What's Your Motivation for helping Veterans?

Victory for Veterans/Veteran March on America do it for soldiers/veterans like SGT Michael Thorin, one of our very own RallyPoint Members and a very close friend of mine! He means the world to me and others here at VFV/VMOA! Send out a Big Prayer Request for Michael in his upcoming Lung Transplant! The Power of Prayer is Strong! It's Strongest here on RallyPoint!

I work hard for veterans in memory of my father-in-law who committed suicide on December 8, 2015 and men like Sgt Michael Thorin that are fighting the good fight to stay alive!

Here is his story!

"It is comforting to know that the VA and UAB are working together to build a better me. I thought the most I would be worth in this life was linked to my SGLI. However, between the oxygen, power chair, lifts, stair lifts, braces, medicines, concentrators, testing equipment, canes, crutches BIPAPs, CPAP's, nebulizers, hearing aids, glasses, and other assorted equipment and supplies, I feel that I have far outgrown the SGLI payout.

I've got no complaints. I have 6 wheels to get around on now. My corrected vision is now better than over 3/4 of the population of the United States (I made this statistic up, so just let me have this moment), with my hearing aids I can hear more than most, I have more oxygen which is purer than any other person I know, and I can answer my phone through my hearing aids. The VA is essentially turning me into Steve Austin from the 6 Million Dollar Man! Why complain, at the very least I feel like I am worth a million dollars now, even if my health doesn't concur with my assessment." SGT Michael Thorin

I joined the Army at 17, did a split op program, we to Basic Training in the summer between my junior and senior year in high school. Graduated, spent 4 on active duty, then got out and into the Alabama Army National Guard in 1995, and began my fire service career.

After 9/11, like many others, we started getting deployed regularly. I participated in many deployments, both Title 32 and Title 10. My Title 10 deployments were to Fort Stewart in 2003, Afghanistan 2003, Anniston Army Depot in 2004, and Iraq in 2005 - 2006.

While I was actually stationed at CSC Navstar, Kuwait (Iraqi and Kuwaiti border), our mission was convoy security and route reconnaissance. Route recon roughly covered the area of Safwan to Kuwait. Convoy security took us as far south as Basra, and as far north at Mosul. We made many trips to Fallujah, al Taqaddum, Balad, Tallil, Taji, Scania, FOB Orion, Tikrit, Mosul, Basra, and BIAP.

During this time, we operated in M1114 up armored HMMWV's. Of course, they were better than the "hillbilly armor" that was so prevalent prior to the M1114's, so in that respect we were very fortunate.

During this year and a half deployment, we would spend most of our time on the road. Making trips to all of these FOB's and COP's kept us hopping, and we were running op's sometimes as long as 17 hours at a time. During my time in country, our HMMWV would be hit 3 separate times by IED's. Of these times, none led to any immediate injuries, other than a staved up back and a terrible desire to light something up. We endured, however, and there is no doubt in my mind that God had His hand of protection over us.

While in Iraq, I developed a chronic cough, hypertension and severe nausea. I went to the TMC once and was put on bed rest for 3 days and issued out some Ranger Candy. Of course, it fixed absolutely nothing, so I just did what I knew best and avoided the TMC from that day on and sucked it up and moved on. Life is hard, you can own it or you can let it on you; the choice is ALWAYS as simple as that.

After returning home, I went back to work in the fire service. During this entire time, I was battling the cough, hypertension, back pain, chronic nausea, severe joint pain, muscle pains, pain in my long bones (femur and humerus), and of course, PTSD. I reported these symptoms to my regular doctor, and he said I was too young to be having these problems, so he labeled it "exercise induced asthma" and gave me an albuterol inhaler. Needless to say, that was not the cure.

Presently, after several tests, I have been diagnosed with a myriad of medical problems. Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome, Constrictive Bronchiolitis Obliterans, Cardiac asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, fibromyalgia, and congestive heart failure. There is no good prognosis for any of these, and a lung transplant is the best option. After consulting with the doctors, they told me my heart may not be strong enough to stand the procedure, so now we are being evaluated for a heart transplant too.

We have lost our house, cars, and as for me, a bit of my dignity and self-respect because "I am man, listen to me Our lives are only temporary, and I refuse to sit around my house idly and

Having said that, I have no regrets.

My life has taken me down many winding roads. My two goals in life were to be a firefighter and a soldier. I nailed them, and if there is one thing in this life that I proud of, it's my lineage.

Finally, on April 1, 2016, I passed out on our job tasks at the fire department, and awoke to find two brothers standing beside me. I have been blessed to find a group of people; on here at RallyPoint and Victory for Veterans. Thanks



CPL Roger CopelandSPC Amy Harris]Joni Kelley(Join to see)