THE MARINES CORNER

[EZ2]

HB!

[HoosierHoagie]

Damn Straight Skippy....

[EZ2]

[HoosierHoagie]

Going for my walk before work....but when I get back....you know where that one will get posted...

[EZ2]

[HoosierHoagie]

Legends and heroes do NOT wear shoulder pads. They wear body armor and carry rifles.

They make minimum wage and spend months and years away from their families. They don’t do it for an hour on Sunday. They do it 24/7 often with lead, not footballs, coming in their direction. They watch their brothers carted off in pieces not on a gurney to get their knee iced. They don’t even have ice! Many don’t have legs or arms.

Some wear blue and risk their lives daily on the streets of America. They wear fire helmets and go upstairs into the fire rather than down to safety. On 9-11, hundreds vanished. They are the heroes.

I hope that your high paid protesting pretty boys and you look in that mirror when you shave tomorrow and see what you really are, legends in your own minds. You need to hit the road and take those worms with you!

Time to change the channel.

Yes....AMEN

[EZ2]

Amen!!

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=125244417

[HoosierHoagie]

Thank God they were delayed with the start.....hope they catch the Bastards....if they do just turn them over to the Marines...save a few tax dollars...

[EZ2]

Simply pathetic!

[HoosierHoagie]

WTF????

BREAKING: IED Explodes At Marine Charity Race In New Jersey, Multiple Other Devices Reported, Town On Lockdown

by Editorial Staff · Published September 17, 2016 · Updated September 17, 2016

One IED pipe bomb exploded along a charity run route in New Jersey Saturday morning. ATF and FBI are on scene in Seaside Park, New Jersey which is now on lockdown. The device exploded at 9:35am, right after the race was expected to start which would have seen hundreds of people running right past the IED.

The race, the third annual Marine Semper 5k race that benefits the MARSOC Foundation was supposed to start at 9:00am.

There were multiple other devices that were wired to the one that exploded but the other devices did not explode due to an apparent malfunction. The device that exploded was inside a garbage can but no one was injured because the race start time was delayed due to late arrivals and sign-ins. No reports on where the other IEDs were located along the route yet.

No one has been injured and the race has been cancelled and the area cleared.

Ocean County, NJ Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Al Della Fave told News 12 New Jersey “multiple additional devices” were wired to the pipe bomb that was detonated, but the others did not go off.







http://americanmilitarynews.com/2016/09/breaking-ied-explodes-at-marine-charity-race-in-new-jersey-multiple-other-devices-reported-town-on-lockdown/?utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=alt&utm_source=johnburk

[HoosierHoagie]

[HoosierHoagie]

Holy Cow Batman....that's awesome....HOPEFULLY...they have it here in Texas by the time Di visits....not even on a Border State yet....Hmmmmm

Morning EZ

[EZ2]

The next time you crack open a cold one, take a moment to appreciate the can.

Starting Sept. 1, 26 states have been authorized to distribute Dog Tag Brewing’s Legacy Lager through a partnership with Pabst Brewing Co.


Each can of Legacy Lager honors a fallen service member whose family was selected for a legacy grant. Dog Tag Brewing donates 100 percent of its profits to its Dog Tag Brewing Foundation, which benefits charities created or selected by each Gold Star family chosen for a grant..........

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/articles/legacy-lager-honors-fallen-troops-raises-money-for-gold-star-families

[HoosierHoagie]

LMAO....Ahhhh I really miss living on base...

[EZ2]

[EZ2]

Vet Centers

http://explore.va.gov/health-care/vet-center-services?utm_source=August%20Benefit&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ExploreVA


"I really just needed to talk to somebody."


Vet Centers provide community-based counseling, outreach, and referral services to eligible Veterans who served in any combat zone and their families. Services include counseling for transitioning and readjustment, military sexual trauma, and issues related to marriage, family, and bereavement. Referrals to VA mental health care, employment, education, and other services and benefits are also provided.

More than 300 Vet Centers are located throughout the United States. Veterans living in rural areas may also access these services through Mobile Vet Centers (MVCs), which travel from county to county to reach as many Veteran as possible.

