The Oak Ridge Senior Center will honor veterans with a drop-in recognition from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, November 11.
All veterans who preregister by Tuesday, November 9, will receive a special goodie bag, a press release said.
“Please call the Senior Center to register so staff can have an accurate head count of veterans attending,” the release said.
[Read more…]
This photo of the Oak Ridge Community Band was taken at the Oct. 6 concert held in Knoxville’s Sacred Heart Cathedral. (Submitted photo)
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The Oak Ridge Community Band is inviting the public and all area veterans to come to its “Veterans Salute” concert this Sunday afternoon, 3:30 p.m., at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center, a press release said.
The program will be a tribute to veterans for their service to the country and a recognition of all veterans in attendance at this concert, the press release said.
“The public is encouraged to bring family and friends and take this opportunity to show your appreciation for our veterans,” the release said.
In accordance with the Community Band’s new policy for its indoor concerts, there is no admission fee. [Read more…]
An Oak Ridge Team recently sped up a computer model that helps predict veteran suicide risk. (Image credit: Carlos Jones, ORNL)
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Submitted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory
More than 6,000 veterans died by suicide in 2016, and from 2005 to 2016, the rate of veteran suicides in the United States increased by more than 25 percent.
Suicide prevention is the highest priority for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—so much so that in recent years, the VA has started using predictive models and advanced informatics (the study of information processing; computer science) to identify at-risk veterans.
One model of this type is called the medication possession ratio algorithm. It creates individualized summaries of veterans’ medication patterns, such as which medications a veteran is prescribed and how often those prescriptions are filled. The model helps clinicians pinpoint veterans with inconsistent medication usage patterns. These veterans are known to have a higher risk of attempting suicide in the next month.
In a collaborative project with the VA, a team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has taken the model and engineered the expanded version of it to run 300 times faster, gaining an unprecedented acceleration that might have a profound effect on the VA’s ability to reach susceptible veterans quickly. [Read more…]
By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. – His life shattered by war, this veteran enrolled in Roane State Community College to send a message to young people.
“I want to show my five kids no matter how old you are or your circumstances, you can still go to college and better yourself,†former Army Sgt. Chris Walters said.
Walters, 46, enlisted in the Army right after graduating from Stratford High School in Nashville. He repeatedly fought for his country; in the first Operation Desert Storm, then Iraq, then Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, he was attached to a special forces group; soldiers at the spear tip of combat.
He and three other GIs were in a Humvee on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan on Feb. 26, 2005, when an improvised explosive device detonated under the vehicle.
Two soldiers were killed, and Walters and the other surviving soldier sustained life-threatening injuries.
Walters said the explosion “messed up my back and neck,†along with numerous other injuries. He also sustained traumatic brain injuries and is almost deaf in his right ear.
Shrapnel remains embedded in an arm and hip. He also wears leg braces because his knees were damaged from too many parachute jumps.
Walters was diagnosed with chronic and debilitating Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and was told he could never work again. For years, he said he battled depression and drank heavily. He said he’s lucky if he can get three hours of sleep, and nightmares come frequently.
Then, there are the “triggers†– a tire blowing out, fireworks – that instantly bring back the horrors of war. Still, he calls his military service “just a job. I wish I could do it again.â€
Walters credits his wife of 12 years – Angela – a Roane State student studying to be a nurse, for inspiring him to go to Roane State. “She’s been with me through it all,†he said of his post-combat ordeals.
“She looked at me one day and said, ‘Why don’t you go back to school?’â€
Walters said he had taken some college courses while he was in the military, and he’s finished his first year of studies at Roane State. He kept a 4.0 grade point average his first semester. His spring semester was a “little tricky,†Walters said, but he’s still pulling down good grades.
“My 16-year-old looked at me and asked if his mom did all the work,†he said. Between him and his wife, Walters said they have five children, ranging in age from 4 to 20.
“The children are impressed with my GPA, and I’m encouraging them to enroll at Roane State,†he said. As for himself, Walters said he plans to return to Roane State’s Cumberland County campus next fall and obtain his associate’s degree.
“I’m extremely pleased with my instructors,†the Crossville resident said. “They’re outstanding. They offer support and help. They are on top of it.â€
Walters is uncertain whether he’ll pursue a bachelor’s degree after he graduates from Roane State next spring.
He’s taking life one day at a time.
Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at roanestate.edu/reconnect. For more information about veterans services at Roane State, visit roanestate.edu/veterans.
The Oak Ridge Community Band is pictured above in a concert directed by Dale Pendley at Oak Ridge High School. (Submitted photo)
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November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, and to celebrate this event, the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will present “Musical Salute to Veterans” concert on Sunday afternoon, November 12, in the sanctuary at Central Baptist Church.
Central Baptist Church is at 130 Providence Road, just across the street from Oak Ridge High School. The performance will begin at 3:30 p.m., and all area veterans plus family and friends are especially invited to attend this concert, which will include recognition of veterans and their service to our country, a press release said.
There will be no admission fee for this concert, but donations will be gratefully appreciated, the press release said.
It said band director Dale Pendley has planned a program of patriotic music and tunes, along with a reading of names of veterans attending the concert. Men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces can sign their name, rank, and branch of service at the ticket table, and these names will be read during the concert program. Program announcer will be Maggie Bayer, retired USAF reserve lieutenant colonel and a member of the Community Band’s percussion section. [Read more…]
CLINTON—Military veterans from Anderson County are again invited to come together this weekend for a community Veterans Breakfast, a press release said.
