Latest news with #DesertStorm
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Group traveling through 22 states to spread veteran suicide awareness
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A group of advocates is taking a cross-country motorcycle ride with a powerful mission; they want to raise awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention. 'We're making stops along the way. We happen to have 26 Harley-Davidson dealers and one Polaris dealer. We're meeting up with other riders and veterans and just trying to show them that we're here to support them,' explained Angie White, the founder of 'Riding 22 in 22' The Ohio based non-profit 'Riding 22 in 22' has partnered up with Strive, an organization that helps veterans who are struggling with PTSD and other challenges, to be able to offer treatment to veterans at no cost. Sioux City schools' free summer meal program begins June 9 'We're hoping that veterans will know that there are people here that care, and, you know, a veteran is more apt to help another veteran before they'll ask for help for themselves, and so we just want them to know that there are programs out there and people that care,' Angie White stated. Angie's husband, Jason White, is a Desert Storm veteran who had some problems when he first came back home to the states. After telling his stories to older veterans, he found out that not a lot of veterans were getting the help they needed. 'I had a friend of mine who I looked up to highly. He was a Vietnam vet, and I had a lot of problems that I complained to him about. He's like, 'Yeah, we all have these problems.' He said, and they didn't get the recognition we got when we came back, and I felt that, you know, I didn't feel like that was right,' said Jason White, the other founder of 'Riding 22 in 22.' That's when Jason and his wife decided to start making a difference and spread their message. 'We came up with this idea actually back in 2022 and decided, you know, how cool would be to ride 22 states in 22 days in 2022. Well, life gets in the way, and we didn't quite get to that, and we finally sat down this year, and well, I mean last year, and said if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do it,' said Jason. Story continues below Top Story: UnityPoint Health to acquire MercyOne Siouxland Lights & Sirens: Sioux City Police Department: Deadly March stabbing justified Sports: Local Iowa high school boys soccer playoff highlights and scores (5-29-25) Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here 'We all did a lot of pre-prepping beforehand, all the bikes went in and kind of got an overview, a safety check, and we're just literally taking it one day at a time. We have a lot of fun along the way, you know, seeing some sights along the way,' said Angie. The couple said that hearing from veterans along the way has made everything worthwhile. 'When we hear those stories, we're able to speak with them and other people are able to share their stories, and we know that this is what we're supposed to be doing,' stated Angie. The non-profit relies on donations to continue to spread the message. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
3 veterans presented Quilts of Valor at Glen Lyon American Legion
May 29—GLEN LYON — The Glen Lyon American Legion Post 539 and VFW Post 8353 recently held a Memorial Day Quilt of Valor ceremony honoring three veterans for their service to our country. The honorees were presented with patriotic quilts, crafted by members of the NEPA Quilts of Valor Chapter, in recognition of their courage and sacrifices, which will never be forgotten. —Corrine Linker, of Nanticoke, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1983 and trained as a Radio Operator. She served in Stuttgart, Germany, with Unit 75 Administration Seventh Corps Headquarters and the 2nd Armored Division in Carlstadt, Germany. She also served at Edgewood Arsenal, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md. During her tenure, she served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in Somalia for Operation Restore. Linker received the Bronze Star, Kuwait Ribbon and Meritorious Service Award among others. Prior to her honorable discharge, Linker served at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, completing 11 years of military service. She is the Commander of the Glen Lyon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8353. —Joseph Molski, of Wanamie, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force following graduation from Newport Township High School in 1952. After basic training at Sampson Air Force Base, Geneva, N.Y., and training as a radio operator, he later transitioned to the role of clerk serving at Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda. He then served in Wiesbaden, Germany, for two years with the Military Air Transport Wing providing top-secret administrative support to the adjutant. After returning to the U.S., our honoree served with the Atlantic Division Military Air Transport Service, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. He received an honorable discharge in 1956, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. He has been a member of both Glen Lyon posts for 65 years and past commander for many years. He now serves as Chaplain. —Timothy Derr, of Unityville, enlisted in the U.S. Marines shortly after graduating from Newport