Learn more about Vet Centers and MVCs or find one near you for fast access to quality VA care.

[HoosierHoagie]

Ohh Rahh.....Party on Garth.....Semper Fi

[EZ2]

Celebration Time ~~~~ 100 Yrs. of USMC-R !

http://www.marforres.marines.mil/USMCR100.aspx

[HoosierHoagie]

Sweet....will look at when I get home....and forward to him..

Good grief...who opened the floodgates at work?????

[EZ2]

No problem ---- totally understand! He might also
like to see the email which I just forwarded to you ie. F-18

[HoosierHoagie]

Sorry it has been super busy this morning.......awesome site....sent the link to #1...

[EZ2]

Semper Gumby!

http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/143/Docs/Onboarding/Marine%20jargon.pdf

[EZ2]

23 Terms Only US Marines Will Understand
http://undertheradar.military.com/2015/03/23-terms-only-us-marines-will-understand/

[EZ2]

Viet Nam @ 50 ~~~~~

http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/vietnam-at-50/1965

[excel]

22 people a day who served their country for you and I can't take it anymore and kill themselves leaving a wreckage of grief behind them.

Our government sends them over there would rather drug them up to SHUT them up and shove them aside when they know a PLANT God gave us is out there that allows them to get off all the drugs this government gives them but because the government can't control the $$$$$$$ behind the growing, use, etc of the cannabis plant they'd rather drug our VETS to DEATH then give them what they need!

Your government has 22 people a day BLOOD on their hands!

Free your VETS from the hell of man made lab drugs and free people from the poison of chemo when cannabis cures many more people of cancer and other diseases but because your government can't make $$$$$ and control the use they keep the propaganda anti cannabis machine churning along!

Please not only watch this, pass it on to everyone you know.
Free the CANNABIS PLANT!

[EZ2]

Military.com creates free mobile app to help military members transition successfully

'Transition' by Military.com, sponsored by Citi, eases the transition process

PR NEWSWIRE 8:38 AM ET 8/4/2016

MCLEAN, Va. , Aug. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Military.com launched a free mobile app today that assists military members through their transition out of military service and prepares them for civilian life.

Transition by Military.com is sponsored by Citi, and is free on Google Play and the Apple App Store (iTunes). The app provides a personalized approach to the transition process with an interactive checklist and notifications to alert the user of upcoming tasks and important military paperwork as far as 18 months before separation from the military. Subject areas featured in the app include: employment, finances, relocation, transition requirements, health benefits, education and veteran benefits. The new app is sponsored by Citi Salutes, Citi's firm-wide commitment to veterans, service members and families, led by Citi Community Development.

The app also includes veteran employment resources such as a job search function from Monster, the parent company of Military.com. The app allows the user to search for upcoming job fairs and leverage tools to translate their military skills to corresponding civilian occupations. The app is designed for all members of the armed forces (Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard) and members of the National Guard and reserve components.

"This app highlights the increasingly important role technology plays in the transition process. Our veterans are accessing more of the information they want on mobile devices and we felt it was crucial to make our tools available in a mobile format," said Greg Smith, President of Military.com and retired Navy admiral.

The app tailors the transition experience to the user, acknowledging that veterans are a diverse group of people with different needs. A senior officer or enlisted person with 20-plus years in the service will have very different transition needs than a junior officer or enlisted member with four to eight years of service.

Smith said that range of experience levels was one of the driving factors behind developing the app. "We know the military and we know what veterans need as they leave the service. We are proud to partner with Citi to break new ground in how we equip our veterans to transition to post-military life."

"At Citi, we are committed to empowering military personnel and veterans with the tools they need to realize their economic and professional ambitions as they transition out of the military," said Mike O'Neill, Chairman, Citigroup Inc. and former Marine Corps Lieutenant. "Whether it is finding employment, purchasing a new home, or learning how to create a budget, it is our duty to help ensure that our nation's transitioning servicemembers get the support they need."

