My other gig

Hero Labradors

www.herolabradors.com
On Twitter:  @HeroLabradors
On Facebook (I think that is the right link)(CM: it is)
Via Email

I am a wounded warrior. A service dog helped me immensely in my recovery, and has continued to help me live a normal life. One of the things instilled in me during my years of service was a dedication to a lifetime of service to our nation. To that end, I am starting Hero Labradors.

Hero Labradors has a simple goal: I am breeding AKC registered Labrador retrievers to serve our wounded veterans.

There are many wounded and disabled service members who could benefit from a service dog. There are many charities that train and provide these dogs for free to veterans. The kink in the pipeline is the dogs. Not every dog has the temperament or aptitude to be a service dog.

So, my premise is simple: If a dog line can be bred from good hunters to produce dogs with great hunting drive, or a line can be bred to produce dogs with great show lines, why not try to breed dogs to produce the qualities that are common in service dogs?

The Labrador retriever is my choice for several reasons--
1. I personally have owned two Labrador service dogs, and have owned many Labrador pets throughout my life. I love the breed and find them not only great companions, but also readily trainable.
2. They possess the right body type and weight to assist full grown adults with many mobility and stability issues.
3. They are handily America's favorite dog breed
4. They have a great and friendly temperament in general, are very good with kids, strangers, and other dogs
5. They usually bond rapidly with their owner, and readily focus on them and their needs
6. They tend to have large litters (6-10 pups) meaning there is a greater chance of producing dogs with service aptitude

There are a multitude of other reasons (too many to list!) but I want to fill a niche that I have not seen filled: a breeder with a primary goal of breeding aptitude for service, and (importantly) providing these dogs free to charities that will in turn pair them with a wounded warrior, train them to meet the warrior's needs, and then donate the dog to the wounded warrior.

Normally, an AKC lab from the lines I breed would run upwards of $2500 per pup. I take care of feeding, vaccinations, weaning, rearing, and housing these pups until they are donated or (for the ones who don't make the cut for service dogs) sold as pets. This endeavor isn't a cheap one, but it's a labor of love. I am exploring setting this up as an LLC and a non-profit, more to follow on that; right now, I believe that the best thing is to focus on the dogs and on spreading the word that this program exists.

I had a litter (only three pups) in August, of these, one has been accepted as a service dog by Dogs Helping Heroes, another is soon to be evaluated for service, and #3 is going to stay with me to continue the breeding line.

How can you help? Share this with your friends and let people know we're out here.

--Chuck

It isn't thrillseeking...

Recently, a double-amputee was killed after being thrown from a roller coaster.

Some journalists characterized him as a thrill-seeker.
Facking Ritards.

There's a difference between trill seeking, and realizing the truth--that anything you do can get you killed.  That you are in more danger of dying in an accident while driving to the amusement park than you are from an accident at an amusement park.  

We in the military are in an inherently dangerous business, one that we try to make safer by recognizing the dangers, doing what we can to reduce the dangers, but knowing that we will still, regardless of the risk, accomplish the mission.  That doesn't make us thrillseekers.

Being ready to take life on our own terms--being able to decide that I am responsible for my actions, to take risks, to enjoy our lives as the same as anyone else--and to challenge ourselves to restore our lives and to even take on new challenges--it's what healing is all about.

I once had to re-learn to walk, to write, type, hold a glass, and simply use my hands to function like every other person, because a terrorist asshole named Luay Najim al-Samurai set off a bomb at my feet.

My boundaries will not be set by him.  No journalist will decide for me what is safe behavior, what is the reasonable or rational or prudent thing to do, because I've yet to meet any journalist who has ever risked their lives for any cause greater than self.

Today I took another step closer to recovery... because I did something I've never done, but always wanted to do.  I did it because I have a very good friend who will do dumb things with me.  I did something that is seems dangerous, and does indeed have the possibility of death, but the drive to it was far more dangerous than the activity.  I'm living my life--which is more than I can say Luay, who stretched a rope in 2005.

But I really do need to add, for those journalist that would call my activity simple thrill-seeking, and you terrorist assholes who keep trying to kill us:

Suck it.

--Chuck and Code Monkey

Almost there....

The nice thing about putting together a fundraiser is that I have the keys to the castle, as it were.  I have control over when it ends. 

Therefore, since I didn't consider mid-month pay, I will leave the links up for people to donate to VALOUR-IT for a while longer.  I'd really like us to make our $100K goal.  We are close--so very close.  As the last hours of 14 July set on America (way out in American Samoa) we had raised a total of $82,887.

Team Totals:
USN $7881
USAF $8181
USMC $24,177
USA $31,703

Overall winner? 

The wounded.  Thanks everyone for your support.

--Chuck

P.S.  Like I said, the links are all still open, so feel free to donate.
Main Campaign http://tinyurl.com/66lhyh5
Army Team: http://tinyurl.com/6zmob7h
USMC Team: http://tinyurl.com/3tqsahw
Navy Team: http://tinyurl.com/4y6orqp
USAF Team: http://tinyurl.com/6j93wbp

From a Different Position... Part IV

//Read Part I, Part II, Part III.

Chuck was doing more than blogging on his lap top; he was working, thinking, creating, and best of all healing.  Just when the road seems so well paved with answered prayer my faith needed another trial.  Long ago, I decided God was never going to be finished with me.  He would always have more lessons for me to learn and I had chosen to be his willing student.

