Recent Articles

Iraq Long Haul PART VII: Homecoming, struggles and new beginnings

Gordon Johnson
August 11, 2008 16:17

Date: 8/9/2008 12:01 AMBC-The Long Haul VII,1st Ld-Writethru/1869Eds: Minor edits, adds detailed Multimedia note. MULTIMEDIA: An interactive, including video, battle recreation and audio slideshows, exploring personal stories from a unit of the Minnesota National Guard during their 22 months tour...

Iraq Long Haul - PART VI: An ambush produces a hero

Gordon Johnson
August 09, 2008 22:55

Date: 8/8/2008 12:00 AMBC-The Long Haul VI,2nd Ld-Writethru/2166PART VI: An ambush produces a heroBy SHARON COHENEDITOR'S NOTE — An insurgent ambush yields a hero, and a wounded soldier recovers back home. Sixth of a seven-part series on the longest deployment of the Iraq war.By SHARON COHENAP N...

Iraq Long Haul PART V: Joy over survival, tears at extension

Gordon Johnson
August 09, 2008 06:12

Date: 8/7/2008 12:00 AMBy SHARON COHENEDITOR'S NOTE — Can the long separation be extended further? Yes, and for some there's major fighting ahead. Fifth of a seven-part series on the longest deployment of the Iraq war.By SHARON COHENAP National WriterChristmas Day arrived — and for two 1st Brigade C...

Long Haul PART IV: For 2 soldiers, families, lives changed

Gordon Johnson
August 09, 2008 05:54

Date: 8/6/2008 12:00 AMBy SHARON COHENEDITOR'S NOTE — Roadside bomb blasts change everything for two soldiers and their families back home. Fourth of a seven-part series on the longest deployment of the Iraq war.By SHARON COHENAP National WriterIn that dreadful December, every day brought b...

Long Haul Part III: A funeral and a birth

Gordon Johnson
August 06, 2008 16:02

Date: 8/5/2008 12:00 AMBy SHARON COHENEDITOR'S NOTE — Troops and families at home count the many milestones missed and made. Third of a seven-part series on the longest deployment of the Iraq war.By SHARON COHENAP National WriterThe Ferris wheel at the Minnesota State Fair offered a bird's-eye view ...

Long Haul Part II: Welcome to Iraq, and a long separation

Gordon Johnson
August 05, 2008 13:17

Date: 8/4/2008 12:01 AMBy SHARON COHENEDITOR'S NOTE — National Guard troops reach their stations in Iraq while family members back home begin a hard adjustment. Second of a seven-part series on the longest deployment of the war.By SHARON COHENAP National WriterThe phone call surprised Katie K...

The Long Haul I

Gordon Johnson
August 04, 2008 20:57

For weeks on this blog, I wrote about the Iraq War and brain injury, with my last blog on that topic being http://tbilaw.blogspot.com/2008/07/brain-injury-is-not-new-to-iraq.html My first blog on that topic began in June with...

Ben Vereen's commitment to Brain Injury Goes Back Decades

Gordon Johnson
July 22, 2008 02:32

In the below AP story, Ben Vereen's commitment to brain injury advocacy is discussed and applauded. We had the honor of meeting Mr. Vereen in the late 1990's at another brain injury fundraising function, at a Mardi Gras celebration. A picture of Mr. Vereen and my co-advocate, Becca Martin is...

Vereen hosts fundraiser for $32M brain center

Gordon Johnson
July 21, 2008 19:08

Date: 07/18/2008 05:53 PMBy PEGGY HARRISAssociated Press WriterLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Because of his own injuries, Ben Vereen seems like a natural to highlight a fundraiser for an institute that researches brain damage, but it took an introduction from the woman who walks his dog to make it...

Brain Injury is not New to Iraq

Gordon Johnson
July 07, 2008 20:46

Today's blog, is a video blog, a bit of a rant about someone who should know better, who made this statement: "Correct if I am wrong, but I think Traumatic Brain Injury is a new injury unique to the war in Iraq. Suffered by people who have concussive injuries from being near the explosions, not...