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********************************
THE WAR AGAINST
PTSD
STARTS NOW!
********************************
PTSD means
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
This site page is HUGE so it will
take some TIME TO LOAD, even on a
FAST Internet Connection.
PLEASE BE PATIENT, IT'S WORTH
THE WAIT!
There is SO MUCH info here, and SO MUCH
more we WANT to add so we
are currently working on a new website
to accommodate the flood of PTSD
info/news/progress available to share!
If the "contact Julie" button on the right
is not working or if you've not
gotten a response to an email sent
(we've had some problems w/this email)
PLEASE feel FREE to contact me
by clicking below:
mail to: annie_250@yahoo.com
PLEASE
LIGHT A CANDLE (on the right)
A BEACON FOR OUR HEROES TO
LET THEM KNOW WHERE HOME IS
AND TO SHOW THEM THERE IS HOPE
AND TREATMENT FOR THIS MONSTER
DISORDER CALLED PTSD.
GOD BLESS THEM ALL!
BE SURE TO HIT REFRESH EACH TIME
YOU VISIT SO YOU DON'T MISS
THE NEW INFO ADDED!
"About 50 times a day we hear from
some practitioners that a veteran is thinking about killing themselves," Richard Gibson, manager of the mental health division at Milwaukee's Zablocki VA Medical Center.
Experts tackle suicide prevention among combat veterans
WALTER REED IS NOT THE ONLY
HOSPITAL FAILING OUR HEROES!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
A Welfare recipients gets better health
care than those who lie their lives
on the line for us!
Behind the Walls of Ward 54 (click here)
AND MORE!! Read on!
An Iowa National Guard soldier spoke out about the conditions at another military medical facility.
"It's like they're trying to hide their dirty eggs. They don't want anybody to see us. They don't want anybody to treat us other than them so they can kind of keep it under wraps about how bad the PTSD problem really is," he said.
CLICK HERE for the WHOLE STORY
"Caring for veterans should be just as important as
buying the next batch of tanks and guns" says Herman
White of Ralph H Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center
read more
SHARE YOUR PTSD STORIES
BY CLICKING
ON THE TRIBUTE AND CONDOLENCE BUTTON
WE MUST
LET THE NATION KNOW HOW RAMPANT
THIS KILLER IS WITH OUR TROOPS!
*************************
ONE IN THREE
OF OUR SERVICE MEN
AND WOMEN ARE RETURNING HOME WITH
PTSD
THAT IS...SO FAR..aprox.
>>> 462,000!!! <<<
What they found was that a growing number of deeply traumatized soldiers were being sent back into battle for multiple tours of duty and kept there even after superior officers were alerted to suicide warnings and other signs of mental illness.
click here
Friday, Dec. 22, 2006
was the ONE YEAR anniversary of Josh's passing.
>PLEASE<
light a candle (on the right) as a beacon for
ALL THOSE HEROES with PTSD
so they might find this site which contains the
answers and help they may need.
ALSO
pass this site
ON
to EVERYone you know,
as IT WAS BY DOING SO, that THIS site has actually
SAVED LIVES! Let's see how many
LIVES WE CAN SAVE
Visit OFTEN!
click your "back" button after viewing any of the links to return to this site...
God Bless
******************************************
Founded in June 2004, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilian supporters of those Troops and Veterans.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This website was created in the memory of our beloved Hero, SPC Joshua Omvig of the 339th MP Company, who was born in Gillette, Wyoming on November 18, 1983 to proud parents, Randy and Ellen Omvig. Josh left a hole in his family's hearts when he passed on December 22, 2005 at the age of 22, by his own hand, at his home in Iowa. Josh suffered from PTSD after serving an 11 month tour in Iraq.
Below we share Josh's story. As hard as it is to do so, we know that silence on our parts would be easier on our broken hearts... silence however, would not help any one or save any lives... It won't prevent the tears, numbness, sleepless nights, broken dreams or give even one soul hope.
We know we have to talk about losing our Josh.
This site also reveals the stories of countless other military men, women and families who have dealt and are dealing with this killer disorder. The candles and condolences are filled with stories of those who've happened on our site and wanted to share their tragic truths with the Military and PTSD. We include here the why's, facts, studies, stories, information, support, contact info, and last but certainly not least, we reach out our hand to anyone who needs it.
****************************
The War On PTSD is NOT about POLITICS.
It doesn't matter if you are Republican or Democrat. It doesn't matter if you are for the war or anti war.
This is about
DOING SOMETHING ABOUT AN EPIDEMIC THAT LEFT AS IS, WILL WIPE OUT, at the very least...
