous military moves. Richard gives her during the numerous military moves. Richard gives her all the credit and calls her the “hero” of their marriage. all the credit and calls her the “hero” of their marriage. Today, they have 4 children and many grandchildren.Today, they have 4 children and many grandchildren. After serving for 28 years, his family relocated to After serving for 28 years, his family relocated to Corpus Christi, Texas, where they lived for 35 years. Corpus Christi, Texas, where they lived for 35 years. Richard is grateful for his time in the service, and when Richard is grateful for his time in the service, and when asked what he would tell the younger generation asked what he would tell the younger generation about joining the military, he replied, “In the Army, you about joining the military, he replied, “In the Army, you spend time practicing how to be miserable, so join the spend time practicing how to be miserable, so join the other branches where you’re not as miserable.” other branches where you’re not as miserable.” AT EASE! Veterans Magazine- 23“IF NOT FOR LOLA”The Story of Richard Nicholson - USA – Korean WarIn 1951, American Patriotism was high, the economy In 1951, American Patriotism was high, the economy was booming and for Richard, he had a young family was booming and for Richard, he had a young family to support at the tender age of 19. Joining the United to support at the tender age of 19. Joining the United States Army would complete his dream of serving in States Army would complete his dream of serving in the military, even though he knew it meant going to the military, even though he knew it meant going to Korea and leaving his wife, Lola, and their baby. Korea and leaving his wife, Lola, and their baby. The Korean War had only been going on for a year. The Korean War had only been going on for a year. Richard was assigned to Artillery with the Georgia Richard was assigned to Artillery with the Georgia National Guard Battalion. He supported the U.S. National Guard Battalion. He supported the U.S. Marine amphibious tanks in Korea at the time. Marine amphibious tanks in Korea at the time. Richard’s job was to maintain the 90 mm guns and Richard’s job was to maintain the 90 mm guns and keep defense of the tanks. He recalls standing duty on keep defense of the tanks. He recalls standing duty on an observation post in Korea, and could see about 6-7 an observation post in Korea, and could see about 6-7 miles into the distance, across the Huang River. With miles into the distance, across the Huang River. With locals working in the rice patty ﬁelds below him, he locals working in the rice patty ﬁelds below him, he had to make sure to ﬁre the 90 mm into the distance. had to make sure to ﬁre the 90 mm into the distance. Richard was quickly moved from that observation post Richard was quickly moved from that observation post and moved to his next assignment in the war.and moved to his next assignment in the war.He shared a story that in order to receive combat He shared a story that in order to receive combat you had to be under enemy ﬁre. Some of the Marines you had to be under enemy ﬁre. Some of the Marines would etch “shoot me” on the side of the tank, so they would etch “shoot me” on the side of the tank, so they would get shot at to receive the $45 of combat pay would get shot at to receive the $45 of combat pay (equivalent to $466 today). It was a big to risk your (equivalent to $466 today). It was a big to risk your fellow soldier’s life but they didn’t care; they wanted fellow soldier’s life but they didn’t care; they wanted the money. the money. Serving in the Korean War was something that Richard Serving in the Korean War was something that Richard never forgot, and it scared him to death numerous never forgot, and it scared him to death numerous times. Hearing constant gunﬁre was something he times. Hearing constant gunﬁre was something he never got used to. His best memory from the war, never got used to. His best memory from the war, though, was when he was returning home from his tour though, was when he was returning home from his tour of duty. He recalls that he was riding a crew ship, and it of duty. He recalls that he was riding a crew ship, and it was cold, wet, and miserable during the transport. He was cold, wet, and miserable during the transport. He was pulling into Seattle, Washington and saw his family. was pulling into Seattle, Washington and saw his family. The emotions he felt seeing his wife, his parents, and The emotions he felt seeing his wife, his parents, and his child were overwhelming. He was safe at home with his child were overwhelming. He was safe at home with the people he loved the most. the people he loved the most. After his tour in Korea, Richard went into the Active After his tour in Korea, Richard went into the Active Army Reserves and served his country for 28 more Army Reserves and served his country for 28 more years. Throughout that time, he was stationed at years. Throughout that time, he was stationed at several Army bases, such as Ft. Lewis in Washington, several Army bases, such as Ft. Lewis in Washington, Ft. Hood in Texas, Ft. Benning in Georgia, Ft. Polk in Ft. Hood in Texas, Ft. Benning in Georgia, Ft. Polk in Louisiana, and Ft. Bliss in Texas. Louisiana, and Ft. Bliss in Texas. Richard shared an intimate story of Lola when they Richard shared an intimate story of Lola when they were stationed at Ft. Bliss. Lola had gone into labor were stationed at Ft. Bliss. Lola had gone into labor

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If you’re lucky enough to enjoy a If you’re lucky enough to enjoy a conversation with George Burke, you’re conversation with George Burke, you’re in for a treat. Born in 1923 in Monaca, in for a treat. Born in 1923 in Monaca, Pennsylvania, George grew up all boy. Pennsylvania, George grew up all boy. He played football in the street with He played football in the street with his neighborhood friends, learned how his neighborhood friends, learned how to make homemade pasta from his to make homemade pasta from his mother, and fermented wine with his mother, and fermented wine with his father; during high school, he caddied at father; during high school, he caddied at the local golf course and managed the the local golf course and managed the basketball team. However, young and basketball team. However, young and full of eager potential, George always full of eager potential, George always wanted to be a pilot. wanted to be a pilot. Right after he graduated high school Right after he graduated high school in 1941, George and his friend Franklin in 1941, George and his friend Franklin were admitted into the Civilian were admitted into the Civilian Conservation Corps, a government Conservation Corps, a government organization that offered opportunities organization that offered opportunities for below poverty families. They traveled for below poverty families. They traveled to a camp in Virginia where they received to a camp in Virginia where they received their uniforms, and soon the two were their uniforms, and soon the two were off to survey Shenandoah National Park. off to survey Shenandoah National Park. They bunked in a small log cabin (it was They bunked in a small log cabin (it was perfect training for the military, George perfect training for the military, George recalls) and withstood the biting cold, recalls) and withstood the biting cold, dealing with snakes and moonshiners as dealing with snakes and moonshiners as they needed to. He made $30 a day and they needed to. He made $30 a day and sent $25 back to his parents.sent $25 back to his parents.December 7December 7thth, 1941. George remembers , 1941. George remembers listening to the radio and learning about listening to the radio and learning about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Soon, he was the attack on Pearl Harbor. Soon, he was discharged from the CCC and went down discharged from the CCC and went down to Eglin Air Force Base as a surveyor to Eglin Air Force Base as a surveyor with an engineering company. He fondly with an engineering company. He fondly remembers watching pilots ﬂy out over remembers watching pilots ﬂy out over the Gulf of Mexico for target practice. the Gulf of Mexico for target practice. In the past, you had to have a college In the past, you had to have a college degree to be a pilot. Then, the degree to be a pilot. Then, the requirement was lowered to two years requirement was lowered to two years of college. In the Fall of 1942, the of college. In the Fall of 1942, the requirements had been changed again requirements had been changed again to passing a series of exams. At that time, to passing a series of exams. At that time, George was sent to work in Florence, George was sent to work in Florence, South Carolina, where he noticed an South Carolina, where he noticed an ad in the newspaper offering the exam ad in the newspaper offering the exam application for aviation cadet training. He application for aviation cadet training. He applied, was approved, and reported to applied, was approved, and reported to Fort Jackson. George and over 100 other Fort Jackson. George and over 100 other hopeful candidates tested eight hours a hopeful candidates tested eight hours a day for three days. After three more days day for three days. After three more days of anticipation, the reported back for of anticipation, the reported back for results. George and only two others had results. George and only two others had passed the exams. In December of 1942, passed the exams. In December of 1942, he was an aviation cadet.he was an aviation cadet.George was immediately called to active George was immediately called to active duty, and for the next several months duty, and for the next several months he traveled to Miami Beach, Florida, he traveled to Miami Beach, Florida, Toledo, Ohio, Nashville, Tennessee, Toledo, Ohio, Nashville, Tennessee, and Maxwell Field, Alabama. Every new and Maxwell Field, Alabama. Every new place they went, they trained drills and place they went, they trained drills and physical exercises. He was selected for physical exercises. He was selected for pilot training, and soon George was sent pilot training, and soon George was sent to an Airforce Field near Florence, South to an Airforce Field near Florence, South Carolina. As he describes it, it was a large Carolina. As he describes it, it was a large dirt ﬁeld with “the appearance of World dirt ﬁeld with “the appearance of World War I.” War I.” A biplane with two open cockpits was A biplane with two open cockpits was the ﬁrst plane George learned to ﬂy. He the ﬁrst plane George learned to ﬂy. He learned several aerobatic maneuvers learned several aerobatic maneuvers loops, chandelles, spin recovers, and loops, chandelles, spin recovers, and eventually “lazy eights.” Next, the cadets eventually “lazy eights.” Next, the cadets moved on to basic ﬂying in a single moved on to basic ﬂying in a single engine, low wing, closed cockpit airplane engine, low wing, closed cockpit airplane treacherously nicknamed the “cadet treacherously nicknamed the “cadet killer.” Day one, a cadet was killed. Day killer.” Day one, a cadet was killed. Day two, an instructor and cadet were killed. two, an instructor and cadet were killed. Fortunately, George was not one of the Fortunately, George was not one of the casualties, casualties, and he reﬁned and he reﬁned his training on the AT-6 over the next two his training on the AT-6 over the next two months. months. After training, the unit received their After training, the unit received their overseas equipment and shipped off to overseas equipment and shipped off to Guam. George remembers looking up at Guam. George remembers looking up at the Golden Gate Bridge as they passed the Golden Gate Bridge as they passed underneath it. He knew he wouldn’t see underneath it. He knew he wouldn’t see that sight again for a while.that sight again for a while.There was a squadron of recon B-29s There was a squadron of recon B-29s located 90 miles North of Manila at Clark located 90 miles North of Manila at Clark Air Force Base. George volunteered to ﬂy Air Force Base. George volunteered to ﬂy for one year and take photos of everything for one year and take photos of everything in the Paciﬁc. He had a ulterior motive, in the Paciﬁc. He had a ulterior motive, though; there were also AT-6s he could though; there were also AT-6s he could ﬂy between missions. George completed ﬂy between missions. George completed several solo ﬂights over Manila Harbor several solo ﬂights over Manila Harbor and Corregidor Island. He ran mail to and Corregidor Island. He ran mail to Manila and even received his commercial Manila and even received his commercial pilot’s license when FAA instructors came pilot’s license when FAA instructors came to base and offered pilot’s exams. to base and offered pilot’s exams. George was discharged into the inactive George was discharged into the inactive reserves in the spring of 1947. He soon reserves in the spring of 1947. He soon enrolled in an Industrial Engineering enrolled in an Industrial Engineering program at the University of Pittsburgh. program at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1949, a year before graduation, In 1949, a year before graduation, George met Gloria. He would drive her George met Gloria. He would drive her to singing gigs, and the couple would to singing gigs, and the couple would spend long nights talking in the bar spend long nights talking in the bar together afterwards. Both Catholics, together afterwards. Both Catholics, children of Italian immigrants, and native children of Italian immigrants, and native Pennsylvanians, the pair started going Pennsylvanians, the pair started going steady.steady.After graduation in 1950, George was After graduation in 1950, George was called back into active duty. The new called back into active duty. The new B-36 Bombers were coming off the B-36 Bombers were coming off the assembly line, and there weren’t enough assembly line, and there weren’t enough crew members to ﬂy them. “Six prop crew members to ﬂy them. “Six prop engines, four jet engines, and capable engines, four jet engines, and capable of carrying a nuclear bomb.” It could of carrying a nuclear bomb.” It could 24 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine“WILd BLuE YONdER!”The Story of George Burke - USAF – WWII“Wild Blue Yonder!” continued on page 38