The breakfast, hosted by Anderson County citizens, is sponsored this month by Apple Blossom Café in Clinton, the press release said. The breakfast will be held this Saturday, June 10, at the Clinton Community Center. “Chow line†opens at 8:30 a.m. and there will be a brief program at 9 a.m.
All of the Veterans Breakfasts will recognize and honor local veterans and their families for their service to the United States, the press release said. [Read more…]
Pull For Our Veterans, the Oak Ridge-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families, is beginning its 2017 fundraising campaign with its Second Annual Sporting Clays Shoot hosted by the Lucky 7 Ranch in Sweetwater on May 5.
The president of Pull For Our Veterans, Richard Stouder, said: “We’re eager to start 2017 with the first of our two efforts this year. We’ll begin in Sweetwater with our sporting clays shoot. Since we want to support as many different kinds of groups that help veterans and their families, this year we have two different organizations to support. One of the groups is Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, and the other is Operation Stand Down Tennessee. They’re both outstanding organizations that need our assistance. â€
The mission of Smoky Mountain Service Dogs is to enhance the physical and psychological quality of life for wounded veterans by providing custom-trained mobility-assisted service dogs at no cost to the veterans, a press release said. [Read more…]
Richard Stouder, center, president of Pull For Our Veterans, presents checks for $19308.50 to Megan Wynn of the Fisher House Foundation Inc, left, and to Eddie Mannis of Honor Air Knoxville. Pull For Our Veterans is an Oak Ridge-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping veterans and their families. (Submitted photo)
Pull For Our Veterans, an Oak Ridge-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families, presented checks in the amount of $19,308.50 to both Honor Air Knoxville and the Fisher House Foundation Inc. in a ceremony at the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association in Oak Ridge on November 29.
“Honor Air Knoxville and The Fisher House Foundation are two great organizations that do a lot, but they need help and we’re proud to support them,” said Richard Stouder, president of Pull For Our Veterans. “It’s gratifying to know that the money we raised in 2016 will be used by them to help support our veterans and their loved ones. We want to thank our corporate sponsors, Consolidated Nuclear Security, National Strategic Protective Services, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, and Clayton Homes as well as the many other sponsors, participants, and all of our wonderful volunteers who worked tirelessly to make these events happen. They are the ones that are making a difference in the lives of our veterans and their families.â€
Honor Air Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) that is dedicated to honoring World War II, Korean, and Vietnam veterans from East Tennessee and the sacrifices they made to ensure our freedoms. Each Honor Air trip costs approximately $500 per veteran. Every dollar donated is applied directly to the cost of the trip. No donation dollars are applied to administrative expenses. [Read more…]
Eddie Mannis (pictured above) served as the keynote speaker for a Veterans Appreciation Day event on Nov. 10, 2016. He is the founder of HonorAir Knoxville and highlighted the impact the organization has had on veterans and the East Tennessee community. (Photo by ORAU)
On Thursday, November 10, the ORAU Diversity Council hosted 2016 Veterans Appreciation Day at the ORAU Pollard Auditorium in Oak Ridge to acknowledge the great sacrifices and contributions of our service men, women, and their families.
Here are two photos by ORAU. [Read more…]
Pictured above is the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble in a previous concert at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. (Submitted photo)
Area residents and in particular area veterans are invited to attend the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble “Music for Our Military” concert on Sunday afternoon in Oak Ridge. The concert is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, November 6, in Combs Hall of Central Baptist Church, which is at 130 Providence Road.
The program will be a tribute to all veterans for their service to the country with music and a recognition of veterans in attendance at Sunday’s concert, a press release said. The program announcer will be Chuck Languth.
Veterans will be asked at the ticket table for their name, branch of service, and when they served, whether in peacetime or in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf conflict, Afghanistan, or in Iraq. During the concert program, there will be a recognition of these veterans and a heart-felt thank you for their service, the press release said. [Read more…]
The Grace Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge’s Veterans’ Ministry has partnered with Vet to Vet Tennessee to assist in identifying Vietnam Era veterans, spouses of those veterans no longer living but not killed in action, civilians who served the United States during the Vietnam War, or those who served in the military from November 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Spouses whose husbands were killed or missing in action are also included in that number.
“Grace would like to honor those in Oak Ridge and surrounding areas who are eligible at a service of reconciliation and healing, where Vet to Vet Tennessee Vietnam veterans will present them with a special service pin or spouse pin and a proclamation from the president of the United States,” a press release said.
The effort is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration, which was authorized by Congress and launched by the President in May 2012. The goal is to thank Vietnam Veterans for their service and to welcome them home, the press release said. [Read more…]
An exhibit at the Secret City Festival in June will honor the service and heroism of U.S. military chaplains of World War II. (Submitted photo)
An exhibit at the Secret City Festival in June will honor the service and heroism of U.S. military chaplains of World War II.
The exhibit, “Faith and Courage,†recognizes the contributions of a special group of veterans whose story is rarely told, U.S. military chaplains, a press release said. The dedicated service of chaplains to those who go into harm’s way for our country, their humble self-sacrifice, and their common, but little-known, acts of heroism exemplify personal values, traits, and traditions that are of unquestionable benefit to any society, the release said.
“This exhibit honors these exceptional individuals and attempts to extend the value of their service and sacrifice by keeping their memories alive as an example for later generations,” it said. [Read more…]
