hope for the heroes

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48534357002505474222011-08-09T11:38:28.278-05:00hope for the heroesHope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-49981180057987262852010-11-11T16:01:00.005-06:002010-11-11T16:36:00.066-06:00Veterans Day Chain Email is Partly Truth, Partly Fiction

A Fallen Airman and a Fly-by-Night Ending Why you can't believe everything you read in a patriotic chain email and why it matters--especially today, Veteran's Day. When it comes to war and heroism, truth is usually stronger than fiction. Most made-up stories of what people do in risking their own lives--or their reputation-- to save another, usually don’t hold a candle to the real deal. So, why

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-77501320453308816542010-10-27T13:21:00.226-05:002010-11-10T14:58:17.063-06:00Service Dogs Trained to Combat PTSD in Veterans Getting Good Results

Pups with a Purpose : It Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog…But This Dog Can Help With Cryin' all the Time (and other PTSD-related issues) Fido Finds a Friend in the Pen Service-dog programs like Puppies Behind Bars and and Canines for Combat Veterans are having "pawsative" effects on our wounded warriors--helping them to reintegrate into society with greater ease by supplying them with

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-4677651952482370372010-08-11T17:21:00.167-05:002010-10-26T12:34:12.355-05:00"Dogs of War": Those Daring Dogs that Defy Danger Every Day

Combat PTSD in Canines: What To Do When Fido Freaks and Rover Just Can't "Get Over It." "These dogs, they're willing to give their lives for you. They don't ask for anything, you know? Some food, some water, little bit of petting. And they're the most reliable person on the planet. You can't get that from anywhere else." - Master Sgt. Eric Haynes Good doggy. Sniff those bombs. Attack that

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-33933014877943012872010-07-06T14:48:00.004-05:002010-08-12T15:32:49.888-05:00Veterans and Volunteerism: New Report claims Possible Cure for "Inner" Demons of PTSD might be the "Outer" Cure of Helping Others

"Recognize our usefulness. We are not charity cases. We are an American asset." - A veteran from Iraq and Afghanistan "America's "Sea of Goodwill" in the form of volunteerism still exists...but it's missing its most valuable volunteers: veterans. So claims the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, in the foreword of a recent report: All Volunteer Force: From

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-39362714998768799822010-04-12T16:51:00.006-05:002010-08-12T15:18:36.744-05:00PTSD: "Mental Illness or Physical Wound? The difference in diagnosis could mean PTSD stigma will one day be erased.

If they only had a brain...that could be measured, that is. Latest news on the PTSD medical research front reveals that a specific region of the hippocamus part of the brain known as the CA3/dentate gyrus is more than 11 percent smaller on average in those veterans with PTSD. What does that mean, exactly? You can read the full article (or the actual study if you're so inclined), but I'd be

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-48332980134205286432010-03-31T17:11:00.003-05:002010-08-12T15:33:26.081-05:00Homefront Heroes: Wings for Women Founder Talks about the Stresses of Military Life

Guest Blogger Alane Pearce talks about the trials and tribulations of military life––except she does more than talk. As the founder of the military spouse support group, Wings for Women, she offers real solutions for military spouses and their families who have a critical need of networking and support when facing the battle of isolation, loneliness and stress on the home front. When Mama Ain

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-45163346460028077432010-03-19T16:11:00.012-05:002010-08-12T15:33:59.855-05:00Win Some. Lose Some: Female Soldiers Can Now Serve on Subs. But Back Home Women Vets are Sinking Fast.

It's a double whammy. The combination of PTSD and sexual trauma results in female veterans being 3.6 times more likely to be homeless than their civilian counterparts––and they're outpacing male vets as well. I've always said that a sailor is not a sailor until she's (not) been tabooed. That, of course, was an obvious reference to the classic 1945 musical, Anchors Weigh, starring the

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-56783109097998647182010-03-19T13:34:00.007-05:002010-08-12T15:34:20.553-05:00"Is There a Gene for the Human Spirit"? - Engineering Company Promises to "Vaporize" Combat PTSD (Part 2 of 3)

Part 2 of 3: Ready for Battle:Engineering Company Promises to "Vaporize" Combat PTSD Note: This blog entry is a response to a news article about a company called Great Life Technologies that claims it can cure combat PTSD in soldiers. (Read Part 1 here) Before I answer those questions (see Part I of this series), let me just state that my only real interest here is to get people to