 One evening Carren and I were visiting with Chuck and the nurses let us stay a bit later than usual.  Even though we were tired, we lingered in his room chatting up a story or two, like only women can do.  The humor wagon was on a roll and we three were all on board.  Chuck had plenty of medication on board after his surgery earlier that day and as they say was feeling no pain. As the evenings comedic narrative waned Chuck said he was feeling tired and had a bad headache.  The nurse came in and reminded us of the time.  Carren and I got the message and bid him good night and he asked the nurse for something for his headache.  We walked back to our room at the Malone House and crawled into bed.

 Not twenty minutes later the phone rang and we were instructed to get back over to the hospital, NOW!  No information, just return quickly to Chuck’s room.  Carren and I ran as fast as we could.  Arriving on his ward we found they moved him to another ward where they packed him in ice, Chuck had spiked a fever of 106⁰.The boiling point of brains cells, which can cause permanent damage, coma, and delusions.  Dreadful questions inundated our thoughts.  We knew we would have to wait for information on his condition and what had caused the fever.  The physicians needed time to find the right pieces to the puzzle of what had gone wrong with Chuck’s body.

  Again, I prayed, “Please heal him and God what are you trying to teach me this time?”  I did not grasp this turn of events, nevertheless, I knew well enough that I was NOT in charge of my sons healing, God was.  The physicians were able to answer our questions within twenty-four hours.  Chuck had brought home six different strains of bacteria when he was blasted into the canal in Iraq.  I have always told him not to pick up strangers.  Of course, he didn’t pick them up, they hitched a ride, and everything wants to go to America, go figure.  Healing began as soon as the prescribed antibiotics were begun.

 Now you might think God was reminding me, that he was in charge.  At first, I thought so too.  As I took more time to review the past few days in my mind, the lesson was God’s way of preparing me to be vigilant.  God had recognized I had begun to shelter the events of the past few weeks in the thought, all was going great and would continue to progress in a positive nature.  In a wink of an eye I was reminded how changes can take place and turn effectively into challenges.  Healing was going to begin again for my son.  I needed to be vigilant since the building blocks to healing could be new, long, short lived, redundant or exhausting.  Nevertheless, healing would be building blocks and the keystone was Faith that God Will.  I would have to be ready to support my son's recovery even when I knew it would cause him pain to begin again.       

From a Different Position... Part II.

This is Part II.  To see Part I, go here.

Every two to three days he returned to the OR so the bandages could be removed, the wounds cleaned, and the new bandages replaced.  Sounds easy, just like when we get a cut, Band-Aid off wash with soap and water, Band-Aid on ta-da all done.  Not so much.  Surgery days meant blood transfusions, more antibiotics, more pain medication and optimistically more healing.  The wounds on his legs were huge; and once they were reduced in size then the surgeries for the skin grafts began.  The skin was removed from one part of his body and placed on another.  Think of severe sunburn where the skin has blistered and come off and the skin underneath is exposed to the air.  Or how about the pain where a shoe or boot blister has broken and the skin peeled away.  Now put that pain on a patch of skin the size of a very large frying pan at multiple sites.  I silently cried for him those days.

Chuck’s left hand looked like something “Young Frankenstein” (Gene Wilder) put together.  The front line medics and doctors did the best they could when you consider the severity of the different wounds they had to deal with on the battlefield.  The right hand thumb was shattered and the size of a “Johnsonville Bratwurst” and the rest of that hand swollen to match. Fortunately, his hand doctor was the best of the best and those surgeries began a few weeks after the leg surgeries and would last for at least five more years.  His face was swollen and covered in a slathering of antibiotic ointment to heal the burns of the blast.  His teeth were loose and jaw hurt making it hard for him to open his mouth very wide.

I’ll take a side note here and tell a funny story.  Chuck did not ask for anything except for pain meds.  Then about the third day in Intensive care, he asked for a bendy straw.  It would make taking oral meds so much easier.  Carren and I were desperate to help in any way we could, so we went in search of a simple bendy straw.  Even one of his friends who came to the hospital and works in the DC Area went looking for a simple bendy straw stopping at every hamburger fast food place he came to for several days with no luck.  Carren and I asked everyone we saw, nurses, cafeteria people, Post Exchange employees; we even went to the Red Cross.  The janitor thought we were crazy when we asked him.  In all of DC and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, we searched.  After days of looking, we never did find one; however, we had a good time looking.  Sending Carren and I on a simple bendy straw search was a gift from Chuck to us.  Searching for that straw took us out of his hospital room and gave us something to do and helped for a short time to relieve some stress in those first days.  Chuck was taking care of us while we were to be taking care of him.

They say men have selective hearing, well Chuck certainly did.  One eardrum was gone and the other severely damaged.  Eventually they replaced both of them and his hearing is now selective but not because of the injuries just because he is as guy.  I say that with a wink and a smile.

When the many days of surgery slowed to having weeks between them, another form of pain was to come.  It is called rehabilitative physical therapy or the torture department.  The physical therapy is the test of endurance and emotional strength, which begins to build our wounded soldiers into stronger individuals.  In surgery Chuck was oblivious to the reconstruction that was taking place. He dealt with the physical and psychological pain when he woke up.  Now the daily routine would add a new dimension to the profound elements of recovery.


To be continued...

Editor's note:  I never did get my damned bendy straw.  --Chuck

Do you know how to eat an Elephant?