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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine- 25Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the youngest of eight Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the youngest of eight kids, Joe Dawson had the Navy in his blood. His father and kids, Joe Dawson had the Navy in his blood. His father and older brother both served in the Navy. It felt natural for Joe to older brother both served in the Navy. It felt natural for Joe to follow in their footsteps. follow in their footsteps. Joe’s journey started with the Navy ROTC in college. Everyone Joe’s journey started with the Navy ROTC in college. Everyone thought that he would make a better Marine because he thought that he would make a better Marine because he was so physically strong and active, but Joe joined the Navy was so physically strong and active, but Joe joined the Navy because of family ties to the branch. Joe studied Political because of family ties to the branch. Joe studied Political Science at the University of New Mexico and drilled with the Science at the University of New Mexico and drilled with the ROTC for two and a half years. ROTC for two and a half years. The summer before his Senior year of college, Joe went to The summer before his Senior year of college, Joe went to Long Beach, California to drill on the USS Wabash. They went Long Beach, California to drill on the USS Wabash. They went out to sea for six weeks to refuel ships outside the coast. He out to sea for six weeks to refuel ships outside the coast. He graduated in 1989, and soon went off to Newport, Rhode graduated in 1989, and soon went off to Newport, Rhode Island for Surface Warfare Ofﬁcer Island for Surface Warfare Ofﬁcer School.School.In four months, Joe learned In four months, Joe learned everything from ship handling and everything from ship handling and warfare systems to understanding warfare systems to understanding American and enemy ships and American and enemy ships and damage control. He learned how damage control. He learned how to navigate by the stars, using to navigate by the stars, using the ﬁrst star at dusk, a sextant, the ﬁrst star at dusk, a sextant, and our solar map to direct a and our solar map to direct a helmsman. helmsman. Joe was also trained to use top-Joe was also trained to use top-secret military GPS navigation, secret military GPS navigation, which could spot you within which could spot you within four feet of your location. This four feet of your location. This technology wasn’t available technology wasn’t available to the public at the time, but to the public at the time, but it enhanced the technological it enhanced the technological warfare on a ship. warfare on a ship. After four months, Joe continued on to Legal Ofﬁcer School. After four months, Joe continued on to Legal Ofﬁcer School. One of his collateral duties on board was to present any unruly One of his collateral duties on board was to present any unruly sailors at the Captain’s Mass or to the adjudicating ofﬁcer. This sailors at the Captain’s Mass or to the adjudicating ofﬁcer. This collateral duty involved a lot of paperwork, but Joe presented collateral duty involved a lot of paperwork, but Joe presented A-WOL, court martialed, and unruly sailors to the Captain’s A-WOL, court martialed, and unruly sailors to the Captain’s Mass. They were usually dishonorably discharged.Mass. They were usually dishonorably discharged.Dawson reported to the USS Guam in July 1990. Three weeks Dawson reported to the USS Guam in July 1990. Three weeks later, he shipped out to the Persian Gulf for an 8 ½ month later, he shipped out to the Persian Gulf for an 8 ½ month deployment during Operation Desert Storm. “Every single day deployment during Operation Desert Storm. “Every single day at sea is a work day” he says. Joe’s primary duty was standing at sea is a work day” he says. Joe’s primary duty was standing bridge watches, navigating the ship. The shifts ran 6 on, 12 off, bridge watches, navigating the ship. The shifts ran 6 on, 12 off, and his off-duties included supervising the deck department and his off-duties included supervising the deck department and acting as an Electronic Warfare Ofﬁcer. He could locate and acting as an Electronic Warfare Ofﬁcer. He could locate missiles in the water and missiles in the water and jam their radar or shoot jam their radar or shoot them down before they them down before they hit the ship. hit the ship. In January of 1991, the In January of 1991, the USS Guam shipped USS Guam shipped off the coast of off the coast of Somalia for Operation Somalia for Operation Eastern Exit. There were Eastern Exit. There were 2,000 Marines, 600 Navy, 2,000 Marines, 600 Navy, and a SEAL team ready to and a SEAL team ready to run an evacuation mission at run an evacuation mission at the American Embassy in Mogadishu. the American Embassy in Mogadishu. Joe Joe remembers standing on the bridge when two Jolly Green remembers standing on the bridge when two Jolly Green Giants launched from deck, one with Marines and one with a Giants launched from deck, one with Marines and one with a SEAL team. They ﬂew into the city, secured the US Embassy, SEAL team. They ﬂew into the city, secured the US Embassy, and ﬂew Americans and refugees back to the ship. The and ﬂew Americans and refugees back to the ship. The refugees knew that the Americans would come to save their refugees knew that the Americans would come to save their own, so they swarmed the Embassy knowing they had a better own, so they swarmed the Embassy knowing they had a better chance of rescue from the violence in the chance of rescue from the violence in the city. city. “I remember one person died, one woman “I remember one person died, one woman had her baby, another person got shot,” had her baby, another person got shot,” Joe recalls of the refugees on board. Joe recalls of the refugees on board. “Everybody got sick too,” he says, with “Everybody got sick too,” he says, with people of all nationalities and backgrounds people of all nationalities and backgrounds spreading germs.spreading germs.A couple weeks later, another 2 am night A couple weeks later, another 2 am night standing on the bridge, Joe heard about standing on the bridge, Joe heard about the Iraq invasion over the shortwave radio. the Iraq invasion over the shortwave radio. “Sure, you’re scared and nervous and “Sure, you’re scared and nervous and everything, but really, I felt relieved that everything, but really, I felt relieved that something happened, and we didn’t have something happened, and we didn’t have to anticipate anymore.” After ﬂoating and to anticipate anymore.” After ﬂoating and waiting for so long, they ﬁnally knew what waiting for so long, they ﬁnally knew what was going to happen. Off to the Persian was going to happen. Off to the Persian Gulf.Gulf.Sailing through the Straits of Hormuz at Sailing through the Straits of Hormuz at 0600, the sun peeked over the horizon as a 26-year-old Joe 0600, the sun peeked over the horizon as a 26-year-old Joe was standing on bridge. He looked starboard and saw the USS was standing on bridge. He looked starboard and saw the USS Wisconsin sailing alongside them. The WWII-era battleship Wisconsin sailing alongside them. The WWII-era battleship looked especially majestic with the rising sun. “I will never looked especially majestic with the rising sun. “I will never forget that to the day I die.”forget that to the day I die.”60 miles off the coast of Kuwait, their ship’s primary duty was 60 miles off the coast of Kuwait, their ship’s primary duty was to ﬂy marines in and out of the coast. They had helicopters, to ﬂy marines in and out of the coast. They had helicopters, Harrier Jump Jets, and bombers on deck. Joe remembers Harrier Jump Jets, and bombers on deck. Joe remembers loading the bombs, and all the sailors would write nasty words loading the bombs, and all the sailors would write nasty words and an “F you, Saddam” to send a more personal message. and an “F you, Saddam” to send a more personal message. There were three or four other ships there as well, prepared to There were three or four other ships there as well, prepared to “FAMILY TRAdITION!”The Story of Joe Dawson - USN – Desert Storm“Family Tradition” continued on page 38

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VETERAN SHEEPDOGS of AmericaVETERAN SHEEPDOGS of AmericaWhen it comes to the medical care of Veterans, we are all aware by now that many VA Hospitals and Clinics across When it comes to the medical care of Veterans, we are all aware by now that many VA Hospitals and Clinics across the country have a less than stellar reputation. Approval for beneﬁts can sometimes take 6 months to a year; if the country have a less than stellar reputation. Approval for beneﬁts can sometimes take 6 months to a year; if approved at all, wait times for appointments can still take weeks to months to procure and if emergency care is approved at all, wait times for appointments can still take weeks to months to procure and if emergency care is needed, the wait time could be anywhere from 2 to 11 hours in the ER dependent on the facility. Medical treatment needed, the wait time could be anywhere from 2 to 11 hours in the ER dependent on the facility. Medical treatment over all seems to be inconsistent from one Hospital to another, with many choosing to follow a minimal ‘cookie over all seems to be inconsistent from one Hospital to another, with many choosing to follow a minimal ‘cookie cutter’ approach. And even more tragic still is the insurmountable rise of Veteran suicide, some taking their lives in cutter’ approach. And even more tragic still is the insurmountable rise of Veteran suicide, some taking their lives in the waiting rooms or parking lots of VA hospitals and clinics.the waiting rooms or parking lots of VA hospitals and clinics. The stagnancy of VA care wasn’t always this way. One healthcare provider who worked in the VA system in the early The stagnancy of VA care wasn’t always this way. One healthcare provider who worked in the VA system in the early 1990s said, “We had outstanding physicians and staff who worked diligently to provide the absolute best possible 1990s said, “We had outstanding physicians and staff who worked diligently to provide the absolute best possible care to our Veterans. To us, our Vets weren’t just a number, they had names and stories, and we were duty bound to care to our Veterans. To us, our Vets weren’t just a number, they had names and stories, and we were duty bound to make sure they had quality of life, as much as we were able to.”make sure they had quality of life, as much as we were able to.” In addition, of the 26 million Veterans across the United States, less than 35% beneﬁt from the VA Healthcare system. In addition, of the 26 million Veterans across the United States, less than 35% beneﬁt from the VA Healthcare system. According to the Veteran Affairs website, almost 75% of initial disability claims (required for receiving VA healthcare) According to the Veteran Affairs website, almost 75% of initial disability claims (required for receiving VA healthcare) were denied.were denied.History of the VAHistory of the VAThe Veterans Administration began as the US Veterans Bureau in The Veterans Administration began as the US Veterans Bureau in 1921, advocated at the time by the ﬂedgling Veteran Service 1921, advocated at the time by the ﬂedgling Veteran Service Organization, the American Legion. Organization, the American Legion. And while the American Legion still lobbies for adequate And while the American Legion still lobbies for adequate funding for medical, education and other Veteran beneﬁts funding for medical, education and other Veteran beneﬁts through our governments legislative branch, there through our governments legislative branch, there doesn’t seem to be the advocacy on the legislative doesn’t seem to be the advocacy on the legislative level to help keep the VA accountable. level to help keep the VA accountable. Over the years, attempts have been made to Over the years, attempts have been made to improve these issues, but the truth is, the VA is improve these issues, but the truth is, the VA is still broken, and even more so, our brothers and still broken, and even more so, our brothers and sisters are losing their lives, many by their own hands, sisters are losing their lives, many by their own hands, because they cannot get the care they so desperately because they cannot get the care they so desperately need and deserve. need and deserve. Ask yourself, what organization, what committee, what Ask yourself, what organization, what committee, what elected ofﬁcial holds the VA accountable effectively? elected ofﬁcial holds the VA accountable effectively? The answer: there isn’t! The answer: there isn’t! This is where Veteran Sheepdogs of America comes in. This is where Veteran Sheepdogs of America comes in. The Watchdog!The Watchdog!Founded in 2019 by Joshua Hosler & Anthony Archer, Founded in 2019 by Joshua Hosler & Anthony Archer, Veteran Sheepdogs of America is bound and determined to Veteran Sheepdogs of America is bound and determined to hold the VA accountable and be a voice for Veterans who hold the VA accountable and be a voice for Veterans who are suffering! are suffering! Joshua recounts that “Many Veterans have founded Joshua recounts that “Many Veterans have founded Veteran non-proﬁts, but we have noticed that there Veteran non-proﬁts, but we have noticed that there is no real advocacy or watchdog organization over is no real advocacy or watchdog organization over JOSHUA HOSLER & ANTHONY ARCHERBy Christine Walker26 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine