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-32631807689158868792010-03-11T12:56:00.014-06:002010-08-12T12:44:57.221-05:00Ready for Battle? California-based Human Software Engineering Company Promises to "Vaporize" Combat PTSD. (Part 1 of 3)

"The task [of man's transformation] is not to transform human flesh into data that can be improved through technological manipulation or engineering. Instead, it is through the incarnation––the Word made flesh––that humans are transformed by their participation in the life of God who has taken on their lives as finite and temporal creatures." Dr. Brent Waters, D. Phil., Director Stead Center for

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-3320375430069682832010-03-04T11:29:00.018-06:002010-08-12T15:35:00.562-05:00Stark Reality: Repeated Deployments Are Taking Its Toll on Soldiers

Stark Industries Halts Production of Super Soldiers CEO Tony Stark Reported M.I.A after Missing Military's Quota for more "Fighting Machines." If you had to "hump a rucksack" one too many times you'd be unfit for duty too. Huh? Before you think I'm saying something unfitting this blog, let me define my terms. I certainly need to, because USA Today didn't in yesterday's front-page story

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-46575421330360865892010-02-26T14:59:00.011-06:002010-03-01T09:25:14.988-06:00The Jeff Foxworthy of PTSD: "You Might Have Combat PTSD If..."

Meet Mike. The Jeff Foxworthy of PTSD. Okay, so combat PTSD is no laughing matter but as the Good Book says, "A cheerful heart is like a medicine." Let's just say laughter is a much healthier prescription than the smorgasbord of substances designed to either numb a soldier to everything–the good, the bad and the ugly–or make him (or her) suddenly want to go to San Francisco wearing flowers in

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-39143835207887636502010-02-23T12:51:00.012-06:002010-10-28T12:07:29.605-05:00When Hollywood Had Heroes: What Got Jimmy Stewart Through 20 Combat Missions

Jimmy, my main squeeze The Golden Era: A Time When Hollywood Was Patriotic and Actors--Gasp!-- Read the Bible The oft-quoted maxim, "They don't make them like the used to" surely must apply to my man Jimmy who was–and is–hands down, my favorite actor in the whole wide world. As someone else once said, "He was a prince of a man." In fact, I always vowed that the day Jimmy Stewart died would

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-2040981340862997282010-02-19T11:31:00.019-06:002010-02-19T18:33:43.525-06:00When Silence Isn't Golden: For Soldiers Suffering from PTSD, "Tell it Like it Is" Talk Therapy Works Best

Well, I talk about it Talk about it Talk about it Talk about it - Funkytown When it comes to finding the most effective therapy for PTSD-identified soldiers, the lyrics of the hit single, Funkytown by the disco band, Lipps, offers some pretty sage advice: Talk about it, talk about it, talk about it... then talk about is some more–but only with someone you trust (admittedly made a little

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-56981377709691696182010-02-18T11:01:00.012-06:002010-02-26T09:26:22.935-06:00"The truth? You Can't Handle the Truth": Why Soldiers Won't Talk About What They've Seen

"The truth? You Can't Handle the Truth." - from A Few Good Men "A Marine asking for help is pretty rare. Being willing to get help...that's almost admitting that you're failing, that you can't do it by yourself–that you need somebody else to help you." - Cpl. Dan Gay, U.S. Marine Corps Wounded warriors. There are a lot of them–certainly more than the V.A. can handle. Yet even if all the

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-57653746662517775152010-02-17T11:11:00.020-06:002010-02-17T16:57:31.932-06:00New Study Shows Soliders Who Get Blamed for Killing Suffer More from PTSD

"We need as a culture to find ways to not blame soldiers who are ashamed of killing." - Shira Maguen, psychologist, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center The Journal of Traumatic Stress just published the results of a study that conclude that soldiers who reported having killed in combat, or who gave orders that led to killing, were more likely to report the symptoms of PTSD, alcohol

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-4004696334742817402010-02-16T16:12:00.000-06:002010-02-17T17:07:19.591-06:00What Heroes Do. Play this song for your children as a bedtime lullaby.

This new tune by Bryan Ragsdale, an aspiring country music artist and veteran is currently being offered for free on his website. It's a really nice country song (without twang overkill)...very uplifting and a great tribute to all our heroes. Plus the guy can actually sing. Found it on A Soldier's Perspective.

