Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

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1.   Forever after: A warrior wounded, a family challenged. Thousands of American servicemembers have been seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 12 years of war. But the collateral damage from those wounds extends much further, challenging the families of the wounded for a lifetime.
 
2.   For those who served, ALS looms as a new enemy.  There are several theories about why veterans are at higher risk for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, said Patrick Wildman of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association. “The risk is about twice the general population,” Wildman said. “It crosses all branches of service. It doesn’t matter if they served domestically or abroad, during times of peace or in combat.”
 
3.   Agent Orange leaves lingering, costly aftermath.There were a lot of young veterans with missing limbs at the 1982 national gathering of the Vietnam Veterans of America in Washington. At first, Ken Wunder figured they were all casualties of enemy fire. He was wrong. Some were casualties of Agent Orange.
 
4.   WAC veterans group dwindles in numbers, but not in spirit.   The World War II veterans who make up the majority of the Chicago Chapter of the Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association’s members are in their 80s and 90s. The Chicago chapter is down to 30 members. Of those, only five are able to attend the monthly meetings. But they’re not giving up.
 
5.   On Veterans Day, an emotional gathering of Vietnam veterans. Even more than 50 years after the first soldier was killed in the Vietnam War, grief still came flooding back for many who gathered on Sunday to honor the 58,282 fallen servicemembers whose names are etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
 
6.   Photo gallery: Veterans Day 2012 at the National World War II Memorial. An Honor Flight visit by 75 World War II veterans from Illinois highlighted the 2012 Veterans Day ceremony at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

7.   The Election Is Over: Let’s Make Sure Veterans Don’t Lose.  Huffington Post According to the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, the number of homeless veterans in 2012 is roughly 60,000. Based on a recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics the number of …

8.   How Much Must Women Sacrifice to Serve?  Huffington Post (blog)  In 2010, more than 20 years after her assault, the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs finally acknowledged that she had been raped and was entitled to disability. Approximately 19,000 sexual assaults take place in the U.S. military each year. Among …

9.   Small Business Administration helps veterans get start.. Port Orchard Independent  As the nation marks Veterans Day 2012, the U.S. Small Business Administration continues to build on its successful programs for America’s military veterans, helping tens of thousands of veterans each year with small business financing, comprehensive …

10.   Student veteran works to gather the troops on Bridgewater State campus.  Wicked Local  Students who are also military veterans face similar challenges, said Grishelda Hogan, a social worker at the Brockton area VA hospital who teaches a course at Bridgewater State titled “Social Work practice with military members and their families.” On …

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VRAP: Getting Veterans Back to Work

Are you or do you know an unemployed Veteran 35-60 years old? The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) can provide up to 12 months of assistance ($1,564 a month) for training in a high demand career field. Learn more about VRAP