Please Help Make a Change for Our Veterans

[Desirée {PL Team}]

An amazing family who I have known personally for almost 15 years has recently lost a son, a brother, and a husband. Cody Baker was an Iraq Veteran that suffered from PTSD, which led him to take his own life. As we all know, reaching out for help - in any situation - is always the most difficult first step. Cody had taken this dreaded step - more than once - by reaching out to the VA Hospital only to be denied time and time again.

His family has created a petition calling for Congress to step up and make right the lives of so many Veterans that are suffering with no assistance. I know so many of us here have friends and family that have, or are currently, serving our country. Our soldiers are fighting for us, and we need to fight back for them.

 

Please take a moment to add your signature.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/create-change-those-suffering-post-traumatic-stress-syndrome-ptsd/TpVbMbJZ

 

Below is a heartbreaking except from the letter submitted with the petition from Cody's mother:

"I buried my son on Saturday. He is now among one of the Army’s suicide statistics. He was an Iraq veteran. He suffered PTSD. He has suffered with this since before his term was complete. In fact, I have written to you before when you served him Stop Loss papers and he called me and told me that he wasn’t ready to go back. For him to call me and admit that he wasn’t ready, said a lot and I knew without doubt that he was in serious trouble. He was not mentally stable to go back. Thank God, you listened and his orders were pulled.

Cody has suffered with headaches, hearing loss and nightmares. But I think the worst for him was having to live with decisions he may have had to make that were totally against his moral values. With that said, Cody was a top soldier and always completed the mission successfully hands down. I can list thousands of ways he was the perfect soldier but that is not why I am writing. I am writing because our system is broken and demands change.

...

The statistics reported by The Associated Press show that military deaths from suicide outweighed combat deaths by a two-to-one ratio. There were 154 suicides for active duty troops in the first 155 days of 2012. A record 350 active-duty troops took their own lives in 2012. Something must be done."

 

Please share!

[KimmieKim]

That's awful! So sorry for he's loss and so many of our soldiers. I never knew that this was the case with the suicide rate. I'm more wise today from reading this, and will never think of the military as the easy way out anymore :( I will sign whatever you need.

[Miss Honey]

I am so very sorry for your loss, doll. How do we add our signature?

[mstripingandpaint]

Please let us know how we can help! I am sure that there are a lot of us on here who would like to do our part...

[Firecracker Selvidge]

I can not imagine losing a loved one that way. I am so sorry for your loss. My boyfriend suffers from this as well and I fear it will take over him one day. Praying for your family.

[Desirée {PL Team}]

I linked the words up top, but I should have just posted the link. (I have done that now, hehe!) So sorry, and thanks for all of your support. Here is the direct link to the petition. Please share!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/create-change-those-suffe...

[honeybaby]

Signed. Thanks for calling this to our attention. My heart goes out to you and Cody's loved ones.

[Im Ricky]

   I didn't know Cody. My war was farther away. I have worked with guys with PTSD: The single feeling that bring them to the edge is the lose of faith in the American ideals. We grew up with hero only to see the torn down and drug through the mud. We grew up Proud of America, now we are told to be ashamed. We went off to find for America, and in the heat of deployment we are told we can't fly our flag.

   When I was yong, having been a soldier, was a good platform to run for office. Today spiting on your country and throwing your fake metals over the fence will get you a cabinet post, in Washington.

I've said enough, Thanks for your thoughts. R

[La Maison Des Chats]

Thank you for sharing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[La Maison Des Chats]

Signed!

[7thAirForceVet]

As a member of the Soldiers Lounge and sharing some of my comments regarding our veterans. My personal experience after Vietnam, 1970. I had PTSD and the experiences are not something that can be "packed away." 

As  filmmaker of "A Weekend to Remember, 25th Anniversary Vietnam Veterans Memorial" documentary is to educate veterans, family, relatives, friends and the non veteran about how precious life is. Having attended reunions from 2008 until 2011, many veterans would share with me experiences they would not tell their wives, friends. 

In 2012, I started http://afnamvet.wordpress.com blog about PTSD tthu social media. I would be more than happy to share this with FB, Twitter and Pinterest followers.  Let me know what I can do to help.

Mark Arguello aka 7thAirForcevet. The picture of my profile is the stark reminder of the tragedy and loss of life on my 21st birthday. 

I'm glad to know the PL Team and Pinup members who I have made contact with. 

Thank You for your concern !

[Im Ricky]

Miss Mandi said:

PTSD is so serious and it kills me knowing our government won't help. My husband is a Veteran and we have many friends still serving and are vets as well. We completely understand this disorder.

I went to sign the petition and this is the message I received:

Thanks for your interest in We the People, a new tool on WhiteHouse.gov that allows all Americans to ask the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.

The petition you are trying to access has expired, because it failed to meet the signature threshold.

While you can't sign this petition, there may be other petitions on We the People on a similar issue that you'd like to add your name to. Or, you can create your own petition.

Dear Mandi:

I have work with Vet from the Viet Nam Vets for years. The Scariest words we know are: " We're from government, and we're here to help". This and the adittude of the present administration is enough to make me sad to be an American. "We the people" is a ruse, its really We the government. Personally, because this is a public forum I fear retribution for what I may say here. For those receiving help or benefits are more afraid than I and will not speak their minds. Imagine an America where you fear to speak your mind. even when its the truth.

I will shut up now. Good luck. R

[Miss Mandi]

Im Ricky said:

Miss Mandi said:

PTSD is so serious and it kills me knowing our government won't help. My husband is a Veteran and we have many friends still serving and are vets as well. We completely understand this disorder.

I went to sign the petition and this is the message I received:

Thanks for your interest in We the People, a new tool on WhiteHouse.gov that allows all Americans to ask the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.

The petition you are trying to access has expired, because it failed to meet the signature threshold.

While you can't sign this petition, there may be other petitions on We the People on a similar issue that you'd like to add your name to. Or, you can create your own petition.

Dear Mandi:

I have work with Vet from the Viet Nam Vets for years. The Scariest words we know are: " We're from government, and we're here to help". This and the adittude of the present administration is enough to make me sad to be an American. "We the people" is a ruse, its really We the government. Personally, because this is a public forum I fear retribution for what I may say here. For those receiving help or benefits are more afraid than I and will not speak their minds. Imagine an America where you fear to speak your mind. even when its the truth.

I will shut up now. Good luck. R

I understand where you're coming from. I wish there was more I could do to help. Good luck to you as well. =) Know I am always supporting in any way I can.