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-87434200527059278522010-02-16T13:19:00.006-06:002010-02-19T09:29:36.246-06:00"Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?": 14 Things NOT To Say To A Military Wife

I found this funny–and largely true–list posted on a blog titled, A Soldier's Perspective. As always, I'm going to issue the typical disclaimer about this site which is: "Not all the views expressed on this site reflect the views and opinions of Hope for the Heroes," but this is a helpful blog in many ways. Like I said, this list is great. It also reassures you that yes, people really can be

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-75100672254584824302010-02-15T12:53:00.022-06:002010-08-12T13:41:05.080-05:00Left Behind. A military wife shares the heartache–and the honor–of being married to a soldier.

It was a typical Saturday night when young single girls everywhere gather together at karaoke hangouts to let loose after a long, arduous work week. Unlike many of her paramour-seeking peers, 24-year-old Katie Martin* was not particularly "on the prowl" ...she just liked to belt out a good tune.That was until she happened to glance over at the tall, "good looking" guy with the broad shoulders

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-79826807347477083342010-02-14T13:09:00.006-06:002010-02-19T09:36:08.335-06:00Katie’s Military Wife Survival Guide: 7 Things You Simply Must Do to Keep Your Soldier–and Yourself–Happy.

(1) Buck up...it’s temporary. After all, you can do anything for a year. (2) Accentuate the positive, de-emphasize the negative. Certainly there’s enough bad in the world to dwell on if you want to. One way? Read the Bible. Pray. And when it gets really hard? Pray some more. (3) Find a friend (a female friend, not a male confidant...that’s inviting danger) who can empathize with you–without

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-26844175383070100232010-02-11T14:59:00.018-06:002010-02-19T09:38:35.392-06:00USAF Lt. Col Pamela shares what keeps her grounded so that she can fly high, fly straight.

Elizabeth L. Gardner, WASP, at the controls of a B-26 Marauder411God user USAF Lt. Col Pamela flies a KC-135 air-to-air refueler in support of operations in Afghanistan. She e-mailed us to tell us how much Hope for the Heroes meant to her during her stint in the Air Force. "I'd grab a cup of java joe and open your daily email when I arrived reporting for duty every day...let me tell you, those

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-46068802500820784602010-02-11T12:42:00.109-06:002010-02-19T10:10:17.969-06:00The Battlefield of the Mind: In the war for our souls, words are containers for power

Did you know that words are containers for power? They carry either faith or fear. They also produce after their kind. There is particular power in the spoken Word–after all, the worlds were framed by God’s speaking it into existence. This is why the enemy of our soul, a.k.a, the "devil" does everything in his power to make sure we speak that which is contrary to God’s Word. (Nix that image

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-64372366266258939242010-02-10T16:04:00.025-06:002010-02-17T17:37:14.903-06:00Lost in Translation: Music that Doesn't Soothe the Savage Beast

Photo Credit: Nancy Palmieri / AP Crying the blues––or even a rock song that can evoke the blues––could be cathartic for some, catastrophic for others. For 23-year-old returning Iraq war soldier Jeffrey Lucey, it was clearly the latter, making one wonder if he had ever been warned– post-release–that it would be best to stay away from strong emotional triggers like war films, graphic news stories,

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-78503034316807629162010-01-08T15:46:00.005-06:002010-02-17T16:58:24.820-06:00k-love interview

Check out a recent news story/interview on Hope for the Heroes that aired on k-love radio.

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-59872813347970958342009-11-12T13:45:00.000-06:002010-02-17T16:58:24.821-06:00memories that still haunt

This is a good reminder to us all that the things our veterans have seen remain vivid in their minds for years and years.Germans in the Woods from Rauch Brothers on Vimeo.86-year-old World War II veteran Joseph Robertson fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Over 60 years later, he still cant forget one soldier he killed there.

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-586952140840073972009-11-04T16:10:00.000-06:002010-02-17T16:58:24.821-06:00it's live!

Hopefortheheroes.com is live. Take a look, and help us get the word out. You can also follow us on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook.

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-14492179302411074502009-10-30T11:42:00.001-05:002010-02-17T16:58:24.822-06:00sunday's the big day

The 411God Hope for the Heroes calls will start going out Sunday, November 1st. If you have friends or family in the military, let em know so they can sign up for a call, email or text. By the way, it's free.

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853435700250547422.post-65676350537899376282009-10-28T14:54:00.001-05:002010-02-17T16:58:24.823-06:00website coming soon...

Check out the new Hope for the Heroes website launching November 1st. www.hopefortheheroes.com

Hope for the Heroeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483865132887930645noreply@blogger.com0