"Through Citi Salutes, our firm-wide commitment to veterans, service members, and families, led by Citi Community Development, we are proud to collaborate with Military.com to harness technology to provide vital resources that will serve those who bravely served our country," said Ruth Christopherson, Senior Vice President of Citi Community Development and Citi Salutes and retired Colonel, South Dakota National Guard.

Citi is a past recipient of numerous awards for veteran and military efforts, including the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, Victory Media's Top 100 Military Friendly Companies, and the Financial Institutions Supporting Heroes Award from VeteransPlus. The firm is also a founding partner of Veterans on Wall Street.

About Military.com
Military.com is the nation's largest military and veteran online news and membership organization serving active duty personnel, reservists, guard members, retirees, veterans, family members, defense workers and those considering military careers. A leader in veteran employment and solutions for companies looking to hire veterans, Military.com offers employment tools, transition assistance, and employer resources as well as military discounts, and information on all of the benefits earned in service. Military.com is a business unit of Monster Worldwide Inc. More information is available at www.military.com.

About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube:www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi.

Links:
Military.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Militarydotcom
Military.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/MilitaryDotCom
Military.com Google+: http://plus.google.com/+MilitaryDotCom
Military.com Press Center:

http://www.military.com/aboutus/twocolumn/0,15929,Press-Room,00.html

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/militarycom-creates-free-mobile-app-to-help-military-members-transition-successfully-300309207.html

SOURCE Military.com

[HoosierHoagie]

SPOT ON

[EZ2]

Editor's note: The following column originally appeared on the website US Defense Watch. It is reprinted with permission.

Dear Mr. Khan,

I, like millions of Americans saw your speech at the DNC on Thursday night.

I wish to offer my sympathy for the death of your son, Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in action in Iraq.

As a former US Army officer, and a veteran of the Gulf War, I can certainly understand the pain and anguish that you and your wife endure every day.

Your son died saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. As Jesus told his disciples, according to the Gospel of John, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Captain Khan is a hero. I am sure the soldiers he served with regard him as one. I know you and your wife do. Rest assured that millions of veterans regard your son as a hero as well.

To paraphrase from the Book of Ecclesiasticus, your son’s name liveth for evermore.

Your son made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, a country that was new to you and your family and one which you openly embraced and certainly love.

When you and your family arrived to America from Pakistan, you assimilated into our country. You adopted American ways, learned our history and apparently you even acquired a pocket Constitution along the way. Good for you sir.

But, there are many Muslims in America who not only have no desire to assimilate, but wish to live under Sharia Law.

That is unacceptable to Americans. There is only one law of the land. That is the U.S. Constitution.

As you well know, Mr. Khan, we live in violent times, dangerous times. Muslim madmen from ISIS and other radical Jihadi groups are on a murder and terror spree across the globe.

Your religion of peace, Islam, is anything but that in 2016. That is a fact that is confirmed every time a Muslim shoots, bombs, beheads and tortures innocent men, women and children. This does not mean that every Muslim is a terrorist, but most terrorists, sir, are indeed Muslims.

A Muslim terrorist attack has become the sign of the times.

Regardless of what the feckless, naïve, leftist ideologue Barack Obama and his dimwitted colleagues John Kerry, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel state, the United States and the West are at war with Radical Islam. It is the job of the president of the United States to protect his nation from all enemies; foreign and domestic. Unfortunately, Mr. Obama romanticizes Islam and refuses to accept reality, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people across the world.

Groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have one goal, the complete destruction of the Judeo-Christian culture, our religions and our way of life.

Many Americans have families that have been here for decades, even centuries. Many families like mine have relatives who fought in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Some families have relatives who fought in the American Revolution.

We don’t plan on letting our country be devoured by Muslim maniacs. We are Americans sir, and not unarmed, socialist European zombies.
We will do what is necessary to protect the United States. While many Democrats and liberals see the world through rose colored glasses, conservatives understand that there is good and evil in this world. Evil must be destroyed before it destroys us.

Strong measures, wartime measures, must be taken to protect this country from those that wish to annihilate us and our way of life.

