Category: Veterans in the news

There’s a fellow running for the 10th Congressional District of Virginia by the name of Dan Helmer. He claims to be a veteran and he’s running on a gun control platform. He made the above video in which he purchases an AR-style rifle at a gun show in the district. He says, “Last week, I went to a gun show to find out how easy it is to buy an assault rifle. What I found was terrifying – it took less time to buy a weapon of war than a cup of coffee.”

What he did was buy an AR-style rifle from a private seller – the guy who sold it to Helmer is a veteran and Helmer showed his own military ID to the guy. The seller thought that he was doing a fellow veteran a favor, not knowing that Helmer was looking to screw someone over. The seller even asked Helmer if he is a felon before he sold the gun to him.

Helmer claims that it took less time to buy the rifle than it would take him to buy a cup of coffee. Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. talked to the seller, a collector, and Helmer was not truthful about the time constraints of the purchase;

The story says 10 minutes to purchase, while the seller says it was almost an hour! During the first 20 minutes Dan Helmer showed the seller his military ID and they spoke about their military experiences. Mr. Helmer claimed to be doing reserve duty at the Pentagon. The seller used this time to also make sure that Mr. Helmer was telling the truth and didn’t have any obvious mental problems. Prices were negotiated. Mr. Helmer left for about 20 minutes and then came back, saying his wife had given him permission for the purchase. The purchase was then completed in the final 20 minutes. The seller asked Mr. Helmer if he was a felon, to which Helmer replied, “no.” (The reason that Mr. Helmer wanted the gun was supposedly to take his accompanying friend to the range. The accompanying friend was really there to surreptitiously film everything.)

There is no “gun show loophole”. According to the Justice Department, less than 1% of criminals admit that they purchased their firearms at gun shows;

Federally licensed dealers must conduct National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks at gun shows, just like they do in their shops. Private sellers who are not Federally licensed, don’t have to do NICS checks just like they wouldn’t if they were selling from a yard sale table on their lawns. Gun shows are not the problem. Law abiding gun owners are not the problem. A real caring person running for government office would highlight the real problem – prosecutors are not prosecuting gun crimes like they should. There are enough gun laws without writing more that prosecutors won’t enforce.

Our friends at Victory Girls wrote a very good piece on Helmer that you should read.

Fox59 tells the story of Michael Malone and the dozens of volunteers who helped move into his childhood home. His mother had passed recently leaving Michael as the recipient of her home, where he had been raised. But the house needed to be renovated and the Air Force veteran couldn’t afford the repairs and he eventually ended up in a shelter.

But then more than 60 volunteers of the Home Depot Foundation and the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation stepped up;

“What he’s been through, he’s had some challenges,” said Matt Rice, store manager for the Castleton Home Depot. “We are helping him get back and are getting this house in shape where he can move back in and get going again.”

Malone says he looks forward to moving in and getting a fresh start.

“I’m excited for a new leaf in life, a new fresh start,” said Malone. “I’m touched by the generosity of people.”

Renovations include remodeling the bathroom, installing new floors and painting the interior of the house.

“I’m kind of overwhelmed, said Malone. “I’m happy, I’m sad in a sense that my mother won’t be here to experience this- this was her home.”

Malone says he feels blessed and is grateful for the overwhelming support from the community.

“This just blows me away that there are people that are really truly that kind,” said Malone. “It absolutely restores my view of humanity.”

Today we learn that Art Bell, the host of Coast to Coast AM has passed at the age of 72. His show boasted 10 million nightly listeners to his 30-year-old radio program broadcast from 500 subscribing radio stations. His show was mainly about the paranormal, conspiracy theories and the extraterrestrial.

He also served during the Vietnam War as an Air Force medic.

From Heavy;

Sharon Wehrly, Nye County Sheriff, said that Bell passed away on April 13, 2018, adding that he was “best known for his conspiracy theories.” How did Bell die? That’s unknown, at least for now. He is scheduled for an autopsy later this week to determine the cause of death and was 72-years-old, the sheriff said in a videotaped press announcement.

I’m sure his death will generate more conspiracy theories.

The newly-crowned Mrs. New York representing Syracuse, is Patti Gomez-Michalkow, a New York National Guard veteran according to the New York Post;

“There’s no talent portion of the competition since we’re a Mrs. category, but we did talk about special talents. Mine is shooting 300-meter targets,” she cracked, adding that she can also bang out 38 push-ups in two minutes to meet the standard Army fitness test.

Her contract with the Guard ran out just a few days before she took the crown, but Gomez-Michalkow is still keeping busy.

The dynamo works full-time as a senior marketing manager for M&D Financial, and regularly volunteers with a number of veterans charities.

Her schedule is so demanding that she’s had to put her pursuit of a Harvard master’s degree in international relations on hold for the time being.

Among the veterans organizations she works with is Homes for Our Troops, which builds specially customized, mortgage-free houses for seriously disabled veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Aussiepusser sends us a link from Australia which tells a story of a 51-year-old soldier who was cut off on the road way.

