Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 6:00 am
BY LEEANN DOERFLEIN - ldoerflein@ftimes.com
Frankfort veteran Jaime Jarboe passed in 2012 after he was wounded in action in Afghanistan, but his memory lives on. To commemorate his service, his widow, Melissa Jarboe, donated items relating to his military career to the Clinton County Historical Society. 
Melissa, along with Jaime’s father Andy, stepmother Vikki Jarboe and great-uncle Joe Root, presented items including his uniform, challenge pins, patches, dog tags and more to the Historical Society for future display in the Clinton County Historical Society Museum. The artifacts will join the museum’s already healthy collection of war memorabilia when the museum re-opens in 2017 after renovations are complete at Old Stoney, which houses the museum. 
CCHS Director Nancy Hart and CCHS Board President Mark Griffith were on hand for a ceremony at the courthouse veterans’ memorial on Monday. 
Jaime will be memorialized in the museum along with other veterans and important pieces of Clinton County history. Root was glad to see the addition because of his personal ties to Jaime and because it is a way to remind people of recent military sacrifice. 
“He’s my great-nephew and he’s the only name I’ve added to this memorial since it’s been here,” Root said. “It means a lot to have his stuff displayed here.” 
Hart and Griffith both noted that having a recent war hero’s items on display will serve as reminders to the public of the important role of the military in our country’s history. 
“I think that this will make people realize the sacrifices of servicemen and women,” Hart said. “Hopefully this will bring to their attention the sacrifices of not just Jaime Jarboe, but everyone ... dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War.” 
Before the donation Melissa had Jaime’s military items in a sort of shrine at her home, but she decided to reach out to the Clinton County Historical Society to offer the items to the museum. Though Jaime lived many places during his military career, she felt his hometown was the right place to display the items. 

“Frankfort is his home of record,” Melissa said. “Out of all the places in the nation, I thought this is where his stuff needed to come home to.”
Jaime served two deployments, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. During his deployment in Afghanistan, he was hit in the neck by sniper fire and was sent home to be treated stateside. He died 11 months after being wounded, at Walter Reid Hospital, with his father and wife by his side.
Melissa and Andy said he showed courage and maintained a sense of humor right up until the night before he passed. Even while fighting for his life and suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) she said, he never regretted fighting for his country. 
“At all costs, he never regretted his service. He loved his country and everybody in it, so much that he was willing to die for it,” Melissa said. “Jaime is a great example of leadership that we all should be as Americans, to selflessly serve one another in a unity effort. He didn’t serve for one group of people, he served for everyone.”
Jaime had promised Melissa to keep fighting until after her birthday, which is March 20. He died on March 21, 2012.
In return, Melissa kept her promise to fight for soldiers with PTSD. In addition to honoring Jaime with the donation to the museum, she is running a non-profit organization called the Military Veteran Project, which fights for veterans and PTSD research.
“Our job is to work with the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense to find a cure for it (PTSD),” Melissa said. “Because if we are going to send them across the ocean or wherever on foreign soil, we need to be prepared to take care of them back home ... We come in as a third party administrator to fill that gap and save lives.” 
In addition, each year Melissa is donating 100 copies of her memoir, “Sacrificed,” to the Historical Society to sell for the profit of the museum. 
Griffith said county residents can join Melissa in donating to the museum. He encourages people to examine their own artifacts because they, too, might have museum-quality items.