Township High School in 1967. After basic training at Parris Island, S.C., he completed intensive infantry training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and further underwent jungle warfare training in San Diego, Calif. Deployed to Vietnam in 1968, he joined the 1st Marine Division in DaNang, serving as a Lance Corporal and squad leader during major fire fights as part of I-Corps located nearest North Vietnam. The honoree earned the Vietnam Campaign and Vietnam Service Medals and Combat Action Ribbon. He concluded his active service in 1970 and subsequently joined the Marine Corps Reserves, where he received an honorable discharge in 1974. He serves as finance officer of the Glen Lyon American Legion and quartermaster of the VFW. For information on the NEPA Quilts of Valor Chapter, email nepaqov@ or visit the chapter's Facebook page at Northeast PA Quilts of Valor. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Diverse crowd gathers at Tupelo's Veterans Park to remember the fallen
TUPELO – With rain and thunderstorms predicted, folks still showed up on Memorial Day morning to show gratitude for those who gave their lives for their country. Veterans Park in east Tupelo, with its American flag-lined entrance, drew quite a crowd as the sun and clouds struck a balance for the half-hour program. About 150 to 200 people gathered in a peaceful spot overlooking the lake — veterans representing all service branches, families of veterans, others who just wanted to pay homage and show gratitude. As they milled about before the program began, there were hellos and handshakes, hugs and high-fives. Some used canes and walkers, a few were in strollers pushed by parents. One group arrived together on motorcycles. A bugler and a bagpiper were present, as were a mayor and a United States representative. All were welcomed. Guntown neighbors Nancy Sides and Joyce House sat on one of the park's metal benches. It was House's third time to attend the city of Tupelo's Memorial Day program. Her sister's husband served in the Marines. Sides had a great-uncle who died in the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II, an uncle who sustained a head injury in Vietnam and a nephew who completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. "I'm here to remember the ones who gave us the freedom to be here today," Sides said. Marianne Sleep and Debbi Beasley came to Veterans Park to honor their fathers, both of whom served their country and came home to their families. Sleep has attended the Memorial Day program for years to honor Robert Teyema, her father. Beasley attended for the first time on Monday. Her father, the late Ed Bishop, longtime program director at WTVA, served in Desert Storm in the National Guard. Bill and Camille Caples experienced Memorial Day in the park for the first time this year. "We were just talking about all the people we knew who were in the service, some who died," Camille Caples said. "This is a time to remember." Dressed in a patriotic red, white and blue, the former Tupelo High School guidance counselor glimpsed Mayor Todd Jordan and smiled. "I wore this same outfit when Todd Jordan was a student in high school," she said. Jordan welcomed the crowd and offered a reminder of why all were there. "We are here to remember those who never came home," he said, before introducing Vietnam veteran Willie Sampson, who proffered a prayer and led the Pledge of Allegiance; Hope Nanney and Camren Wages, who sang the National Anthem; and U.S Rep. Trent Kelly, the speaker for the program. Kelly served in the Mississippi Army National Guard as a combat engineer for 39 years. He retired in April 2025 as a major general. Kelly called attention to the words on a plaque near the lectern: "May your loved ones spend eternity with their comrades." He cited scripture in Isaiah and John that speak of one laying down his life for his friends. From his heart, Kelly shared his own memories of lost soldiers he knew personally. "They were not always lost in combat," he said. "But in training accidents or in other ways preparing for combat. And the scars of war don't go away. Soldiers have been lost after they come home." Kelly recognized Gold Star families, those who have lost an immediate family member in the service of his/her country. Martha Fleming proudly stood. On May 5, 1968, Richard Wackerfuss was killed in Vietnam. He was Martha Fleming's husband and the father of three young children — Pamela, Barbara and Richard Wallace. Fleming later remarried Eldridge Fleming of Tupelo and moved here in 1972. She continues to attend the Memorial Day ceremony most years. The city began hosting its annual Memorial Day program in 2007, said Leigh Ann Mattox, recreation director for Tupelo Parks & Recreation Department. Mattox coordinates the ceremony with help from the Veterans Council. "It was 2007 when we started having two ceremonies a year," Mattox said. "One on Memorial Day and the other on Veterans Day."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daywatch: The improbable homecoming of WWII Army Pvt. James Loyd