It's been a long six years, looking back on things.  40 surgeries.  Learning to walk.  Learning to open and close my hands.  Learning to write.  Learning to check, and recheck, the temperature of everything before I grab it.  Learning how to work a door knob.  Learning my physical limitations, and learning the penalties for ignoring them.  Many, many painful months of rehab.  Narcotics addiction. Becoming a cyborg. 

It's been a long journey, to be sure.  From my position, now, it seems like it wasn't that bad--just something I had do do.  From my position, then, it looked like I was going to have to scale the Himalayas with nothing but a bobbin of thread, a highlighter, and a half-empty bottle of hot sauce.  It seemed, at times, like the odds were insurmountable--and worse, not worth attempting.  I simply didn't have the tools to try.

There's only one way to eat an elephant:  one bite at a time.  But in order to start, you have to have an appetite.

You have to have the desire to start.

There was a time when that desire didn't burn inside me.  A time, albeit brief, when I was without hope... when I took that long hard look at what my future was going to be and couldn't see a happy, or even reasonbly tolerable end.  There was a time when it seeemed like all the good things were behind me.

People wanted to help.  People believed in me enough to stay, to care, to give.  People, some who I'd never met, some who only knew me through these missives on my blog, people who cared enough to help a soldier who had stumbled, if not fallen.  It was through the generosity of these people that I was given a laptop and equipped it with software that would allow me to actually use it, even though my hands were little more than swollen bags of hurt.  I could reach out to my soldiers--I could email them, chat with them, assure them that I was going to be okay, and that they needn't worry about me, and stay focused on the mission.  I could keep blogging--an outlet that I maintain is a phenominal way to let go of emotion and frustration--I could share, I could tell the story of one soldier through his recovery--especially after leaving the hospital.

But it was never about me.  It was about the struggle.  It was a narrative of the trail blazed by others, and followed by many.  My narrative only sought to illuminate the darker parts, highlight the dangerous curves, and tell those who were behind me, looking farther up the trail, what they could expect over the next ridge.

From my bed, and later, from my couch, I was once again leading.  Instead of leading a company of soldiers in combat, I was leading families, friends, fellow wounded, and all manner of caring people throughout the country.  We were taking this journey together--and through it all, I was not alone.  

Right now, in Military medical facilities all across the country, there are servicemembers--Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Soldiers who are in that exact same place.  They are looking at their bandages and wondering how they will ever do something as simple as tie their shoes, or button their pants.  They are worried that they will be dependent on someone else for the rest of their lives.  Many are wondering how long it will be before they can rejoin their comrades in combat. 

It's a big elephant, when you look at it that way.  It would take me months to be able to tie my shoes.  Putting on a uniform that seemed to be made by someone with stock in the button industry wasn't just a chore--it was something that required help.  But I started taking those bites--one at a time.  I learned to do those things, I gained strength in my hands and legs again.  I learned to manipilate objects. 

So I was eating one bite at a time.  I had an appetite.  An appetite that would never have been stoked, had it not been for the donations of many people across the country who made it possible.  And that elephant has been getting smaller every day.  Through the kindness and generosity of  American citizens, we have been able to provide, free of charge or obligation, computers, voice control software, and rehabilitative technology to thousands of servicemembers who were looking at that elephant and feeling not the slightest bit hungry.  But once they could reconnect with their world, once they could return to doing things they used to, or learned new ways to do things (like how to slide change off a countertop when 1/2 your hand is gone) they got hungry for elephant, and started devouring it.

There are wards full of wounded, right now, that need their lives restored.  They need to be shown that they can still do things they have always done.  They need to know that people care about them and their needs.  They need your help.   Milblogers are trying to raise $100000 in the next two weeks to continue our mission of helping these wounded servicemembers.  100K is a pretty big elephant.  Not to beat a dead horse, but to mix my metaphors, there's only one way I know to eat an elephant.  I don't expect anyone can donate $100K (but if you can...) but everyone can help take a bite--whatever you can give.  Just as importantly, share with your fineds, family, social networks, facebook frineds, that weird stalker from linkedin, your daughter's myspace followers, whoever.  At the top of this page you'll find a link that says "te!! a friend" and gives you ways to share this all over social media, blogs, facebook, twitter, you name it. 

Project VALOur-IT (Voice Activate Laptops for Our Injured Troops) provides computers, voice control software, and rehabilitative technology to our wounded.  It is funded through donations only.  It is part of Soldiers Angels, a 501 c. (3) charity (which means all of your donations are 100% tax deductible) and every red cent of the money you donate goes dierctly to the troops.  None of it pays for overhead or "administrative fees." 

Life is tough.  It's tougher when your crippled.  It's a lot less tough when you're crippled and feel like the people you were defending appreciate the sacrifice.

--Chuck

Project Valour-IT, Carren's perspective

Project Valour-IT is more than giving a laptop and voice-activated software to our wounded warriors. It's about bringing a sense of normalcy, outreach, and an outlet to our service members who shed their blood, sweat, tears, and body parts on the battlefield.

Chuck started this blog in March 2005, just 2 months into his deployment to Iraq. It quickly gained readership and became his outlet on many fronts. He told me he didn't want to "burden" me with things he was thinking about, so his blog became his outlet. I didn't really "get" the whole concept of a blog at first, then, when he was wounded on 21 June, a mere 6 months into his deployment, I began to understand the power of this blog.