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Have you seen someone say Happy RED Friday? Have you wondered what that means?
If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter you know that every Friday we celebrate R.E.D. Friday. You most likely see lots of images #REDFRIDAY or #RememberEveryoneDeployed and lots of people posting pictures of themselves wearing red.
What is R.E.D. Friday?  RED is an acronym that stands for Remember Everyone Deployed. R.E.D. Friday was created to remind people of our heroes overseas and show that we are thinking of them. People across the country wear red every Friday to serve as a reminder and spread the message of how important it is that we keep our troops in our thoughts.
How did R.E.D. Friday Get Started?
Remember those email chains you used to get asking you to forward to 10 friends – or all of your friends? There were all kinds: some claiming ridiculous things, some trying to raise awareness for campaigns or diseases, and some that were just plain silly. This is how R.E.D. Friday originated: an email chain back in 2001.
According to SNOPES.com, the original email chain read:
You will soon see a lot of people wearing RED on Fridays. Here's why.....
The Americans who support our troops, are the silent majority. We are not "organized" to reflect who we are, or to reflect what our opinions are. Many Americans, like yourself, would like to start a grassroots movement using the membership of the Special Operations Association, and Special Forces Associations, and all their friends, simply to recognize that Americans support our troops. We need to inform the local VFW's and American Legion, our local press, local TV, and continue carrying the message to the national levels as we start to get this going. Our idea of showing our solidarity and support for our troops is starting Friday, and continuing on each and every Friday, until this is over, that every RED - blooded American who supports our young men and women, WEAR SOMETHING RED.
Word of mouth, press, TV — let's see if we can make the United States, on any given Friday, a sea of RED much like a home football game at a university.
If every one of our memberships share this with other acquaintances, fellow workers, friends, and neighbors, I guarantee that it will not be long before the USA will be covered in RED - and make our troops know there are many people thinking of their well-being. You will feel better all day Friday when you wear RED!
Let's get the word out and lead by example; wear RED on Fridays.
Please forward this to everyone you know!!
Wear RED on Fridays . 
Sometime in 2006, the RED Campaign was adopted in Canada by Lisa Miller and Karen Boier; the wives of two Canadian servicemen. Their purpose was to spread nationwide support of Canadians overseas. The color red worked perfectly because Canadian’s official color is red. Their RED Shirt Friday campaigns were organized as rallies that spread across Canada.
Eventually, a guy by the name of Lloyd (Doc) Hofmeister became involved in the Canadian RED Shirt Fridays and decided to take it [back] to America. Lloyd started a website called redshirtfridays.org.
Lloyd says on his website,
"I have come full circle now. I am no longer ashamed and I realize I never should have been! My hope is that none of our armed forces will ever have to go through this again. I have seen firsthand how troop morale is as important as basic training. If morale is low, mistakes are made and people die.
Our job is to support our troops and in the process we can help to increase their morale by showing we care. Let's face it, your show of appreciation could very well save someone's son or daughter's life."
And so RED Shirt Friday spread across the U.S. thanks to military families, spouses, organizations and Americans who want to make sure that our heroes overseas know they are supported. Join us!
Being a part of R.E.D. Friday is easy: just wear red on Friday and tell your friends why! You can also submit your RED Friday selfie and use #REDFRIDAY on our Facebook page to appear in our RED Friday collage every week. We also have RED Friday T-shirts in our STORE.

A little known veteran named Harry W. Colmery from Topeka, Kansas, is credited with authoring the “Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944,” better known as the “GI Bill.” His dedication to veterans after serving in World War I is a story worth telling and a legacy worth honoring. To honor him, the American Legion and the Downtown Topeka Foundation are sponsoring efforts to create the Harry W. Colmery Statue and Park in downtown Topeka.
After World War II, the GI Bill helped avoid a major recession during our country’s transition to a peacetime economy and the return of our veterans to the civilian labor force. Millions were able to attend college and technical school, receive unemployment benefits, and obtain VA Loans. College and university enrollment doubled by 1947. At one point, more than 50 percent of those enrolled in the country’s colleges and universities were veterans. The education and home loans made available to veterans under the GI Bill were instrumental in creating the middle class and the development of suburban America. Indeed, second, third and fourth generations are still benefiting.
Harry W. Colmery between 1917-1919. Source: Kansas Historical Society
According to the history provided by the project leaders, Mr. Colmery, a World War I veteran, came out of the war and witnessed the deplorable conditions many of our soldiers experienced upon returning home: No benefits, no training or educational programs and no jobs. In addition, many veterans were permanently disabled and unable to support themselves and their families. He made it his mission to advocate for the fair treatment of veterans and service members, according to the Topeka-Capital Journal. He joined the American Legion, was quickly promoted within the organization, and in 1936 was elected as it’s national commander. It was that year after hundreds of veterans marched on Washington, D.C., that inspired Colmery to draft the GI Bill to ensure that returning veterans did not experience similar conditions following the end of World War II.
“Never again do we want to see the honor and glory of our nation fade to the extent that her men of arms, with despondent heart and palsied limb, totter from door to door, bowing their souls to the frozen bosom of reluctant charity,” Colmery said.
The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 ranks with the most progressive and beneficial laws ever passed by any nation.
“Because of the commitment by people like Harry Colmery,” said Michael J. Bennett in his book, When Dreams Came True, “millions went to school who otherwise might not have done so, suburbia was created, and an entirely new economic and social infrastructure was put in place.”