A WHOLE GENERATION.
It's about taking care of your kids, your grandkids, your neighbors, your fellow human beings.
The ONLY thing we ask is that you read the facts and then decide if YOU TOO are ANTI- PTSD...If so, please HELP US in any way you feel you can!
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS)
EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT FOR VETERAN AND MILITARY
FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS
++++++++++++++++++++++
FACT
>>>> ONE IN THREE <<<<<
of our troops
ARE RETURNING HOME WITH THIS DISORDER
*note* This number is what the Gov. is admitting to.
With troops being sent BACK for NUMEROUS REDEPLOYMENTS the ACTUAL percentage is without a doubt, according to statistics, 100% returning with some degree of PTSD or mental trauma!
FACT
Before this is over,
EVERY ONE OF YOU
will be touched in someway by this disorder.
If not in your family, then in someone's family YOU KNOW.
The statistics PROVE IT!
We will forever love and remember our Josh.
We honor him with the wonderful things happening because of this site and what sharing his story with the world is doing for other heroes and their families.
We will NOT REST until NO LIFE IS EVER LOST TO THIS
DEMON DISORDER...until NO FAMILIES ARE DESTROYED BECAUSE OF IT.
IT IS TREATABLE!
IT IS PREVENTABLE!
THIS IS WAR!
++++++++++++++++++++++
YOU can SAVE A HUMAN LIFE...
yes YOU!!!
It's as easy as sharing this site with EVERYONE you know, and asking them to do the same...
We were BLESSED to be informed that THIS SITE SAVED A LIFE in its FIRST MONTH and continues changing lives today.
NOW...Read on...
Josh, rest now, go to the light.
We will continue to carry your torch...
We LOVE YOU...
Your Family
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Help our Military Men and Women!
WRITE YOUR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES AND
ASK THEM TO SUPPORT OUR VETS BY CO-SPONSORING
House Bill HR 1588
AND
House Bill - H.R.327 IH (Josh's Bill in House),
*UPDATE*
March 21, 2007
The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY IN THE HOUSE!
NOW ON TO THE SENATE!!!!
Senate Bill - S.479 IS (Josh's Bill in Senate),
AND
Senate Bill- S. 3984
(HR 1588 IH is here, also # S.3984 in Senate):
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR01588:@@@P
(HR 327 IH is here):
CLICK
Is your rep on this list of co-sponsors?
If not DON'T VOTE FOR THEM! Write them,
call them...
YOU DO COUNT! We KNOW, We DID IT!
(S.479 IS is here):
CLICK
Let YOUR voice be heard
It's EASY to do!
(Go to the link below...enter your zip and it tells you your senate and congressman's name and email address. Click on the email address and it will bring up an email all ready to send to them.)
Find Your Congressmen and Senators HERE:
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
*********************************************************
*******************************************************
Contact YOUR SENATORS and ask them to jump on board
The JOSHUA OMVIG VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT introduced by Congressman Boswell of Iowa, and passed
unanimously in the House Veterans Committee and Sub
Committee, AND ALSO UNANIMOUSLY in the
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 21, 2007!
read below or in the "His Legacy"
*******************************************************
********************************************************
Josh's Story
THE SHOT HEARD
AROUND THE
WORLD
Josh was a Proud American, an American Hero and a member of the United States Army Reserve 339th MP Company based in Davenport, Iowa. At six foot three, the impressiveness of his jet black hair, dark brown, almost black, eyes and long black eye lashes were matched only by his devilish charm and wit. Josh was everyone's friend whether he knew you or not. There were no strangers when he was in the room. He made everyone feel apart of the whole, and being the "clown" of the class made sure entertainment was never lacking either.
To say Josh was the typical "Kid Next Door" sounds odd but he really was JUST A GOOD KID. His whole life he wanted to work in public service and stayed focused on that dream of being a Police Officer for as long as I can remember. He always kept his nose clean knowing it was going to someday be important to his career. He loved to participate in sports, hang out with his friends, play video games and spend time with his family.
As an adult, Josh was a PROUD member of the Grundy Center American Lutheran Church, the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire Department, and the Grundy Center Police Reserves.
He insisted on graduating early from high school after joining the reserves to get his career started. So excited about his future, he wanted to get into basic training as fast as he could....He had wanted to serve and protect his country, and it's citizens. His dream of becoming a Police Officer was nearly here. The Army Reserves was his ticket to achieving that dream.
......then came 911, The War Against Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Iraq.