While in the hospital at Walter Reed, Chuck wanted to blog SO BAD that we even tried to have him dictate what he wanted to say while I wrote it down (on paper). After about 5 minutes, we both became frustrated and stopped. I felt helpless. I couldn't help him say what was on his mind and he couldn't type it out. It was tense in the room for a while as we both tried to figure out how to resolve this issue.

Shortly thereafter, Chuck spoke to Patti Patton-Bader (founder of Soldiers' Angels) and he asked for a laptop. Patti sent him a laptop and we were thrilled! We set it up in his hospital room with a sense of relief and resolve to our previous frustration. Then, when Chuck tried to blog... he could only get a few sentences out. Both of his hands were heavily bandaged and he could only use two of his fingers on his right hand. His left hand, at that point, was useless. Fortunately, Chuck's few sentences sent overwhelming responses of Dragon Naturally Speaking software.

Once again, Chuck was able to blog. This is a post he wrote just before Project Valour-IT kicked off in 2005.

Not only was Chuck able to blog with his new laptop and voice-activated software, I was able to relax a little bit more. Instead of trying to figure how to get Chuck some sort of outlet, I knew he had one. Instead of going to the Mologne House every night, wondering how Chuck will manage throughout the night, I knew he had an outlet. Instead of feeling guilty as hell when I went somewhere without him (for ME time), I knew Chuck had his connection to the outside world.

The laptop and software were truly a gift that can not be put into words. Even after Chuck was initially discharged from Walter Reed, we returned MANY times for subsequent surgeries. His Valour-IT laptop and software were always there for him, especially when he couldn't type with his hand(s). I could go on all day about how amazing this program is...

This post is not a request for donations, although that would be wonderful. The intent of this post is to give you my perspective of how Valour-IT can be so healing to our wounded warriors and their families. If anything, I ask that you share this post with everyone in your e-mail/facebook/blog list and let them decide whether they want to donate.

For those who decide to donate, please click here. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Advocacy Alert: Wounded Warriors and Caregivers need your HELP Today

Advocacy Alert: Wounded Warriors and Caregivers need your HELP Today!

YOUR ACTION IS NECESSARY FOR SENATE TO PASS A STRONG BILL TO HELP OUR MOST SEVERELY WOUNDED WARRIORS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Wounded Warrior Project’s (WWP) top priority is getting desperately needed legislation passed by Congress to provide critical support to family caregivers of severely wounded warriors including those with catastrophic injuries such as severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Spinal Cord Injury, and others.

Over the past 4 years, WWP has listened to the needs and concerns directly from family caregivers of critically injured service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Respite care, mental health counseling, technical assistance, health care coverage and a modest stipend, can make the difference between a warrior being able to receive the care and services they need in their own homes and communities rather than in institutional or nursing home settings.

A bi-partisan bill, (S.801) is currently awaiting action in the United States Senate. This bill acknowledges and fully supports the vital role of the family caregiver for the warrior’s well-being and will provide long –term support and services for our severely wounded warriors and their family caregivers.

With your help, progress has been made but more is needed. To date, 24 Senators co-sponsored this legislation – we need all 100. This country owes it to our service members to take care of those who care for them.

You have the opportunity to help and make a life changing impact on our wounded warriors and their families.

ACTION NEEDED:

1) Contact your Senators NOW to let them know how strongly you support the Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act of 2009 (S. 801) and its supports and stipend for family caregivers.

To do so, please call the US Capitol Switchboard, at 202-224-3121, and ask to speak with the Senator from your state.

2) Contact Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), a key figure in this process, and urge him to support movement on the bill. Senator Coburn’s office can be reached at 202- 224-5754.

Please call NOW and encourage others to do the same. Your grassroots action can make the difference!

"He has no personal effects... "

"He has no personal effects. The only things that came with him from downrange[to Germany] were an envelope with a couple of [military challenge] coins and his Soldiers' Angels backpack."

That, in and of itself is a powerful statement.

About 10 last night, a friend of mine from college called to tell my Mrs. her husband (also another friend from college) was wounded in Iraq. His leg was badly injured, and he was in Germany, but would be transported to WRAMC soon.

The Mrs., who has walked many miles in those shoes.

Then I did something that I absolutely hate having to do: I shot a red-star cluster (a flare we use in the army that shoots a rocket up to about 250 feet and then shoots a shower of bright red sparks. In training, it is used to alert everyone on the battlefield that a serious real-world injury has happened, and mark the location for pickup.

In war, it is used to tell the helicopter where to land to pick up the casualties.

My figurative red star was fired out into the community of milbloggers and more importantly, Soldier's Angels. Between the time I found out (actually before) a Soldier's Angel in Germany was present, holding his hand, making sure he was comforted and taken care of, contacting his spouse, who was back in the states trying to wrangle arrangements for their two kids. (Sound familiar so far?) and the time I woke up this morning, SA-stateside had energized their wounded team, making sure that he (and the other critically wounded patients flying in today) would have someone waiting on them.

They'd contacted his spouse again, making sure that anything she needed was also getting taken care of. Did she need someone to watch the kids? The dog? Did she need someone to run errands so she could take a nap? Was there anything at all she needed? Not to mention getting her information--gleaned from thousands of patients and families Soldiers Angels has cared for--to help her ask and answer the questions she had yet to think of. Other Angels were securing a beach head for her--making sure she was taken care of logistically at Walter Reed. Everything they could possibly do to pave the way, allow her to focus on her soldier, is being taken care of. (How many of you know there is a dunkin' donuts and a subway in the lobby at WRAMC, or would even think that she might want some gift cards for them?) SA already purchased them!

