
Legion rep warning veterans about being preyed upon, atrocities in Ukraine among today’s top items.
1. Russia faced a fresh wave of condemnation on Monday after evidence emerged of what appeared to be deliberate killings of civilians in Ukraine. Some Western leaders called for further sanctions in response, even as Moscow continued to press its offensive in the country’s east.
2. On Friday, The American Legion’s deputy director for Claims and Benefits, Marty Callaghan, was featured in a WBTV-TV On Your Side story to warn veterans about a North Carolina-based company the Legion feels preys on servicemembers. Callaghan zeroed in on Veterans Guardian’s practice of charging veterans for help that other organizations provide for free. “These companies are getting rich off of our veterans,” Callaghan said. “They’re basically, well, what can I call them? A pack of vultures.”
3. Last February, Sons of The American Legion Squadron 294 in Hartland, Wis., staged its third annual “Sleepout for Veterans”, when around 30 people slept outside for two nights in temperatures that ranged from the high 20s to single digits. The goal was to raise both awareness for and funds to assist homeless veterans. On Friday, Squadron 294 shared the results of their efforts, presenting the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative and Racine Veterans Outreach with more than $27,000 each. Each entity assists homeless veterans in Wisconsin.
4. The active-duty Army marked a grim milestone Friday as a Defense Suicide Prevention Office report revealed that the service suffered more suicides in 2021 than any other year since the Sept. 11 attacks. The 176 confirmed or pending suicide deaths for the service’s active component present a worrying signal that the increase in suicides that began in 2020, which saw 174 suicides, has not abated.
5. One of the most impressive coaching runs in NCAA basketball history came to an end Saturday when Duke lost to North Carolina in the Final Four. The loss marked the end of Mike Krzyzewski’s head coaching career – one that started at the U.S. Military Academy in 1975 before he took the Duke job in 1980. Krzyzewski played point guard at West Point from 1966-1969 under Coach Bob Knight and then spent 1969-1974 serving in the U.S. Army, coaching three different service teams. In a 2018 Military Times article, Krzyzewski called West Point “the best leadership school in the world.”
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