First I have many stories to tell. At first, I would send these stories out to family and friends by email. Then it became a Saturday night thing. A story you could wake up too on Sunday morning, and say to yourself "Danny has written another story", and then ponder what I wrote on that lazy day. Secondly, you will find what I have written has deep history significance. I believe that every subject in life, should have it's history studied first before you can make an objective decision!
Protesters attacked the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya on Tuesday night and killed four Americans, including the US ambassador, Chris Stevens. At first, we were told the attacks were triggered by rage over an amateurish and deeply hateful film about Islam that depicted the Prophet Muhammad as, among other things, a child molester advocate, a bloodthirsty goon, a bumbling idiot, and a promiscuous, philandering leech. Yesterday we were told something different, and we may never know the truth about the incident.
The US consulate had very little security. It look more like a house, although it had a wall surrounding the facility. There are no Marines guarding consulates, Marines are only stationed at US Embassy's. Even though the locals had told Stevens he needed more security, it was never increase at the facility. It was very clear that this was not an attack over a film. The terrorist came to the consulate with Grenade launchers, and no intention of protesting. You don't bring genade launchers to a protest. Theses people attacked the consulate intent on killing those inside.
Besides the US Ambassodor, there was another diplomat and two security people who were killed. The two security people were Navy Seals. I have said this before, I don't want to know what our Navy Seals do, I know they do our governments work, and kill bad guys. Those Navy seals were there for a reason. The first report I read was they were there to help the Ambassodor disarm some of the more radical tribes surrounding Benghazi. Let me make this clear, it was no accident that these Navy Seals were there. I am thinking they pissed somebody off. The locals knew what their mission was, and did not like it. No matter how you spin it, we will never know the truth.
It is too bad we loss these people, two Navy seals and two diplomats that had many years of foriegn service. Things are never what they seem.
I want to talk about the Veterans Administration, our newVA. Obama has increase spending in to VA about 20%, or about 60 billion dollars since 2009. Just this year they have completed digitizing all of thier medical records. I now have a personal dashboard for all of my medical. MyVET dashboard holds all of my vitals, blood test, medications, entire medical history including my military record. It has a history of all of my medications, where these medicines are ordered online and then mail to me. I have assigned to me a Doctor, RN, and a LPN. I can email them anytime, day or night, through MyVet dashboard. I have check ups every 4 months. I am tested on every visit, for among other things, prostate cancer and kidney cancer, as this is what Mom and Dad died of. I am not going to wake up one day and find out I am in stage 4 cancer. I am diebetic, which requires you to really take care of yourself. I wish I would have quit smoking sooner, my lungs are scarred from the smoking, but the lungs are still working ok. I am well taken care of at VA, and I am very thankful for this.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Is something that is most talked about these days within VA, and military families. It is about those returning from war, with mental disorders. Suicide among our active duty and veterans are at and all time high. VA now have a PTSD phone app for PTSD patients, I find this very high tech for VA to have such a wonderful app to help these veterans. Families are now trained and prepared for their family members coming home from war.
PTSD is not new. When Vietnam Veterans returned home, they were alienated. This was a unpopular war. Most families were not trained in PTSD. People thought those vets were crazy. Long hair, smoke pot, I am sure that was to sedate themselves......hahaha!!...When I came home from the Marines, or made my way back to Springfield, MO, what family that was left there, left within a week. I still had a few friends left in Springfield, and I did what I was trained to do. Get a job, try to stay out of trouble, and live my life day by day, try to fit in.
Here is what happens. Once you are touched by the complexities of war, things seem to intensify in your life. You walk around like a short fuse on a firecracker. This intensity is something that most veterans have to live with all their lives. Your not going to like this monster I have become, I am not nice anymore, I find it hard to love another, I am selfish, and at times I don't care about you, or me anymore. There are some grey areas here, that you may have to fill in. I used to say, like a dog that kills another animal, he becomes rabid.
If you know a Veteran or have a family member in the military. Reach out to them. When they come home, hug them, engage with them, care for them, let them know you love them, help them fit back in and live a productive life after the war.
I had my VA check up this week. Now that I quit smoking they have changed all my medicines. The side effects are not as I suspected.
I am not sure we should be getting in to other peoples war's. The Syrians may have to take care of there own. Now Iran is another story, we do not have a good history with this country, a madman with Nuke capability.
Many of you may know Clarice Gaddy Cook, and Dave Gaddy. They are our cousins who descend from Nancy Caroline Gaddy's sister, Susan Alice Gaddy. Clarice sent me some pictures to post, maybe we can shake up more cousins. Thank you Clarice.
By attachment I'm sending pictures to you of four of Gramma's kids. Perhaps this will shake some of our cousins loose!
1. Clarence Cook c 1940
2. Ernest Cook & wife Ada, c1946
3. Florence Cook & husband Roy Wilson
4. Grandma . . .
back row: Mary Cook, husband Lewis Smith, Susan A. Gaddy Cook, Kathleen Dandrew (daughter of Lena Cook, Pearl Cook (my mother)
middle row: Jack Williams (son of Kathleen), Clarence Cook
front row: George Cook, Clarice Cook (kids of Clarence Cook & wife Pearl)
1938 . . . I believe this was taken Mother's Day
5. Susan A Gaddy Cook, husband John H, daughter Mary Cook
6. Mary Cook