As a leader, one of the scariest places to be is when you don't know what it is that you don't know. You can't be sure if you've planned for the most likely possibilities if the battlefield is too uncertain, or if you are entering an area that you never dreamed you'd be entering. You are planning in a vacuum of information, on unfamiliar terrain, and have no idea what you need to do to make progress. Soldiers Anglels tries to fill that information void--to help those spouses figure out what they need to do, to prioritize what needs to be done, to provide that much-needed information and prioritization to a spouse who is on an emotional precipice. Moreover, they make sure that no soldier goes unloved--whether it's holding hands in the ICU in Germany, or in Walter Reed, or Brooke Amy Medical Center, or Bethesda, or Balboa, or anywhere a wounded soldier finds himself.

It's so much more than holding hands, though. They are there helping soldiers and their families recover and cope. They are making sure that not only are their needs met, but that they are cared for, emotionally, physically, and mentally. They show that those of us who are keeping the homefire burning are also standing ready to help when a soldier returns home, broken and battered, but not out.

And it started with a backpack, a small bag continaing the items a wounded soldier would need most. You don't really "arrive" in Germany, as much as you are born there: naked, bleeding, in pain, unsure of your surroundings, not knowing anyone and wondering what in the hell just happened.

If you've not joined soldiers angels yet, please do so. There are many ways you can help, either through time, monetarily, visiting, writing a letter, or adopting one of over a thousand soldiers who have asked

• Donate a backpack
  
• Donate items for a backpack
• Make a Blanket of Hope

Make the "cars for clunkers" pretty irrelevant, huh? (but does make the VA "wanna die yet" checklist even more important.)

--Chuck

Gift giving

I am trying very, very hard to get to the gun blog rendezvous this year. The biggest hurdle is the Army (right now) giving me the time off to do it. It means I have to add work on an already heavy workload ahead of time, AND keep up with my work while I go, but it's worth it.

I went two years ago, when they selected Valour-IT as their charity to raise money for that year. Since then, they've added Valour-IT as their permanent charity.

Like I said, I'm trying really hard to get there. There's a donate button over there on the left side of the page (it's the big yellow one that says "Donate") that will help me pay for the trip, which is gonna run about $800 for air+hotel. The best part? Any donations going there go thru paypal, which in turn is going to result in my writing about guns, shooting guns, encouraging other people to buy, shoot, and carry guns.

I am going to be addressing the gathered bloggers, journalists, groupies and sponsors about several things, primarily Soldier'sAngels and Valour-it, as well as Why I serve, and how they can continue to help.


As many of you have read here, this year they are selling raffle tix for a gun, ( a very, very nice gun) a training session at frontsight, and well,

a Para USA GI Expert that you need not be present to win! In that same drawing, you can win a certificate for four days of training at Front Sight in Nevada. Valued at $2,000, you can use it for one four-day class or two two-day classes.

IF YOU ATTEND you can purchase raffle tickets that might win you another Para pistol, or a Hi Point 9mm Carbine. Or you might win a framed Heller Kitty t-shirt autographed by Alan Gura! Other sponsors include (but are not limited to):

Steel Challenge Shooting Association

National Shooting Sports Foundation

Brownell's

GLOCK

Dillon Precision

Lucky Gunner Ammo

Natchez Shooter's Supply

Midway USA

Remington

Nosler Bullets
Remember, Paypal is asshats, but : luckygunner is now handling the online auction tix sales.

And please, hit that donate button.

--Chuck

WWII Vet Doggedly Works to Get Canine Service Dogs for Wounded Warriors

Monday , July 27, 2009
By Phil Keating and Serafin Gomez

MIAMI —
No one knows first hand the horrors of war more than World War II hero Irwin Stovroff.

That's why when Stovroff — who was held for one year in a Nazi POW camp before being freed by allied forces — learned that the U.S. government didn't supply service dogs for wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the 85 year old decorated hero from Boca Raton, Fla. made it his mission to overhaul the policy.

"It is a shame." Stovroff says about the lack of an official federal program that pairs up battle-injured veterans with guide and therapy animals that can greatly improve their rehabilitation. "I wanted to do something about it."

Stovroff has raised nearly $2 million dollars to help train and match up service canines with wounded combat vets. Stovroff is also pushing lawmakers for federal funding to finance the program that he says has received lots of bi-partisan praise.

Stovroff is not someone who shirks away from a tough mission.

Stovroff is not just a World War II vet, but a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient whose own personal tale reads like a Hollywood movie.

After Stovroff was shot down behind enemy German lines on his 35th bombing flight, he had to hide his Jewish faith from his captors to survive, even throwing away his dog tags before his plane crashed.

His latest mission is to bring awareness and support.

"The dog can become his eyes. He can become his legs. He can bring him anything he needs." Stovroff told Fox News with his golden retriever, Cash, lying by his side. "A dog is probably the best thing that can happen to these soldiers."

Stovroff says that the dogs help the injured soldiers, not just in a functional way, but therapeutically.

"They need a guide (but) they need the help and love of a dog as well," he says, petting Cash.

"Benjamin is awesome," says Navy veteran Joseph Worley about his golden retriever.

