Frank Nappi's Blog, page 3
August 12, 2012
Silent Explosions are Just as Loud
When one of our esteemed servicemen returns home to his loving wife, his
children and of course everything else that defines his life as it used to be,
but makes the chilling proclamation that “it would be so much easier if if had just lost a leg,” something is wrong. Major Ben Richards’ comment may seem a bit quizzical if not downright outrageous at first blush - but when one reads the tragic story that defines the life of this extraordinary soldier -- one that is replete with a series of brain injuries suffered as a result of a car bomb in Iraq in 2007 -- it all begins to make sense. Well, not all of it.
But one thing becomes crystal clear; when one of our esteemed servicemen
returns home to his loving wife, his children and of course everything else that defines his life as it used to be, but makes the chilling proclamation that “it would be so much easier if if had just lost a leg,” our government needs to listen.
The story of Major Ben Richards is a tough one to hear. He was a brilliant young man who possessed an IQ of 148 and proficiency in several languages, as well as an array of other talents that engendered glowing reviews and honors from West Point, is now but a shell of his former self. In the wake of the repeated head injuries he suffered in Iraq during his tour of duty, Major Richards, who suffers from both TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), is having great difficulty executing even the most rudimentary tasks germane to basic everyday living. He possesses the “same skin,” his wife Farrah says, “but is completely different on the inside.”
This same insidious residue of war that has plagued soldiers for years- including our WWII veterans and
those men who fought in Korea and Vietnam as well -- has now threatened to
destroy a young man’s livelihood as well as his marriage and entire family.
And that isn’t even the real tragedy here.
The real tragedy, one that is as unconscionable as it is sad, is that our
government has just chosen to ignore him.
So despite months of struggles with headaches, fatigue, insomnia, fainting
spells and general inability to process things that are essentially routine for
most, Major Richards received no assistance because, in the infinite wisdom of The United States Military, if a soldier is physically capable of fighting, then he is not really injured.
Right.
With all due deference to President Obama and his declaration that we need “all hands on deck” to eradicate situations like these, the beat goes on.
In his New York Times article entitled “War Wounds,” , Nicholas D. Kristof cites that “for every soldier killed in the war this year, about 25 veterans now take their own lives.”
Wow.
Statistics like this go a long way in lending veracity to the notion that at times, the greatest enemy our servicemen today face resides within.
Richards, who recently retired from his teaching position at West Point due to
his inability to focus in class, is now mired in the bureaucratic quagmire that
is our Veteran’s Administration. And while there are always fraudulent claims
that muddy the waters and make the swift rendering of benefits a little more
difficult, cases like that of Major Richards should not languish in this
suspended state of oblivion for this long. It defies logic and reason, not to
mention compassion and understanding. And it is certainly antithetical to the
swift execution of the other facets of the military experience -- draft,
bootcamp, specialized training and then the swift placement directly in the
middle of a firefight -- all in about six months.
The average wait for a veteran to have his/her application for benefits approved is eight months. And those are the lucky ones.
Major Richards is still waiting.
And the egregious failure of our VA with regard to Major Richards in particular
remains a deplorable mystery. It ranges from circuitous responses from VA
personnel regarding what benefits the Richards family qualifies for to the
callous hanging up of the phone during one particular inquiry.
This, for a young man who devoted his heart, his soul and yes, his mind, to his country.
When are we going to begin taking care of our veterans -- all of our veterans,
including those who suffer from internal injuries that cannot always be seen?
Frank Nappi
Author of Echoes From The Infantry - a novel about the psychological impact of war on a veteran and his family after WWII.
children and of course everything else that defines his life as it used to be,
but makes the chilling proclamation that “it would be so much easier if if had just lost a leg,” something is wrong. Major Ben Richards’ comment may seem a bit quizzical if not downright outrageous at first blush - but when one reads the tragic story that defines the life of this extraordinary soldier -- one that is replete with a series of brain injuries suffered as a result of a car bomb in Iraq in 2007 -- it all begins to make sense. Well, not all of it.
