Oh Geez I forgot to post my "THANK A VETERAN" After reading Judy L post on Patchwork Times I promised myself I would send my sincere thanks to all the United States Veterans especially those fighting the war on terrorism or whatever they are fighting for these days. I have totally lost concept about what the war is about. But the veterans who fight for this country whatever the cause need all the kudo's we have to give. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And my prayers go out to all the families that have family members over seas in harms way now. Lets bring our men and women home safe and unharmed. Our newspapers and local televised news stations all mentioned Veterans and Veterans Day here in West Virginia. We had parades and small celebrations in several towns located around the state. Fortunately we we're not part of the rude and disrespectful media you discovered Tuesday morning: http://www.patchworktimes.com/category/just-stuff/.
Here is a copy of the editoral in our local Tuesday morning paper:
Veterans
They need our ongoing support long after the parades are over
On Tuesday, cities big and small hosted Veterans Day parades. Many of the festively decorated floats held members of the armed forces who have served their country near and far.The cadence of marching bands and the presence of the Stars and Stripes proudly displayed stirred within us a new surge of patriotism — at least momentarily.Today, the parades are gone and the music has stopped. Thousands of men and women remain on battlefields and in harm’s way.Many of our returning veterans face a different kind of trauma.A new study shows that rural West Virginia veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than their urban counterparts.The analysis is based on the ongoing West Virginia Returning Soldiers Study, which has surveyed more than 930 veterans.The study shows that about 56 percent of returning soldiers from rural counties suffer from post-traumatic distress and other mental health problems, compared to 32 percent of soldiers in urban areas and 34 percent of those living on out-of-state military bases. Rural veterans are also at greater risk for suicide.Hilda Heady, a rural health specialist at West Virginia University, says part of the problem is a lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas.How can we call ourselves patriots if we ignore these statistics?These veterans need more than flag-waving and well-wishes. They need mental health care programs designed specifically to meet their needs. We cannot allow people who’ve paid such a high price for our freedoms to live in the bondage of mental illness for the rest of their lives.It’s all the more reason Beckley-ARH needs to keep encouraging the building of a psychiatric hospital in the hub of the southern West Virginia health care system.With all the screaming headlines about mental illness that results from drug and alcohol abuse, many of us may have lost sight of the fact that the trauma of war has put thousands of veterans across the country at risk for depression and other forms of mental illness.We need to take care of our own. Veterans need more than our appreciation and respect. They need our help. We encourage Gov. Joe Manchin and the Department of Health and Human Resources to take advantage of the strong psychiatric infrastructure Beckley-ARH already has in place and move forward to get a new mental health care facility built soon.Every day counts for every person coping with mental illness, but especially for our veterans who have already suffered enough. Published: November 11, 2008 08:49 pm http://www.register-herald.com/
They need our ongoing support long after the parades are over
On Tuesday, cities big and small hosted Veterans Day parades. Many of the festively decorated floats held members of the armed forces who have served their country near and far.The cadence of marching bands and the presence of the Stars and Stripes proudly displayed stirred within us a new surge of patriotism — at least momentarily.Today, the parades are gone and the music has stopped. Thousands of men and women remain on battlefields and in harm’s way.Many of our returning veterans face a different kind of trauma.A new study shows that rural West Virginia veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than their urban counterparts.The analysis is based on the ongoing West Virginia Returning Soldiers Study, which has surveyed more than 930 veterans.The study shows that about 56 percent of returning soldiers from rural counties suffer from post-traumatic distress and other mental health problems, compared to 32 percent of soldiers in urban areas and 34 percent of those living on out-of-state military bases. Rural veterans are also at greater risk for suicide.Hilda Heady, a rural health specialist at West Virginia University, says part of the problem is a lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas.How can we call ourselves patriots if we ignore these statistics?These veterans need more than flag-waving and well-wishes. They need mental health care programs designed specifically to meet their needs. We cannot allow people who’ve paid such a high price for our freedoms to live in the bondage of mental illness for the rest of their lives.It’s all the more reason Beckley-ARH needs to keep encouraging the building of a psychiatric hospital in the hub of the southern West Virginia health care system.With all the screaming headlines about mental illness that results from drug and alcohol abuse, many of us may have lost sight of the fact that the trauma of war has put thousands of veterans across the country at risk for depression and other forms of mental illness.We need to take care of our own. Veterans need more than our appreciation and respect. They need our help. We encourage Gov. Joe Manchin and the Department of Health and Human Resources to take advantage of the strong psychiatric infrastructure Beckley-ARH already has in place and move forward to get a new mental health care facility built soon.Every day counts for every person coping with mental illness, but especially for our veterans who have already suffered enough. Published: November 11, 2008 08:49 pm http://www.register-herald.com/
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