FIRE WATCH
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DECEMBER 2023
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December 7th, 1941 A DATE THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY –
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
“…we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain….”
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The quote was captured from the Lincoln Gettysburg Address to become part of an Office of War Information poster memorializing the Pearl Harbor attack (1942). The poster depicts a blue sky enveloped with smoke and a tattered American Flag at half-staff in the forefront. 2,403 Americans were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which led to the United States declaring war on Japan the next day and thus entering World War II. Pearl Harbor Day is a National Day of Remembrance, and the Flag of the United States is flown at half-staff until sunset to honor those who lost their lives. It is up to us to remember the sacrifices of that day for the youngest active-duty military personnel on December 7th, 1941, who would have been 17, making them 99 years old today. Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pearl_Harbor_ Remembrance_Day
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EDITOR IN CHIEF Steve Roderick Steve@FireWatchMagazine.com 813-489-4748
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GRAPHIC DESIGNER Debra Williams
Rebecca Klingen schmitt, Keith Pacific, Kim Kasem
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ART DIRECTOR Stefanie Burlingame
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I want to take a moment to offer special thanks to those who have contributed to FireWatch Magazine this year and all who have contributed to our Veteran’s Voices and, Battle Briefs and War Stories segments. Without all of you, there would be no FireWatch. In this final issue of 2023, we are sharing a collection of our regular monthly segments and abridged versions of our monthly feature stories. This is a ‘get to know us’ edition of FireWatch Magazine, where we share backstories and the reason behind our monthly segments. We look forward to the New Year and hope you can join our mission to Keep Watch – Shield- Defend – Warn!
DECEMBER 2023
As FireWatch Magazine’s first year ends, the publisher, writers, and staff reflect on the stories shared and realize how lucky we are to be a part of this publication. It is our honor and privilege to meet incredible citizens each month with great stories to tell, impactful advice to give, and essential missions to grow. As we move into 2024, our goal remains: to reach every veteran with genuine content that is meaningful, relevant, and relatable.
CONTENTS
From the Editor
Veterans Adventure Network Impacting Lives in 2023 FireWatch Interviews Meet the People Behind the Stories Dr. Damon Friedman
Rebecca Klingenschmitt Beau Higgins
Brian Halstead
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Captain Jack Jim Rudolph Aldi Isaacs
Keith Pacific
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LaHarold Woodhouse Carol West
Steve Roderick
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REM
Don Hinst
Kristy Verdi Without Glory Meet the Author Without Glory The Tower Without Glory Foxhole
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Battle Briefs & War Stories 20 A Look Back at 2023
Toni Hedstrom, Managing Editor Eagle Island Publishing, LLC
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Richard Corson
Without Glory The Pipeline
Sincerely,
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FireWatch Interviews
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
WITHOUT GLORY
MEMBER DECEMBER 7TH! Veteran Voices A Look Back at 2023 FireWatch Magazine Feature Stories Alternate Therapies August Edition
The Day That Changed Everything September Edition Veteran Suicide: Behind the Numbers October Edition
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31 Veteran Health & Wellness 32
The Power of Employment A Look Back at 2023 Vet Tips A Look Back at 2023 FireWatch 2024
H FIREWATCrews B LIVE! & News
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BATTLE BRIEFS
& War Stories
VETERAN
VOICES
AN VETER ealth & H
Wellness
T E V
S P TI
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Year in Review 2023 2023 was a year of discovery for VAN. The organization unveiled the all-new and improved Veterans Adventure Network (VAN) as a non-profit subsidiary of The Lone Magnolia Foundation, Inc. in October of this year. Formerly known as the Veteran Approved Network, the rebrand reflects the organization’s unwavering commitment to elevate the veteran experience. Over its three-year history, VAN has found where it could impact veteran lives through events, adventures, socials, mixers, and networking opportunities. By coordinating and collaborating with local businesses, corporations, and veteran-focused non-profit organizations, VAN can be a consolidated resource portal for veterans, sharing information about supporting business partners, non-profit missions, volunteer opportunities, area events, VAN signature events, and opportunities to network with friends and supporters. VAN is Helping Local Veterans Get Connected! What you can expect from VAN in 2024 is a continuation of its popular programs and free events for veterans, its popular signature events, and the launch of VAN Veteran Adventures. VAN Veteran Free Events and VAN Signature Events are proudly sponsored by Toyota of Tampa Bay, Corporate Sponsor for VAN 2023!
JANUARY
2023 began with the launch of VAN’s 12-Park Tour, where, on the first Saturday of each month, the VAN team and friends met at local parks for a morning of health and wellness through hiking. The VAN team collaborated with the Brandon Chamber of Commerce Leads Group to visit the Tampa Bay Crisis Center to learn about their suicide prevention programs for veterans. The team ended the month with a bit of Axe Throwing at Stumpy’s Hatchet House in Tampa.
FEBRUARY
February saw the continuation of VAN’s 12-Park Tour event, a collaboration with American Legion Post 108 to celebrate Four Chaplains Day, and the
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1st Annual Remembrance Love Walk to raise money and awareness for veteran suicide prevention.
MARCH
March was a special month featuring the 2nd Annual Healing with Horses Event at Peaceful Pastures Ranch in Webster, Florida. This free veteran event included a catered lunch, meditation, and equine therapy sessions for veterans and their families. The March VAN 12-Park Tour had a warmup session with Pride Strength Training! VAN ended the month with its monthly mixer at Patriot Stogies Cigar Lounge.
APRIL
West Shore Home and DFCU Financial. This veteran resource provided by ABC Action News utilizes VAN and VAN members as resources for veterans and service members.
SEPTEMBER
September is VAN’s biggest month of the year with the annual Fallen Hero 5K | 10K event, which was held in conjunction with the Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run at Al Lopez Park in Tampa on September 9th. The following day, VAN teamed up with Learn and Serve Tampa to place 2977 placards commemorating each victim of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks at Fowler Field on the USF Campus.
12-Park Tour! Dunedin Highlander Games! Beer & Burger Festival! And the 1st Annual Tee One & Give One Golf Tournament! April was a very busy month for VAN! The VAN Team worked diligently to spread the word about VAN programs, events, and business partners at events across Tampa Bay. Through collaboration, VAN teamed up with the Tampa Green Beret Association, partnering the VAN monthly mixer with the quarterly Veteran Business Social event hosted by TGBA.
OCTOBER
MAY
We kicked up some dirt for the VAN VET DAY 5K Trail Run at Anclote Gulf Park alongside our friends at Pasco Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources. Later that month, VAN helped sponsor the 6th Annual Veterans Run alongside good friends at NeoEndurance, with proceeds benefiting local veteran organizations!
May saw the launch of VAN’s very own magazine, VAN Station Magazine (now FireWatch Magazine from Eagle Island Publishing, LLC). Through collaboration with American Legion Post 108 Chaplain Don Hinst, VAN Station Magazine found its way across the United States on a journey of Route 66! May’s 12-Park Tour included a good workout, and the VAN Team ended the month with a mixer at 1916 Irish Pub in Brandon.
JUNE
VAN celebrated its nomination for the Emerging Business Award with the Brandon Chamber of Commerce and was honored to be a part of the 1st Annual Anthony Muhlstadt Defender Ruck Walk alongside Gold Star Mom Tanya Mort. June was also the launch of the new RECreate Your Mind Military Series with Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources with a Veteran Free Fishing Tournament that included incredible prizes from Rusty Bucket Bait House!
VAN is now VETERANS ADVENTURE NETWORK! We celebrate at VAN’s 12-Park Tour with less humidity! And, for pumpkin spice and everything nice, VAN joins American Legion Post 108 to celebrate the 2023 American Legion Fall Festival. Followed by Sponsorship of the 2nd Annual American Legion Post 108 Golf Tournament to raise money for Veteran Homelessness on October 27th.
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
This December, VAN will celebrate the end of the VAN 12Park Tour series for 2023 with a celebration and prizes for any participant who attended four or more of the monthly 12-Park Tour events. The 12-Park Tour Celebration will take place at Wall Springs Park: 3725 Desoto Blvd. Palm Harbor, FL 34683
JULY
The July RECreate Your Mind Military Series included another veteran-free event at Sunwest Park, including Yoga on the beach, Kayaking, Swimming, Fishing, and Snorkeling! VAN also held its first-ever VAN Freedom Fest and, in collaboration with American Legion Post 108, hosted an official Vietnam Veteran Welcome Home Ceremony!
AUGUST
August launched the collaboration between ABC Action News and VAN for Operation Honoring Heroes, sponsored by
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We gathered incredible stories, inspirations, and knowledge from some of the most amazing people in our communities. #TEAMFIREWATCH looks forward to 2024 and all of the astonishing insight it will bring to the pages of FireWatch Magazine! If you have a story to tell, please reach out to the Editor Team at FireWatch Magazine, Editor@FireWatchMagazine.com Let us introduce you to the outstanding contributors of FireWatch Magazine, 2023.