Worley who lost most of his left leg, and severely injured his right one in a 2004 roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq says that his service dog is much more than a pet, but a “vital” support system.

"He braces to help me stand up. He brings me my shoe when I put my prosthetic on. He stabilizes me when I walk," Worley says.

However, it can be expensive to train these canines. Costs to train a service dog can run between $30,000 to $50,000 per dog, Stovroff explains, the reason behind his lobbying Congress for extra help.

But his efforts are beginning to pay off. Earlier this month, Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) introduced legislation to help train guide dogs and other service animals for wounded veterans.

According to a release by Klein’s office, The Wounded Warrior K-9 Corps Act would establish a grant program for organizations that provide wounded warriors and disabled veterans with service animals. On the Senate side, their newest member Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has also put out a similar bill.

For wounded warriors this means not just a lifeline, but a friend.

“He is a completely trust-worthy companion that does not judge anything. He is willing to help you, and its entire life is based off making you happy,” says Worley.

Way to go, J.R.!

Image Credit: Justin Maxon/The New York Times Story by By JOHN BRANCH

J. R. Salzman, who lost an arm in Iraq, with his sister after winning his seventh logrolling title.

By JOHN BRANCH

Published: July 27, 2009

HAYWARD, Wis. — Sgt. J. R. Salzman remembers reaching for his ballistic glasses just as the roadside bomb blew apart his right arm. He remembers being unable to reach the handle of the Humvee’s passenger door and realizing that his arm was instantly shortened. He remembers the look on the face of the medic.

Just about everything from Dec. 19, 2006, when he was in the lead truck of a tanker convoy in northwest Baghdad, is lodged in Salzman’s mind. That includes what he thought when he realized he would not die: I’ve still got my legs. I can still logroll.

And that explained why Salzman cried when he won his seventh men’s logrolling title at the Lumberjack world championships on Sunday, his first with a prosthetic arm.

“It’s what I do,” he said in the quiet shadows after a lengthy standing ovation. “This is my life in the summertime.”

Salzman won the event five years in a row, from 1998 to 2002, and again in 2005. In between, Jamie Fischer won two titles, then another in 2006.

Salzman was in Iraq by then. Still nagged and inspired to serve by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he had joined the Minnesota National Guard. He eloped with his girlfriend just before he was sent to Iraq in March 2006.

She saw him again on Christmas Day at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Salzman’s right forearm was a stump. His left hand had severe nerve damage and was missing its fourth finger. Trauma to the brain left him without much of his memory. Some old friends, whose faces look familiar, can see the damage in his arms but do not quite understand why Salzman cannot always remember their names.


Logrolling brings comfortable familiarity and therapy. But it is not the same as it used to be. Salzman, 30, still has the quick feet and strong legs required to spin and stop the floating logs in a high-speed attempt to make an opponent fall. Arms, however, provide balance. There is a lot of semicontrolled flailing in logrolling. Even splayed fingers can be the difference between getting wet and staying dry.

Salzman’s carbon-fiber prosthetic — “my Tinkertoy arm,” he called it — is waterproof and hollow. Inside are thin rolls of lead for weight. In last year’s event here, he filled it with sand from the shore of Lake Hayward to try to find the right balance.

He was matched with Fischer in his first match last year. Salzman lost.

“I was in good physical condition,” Salzman said. “Emotionally, I was a wreck.”

He had one and a half pounds of lead in the arm, which made it lighter than his left but heavy enough to provide counterbalance. He and Fischer met Sunday in the best-of-five finals.

The two fell into the water almost simultaneously in one match, and Salzman won the point. When Fischer fell in to decide the title, Salzman slid into the water and the two embraced. Salzman waded to the dock, where his sister Tina, a 10-time champion at the Lumberjack world championships, had shouted encouragement, and clung tight.

Salzman admitted he had struggled to find the right balance to his life. He imagines bombs around every corner and in every box along the road. He bolts awake at night. He and his wife, Josie, live in Menomonie, Wis., where Salzman attends the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He wants to teach technical arts.

“It’s the old joke, the one-armed shop teacher,” he said.

But teaching would allow Salzman to spend his summers logrolling. And as he learned Sunday, that can make him feel whole again.

The Warrior Legacy Foundation

The Warrior Legacy Foundation protects and promotes the reputation and dignity of every American veteran.

Our Tenets are:

I. Defend the Defenders

(through advocacy and policy influence, we will enhance our warriors ability to fight and win)

II. Care for the Wounded

(we will never stop fighting for dignified and complete care of our wounded troops)

III. Honor the Sacrifices

(we will never forget the Fallen and we will honor the sacrifices made by military families)

Ever thought about joining the VFW? AMVets? IAVA? VFF? American legion? The issue I have with all of these organizations (and many others) is that they claim to be non-partisan, and then, when the mood suits them, they become partisan, and start advocating for other things that have nothing to do with their original intent (Like the AARP, which originally started out as a group-life insurance policy, and then became a voting bloc which is driving us to national poverty because it so staunchly defends social security, because apparently, the only people in the greatest generation who could do math have already died.)

I digress. This is something that is going to be big. A national organization founded on simple principles. Three simple ideas, which are the basis of what other groups should've been focusing on.

You, even you non-veterans,can join the WLF and spread the word:

One unapologetic message with millions of messengers.

Veterans make the community in which they live a better place.

--Chuck

Wounded Marine needs help getting a home.