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VETERAN SHEEPDOGS of AmericaVETERAN SHEEPDOGS of Americathe Veteran Administration, and this has left a gap in our the Veteran Administration, and this has left a gap in our basic care and services as we know it.” basic care and services as we know it.” Joshua Hosler, a Marine 0341 & Bomb Dog handler Joshua Hosler, a Marine 0341 & Bomb Dog handler in Iraq & Afghanistan, is the current President and in Iraq & Afghanistan, is the current President and Founder of Veteran Sheepdogs of America, along with Founder of Veteran Sheepdogs of America, along with Vice President, Anthony Archer, Ret. Command Sgt. Vice President, Anthony Archer, Ret. Command Sgt. Major. Both have worked at a congressional ofﬁce, until Major. Both have worked at a congressional ofﬁce, until together, they founded this Veteran Organization. together, they founded this Veteran Organization. “After my tour in Afghanistan, I decided to get into the “After my tour in Afghanistan, I decided to get into the political realm. I realized that there is a lot of lip service political realm. I realized that there is a lot of lip service to get elected. Candidates and elected ofﬁcials say they to get elected. Candidates and elected ofﬁcials say they care about Veterans, but there is no action to back up care about Veterans, but there is no action to back up their campaign promises. We want ACTION. You, the their campaign promises. We want ACTION. You, the Veteran, deserve Action!” Hosler stated. Veteran, deserve Action!” Hosler stated. Joshua and Anthony have lost more brothers after Joshua and Anthony have lost more brothers after getting out of the military than they did in combat, many getting out of the military than they did in combat, many of whom had the VA mentioned in their suicide notes. of whom had the VA mentioned in their suicide notes. “We are sick and fucking tired of it! Something must be “We are sick and fucking tired of it! Something must be done, and somebody must hold the ofﬁcials who make done, and somebody must hold the ofﬁcials who make decisions about our care, or lack thereof, accountable. decisions about our care, or lack thereof, accountable. The VA is not our friend, not even close!” Joshua said. The VA is not our friend, not even close!” Joshua said. The Sheepdog mentality is two-fold; one is that of The Sheepdog mentality is two-fold; one is that of protector to anything or anyone that would prey on those protector to anything or anyone that would prey on those who are unable to protect themselves, and the second is who are unable to protect themselves, and the second is that of hunter. Hunting down the predators to eliminate that of hunter. Hunting down the predators to eliminate the threat. the threat. Veteran Sheepdogs of America advocates and educates Veteran Sheepdogs of America advocates and educates for Veterans at the heart of the problem, highlighting for Veterans at the heart of the problem, highlighting the numerous issues within the VA and the unfortunate the numerous issues within the VA and the unfortunate standard of providing the most minimal care possible. standard of providing the most minimal care possible. VSoA will also hold the appointed and elected committees, VSoA will also hold the appointed and elected committees, along with the bureaucrats in charge of decision along with the bureaucrats in charge of decision making accountable as well. “We are Sheepdogs, with making accountable as well. “We are Sheepdogs, with a Sheepdog mentality! We are a mouthpiece and an a Sheepdog mentality! We are a mouthpiece and an effective tool for Veterans,” Joshua emphasized.effective tool for Veterans,” Joshua emphasized.And they demand to be heard!And they demand to be heard!“The VA has made some improvement over the last “The VA has made some improvement over the last decade, but it is far from the premier healthcare system decade, but it is far from the premier healthcare system it touts itself to be. Those changes have occurred by it touts itself to be. Those changes have occurred by Veterans and the media bringing to light the horrendous Veterans and the media bringing to light the horrendous conditions and practices the VA has caused our Veterans conditions and practices the VA has caused our Veterans to endure. It is time to stop being reactive and be to endure. It is time to stop being reactive and be proactive, so this never happens again. That is what we proactive, so this never happens again. That is what we are striving to be as a Veteran Organization, proactive, are striving to be as a Veteran Organization, proactive, educating, and a loud effective voice for our community educating, and a loud effective voice for our community and those that truly support our Veterans,” Joshua said. and those that truly support our Veterans,” Joshua said. The Battle PlanThe Battle PlanAs an example, in 2020, over 20,000 Veterans were As an example, in 2020, over 20,000 Veterans were denied their appeals for claims because they needed denied their appeals for claims because they needed in person evaluations during COVID-19 lockdowns. in person evaluations during COVID-19 lockdowns. “Whether in error or not, this is simply unacceptable,” “Whether in error or not, this is simply unacceptable,” Joshua stated. Joshua stated. As an A-Political organization, they will work with anyone As an A-Political organization, they will work with anyone across aisles towards improving the medical care and across aisles towards improving the medical care and lives of Veterans, and with that comes “The Battle Plan.”lives of Veterans, and with that comes “The Battle Plan.”Step 1 – R.O.E. or Rules of Engagement Step 1 – R.O.E. or Rules of Engagement Veteran Sheepdogs of America utilizes multiple means Veteran Sheepdogs of America utilizes multiple means of gathering ‘intel’ if you will, including their own ‘Ghost of gathering ‘intel’ if you will, including their own ‘Ghost Army.’ Once they are aware of an issue, the VSoA will Army.’ Once they are aware of an issue, the VSoA will go to Federal level representatives ofﬁces. In addition to go to Federal level representatives ofﬁces. In addition to the VA oversight committee to get an ofﬁcial statement the VA oversight committee to get an ofﬁcial statement concerning a speciﬁc issue. Typically, one of three things concerning a speciﬁc issue. Typically, one of three things happens: happens: 1. 1. The In-Depth Answer – Sadly, this is rare, but on The In-Depth Answer – Sadly, this is rare, but on occasion, if the Representative or Committee occasion, if the Representative or Committee member is Veteran friendly, VSoA will receive an in-member is Veteran friendly, VSoA will receive an in-depth and transparent response. depth and transparent response. 2. 2. Political Answer – Or, as Joshua likes to call it, the Political Answer – Or, as Joshua likes to call it, the “Bullshit” answer. This usually consists of double-“Bullshit” answer. This usually consists of double-speak and empty promises. speak and empty promises. 3. 3. Denial - This, unfortunately, seems to be the primary Denial - This, unfortunately, seems to be the primary response and shows VSoA the resounding apathy response and shows VSoA the resounding apathy towards Veterans and the care that has been towards Veterans and the care that has been promised to them. promised to them. Step 2 – E.O.F or Escalation of Force Step 2 – E.O.F or Escalation of Force VSoA will then create an education and advocacy VSoA will then create an education and advocacy Public Relations campaign bringing to light the speciﬁc Public Relations campaign bringing to light the speciﬁc issue and to promote the response or lack thereof, by issue and to promote the response or lack thereof, by ofﬁcials. Whether a positive or negative campaign, that ofﬁcials. Whether a positive or negative campaign, that is completely up to the stakeholders in the VA and their is completely up to the stakeholders in the VA and their willingness to be transparent or not. willingness to be transparent or not. Joshua, Tony and their team will also use every viable Joshua, Tony and their team will also use every viable means to promote the campaign through social media means to promote the campaign through social media platforms and media & press outlets.platforms and media & press outlets.“We are aggressive and vocal, as most VSOs, because of “We are aggressive and vocal, as most VSOs, because of AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 27

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28 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazinetheir charters, cannot or will not be involved in pushing their charters, cannot or will not be involved in pushing back against the VA … they just go along to get along. back against the VA … they just go along to get along. They’re being sheep instead of Sheepdogs,” Joshua They’re being sheep instead of Sheepdogs,” Joshua states. states. In addition to the PR campaigns, Joshua and Tony work In addition to the PR campaigns, Joshua and Tony work diligently with elected ofﬁcials on local, state and federal diligently with elected ofﬁcials on local, state and federal levels to get legislation passed to ﬁx these issues. levels to get legislation passed to ﬁx these issues. “The scariest thing to a politician is a veteran that believes “The scariest thing to a politician is a veteran that believes in God, the Constitution, and VOTES!” Anthony said.in God, the Constitution, and VOTES!” Anthony said.“We have got to hold our elected ofﬁcials’ feet to “We have got to hold our elected ofﬁcials’ feet to the ﬁre. I am tired of the lip service legislators give to the ﬁre. I am tired of the lip service legislators give to Veterans during elections and then ignore us until the Veterans during elections and then ignore us until the next go ‘round. We are tracking Federal legislation with next go ‘round. We are tracking Federal legislation with 361 Bills currently affecting Veterans and educating our 361 Bills currently affecting Veterans and educating our members on the ones that will affect real change and members on the ones that will affect real change and how to support the good bills or oppose the bad ones,” how to support the good bills or oppose the bad ones,” Joshua afﬁrmed. Joshua afﬁrmed. How Can We Help?How Can We Help?Reach out to the VSoA team! Reach out to the VSoA team! What sets VSoA apart? What sets VSoA apart? ••We do what we say we’re going to do… to hold We do what we say we’re going to do… to hold the VA accountable for the care of our Veterans.the VA accountable for the care of our Veterans.••We are membership based; as an advocacy-We are membership based; as an advocacy-based organization, it gives us bite with our bark.based organization, it gives us bite with our bark.••Our members span war eras, from WWII to Post-Our members span war eras, from WWII to Post-9/11; we’re reaching out to all Veterans and 9/11; we’re reaching out to all Veterans and branches branches ••We offer a lifetime membership to Veterans with We offer a lifetime membership to Veterans with a one-time fee of $10. a one-time fee of $10. ......What the VA sees...What the VA sees...They see a veteran they can insult.They see a veteran that looks weak and defeated.They see a veteran they can ignore and will die off.What the VA does not see...What the VA does not see...A veteran that has served with honor.A veteran that stood and fought no matter the numbers.A veteran that took a knife to the leg, pulled it out.. drove fifty miles holding pressure to not bleed out.A veteran that has no fear.A veteran more powerful than ten sticks of dynamite.What the VA should see...What the VA should see...PTSD is as real and as dangerous as reality.When a Veteran has nothing to lose..... their life has no value.‘Chief’ Jose Garcia Acosta, USN Chief E7, served in the United States Navy from 1978 until 1998 when he received an Honorable Medical Discharge. Chief is Mescalero Apache & Native American artist. Desecration of Honor : Desecration of Honor : A Self PortraitA Self PortraitIn June of 2021, after an In June of 2021, after an especially demoralizing especially demoralizing visit to the VA, Chief visit to the VA, Chief Acosta came home Acosta came home and created this self-and created this self-portrait as a means to portrait as a means to decompress. decompress. Like most Veterans, Chief Like most Veterans, Chief Acosta is not seeking Acosta is not seeking special treatment, but special treatment, but simply, respect and basic simply, respect and basic human dignity. human dignity. AT EASE! Veterans Magazine recognizes that not all Veterans experience the negative extremes in their Medical care by the VA. In our research and in speaking with many Veterans, we have found that it really is dependent on the VA Clinic or Hospital, as they each seem to have a different culture and standard of care depending on the leadership and staff running the facility, It is our hope and prayer that one day very soon, Veterans through the VA will be afforded the same level of care and medical options as our civilian counterparts. BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! VISIT THEIR WEBSITE ...veteransheepdogsofamerica.orgorScan the QR Code >>>

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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 29OP-EDAir Force Veteran’s Call to Action to Make Innovative Air Force Veteran’s Call to Action to Make Innovative Healthcare TreatmentsMore Accessible to Service Healthcare TreatmentsMore Accessible to Service MembersMembersby Victor MurrayVeterans gain many valuable traits during their military experience, including strength, determination, and courage, especially when facing the enemy. But once members of the military come home after serving their time, some may face a new enemy that requires these same traits—cancer. Approximately 40,000 new cancer cases in Veterans are reported annually, and the most common one is prostate cancer. Despite the burden of this disease and other common cancers among Vets, such as lung and colorectal, many Veterans cannot access new and advanced medical treatments.I had my own battle with prostate cancer in 2017, and if I didn’t embrace the traits I developed during my time in the Air Force, I may not be living the same life as I am today. When I was 19, I moved to the United States from Barbados, and eventually I joined the Air Force–a decision that helped me build a nice future for me and my family. The knowledge I received during training would eventually lead me to a master’s program in public health and a career as a NASA engineer.My four years of service in the Air Force gave me a whole new perspective of life and the experience made me appreciate what I have back at home. I became passionate about staying healthy and enjoying all life had to offer. So, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, I did not hesitate to seek treatment. I was determined to ﬁnd the best option to help tackle my cancer while also minimizing side effects that would affect my quality of life. When I went to my doctor, he recommended two standards of care: radical prostatectomy or radiation, but both treatments carried the life-lasting risk of incontinence and impotence. I knew better treatment options had to available, and that was when I started conducting my own research. I eventually found one therapy that seemed promising, known as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). As I became more knowledgeable of how the device worked and its beneﬁts, I knew other male Veterans should know about this option too. I chose to pay out of pocket and undergo the HIFU procedure, which costed about $20,000. It is a minimally invasive device that can effectively combat debilitating side effects like incontinence and impotence by using focused ultrasound energy to target and destroy only the diseased tissue. I was fortunate to have the ﬁnances needed to cover my HIFU procedure and to have had a doctor nearby in Houston who performed HIFU, but many of my brothers in service do not have that option. Veterans should not have to come home and have the ﬁnancial burden of paying out of pocket for a procedure that may be lifesaving.Surprisingly, despite its potential to lower costs and improve outcomes, HIFU and other treatments using focused ultrasound (FUS) are not widely offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). That’s a shame for the countless Veterans who could beneﬁt from this advanced therapy. These new and innovative treatments help preserve our quality of life, but it lowers downstream medical costs for patients. Not only can treatments like focused ultrasound therapy (FUS) improve outcomes and mitigate side effects, but it can also reduce long-term costs for insurers. This is one reason why the American Medical Association assigned a Category 1 CPT code for HIFU, making patients eligible for reimbursement.That is why I urge Congress to work with the VA to expand access to innovative treatments like FUS. To start, Congress should pass appropriations language encouraging the VA to study and adopt the use of these breakthrough technologies. Doing so would give former service members access to non-invasive, cost-effective treatment alternatives for conditions such as prostate cancer and even Parkinson’s – diseases with a higher incidence rate among Veterans. Service members not only deserve access to high-quality care, but they should have access to every treatment option currently available to civilians. It is time for the VA and Congress to work together to create better healthcare outcomes for our nation’s most deserving. About Victor MurrayAbout Victor MurrayVictor Murray has been a safety engineer at NASA for over 50 years, training astronauts to survive in pressurized space capsules.Under Murray’s leadership, his team has worked on every major space exploration program since Apollo. When Apollo 13’s oxygen tank exploded, Murray’s team spent more than 20 straight hours making the repairs to bring the astronauts home safely.When he’s not working to keep astronauts safe and healthy for the ﬂights into space, Murray can be found playing on golf courses around the world, from Scotland to the Dominican Republic, and here in the States.YOu ARE NOT YOu ARE NOT ALONE!ALONE!Veterans CRISIS LINE800.273.8255SCAN FOR HELP!

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“Speaking Candidly….Re-deﬁning Beauty and being GOOD ENOUGH”I grew up in Chicago, IL., raised in the middle of the busy bustling neighborhoods where I always felt comfortable being invisible and unseen. I could just sit and read for hours and imagined the life that awaited me. I immersed myself in the stories and imagined that I was right there next to the characters.It was such a wonderful way to separate myself from my real life and experiences. From the streets and gangs and drugs that surrounded me and ran rampant on the streets. I hated the screaming and constant toxicity. I learned at a young age how to block that part away. I learned many valuable lessons of trust and security. This shaped me to be someone rough on the edges, resilient and yet callous. As a precocious child, I remember dreaming and yearning for a life that would take me away from Chicago and from the life and streets that I knew were not destined for me. My relationship with my mother was very toxic. All I yearned was for her love, but nothing was good enough… so I left home when I was 16 years old. I remember her telling me that I would not survive on my own and that my fate was to fail. A survival instinct in me kicked in and this is when God showed me he would walk with me. Through friends and people that believed in me, I was able to navigate life. It was such a hard road, but through a miracle and pure determination, I graduated high-school. Despite the many struggles, I managed to graduate college, earning a Master’s Degree in Psychology.I decided to enroll in Ofﬁcer training in the United States Army. In my mind, I was doing it to serve my country and for the GI Bill, to pursue my dream, which at the time was to go to law school. I also, desperately wanted to be “good enough” for my parents. In the Army, I thrived and met many people from various parts of the country. I enjoyed learning and knowing that our perspectives and experiences are so different yet we are all seeking to do better. Here I met many wonderful men and women and many great mentors. But not everything was destined to be great!During an assignment overseas to S. Korea. I was sexually assaulted, and no one in my chain of command believed me in addition to being ruthlessly bullied by CID and the MP unit ‘good enough’‘good enough’Written by: Major Edith LagunasWritten by: Major Edith Lagunas30 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine...

