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77TH Anniversary of d-day: The Importance of Mental Health Advocacy for Veterans and Active Duty

6/6/2021

A recent article shared in the Vietnam Veteran’s of America weekly newsletter earlier this year delves into the complexities that involve the mental-wellbeing of most Veterans and Active Duty from the time they begin service to after being discharged. In the article Eric Golnick, a former naval officer, a national veteran and mental health advocate and co-founder of Veteran and First Responder Healthcare states ``In the military, drinking culture is ubiquitous. It is the one activity in which nearly everyone takes part, due in no small part to peer pressure… [during] and coming back from deployment, drinking is a staple of military culture that, in many cases, remains with you after leaving active duty.” (1)
Yet, drinking isn’t the only factor to take into account when talking about a Veteran of Active Duty’s potentially damaged psyche. While the military has a staunch zero-tolerance policy on drug use for illicit substances, some service members have found a way around this in the way of prescription drug abuse. As noted by the American Addiction Centers “The majority of the abused prescription drugs are opioids, which may be prescribed for injuries resulting from combat or pain from carrying heavy equipment. In just 8 years between 2001 and 2009, the number of painkiller prescriptions written by military doctors quadrupled.” (2)
And to top it all off, some studies have found that anywhere from 11% to 20% of veterans and service members have PTS. It is estimated that 1 out of 3 veterans with PTS also has a substance use disorder. While there isn’t one solid reason that someone may drink and/or use drugs there are numerous risk factors that may make substance abuse more likely and hinder a worsening diagnosis, such as: unusual work stress from lengthy deployments, psychological distress from service and combat and the general normalcy that “military culture” makes of the uses of these substances. These uses can take a toll on not just the Mental Health of these individuals, but their physical well being by increasing the risk of physical injury by either self infliction, misusage or even unawareness. (3, 4, 5)
We have to advocate for Veterans and Active Duty’s mental health first and foremost by providing them with adequate resources and support to help make them feel at home again on American soil.
To find out how you can help please visit: https://www.ptsd.va.gov or https://americanaddictioncenters.org

The Law Office of Richard Pena is a Vietnam Veteran-founded Law Firm.

(Re)sources:

Happy [belated] Memorial Day 2021

6/1/2021

Memorial day is a time when our nation honors the men and women who died while serving in the military. We remember all that they sacrificed in order to protect our freedoms. As a country, we must reflect on what these service men and women sacrificed, be respectful to their memory, and say thank you.
We should be mindful that our freedoms are, in part, due to them and we should not take these freedoms for granted. These are based on the first amendment guarantees of "freedom of speech, and of the press; and the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances".
These rights are so important and we must remember that people who serve give their all so that we can enjoy these freedoms. We need to honor their memory and do what we can to preserve these unique freedoms. we need to be aware that we have a duty to speak up when we see any signs that these rights are being eroded. Our country has faced many ups and downs and we must come together when we meet both external and internal challenges.
This is the least we can do.

Happy Independence Day

7/4/2019

Today, we celebrate our country’s birth as the result of the Declaration of Independence being ratified. We have come far as a nation, since July 4th 1776, but it is important to remember that we can always improve and that we need to come together in order to stand up for our freedoms. The excerpts below from the Declaration of Independence may have been written years ago, but are important to remember in today's political climate.

These passages highlight our rights as a country. As we celebrate with family, friends and loved ones, we must be mindful of what July 4th stands for. Take time today to honor our servicemen and women who give the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. Their selflessness, bravery and courage deserve our recognition and appreciation every single day.

Wishing everyone a joyful and safe holiday!

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

5/24/2019

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100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF WWI

11/10/2018

Today we give special thanks and recognition to our veterans as our country comes together in honor of the brave women and men who have served and protected us and continue to do so. We feel it is imperative, especially today, to remember that our veterans span all generations and all wars. We must continue in joining together and actively recognizing our veterans every day.

Earlier this month Kelly Frels, past President of the State Bar of Texas and close friend of Last Plane Out of Saigon author Richard Pena, shared with our team a significant article from The Buzz Magazines. This article highlights the trip Kelly Frels took to Europe to visit the places his father was at during WWI. As this Veteran’s Day is the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI, we wanted to share Kelly Frels’ distinctive story.

What follows, are quotes from Kelly Frels with subsequent excerpts from The Buzz Magazines’ Travel Buzz article: “In Dad’s World War I footsteps” written by Journalist Tracy L. Barnett. The featured selections are used with permission from www.thebuzzmagazines.com. You can read the full story here: https://thebuzzmagazines.com/articles/2018/11/dads-world-war-i-footsteps.

