America’s Oldest WWII Veteran Celebrates 112th Birthday in New Orleans
Lawrence Brooks, the United States’ oldest living WWII veteran, celebrated his 112th birthday in style on Sunday. The supercentenarian usually celebrates his birthdays at The National WWII Museum in his native New Orleans. Sadly, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led museum to arrange a small, socially distanced birthday celebration at Brooks’ home this year. The bash included a performance […]
Report slams police for not finding dead US vet on VA campus for more than a month
Confusion over proper procedures at a Veterans Affairs hospital allowed a dead US vet to go unnoticed in a stairwell for more than a month after he was reported missing, according to a US VA report released last week. The report by the VA’s inspector general detailed a series of missteps by VA staffers and police […]
Veteran suicides decreased 7 percent in 2019 to lowest level in 12 years
Veteran suicides fell to their lowest level in 12 years in 2019, down more than one death a day from the previous year’s levels, according to new data released by the Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday. Despite that, the rate of suicides among veterans remains almost double the rest of the American public, accounting for more than […]
Three Risk Factors for Veteran Suicide
Over the last several decades, suicide has become one of the most serious public health concerns with its rapidly increasing rates. In 2019, intentional self-harm (suicide) ranked as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, with over 47,000 people have lost their lives because of suicide, according to the Centers for […]
UK Veteran uses his experiences to teach the next generation of soldiers
Richard ( UK army veteran) joined the Army when he was 19 years old. The experience of losing comrades in Afghanistan and Iraq led to very difficult times in the civilian world. But with support from The Poppy Factory, Richard is now helping to train the next generation of soldiers to be the best they […]
For Those Left Behind: An Afghan American Marine Veteran Reflects On His Homeland
Marine veteran Ajmal Achekzai fled Afghanistan during the onset of the Soviet–Afghan War in 1980, leaving his birth city of Kabul behind. He was only five years old. The next time he would return would be in November of 2001. U.S. Marines were the first major ground forces sent to Afghanistan after 9/11. Ajmal was […]
Biden Administration Formally Launches Effort To Return Deported Veterans To U.S.
The Biden administration unveiled plans Friday to bring hundreds, possibly thousands, of deported veterans and their immediate family members back to the United States, saying their removal “failed to live up to our highest values.” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered his department’s immigration agencies to “immediately” take steps to ensure that military families may […]
Busting 12 Military Benefit Myths for US Vets
Myth: Don’t know what to believe about transition assistance, Veterans Affairs benefits and entitlements for vets? Read through the myths below to reveal the true story. Myth #1: After I return from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom, I need to have my dental work (as part of my VA benefit) completed before the end of […]
Veterans unemployment well-below national levels, matches pre-pandemic levels
The veterans unemployment rate fell last month to pre-pandemic levels. This is parallel to national jobless rates continued their steadily decline of recent months According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, the unemployment rate for all veterans dropped from 4.0 percent in July to 3.6 percent in August. That’s the first time the mark […]
US should plan ahead for the long-term costs of care for vets
A recent report, published by Watson Institute of Brown University, estimates that the costs of care for post-9/11 war vets will reach between $2.2 and $2.5 trillion by 2050 – most of which has not yet been paid. The report warns that the U.S. may shortchange its promises to these veterans if the government does […]