But one thing becomes crystal clear; when one of our esteemed servicemen
returns home to his loving wife, his children and of course everything else that defines his life as it used to be, but makes the chilling proclamation that “it would be so much easier if if had just lost a leg,” our government needs to listen.
The story of Major Ben Richards is a tough one to hear. He was a brilliant young man who possessed an IQ of 148 and proficiency in several languages, as well as an array of other talents that engendered glowing reviews and honors from West Point, is now but a shell of his former self. In the wake of the repeated head injuries he suffered in Iraq during his tour of duty, Major Richards, who suffers from both TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), is having great difficulty executing even the most rudimentary tasks germane to basic everyday living. He possesses the “same skin,” his wife Farrah says, “but is completely different on the inside.”
This same insidious residue of war that has plagued soldiers for years- including our WWII veterans and
those men who fought in Korea and Vietnam as well -- has now threatened to
destroy a young man’s livelihood as well as his marriage and entire family.
And that isn’t even the real tragedy here.
The real tragedy, one that is as unconscionable as it is sad, is that our
government has just chosen to ignore him.
So despite months of struggles with headaches, fatigue, insomnia, fainting
spells and general inability to process things that are essentially routine for
most, Major Richards received no assistance because, in the infinite wisdom of The United States Military, if a soldier is physically capable of fighting, then he is not really injured.
Right.
With all due deference to President Obama and his declaration that we need “all hands on deck” to eradicate situations like these, the beat goes on.
In his New York Times article entitled “War Wounds,” , Nicholas D. Kristof cites that “for every soldier killed in the war this year, about 25 veterans now take their own lives.”
Wow.
Statistics like this go a long way in lending veracity to the notion that at times, the greatest enemy our servicemen today face resides within.
Richards, who recently retired from his teaching position at West Point due to
his inability to focus in class, is now mired in the bureaucratic quagmire that
is our Veteran’s Administration. And while there are always fraudulent claims
that muddy the waters and make the swift rendering of benefits a little more
difficult, cases like that of Major Richards should not languish in this
suspended state of oblivion for this long. It defies logic and reason, not to
mention compassion and understanding. And it is certainly antithetical to the
swift execution of the other facets of the military experience -- draft,
bootcamp, specialized training and then the swift placement directly in the
middle of a firefight -- all in about six months.
The average wait for a veteran to have his/her application for benefits approved is eight months. And those are the lucky ones.
Major Richards is still waiting.
And the egregious failure of our VA with regard to Major Richards in particular
remains a deplorable mystery. It ranges from circuitous responses from VA
personnel regarding what benefits the Richards family qualifies for to the
callous hanging up of the phone during one particular inquiry.
This, for a young man who devoted his heart, his soul and yes, his mind, to his country.
When are we going to begin taking care of our veterans -- all of our veterans,
including those who suffer from internal injuries that cannot always be seen?
Frank Nappi
Author of Echoes From The Infantry - a novel about the psychological impact of war on a veteran and his family after WWII.
August 8, 2012
Mark Sanchez/Tim Tebow Controversy Dominates New York Jets Camp
Check out my latest blog on Bleacher Report about Tim Tebow, Mark Sanchez, and the Jets:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
Let me know your thoughts!
Frank
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
Let me know your thoughts!
Frank
July 25, 2012
Bryce Harper of Washington Nationals Is Major League Baseball's Next 'Natural'
Check out my new blog posting on Bleacher Report about Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
July 22, 2012
Baseball and Fundraising
If you love a good baseball story & supporting good causes - do both with the purchase of my Mickey Tussler series. To learn more: http://shar.es/t91Qk
July 12, 2012
Diamond of Hope
R.A. Dickey’s stirring memoir “Wherever I Wind Up” is an intriguing reminder that baseball is, to many folks, so much more than just a whimsical game that
possesses only recreational appeal. For many of us, baseball is therapeutic or
at times even a haven in which we remain, protected from all that threatens to harm us, until the tumultuous tide of our lives has finally ceased to batter us and toss us about.
Mr. Dickey is not just another athlete; he is a wonderful amalgamation of
athletic prowess and soul and engaging intellect. More noteworthy is his tale,
one that is inspirational on many levels. He teaches us that even in our
darkest hours, there is hope. And that hope can be found many times on a
baseball diamond, where there is order and structure that is lacking elsewhere.