November 11, 2018, will mark the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI. My father was a 22-year-old soldier in the United States Army whose 90th Division, under the command of General Pershing, was fighting the Germans in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive just Northwest of Verdun, France when the Armistice was signed at 11:00 A.M. on November 11, 1918.”

- Kelly Frels

“Attorney Kelly Frels grew up knowing his father had fought in World War I. When he and his wife Carmela saw a PBS special series last year on the war, they pulled out his father's "memory box."

“There . . . they found the diary he had kept of his service in the American Expeditionary Forces of the U.S. Army in Northern France in 1918 and 1919.”

“Inspired to learn more, Kelly and Carmela decided to extend a planned trip to Europe.”

“Their foray into the past opened their eyes to the bitter realities of that war, and the way it set the stage for the next one.”

“While the death toll of World War II was significantly higher, 10 million soldiers alone died in World War l. The total deaths of 20 million at that time was staggering. The intensity of the trench warfare during World War I led to battles with astronomical casualty rates - among the highest in history.”

“The Frels’ full immersion in the story of the war plunged them into some of humanity's darkest hours, making their way into the trenches and battlefields, visiting the memorials and museums. Some towns had been obliterated - nine villages in the Meuse department alone - and, as a memorial to their loss, the French had decided not to rebuild there.”

“The Frels had traveled here [to these parts of Europe] before with a much lighter focus…This year, with the centennial of WWI, the area took on additional significance.”

We leave you with a final powerful quote from Kelly Frels regarding his father’s commentary on war:

His comments, when made, were more about the suffering of the civilians and the soldiers affected by the conflict. He felt that war was a terrible waste of people and a squandering of resources. He believed that world leaders should take extraordinary caution to avoid wars, because what started as another European war of seemingly limited scope became the first world war.”

- Kelly Frels

As a nation we do more for all of our veterans. Service women and men give up everything when they go and fight for us and when they return it is our duty to help them, to recognize their sacrifice and to show our respect for them.

Thank you to all of our veterans.

To read Tracy L. Barnett’s full piece visit:
https://thebuzzmagazines.com/articles/2018/11/dads-world-war-i-footsteps

For more information on Houston Attorney Kelly Frels click here

In Memory of Many - In Honor of All

5/28/2018

click photo for source

Memorial Day is a time when our nation honors all who served and serve. We remember all that they sacrifice in order to protect our freedoms. As a country, we must reflect on what our service men and women do for us, not just today, but always.

Their sacrifices for our country are based on rule of law. The First Amendment guarantees "freedom of speech, and of the press; and the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (The Constitution of the United States of America).

These rights are so important and we must remember that people who serve give their all so that we can enjoy these freedoms. We need to be aware that we have a duty to speak up when we see any signs that these rights are being eroded. Our country has faced many ups and downs and we must come together when we meet both external and internal challenges.

We extend a thank you to all those who have served and those who serve.
Your selfless actions protect us all.

Wishing everyone a joyful and safe holiday.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

3/28/2018

March 29, 1973
By Richard Pena

The last American combat troops left Vietnam on March 29, 1973 – 45 years ago. On that last day of American military withdrawal, pursuant to the Paris Peace Agreement, there were two (2) commercial planes left on the runway which were to take those of us left out. Most Americans had left as had most of the press, officers, and doctors. Lining the path to the two planes were the enemy Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. Those of us left walked the gauntlet of Vietnamese soldiers onto the last two planes. A Vietnamese soldier took a picture of us getting on the plane which later hung in the War Remnants Museum The two planes took off from Tan Son Nhat Airport in Saigon as the last prisoners of war were leaving Hanoi. That was the end of the long American nightmare in Vietnam. Two years later the American Embassy fell.

On March 29th of this year America will observe National Vietnam War Veterans Day which was added to our national holidays last year pursuant to The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017. It is good and right that America now recognizes the courage and sacrifices of the 3.1 million American soldiers that were sent to Vietnam by our government to a war that history now recognizes as a colossal mistake. PBS recently aired a 10 part, 18 hour look at the conflict by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick titled, “The Vietnam War. “This quicksand war was aptly described by President Lyndon Johnson when he said, “I don’t think it’s worth fighting for, and I don’t think we can get out.” It is important that we not only remember those that served in Vietnam, but also the lessons from that war. In fact, of all the mistakes made in Vietnam the gravest would be our failure to learn from these mistakes. Vietnam taught us that we should be ever vigilant not to send American soldiers halfway around the world to a foreign land, into a civil war, for a questionable cause and without an exit strategy. Regrettably, our policymakers did not learn the lessons of Vietnam when U.S. forces were sent to Iraq without clear understanding of the consequences.