An incredible organization, “Homes for our Troops” is building an ADAPTIVE home for DJ! This is a wonderful organization and an incredible opportunity for DJ and Carlee! Since 2004 this nonprofit organization has built 40 specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans who have returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. These homes, and DJ’s home, will be built at NO COST to the veteran, but only with our help!!!! Homes for our Troops is looking for foundation grants, corporate sponsors and volunteers to make this project possible! Fundraisers are also needed! DJ’s dream has been to build a home for himself and Carlee that includes a therapy room and is fully accessible to him, I am so excited that this dream of his is coming true! Below is the link to DJ’s page on the Homes for our Troops website where you can donate or sign up to volunteer. There will also be a registration day for interested trades-people and volunteers to sign up to help build the home for DJ from 1-8 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday 5/7/09) at the Ramada Conference Center at 1450 S. Atherton St. in State College. There will also be a presentation given at 6:30 by project manager Rick Goyette. DJ will be participating in the presentation!

Please, please, PLEASE pass this along to anyone and EVERYONE you know. It is going to take A LOT of wonderful people stepping forward to make this the success that DJ deserves!!!!

Here’s the link:

http://www.homesforourtroops.org/site/PageServer?pagename=DavidEmery

The best scene from the best movie ever made.

May No Soldier Go Unloved. May No Soldier Walk Alone.

"May No Soldier Go Unloved. May No Soldier Walk Alone. May No Soldier Be Forgotten. Until They All Come Home."

As an all out effort to support National Military Appreciation Month, held in May, Soldiers' Angels is asking Americans to show their appreciation for our military by adopting a deployed service member at www.SoldiersAngels.org.

This year more than any other, our service men and women need to know they are truly appreciated for their role in protecting and defending our nation’s freedom. It doesn't take much time to become involved with Soldiers' Angels.

To Adopt-A-Hero go to the website www.SoldiersAngels.org and click on the ADOPT button. Your commitment each month is simply a letter a week and a small package each month. Join our team. Our nation's heroes need you. Soldiers' Angels is the place to start to show your appreciation.




WHEREAS, The freedom and security that citizens of the United States enjoy today are direct results of the blood shed and continued vigilance given by the United States Armed Forces over the history of our great nation; and

WHEREAS, the sacrifices that such members of the United States Armed Forces and of the family members that support them, have preserved the liberties that have enriched this nation making it unique in the world community; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress, in two thousand and four, passed a resolution proclaiming May as National Military Appreciation Month, calling all Americans to remember those who gave their lives in defense of freedom and to honor the men and women of all of our Armed Services who have served and are now serving our Country, together with their families; and

WHEREAS, the months of May and June were selected for this display of patriotism because during these months, we celebrate Victory in Europe (VE) Day, Military Spouse Day, Loyalty Day, Armed Forces Day/Week, National Day of Prayer, Memorial Day, Navy Day, Army Day and Flag Day;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Patti Patton-Bader, Founder of Soldiers' Angels, do hereby proclaim the period May 1, through June 14, 2009 as a special time to show appreciation for our Military and proclaim it as NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

Patti Patton-Bader
Founder, Soldiers' Angels

There's this guy I know...

Who had a tremendous impact on me during my recovery at Walter Reed.

Chris was always a welcome guest in our room, either in the Malone House or in the hospital ward. He was a laugh riot. His humor and wit were infectious, and provided me and Carren with MANY much needed chuckles.

The funny thing is, I (or I should say, WE) had as much impact on him as he did on us.

A few months after leaving WRAMC, Chris up and joined the army, went to OCS, and is now a serving officer in Iraq. He claims it was because of his contact with me that he was driven to join the fight. Although humbled, I think it has more to do with him being a stellar human being than anything I said or did (I was stoned 24/7, after all.)

I couldn't be more proud.

For your part, I wan't y'all to send him a note, a card, a care package--anything you can, to tell him that you appreciate his service.

If you want to do this, just send an email to with "where do I send it?" in the subject, and I'll shoot you his address.

--Chuck

Soldiers' Angels is now part of the Combined Federal Campaign Fund

Soldiers' Angels is now part of the Combined Federal Campaign Fund

CFC #:25131

Web Site: www.soldiersangels.org

Public Phone:615 676-0239

Statement: To provide meaningful services and support to deployed military personnel, veterans and military families through a grass-roots volunteer network, thus ensuring no soldier feels forgotten.

Federation: Military, Veterans & Patriotic Service Organizations of America

AAR from the face of America bike ride, 2009

Let me begin by saying that we, the members of team Chuck Z, Angels and Asphalt, had a great time. I only have last year to compare to this year, and last year pretty much kicked my ass.

This year, I completed the entire ride, both days, without so much as a push from another rider or getting off the bike and walking. For me, that was one hell of an achievement. (and yes, my ass was still kicked, but thanks to a TENS unit and modern chemistry, I didn't have to curl up in bed each night and sob myself to sleep.) I pushed my way through every inch of the 103.18 miles my GPS recorded. (I know it's supposed to be 110 miles, but the Garmin doesn't lie.) Throughout the ride, my faithful companions, Toby Nunn and Blake Powers were constantly at my side,warning other riders of my death-defying antics and telling others to make way. I was occasionally visited by Kathleen P., (aka the soup lady, the nose picker, and the First Angel I ever met;) but she had to keep moving up and down the line as she was also on the medical team. Kathleen S., another Angel rounding out our team, was also the procurer of libations and encouraging voice at my side throughout the ride. (She called her daughter to procure Coronas and limes after my Mrs. went all 18th Amendment on us and refused, on the grounds that we were already really dehydrated or some nonsense--I stopped listening after she said "No.")