From the horrors of abuse as a child, to the crushing disappointment of an
injury that all but eradicated his dream forever, R.A. Dickey persevered. This
wonderful story of resiliency and redemption is one to which all folks can
relate, not just baseball junkies.
I suppose that I have such an affinity for this story because of the series I
have written. The Legend of Mickey Tussler, although fiction, tells a similar tale. For those of you not familiar with my Mickey Tussler series (The Legend of Mickey Tussler and the sequel Sophomore Campaign), the novels chronicle the coming of age of young Mickey Tussler – a pitching phenom with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
Mickey’s struggle for acceptance on a minor league baseball team during the 1940s helps to shape a story about overcoming obstacles, self-discovery, and the human condition.
As we begin the second half of the baseball season, perhaps we should remain mindful that so many of our baseball idols are not impervious to the awful vicissitudes of life that plague the rest of us. In fact, many of these “chosen ones” who are not nearly as articulate as R.A. Dickey suffer in silence, with the ballpark serving as their only refuge.
I’m quite certain that R.A. Dickey’s telling of his story was cathartic for him, as is all good writing. However, let us not diminish for a second the value it continues to have for the general public -- “regular folks” who are looking for guidance and inspiration wherever they can find it -- yes, even on the baseball field.
possesses only recreational appeal. For many of us, baseball is therapeutic or
at times even a haven in which we remain, protected from all that threatens to harm us, until the tumultuous tide of our lives has finally ceased to batter us and toss us about.
Mr. Dickey is not just another athlete; he is a wonderful amalgamation of
athletic prowess and soul and engaging intellect. More noteworthy is his tale,
one that is inspirational on many levels. He teaches us that even in our
darkest hours, there is hope. And that hope can be found many times on a
baseball diamond, where there is order and structure that is lacking elsewhere.
From the horrors of abuse as a child, to the crushing disappointment of an
injury that all but eradicated his dream forever, R.A. Dickey persevered. This
wonderful story of resiliency and redemption is one to which all folks can
relate, not just baseball junkies.
I suppose that I have such an affinity for this story because of the series I
have written. The Legend of Mickey Tussler, although fiction, tells a similar tale. For those of you not familiar with my Mickey Tussler series (The Legend of Mickey Tussler and the sequel Sophomore Campaign), the novels chronicle the coming of age of young Mickey Tussler – a pitching phenom with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
Mickey’s struggle for acceptance on a minor league baseball team during the 1940s helps to shape a story about overcoming obstacles, self-discovery, and the human condition.
As we begin the second half of the baseball season, perhaps we should remain mindful that so many of our baseball idols are not impervious to the awful vicissitudes of life that plague the rest of us. In fact, many of these “chosen ones” who are not nearly as articulate as R.A. Dickey suffer in silence, with the ballpark serving as their only refuge.
I’m quite certain that R.A. Dickey’s telling of his story was cathartic for him, as is all good writing. However, let us not diminish for a second the value it continues to have for the general public -- “regular folks” who are looking for guidance and inspiration wherever they can find it -- yes, even on the baseball field.
July 2, 2012
Best Buddies...fundraiser.....
Read my guest blog for Best Buddies International - which includes a fundraising effort for greater autism awareness with my Mickey Tussler series:
http://bestbuddiesblog.wordpress.com/...
http://bestbuddiesblog.wordpress.com/...
July 1, 2012
June 28, 2012
Let Freedom Ring
There are some things in our great country that are timeless: the Grand Canyon and Red Rocks of Sedona; Mount Rushmore and the white sands of Siesta Key Beach; the Golden Gate Bridge at night, and the rows of Cherry Blossoms that stand before the Washington Monument; there are the waterfalls of Yosemite and the hot springs of Yellowstone; and of course, who could forget the Empire State Building and Lady Liberty in New York City?
There are so many wonderful things about The United States of America, all of which remain that way because of a belief that is also timeless -- patriotism and our desire to love and defend the constitution, something that enables us to continue to enjoy this
spectacular land of ours.