Beau Higgins Aldi Isaacs
Jim Rudolph
Keith Pacific
In 2023, our pages were filled with incredible stories from local veterans, military spouses, and veteran supporters. We learned about impactful missions that are saving lives and innovative employment programs that are elevating veteran lives. We learned why medical costs are rising and how to get started on a healthy lifestyle. We discovered the keys to retirement planning and heard inspirational stories of several incredible veteran supporters.
LaHarold Woodhouse
FireWatch Magazine is where you go to read about veterans and their supporters. FireWatch stories seek to reveal veteran histories and supporter inspirations. What is the story behind a person or a mission? That is what we strive to understand and share.
Dr. Damon Friedman
FireWatch Interviews
Richard Corson
Rebecca Klingenschmitt
Brian Halstead Captain Jack December 2023
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October Edition
on m a n a Dr. D m Fried Dr. Friedman is a combat-decorated veteran who served four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terrorism. In 2011, Dr. Friedman established SOF Missions and serves as the Chairman of the FaithBased Veteran Service Alliance. This non-profit provides military, active duty, veterans, and their families with viable faith-based programs.
August Edition
Rebecca Klingens chmitt
Rebecca is a highly skilled Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Board-certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. Rebecca founded Active Solutions Rehab & Wellness with a vision to change the status quo of health care and elevate the standard of physical therapy. Rebecca is a military spouse.
Regular Contributor
d r a h Ric n o s r Co
Richard Corson is internationally recognized as the subject matter expert on operations centers. He is a West Point graduate and retired Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel with over 48 years of Federal experience. Richard Corson is the acting Vice President of Operations at the Tampa Green Beret Association and the Health and Wellness Contributor to FireWatch Magazine.
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August Edition
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Beau Higgin
Beau Higgins served in the Marine Corps for 25 years, with six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retirement in 2014, Beau volunteers with the Travis Manion Foundation. Professionally, Beau has worked as a military employment specialist for Amazon and now with Oplign.
Brian Halste
September and October Editions
ad
Brian Halstead began his military career in January of 1984, and throughout his 21 years of service, he witnessed first-hand the before and after effects of 9/11. Halstead, who retired as a CW3 in 2005, gained insight from intimate experience from foreign internal defense missions as part of an Operational Detachment Alpha, or A-Team, the heart and soul of special forces. Since leaving the military, Brian has co-founded Oplign
November Edition
k c a J n i a t p a C
Captain Jack spends his time on the waters of the Florida Gulf Coast, enjoying a cold beer with a stogie in the bright Florida sunshine. You can catch up with Captain Jack if you look for a Tiki Boat in Tarpon Springs.
Jim Rudolp
November Edition
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Jim grew up as a military kid and was significantly influenced by his magnetic father, a paratrooper with the US Armed Forces. Jim founded Veterans Funeral Care, which opened its doors in 2000 as the first full-service funeral home in America built around the military and veteran community. Jim is also the founder of Operation Toy Soldier, helping ensure all kids have toys at Christmas.
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August Edition
Aldi s c a a Is
Aldi Isaacs is a Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities, LLC. And works as a Financial Officer at Westshore Financial in Tampa, Florida. Aldi hails from Kingston, Jamaica, is a graduate of Florida State University, and considers himself a Christian, Financial Advisor, and Philosophy Enthusiast.
August Edition
Keith Pacific
Keith Pacific is a Navy veteran who has worked in the sports medicine field for more than twenty years. He is the owner of Physique Physical Therapy in Tampa, Florida. Keith is a Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions graduate with a Ph.D. in Health Science-Athletic Training.
ld o r a e s LaH u o dh o o W
October Edition
LaHarold Woodhouse is an Army veteran with over 30 years of leadership experience in government and non-profit organizations. LaHarold Woodhouse is the Founder and President of iGolf4VETS, Inc. - a minority, veteran-owned non-profit organization specializing in providing Veterans and family members a platform to cope with Mental Health Disorders and Suicide Prevention through the sport of golf. Mr. Woodhouse graduated from Grantham University, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. SEE MORE CONTRIBUTERS, PG 26
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WITHOUT GLORY About The Author: KEN SMITS
Ken Smits began writing his book series Without Glory in 1985 when a friend, the first person he confided in about his experiences in Vietnam, told him the world had a right to know the truth about the horrors he faced there. What began as one book grew into five books, with two anticipated future volumes that will take Ken’s journey from the jungles of Vietnam to highly classified African locations through his work as a Special Operator. Ken entered the U.S. Air Force in 1967 after graduating from Passaic County Technical Vocational High School in Wayne, New Jersey. Not long after enlistment, Ken was sent to Vietnam. After leaving the U.S. Air Force, Ken reentered service in the U.S. Army. Ken’s military career ended in 1979 because of a vicious attack on his team during a mission in an undisclosed area. This mission nearly cost Ken his life. Ken spent the following year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering from injuries that ultimately robbed him of his sight. After being medically discharged from the ARMY in 1981, Ken moved to Texas, acquired his master’s degree in public administration, and spent his remaining work years working with the mentally impaired. Even with vision in only one eye, Ken continued his passion for race car driving after his move to Texas. Ken could be found each season on racetracks in Killeen, Texas, and Waco, Texas. Ken retired as Vice President at Goodwill Industries of Southwest Texas and Oklahoma in 2010. He then moved to Florida to be near his daughter, Toni. Ken’s retirement hobbies included photography with a concentration on Cosplay photography all over central Florida until he lost vision in his remaining eye in 2013. Now legally blind, Ken enjoys retirement from his home in Land O’Lakes, Florida, where he lives with his two dogs, Dakota and Bernie, and his sister-in-law, Cindy.
About WITHOUT GLORY
Without Glory will be published as a complete novel in late 2024. What is featured in FireWatch are pieces of the story. The entire experience can only be obtained by reading the book in its entirety and unabridged. Eagle Island Publishing, LLC will publish the novel. Stay tuned to FireWatch Magazine for all publication details. For now, #TEAMFIREWATCH hopes you enjoy its monthly Without Glory features in FireWatch Magazine.
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WITHOUT GLORY I WATCH THE LONE SHADOWY FIGURE CLAD IN BLACK GARMENTS CROSS THE THIRD FENCE. HE’S LESS THAN THIRTY-FIVE FEET FROM OUR POSITION. HE HAS NOW ENTERED OUR KILL ZONE ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES FROM CONTROL. “WASTE HIM,” SERGEANT ADAMS WHISPERS. “WHAT?” I FLINCH, TURNING TOWARDS HIM. “WHY ME?” I FREEZE, MY MIND SUDDENLY BLANK. SERGEANT ADAM’S SARCASTIC WHISPER RINGS IN MY EARS, “CAUSE IT’S YOUR TURN, NEWBIE.” Looking down through the aiming sights of my M16 assault rifle at a target is nothing new. I’ve spent countless hours on the firing range. I must have ‘blown away’ a thousand or more targets, but this is different. This is a living, breathing human being with dreams the same as mine. I think of the steps to take when firing. All I can remember is, ‘Sight on dead-center mass, breathe, squeeze,’ or is it, squeeze and breathe? It’s all jumbled up in my head. This target is not simulated. It is flesh and blood. I continue tracking him through my rifle sight, attentively following the man’s every move. He is being cautious. He stops and stands still for what seems like an eternity. Then he moves again. After a few steps, he stands motionless again. Only his eyes move, scanning left, right, then forward. The VC never looks up! He never looks up toward us! What is he thinking? Doesn’t he see the tower silhouetted in the moonlight? He must see the dark shadow of the tower cast on the ground by his feet. Does he not know someone is sighting him in, like a lamb to slaughter? My mind is rattled with thoughts zipping through my head. Does he know he will die tonight? Does he have a wife? Does he have kids? He must have a mother. Everyone has a mother. Is he thinking of his mother? My heart pounds uncontrollably. It feels as if it’s going to jump right through my chest. I know Sergeant Adams
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BY KEN SMITS
and the VC can hear my heart pounding. It sounds like a drum in my ears. Why doesn’t he look up? Why doesn’t he run away? I can always kill someone else later. I don’t need to kill tonight. Not tonight! Run, you son of a bitch! Please run away. Pl-ee-ase, do it now! I am soaking wet, and I don’t know if it is sweat from fear or just the rain, but I’m sure Sergeant Adams can tell I am unsteady or even afraid. I’m trying hard to stay still but keep shaking. Please, run away, little yellow man! Go to your family now before it’s too late for both of us. God, please….oh, please make him run away. The VC is now less than twenty-five feet from the tower. I’m practically looking straight down at him. I have to lean over the edge of the rail to see him below us. I tell myself, ‘Think, think, think, damn it, think!’ Come on, asshole, see the legs of the tower? Are you blind? Your enemy is up here with GUNS! My hands tremble, my body shudders, my mouth is dry like I’ve been sucking on cotton balls. Yet, it is filled with the coppery taste of panic. I hear voices – my voice – inside my head. ‘God, please, steady me and give me the courage to pull the trigger.’ I hope I’m thinking and not mumbling out loud. I can’t think logically. Twisted thoughts jumble together. I’m asking God to help me kill someone. Somehow, that doesn’t make sense to me. However, God does love his soldiers. Someone told me that once. “C’mon, shoot the bastard, Smits!” Sergeant Adams’ voice rings in my ear. It sounds like he is screaming at me, but the VC on the ground STILL does not look up. “Pull the damn trigger and waste him before he sees us.” Sergeant Adams urges me on. “Now, Newbie! Do it now!”