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personnel that took the report. I learned to block and erase it from my mind. For many years the words “what were you wearing?” and “Are you sure you were not drinking?” would wake me up at night. What was worse was that the Senior ranking Soldier who did this to me walked around with a smirk on his face. I forever buried it deeper and deeper so as to not feel the pain, and I immersed myself in my career, continuing to succeed. I eventually deployed to Iraq and to Afghanistan. In Iraq, I was sexually harassed, and I just pushed it away from my mind, not wanting to face it. Fortunately, a bystander reported it, and to my own surprise, I refused to talk about it. Through the years, I kept burying my feelings to a place where I could not feel them. That, coupled with the loss of several friends killed in Iraq and the stress of the deployments, led me down a very dark path. The more I started to ‘feel,’ the busier I made myself. I began occupying myself in real estate investments and involving myself in projects and community work, while I prided myself for functioning on 4 hours of sleep. Burying myself in work occupied every minute of my time; I had no time to think nor feel emotion! Eventually, in 2017, I broke down and was diagnosed with chronic exhaustion, inﬂammation, sleeping issues, and depression. In my mind, I was not going to accept it. I kept telling the medical providers that they were wrong. I left the doctor’s ofﬁce angry and skeptical. I picked up my medication, still unable to accept what was going on with me and shaking in disbelief. I would spend the next several months catching up with sleep. It was almost like my body knew it was time to rest, my body would just lay still, while my mind was just refusing to accept the diagnosis. Then it got worse. I began to experience so many emotions, and the anger rose up all over again. Eventually, I began to accept my broken self. I realized that I needed to love and nurture that little girl that never felt ‘good enough’ and I purposed give that young soldier her voice back!In 2019 I began exploring the entrepreneurial world. I founded B2 Beauty By Bella, a skincare line of natural products for women. B2 Beauty By Bella’s mission is to empower women to feel good, so they can continue to resonate beauty from within while projecting conﬁdence in their own skin. As I learned to love myself, I also realized that I did not have to struggle by myself. I learned that the standard of BEAUTY and conﬁdence is intrinsic, and it is all around us. No one person can deﬁne you, and I am not deﬁned by what I went through. I learned to forgive those that took my voice and have forgiven myself for not speaking out…but most importantly, I have learned to love myself. Now, I not only enjoy my Army career, but I love working out, traveling, and hiking. Most importantly I am very present in what I do. At the present, I stop to look and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me. I also know that I am good enough and have started a Re-deﬁning Ser Bella (Re-deﬁning Beauty) series, where my guests talk about their journey and experiences with beauty and acceptance. Edith Lagunas, MAJOR in the U.S. Army with over 20 years in service as a Logistician.Owner of B2 Beauty By Bella Real Estate & Crypto InvestorAdvisory Council Board Member of Advancing Latinas in Leadership Mentoring ProgramAT EASE! Veterans Magazine- 31...

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34 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine34 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineVETERANS DAY DISCOUNTS!Take advantage of our gift to you, a directory of Vet friendly busi-nesses, discounts and Veterans Day specials. Just scan the QR code to download from our website. https://www.theateasemagazine.com/vet-discountWhat does it mean to be a Veteran or more specically, what does being a Veteran mean to me? I’ve asked myself that queson again this year, for what seems like the hundred thousanth me over the course of 30-years since my enlistment ended. And what’s my answer? It’s complicated and has taken decades for me to come to grips with the answer. I have always been proud to have worn the uniform for my Country, that was never the issue. I was a Corpsman staoned at Camp Lejeune NAVHOSP, Internal Medicine ward because there were no FMF/8404 billets available for female Corpsman at the me, otherwise I would have jumped at the chance, so I tried to make the best of it. I adored my Marines and oen found myself sing in their rooms in between rounds to do my paperwork, just to ‘be there’ for them. I cant tell you how many mes I got called to the carpet for doing that, but I didn’t care. They deserved to have someone there who was present. I’m not going to lie, things went sideways for me and I was discharged with a General “Under Honorable” condions aer just two-years for a nasty eang disorder I developed due to MST. 20-year old me was just not equipped to emoonally deal with that crap, so self-destrucon became my ‘norm.’ When I got out of the Military, there were no transion services and VSO’s were for ‘real’ Veterans. So wearing my badge of shame, I packed my uniforms in my seabag, put it in the back of my closet and did the same with my service, pung it in the back of my mind, becoming my secret. A handful of mes I summoned the courage to stand when Veterans were recognized, but I felt like a fraud. Who the hell was I to stand in the presence of real Veterans. Then about 5-years ago, something happened. Maybe it was just life experience that kicks you in the ass, or coming to an age where I just didn’t give a damn about others opinions of me anymore… regardless of the reason why, I quit hiding who I’ve really been since I was 18. Reecng back on the past 3 decades, I can see now that my military experience forged me in the re, inuencing every aspect of who I am and everything I have done over the years… good and bad. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to slink back into the shadows.I am a proud Navy Veteran! And the love I have for my brothers and sisters, from every war era and service branch goes far beyond uy feelings. It’s real, raw and fuels the commitment I feel for each and every one of you. And for me, this is what it means to be a Veteran. Chrisne WalkerUSN - Desert StormWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A VETERAN? HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

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The enthusiastic and ever ambitious Olive Britt sat at a desk in Washington D.C., earphones on and typing fast. She was a small-town girl from Mississippi who had worked hard at secretary school before being employed by the Federal Communications Commission during World War II. Olive was considered a fast typist and was assigned to type Hitler’s speeches late at night after they had been translated and recorded in English on cylinder disks. “I would type the speech, and interpreters from all nationalities would be there waiting.” Men in dark suits gathered around Olive, smoke from their cigars ﬁlling the air as they watched her type. They impatiently turned the cylinder of the typewriter to see what the next sentence was.Olive got off work at seven in the morning and walked three blocks to her room at the YWCA. Along the way, stores showed reels of how the war was progressing. Because she didn’t own a radio, Olive regularly stopped in and paid 20 cents to see war news that she had just typed the night before. “At that time, I took it for granted. You just did. You were doing what you could toward the war effort.”Olive wanted to enlist in the military when the Women’s Army Corps was formed, but because typists and secretaries were so scarce that the Federal Communication Commissions would not release her right away. After they ﬁnally agreed, Olive enlisted and was sworn into service at the Pentagon before being sent to Georgia for basic training in December 1943.She was then stationed at an anti-aircraft base in Georgia where 95 mm and 105 mm guns practiced every night. The ground would shake from endless explosions. Olive had a desk right outside the general’s ofﬁce where she typed and took dictation, but some men were not happy to see women taking their safe ofﬁce jobs. “On my ﬁrst job, I replaced two men one week apart. Clapper and Kehoe both left very upset that I had replaced them.”Olive worked on service records, each word painstakingly printed in record books the size of a passport. Each detail of the soldier had to be carefully printed. A camaraderie formed among the men and women in service. Olive received gifts of silk hankies, cushions, and souvenirs from soldiers stationed overseas. She corresponded regularly with them until one day, they would stop writing. Sadness and pain washed over Olive as she had to realize the deaths of her penpals.In Olive’s experience, many ofﬁcers and enlisted men resented the WAAC at ﬁrst, but ﬁnally realized that women could fulﬁll a job and help the war effort. However, women were only given the safe jobs of secretarial work. Women were not allowed to participate in the obstacle course, shoot guns, or operate vehicles. While at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Olive spent weekends at her favorite place—the motor pool. The soldiers at the motor pool would allow her to drive a 4-ton truck forward and backward, but only to the edge of the motor pool. A few of the soldiers Olive knew drove tanks and offered to teach her. She learned to drive on weekends and eventually was given a license undercover. “Until today the Army didn’t know that I learned on their dime how to drive one of those tanks!”While serving in the WAAC, Olive met her husband George Britt when they were both stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One Friday night, Olive was walking from the women’s barracks to the airport to see if she could get a quick ﬂight to Fort Knox. It was a long way to walk, so she hitchhiked to save time when a soldier driving a jeep suddenly pulled up beside her. He asked what the trouble was, and Olive replied that she wanted a ride to the airport. “Well, if you’ll come and have breakfast with me in the mess hall, I’ll take you over,” he said. Olive agreed. After sharing breakfast together, the soldier took her to the airport where she got a ﬂight to Fort Knox for the day. Olive got back to Fort Bragg at 9 o’clock that night and saw the same soldier lingering around the airport. “This same soldier, an Air Corps guy, was there. He greeted me, and I was so surprised, but I still thought, ‘Well, it’s coincidence.’ ‘I’ll give you a ride home if you’ll stop at the club,’” the soldier said. Olive agreed once again. The next morning at breakfast, the soldier was in the mess hall. “He started appearing everywhere I went.”Two weeks later, George Britt asked Olive to marry him. They waited six months and on October 5, Olive and George were married at Chapel 13, kicking off a marriage that lasted 44 years. Olive served two more years before leaving the military behind and raised two children. Years later, ambitious and energetic as ever, Olive bought a 1942 Willy’s Jeep that she is now working on restoring. “I fell in love with my little Willy. It took me 64 years to get that thing.” When thinking back on her service with the WAAC, Olive said, “You do what you gotta do when you gotta do it. When you’re in the middle of it, you don’t think about it as being exciting. You just want to get through and do the best you can.”Story & Photo by Zach Coco A REAL GO-GETTERThe Olive Britt StoryZach Coco has spent thousands of hours over the course of four years-time to preserve the legacies of the men and women who served during the world’s greatest conflict in human history, so their sacrifices may be learned of by future generations, and to never be forgotten or lost to the sands of time. To find out more about Zach, visit: picturesforheroes.comAT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 35

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36 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineA lot of Veterans are home tonight, watching the news, A lot of Veterans are home tonight, watching the news, and asking themselves WHY? The withdrawal of United and asking themselves WHY? The withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan is leaving States Armed Forces from Afghanistan is leaving Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans with conﬂicted Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans with conﬂicted feelings. feelings. All the time, all the money spent, all the lives lost, was All the time, all the money spent, all the lives lost, was it really all for nothing? Absolutely not! I spoke with it really all for nothing? Absolutely not! I spoke with three OEF Veterans, Lance Corporal Daniel Field, a three OEF Veterans, Lance Corporal Daniel Field, a Marine Infantryman, Sergeant Marty Donahue, an Army Marine Infantryman, Sergeant Marty Donahue, an Army Combat Engineer, and Army Specialist Colby James, a Combat Engineer, and Army Specialist Colby James, a member of an Army Recon Unit.member of an Army Recon Unit.Field like many OEF Veterans, has not even been Field like many OEF Veterans, has not even been able to fully process his feelings as he watches the able to fully process his feelings as he watches the Taliban unravel everything our military has done Taliban unravel everything our military has done .“Everything we worked for in Afghanistan, we just .“Everything we worked for in Afghanistan, we just failed, everything is just going to go back to the way failed, everything is just going to go back to the way it was, and it’s probably going to be worse because it was, and it’s probably going to be worse because the Taliban are going to be so fucking busy killing the Taliban are going to be so fucking busy killing everyone who ever liked us.” Field, saw two fellow everyone who ever liked us.” Field, saw two fellow marines wounded to the point where neither of them marines wounded to the point where neither of them will ever be able to live a normal life.will ever be able to live a normal life.Donahue, who served in Afghanistan from 2007 until Donahue, who served in Afghanistan from 2007 until 2008, with the 702008, with the 70thth Engineer Battalion, was shot right in Engineer Battalion, was shot right in the chest. Part of the round penetrated the plate, and the chest. Part of the round penetrated the plate, and then spauled out to his face and his arms. then spauled out to his face and his arms. “I didn’t realize I had a portion of it in my chest until “I didn’t realize I had a portion of it in my chest until a year later when I had a chest X-Ray. “It felt like a a year later when I had a chest X-Ray. “It felt like a really bad case of road rash under my vest.” Some really bad case of road rash under my vest.” Some Veterans who served in the earlier years of the war may Veterans who served in the earlier years of the war may remember the old ceramic plates. These plates were remember the old ceramic plates. These plates were Afghanistan in CRISIS ... Afghanistan in CRISIS ... IT WASN’T FOR NOTHING!IT WASN’T FOR NOTHING!By Mike SaundersBy Mike SaundersFollowing September 11, 2001, the United States sent an ultimatum to the Taliban to extradite Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a second thwarted attack on Washington by the passengers of Flight 93. In total, 2,977 souls were lost that day. The Taliban refused extradition, and on October 7, 2001, American Troops were deployed to Afghanistan in ‘Operation Enduring Freedom.’ The Afghanistan war is, to date, the longest war in American history with casualties reaching 6,294 among American troops and contractors. Photo Credit: Amber ClayPhoto Credit: Amber Clay