In November of 2004, Josh returned from an 11 month tour of duty in Iraq, fighting for his country and it's people in "Operation Iraqi Freedom."
While serving in Iraq, the conditions where unimaginable, and worse yet were the UNSPEAKABLE "jobs" and "duties" they had to do.
One truly can't understand unless they've been there, what these men and women face every single day. From the moment they set foot on foreign soil, they are in a combat zone every single second of every single day ...until they return home. Any moment could be their last moment... they know it... they have to... in order to survive.
The stories that come out of these war zones covered in the news are unimaginable to those of us safe in our homes. It's inconceivable, the damage that could be done to one's mind after seeing the mutilation an IED does to a human body, or what it would be like to retrieve the body parts of a friend to send home to their family for burial.
What must it be like to have to watch your back 24 hours a day, even while you sleep...to know any garbage bag on the side of the road could be a bomb...any child could be a decoy for an ambush....any woman who approaches you crying could be strapped with explosives...that giving a candy bar to a child could cost that child his arms as retrobution for accepting it.
THE STORIES JUST GO ON..AND ON...AND ON!
Josh loved his country, and was HONORED to defend her and the freedoms of it's people. He knew why he had to do the things he and others did, he was just never able to recover from having seen and done them.
He came home to us from Iraq with PTSD (POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER) and was never the same Josh again.
Josh's "DEBRIEFING" consisted of ONLY 15 minutes of "Welcome Home, Got any Problems? No? Great.. well, Let us know...See Ya"
AND IT'S HAPPENING TO OTHERS: Read the article -
"Navy acts to improve mental health screening for sailors"
THIS IS COMMON AMONG OUR RETURNING NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UNITS!
THIS IS NOT EVEN THEIR PROTOCOL (rules) FOR DEBRIEFING!
What they are doing (OR NOT DOING) is killing our troops!
We knew Josh was having a hard time, but not in ANY way to the extent it REALLY was. We surely didn't know it had a name, or that it was an epidemic with our American Heroes in and returning from Iraq.
We knew there was such a thing as PTSD, but it just never "clicked" that THIS was what was happening to our Josh!..Josh was the clown, the one with the smile, the one who made others feel better. He hid the magnitude this disorder had on him very well. He suffered in silence like MOST of our soldiers with PTSD are doing.
On Thurs. Dec. 22, 2005, our Josh took his life after leaving a note explaining his torment.
Through the course of Josh's viewing and funeral ( attended by an overflow crowd of over 500 ), his family was made aware there were others suffering from the same disorder, in silence, like Josh had...LOTS OF THEM
While sitting in the Emergency Room for ONE HOUR with their dead son's body, being asked and explained about ORGAN DONATION, the nurse got off the phone with University Hospital in Iowa City and told Josh's parents that despite Josh's request to have his organs donated,
"OH, I'M SORRY... WE FORGOT THAT HE CAN'T DONATE ORGANS BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE MID EAST... HE HAS A VIRUS."
When asked "WHAT Virus?", they were 'put off' and never responded to.
When BEGGED by Josh's parents to TEST him to SEE if he had a VIRUS "just in case he COULD DONATE".. They just said,
"WE WON'T CHECK THE BODIES, EVERYBODY FROM THE MID EAST HAS GOT IT"
"..it's a blanket policy!"
EVERYBODY from the Mid East HAS IT?
What IS this Virus?
WARNING THE SITE BELOW IS GRAPHIC WITH HORRENDOUS PHOTOS OF CHILDREN BORN WITH THE BIRTH DEFECTS CAUSED BY DEPLETED URANIUM EXPOSURE IN IRAQ...DO NOT LET CHILDREN OR ANYONE UNDER 18 VIEW IT!!!!
(but it's necessary to accompany the written statements on this site with FACTS): VISIT THE SITE
What will this do to those who survive? What about them having children? What about? What about? WE WANT ANSWERS AND THEY WON'T TALK TO US!~!!!
Since then, his family and I (Josh's Aunt Julie) have been doing TONS of research on PTSD and how our Military Heroes are having to deal with it as well as the problems they are facing with getting PROPER treatment. We have been searching the internet to find other Vets out there struggling, other families and loved ones devastated by PTSD... on message boards, email groups, military news groups, newspaper articles, tv news reports, etc....
there are THOUSANDS!!!
Josh never sought out help. We've also since learned it's very hard for
our soldiers to talk about it.. period, let alone seek help! They are
AFRAID TO!