THE TOWER
Suddenly, fear strikes again. It’s a different feeling, like an angry outburst in my head. What if he has a friend watching me? A VC sniper prepared to put a round between my eyes if it appears I am ready to fire on his friend? That could be why the VC hasn’t looked up at us. While Sergeant Adams and I have been watching him, someone else could’ve been sneaking into place right under our noses! The other enemy soldier could have me in his sights right this second. I could be the dead one in a flicker of an eye. I hope Sergeant Adams has been searching the area for the other VC. I cannot take my eyes off my target. My living, breathing target, for fear he’ll look up at that very second and kill me. Too many things are happening in my mind, and none make sense. Damn! The front blade of my M16 is centered on his chest. I take up the slack on the trigger, “Whack!” A single explosion from my rifle breaks the silence, startling me.
1968 The yellow-white fireball that erupted from the recoiling barrel immediately in front of my intently focused eyes temporarily destroyed my night vision. The slight kick in my shoulder jars me back to reality or ushers me deeper toward insanity. My mind cannot distinguish the difference. Breathe – damn it, breathe, breathe, I command myself. Sergeant Adams’ voice splinters the haze, yelling, “Yes! Damn, good shot, Newbie! What took you so long? He almost crawled up our ass.” He slaps me on the back. “Go check the body, Deadeye. I’ll notify Control. Hot Damn! KIA!” His voice is cheerful as if I hit the ball over the fence at the bottom of the ninth with two outs. The descent down the staircase feels like five hundred feet instead of fifty. The twenty-five feet to the corpse feels like a mile. I point my rifle at the figure of a man. Standing above the body, I realize it no longer resembles a man because it’s not one. It’s death…real death…not play death like in the movies. I kneel on one knee next to the lifeless VC. The stillness is frightening. Thick, red liquid saturates his clothing and the ground around him. I flop down just inches from him, the damp ground penetrating my pants and soaking my bottom as I stare helplessly at the corpse. A short time ago, this was a living, breathing person, no one special to the world. He was just a man like me.
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WITHOUT GLORY A SLIGHT BREEZE SWEEPS ACROSS THE VALLEY OF SWAYING GRASS IN A RELAXING TEMPO. THE RHYTHM BROKEN ONLY BY THE SOUNDS OF CRICKETS CHIRPING AND THE LIZARDS THAT SOUND LIKE THEY’RE SCREAMING, “FUCK YOU!” BACK AND FORTH AT EACH OTHER. MY FOXHOLE COMPANION IS A QUIET MAN WHO APPEARS DEEPLY LOST IN DELIBERATION. I CAN TELL BY THE CHEVRONS ON HIS COLLAR THAT HE IS A SECURITY POLICEMAN, AIRMAN 1ST CLASS. I TRY TO GET HIM TO TALK, BUT ALL I GET FROM HIM IS THAT HE HAS BEEN IN VIETNAM FOR NINE MONTHS. MAYBE HE DOESN’T LIKE PULLING DUTY WITH NON-SECURITY POLICE PERSONNEL. AFTER ALL, WE DIDN’T HAVE THE COMBAT TRAINING HE HAD. WHO KNOWS? SO HERE WE SIT IN OUR FOXHOLE POSITION, TOGETHER BUT ALONE. Soon, control is alerting all units of reported contact. Visual contact has been made with groups of five-to-eight VC, all heavily armed, carrying satchels and weapons. We are ordered only to engage the VC if they engage first. Soon other security posts begin reporting sightings of similar size enemy units. The small groups of VC are heading to a central assembly location, so we hold fire. The small groups of VC units assemble off to our right and grow to about forty or fifty men. They carry Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifles, two RPG-7 portable rocket launchers, and two 7.62 PK general-purpose machine guns. This is a hard-core, well-equipped unit, not some local VC group. They appear to be setting up for a major assault on the flight line and our aircraft tucked away in protected bunkers. We are told to hold fire and instructed that the tower will call for the mortar and artillery fire mission. Back-up security teams are moving
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into our sector while other teams are moving into place to set up counterambush positions. The security team is an eleven-man mobile team traveling in V-100 Commando Armored vehicles with turret-mounted 7.62-millimeter coaxial machine guns. I see two of them moving into place beside the tower. Control informs us that the ROK Korean Marines, White Horse Division, is deploying a blocking force to trap the VC as they break contact and withdraw. On the ground, mortars and howitzers stand by, while high in the black, star-filled sky, a Spooky gunship circles. The guns on the Spooky have a fire rate of six thousand rounds per minute. Our position has an M60 machine gun, my M16 assault rifle, four hand grenades, and two claymore mines in front of us. The tower to our right has two M16s and a starlight scope. The stage is set. I focus on the cove from which the VC are preparing their attack. The cove is cast in black shadows and hides the enemy from view. My finger caresses the M16’s trigger. Suddenly, Barrooommm! Barrooommm! Barrooommm! The deafening explosions and blinding flashes raise the hairs on the back of my neck. Full-blown hell pours down on the cove. Karbaroomm! Barrooommm!
FireWatchMagazine.com
BY KEN SMITS
Karbaroomm! Barrooommm! The incoming U.S. mortar and artillery rounds rain down like a hailstorm of steel. “Ho-ly shit!” my mind screams, but the words roll out of my mouth as a gasping whisper. Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Twenty-millimeter ball ammunition merged with red tracer rounds hits the earth, then ricochets in a thousand directions bouncing high in the flairilluminated night. The rounds walk from one side of the cove to the other, then back again in the other direction, a round hitting every six inches. Within seconds, the second salvo of U.S. mortar and artillery rounds impact the cove of hell. They boom thunderously, flashing enormous fireballs, sending huge clumps of earth, broken trees, and little bits of human bodies soaring into the night. “In-fuckin’-credible,” I murmered to myself. I feel like I’m gazing at a million-dollar pyrotechnics show. My eyes couldn’t possibly open any further without popping out of their sockets. I feel shock waves of rushing hot air crammed with the smell of burning wood, freshly turned earth, gunpowder, and blood hitting my face. Screams follow. Horrible, revolting screams mix with the hot air, and the ground shakes violently as if I’m in the middle of an earthquake.
FOXHOLE “Here they come!” my foxhole mate screams. “Fire at will! Fire! Fire! Fire!” Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! My M16 jumps and jerks in my hand, spraying deadly 5.56-millimeter rounds down range as if it has a mind of its own. Ta-tow! Tow! Tow! Tow! The M60 machine gun at my position sends a furious stream of 7.62-millimeter rounds guided by red tracers in the direction of the charging VC, tearing through bodies as they advance. High above, flares are launched by the Spooky. They float to the ground, swaying from side to side under their parachutes. Their glittering light provides a haunting glow like a slow-moving strobe light. High above, the gunship fire is so intense that red tracer rounds look like uninterrupted arches of red lines. Incredibly, the VC charge forward through the hellish firestorm. They have no other choice. Barrooomm! Barrooomm! As some VC mortar rounds strike targets, several deafening explosions
ring through the night air. I turn to look behind me. A fireball thirty feet high billows into the sky as one of the aviation fuel tanks explodes, blazing in a white inferno. Many of the VC that miraculously escaped the onslaught rush our position. The hammering of weapons is near deafening in the close confines of the foxhole. Whamp! Whamp! Whamp! The sprinting VC open fire with their AK47’s on our position. Ziipp! Ziipp! Ziipp! Several rounds fly by like angry hornets, but mostly over our heads. Whoomph! Whoomph! The detonation of the two claymore mines in front of the foxhole sends an ear-shattering blast into the darkness. Both claymore mines send hundreds of steel balls searching for something to rip into pieces. I hear a Whoosh! Hisss! Whoosh! noise, then see the trail of gray smoke as one of the VC fires an RPG-7 rocket at the tower. “Whoa! Oh shit!” My vision follows the gray smoking trail as it zooms toward the tower. The rocket slams into the bottom of the tower penetrating the plywood floor before exploding against the back wall. I see Sergeant Mears thrown from the tower with a large sliver of wood driven through his heart. He comes to rest twenty-five feet from the tower remnants. VC run on the right and left of our position as we continue to fire. The Spooky gunship picks up ground movement of the fleeing enemy force and fires for a short time before the VC run head-on into the Korean ROK’s waiting claw. For us, the firefight has ended. Howls from the wounded and dying fill the cool, damp air. The clatter of battle is frightening, but the
The deafening explosions and blinding flashes stand the hairs on the back of my neck. Full-blown hell pours down on the cove.
aftermath, filled with the cries of dying men, is the most eerie sound on earth. I look to my comrade. In the flare’s eerie illumination, he also appears to be hiding his head from the sounds. “Psst. Hey, buddy, you all right?” He doesn’t respond. I move closer, my feet slipping on the slick, sticky surface of the bottom of the foxhole. Empty magazines clink together as I kick them. The bottom of our fighting position is pitch black; even the flares don’t light it up. His head is resting on the butt-stock of his M60. When I shake him, he tumbles sideways against the side of the foxhole. The flare’s light glimmers across the upper portion of his body. It takes several moments for me to contain myself. He’d been hit during the firefight. It looks like a bullet entered the back upper part of his head, making a hole about the size of a Bic pen. Then, having grown to the size of a softball, the bullet exited through the place where his face should be. Now he doesn’t have one. No eyes, no nose, no mouth. Just a hole where a face should be. Something’s wrong. I never heard him stop firing. How did he get hit from behind? Why not me? I belch and become nauseous. My body shakes violently as everything I had eaten the day before forces its way out of my mouth. There are no words to describe the loneliness of sitting in a hole with a dead man. … I didn’t even know his name.