Mr. Trump’s plan to temporarily halt immigration from Muslim countries that are known to either support terrorism or harbor terrorist groups is not only pragmatic, but indeed it is constitutional. It is the constitutional duty of the president of the United States to protect this nation.

There is simply no way to vet hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees from war zones like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Europe is being destroyed because reckless leaders like Angela Merkel have opened the continent’s doors to a flood of over one million undocumented Muslims arriving with nothing more than a bad attitude and a haversack of Jihad.

Do you think Americans are stupid? While the left lives in a dream world, the right does not. Mr. Trump understands the threat to his nation and the threat, sir, is not from Swedish Lutherans named Anna and Lars. The threat, sir, is from radical Islam.

How in God’s name are U.S. immigration authorities supposed to know the true intentions of a 22-year-old Syrian man? It is impossible. You know it is impossible.

How in God’s name are U.S. immigration authorities supposed to know the true intentions of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and thousands of other sundry Muslims who wish to arrive on our shores?

It is impossible. You know it is impossible.

Whether you, your wife, the Muslim world and millions of Democrats are offended by Mr. Trump’s realistic view of the world is irrelevant.

Whether you, your wife and son would have been prohibited from emigrating from Pakistan to America under Mr. Trump’s wartime plan is irrelevant.
The security of this great land supersedes your desires and the desires of others who wish to come here now. The United States of America has no obligation to open its doors in order to placate foreigners and liberals in our government.

To adopt any other course but Mr. Trump’s would be a cause for further endangering the lives of Americans every day. That, sir, is unacceptable.

You attacked Mr. Trump in front of a worldwide audience, yet you can’t understand the fact that he defends himself against attacks from you, Hillary Clinton and the left. What else is one to do sir?

We must live in a world of reality, not a world of denial, delusion and fantasy the Democrats inhabit every waking day of their lives.

Radical Islam is the enemy of everyone on this planet who believes in freedom and justice. Until it is destroyed, this nation must protect itself from enemies both foreign and domestic.

Sincerely,

Ray Starmann

Ray Starmann is the founder of US Defense Watch. He is a former U.S. Army Intelligence officer and veteran of the Gulf War, where he served with the 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 3rd Armored Division “Spearhead!” Mr. Starmann was a contributing writer for several years at SFTT.org, founded by the late Colonel David Hackworth.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/08/01/open-letter-to-mr-khizr-khan.html?cmpid=NL_opinion

[HoosierHoagie]

Who Gnu.....you can never escape the eyes of Gunny...

[HoosierHoagie]

Clueless FIdiot

[EZ2]

Be sure to remember this one!
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=123957443

[HoosierHoagie]

/Salute....another Warrior senselessly gunned down...

[EZ2]

R.I.P. Matthew Gerald

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=123936613

[HoosierHoagie]

Truer words never spoken.....

Morning EZ

[EZ2]

Just remember ----- You cannot fix stupid!

[HoosierHoagie]

Brilliant....

“The media insist that crime is the major concern of the American public today. In this connection they generally push the point that a disarmed society would be a crime-free society. They will not accept the truth that if you take all the guns off the street you still will have a crime problem, whereas if you take the criminals off the street you cannot have a gun problem.”

“In the larger sense, however, the personal ownership of firearms is only secondarily a matter of defense against the criminal. Note the following from Thomas Jefferson:

The strongest reason for the people to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against the tyranny of government.

[EZ2]

The rifle has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own.


Naturally, it may be used by evil men, for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil.


And while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles.

http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/rkba/Cooper_Quotes.htm

[HoosierHoagie]

Grins.....exactly......SEMPER FI

[EZ2]

......,

[HoosierHoagie]

[EZ2]

Please join us. Together we will make a generational difference.

https://www.foldsofhonor.org/

https://www.foldsofhonor.org/get-involved/donate

[EZ2]

Trump: Illegal immigrants treated better than veterans in US

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says illegal immigrants are cared for better in the United States than the nation's military veterans.

