On this Memorial Day, as our nation flirts with a wholly unnecessary and foolish war with Iran, it is worth pausing to reflect on what, exactly, we are memorializing with this holiday. In our nation's brief history, more than 658,000 of our children have died in combat, including more than 6,800 in the Global War on … Continue reading Facing the true meaning of Memorial Day
Veterans
Suicide risk demands an open, compassionate response
Suicide. Survivor’s guilt. Trauma. PTSD. Our nation has been — and should be — engaged in conversation on these difficult topics this week after the apparent suicides of three people intimately tied to mass school shootings in Parkland, Fla. and Newtown, Conn. Their deaths echo the pain, grief and insensible trauma that continue to shock … Continue reading Suicide risk demands an open, compassionate response
Decades later, Atomic Veterans still fighting for benefits
The following is a compilation of a two-part piece on Atomic Veterans -- veterans who were subjected to radiation exposure by government atomic bomb testing -- who still, more than six decades on, are fighting the VA and Department of Justice for benefits and official recognition of their service and sacrifice. ENID, Okla. — Like … Continue reading Decades later, Atomic Veterans still fighting for benefits
Check your benefits
Enid, Okla. -- There are more than 21 million veterans — including more than 312,000 in Oklahoma — living in the United States, according to 2014 U.S. Census Bureau figures. About 20 percent of those veterans suffer from some form of disability due to injuries or environmental exposure incurred while in the military, and about … Continue reading Check your benefits
Kneeling, the flag and the true meaning of patriotism
As NFL players, coaches and owners prepare for their league meeting today to discuss the ongoing kerfuffle over the kneeling protests I wanted to pause briefly to voice my opinion on this as an American veteran. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this. Frankly I thought the uproar over this would … Continue reading Kneeling, the flag and the true meaning of patriotism
Blue Water Navy Vets
During 10 years of the war in Vietnam the United States sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange over Indochina. In 1991 Congress approved the Agent Orange Act of 1991 to provide full medical coverage for Vietnam veterans suffering from a litany of chronic diseases related to Agent Orange exposure. In 2002 the VA … Continue reading Blue Water Navy Vets
James R. Neal 