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WITHOUT GLORY I RADIO CONTROL, WHISPERING INTO THE HAND MIKE, “CONTROL, THIS IS ABLE 28, OVER.” “ABLE 28, THIS IS CONTROL, OVER.” “CONTROL, HEAR GUNFIRE NEAR OUR POSITION, WILL INVESTIGATE, OVER.” “ABLE 28, ROGER THAT, CONTROL, OUT.” Smitty and I move cautiously along the pipeline toward the laughing. The knee-deep water and muddy bottom make our movement laborious. We can see what appears to be two men not more than twenty-five feet ahead. One figure crawls over the large pipe delivering fuel to Phu Cat Air Base. The other is holding a rifle, an antiquated bolt action weapon that looks like a pre-World War II model. Smitty grabs my arm. While pulling out his bayonet, he points to the men. I know what he wants to do. His hand movement tells me he wants us to take them out with our knives. A quiet kill. That way, we won’t alert any other VC that may be in the vicinity. Now, if we can only get to them without them hearing our approach. We sling our heavily oiled weapons across our backs, advancing with knives in hand. Smitty points to the man kneeling at the pipe, then to himself. I nod; his plan is clear. He wants the VC nearer to the pipe while I’m to take the one standing nearby with the rifle. The rain beating down into the murky water conceals the
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sound of our advance as we slip up on the two unsuspecting VCs. Smitty and I vault at the same instant. I cup my left hand over the VC’s mouth to smother his cries. At the same time, I jam my knee into the small of his back as a fulcrum from which I can jerk his head backward, exposing his neck. The VC struggles frantically as my Bowie knife slashes a deep gash across his throat. The blade lances through both of his arteries and windpipe. Blood spurts on my hand, covering the dying VC’s mouth. It feels like a faucet has been opened, allowing thick, warm liquid to pour freely. It gushes briefly, then slows to a trickle as his struggle becomes less violent. The VC’s body stops moving. I look at my right hand holding the Bowie. No blood. Funny how the killing hand is clean, no sign of the act. But the other hand and fatigue sleeve is soaked with the blood of my latest kill. I let the VC’s carcass slide down my body into the water surrounding my knees. I look up, searching for Smitty. I see him lying on his back with the VC half sitting on his chest. They’re in a violent struggle for control of Smitty’s bayonet. Smitty is wrestling frantically to keep his head above water. I must move about four feet to reach them and help my friend. I stumble, falling as my foot enters a hole underneath the water. Getting back to my feet, I
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BY KEN SMITS
wondered if Smitty had fallen into the same crater just as he was about to grab this man. The VC is within reach, and I grab his hair with my left hand. I see that I still hold the Bowie knife in my right hand. He wails as I pull him off of Smitty. I swing the Bowie knife with all the power I can muster, striking the man on the right side of his neck with full force. I follow through as if I’m striking a baseball with a bat, trying for the game-winning home run. The VC’s head detaches from his body. The carcass falls like a sack of rice on top of Smitty, still struggling to get to his feet. The weight of the headless corpse knocks Smitty temporarily back under the water. Blood spurts forcefully from the giant hole where the neck was once attached. Not aware he was finished, the VC kicked and jerked violently in a pitiful death dance. Blood from the severed head streams across my arms, chest, and legs. I stand in total bewilderment, holding a man’s head in my hand while the rain pelts down on me in the middle of some God-forsaken swamp. Smitty claws to his knees, pushing himself up into a standing position, “Holy Shit!” He stares at the swinging head in my hand.
WARNING!
THE PIPELINE THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT!!!
I’m absolutely speechless. I stare at the head, not knowing what to do. Men suddenly appear out of the downpour. Two or three VCs. I’m not sure how many. Because this head is in my hands, I don’t really understand anything at the moment. The enemy stops, looking confused, immobilized at the sight of the big American. They stare at me as I stand in the downpour with the head in my hand. Judging by the confused, fearful look on their faces, they’re wondering if this head once belonged to their comrade. No doubt,
the gruesome sight of me—the ugly American—standing in the rain holding the head of someone they once knew has interrupted their world. Just as it has stopped ours, if only for a few seconds. To all, it must seem like an eternity, for soldiers on opposite sides of a war are still human. We become shocked by the death of our own. Especially if the death is as savage and horrifying as the scene everyone is witnessing at this moment. Me, Smitty, and the bad men who’ve been blowing up our pipeline stand frozen in time. Fear fills our hearts; we share something in common at this instant. My entire body trembles. My mouth has gone dry. Swinging my left arm in a wide arc, I toss the grotesque body part of the man standing less than fifteen feet in front of me. In that exact second, my right arm sends the Bowie knife flying towards them. Typically, a Bowie knife will stick into whatever it hits, but nothing is as it should be on this night. I hear the crack of rifle fire. The round is out of control, spinning off somewhere into the night. Smitty is running after them, screeching some savage rebel war cry.
“We were nineteen and looking for adventure. We found Hell!”
Whack, whack, whack! I hear shots from an M16. Probably Smitty’s. I don’t think the VC wanted to play. Instead, they ran from the outrageous Hoa Ky’s. Smitty’s screeching blends with the clamor of the rain still pitter-pattering all around. The scene is bizarre. My best friend is going berserk, sloshing around in the blood-mixed water. I stand with the two mutilated bodies floating around my feet. The rain pouring down tries helplessly to rinse away the blood and the insanity. I wonder if I should help Smitty. Perhaps drag him back, slap some sense into him. Or, maybe, I ought to sit down in the bloody swamp and simultaneously laugh and cry. But sitting down in this dreadful shit is not an option because that head is in there somewhere. I remember that my M16 is still slung on my back, yet I don’t feel the urgency to remove it. Instead, I walk over to the pipeline, climb on top of it, and sit, waiting for Smitty to return. I just want to go home. I’ve had enough of this for one night. Now it’s time to go.
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BATTLE BRIEFS & War Stories FireWatch Magazine’s Battle Briefs & War Stories segment features those stories most often told among friends. The ‘Remember when’ and the ‘And, there we were’ stories we all love to hear. Some tales are funny, some are thoughtful, and some are downright painful. FireWatch Magazine is a platform for these stories to be told and shared among us all. During 2023, we heard from Ken Smits, who shared his story of Angola and The Tank and The Jungle Animals of Vietnam. We’ve heard from Tyler Persons, Marvin Hedstrom, and Scott Gould, all veterans who shared their 9/11 experiences. Brian Halstead shared his Training Exercise Gone Bad, and Richard Corson spoke about his Presidential Pardon at West Point. In this issue of FireWatch Magazine, we feature a few of our favorite tales. To see the entire Battle Briefs & War Stories collection, visit www.FireWatchMagazine.com Keep watch at FireWatch Magazine for future Battle Briefs & War Stories each month!
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If you have a story you would like to share, send it over to the editor team at Editor@FireWatchMagazine.com
BATTLE BRIEFS & War Stories
Scott Gould, CSM U.S. ARMY (ret.)
I joined the Army in Oct. 1984. I didn’t deploy in Desert Storm. Instead, I was at the Joint Readiness Training Center training the National Guard to deploy. On Sept. 11, 2001, I was assigned to the Military District of Washington Engineer Company at Fort Belvoir, Va., later flagged as the 911th Engineer Company. I had been at this assignment for two and half years before the 9/11 attacks. At that time, I was the company First Sergeant (1SG/E8) working as a Combat Engineer. We were the Army’s only Technical Rescue company focused on confined space and collapsed structure rescue operations. On the morning of 9/11, we had just finished our physical training and were preparing for the day’s scheduled rescue training. I was in my office with the news on when reports started coming in about an airplane hitting the World Trade Center. At first, I thought it was just an accident, but when I saw the second plane hit the second tower, I knew we were under attack. Then I saw news that the Pentagon had been struck. Immediately after the Pentagon was hit, the Military District of Washington Operations Center called my office to initiate our alert and response sequence. We quickly sent our Initial Response Team by helicopter to the
Pentagon, and the remainder of the company convoyed with our equipment to the Pentagon Site. When we arrived, the scene outside the building was complete chaos. Inside the building was horrific. Once on-site at the Pentagon I worked for 24-hours continuously. I didn’t sleep again until the night of the 12th. Eventually, we were set to 12-hour shifts. We shifted to victim recovery for 10days, and then returned to Fort Belvoir and immediately assumed armed security of the entrances. Heightened security meant placing barriers around all of the gates. On 9/11, I had served 17-years in a peacetime Army, now we were on a war footing and sending troops into harms way across the globe. I was promoted to Command Sergeant Major and deployed to fight the insurgency in Iraq, and to help rebuild the country. After returning from Iraq I retired from service. After retirement, I went to work at Booz Allen Hamilton managing several training programs to prepare soldiers for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the experience on 9/11, and in Iraq changed my outlook on humanity and left me with PTSD, I managed 2 successful careers. I now spend my time as a volunteer working with disabled veterans so they recieve the benefits they’ve earned from the Veterans Administration.