So, in atypical Army Style, I will present to you my completely open and honest After Actions Report, which I've focused not on "atta boys" but on things to improve. After all, a pat on the back is only 18" from a kick in the ass, and we don't get better by focusing on what we do well.

Issue: Bethesda Hotel.
Discussion: Hyatt is very nice location, close to start point, and very accommodating.
Recommendation: Ask if the possibility exists to use their service elevators to move bikes and gear to floors, or if it's possible to speed up the elevators, or if the bikes can be stored in the ballroom after dinner. If the hotel (or World T.E.A.M.) could provide security in the parking garage (Patriot Guard, off Duty Cop, etc.) I would even be amenable to leaving the bike in the garage, and we could launch from there.

Issue: Route markers
Discussion: Along the route, arrows were painted on the asphalt at turns and intersections and were helpful when there were no guides posted.
Recommendation: Make sure the markers are painted on the asphalt BEFORE the turn/intersection, not after.

Issue: Spatial awareness
Discussion: The route was a mystery to me last year. I ode until they told me to stop. It is very hard to keep yourself mentally engaged when you don't know what is ahead.
Recommendation: A published route map (more detail=better) distributed electronically a few weeks out would be very helpful. Include items like rest stops, and maybe more local supporters would come out to the rest areas.

Issue: Rider Mentality
Discussion: Last year I met many rider along the course, who would just "hang out" and ride along with me offering encouragement. This helped to take my mind off the pain. This year most of the riders seemed intent on staying as close to the lead as possible, as evidenced by the number who simply passed by, leaving injured cyclists to fend for themselves. The mood was definitely colder, and did not present the "no one rides alone" ideal well. This may have been a function of having my own team, as I never had fewer than three riders with me, but I also saw many hand cyclists get passed by dozens of riders, and left behind, with (maybe) one person riding along with them. It appeared that the teams only sought to help their team members, anyone not on their team was left out.
Recommendation: Less emphasis on teams, although great for fund raising, they seemed to hurt the spirit and intent of the ride. Team jerseys are great, and build esprit de corps and camaraderie, but teams should be reminded that we all support each other.

Issue: Armed Services Outreach
Discussion: I saw every branch of the DoD (and one branch of the Department of Homeland Security) represented by service jerseys. This was great and helped to show how each service supported their members--except it's a lie. No service really supported their members, as no branch of service provided any materiel support for their riders, wounded or otherwise. The Marines were supported by the Injured Marine Semper Fi fund, the Air Force, Coasties, Navy and Army were supported by various charities, most notably Soldiers Angels and the Wounded Warrior Project, (Soldiers Angels supported all the branches and riders, actually.) Services supported the riders by mostly giving them time off to ride. Other than that...
I understand the military can't contribute to charities. But I also understand that the military can contribute to the individual riders, in either monetary or materiel support, in the name of recruiting or "selling the brand." Just like we pay HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars to sponsor a NASCAR vehicle, or pay for TV ads during the superbowl, or spend HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars for airshows and and parachute teams, the Military could affor to clothe, equip, house, and transport these most honored representatives of military service. IOnstead, the cost for them is covered by charities--and many of us still sport our services' colors and logo, because we are proud to have served, even if they give us nothing.
Recommendation: Explain to the services that there are many avenues to take toward supportnig this event, and exploring those avenues can only help strenghten their brand and visibility.

Issue: Charity Volunteers
Discussion: This year I saw many more volunteers at the rest stops and finish line. They were always ready to lend a hand to anyone, and made every effort to make this ride succeed. we can't thank them enough.
Recommendation: We should honor their service with more than a nod and mention.

Issue: Rest Areas
Discussion: On the first day, the heat was a monster. I was often in the tail of the group, and was being turned around within 10 minutes of stopping. Many rest areas had little shade, and some even had none. Other times, rest areas had little water, or (in one case) hot water.
Recommendation: Ensure the time the rest area is used doesn't start until the last rider trickles in. The last rider deserves as much of a rest as the lead, and likely needs it more. We need to ensure that the water on hand is cold and plentiful, and more importantly, that rest areas have natural or man-made shade. At rest areas with a water source (fire stations etc.) having them turn on a hose with a sprinlker as riders arrive and depart would really help keep us cool, and reduce risk to heat injury.

Issue: Finish line festivities
Discussion: The ride is about all of us being a team. It's about the wounded as much as it is about the healthy. It's about the riders. The speeches and acknowledgement are great--do them at the dinner before the ride. When we get to the finish, we should thank Seamus and get on with it. last year we took pictures galore of the wounded who finished, the teams, the people who made everything happen--and then we ate, drank, and a giid time was had by all.

This year the event seemed much more "cliqueish" to me, and I did not feel the same sense of camaraderie as last year. I had a great time on the ride, and met a few people who I enjoyed spending time with. I still believe this is a tremendous event, and am glad to have been a part of it as well as take great pride in finishing it, and being able to help others finish as well. I will return next year (if the stars, moon, planets, and Army align) and look forward to bringing more riders with me.

Injures Soldiers Get Ready to Ride

If the video doesn't show up, go here.