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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 37Your brothers and sisters did not pay Your brothers and sisters did not pay the ultimate sacriﬁce for nothing. the ultimate sacriﬁce for nothing. Field shared his thoughts on the Field shared his thoughts on the bigger picture. “It wasn’t for bigger picture. “It wasn’t for nothing. We have a family of fucking nothing. We have a family of fucking soldiers, Marines, or whoever that soldiers, Marines, or whoever that you can reach out to. The system you can reach out to. The system works. We’ll care for each other works. We’ll care for each other regardless of how this fucking war regardless of how this fucking war turns out, or no matter how much turns out, or no matter how much no one else gives a fuck, we give a no one else gives a fuck, we give a fuck.’’ fuck.’’ Donahue shared his sentiments, Donahue shared his sentiments, “Every time I’m at the VA, I run into “Every time I’m at the VA, I run into guys, and I tell them every time you guys, and I tell them every time you think about your back or your knees, and the fucking think about your back or your knees, and the fucking headaches we get constantly, just remember we got headaches we get constantly, just remember we got blown up in vehicles that were meant to be blown up, blown up in vehicles that were meant to be blown up, and it wasn’t some other bastard who would run this and it wasn’t some other bastard who would run this shit over in a Humvee and never come home again.. shit over in a Humvee and never come home again.. I’m willing to have to take Ibuprofen for the rest of my I’m willing to have to take Ibuprofen for the rest of my life so long as countless other people get to go home life so long as countless other people get to go home and live a normal life. It’s a small sacriﬁce when you and live a normal life. It’s a small sacriﬁce when you look at the scale of things.” look at the scale of things.” He went on to say that “Every tactical objective that He went on to say that “Every tactical objective that was given to us, we completed. At the end of the day, was given to us, we completed. At the end of the day, we did our jobs. This isn’t on us, it’s on the decision we did our jobs. This isn’t on us, it’s on the decision makers.”makers.”It sucks, and it’s a hard pill to swallow, but OEF It sucks, and it’s a hard pill to swallow, but OEF Veterans can hold their heads high knowing that Veterans can hold their heads high knowing that they did exactly what was asked of them. If you are they did exactly what was asked of them. If you are struggling, call someone, talk about the hard times, struggling, call someone, talk about the hard times, and talk about the funny times. and talk about the funny times. Our fallen heroes will continue to live through the Our fallen heroes will continue to live through the stories you tell about them. Thank you for all your stories you tell about them. Thank you for all your efforts and your sacriﬁces; we appreciate all of you! efforts and your sacriﬁces; we appreciate all of you! There will come a day when you are able to turn the There will come a day when you are able to turn the page, and start the next chapter of your lives.page, and start the next chapter of your lives.designed to stop an AK-47 round, but on designed to stop an AK-47 round, but on the back of them, in white print, “Do not the back of them, in white print, “Do not drop.” No one ever wants to ﬁnd out if drop.” No one ever wants to ﬁnd out if the plates worked or not, but Donahue is the plates worked or not, but Donahue is fortunate to be alive!fortunate to be alive!As much as the troop withdrawal bothers As much as the troop withdrawal bothers him, Field said he saw it coming years ago, him, Field said he saw it coming years ago, ”For years we were talking about it, we ”For years we were talking about it, we were never going to win. It was basically were never going to win. It was basically Vietnam 2.0. Me and my boys have been Vietnam 2.0. Me and my boys have been talking for the last few days, and it’s weird talking for the last few days, and it’s weird to watch a major part of your life come to watch a major part of your life come undone in real time.” undone in real time.” Some Veterans, like Colby James, place Some Veterans, like Colby James, place the blame on the Rules Of Engagement the blame on the Rules Of Engagement (ROE) for the war lasting as long as it did. They felt as (ROE) for the war lasting as long as it did. They felt as though they were ﬁghting a war with one hand tied though they were ﬁghting a war with one hand tied behind their backs. “Under the Obama Administration, behind their backs. “Under the Obama Administration, they changed the ROE. If there was a more aggressive they changed the ROE. If there was a more aggressive ROE, we would have been able to defend ourselves.” ROE, we would have been able to defend ourselves.” James, who was also hit with a round through the James, who was also hit with a round through the helmet and one in the knee, said. “I never got to shoot helmet and one in the knee, said. “I never got to shoot back. It was almost like being an Afghani Civilian. You back. It was almost like being an Afghani Civilian. You are over there to help them, but at the same time, you are over there to help them, but at the same time, you can’t.”can’t.”Donahue, doesn’t necessarily agree, ”We could have Donahue, doesn’t necessarily agree, ”We could have engaged more, but at the same token, look at the engaged more, but at the same token, look at the Soviets. They did not have any kind of ROE, and the Soviets. They did not have any kind of ROE, and the same shit happened to them. The only thing that same shit happened to them. The only thing that begets savagery is more savagery. I think that would begets savagery is more savagery. I think that would have led to an escalation that both sides would have have led to an escalation that both sides would have been regretful of. We would have been pushing each been regretful of. We would have been pushing each other to a point where innocent people would be put other to a point where innocent people would be put in the cross hairs, and if we lower ourselves down to in the cross hairs, and if we lower ourselves down to the level of those we were ﬁghting, what the fuck else the level of those we were ﬁghting, what the fuck else do we have.”do we have.”While there are differing opinions amongst OEF While there are differing opinions amongst OEF Veterans when it comes to the coulda, shoulda, Veterans when it comes to the coulda, shoulda, woulda’s, one aspect of the entire campaign that is woulda’s, one aspect of the entire campaign that is important to remember, despite how you may be important to remember, despite how you may be feeling right now, is you made a difference; your feeling right now, is you made a difference; your presence in Afghanistan was enough to deter the presence in Afghanistan was enough to deter the enemy from killing an innocent civilian. enemy from killing an innocent civilian. All the hours of hard work, the blood, the sweat, All the hours of hard work, the blood, the sweat, and the tears meant something to the innocent lives and the tears meant something to the innocent lives who could not defend themselves. You were there to who could not defend themselves. You were there to protect them. protect them. Dan Field - USMC - OEFMike Saunders, former combat engineer Mike Saunders, former combat engineer who served in bravo company, 70th who served in bravo company, 70th Engineer Battalion. After 2 tours in Engineer Battalion. After 2 tours in Iraq, Mike went on to Attend Emerson Iraq, Mike went on to Attend Emerson College, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree College, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. He received his Master’s in Leadership He received his Master’s in Leadership from Northeastern University. Mike is a Staff Writer for from Northeastern University. Mike is a Staff Writer for AT EASE! Veterans Magazine. AT EASE! Veterans Magazine.

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to prepare for the possibility of being to prepare for the possibility of being captured in the desolate Russian captured in the desolate Russian environment. He remembers being environment. He remembers being dropped off at Pike’s Peak in February. dropped off at Pike’s Peak in February. Their goal was to traverse 50 miles Their goal was to traverse 50 miles through the Rocky Mountains, “cross the through the Rocky Mountains, “cross the border,” and avoid being captured by the border,” and avoid being captured by the “Soviets.” George broke ice for water, “Soviets.” George broke ice for water, turned his parachute into a tent, and turned his parachute into a tent, and lived off of pemmican bars. Fortunately, lived off of pemmican bars. Fortunately, he managed to survive and cross the he managed to survive and cross the border undetected. However, those who border undetected. However, those who were captured were “placed in an enemy were captured were “placed in an enemy stockade to undergo interrogations and stockade to undergo interrogations and tough physical exercises.” He never had tough physical exercises.” He never had to be interrogated, but he observed to be interrogated, but he observed those who did and was glad he missed those who did and was glad he missed out on the experience. Tired and trained, out on the experience. Tired and trained, he returned home after a month. “Gloria’s he returned home after a month. “Gloria’s ﬁrst words were ‘Get rid of the mustache ﬁrst words were ‘Get rid of the mustache and beard’.” and beard’.” The 50s were a busy time for George. The 50s were a busy time for George. After his two years of recall service were After his two years of recall service were up in 1953, he worked as an industrial up in 1953, he worked as an industrial engineer for Chance Vought Aircraft engineer for Chance Vought Aircraft Company. He received his Master of Company. He received his Master of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from Southern Methodist University, and from Southern Methodist University, and he and Gloria had four children.he and Gloria had four children.He continued working as an Industrial He continued working as an Industrial Engineer until he retired. He negotiated Engineer until he retired. He negotiated major military contracts with the major military contracts with the Pentagon, negotiated contracts for Pentagon, negotiated contracts for the Boeing 747, and even attended a the Boeing 747, and even attended a seminar about the government with a seminar about the government with a lecture from Vice President Ford.lecture from Vice President Ford.George retired in 1983, and currently George retired in 1983, and currently lives in Carrollton, TX, near his daughter lives in Carrollton, TX, near his daughter Elaine. A man of deep faith and loyalty, Elaine. A man of deep faith and loyalty, George embodies the enduring spirit George embodies the enduring spirit that America is built on. that America is built on. ﬂy at 50,000 feet, much higher than ﬂy at 50,000 feet, much higher than the Russian planes. Also known as the the Russian planes. Also known as the “Peacemaker,” these planes were built “Peacemaker,” these planes were built for the Cold War. With two years of for the Cold War. With two years of training and preparing for a potential training and preparing for a potential Russian attack ahead of him, George Russian attack ahead of him, George and Gloria made some phone calls, and Gloria made some phone calls, coordinated with a Catholic chaplain, coordinated with a Catholic chaplain, and were married at the chapel on base. and were married at the chapel on base. Their marriage lasted sixty-six years.Their marriage lasted sixty-six years.At Carswell Air Force Base in Ft. Worth, At Carswell Air Force Base in Ft. Worth, Texas, George’s training as an Aircraft Texas, George’s training as an Aircraft Performance Engineer came in handy Performance Engineer came in handy as the B-36 wasn’t the most reliable as the B-36 wasn’t the most reliable plane to ﬂy on yet. Engines often caught plane to ﬂy on yet. Engines often caught ﬁre and there were several crashes, so ﬁre and there were several crashes, so George was kept busy correcting inﬂight George was kept busy correcting inﬂight maintenance problems. Only 383 B-36s maintenance problems. Only 383 B-36s were built; they went out of service in were built; they went out of service in 1959, and none of them are ﬂyable.1959, and none of them are ﬂyable.Alongside B-36 training, George Alongside B-36 training, George underwent extreme survival training underwent extreme survival training “Wild Blue Yonder!” continued from page 24launch an on-shore amphibious assault if launch an on-shore amphibious assault if necessary.necessary.“I could go on and on and on,” Joe said, “I could go on and on and on,” Joe said, “but we basically just ﬂoated a long “but we basically just ﬂoated a long time.” time.” After two or three weeks passing After two or three weeks passing through the infamous Gulf War oil spill, through the infamous Gulf War oil spill, Joe and his fellow crewmates were on Joe and his fellow crewmates were on their way home.their way home.Joe returned to New Mexico and was Joe returned to New Mexico and was active duty for two more years before active duty for two more years before being discharged from the Navy. The being discharged from the Navy. The primary goal of Naval ofﬁcers was to primary goal of Naval ofﬁcers was to command their own ship, and after command their own ship, and after his 8 ½ months at sea, Joe realized he his 8 ½ months at sea, Joe realized he didn’t want to make a career out of the didn’t want to make a career out of the Navy. He continued working for the Navy. He continued working for the government, though, and got a job with government, though, and got a job with the Department of Defense for seven the Department of Defense for seven years before transferring to the Forest years before transferring to the Forest Service, where he has been working as a Service, where he has been working as a Financial Analyst for 17 years.Financial Analyst for 17 years.It was a tough transition back into civilian It was a tough transition back into civilian life for Joe. He remembers the stress life for Joe. He remembers the stress from being out at sea and sailors getting from being out at sea and sailors getting away from the ship as quickly as they away from the ship as quickly as they could each time they would port. Even could each time they would port. Even though the PTSD followed him, Joe though the PTSD followed him, Joe claims the Navy taught him discipline, claims the Navy taught him discipline, fortitude, and an appreciation of fortitude, and an appreciation of American freedoms, country, and values. American freedoms, country, and values. “As a young man, you don’t see it for “As a young man, you don’t see it for what it is, but looking back, I appreciate what it is, but looking back, I appreciate the experience.”the experience.”“Family Tradition!” continued from page 25EVERY VETERAN HAS A STORY TO TELL...LET US TELL YOUR STORY! Contact christine@devildocpublishing.com 38 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine“Once A Marine!” continued from page 22away, no matter if you served 2 away, no matter if you served 2 or 20 years ago. Once a Marine, or 20 years ago. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Something that always a Marine. Something that always gets him emotional is when always gets him emotional is when he sees other men who wear a he sees other men who wear a Vietnam Veteran ballcap. Terry Vietnam Veteran ballcap. Terry makes it a point to say “Welcome makes it a point to say “Welcome home brother.” Vietnam was an home brother.” Vietnam was an extremely unpopular war as the extremely unpopular war as the social culture shifted in the late social culture shifted in the late 60s and early 70s, and soldiers 60s and early 70s, and soldiers returning home to the States were returning home to the States were treated horribly. So, it was up to treated horribly. So, it was up to the Vietnam Veterans themselves the Vietnam Veterans themselves to welcome each other home; it to welcome each other home; it was all they had. Even to this day, was all they had. Even to this day, you may hear “Welcome home you may hear “Welcome home brother” the next time you’re in the brother” the next time you’re in the presence of these men who served presence of these men who served so selﬂessly.so selﬂessly. *From all of us at AT EASE! Veterans *From all of us at AT EASE! Veterans Magazine to Terry and ALL our Magazine to Terry and ALL our Vietnam Veterans, “Welcome Vietnam Veterans, “Welcome Home!” Home!”