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BATTLE BRIEFS & War Stories A-TEAM, SPECIAL FORCES:
Training Exercise Gone Bad
I was part of a Chase Team, the first to leave the aircraft as we jumped into Honduras. We had a full-size bulldozer on the back of a brand-new C-141. We are attempting to push this bulldozer out of the back of the aircraft while in flight. As soon as it exits, the plane jumps about 30 feet, knocking us all to our knees, faces, and asses. We staggered up and attempted to crawl out of the aircraft to follow the giant bulldozer. We were the chase team; our job was to “chase the bundle.” We saw the bird make another
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large loop before 100 or so additional troops jumped out behind us. The whole plan could have worked out better. As we reached the large open field, our landing spot, we saw the giant bulldozer, and it looked like a big piece of modern art with a twisted blade poking out of the earth. We began our journey to the target: a tiny village that simulates a national capital. We walk through giant blades of sawgrass, and after a mile or two, our uniforms are rags; everyone is sliced up from the sawgrass. Once we leave the murderous grass, we come onto an open field where we are forced to hop over three- and four-foot-wide streams. They are easy enough to jump over. I stood there watching everyone jump over these streams. Then this one guy—you can tell he was tired as hell—steps into the stream instead of hopping over it … and disappears! It took a good 4 or 5 seconds for my brain to figure out the soldier was gone. “Oh, Shit! Prez just disappeared!” I yelled as I threw off my rucksack and ditching my LBE. I start running toward the hole with every intent of going down to get Prez. Just as I get there, Prez manages to push off the bottom of what turns out to be an eight- or ten-foot hole to get out. He scrambes out of the hole with a hundred-pound backpack, his LBE, and his weapon, screaming, “It’s f****** deep! It’s f****** deep!”
ANGOLA AND THE TANK
W
e were assigned to Angola. We mainly went there to see what the Cuban fighters were like. The Cubans were fighting in Angola on the side of Angolian insurgents. We were sent over there to teach them ambushing and other tactics. The Lieutenant we were with said every day or so this tank would ride to the overlook, which was probably a thousand meters up, and fire two or three rounds into the village there, and then it would just back up and leave. So, we decided that would be our ambush training. We decided that is what we will do: we will ambush that tank. We took off with 12 men from our team and 12 men from their team, all of us carring LAWS Rockets. We got up there and set up an L-shaped ambush waiting for that tank. It was a T55 Russian Tank. When it came down the road, just like they said it would, we fired our LAWS Rockets at it. Everything just bounced off and went up in the air; nothing happened to the tank. The tank kept coming. We all scattered like a bunch of rats getting off a sinking boat. We scattered in different directions in an effort to return to one of our rally points. I ran off with four
others. The tank decided we were the ones it would chase. So, we’re running through the woods laughing—for some reason we thought this was hilarious. One guy yelled, “We didn’t even knock a tread off!” We could hear the tank behind us revving its motor as it knocked down trees, bushes, and other things. It would back up, ram a tree, and then back up and ram it again — it was funny to watch. We kept running until finally we came to this embankment, thinking, Oh crap! Where do we go now? Looking over the side, it appeared to be about a six- or eightfoot drop to the bottom where there was a path. So, we crawled over the side, dropped onto the path, and stood up against the wall of this mountain. The tank was still coming, and I think to myself, If it falls over the edge, it’s going to crush us. We looked up and saw the tank barrel sticking over the ledge. The tank sat there for a few minutes and fired three rounds at the village. After it fired, it backed up and left. The Lieutenant we were with said, “So, is that how you destroy tanks?” We answered, “Well, no. The purpose is to get the tank to chase you into the woods until it runs out of fuel. Then we can get them. But, I guess we didn’t run far enough because it never ran out of fuel.” I think the poor guy actually believed me.
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December 2023
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VETERAN
VOICES
FireWatch Magazine has committed to being a voice for the veteran community. Through FireWatch Magazine’s Veteran Voices monthly segment, veterans have a platform to express their thoughts and ideas about veteran and military-related topics. With Veteran Voices, we hand over the mic and listen, record, and share what the veteran community has to say. In the August issue of FireWatch Magazine, we asked four veterans if Americans suffer from indifference. In September’s Issue, Veterans Voices featured a love letter from Baghdad and a veteran’s letter to his daughter just after September 11. In October, FireWatch asked veterans to share their thoughts on Veteran Suicide, and in November, FireWatch asked veterans to share organizations who helped them when they needed help. Veteran Voices is all about the veteran and their voice. We don’t tell them something or talk about them. Instead, we ask them, and then we listen. In this issue of FireWatch Magazine, we take another peek at a letter that touched our hearts from September’s Veteran Voices. To see the entire Veteran Voices collection, visit www.FireWatchMagazine.com
KEEP WATCH AT FIREWATCH MAGAZINE FOR FUTURE VETERAN VOICES SEGMENTS EACH MONTH! If you have a topic you would lik e to see in Veteran Voices, send a request over to the edito r team at
Editor@FireWatchMagazine.com
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VETERAN
VOICES
SEPTEMBER 21, 2001
From a Veteran to His Daughter
en will pay the price Like Hitler, Osama Bin Lad of ies bod the d ppe wra e l pay the highest As you know, I hav for his actions. But many wil re. ado so we flag the in we do not handle my friends and heroes price for that to happen. If of rs fibe the torn and ause of our I have bled, shed tears, now, many more will die bec this y, ntr cou this of e there will be my heart and soul for the lov n. So, one way or the other, ctio ina I all. us r ove stands bers and untold horror for our flag, and the God that shame death in great num the and oes her my of e have felt the prid some time to come. it all, the flag has of our defeat. But, through o have died to give ud in my heart. I My heroes, and all those wh always waved high and pro in vain. They gave it stands for, and us what we have, did not die at wh and y, ntr cou this e lov 1. Now, new at we had until Sept. 11, 200 life so it will wh my us e giv uld wo I e, els all above give it back to us n for the past two heroes will give their all to always be the way it has bee higher and with more and to keep our flag flying hundred years. pride than ever before. lled. Yes, innocent Yes, there will be blood spi se we are gs will be tumbled How do I know this? Becau people will die. Yes, buildin truth. We will take ple sim ericans, that is the Americans have Am like ror ter and , und gro to the bring it to its knees suffer this horrid on the evil of this world and never seen. You ask why we we are the only g, we have had no matter the cost. Because fate. Because, for far too lon rld depends on us d of the free and ones who can do it. The wo it all. We have been the lan the right to choose to set it right. plenty. We have been given st in God. Live so, we have left at can you do? Pray and tru Wh our own destinies. In doing who gave their und the world who your life in the manner those the door open for those aro ere Th it. e hav take people like l not all intended. Stand tall. It wil want the same thing but can us. from ng while the war it away you to keep the country goi are those who wish to take our p kee live on day to we are to rages on. The country must The time has come, and if and pick up the sword to stand up day. Only some people can freedoms, we must be willing st keep living for granted. and fight evil. Some of us mu protect what we have taken live to prove to to n bor crimes and horror the way Americans are Who do we make pay for the t we cannot be tha ple question. You the Bin Ladens of the world of the past week? Not a sim fear. We will not d in Germany. Did deterred. We do not cower in knew Germans when we live l. We are Americans, ler did in World War tremble at the hands of evi you hate them for what Hit the Afghans, they and we are here to stay. II? No. Why? Because, like rse! to stop the horror of Stand fast and stay the cou have no freedom or power d oul Sh n. iba Tal people like Bin Laden or the r, Dad Middle East or who Love you always and foreve you hate all peoples of the h fait our follow are of a religion that does not rch down deep Country! Salute the sea st mu Trust in God! Trust in your in God? No, but you American! ding. flag with pride! You are an inside yourself for understan
December 2023
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CONTRIBUTERS, FROM PG 12 November Edition
Carol West Carol retired as a Master Sergeant after 21-years of service with the United States Air Force, and now serves as the only female Veterans Services Officer in Pasco County Florida.
Steve Rode
August Edition
rick
Raised in Florida, Steve entered the emerging world of payment systems resulting in the sale of his company, OmniFund in 2021. Steve has been a restorer of signature properties, world traveler, and entrepreneur launching Outdoor Kitchen Kings, alongside his son, Matthew, and launching Eagle Island Publishing, LLC in 2023
Regular Contributor
st Hinin Donnot yet
Don retired from the Navy and went on to design and develop many projects as an entrepreneur. Most notably, he helped design a process allowing the creation of new environmentally efficient products out of solid waste and otherwise unusable items. Don currently serves as Chaplain for the 15th District of The American Legion and Commander of The American Legion Post 108 in Land O’Lakes, Florida.