Some people would question whether or not patriotism still has a place in
our country today. The answer is simple. If you love this country, and all it has to offer, then you understand the importance of patriotism and accepting the responsibility for maintaining the freedoms we all enjoy.
These responsibilities include reading about issues that affect our nation, exercising our right to vote, and defending our borders in times of war. If all of us contribute to the preservation of our freedom, then we will remain strong and resilient.
It also remains our right and certainly our duty to espouse the importance of reading in order to ensure that we as a society continue to develop in ways that facilitate intellectual growth and knowledge of the inner working of our great country’s leadership. We all have heard and understand the adage “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.”
It was in this spirit that I wrote my
first novel, Echoes From the Infantry, published in 2005 by St. Martin’s Press
and re-released this June in ebook format by Amazon.
Echoes came to be after I befriended two very special World War II veterans in my community. As I heard their reminiscences I became absorbed in their stories of simple heroism--and of
trying to recapture what they'd left behind when they returned home. They are
the stories of men who never asked for recognition or adulation, only a place in the free and prosperous society they'd built with their own blood, sweat and tears--men who could never entirely leave behind the horrors of the battlefield, or explain them to their own children.
Shortly after, I synthesized those reminiscences and crafted them into a heartwarming and at times harrowing
novel. It is the fictionalized tale of one Long Island veteran, the misery of combat, and the powerful emotional bond that connected him to his fiancée back home and that allowed him to survive the war with his soul battered but intact.
It is about a father and a son, and their ultimately redeeming struggle to understand the worlds that shaped each one--one a world at war, the other a world shaped by its veterans.
As we celebrate our nation’s independence this July 4th, we need to be mindful of our rich history, of our veterans and service men and women presently overseas, and of the role that reading plays in allowing us to honor them.
There are so many wonderful things about The United States of America, all of which remain that way because of a belief that is also timeless -- patriotism and our desire to love and defend the constitution, something that enables us to continue to enjoy this
spectacular land of ours.
Some people would question whether or not patriotism still has a place in
our country today. The answer is simple. If you love this country, and all it has to offer, then you understand the importance of patriotism and accepting the responsibility for maintaining the freedoms we all enjoy.
These responsibilities include reading about issues that affect our nation, exercising our right to vote, and defending our borders in times of war. If all of us contribute to the preservation of our freedom, then we will remain strong and resilient.
It also remains our right and certainly our duty to espouse the importance of reading in order to ensure that we as a society continue to develop in ways that facilitate intellectual growth and knowledge of the inner working of our great country’s leadership. We all have heard and understand the adage “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.”
It was in this spirit that I wrote my
first novel, Echoes From the Infantry, published in 2005 by St. Martin’s Press
and re-released this June in ebook format by Amazon.
Echoes came to be after I befriended two very special World War II veterans in my community. As I heard their reminiscences I became absorbed in their stories of simple heroism--and of
trying to recapture what they'd left behind when they returned home. They are
the stories of men who never asked for recognition or adulation, only a place in the free and prosperous society they'd built with their own blood, sweat and tears--men who could never entirely leave behind the horrors of the battlefield, or explain them to their own children.
Shortly after, I synthesized those reminiscences and crafted them into a heartwarming and at times harrowing
novel. It is the fictionalized tale of one Long Island veteran, the misery of combat, and the powerful emotional bond that connected him to his fiancée back home and that allowed him to survive the war with his soul battered but intact.
It is about a father and a son, and their ultimately redeeming struggle to understand the worlds that shaped each one--one a world at war, the other a world shaped by its veterans.
As we celebrate our nation’s independence this July 4th, we need to be mindful of our rich history, of our veterans and service men and women presently overseas, and of the role that reading plays in allowing us to honor them.
June 6, 2012
Strange Start to 2012 Season Sets Stage for Exciting Mets-Yankees Showdown
Check out my latest article on Bleacher Report:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
Let me know your thoughts!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
Let me know your thoughts!
May 30, 2012
New York Mets: Rookie Hunger is the Key to Success
Check out my latest blog about the New York Mets on BleacherReport:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
Let me know what you think!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12...
Let me know what you think!
