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SFTT Salutes: Lance Corporal Charlton E. Johnson USMC, and his Canine Companion Aliana (Ali)

STAND FOR THE TROOPS (SFTT) is honoring service dogs with our Service Dog Salute Photo Campaign that celebrates the unique relationship between Veterans and their canine companions. SFTT recognizes the significant role these support animals play and wants to show-and-tell this fact to the world.

Lance Corporal Charlton E Johnson Weapons Expert USMC, and his Canine Companion Aliana (Ali)

I am Lance Corporal Charlton E Johnson Weapons Expert USMC, Attached to a Weapons Plt in Golf Co 2nd Bn 5th Mar 1st ...

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SFTT Service Dog Salute Photo Campaign

‘Some dogs help people see, while others
help them forget what they’ve seen!’

Stand for the Troops (SFTT), the David Hackworth legacy foundation, is Saluting Service Dogs with a photo campaign launching on PTSD Awareness Day, June 27th, 2018. Veterans and their families are encouraged to submit candid or portrait photographs of themselves and their service dog companion along with a short narrative about WHY this canine relationship has reduced the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTSD). The campaign will ...

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What I Should Have Said About Veterans with PTSD and TBI

Not long ago I had the opportunity to represent the warrior-run non-profit One Mind for Research at a Hollywood Telethon to raise money for Veteran charities. My role in the production was a live, 90-second interview on stage with actor and host Alan Alda. We talked very briefly about my experience as a wounded warrior with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mr. Alda asked me: what did I expect when I returned home from a ...

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The Battle of Dai Do, Republic of Viet Nam (May 1968)

In his reflections on this battle along the north bank of the Cua Viet River when one Marine infantry battalion (2d Battalion, 4th Marines) went nose-to-nose with a North Vietnamese Army division, a Marine wrote today (May 3, 2013):

AN ENDURING RECOLLECTION WAS A SCENE AT THE MOST DISTANT POINT OF MARINE ADVANCE. AMONG THE NVA BODIES THERE LAY A SHORT LINE OF DEAD MARINES, LIKELY OF FOX COMPANY. ONE MARINE WAS SPRAWLED HEAD FIRST ACROSS ...

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PTSD and Military Suicides

Talking about the suicide  of a loved one is not easy.  There is always a sense of guilt that “I could have done more,” but this is generally not the case for military veterans suffering from PTSD or as SFTT prefers to call it:  PTS  (“Post Traumatic Stress”).  Let’s remove the “disorder” stigma for what is now the signature wound of  many warriors who have served our country so valiantly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

SFTT will continue to provide a ...

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Remembering our Vietnam Veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice

I recently received the following letter from American Legion Post #184 which is quoted below in its entirety.   I think it is fair to say that rarely a day goes by when those in SFTT to not think about Vietnam and the valiant warriors who sacrificed so much.   We applaud your inspired effort to honor these heroes and hope that we as a society have the same resolute passion to honor those who serve in uniform today.    Our ...

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Iraq’s Triangle of Death: A Mother’s Story

SFTT received the following note from Sue Diaz, journalist, Blue Star mom and a leader of writing workshops for veterans. SFTT is proud to share a Mother’s story which she documents in Minefield’s of the Heart.

“I’d like to share with you a video story of the beginning of my son’s journey home after two long deployments in Iraq’s Triangle of Death.   Here’s the YouTube link:

It’s a true story that also offers hope. ...

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Afghanistan: Just another face of the War

Editor’s Note:  The following story is provided by the spouse of a brave servicemember serving in Afghanistan.  While SFTT focuses primarily on essential combat equipment and protective gear to safeguard our troops, it appears that our troops can’t even find the basic necessities at reasonable prices in Afghanistan.  We hope this is the exception, but we suspect not.

QUOTE

My husband is in the military and just recently deployed to Afghanistan, unfortunately his Battalion is stationed at Camp Holland ...

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TSA and US Troops returning from Afghanistan

Editor’s Note:   The following story was recently received by SFTT.  We have not been able to determine the veracity of this story, but regular contributors to SFTT believe that many details “ring true.”  SFTT has taken the liberty of changing some of the more obvious details of the story to protect the identity of the author.  

This story in no way reflects negatively on the TSA and the awesome responsibility it has in protecting our transportation security.  Nevertheless, the scene described below – ...

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