HereWhy:
http://philippinesphil.blogspot.com/
Less Than Half of Soldiers With Mental Health Problems Seek Treatment
"For all returning soldiers, there were strong correlations between being shot at, handling dead bodies, knowing someone who was killed, or killing the enemy and the subsequent development of PTSD. And yet of those who met the criteria for a mental disorder, only 38% to 45% expressed an interest in receiving help, and only 23% to 40% reported receiving help in the past year. The participants who screened positive for a mental disorder were the least likely to seek treatment because of a fear of stigmatization, harming their careers, or other barriers."
View This Study (Adobe Reader required)
THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE!
The Family Gave Two Interviews About Josh's
Death... one of which won awards as the
first in a PTSD Series for Editor Dennis Magee
of the Waterloo Courier. You can read those
stories here:
Click>>JOSH'S STORY<<CLICK
AS TOLD TO DENNIS MAGEE
AND JENNIFER JACOBS of the Waterloo
Courier and Des Moines Register
*****************************
"Another Army study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine IN 2004, THREE YEARS AGO~~, found that 17 percent of U.S. combat troops, including Army and Marines, experienced major depression and combat stress, the highest rate since Vietnam."
Read the article - "Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care"
"Just one-fourth to less than half of those with post-traumatic stress disorder sought help, according to the Army study. And some 65 percent of those questioned said they worry that if they asked for help, it would make them look weak or affect their military careers."
(From the Dallas News December 3, 2005)
The government won't give them REAL help unless they are completely incapacitated (unable to work/function)...this is not the case in almost all I've met/seen. They are nearly all functioning...but in HELL.
READ ON ABOUT
MORE NEEDLESS
LIVES LOST:
CLICK HERE
http://www.joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/Timeline.aspx
*note*
We are in the process of moving all the photos below of our lost heroes to the "Timeline" pages because
they are slowing down the main page too much and
many people are having to wait (some up to NINE) minutes to see the main page...so please bear with us...we have many MANY more new pics/stories
to add also, so check back OFTEN!
>> JONATHAN SCHULZE <<
Son to Jim, Stepson to Mariann....Fiancee, Daddy to
a Daughter and another on the way
Jonathan's Story
Young Marine Dies Of PTSD - And Neglect
>> JASON COOPER <<
Jason's Memorial TShirt (Available on his website below)
Son to Terri
Jason's Story and Memorial Website
Mother of Suicide Vet Flies Old Glory Upside Down
(Check out all the COMMENTS ALSO was "Most
discussed article on Alternet"
>> KEVIN McCARTY <<
Husband to Tina, Daddy to Kendall
Kevin's Memorial Website
>> MICHAEL DICKEY <<
Husband to Emisha, Daddy to Enrick
Michael's Memorial Site
>> DOUGLAS BARBER <<
Don of Martha and the late Doug Sr. Brother of Connie
and the late Anthony Barber
Doug's Memorial Website
>> DOMINIC CAMPISI <<
Dom, son to Connie and the late Anthony,
brother to Roy.
Dom's Memorial Website
>> REBECCA MARSEGLIA <<
Becky, Daughter to Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia and
Mark Marseglia (wife Paula)
Loving sister of Katelyn Blair Marseglia
Becky's Memorial Website
>> STEVEN LOGAN <<
Steven, son of Patty, brother to Lisa and Brtittany
Steven's Memorial Website
>> BRANDON RATLIFF <<
Brandon, son to Susan, Nephew to Sally
Brandon's Memorial Website
>> WILLIAM WEISS <<
Bill, son to Mary
Bill's Memorial Website
>> BENNY RIGGINS <<
Benny, Daddy to Laurie
Benny's Memorial Website
>> COREY SMALL <<
Corey's Memorial Website
USA Today Story on Corey's Death
>> KEN DENNIS <<
Seattle News Story On Ken's Death
>> JEFFREY LUCEY <<
Jeff's Memorial Website
Gold Star Families Speak Out Tribute
>>COLONEL TED WESTHUSING<<
Boston Globe Article On Ted's Death
>> JEFFREY HENTHORN <<
Jeffrey's Story Including Video Interview w/His Parents
>> DAVID L POTTER <<
David's Memorial Site
A Short Story on David
>> DEBRA BANASZAK <<
Debra's Memorial Site
>> EDWARD BRABAZON <<
EDDIE'S MEMORIAL SITE
>> JASON SCHEUERMAN <<
Jason's Memorial Site
>> JEFFREY BRAUN <<
Jeff's Memorial Site
Jeff's Parents Pay Tribute
>> MARK WARREN <<
>> SAMUEL LEE <<
>> STEVEN SIRKO <<
Steven's Memorial Site
From Steven's Mom
>> Rebecca Jarabek <<
Becky, sister to Abby
Becky's West Point Memorial Site
Becky's MSC Memorial
UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE DOZENS MORE PICTURES, STORIES,
AND TRAGEDIES TO ADD IN THE COMING DAYS.