Trump was speaking at the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally, which honors prisoners of war and service members missing in action. Trump was warmly received by the crowd despite having once said he prefers "people who weren't captured" when criticizing Arizona Sen. John McCain, a war prisoner during Vietnam.

Trump told the crowd that if elected he plans to "knock the hell out of" the Islamic group by building a bigger, better military.

He also reiterated his promised to build a wall to keep out people from entering the country illegally.

"Who's going to pay for the wall?" he bellowed. The crowd yelled back: "Mexico." ''Not even a doubt!" he said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-tap-speak-rolling-thunder-rally-capital-180042380--election.html?ref=gs

[excel]

Memorial Day deals for the military, veterans and the rest of us
BY STEPHEN LOIACONI
FRIDAY, MAY 27TH 2016

http://komonews.com/news/nation-world/memorial-day-deals-for-the-military-veterans-and-the-rest-of-us

[EZ2]

KNOW the difference !

http://www.whatsupfagans.com/2013/05/the-differences-between-memorial-day-veterans-day-and-armed-forces-day/

[excel]

Just unreal.

But hey, obamafraud would rather care about bathrooms and gay rights then the people who allowed this country to still be free.

[EZ2]

Subject: Vets declared wrongfully dead

<< compliments of online friend >>

Date: Thu 05/26/16 11:47 AM

Here is the web script posted on Action News.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/va-more-than-4200-people-wrongfully-declared-dead-temporarily-lost-benefits/303261212



Also, some more background info. on the story.

http://jolly.house.gov/va-reveals-it-wrongly-declared-4201-people-dead-over-last-5-years/



http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/25/va-stopped-benefits-thousands-vets-who-werent-dead/



http://www.tampabay.com/news/jolly-va-mistakenly-declared-4201-dead-in-past-five-years/2278864

[HoosierHoagie]

Dammit....they say 22 Marines take their lives a day.....I wonder how many of those DON'T reach out for help....

[HoosierHoagie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbtJDNmqpUY

[EZ2]

Obama to Become First President to Visit Hiroshima

DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. 9:25 AM ET 5/10/2016

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama plans to travel to Hiroshima for a historic visit to the site of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing that is intended to underscore his efforts on nuclear nonproliferation, the White House said Tuesday.

Mr. Obama, who will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, will make the trip with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month after the conclusion of a summit with leaders from the world's top seven economies.

While there, he will "highlight his continued commitment to pursuing the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," the White House statement said.

Mr. Obama expressed an interest in visiting Hiroshima in 2009 during a visit to Japan.

His visit there will come at the end of a weeklong trip to Vietnam and Japan beginning May 21.

Write to Carol E. Lee at [e-mail]


(END) Dow Jones Newswires
05-10-160925ET
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

[excel]

VA crisis line failure leaves local vet teetering on the brink, gun in hand
BY TRACY VEDDER THURSDAY, MAY 5TH 2016
Jim Cusumano




OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Every single day in this country, 22 veterans commit suicide. The KOMO Investigators discovered that despite an overhaul, the National Veterans' Crisis Line is still failing some veterans. And those continuing problems led one local vet teetering on the brink; gun in hand.

We spent an afternoon recently with Jim Cusumano as he paged through a photo album he keeps of his two tours in Vietnam. He was in the Marine Corps and returned from the war in 1967.

"There's one of me."

Cusuman's memories are as sharp as yesterday. Harsh memories.

"Actually these three girls got killed about two weeks after I took this photograph," he says.

He recalls they were shot trying to smuggle explosives through the barb wire surrounding the military post: "So they shot 'em in place in the satchels and blew 'em up."

They're harsh memories that he recalls with the nonchalance of a man who will tell you - he's seen a lot of bodies.

"They shot this guy right afterwards for trying to steal the garbage," he said.

Despite the nonchalance, Vietnam left indelible marks on Jim's soul.

"I have trouble because I have nightmares about being in country," he said. "I only have one mode and it's survive, and unfortunately it can be scary at times."

