Comments on: A soldier's last, valiant fight http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/04/19/a-soldier-s-last-valiant-fight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-soldier-s-last-valiant-fight Military Veterans and Foreign Affairs Journal - VA - Veterans Administration Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:07:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Barbara Pledger http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/04/19/a-soldier-s-last-valiant-fight/comment-page-1/#comment-13965 Barbara Pledger Wed, 06 May 2009 19:59:39 +0000 http://127.0.0.1/?p=5914#comment-13965 Thank you, Harold, for getting Homer's story out there. He will be missed. His wife, Barbara Thank you, Harold, for getting Homer’s story out there. He will be missed.

His wife, Barbara

]]> By: Terry http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/04/19/a-soldier-s-last-valiant-fight/comment-page-1/#comment-13181 Terry Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:14:51 +0000 http://127.0.0.1/?p=5914#comment-13181 God bless you and your work for Veterans. I have watched several family members die from incurable diseases. All the men were veterans. I am also a 100% disabled vet of the Vietnam era. I tip my hat to you. God bless you and your work for Veterans. I have watched several family members die from incurable diseases. All the men were veterans. I am also a 100% disabled vet of the Vietnam era. I tip my hat to you.

]]> By: Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/04/19/a-soldier-s-last-valiant-fight/comment-page-1/#comment-13166 Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:24:29 +0000 http://127.0.0.1/?p=5914#comment-13166 My father was diagnosed with ALS in late May 2005 and passed away April 2006. It is one of the most awful illnesses I could ever imagine for anyone. It robs you of your motor skills to the point you can’t move, eat, swallow, and at it’s worst breath without special equipment. And worst of all it robs you of your dignity. With dad, it wasn’t truly noticeable until December 2005, he’ drop small things like a cup of water, a bowl of ice cream, then he fell a couple of times, and we knew it was only going to get worse and soon. Early March 2006 dad has asked to go to Sedona Arizona to see the snow on the mountains one last time and mom was more than happy to take him. Although it was a trip the doctors said he should not take, they went. It was only a 5-day trip but was cut short as dad began to have breathing difficulties. Once home, they were here for all of 3-4 hours when we had to rush dad to the ER at UCI Medical Center in Orange, California where dad stayed for a little more than 30-days. By then he was on assisted breathing (very mild) had a tracheotomy done and a feeding tube put in. We got to bring dad home where he wanted to be, and mom and I both provided his 24/7 round the clock medical care with a visiting nurse every other day. We got to have dad home for almost 7-days before rushing him back to the ER, where he passed away 3 hours later. I’m thankful in many ways he never had to experience the worst parts of ALS, but still to see the life drained from his eyes was the hardest part. From the time dad retired from the Marine Corps, till his illness took over dad fought every day for veterans, their rights and benefits. Today, I carry on the legacy he left behind, and founded the Veterans-For-Change a group of veterans and spouses who every month contact the members of Congress in their state and we voice needs and concerns and demands we have with the VA and VAMC’s. This is one illness I would never even wish on an enemy of the state it’s just that horrible. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VETERANS-FOR-CHANGE/ My father was diagnosed with ALS in late May 2005 and passed away April 2006.

It is one of the most awful illnesses I could ever imagine for anyone. It robs you of your motor skills to the point you can’t move, eat, swallow, and at it’s worst breath without special equipment. And worst of all it robs you of your dignity.

With dad, it wasn’t truly noticeable until December 2005, he’ drop small things like a cup of water, a bowl of ice cream, then he fell a couple of times, and we knew it was only going to get worse and soon.

Early March 2006 dad has asked to go to Sedona Arizona to see the snow on the mountains one last time and mom was more than happy to take him. Although it was a trip the doctors said he should not take, they went.

It was only a 5-day trip but was cut short as dad began to have breathing difficulties.

Once home, they were here for all of 3-4 hours when we had to rush dad to the ER at UCI Medical Center in Orange, California where dad stayed for a little more than 30-days.

By then he was on assisted breathing (very mild) had a tracheotomy done and a feeding tube put in.

We got to bring dad home where he wanted to be, and mom and I both provided his 24/7 round the clock medical care with a visiting nurse every other day.

We got to have dad home for almost 7-days before rushing him back to the ER, where he passed away 3 hours later.

I’m thankful in many ways he never had to experience the worst parts of ALS, but still to see the life drained from his eyes was the hardest part.

From the time dad retired from the Marine Corps, till his illness took over dad fought every day for veterans, their rights and benefits.

Today, I carry on the legacy he left behind, and founded the Veterans-For-Change a group of veterans and spouses who every month contact the members of Congress in their state and we voice needs and concerns and demands we have with the VA and VAMC’s.

This is one illness I would never even wish on an enemy of the state it’s just that horrible.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VETERANS-FOR-CHANGE/

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