Kristy Verd
Regular Contributor
i
As an educator for more than thirty years, Kristy’s experience encompasses elementary, middle, and high school classrooms, and undergraduate as well as graduate courses. As a social studies subject leader, Kristy has mentored teachers for more than fifteen years. Specializing in civic engagement and building student understanding of community responsibility led to the founding of her non-profit organization, Learn and Serve Tampa, Inc.
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FireWatch
MAGAZINE
Feature Stories What is a FireWatch Feature Story? Each issue of FireWatch Magazine is centered around a particular topic. In the magazine’s premier August issue, the writers addressed The Wellness Spectrum; in the September issue, writers focused on 9/11 and its impact on lives then and now; and in the October Issue, writers dove into Veteran Suicide in the FireWatch Magazine feature story, Veteran Suicide: The Truth Behind the Numbers. FireWatch Feature Stories are explorations into relevant and impactful topics that need to be talked about locally. How do you choose a FireWatch Feature Story? Through interactions in the community, #TEAMFIREWATCH writers are exposed to veterans, veteran needs, and veteran missions daily. These interactions bring forward topics that are directly impacting the veterans we meet. It is then the duty of FireWatch Magazine writers to research and report on these topics through its feature stories and monthly interviews. What can I do if I have an idea for a FireWatch Feature Story? The FireWatch Magazine writers are always looking for compelling stories for its readers. If you have a subject that may benefit, inform, or inspire local veterans, we encourage you to contact the Editor Team at FireWatch Magazine. Editor@FireWatchMagazine.com
December 2023
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FireWatch Magazine August Feature Abridged To Read the Full Story, visit www.FireWatchMagazine.com
alternate therapies
THE AYAHUASCA EXPERIENCE
One of the biggest beneficiaries of this ancient medicine are those who have PTSD. Within our culture, this tends to be the veteran community. Others within the civilian community have PTSD related to trauma such as child abuse, sexual abuse, etc. Veterans have signed up for service, gone into service in good health, and encountered anguish, anxiety, and many mental health challenges. So, something traumatic happens once they enter service, and the trauma is related to their experiences. While conventional medicine seeks to address depression and anxiety with prescription drugs, alternative treatments have become a proven option for veterans. “They (veterans) come back, and their doctor’s solution is, ‘Here, take this pill.’ This pill, and this pill on top of that pill, and so on. Is it a wonder so many of our veterans end up battling drug addiction, alcoholism, and homelessness? And yet, they are high-functioning and intelligent individuals whose minds has been derailed because of what they have seen or been asked to do. It’s not their fault. The trauma is not self-induced. They went in with noble intentions and came home damaged because of what they had to deal with.” The question is, how do we fix this? Plant-based medicine is literally bullet-training veterans on where they are with their addictions. Some men and women enter an Ayahuasca experience, and they leave, and their alcoholism is gone; they never touch it again. Their addictions are gone; they don’t go back to it. Their feelings of well-being are there, and they don’t have another depressive episode. Yet Steve is careful to point out, “Ayahuasca gives you the insight, the tools, and the boost, but there is still work for you to do. You still have to recognize and utilize the tools provided to help you identify the root cause of a problem so that the next time you begin to feel a certain way or react a certain way, you can stop and think about it. You now have these internal tools to help you deal with, process, and balance out your reactions. “You can stop and say, Wait a minute, this isn’t that big a deal, and it’s not a big deal to anyone else, and I don’t need to deal with it. I don’t need to project it. It is just another life incident. It has nothing to do with me, where I was in the past, my problems in the past, or anything.” This is what Ayahuasca does in therapy: it allows you to disconnect where an experience might feel hurtful, but now you know what to do with it. “Ayahuasca is completely non-addictive,” Steve explains, “Honestly, once you do it, there is no compulsion to return and do it again. You may desire to go back to learn more or reinforce what you discovered the first time, but you don’t feel a need to. There are many documented cases where people go once or twice, then never do it again, and the benefits of their first experience remain with them.”
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FireWatch Magazine September Feature Abridged To read the full story, visit www.FireWatchMagazine.com
The Day that Changed Everything
It has been 22 years since that typical morning in September. The world was moving along as it always had, with people getting up and going to work and school, boarding airplanes for long-awaited vacations, grabbing coffee in the shadows of the World Trade Center before heading up the elevators, having breakfast in the fire station, catching a taxi… Just a typical day. The streets of New York City were drying out from a series of thunderstorms the prior evening. Storms had moved through the city as late as 11:00 pm local time on September 10th. But on the morning of September 11th, the weather was perfect, with recorded temperatures of 64 degrees in Boston, 63 degrees at JFK Airport, and 64 degrees at Reagan National in Washington, DC. Most of the U.S. northeast was cloud free—perfect flying weather. American skies were speckled with more than 4,500 aircraft carrying passengers to planned destinations. Among them were four flights destined for tragedy. At 8:45 a.m. Eastern time, the first news flashes were broadcast that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. There was a sense of pity and bewilderment. How could that happen? Did the pilot have a heart attack? Did anyone survive? How innocent we were. Americans across the country were waking into their morning routines, expecting just another Tuesday
morning. Little did we all know, we only had 18 minutes of innocence left. As we stood plastered to our TVs and radios, a collective shock was felt around the world as a second airliner, United Flight 175, slammed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. This shock reverberated in living rooms, restaurants, and workplace breakrooms across the country and beyond. It was 9:03 a.m. Eastern time when the second plane hit, and we had to face these horrific realizations. This was purposeful. We were under attack. No place was safe anymore. While trying to comprehend what was unfolding before our eyes, the attack persisted, with American Airlines 77 crashing into the Pentagon. A horrific and seemingly endless string of tragedies slammed into our brains again and again, with only moments between each travesty. And as we reeled from the shock, we were bombarded by questions. Who would be next? How many more will die? How can this be happening? Where is United Flight 93? Are there any more airplanes not accounted for? Please, God, make it stop! And then, it fell. The South Tower actually fell. How could it fall? Oh, God, how many people were in there?! Beyond that is a blur of devastation, destruction, and death. United 93 crashes into a farmer’s field; the north tower falls, and the world darkens.
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FireWatch Magazine October Feature Abridged To Read the Full Story, visit www.FireWatchMagazine.com
Veteran Suicide NUMBERS THE TRUTH BEHIND THE
The Veteran Administration has made preventing suicide among all veterans a top priority. The 2022 National Veterans Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows a decrease in veteran suicide in 2020 for the second year, and fewer veterans died by suicide in 2020 than in any year since 2006. Is there a correlation to the COVID pandemic of 2020, when everything from colds and flu to back pain was blamed on the pandemic? I raise this because in a contradictory story published that month and just days before the Veterans Administration report, Leo Shane III’s article in Military Times reports “veterans’ suicide rate may be double federal estimates.” The article points out the discrepancy exists because of undercounting related to drug overdose deaths and service record errors. Does anybody know the actual number of veterans we lose to suicide? Shane says, “...officials from America’s Warrior Partnership, in a joint study with the University of Alabama and Duke University, reviewed census death data from 2014 to 2018 for eight states and found thousands of cases of suspected or confirmed suicides not included in federal calculations.” He goes on,”If those figures were to be repeated across the other states, it would push the veteran’s suicide rate from 17 individuals a day—the official estimate released by the Department of Veterans Affairs last year—to 44 veterans per day. Most of us have heard “22 a Day,” which represents the loss of 22 veterans per day to suicide. According to Wes O’Donnell, managing editor at InMilitary.com and a veteran, “The problem is that the number 22 is built on a false narrative.” He explains, “This number is based on a Veteran Affairs report in 2012 using numbers reported from only 21 States from 1999 through 2011, representing only 40 percent of the U.S. Population. The other states, including those with massive veteran communities, like California and Texas, don’t report suicides to the VA. We should be using the number 22 as a starting point or bare minimum.”
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Veterans, how do your skills match up in the civilian world? Many before you have had the same problem: how to match up military skill sets with the civilian job force. No one need to tell you how to dress for an interview, but someone needs to tell you what you are qualified for. That is where Oplign comes in. With Oplign’s Veteran Alignment Engine, you are guaranteed to be matched with well-paying jobs!
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VETERAN
&
Health
Introduction to Veteran Health & Wellness
FireWatch Magazine’s Veteran Health & Wellness segment explores alternative therapies for veteran health and wellness. Instead of reporting on what is available for veterans, we dispatch veteran Rich Corson, who invests his time participating in various programs nationwide. Corson reports back to the FireWatch veteran community with honest insight on program benefits, or lack thereof. In 2023, Richard Corson shared experiences and information regarding EPIC, the newest innovation in chiropractic medicine. He has introduced us to the Tampa General Hospital program, Warrior Health & Fitness, and he has introduced us to the Undersea Oxygen Clinic in Tampa, Florida. Stay tuned each month for health and wellness insight.