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I Remember When...Paul Sullivan, Ret. Captain, USMC resides in Massachusetts with his wife Beverly. AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 39When you think of war, whether it’s the First or Second war, the Korean or Vietnam war or today’s war against world terrorism, one comes to realize that thousands of men and women who are in their own right, ordinary people, have gone to war and unfortunately will continue to go to some war in the future. Think about it, just ordinary people. Within our veteran ranks, there is every color of skin, all ethnicities and probably every religion. The Marine’s creed, “leave no man behind” has been shared by other armed services over the years.Who are these wonderful people, these Veterans? Let’s take a look-see. Look in our airports and you’ll see them either coming home from duty overseas or on the way over to some foreign country ready to help those in need. Look beneath each helmet and take a gander at the uniform. In that uniform stands a brother, a sister, a father, even a mother, a son, a daughter or a friend and neighbor from down the street.I don’t believe there is any hereditary trait that thrusts any one of them towards bravery, although many are brave. I am sure they’re courageous too, not necessarily for their willingness to stare death in the face but more for embracing duty when called on, and on many occasions, struggling against all odds for the sake of a few intangible values. These are the same values most Veterans over the years have prepared themselves to defend and die for if necessary. You know them, we all know them: freedom and liberty and human dignity. Our troops don’t stand tall only for themselves but also for their loved ones and even total strangers when they need help. Speaking of these values, when you think about it, life on earth would have no value at all without freedom, or liberty or human dignity. What can we say but, thank you, Veterans!YOUNG VERSUS OLDAs of April 11th, 2021, I am 86 years young, which brings me to the awareness that the Armed Forces of these United States of America are not into allowing members of the military to enlist at or above 42. I think I’m right. You can check it out. My wife brings me to the recruiting ofce on a fairly regular basis. So far they have not agreed with her that I should re-up. Well, I’ve got some thoughts on this for your enlightenment. Let me share a few with you: 1. For starters, research says 18 year old kids think about sex every 10 seconds. Old guys like me think about sex only a couple of times a day. This leaves some 28,000 seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy, who you know today to as terrorists. 2. Young guys haven’t lived long enough to become cranky, and you know cranky soldiers are dangerous soldiers. Think about it, “My back hurts! I’m tired! I can’t sleep! I’m hungry!” We who are old are impatient. Maybe letting us kill some dumbass terrorist that desperately deserves killing will make us feel better and shut us up for a while. 3. Young guys don’t like to get up before 10 AM. Old guys get up early just to pee, so what the hell. Besides, if we’re up already, we may as well be up killing some fanatical SOB. 4. If we happen to get captured, we’d probably forget our name, rank, and serial number anyway. It would really be a real brain teaser for us to remember them. 5. Boot camp would be a lot easier for us old geezers because we’re used to being yelled at and we’re used to soft food, too. 6. They could even lighten up on the obstacle course, since there are pretty much no twenty foot walls with rope hanging over the side of them in battle. 7. We could skip the running part as well. I don’t think too many of us have ever seen anyone outrun a bullet. 8. Hell, an 18 year old has the whole world ahead of him. He’s still learning how to shave or start up a conversation with a pretty girl. Look at some of them, they haven’t gured out that a baseball cap has a brim to shade his eyes, not the back of his head! Let’s not send him off into “harm’s way” until he can master these. 9. I’m just saying let us old guys track down these dirty, rotten, cowardly terrorists. The last thing an enemy, and the terrorist is our enemy, would want to see facing him is a couple million pissed off old farts with attitudes and automatic weapons who know that their best years are already behind them. And this all applies to women also.I think at this point in my life, I would have no trouble trading my coat and tie for a pair of boots, a ak jacket, pack and rie. I’m sure I would fail miserably because of my age and lack of stamina; however, I will always and forever honor our Veterans, as you, my fellow readers, should too. Face it, the cost of service to our good old U.S of A is often very high, and it comes with lasting consequences for those who go as well as their loved ones who remain.Do yourself a favor and thank God for those Veterans who have served this great country of ours. Go ahead, thank God right now, and thank each veteran in or out of uniform that you come across. Let them know you appreciate their love of country and their duty to defend us from all of our enemies, foreign and domestic (as their oath calls for).Our enemies, who at this writing, are world terrorists, (I’m not telling you anything new), are continuing to seek America’s demise and they would like to carry out their goal from within our own borders. We must become more alert! Let’s face it, a battle eld is a primal place and in this case, our Mother Earth is the battle eld. God, help us, please!A soldier surrenders to trust. It could be trust in his God, his leaders or his buddies. It could be trust in his equipment to get him through something horrible. What is that saying to us? Let’s pray to God that there will be no more wars.

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Throughout all branches of the military, one of the ﬁrst lessons that is driven into the minds of service members, is respect of the uniform. This means wrinkle-free, boots shined, and all ribbons placed in the proper order. Nothing drives a veteran crazier than when they see their uniforms on the big screen, looking all jacked-up. Since the attacks on September 11th, Hollywood has been proﬁting from war movies. This is not to say that these stories shouldn’t be told, but if the subject is the real life of a service member, the least directors can do is research the roles. Even in times of war, there is still uniform standards that are in place, and enforced. Tyler Mendelson, a 29 -year-old Marine Veteran, from Poughkeepsie, New York, is an up-and-coming ﬁlm maker. Mendelson graduated from Emerson College where he majored in, you guessed it! Film. He shared his take on how the military uniform is being portrayed in movies. “I remember before the military, I loved The Hurt Locker and after I served, I was like what the fuck is this piece of shit? It is completely bullshit.” In 2018, Mendelson made a short ﬁlm about WWI, what he refers to as the forgotten war. Mendelson raised the funds from a Kickstarter campaign for the $21,680 budget he needed. Mendelson’s focus was the authenticity of the uniforms, and that the actors really captured the movements that a soldier on the battleﬁeld would make. Aside from winning an Evvy Award (Emerson College’s version of the Emmy) for Outstanding Production Design, the ﬁlm went on to win many awards in ﬁlm festivals, including Best Veteran Film, Best War/Western Film, and Best Editing just to name a few. Those of you who are ﬁlm buffs may have heard that Hollywood purposely gets the uniforms wrong as a sign of respect for the men and women who wear them. “It’s untrue. They (the directors) are not required to make anything inaccurate. It’s all just like an urban legend, that they have to paint an inaccurate picture with military stuff, it’s bullshit.” Mendelson’s hard work and talent for storytelling through a lens have not gone unnoticed. His work has been praised by Doug Ellin, Kevin Connolly, and Kevin Dillon from the hit HBO show Entourage. Mendelson made a three-minute ﬁlm on his iPhone, A Marine Corps Story, which was picked as one of the winners from a competition from Victory The Podcast. “I think people understand how real it was. It just tries to suck you in, and just keep you interested.” It is no secret that cinema shapes the way civilians think about Veterans. Some just label Veterans as killers without even knowing what their jobs were. Our Vietnam Veterans know better than anyone about how it feels to be ostracized from society for ﬁghting a war. Most Vietnam Veterans didn’t get to decide whether to join the military or not; it was simple: if your draft number was pulled, you were going. American citizens sometimes don’t understand that a soldier does not decide where he/she goes and what he/she does. Movies like Rambo, as entertaining as it was, gave the Vietnam Veterans a reputation for being blood thirsty lunatics. Mendelson doesn’t blame Hollywood for any bad rap that Veterans might get just for identifying as such THE HUNTyler Mendelson at the EVVY Awards40 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineOn the set of ‘The Hun’Written by Mike Saunders

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THE LOST YEARSWhere do I begin? Or perhaps the bigger queson is, who am I and who have I become? Who am I growing into as I embark into my 50’s? For the great majority of my young adult years, I lived in a fog of panic aacks, outbursts of anger, and severe anxiety; I was disconnected from what was going on underneath my being. My only focus was raising my children and exisng. I felt lost with no direcon, and the disconnect was so great that I could not reconcile it. I did seek out help throughout the years, but civilian doctors never made the connecon between being a war Veteran and the symptoms I was experiencing. Nor did I oer to tell them because I was so detached. I did not realize that it was the majority of my problem. Most of the me, my symptoms were dismissed as being stressed due to being a stay-at-home mom with 3 children while their father was gone all the me serving our country. I spent years in silent suering.When my marriage came to an end, I had no other choice but to face my issues. I could not hide them from myself or anyone else any longer. FINDING THE VETERAN COMMUNITYI got involved in the Veteran community 8 years ago out of the desire to make a dierence for those coming back from the war. I wanted to oer my support. This was the turning point I needed in my life. I found the single most important thing I was missing: my Veteran family. My Veteran brothers and sisters made me feel like I belonged. I stopped feeling alone. Through the encouragement of my friends I nally received the help I needed by going to the VA. I started the much needed therapy I had needed for too long. It was 3 years of not missing one appointment and of doing everything I needed to do to turn my life around. I don’t regret the journey that has brought me here-and-now because I am able to understand and empathize with those who are in the place I once was. As I look back, I don’t recognize that person at all. It seems like a another lifeme ago with a dierent person playing my role. When I emerged from the fog, I actually changed my hair and my outward appearance to celebrate the new me. I let go of my once dark hair, allowing the grey to shine and I also changed my enre wardrobe. That journey has brought me amazing life experiences. I would have never believed that I would be the President of the DFW Veterans Chamber or the Internaonal and Naonal Chamber Development Director with the United States Veterans Chamber of Commerce (USVCC). I can hardly believe that I am part of the planning commiee for the Warrior Games 2022, celebrang the resiliency and dedicaon of wounded, ill, and injured acve duty and Veteran U.S. military service members.I have been blessed greatly by God and I know that my life makes a dierence in other people’s lives. I take that knowledge very seriously and I live my life by my core values of: Leadership, Integrity, Honor and Service.I share my journey in the hopes that this series of arcles might help someone who is struggling; my way of giving back to a community that has given me so much. LESSONSMy 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. This is what I learned during therapy and what I’ve pracced to get to where I am today. The VA and other VSOs have wonderful resources waing for you to learn how to get out of the crab bucket state...don’t be afraid to seek the help you need.Anger is a very common mask that is easy to adopt and wear. Anger is a mask for a multude of feelings. It hides frustraon, sadness, disappointment, hurt feelings, and the feeling of guilt to name a few. The unconscious side of your brain takes over aer any traumac injuries of any kind. Our brain becomes dysfunconal in its pursuit to keep us safe. We get put into what I have come to coin as “the crab bucket.” “the crab bucket.” We unconsciously go into the crab bucket state where we get pulled down and are not allowed to leave. Each me we try to climb out of the bucket and see what’s on the other side, the other crabs pull us down because they want us to stay “safe and secure.” Our brain loves us so much that it will do whatever it takes to keep us secure. However, it causes more harm than good, ie. panic aacks, anxiety, nightmares, triggers, anger bursts, sadness, depression, and the biggest one, guilt: guilt that you are alive, you should’ve died back there, they died and you didn’t, I’m responsible for so many people dying...etc...the more intelligent you are, the stronger the lies your brain will tell you, thus making it harder for you to FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:By Cristie RemmelFIGHTING MY WAY OUT OF THE ‘CRAB BUCKET ’FIGHTING MY WAY OUT OF THE ‘CRAB BUCKET’FIGHTING MY WAY OUT OF THE ‘CRAB BUCKET ’FIGHTING MY WAY OUT OF THE ‘CRAB BUCKET’42 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineContinued on Page 49

