“Someone needed help and they felt privileged to be given the opportunity.” UPDATE: The VA also sent Michael Sulsona a brand new wheelchair.

1. Michael Sulsona is a Vietnam veteran who has been waiting for a new wheelchair for the last two years. He says the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) has denied his requests for a replacement.

Michael Sulsona is a Vietnam veteran who has been waiting for a new wheelchair for the last two years. He says the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) has denied his requests for a replacement.

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Michael Sulsona / Via silive.com

2. Last week, his wheelchair finally fell apart as he was shopping at Lowe’s. A few employees saw what happened and Sulsona was shocked at how quickly they were ready to help. He wrote a beautiful letter to his local paper about the experience:

“In 1971, I stepped on a land mine in Vietnam and lost both legs above the knee.

For the past two years, I have been waiting to receive a new wheelchair from the Veterans Administration. In addition, I have been told that I am not entitled to a spare wheelchair.

On the evening of July 7, my wheelchair fell apart again, while shopping at Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in on Forest Avenue in Mariners Harbor.

Three employees, David, Marcus and Souleyman jumped to my assistance immediately. They placed me in another chair while they went to work. They took the wheelchair apart and replaced the broken parts and told me, “We’re going to make this chair like new.”

I left 45 minutes after closing hours in my wheelchair that was like new.

I kept thanking them and all they could say was, “It was our honor.”

The actions of these three employees at Lowe’s showed me there are some who still believe in stepping to the plate.

They didn’t ask any questions, didn’t feel the need to fill out any forms or make phone calls. Someone needed help and they felt privileged to be given the opportunity.”

update

According to VA Spokesperson, VA New York/New Jersey Healthcare Network, Sulsona received a custom wheelchair and have pledged to service his chair when he needs it:

“We were very sorry to hear about the reported circumstances surrounding Mr. Sulsona’s request for a new wheelchair. We quickly investigated and can report the Veteran’s new custom wheelchair was delivered to him today and it along with his back up will be serviced by the VA as needed.

Too many Veterans wait too long to receive their care and benefits, and this has never been acceptable. Providing Veterans like Mr. Sulsona the quality care and benefits they have earned through their service is our most important mission at the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

update

Chris DiMaria, the store manager at the Lowe’s wear Sulsona’s chair was rebuilt, told BuzzFeed via a Lowe’s spokesperson that he was incredibly proud to have helped the veteran.

“Whether a customer needs assistance repairing their home or a wheelchair, our employees are ready to spring into action to help,” DiMaria said. “Marcus, David and Souleymane are a perfect example of the culture we embody here at Lowe’s, and I could not be more proud of my team or our company.”

Read more: http://buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/lowes-employees-built-this-vet-a-new-wheelchair

A new report found military veterans account for one in 10 inmates on death row.

According to Yahoo! News, on Tuesday, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) released a report estimating approximately 300 of the roughly 3,000 inmates on death row are veterans, the majority of whom reportedly suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Most of the veterans on death row served in the Korean War, Vietnam War and Gulf War.

TIME reports the US Department of Veterans Affairs maintains PTSD does not typically lead to violence from veterans, but the DPIC’s study argued courts should give the mental illnesses more consideration before determining sentences.

Report author Richard Dieter wrote juries tend to be uninformed regarding the effects of PTSD. He also said defense lawyers for inmates often don’t even know their clients are veterans.

Dieter said,

If you have intellectual disabilities you can’t get the death penalty, if you’re under 18 you can’t get the death penalty.With PTSD, you can get the death penalty and sometimes it can be used against you.

The first death row inmate to be executed in 2015 was Andrew Brannan, a Vietnam veteran who suffered from PTSD and bipolar disorder, according to NBC News.

He reportedly danced in the street and said “shoot me” before fatally shooting the deputy sheriff who pulled him over for speeding. Dieter said the Vietnam veteran’s PTSD was so severe, he was given a disability rating of 100 percent.

In a different case, Courtney Lockhart spent 16 months in Iraq — which his defense team argued turned him into an angry drunk — before fatally shooting a college student in 2008.

An Alabama judge put Lockhart on death row, despite the jury’s decision to give him life in prison.

Twelve surviving members of Lockhart’s brigade were reportedly arrested for murder-related charges, and they could all suffer from PTSD.

In the report, DPIC Executive Director Robert Dunham said,

At a time in which the death penalty is being imposed less and less, it is disturbing that so many veterans who were mentally and emotionally scarred while serving their country are now facing execution.

TIME reports about 10 to 20 percent of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan exhibited symptoms of PTSD, and about half of them received recommended treatment and therapy for the condition.

PTSD also plagues about 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans and 10 percent of Gulf War veterans.

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Read more: http://elitedaily.com/news/veterans-death-row-inmates-ptsd/1279750/