If you know of a program that could significantly impact the veteran community, please reach out to the Editor Team at FireWatch Magazine, Editor@FireWatchMagazine.com
“Think, ‘Better’ Brain Injury Recovery Program” To Read the Full Story from August, visit www.FireWatchMagazine.com
Evolutionary Percussive Instrument Corrections (EPIC), the newest innovation in chiropractic medicine. In preparation for my participation in the “Think, ‘Better’ Brain Injury Recovery Program,” arranged by Patti Brady of Koterra (I will provide an article about this in future editions), she coordinated my treatment at the EPIC Clinic in Clearwater, FL. Dr. Stan Pierce developed the first 3-AXIS percussive soundwave adjusting instrument using a series of clinical protocols performed by expertly trained doctors to customize spinal care treatment to a unique and highly effective level of care. Combining spinal engineering analysis, joint biomechanics, genetic structural profiling, and phononwave technology, EPIC uses a gentle percussionsound wave instrument to provide painless and precise spinal adjustments, correcting the alignment of the top two bones in your spine, restoring nerve
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communication and promoting healing throughout the body, instantly and accurately. The nervous system controls every function within your body. By detecting and correcting cervical spine misalignments, EPIC restores the proper function of the nervous system. Using unique sound wave technology, EPIC clinics provide painless and precise spinal corrections to your spine’s top two bones (C1Atlas, and C2), restoring nerve communication and blood flow to and from the brain and promoting healing throughout the body. For details on the EPIC Clinics, the procedures, and testimonials, visit www.epicclinics.com/technology.
&
Wellness
By Rich Corson, Veteran Health & Wellness Contributor
Warrior Health & Fitness Home Base Program
I recently started the Warrior Health & Fitness program at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) called Home Base. It is a three-month program free to veterans and their spouses and includes exercise and nutritional support. I decided to participate for my own self-improvement and to understand better what the program entails and offers to the military and veterans so that I can better advise others. Warrior Health & Fitness aims to empower warriors to take control of their physical well-being by utilizing trainers, registered dieticians, and yoga instructors. INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM ● CUSTOM FITNESS EVALUATION AND REGIMEN DESIGNS ● NUTRITIONAL CONSULTATIONS AND REGISTERED DIETICIANS ● GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES, INCLUDING SPIN AND YOGA ● 2 PILATES SESSIONS AND ONE 25-MINUTE MASSAGE ● HEALTH EDUCATION, INCLUDING A 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM ● FREE TRX UPON GRADUATION OR COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM MY EXPERIENCE The staff are very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful, and they will quickly adjust any exercise should you have an issue doing a particular one. I had some challenges with the bent over-flys because of my back. It had been a while since I had a steady workout regimen, so I was starting over again. While I wasn’t dying by the end of the first workout, I had that good, tight, slightly achy feeling after a good workout. I have chosen to take advantage of the two-per-week personal training sessions and workout on my own the other three days using the Home Base app. I can use the app at home or the gym. That is one of the beautiful things about the Home Base program. I am firming up and slowly losing some weight. BOTTOM LINE I recommend taking advantage of the TGH Home Base Program! For more details about this program, visit www.TGH.org. LTC (R) Richard Corson (Ret.) is President of the Special Forces Association Chapter LX, and Vice President of the Tampa Green Beret Association.
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VETERAN By Rich Corson, Veteran Health & Wellness Contributor
Health &
Wellness
Treating Root Causes vs Medicating!
If you are like me, you hate taking medications, especially those that make you feel like you are in a “fog” or have other negative impacts on your day-to-day life. Unfortunately, much of the medical community tends to treat your symptoms rather than dealing with the root cause. Can’t sleep? Here take this pill. Feeling anxious all the time? Here’s another pill. Back hurts? Another pill. Anger issues? Sure, why not, take another pill. Sound familiar? Like many of you, I was taking at least five different medications to deal with issues. In some cases, you have to take another pill to counter the effects of one or more of the other pills. What’s wrong with this picture? STOP! There’s hope for dealing with issues many veterans face without taking more pills! Studies are showing amazing results and benefits of “alternative therapies” such as Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments (HBOT), Skeletal Energetic Therapy (SET), Physical Therapy (PT), Cognitive Brain Training (CBT), and psychological counseling. I was fortunate to be introduced to retired U.S. Navy CDR Dr. Joseph Dituri, Ph.D., developer of Think, “Better” – A Brain Injury Recovery Program, combining all the above therapies for treatment of PTSD, TBI, and other brain related issues. I recently completed this program at the Undersea Oxygen Clinic here in Tampa, Florida, under the direction of Dr. Dituri.
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The program includes hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOT) twice a day for an hour each, infra-red treatments, brain tap therapy, cognitive brain training, ice baths, and working with specialists to include a psychologist, life coach, physical therapist, and a skeletal energetic therapist (SET). This holistic approach addressed the root causes of my issues— versus giving me more pills—with amazing results.
Subjective Results
I did pre- and post-program subjective evaluations utilizing multiple recognized questionnaires. See the impressive results below: Generalized Anxiety level (GAD-7) which was not high to begin with but dropped to zero. Head Injury Rating (HIQ) dropped by 59% Depression (ZSDS) was minimal to start with but still reduced by 50% Sleep Quality (PSQI) improved by 58% PTSD (PCL) improved by 86% Overall, I feel more energized and sleep better thOverall, I feel more energized and sleep better than prior to the program. My nightmares have subsided significantly, and in fact I have more positive dreams that tend to be slightly more vivid. My outlook on life is even better than it was before (which was never bad). My attitude is better, and I can more quickly control potential triggers. I still slip once in a while but I am improving each day. And each day I am reminded that this is a journey, not a quick fix. The great part about it is that I no longer take medication for this nor do I feel like I’m in a stupor from them.
MY BRAIN ON DRUGS! PRE-PROGRAM
MY BRAIN NOT ON DRUGS! POST PROGRAM
Objective Results
miss our conversations now that the program is over. Not only did they help me to heal and improve myself, but I also made some new friends. I feel this is an alternative therapy that the Veterans Administration and the medical community as a whole need to approve and authorize use of.
Prior to the program my blood pressure averaged 131/85, and I was taking five different medications to “treat” my sleep issues, anxiety dreams, hyper- alertness, pain, headaches, etc., all typical of PTSD and TBI. My blood pressure now averages 116/76. Like most of us, I do not like taking medications that “help” by merely dulling the issue without treating the underlying problem. The graphic on the left of the following page was when I started the program and was still on my medications. I call it, “my brain on drugs”! Through this program I was able to come off all my medications* but one, for back pain, thus allowing my body to begin healing itself as it is intended to do. The graphic on the right of the following page is after concluding the program. I call it “my brain NOT on drugs”! *Everyone should check with their doctor before coming off any prescribed medication. (See footnotes for explanation of brainwaves) Phase Coherence is the top row of images in each graphic above and in simple terms, shows my brain network is now operating in a significantly improved manner. Phase Lag is the bottom row of images and in simple terms, shows my brain fog is greatly reduced at all levels of brain activity.
Impressions
I am extremely pleased that I had the opportunity to participate in this program and wish to thank the Special Forces Charitable Trust for sponsoring me. Without their support I would not have been able to partake in this program. www.specialforcescharitabletrust.org I found Dr. Dituri, his entire staff, and all the specialists to be true professionals, a pleasure to work with each day, and
The Way Ahead
This is an excellent alternative to “standard” treatments of PTSD, TBI, and other issues. As such, I am advocating with Dr. Dituri, Senator Jay Collins and Congressman Danny Alvarez to help push for VA recognition and acceptance of such alternative treatments. Additionally, Dr. Dituri and I are looking at the possibility of the Tampa Green Beret Association being a conduit for donations to allow other special operators/veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI and other brain related issues to be treated thru this program which costs under $25,000 per patient. Watch for more information regarding this effort in future articles. Footnotes:
• Delta: Slowest brain functions; unconscious bodily functions, sleep, dreaming • Theta: Intuition and creativity, camaraderie, communion, connection, drowsiness • Alpha: Conscious, reflective, restful • Beta: cognitive processes in waking state, task oriented, focus, solve problems • HI Beta: multi purposed interaction…With people not known to you and outward of your position, fight, or flight response.
TC (R) Richard Corson (Ret.) is President of the Special Forces L Association Chapter LX, and Vice President of the Tampa Green Beret Association.
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#TEAMFIREWATCH knows a lot of amazing people with incredible insight into helpful tips, programs, and assets for the veteran community. We could create an entire magazine with all the wonderful information to share. For now, we feature VET TIPS in each edition of FireWatch Magazine. Keep your eye out each month for information that can help make life a bit easier. In 2023 we heard from Mortgage Lenders and Real Estate Agents about VA Home Loans, and we learned the warning signs of Phishing from our friends at Martin Security Services. If you have important information to share with the veteran community, reach out to the Editor Team at FireWatch Magazine, Editor@FireWatchMagazine.com
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S IP
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PHISHING
WHAT IS IT & HOW DOES IT WORK?