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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 43For most Veterans, this isn’t a For most Veterans, this isn’t a problem. Having served in the problem. Having served in the military is only part of our identity, military is only part of our identity, and if missing out on a few perks, and if missing out on a few perks, like a free popcorn at the movies, like a free popcorn at the movies, means maintaining your privacy, means maintaining your privacy, then it’s a fair trade-off. But what then it’s a fair trade-off. But what if the drawbacks were something if the drawbacks were something greater?greater?For many women, not identifying For many women, not identifying as a Veteran isn’t just about as a Veteran isn’t just about missing out on popcorn. It missing out on popcorn. It can mean missing out on vital can mean missing out on vital resources, like care from the VA resources, like care from the VA or business support. It can also or business support. It can also create a chasm between who you create a chasm between who you are and who you want to be.are and who you want to be.Recently, I’ve interviewed fellow female Veterans about their Recently, I’ve interviewed fellow female Veterans about their post-service challenges. Speciﬁcally, the question has been post-service challenges. Speciﬁcally, the question has been about what has been holding them back from embracing their about what has been holding them back from embracing their identity and being where they want to be in life. And while each identity and being where they want to be in life. And while each Veteran has their own story and their own challenges, three Veteran has their own story and their own challenges, three consistent themes keep reappearing: difﬁculties with community consistent themes keep reappearing: difﬁculties with community building, imposter syndrome, and being generally frustrated and building, imposter syndrome, and being generally frustrated and exhausted by having to continually defend their Veteran status.exhausted by having to continually defend their Veteran status.dIFFICuLTIEs WITh COMMuNITY BuILdINGdIFFICuLTIEs WITh COMMuNITY BuILdINGHaving a community – a network of individuals that provides Having a community – a network of individuals that provides support – is important for a successful post-military life. But this support – is important for a successful post-military life. But this is one area where many Veteran women say they struggle the is one area where many Veteran women say they struggle the most.most.In the military, your community is handed to you; you’re given a In the military, your community is handed to you; you’re given a team, and you do everything with them – train, deploy, endure team, and you do everything with them – train, deploy, endure boredom, and (in some situations) share deodorant. Outside of boredom, and (in some situations) share deodorant. Outside of your immediate workmates, you are also likely to see the same your immediate workmates, you are also likely to see the same people at BX/PX, commissary, or gym. people at BX/PX, commissary, or gym. While the inherent community of military life can be very While the inherent community of military life can be very rewarding, for women who join right out of high school or college, rewarding, for women who join right out of high school or college, it can also limit their experiences in learning how to build a post-it can also limit their experiences in learning how to build a post-service community on their own. Unlike their civilian peers, many service community on their own. Unlike their civilian peers, many of the foundational skills, such as discovering who you are and of the foundational skills, such as discovering who you are and who you like to be around, are established within the small world who you like to be around, are established within the small world of the military, and the even smaller niche of women who are in it. of the military, and the even smaller niche of women who are in it. Once a woman leaves the service, if she is not in an environment Once a woman leaves the service, if she is not in an environment that readily provides a built-in community, like her hometown, that readily provides a built-in community, like her hometown, she can be at a loss for how to build that support system. And, in she can be at a loss for how to build that support system. And, in an attempt to ﬁnd connections, she may downplay or even hide an attempt to ﬁnd connections, she may downplay or even hide her military experience. Even if she doesn’t hide it, a Veteran her military experience. Even if she doesn’t hide it, a Veteran woman may still feel isolated from others, either personally or woman may still feel isolated from others, either personally or professionally, because her background and perspective don’t professionally, because her background and perspective don’t match the peers around her.match the peers around her.IMpOsTER sYNdROMEIMpOsTER sYNdROMEImposter syndrome, the belief that you’re a fraud, can persist for Imposter syndrome, the belief that you’re a fraud, can persist for a woman long after a military career is over, even when they’ve a woman long after a military career is over, even when they’ve got the service record to prove they’re not. One frequently got the service record to prove they’re not. One frequently mentioned driver behind the imposter syndrome some Veteran mentioned driver behind the imposter syndrome some Veteran women feel is that they don’t look like a Veteran. Anytime they women feel is that they don’t look like a Veteran. Anytime they highlight their military status, it can instantly put a spotlight on highlight their military status, it can instantly put a spotlight on any body or identity issues a female vet may have. And for good any body or identity issues a female vet may have. And for good reason.reason.One woman I spoke with told a story about how, in her post-One woman I spoke with told a story about how, in her post-service career, she was working with elderly patients. Seeing one service career, she was working with elderly patients. Seeing one man wearing his service hat, she identiﬁed herself as a Veteran as man wearing his service hat, she identiﬁed herself as a Veteran as well, to which he responded by criticizing her for not keeping her well, to which he responded by criticizing her for not keeping her ﬁtness up. This exchange still impacts the way she thinks about ﬁtness up. This exchange still impacts the way she thinks about herself as a Veteran.herself as a Veteran.Beyond unprovoked disparagement, not looking the part can Beyond unprovoked disparagement, not looking the part can cause a woman to lose her built-up credibility from military cause a woman to lose her built-up credibility from military experience and leadership once she’s out of uniform. This, in experience and leadership once she’s out of uniform. This, in turn, can make her feel like an imposter in a business setting. turn, can make her feel like an imposter in a business setting. And, regrettably, it can also make a female Veteran question the And, regrettably, it can also make a female Veteran question the validity of her service, and the deservedness of any beneﬁts and validity of her service, and the deservedness of any beneﬁts and recognition she receives.recognition she receives.“FRusTRATION ANd ExAspERATION”“FRusTRATION ANd ExAspERATION”One weekend, my husband and I were checking out of a hardware One weekend, my husband and I were checking out of a hardware store when the cashier excitedly reached over and asked to shake store when the cashier excitedly reached over and asked to shake his hand. As he dutifully obliged, I brieﬂy wondered if we were the his hand. As he dutifully obliged, I brieﬂy wondered if we were the millionth customer. Then it became clear what was happening. millionth customer. Then it became clear what was happening. The cashier, seeing our Veteran’s discount, was thanking my The cashier, seeing our Veteran’s discount, was thanking my husband for his service. My husband politely explained that I was husband for his service. My husband politely explained that I was the Veteran in the family.the Veteran in the family.Female Veterans often mention the “frustration and exasperation” Female Veterans often mention the “frustration and exasperation” of having to explain or defend their military service. Even though of having to explain or defend their military service. Even though there are close to two million female Veterans in the U.S. today, there are close to two million female Veterans in the U.S. today, many in the civilian population still do not think of women as many in the civilian population still do not think of women as being Veterans. Or, if they do, they lump their experiences being Veterans. Or, if they do, they lump their experiences together with military spouses.together with military spouses.Fortunately, my encounter was merely awkward. Unfortunately, Fortunately, my encounter was merely awkward. Unfortunately, this is not the case for other female Veterans that have their this is not the case for other female Veterans that have their 3 REAsONs WhY WOMEN sTRuGGLE WITh ThEIR VETERAN IdENTITY ... & One Easy Way to Change ThatBy Caroline K. HerschbachIf you were to pass a veteran on the street, how would you know? Chances are, you wouldn’t. If you were to pass a veteran on the street, how would you know? Chances are, you wouldn’t. Not unless they were choosing to self-identify in some way, either by what they wear or what Not unless they were choosing to self-identify in some way, either by what they wear or what they say.they say.Continued on Page 49

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44 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine26 - 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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AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 45PERSEVERANCE & HOPELisa Horne, SFC (Ret) is truly an inspiration and not only to members of the military who have been severely injured, but to anyone who has suffered extreme trauma and were not expected to live, never mind make remarkable advances on the road to recovery. She truly exempliﬁes the characteristics of strength and perseverance in the face of life-altering adversity.Lisa’s hobbies included motorcycles, horses, and a variety of outdoor activities, but she wanted more out of life and greatly desired to serve her nation. In keeping with her family’s long tradition, she enlisted. Lisa joined the U.S. Army in her late thirties, but still was able to keep up with the young recruits! SFC Horne was kept busy in the military; she was deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of OEF and rotated twice to the Republic of South Korea. However, after redeploying back to the United States, Lisa’s life was about to change forever. In March of 2018, Lisa Horne was enjoying a ride on her motorcycle near Fort Bragg, NC. She was merging onto the highway and was struck by a tractor trailer unit. In the ensuing accident SFC Horne suffered a massive brain injury, her left leg was torn off, her spleen was ruptured, she broke several ribs, and her clavicle was busted. Needless to say, her heart stopped beating, but luckily she was resuscitated in time to save her life and she came out of the coma she had fallen into.Lisa was still on active duty with the Army at the time, so they immediately set to work about taking care of her and providing her with a Medical Retirement and disability rating. This took longer than expected due to the extensive nature of her injuries. However, thanks to the intervention of multiple government ofﬁcials, local Veterans charities, and the unwavering love, support, and determination of her family and most especially her mother, Lisa was Medically Retired with full VA beneﬁts.After an exceptionally long battle with her injuries and the system, SFC Horne is now back home in New Hampshire under the care and support of her mother Sandra where she participates in various sorts of treatment for people with extensive injuries which, in her case not only include the loss of a leg, but a Traumatic Brain Injury.SFC Lisa Horne may not be able to ride her motorcycles anymore, but, she can and does participate in equine therapy and she absolutely loves the horses she is able to have a connection with. Lisa will never be the same, but she has come such a long way in her recovery that it is nothing short of miraculous. Not only did she survive the accident and resulting surgeries, but she also recovered to the point where she can engage with her family and friends and participate, at her ability level, in many of the things she loves and that give her joy, happiness, and hope. Her tenacity and love of life itself is enough to give us all hope that no matter what our situation, maybe we can make the best of it and keep going. We can keep our chin up and keep on ﬁghting. Just like Lisa. Life is worth living, always.Eric McNailPresidentVeterans2Veterans GroupWritten by: Eric McNailSFC Lisa Horne

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When you think of spirituality, you might associate it with religion, or you may not fully understand the aspect of spirituality. You may even chalk it up to the “woo woo, out of this world” stuff. Don’t worry, we’re not going all “woo woo” on you. To explain it simply, Spirituality is your personal connection to something beyond yourself. Some people label it as ‘soul’, ‘higher power’, ‘spirit’, ‘intuition’, ’God’, ‘Goddess’, etc. It goes by many names, but it all boils down to one thing…spirituality. We each have a spirit within ourselves; some are more connected to it than others. Some live their life by the guidance of their spirit where others don’t even know it’s there. So why is your spiritual wellness important in your life? Why should you pay attention and nurture this part of yourself? When we take the time to build this personal relationship with ourselves, we improve our connections with people and our environment. We become more in-tune with the rest of the world and ultimately, we feel more like ourselves. Many Veterans struggle with this aspect of themselves because they may not know how to connect with their spirituality or may not even know anything about it. So how do you start to build this relationship with your spirituality? Where do you even begin? The ﬁrst thing you can do to develop spiritual wellness is practice the mindfulness of your thoughts. On average, we run through about 6,000 thoughts per day, per the study done by Dr. Jordan Poppenk and Julie Tseng from Queen’s University in Canada (which you can read the published paper here in “Nature Communications” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17255-9). When you strengthen the awareness muscle of paying attention to your thoughts, you can immediately catch yourself if you are having negative or positive thoughts. This is key to developing spiritual wellness and mental wellness as well. If your thoughts are constantly negative, destructive, and paralyzing, you from living your life, you can take the ﬁrst action by asking for help. Your spirituality is there to help you, not harm you. What are your thoughts on a day-to-day basis? Practice being mindful of your thoughts so that you can actively take control of them. The second thing you can do to develop spiritual wellness is become aware of your feelings and emotions. Emotions are energy with motion. Your emotions are created from two things: your thoughts and your environment. Whatever you are thinking, you create the emotions triggered by your thoughts. If you are thinking happy thoughts, you generate the emotions of an elevated energy state which causes ‘happy’ feelings. The opposite is true as well. If you are thinking sad thoughts, you generate emotions of a lower energy state which creates the ‘sad’ feelings. In regard to your environment, you may experience situations that generate feelings and emotions as well. Like if you won $20.00 off a scratch off ticket (happy feelings) or got SPIRITUAL WELLNESS FOR THE VETERANJudy SkillingJudy Skilling is a Certied High Performance Coach and U.S. Navy Veteran with a background in emergency nursing. She helps Veterans increase productivity without feeling overwhelmed, improve their wellness on a day to day basis and establish a healthy work/life balance. Her work can be found in several publications such as Entrepreneur, Medium, Elephant Journal, and more. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and having childlike fun with her young daughter. You can learn more about Judy at https://www.judyskilling.com . You can nd her on Facebook and LinkedIn. 46 - AT EASE! Veterans Magazine

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SPIRITUAL WELLNESS FOR THE VETERANAt twenty years I faced my fears and traveled o to war Joyous days lost in haze of muddled thoughts of goreSustaining life through bale’s strife, my calling was at hand My need to save these fallen brave I never could have plannedWhile serving those who in repose gave nal living breath Giving all, to heed the call in fending o their deathCrimson stains infect my brains ne’er to rid its thought Awake in fear, the bale’s near but never fully foughtHome returned with scars that burned and truly never healed Inside my brain I deal with pain too oen self revealedIn safe domain I can’t explain the honor that I shareWith fallen brave, to all who gave , I humbly kneel in prayerI’ve oen cried for those who died and gave their all in vain I stand up now in honored vow, treasured in my painTheir end was shared and never spared in memory to meI make this pledge from bale’s edge to live my life for theeIn honor of the US Marine Corps birthday, November 10...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! AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 47into a minor fender-bender (anger feelings). When you pay attention to a thought or an environment, do a self-check-in. Ask yourself “How am I feeling about this right now? Why is this making me feel the way I do?” There is ultimate self-control and power when you develop this sense of awareness. You can respond to the situation by deciding how you want to feel, instead of letting your emotions and feelings run you. Lastly, the thing you can do to develop spiritual wellness is look into alternative therapies that are designed for Veterans and military members. These retreats are helpful for Veterans to connect with other Veterans, take time in nature, work on themselves and whatever they may be struggling with, and take advantage of any treatment modalities, like yoga, coaching, exercise, animal therapy, etc. Here is a fantastic resource for you to ﬁnd a retreat that you can take advantage of (most of them are free, so why not!) This link has 20 different retreats for Veterans and active duty military. https://visiontopurpose.com/2020/07/Veterans-and-military-retreats/ .Your spiritual wellness is just as important as your mental and physical wellness. It is something that shouldn’t be ignored or forgotten about. Whatever works best for you to build this relationship with yourself, ﬁnd others that can support you as well. Remember, it’s not “woo woo.” It’s essential for your all-around well-being. CORPSMAN’S LAMENTBy Tim ‘Doc’ Bailes (2020)