Good morning, Chicago. A little before 9 on a warm Thursday morning in mid-May, Doug Morgan climbed into the seat of an excavator and positioned the teeth of the bucket just above the centerline of an empty grave. He is 55, with a white beard and a face worn by working in the sun, and he long ago came to view digging graves at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery as 'taking care of my fellow veterans.' Morgan joined the Marines as a teenager and served in Desert Storm. He has worked at Abraham Lincoln for 21 years, helping to fill the gentle green hills in rural Will County with the symmetrical gray-white headstones of American military veterans and their closest family. Some served in peacetime. Some died long after coming home from war. On a busy day, Morgan and his team might dig 15 graves, many of them now for those who served in Vietnam. It was rare that Morgan and his men knew much about those whose graves they prepared. This was an exception. As Morgan made the first cut into the grass, he knew exactly who it was for. For days, it had been the talk of the cemetery: that a soldier who'd been missing since 1944 had been found. That a World War II veteran, confirmed to have been killed in action, was coming to rest. Read the full story by the Tribune's Andrew Carter. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: a gathering to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder, why Chicago police lawsuit payouts are hitting a record amount and what happened at this weekend's Sueños Music Festival. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Illinois lawmakers head into the final days of their spring session this week looking for ways to close a substantial gap in the budget while at the same time shoring up ailing public transit operations and taking steps to fix inequities in the state's pension system. On the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, an event that prompted a national reckoning over race and police brutality, a gathering in Chicago joined coordinated protests across the country yesterday against President Donald Trump's rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion — particularly his signing of an executive order aimed at strengthening state and local law enforcement. Chicago's spending on police misconduct settlements and other police lawsuits is soaring this year, and the steep price for taxpayers could rise hundreds of millions more. Mayor Brandon Johnson sat onstage at a cavernous Woodlawn church and shot back at the criticism that he only cares about hiring Black people with his most forceful defense yet of the representation among his top appointees. Addressing a Black audience last week, he quoted the Rev. Jesse Jackson: 'Our people hire our people.' Then one by one, he shouted out six of his Black deputies and a Black-owned business recently awarded an airport contract. Pope Leo XIV's election as the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church elevated him to the extremely rare, and legally thorny, position of being an American citizen who now is also a foreign head of state. Can the Chicago-born pope remain a U.S. citizen while leading a foreign government? Pope Leo XIV prays for Chinese Catholics to be in communion with Rome in first comments on thorny issues Pope Leo XIV declares 'I am Roman!' as he completes formalities to become bishop of Rome Last month, in an attempt to revive the nation's dwindling coal industry, President Donald Trump threw a lifeline to a few dozen energy companies, encouraging them to apply for exemptions from the latest federal limits on soot, mercury and other toxic air pollution. Many Chicago residents in the last decade have flocked to high-amenity apartment complexes, drawn by the convenience and built-in community they offer. The demand for spaces to live, work, exercise and play, often alongside other residents, has become a driving factor for new building developers. The Cubs have denied a report by their flagship radio station that the team has been awarded the 2027 All-Star Game, but never mind that small detail. No one believes them, so let's start getting excited before it is made official. But first, a brief history lesson from Paul Sullivan is in order. Cubs catcher Reese McGuire slugs 2 home runs to fuel comeback win: 3 series takeaways Catcher Miguel Amaya headed to the IL after suffering a left oblique strain in Cubs' 6-4 loss On May 25, 1950, Walter Skonicki sat down on his couch to perform his evening ritual of listening to the radio or perusing the newspapers. 'What the heck!' he exclaimed upon hearing an explosion and feeling a blast of air coming through his living room window at 6242 S. State St. Looking out, he got a preview of the Tribune's front-page headline the next morning: 'TRUCK-TROLLEY FIRE! 33 DIE.' The scene at Soldier Field on Saturday was at once familiar and silly — and altogether brilliant, especially in its distillation of AC/DC's inimitable blend of harmless mischief, megawatt power, combustible energy and laser-focused attack. In the heart of Chicago's Grant Park, the Sueños Music Festival celebrated Latinos over Memorial Day weekend. Thousands flocked to downtown Chicago for the fourth edition of the festival that has brought world-renowned names of the Latin music scene to the Windy City and uplifted the culture and identity of many. Food Network's latest high-stakes cooking competition series brought together 24 chefs from across the country to battle it out over a grueling 24-hour period, aptly named '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.' And the last chef standing for its second season is Chicago's Jonathon Sawyer, chef partner of the Loop's Kindling.