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Fundraising for the project has been ongoing. – The group is currently at 84 percent of their goal, but they need help pushing to the finish.
“The statue and park for Mr. Colmery will be on the west side of the 900 block, downtown, Topeka,” said Pat Michaelis, a member of the project steering committee. “Artist Janet Zoble is creating his sculpture. The statute and park are designed to honor and recognize Mr. Colmery for his outstanding contribution to our country and to depict the benefits received by our veterans re-entering civilian life after military service.”
For more information and to donate (online, mail or fax) to the project visit:
http://www.ksamlegion.org/page/content/programs/harry-w-colmery-memorial-park
Related:Harry Walter Colmery – Kansas Historical Society
Topeka lawyer Harry Colmery built today’s United States with his G.I. Bill – Kansas City Star
The Legionnaire that changed the world – American Legion

#‎22ADAY‬ ‪#‎MilitarySuicideAwareness‬
Jennifer lost her battle on March 5, 2016. “Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.”
Jennifer Schwartz grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She served in the Army from 2009-2012. She was a combat medic for the 10th Mountain Division C Co, 94th BSB and toured in Afghanistan from October 2010 to October 2011. (She was stationed in Ft. Jackson, SC, Ft. Sam Houston, TX, and Ft. Polk, LA.) She loved helping people alongside her “battle buddies” and continued this path when she returned home. She had started nursing school and began working for Lakeside Family Health Center as a physician’s assistant. More than anything, Jennifer loved spending time with her family and called often when she was away.
Jennifer is loved by many, which is how we know she will stay alive. She left behind her mother and step-father, Martha and John Chambers, and father, Paul Schwartz, as well as three sisters, Jamie, Melissa, and Denise, a brother, Paul, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and a very special grandmother. One of her last goodbyes was, “I just want your girls to know I love them” in reference to her nieces, Kaylee and Savannah.
“Is there anything worse than losing your friends/family to demons that can be tamed? There is a system in place that FAILS combat veterans. Be a part of the change: speak out, talk to your friends, and don’t allow them to fall victim. You are not helpless; you are not alone; ASK for help; change the stigma.” –Jennifer’s combat buddy, Chelsea
In memory of
SPC Jennifer L. Schwartz, US Army
9/1/89-3/5/16
Shared by SPC Jennifer Schwartz's sister - J. Allen

‪#‎22ADAY‬ ‪#‎MilitarySuicideAwareness‬
SGT Shawn Michael Reilly lost his battle to PTSD and TBI on October 16, 2011.
SGT Shawn Michael Reilly was born on May 8, 1967 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
He was part of Panama Operation Just Cause parachuting with the 75th Ranger Battalion. He was deployed in 2005 to Operation Iraqi Freedom and in 2007 he was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom with the 181st Engineer Company. In Ranger school in 1988, he was awarded a trophy for most motivated soldier. He was the proud recipient of Combat Jump Wings for jumping into Panama with the 75th Ranger Battalion during Operation Just Cause. He received the Purple Heart Medal for injuries he sustained over in Iraq. Shawn also had Three Campaign Stars, the U.S. Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
SGT Reilly was an exemplary soldier and loved by many. He was a jokester and the boys in his unit nicknamed him RANGERSMURF because he was only 5’5".He would do anything for anyone that needed help. He loved football. The Vikings were his favorite team. Shawn was an avid hunter and enjoyed everything to do with the outdoors. His favorite place was in his tree stand in the woods. Shawn loved being a Ranger and as he called it “Playing Army”. He loved his job serving his country.
Not a day goes by that I do not miss him and his silly antics. He was my best friend and husband and I miss him so very much.
Shared by SGT Shawn Reilly's wife - C. Reilly
RIP SGT Reilly. You will never be forgotten!

​Join his widow Carrie as she completes the Save A Warrior Challenge

Have you lost a loved one to suicide and want and want to share their story? CLICK HERE

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