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48 - AT EASE! Veterans MagazineCHAPLAIN’S CORNERCHAPLAIN’S CORNERPEACEIt’s a word that we love to hear. It’s a thought that we love to imagine. It’s a feeling we love to have. It’s an idea we love to celebrate. But it has been hard to ﬁnd peace lately in our news. That may be because we don’t fully understand the meaning of peace. Peace is not the absence of conﬂict. That’s a popular misconception. Conﬂict is normal. It happens when deeply held values are pitted against one another. When justice is pitted against safety, there is conﬂict. When liberty is pitted against choice, there is conﬂict. When truth is pitted against security, there is conﬂict. Conﬂict is the natural result of deeply held values struggling for priority. Often times this struggle is necessary and helpful. When it is so, our suffering around conﬂict may actually be transformational suffering, which we all need to grow and mature (think “growing pains” massively scaled up). Wisdom suggests that real peace is the presence of hope in the midst of conﬂict. When natural conﬂict causes transformational suffering, it is actually a sign of progress, and that can give us hope in the midst of conﬂict. So if you’ve been struggling (as I have) these days with the weight of conﬂict(s), I encourage you to imagine what the transformation will look like, be like, feel like, when we’re on the other side of our present educational sufferings, and let those imaginations bring you hope! Wishing you peace and hope,STACEY L. HANSON, Ch, Lt Col, USAFChief, Plans, Programs, and TrainingHQ AFRC/HCXRobins AFB GA 31098By Ch. Lt. Col, USAF Stacey HansonSo if peace isn’t the So if peace isn’t the absence of conﬂict, absence of conﬂict, then what is then what is it? it? So if peace isn’t the So if peace isn’t the absence of conﬂict, absence of conﬂict, then what is then what is it? it? Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again. - Ronald Reagan, Governor Inaugural Address- Ronald Reagan, Governor Inaugural Address

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overcome the crab bucket the crab bucket state. Believe me, it took me 3 years of work and dedicaon to get out of the crab bucket. But how do you overcome it, you ask? I want to tell you it is simple and easy; however, it is simple but not easy at all. The rst thing I did was to make a plan of acon. Write these quesons in a notebook ahead of me: Why am I angry? What was the trigger? Was I really angry or was I sad, disappointed, disillusioned, what were the circumstances that led me to have an anger outburst, or was I simply red? Then each me you have an outburst of anger, the next day when the dust seles and you are much calmer, start wring your answers to those quesons. Self-analysis and being honest with myself was the rst step. I did not blame anyone, including myself. Remember that your brain will lie to you: “you are not worthy, you should be dead, this doesn’t work, no maer what you do, it won’t work, you can’t control anything, the harder you try the worse it gets, you’ve been here before and you know how it goes, you are not deserving of anything good...”write those down too so that you recognize when your brain is lying to you, because it is, and it will. Each me you have an outburst and aer you calm down, go to your notebook and analyze it – write it down, then write how you could react dierently. Without blame, what can you do when you feel angry? Can you go outside and take a few deep breaths? Can you go for a walk? Can you close your eyes and picture nature? I close my eyes and go to the beach. I also found a beauful smooth small stone I carried in my pocket that I rubbed when I was beginning to feel angry or felt anxiety paying me a visit. Plan something ahead of me that is not too complicated...maybe listen to so music for a few minutes...breathing deep and slowly will bring your anxiety down and calm your anger. Telling yourself that “it is okay,” that you are in charge of your feelings, and that you can be in control will help you a lot. Remember in the beginning, your unconscious mind will ght you. It is going to make you angrier, ll you with more anxiety, and will frustrate you. And as twisted as this is going to sound, your unconscious brain loves you and it’s trying to protect you by keeping you in the crab bucket state; it doesn’t know any beer. Expect it, because it does show up. Pracce this and don’t give up because you are deserving of a beer life.... I spent 3 years praccing this myself. The most important thing to do each day is to nd something to be thankful for, and it can be as simple as: I’m thankful for my toes that help me walk. Yep, even that is a great start...that is exactly where I started. I told myself that phrase every day unl I found other things to be thankful for.God has brought amazing people into my life as a result of me working through all of those challenges and seeking a beer way of life. I even allowed love back into my life aer swearing I would never open that door. The best thing God did for me was to put someone special in my path and this is the biggest blessing of all, I am deserving of all good things in my life, even love.My life certainly isn’t perfect, yet it is worthwhile, and I love where I am now.Unl next me... CriseI want to thank Chrisne Walker and AT EASE! Veterans Magazine for giving me the opportunity to be a permanent xture in this magazine. It is truly an honor to have a secon dedicated to wring about anything from my point of view. I only hope that I write something that is worthwhile to read. military service overlooked or even military service overlooked or even questioned, in personal, professional, or questioned, in personal, professional, or medical situations. In those situations, medical situations. In those situations, it’s not just frustrating it can have major it’s not just frustrating it can have major negative impacts on a Veteran’s overall negative impacts on a Veteran’s overall well-being.well-being.WhAT CAN VETERAN WOMEN dO ABOuT WhAT CAN VETERAN WOMEN dO ABOuT IT? IT? Despite these hurdles some women face Despite these hurdles some women face with their military status, there is an easy with their military status, there is an easy ﬁrst step anyone can take: when the ﬁrst step anyone can take: when the chance comes up, say you’re a Veteran. chance comes up, say you’re a Veteran. For women that struggle with that part of For women that struggle with that part of their identity, simply stating that you are their identity, simply stating that you are a Veteran as part of who you are allows a Veteran as part of who you are allows you to start mentally and emotionally you to start mentally and emotionally accepting the reality of it. Each time accepting the reality of it. Each time you say it, whether to claim your free you say it, whether to claim your free movie popcorn or checking in at a VA movie popcorn or checking in at a VA appointment, you reinforce the validity of appointment, you reinforce the validity of your experience and who it has made you.your experience and who it has made you.Even if you don’t have any trouble with Even if you don’t have any trouble with the issues listed above, I still encourage the issues listed above, I still encourage other women Vets to self-identify. Because other women Vets to self-identify. Because there are many women that do. By self-there are many women that do. By self-identifying, by claiming your free popcorn identifying, by claiming your free popcorn for Veterans, you can make yourself visible for Veterans, you can make yourself visible to others: you ﬁnd the community you to others: you ﬁnd the community you seek, and you can be that community for seek, and you can be that community for others. You can make life just a little less others. You can make life just a little less frustrating. And you can help normalize frustrating. And you can help normalize the fact that women, of all shapes and the fact that women, of all shapes and walks of life, can be Veterans. walks of life, can be Veterans. Continued from page 42 Continued from page 43

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the road less traveledthe road less traveledIt happened on the way to Jaji, a small town It happened on the way to Jaji, a small town with a smaller police precinct way up in the Hindu with a smaller police precinct way up in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Afghanistan. My squad and Kush mountain range of Afghanistan. My squad and I were set to make the four-hour drive from Combat I were set to make the four-hour drive from Combat Outpost Herrera to meet up with the Afghan border Outpost Herrera to meet up with the Afghan border patrol in order to search out insurgents sneaking in patrol in order to search out insurgents sneaking in from Pakistan. For this mission, I was in the turret of from Pakistan. For this mission, I was in the turret of an MRAP. MRAP is military speak for a big ass truck an MRAP. MRAP is military speak for a big ass truck with a big ass gun strapped to the roof. This particular with a big ass gun strapped to the roof. This particular truck did not have a CROWS, shame. As a gunner, I truck did not have a CROWS, shame. As a gunner, I enjoyed the beneﬁt of putting a size ten ass on a size enjoyed the beneﬁt of putting a size ten ass on a size two sling, half in the truck and half out of the truck. If, two sling, half in the truck and half out of the truck. If, for some reason, you are unable to imagine this and for some reason, you are unable to imagine this and are unable to use the internet to look up things you are unable to use the internet to look up things you don’t understand, just quit now, it will only get worse.don’t understand, just quit now, it will only get worse.So, my truck was second in a big line of trucks, So, my truck was second in a big line of trucks, trundling up the mountain. Second place in line was trundling up the mountain. Second place in line was the sweet spot. You should be safe from landmines, the sweet spot. You should be safe from landmines, but close enough that the dust that was kicked up but close enough that the dust that was kicked up from the massive vehicles wasn’t yet thick enough to from the massive vehicles wasn’t yet thick enough to choke and blind you.choke and blind you. The trucks were about twelve feet across, the The trucks were about twelve feet across, the road, and I use that term loosely, was about eleven road, and I use that term loosely, was about eleven feet across. This detail played a very important part in feet across. This detail played a very important part in the upcoming story. the upcoming story. About three hours in, we were well up the About three hours in, we were well up the mountain. We hugged the inside wall, driving on the mountain. We hugged the inside wall, driving on the shoulder as the right side dropped off into a small shoulder as the right side dropped off into a small cliff. We slowed down for a particularly narrow part cliff. We slowed down for a particularly narrow part of the road. The ﬁrst truck makes it through. As our of the road. The ﬁrst truck makes it through. As our truck drove the pass, it started slipping. Hemingway truck drove the pass, it started slipping. Hemingway once wrote that it happened gradually, then suddenly once wrote that it happened gradually, then suddenly (bankruptcy in his work, truck falling off a cliff in mine). (bankruptcy in his work, truck falling off a cliff in mine). The truck fell in slow motion. I stared out at the perfect The truck fell in slow motion. I stared out at the perfect azure blue sky, the world tilting in slow motion. My azure blue sky, the world tilting in slow motion. My truck was gone, I ﬂoated through the air... then a stop, truck was gone, I ﬂoated through the air... then a stop, and blackness. and blackness. I awoke in a ﬁeld. The plants were tall enough I awoke in a ﬁeld. The plants were tall enough that I couldn’t see. Where was I? I looked down. I had that I couldn’t see. Where was I? I looked down. I had my pistol. I was wearing my armor. I was in Afghanistan. my pistol. I was wearing my armor. I was in Afghanistan. We were on patrol. Someone was yelling. They were We were on patrol. Someone was yelling. They were yelling a name. My name. I was here. I yelled. In the yelling a name. My name. I was here. I yelled. In the plants. What plants? I looked around. This looked plants. What plants? I looked around. This looked familiar. I couldn’t place it. Wait, I could. I had seen familiar. I couldn’t place it. Wait, I could. I had seen this before. Leonardo DiCaprio had been here. In a this before. Leonardo DiCaprio had been here. In a ﬁeld of the same plants. That didn’t make sense. Why ﬁeld of the same plants. That didn’t make sense. Why would Leonardo be in Afghanistan. Wait, that was a would Leonardo be in Afghanistan. Wait, that was a movie. What was that movie? The Beach. The one with movie. What was that movie? The Beach. The one with the marijuana ﬁelds. I was in a ﬁeld of six-foot-high the marijuana ﬁelds. I was in a ﬁeld of six-foot-high marijuana plants, actual Afghan Kush.marijuana plants, actual Afghan Kush.I had died. I was positive. My stoner friends I had died. I was positive. My stoner friends were right, and heaven was a ﬁeld of six-foot-high were right, and heaven was a ﬁeld of six-foot-high Mary Jane. My sergeant continued yelling, I guessed I Mary Jane. My sergeant continued yelling, I guessed I wasn’t dead. I stumbled toward the voice. wasn’t dead. I stumbled toward the voice. I tripped over a piece of metal. I recognized I tripped over a piece of metal. I recognized this metal. It was my metal. More speciﬁcally, it was this metal. It was my metal. More speciﬁcally, it was the metal I had put on the truck earlier that day. The the metal I had put on the truck earlier that day. The .50 caliber machine gun had shorn its pin that held it .50 caliber machine gun had shorn its pin that held it on the truck and now lay in the dirt at my feet. The on the truck and now lay in the dirt at my feet. The barrel, half inch thick on either side, was bent at a barrel, half inch thick on either side, was bent at a thirty-degree angle. I picked up the gun in both hands. thirty-degree angle. I picked up the gun in both hands. It immediately dropped out of my left. I threw it over It immediately dropped out of my left. I threw it over my shoulder and headed to the truck. The truck was my shoulder and headed to the truck. The truck was laying on its side at the base of a small cliff. laying on its side at the base of a small cliff. From where we were, we could see that the From where we were, we could see that the edge of the road was dug out. Someone had been edge of the road was dug out. Someone had been making a tunnel into the side. For nefarious purposes, making a tunnel into the side. For nefarious purposes, or for a drainage ditch, we would never know.or for a drainage ditch, we would never know.Other people in the truck faced minor injuries. Other people in the truck faced minor injuries. Spc. East had a box of MREs break a cord and hit him Spc. East had a box of MREs break a cord and hit him in the arm. A lot of stuff happened. Some recovery. in the arm. A lot of stuff happened. Some recovery. Extra people came out to save us. Yadda yadda. Didn’t Extra people came out to save us. Yadda yadda. Didn’t matter. Immaterial to the story, or at least to my story. matter. Immaterial to the story, or at least to my story. We made it back to the base.We made it back to the base.Excerpt taken from ‘Entropy’ in Excerpt taken from ‘Entropy’ in Stay Calm: This is WarStay Calm: This is War by AJ Lecours. Make sure to check out the by AJ Lecours. Make sure to check out the next excerpt in our Winter issue. next excerpt in our Winter issue. About the Author I am a 32 year old, medically retired Soldier. Originally from the Seattle area, a strange and cruel twist of events have me currently residing in Ohio.AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - 51

AT EASE! Veterans Magazine - Fall 2021

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