It is important for policymakers and the public, especially the young, to understand that war is not a video game and wars have consequences. For example, over 58,000 American soldiers were killed in Vietnam and countless others wounded, many severely. 3.1 million served, many coming back with PTSD or addictions. It is estimated that 1/3 of homeless are veterans and of those ½ are Vietnam Veterans. And then there are the families of these soldiers who also grieve and suffer. Earlier this month I was making a presentation before the Rotary Club of Dallas. A doctor came up afterwards and shared with me that his brother was a Vietnam Veteran who came back with severe PTSD. He would have nightmares at night, choke his wife and load a gun when he got angry. To this day he suffers from these symptoms and only now is he beginning to speak about his experiences. He cannot forget. Nor should America forget.

Many Vietnam Veterans say thank you for finally recognizing their service. Some others, myself included, want America to understand that we went to Vietnam because we felt we were, in some strange way, sacrificing for America. The America we sacrificed for begins with the Constitution and the first Amendment freedoms of speech, of the press, of the right of the people to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Over 58,000 died in Vietnam for these freedoms. Many of us recognize that these freedoms are now in jeopardy. We have fought external enemies and now it is time to fight against those within our country who would tear down our institutions and subvert our democracy.

And to the policymakers Ronnie Dugger, founding editor of the Texas Observer, said it best: “For God’s sake, don’t get into stupid wars.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Richard Pena left on the last day of American military involvement in Vietnam, is an Austin attorney, and the co-author of the book Last Plane Out of Saigon.

Merry Christmas from 1972

12/20/2017

Happy Holidays from the Last Plane Out of Saigon team! Recently we uncovered an important piece of history submitted to us by Richard Pena's fellow Vietnam War Veteran, Randy Borzilleri. Randy ran across the card below, which was sent by Richard while he was serving as an OR Tech in Saigon during December of 1972.

Randy sent the pictures of the card to Richard earlier this month with the caption:
"45 years ago . . . Christmas 1972 . . . from you to me"

Randy Borzilleri is mentioned throughout Richard's book Last Plane out of Saigon, but below is an excerpt from a chapter entitled 'Cast of Participants' regarding Randy Borzilleri.

We wanted to share this exciting re-discovered historical material that reminds us of our Nation’s past.
Wishing everyone safety, joy and hope this winter!

Autumn: A Time For Giving Thanks & Reflecting

11/22/2017

Pictured above is a Bald Eagle in Colorado Springs - taken by Richard Pena

During this time of giving thanks it is important that we take a moment to reflect and be thankful for all of our blessings that we have individually and as a country, both past and present.

At a time when our country is caught in polarization it is sometimes difficult to remember that America is still a great country. However, it is important to recall that it has remained great due to the valiant efforts put forth by those who fight to maintain our freedoms and liberties.

The Last Plane Out of Saigon team wishes everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving Season. Enjoy time with your loved ones and travel safely this November!

Our Veteran's Need Our Help

11/9/2017

Photo Credit: Bob Daemmrich - Texas Tribune

Photo Credit: Richard Pena

Every Veteran's Day, Texas Access to Justice Foundation submits an op-ed to be picked up by papers throughout the state of Texas. This year's piece is written by Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht (pictured above on the left) and Richard Pena (pictured above on the right). Their article is timely and vital as it addresses the needs of our Veterans and what can be done to help from a legal standpoint.

Each year on Veteran's Day our Nation has the wonderful opportunity to reach out and express how thankful we are for our Veterans and current service members. However, the truth is that they need much more than only our thanks and their needs must be addressed year round, not only on this holiday. You can find and read the full article by clicking any of the links below!

Waco Tribune - Herald: Article

The Monitor | McAllen, TX: Article

Texas Access to Justice Foundation Facebook Page

Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht has been a member of the Texas Supreme Court since 1988 and is a U.S. Navy veteran. Richard Pena is a Vietnam veteran and practicing attorney in Austin. He is a former president of both the American Bar Foundation and the State Bar of Texas and is co-author of the book “Last Plane Out of Saigon.”