Cusumano, with his wife Barbara's help, has learned to navigate civilian life, avoiding triggers like busy malls and the smell of beer. But at 69, Jim's health has deteriorated. His PTSD is now exacerbated by the constant pain of a collapsed disc, and pinched sciatic nerves in both legs.

Barbara pats Jim's hand as she tells us, "I know what he's been going through - so much stress."

And then Jim developed a huge and painful hernia. And after a year of seeking, and failing to find treatment, "I just finally had cracked."

Jim describes the pain like a flame held under his hand with no letup. Then, two months ago Jim was home alone and hit rock bottom.

"It got to the point where I just couldn't take any more of the pain, I just wanted to stop it."

Jim called friend and fellow vet Lance Axtell.

Axtell: "I was really concerned. I thought that he was going to cause himself and others harm."

Jim: "I was loading up a couple of clips."

Axtell: "I told him to wait, just stop, relax, I'd be over!"

That's when fear morphed into frustration. Axtell called the National Veteran's Crisis Line for help. https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ The voice that answers directs the caller to press one if they are a veteran. But Axtell says when he pressed one, "the phone would go dead." Axtell says he dialed the number again, and again, and again. "I called them up probably five times and every time that I called them up - they would disconnect."

Crisis Line Already Had Known Issues
The Veteran's Crisis Line was already under fire following an Inspector General's report (http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-14-03540-123.pdf) that found some crisis callers were put on hold or directed to backup crisis centers and then sent to voicemail. When we asked them about Lance Axtell's hang up calls, they couldn't say why he'd been disconnected. But the Acting Director of Veterans' Health Member Services Matt Eitutis went on to tell us that they are adding another 70 call takers and have implemented a robust training program.

"I am very frustrated that this continues to occur," says Washington's senior Senator Patty Murray.

Murray has seen the OIG report and says she will go after the VA to get this fixed. But she also acknowledges they've heard a lot of promises from the VA and the complaints still keep coming in.

"We have to continue to be aggressive and that's what I'm doing and will continue to do to make sure that the VA doesn't just tell me something in words but follows it up in actions," Murray said.

Back with Lance Axtell in February, out of frustration he finally called the Regional VA Hospital - and says he was transferred to a non-attended line that told him to leave a message.

"That's unacceptable," Axtell said.

At Puget Sound Veterans Health, Dr's. David Ruskin and Greg Reger agree. And they don't know why Axtell didn't get help.

"Our process is set up so that everyone who calls will speak to a qualified responder," says Reger. "The idea that a veteran could call and that not happen is unacceptable."

Reger says every employee goes through what's called "gatekeeper training" so that even a clerk or a maintenance worker who comes across a suicidal vet in crisis is supposed to stay with them - in person or on the phone - until a counselor is in touch.

But both acknowledge Axtell's experience shows there are still problems.

"So if there's anything going on in our system that loses veterans, that makes it hard for them, then we're not doing our job and that means we've got to start doing our job better," Dr. Ruskin said.

Pushed to the Breaking Point
Axtell gave up on the VA entirely and just rushed to Jim's house.

"He came over because he knew," says Jim. "He could tell I was in real bad trouble."

And when Axtell walked into Jim's home, they found him sitting on a couch downstairs. "Me and his son removed a firearm from him," Axtell said.

Jim adds his friend, "picked the gun up and went upstairs and put it away somewhere up there."

The police arrived and took Jim to Evergreen Hospital, and contacted Barbara who'd been out with their daughter.

"It was difficult to see my husband being tied down, I mean they literally had him locked with a key... and then he started to cry," she said.

It was another harsh memory for the Cusumanos.

Today, Jim's hernia has been surgically repaired; his outlook on life is much brighter. He has no good words for the VA - but does have a message for other vets in crisis: "Stop. Think about your family. Hang on, it will go away, it will get a little bit better."

As for the VA? The Puget Sound VA Mental Health doctors stressed that in spite of any problems with the national crisis line, or even locally, they encourage veterans to continue calling if they need help. They promise to keep working to improve their systems.

Again, the National Suicide Crisis Line is 1-800-273-8255 and press 1.