Phishing is defined as the act of sending an email that falsely claims to be from a legitimate organization. The email is usually combined with a threat or request for information: for example, that an account will close, a balance is due, or information is missing from an account. The email will ask the recipient to supply confidential information, such as bank account details, PINs, or passwords. The owners of the website then uses these details to commit fraud. RULES TO REMEMBER
1. Too Good to be True: Lucrative offers and eye-catching or attention-grabbing statements are
designed to attract people’s attention immediately. For instance, many claim you have won an iPhone, a lottery, or other lavish prize. Never click on any suspicious emails! Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Sense of Urgency: A favorite tactic amongst cybercriminals is to ask you to act fast because the
super deals are only for a limited time. Some will even tell you you have only a few minutes to respond. When you encounter these types of emails, it’s best to ignore them. Sometimes, they will tell you your account will be suspended unless you update your personal details immediately. Most reliable organizations give ample time before terminating an account and never ask patrons to update personal information over the Internet. When in doubt, visit the source directly rather than clicking on a link in an email.
3. Hyperlinks: A link may not be all it appears to be. Hovering over a link shows you the URL you will
be directed to if you click it (usually displayed in the bottom left-hand corner of your browser window). It could be completely different, or it could be a popular website with a misspelling. For instance, www. bankofarnerica.com – the ‘m’ is actually an ‘r’ and an ‘n’ made to look like an ‘m’. Look carefully!
4. Attachments: If you see an attachment in an email you weren’t expecting or that doesn’t make sense, don’t open it! They often contain payloads like ransomware or other viruses. The only file type that is always safe to click on is a .txt file.
5. Unusual Sender: Whether it looks like it’s from someone you don’t know or someone you do know, if anything seems out of the ordinary, unexpected, out of character, or just suspicious in general, don’t click on it!
HOW DO YOU PREVENT BEING TAKEN IN BY PHISHING EMAILS? Talk to the person who sent the email. Yes, it is that simple. Call them and ask them to verify they did send the email in question. This is particularly important if the email asks for specific information that could potentially damage your organization, or if they are asking for money. Courtesy of www.MartinSecurityServices.com
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August’s FireWatch VET TIPS focused on real estate.
Everyone needs a place to live. For veterans and service members, your VA eligibility may be the key to home ownership. The FireWatch team asked mortgage lender Bryan Snyder to share some facts about the VA Loan.
Home purchasing is one of the most significant investments a person can make in their lifetime. For many, it is a dream come true to own a home, but the process of buying one can be challenging. One option available to veterans and active-duty military personnel is the VA loan. This loan program offers many benefits that can make the home-buying process easier and more affordable. One of the most significant advantages of using a VA loan to purchase a home is that there is no down payment required. The VA loan allows veterans and active-duty military personnel to buy a home without saving up for a down payment, which can be especially beneficial for those just starting out in their careers or who may not have a lot of savings. Another benefit of using a VA loan is that no private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required. PMI is typically required when a borrower puts less than 20% down on a home purchase. This insurance can add hundreds of dollars to the monthly mortgage payment, making it more difficult for some borrowers to afford their homes. With a VA loan, borrowers do not have to worry about this additional cost. VA loans also offer competitive interest rates. Because the government backs the loans, lenders are often willing to offer lower interest rates than they would for other types of loans, saving VA borrowers thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. In addition to these financial benefits, VA loans offer some unique features that make the homebuying process easier. For example, VA loans do not require a minimum credit score, and although lenders may have their own requirements, the
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BRYAN SNYDER NMLS #108432
Branch Manager/RMLO Geneva Financial, LLC O: 360-910-4756 M: 360-910-4756 E: bsnyder@genevafi.com BryanSnyderHomeLoans.com credit score leeway can be beneficial for those who may not have a high credit score but have other factors that make them good candidates for a loan. Another unique feature of VA loans is that they allow for more flexible underwriting standards, allowing lenders to overlook certain issues on a borrower’s credit report or income history that would disqualify them from other types of loans. These acceptions can be especially beneficial for buyers who have had financial difficulties but are now in a better position to afford a home. Finally, VA loans offer some protections for borrowers unavailable with other types of loans. For example, if a borrower experiences financial hardship and is unable to make their mortgage payments, the VA may be able to help them avoid foreclosure by working with the lender to come up with a repayment plan or other solution. Overall, there are many benefits to using a VA loan to purchase a home. From no down payment and no PMI to competitive interest rates and flexible underwriting standards, these loans offer many advantages that make the homebuying process easier and more affordable for veterans and active-duty military personnel. If you are a veteran or active-duty military member considering purchasing a home, explore your options with a VA loan.
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Your service deserves the highest level of our service.
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Branch Manager | NMLS #108432
360-910-4756 bsnyder@genevafi.com
Contact Me For More Information bryansnyderhomeloans.com
This is not a commitment to make a loan. Loans are subject to borrower qualifications, including income, property evaluation, sufficient equity in the home to meet LTV requirements for refinances, and final credit approval. Not all applicants will qualify. Approvals are subject to underwriting guidelines, interest rates, and program guidelines. Approvals are subject to change without notice based on applicant’s eligibility and market conditions. Geneva Financial LLC is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD/FHA or the Federal Government. Geneva Financial LLC is approved to participate in FHA programs but the products and services performed by Geneva Financial LLC are not coming directly from HUD or FHA. Geneva Financial LLC NMLS #42056 is an Equal Opportunity Lender and Equal Housing Lender. 180 S. Arizona Ave., Ste. 310 Chandler, AZ 85225. 1-888-889-0009. AZ BK #0910215
December 2023
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FireWatch Magazine
BRINGING THE ‘FIRE’ IN 2024 In 2024, #TEAMFIREWATCH will continue its mission to discover incredible stories, inspirations, objectives, and opportunities for all in the veteran community. You can expect more of your favorite series to include Without Glory by Ken Smits, Battle Briefs & War Stories, Veteran Voices, and Veteran Health & Wellness with Richard Corson. FireWatch Magazine will be launching a new series, FIREWATCH LIVE! Brews & News. This new series offers a monthly opportunity to join #TEAMFIREWATCH and their friends at the Veterans Adventure Network (VAN) for live-taped interviews of incredible people, hot topic discussion, networking, and friendship each month. Join us as we tour breweries in neighborhoods near you! FireWatch Magazine will remain a resource for veteran-based non-profit missions. Inside our pages, you can expect to find a continuation of stories identifying alternate and holistic healing methods, employment resources, local veteran events, and insight. We will continue to feature stories and insight from Kristy Verdi and Don Hinst while introducing new contributing writers specializing in areas relevant to the veteran community.
WITHOUT GLORY
Our journey continues with Airman Ken Smits as he enters his dream job, Air Force Air Commandos, in Vietnam in 1968. We get up close and personal to the horrors of war in the jungles of Vietnam and the northern territories of Cambodia and Thailand.
BATTLE BRIEFS & War Stories
We continue searching for the best “Remember When” stories from veterans nationwide. We share them each month in Battle Briefs & War Stories.
VETERAN
VOICES
Listen, you might hear! Veterans talk, and we listen. Veteran Voices provides a platform for veterans to speak about relevant topics impacting their lives. They share ideas, missions, challenges, and experiences.
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VETERAN
Health &
Wellness
We follow veteran Richard Corson as he is dispatched across the country to investigate alternate therapy programs offered to veterans. His reports reveal unknown opportunities and modalities veterans can discover and experience.
H FIREWATCrews B ! LIVE & News
2024
Lights – Camera – ACTION!
FIREWATCH LIVE! takes the interview to the next level with a live taping at a location near you! Come hang out with your friends at FireWatch Magazine and the Veterans Adventure Network for a relaxed evening with friends, BREWS & NEWS! Each month will include a special guest who sits down with the writers at FireWatch for an insightful, delightful, sometimes scary interview that will be aired on FIREWATCH WIRE. *Schedule is subject to change. Watch for the confirmed locations in upcoming FireWatch Editions.
Confirmed Location: January 18, 2024 • 5:30 PM 1916 Irish Pub 906 W. Robertson St. Brandon, FL 33511 Unconfirmed Locations: February 15, 2024 Yuengling Draft Haus March 21, 2024 Cigar City Brewing April 18, 2024 The Brass Tap May 16, 2024 Wulfaven Brewing Company June 20, 2024 Coppertail Brewing Company July 18, 2024 Rock & Brews August 15, 2024 Bad Monkey September 19, 2024 Bootleggers Brewing Co. October 17, 2024 5 Branches Brewing November 21, 2024 Double Branch Brewing December 19, 2024 Thirsty Buffalo Brewing Company
The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. If you have served at least one day of active military duty since December 7, 1941 and were honorably discharged or you are still serving active military duty honorably, you are eligible for membership with The American Legion. The Auxiliary and The Sons provide an opportunity for children, grandchildren and spouse of veterans to honor their family members that served our country, and keep their legacy alive for years to come. SERVICES AND PROGRAMS: BENEFITS CENTER CAREER CENTER EDUCATION CENTER HEALTH CENTER TROOP AND FAMILY SUPPORT USAA FINANCIAL CENTER WOMEN VETERANS BASEBALL BOY STATE/NATION NATIONAL EMERGENCY FUND OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS ORATORICAL CONTEST SCHOLARSHIPS MEMBER DISCOUNTS E-NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS CAREERS Join Veterans and our families 4th Monday of each month 5pm Auxiliary • 6pm Sons • 7pm Legion Plantation Palms 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd. Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639 www.americanlegionpost108.org December 2023
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