There is a saying to “Take your mess and make it your message.” This adage resonates deeply with my experience growing up as the daughter of one of America’s Veterans, a World War II father who suffered from PTSD. My father, Leland Oliger, enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1943 at 17. He thought…
Water: How much should I drink?
“I drink a lot of water!” “I do okay. I should probably drink more.” “I don’t like the taste of water.” “Soda is the only thing that quenches my thirst.” “I don’t get thirsty so I never feel like drinking water.” “Does coffee count as water?” Do any of these phrases sound like something you…
Skip the student-debt struggle with a specialty like urology at VA
Physicians at VA join world-class medical teams applying the latest technologies and procedures to caring for Veterans, particularly in specialty fields like urology. That’s because VA offers state-of-the-art care that rivals any care available in the world. We also have unmatched opportunities to skip your student loans and enjoy a debt-free career. Though efforts like…
#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Charles William Monaghan
Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is a Veterans Legacy Memorial project selection of Navy Veteran Charles William Monaghan. Charles Monaghan was born to Laurel and Dorothy Monaghan on August 27, 1937, in Clinton, Iowa. After graduating from Clinton High School in 1955, he studied business at the University of Iowa, graduating in 1959. After graduating college, Monaghan joined…
PTSD Bytes podcast on Problem-Solving Therapy
In this episode of the PTSD Bytes podcast, host Dr. Colleen Becket-Davenport discusses Problem-Solving Therapy with Dr. Shannon Sisco, clinical psychologist and Whole Health Clinical director at Michael E. DeBakey VA. What is Problem-Solving Therapy? While problems are a normal part of life, the way we respond to them can make a real difference in…
America250: Army Veteran John J. Pershing
John Joseph Pershing was born in September 1860 near Laclede, Missouri. After completing high school in 1878, he became a teacher of local African American students. He also studied at the State Normal School, now Truman State University, graduating in 1880, then competed for appointment to the United States Military Academy. Pershing spent his first years in the military…
Clinical Resource Hubs increase access to care for 500,000 Veterans
Veteran Jonathan Pearson makes his home in the great north woods of New Hampshire far from the large VA medical facility that serves his region. For years, Pearson received care for respiratory problems as well as treatment for his lower back, knee and ankle from a team of dedicated providers at the Littleton Community Based…
Comment on VA to host PACT Act events throughout July during ‘Summer VetFest’ by Laura Curry
When I was in Vietnam I was exposed to agent orange daily and knew nothing about it. Years later I heard about my exposure. I feel slam ducked and angry. Why did this have to happen?? Author: Laura Curry
Defeating Veteran food insecurity in El Paso
In early June, El Paso VA held its first free food distribution event and more than 100 Veterans took advantage of the new resource. El Paso VA’s Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) is working with two key community partners—El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank and the Armed Forces YMCA—on this summer-long initiative. “Bottom…
#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Overd Gordon Province
Overd “Gordy” Gordon Province was born December 9, 1923, in Los Angeles, California, to Joseph and Emma Province. In 1936, he contracted tuberculosis and was sent to Pine Knoll Sanitarium in Davenport, Iowa. After recovering, he attended Davenport High School and then entered the Army on March 11, 1941. He underwent training at Camp Wolters,…
A breath of fresh air: VA’s rural locations offer unique opportunities
When almost a quarter of all Veterans in the United States reside in rural communities, we know we have to meet them where they live. That means providing care all across the country, including many places you might not expect. From the greater sense of privacy, allure of open space, fewer people, or lower cost…
Reading program aims to unite military, Veteran families through shared experiences
United Through Reading has announced “Book for the Military Child” for 2023 as part of Operation Storytime, its three-year initiative to connect the next one million military and Veteran family members through the read aloud experience. The Book for the Military Child unites and celebrates military children across the globe through their shared experiences. This…