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: The improbable homecoming of WWII Army Pvt. James Loyd
Good morning, Chicago. A little before 9 on a warm Thursday morning in mid-May, Doug Morgan climbed into the seat of an excavator and positioned the teeth of the bucket just above the centerline of an empty grave. He is 55, with a white beard and a face worn by working in the sun, and he long ago came to view digging graves at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery as 'taking care of my fellow veterans.' Morgan joined the Marines as a teenager and served in Desert Storm. He has worked at Abraham Lincoln for 21 years, helping to fill the gentle green hills in rural Will County with the symmetrical gray-white headstones of American military veterans and their closest family. Some served in peacetime. Some died long after coming home from war. On a busy day, Morgan and his team might dig 15 graves, many of them now for those who served in Vietnam. It was rare that Morgan and his men knew much about those whose graves they prepared. This was an exception. As Morgan made the first cut into the grass, he knew exactly who it was for. For days, it had been the talk of the cemetery: that a soldier who'd been missing since 1944 had been found. That a World War II veteran, confirmed to have been killed in action, was coming to rest. Read the full story by the Tribune's Andrew Carter. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: a gathering to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder, why Chicago police lawsuit payouts are hitting a record amount and what happened at this weekend's Sueños Music Festival. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Illinois lawmakers head into the final days of their spring session this week looking for ways to close a substantial gap in the budget while at the same time shoring up ailing public transit operations and taking steps to fix inequities in the state's pension system. On the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, an event that prompted a national reckoning over race and police brutality, a gathering in Chicago joined coordinated protests across the country yesterday against President Donald Trump's rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion — particularly his signing of an executive order aimed at strengthening state and local law enforcement. Chicago's spending on police misconduct settlements and other police lawsuits is soaring this year, and the steep price for taxpayers could rise hundreds of millions more. Mayor Brandon Johnson sat onstage at a cavernous Woodlawn church and shot back at the criticism that he only cares about hiring Black people with his most forceful defense yet of the representation among his top appointees. Addressing a Black audience last week, he quoted the Rev. Jesse Jackson: 'Our people hire our people.' Then one by one, he shouted out six of his Black deputies and a Black-owned business recently awarded an airport contract. Pope Leo XIV's election as the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church elevated him to the extremely rare, and legally thorny, position of being an American citizen who now is also a foreign head of state. Can the Chicago-born pope remain a U.S. citizen while leading a foreign government? Last month, in an attempt to revive the nation's dwindling coal industry, President Donald Trump threw a lifeline to a few dozen energy companies, encouraging them to apply for exemptions from the latest federal limits on soot, mercury and other toxic air pollution. Many Chicago residents in the last decade have flocked to high-amenity apartment complexes, drawn by the convenience and built-in community they offer. The demand for spaces to live, work, exercise and play, often alongside other residents, has become a driving factor for new building developers. The Cubs have denied a report by their flagship radio station that the team has been awarded the 2027 All-Star Game, but never mind that small detail. No one believes them, so let's start getting excited before it is made official. But first, a brief history lesson from Paul Sullivan is in order. On May 25, 1950, Walter Skonicki sat down on his couch to perform his evening ritual of listening to the radio or perusing the newspapers. 'What the heck!' he exclaimed upon hearing an explosion and feeling a blast of air coming through his living room window at 6242 S. State St. Looking out, he got a preview of the Tribune's front-page headline the next morning: 'TRUCK-TROLLEY FIRE! 33 DIE.' The scene at Soldier Field on Saturday was at once familiar and silly — and altogether brilliant, especially in its distillation of AC/DC's inimitable blend of harmless mischief, megawatt power, combustible energy and laser-focused attack. In the heart of Chicago's Grant Park, the Sueños Music Festival celebrated Latinos over Memorial Day weekend. Thousands flocked to downtown Chicago for the fourth edition of the festival that has brought world-renowned names of the Latin music scene to the Windy City and uplifted the culture and identity of many. Food Network's latest high-stakes cooking competition series brought together 24 chefs from across the country to battle it out over a grueling 24-hour period, aptly named '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.' And the last chef standing for its second season is Chicago's Jonathon Sawyer, chef partner of the Loop's Kindling.