STOP BACK OFTEN, BE SURE TO HIT YOUR REFRESH
BUTTON OR YOU MAY NOT CATCH THE NEW THINGS ADDED.
AND PLEASE
SHARE THIS SITE WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND
HELP US SAVE LIVES!
THE OMVIGS
Chairman Steve Buyer (R-IN) said in that hearing:
“We have, since the days when it was called ‘shell shock’, learned much about PTSD,” said Buyer, who identified access to care as a problem for returning servicemembers. “We have much more to learn so that we can accurately diagnose it and effectively treat it. Congress must ensure VA has the resources to do both.”
Results from that Hearing:
An amendment to the Tax Relief Act of 2005, aimed to allocate an additional $500 million for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and substance abuse counseling for returning Vets.
IT WAS VOTED DOWN!
BUT THEY DID OK $ 45,980,000 of your tax dollars for things like THIS:
$1 million to preserve a sewer in Trenton, NJ, as a historic monument....read more:
http://www.areddy.net/mscott/porkabs.html
and this:
http://www.areddy.net/mscott/porkpri.html
worse yet? There's more:
http://www.akdart.com/abu7.html
>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<
Army Surgeon General's Mental Health
Advisory Team-II (MHAT-II), released in July
2004, found the suicide rate for Operation
Iraqi Freedom soldiers to that date during
2004 to be 8.5 per 100,000 soldiers, down
from 18 per 100,000 in 2003....BUT IN
2005 THAT NUMBER
DOUBLED!
20 per 100,000
NO NUMBERS HAVE BEEN
RELEASED FOR 2006
The MHAT-II appears to have used a strict definition of suicide, however. The report notes that "Firearms were the only confirmed method of suicide for OIF soldiers in 2003 and 2004 with the exception of one drug overdose case in 2003." Some mental health experts believe that many friendly-fire incidents can be considered suicide, although it can be difficult for investigators to confirm such cases.
SO
There have been About 1.4 million
troops so far that have served in Iraq or
Afghanistan
YOU FIGURE THE NUMBERS!
BUT...
THAT DOESN'T COUNT THE
>>>SUICIDES STATESIDE!<<<
PTSD ROUTINELY TAKES 6-12
(or more)
MONTHS
to Show it's
evil HEAD!
HOW MANY OF OUR
SONS AND DAUGHTERS
DIED
AFTER THEY GOT HOME?
And Will NEVER Be
Considered Casualties
of WAR?
A
NATION DEMANDS TO KNOW!
THE FAMILIES
DESERVE
TO KNOW
THE TRUTH!!
HOW MANY IN ALL?
?????????
????HOW MANY????
THEY DESERVE
TO COUNT!
"Both the VA and the Pentagon in
recent weeks have acknowledged
a need to improve mental health
treatment. Jan Kemp, a VA
associate director for education
who works on mental health, has
estimated there are up to 1,000
suicides a year among veterans
within the VA system, and as
many
as 5,000 a year among all living
veterans. "
5000 a YEAR? Is that counting
the ones like Josh which make up
the greater amount? NO...
We've been told over and over no
one is counting, so where does this
number come from?
Better Yet..Who is Lying?
>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<
OUR AMERICAN VETS ARE SUFFERING, IT'S FAR BIGGER THAN JUST ONE STORY!
HERE ARE MORE:
The photo of the ‘Marlboro Man’ in Fallujah became a symbol of the Iraq conflict when it ran in newspapers across America in 2004. The man in the photograph is James Blake Miller, now 21, and suffering from PTSD, Military Related. For his story click here.
Andrew Murphy, who developed PTSD after serving with the armed forces in Bosnia in 1993, hopes this will mean others get the help that he found it difficult to receive. Read more >>
"Some of what I’ve learned about this disorder pertains to all PTSD sufferers, but most of what I’ve learned pertains to the trauma of war. I am a Vietnam Veteran. I flew Cobra Gunships in Vietnam. After a recent episode in which I had been turned into a babbling, stuttering idiot and locked up at the local Veterans Hospital". Read more >>
23-year-old Jesus Bocanegra spent four and a half years in the military, including a year as a cavalry scout in Iraq. He’s now out of the military and living with his family in the town of Elsep in South Texas. But the war is still with him, so much so that he’s been treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He shares this story. |