He followed the offending driver to a parking lot where they exchanged words and the other driver assaulted the soldier, who promptly subdued the man and held him for police by sitting on his chest.

Witnesses described seeing three police cars pull up and the alleged offender was placed into handcuffs.

Police have praised the actions of the member of the armed forces, who based locally, for protecting other people in the area.

9NEWS has been told had it not been for his actions, other people may have been hurt.

Paramedics were called and treated the alleged offender who was seen bleeding from his head.

The armed forces member, who police say was trying to keep the matter low key, was uninjured and will not face any charges.

Island of Misfit Toys sends us the link to Terry Ward’s obituary;

Terry Ward

December 31, 1946 – January 23, 2018

Terry Wayne Ward, age 71, of DeMotte, IN, escaped this mortal realm on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018, leaving behind 32 jars of Miracle Whip, 17 boxes of Hamburger Helper and multitudes of other random items that would prove helpful in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Terry is survived by his overly-patient and accepting wife Kathy, who was the love of his life (a fact she gladly accepted sympathy for during their 48 years of marriage). He is also survived by daughters Rebecca (William) Hines and Jean (Jeff) Lahm; sister, Linda; brother, Phil; grandchildren: Alexander and Hannah Hines (The Mesopotamians), Daphne and Erin Pistello (The Daffer and Peanut), Brendan and Owen Lahm (Phineas and Ferb) and Tessa McMurry (Smiley).

He is preceded in death by his parents Paul and Bernice Ward, daughter Laura Pistello, grandson Vincent Pistello, a 1972 Rambler and a hip.

Terry graduated from Thornridge High School in South Holland, IL, where only three of his teachers took an early retirement after having had him as a student. He met the love of his life, Kathy, by telling her he was a lineman – he didn’t specify early on that he was a lineman for the phone company, not the NFL. Still, Kathy and Terry wed in the fall of 1969, perfectly between the Summer of Love and the Winter of Regret.

Terry volunteered his service in the United States Army and was an active combat Veteran in the Viet Nam War.

He retired from AT&T (formerly Ameritech, formerly formerly Indiana Bell) after 39 years of begrudging service, where he accumulated roughly 3,000 rolls of black electrical tape during the course of his career (which he used for everything from open wounds to “Don’t use this button” covers).

He enjoyed many, many things. Among those things were hunting, fishing, golfing, snorkeling, ABBA, hiking Turkey Run, chopping wood, shooting guns, Bed Bath & Beyond, starlight mints, cold beer, free beer, The History Channel, CCR, war movies, discussing who makes the best pizza, The Chicago White Sox, old Buicks, and above all, his family.

He was a renowned distributor of popsicles and ice cream sandwiches to his grandchildren. He also turned on programs such as “Phineas and Ferb” for his grand-youngins, usually when they were actually there.

He despised “uppity foods” like hummus, which his family lovingly called “bean dip” for his benefit, which he loved consequently. He couldn’t give a damn about most material things, and automobiles were never to be purchased new. He never owned a personal cell phone and he had zero working knowledge of the Kardashians.

Terry died knowing that The Blues Brothers was the best movie ever, (young) Clint Eastwood was the baddest-ass man on the planet, and hot sauce can be added to absolutely any food.

Tremendous and heartfelt thanks go to the truly exceptional nurses at Southlake Methodist Hospital Neuro-Intensive Care Unit, who provided much more than nursing care for Terry, but also provided a peaceful and compassionate environment during his transition from this life to the next.

Friends can visit with the family on Saturday, January 27, from Noon until the time of the Funeral Service at 4:00 PM, with Pastor Mark Wilkins officiating, at Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Receptions Centre, 606 E. 113th Ave., Crown Point, IN. Services will conclude at the funeral home.

Memorial donations in Terry’s name can be made to your favorite charity or your favorite watering hole, where you are instructed to tie a few on and tell a few stories of the great Terry Ward.

Last week, Maxine Waters, the Congresswoman from California announced that she wouldn’t be attending the State of the Union address because she doesn’t like the president or his policies or the way he looks or whatever. Veteran Ricky Taylor, who calls himself the “Deplorable Vet”, made social media headlines when he volunteered to occupy her empty seat. According to Fox News, he won’t get Water’s chair, but he’s going to the event;

It's official! I am going to the STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS! Thanks to Representative for Wisconsin's Seventh District Sean Duffy @RepSeanDuffy for personally inviting me as his guest! I am extremely thankful for this. Couldn't have done it without all of you and @foxandfriends pic.twitter.com/4lIvgmb7RP

— Deplorable Vet ?? (@Elucifer23) January 17, 2018

Waters (D-Calif.) is one of several Democrats who are skipping the event, telling MSNBC last week that Trump is “the most despicable human being that could possibly ever walk the earth.”

“Why would I take my time to go and sit and listen to a liar? … He doesn’t deserve my attention,” Waters said.

Her words struck a nerve with Taylor, a ten-year Army veteran, whose tweet to Fox News went viral. Taylor, who served two tours in Afghanistan, offered to take Waters’ place so he could thank the president.