Buffalo Soilders. Our History Becomes Our Heritage. Period Equipment Assistance

We have been trying to get the trail that the Buffalo Soldiers used to get from the Presidios of San Francisco, (9^th Cav) and the Presidio of Monterey, (24^th Infantry) to Yosemite and Sequoia national Parks ratified as a Nationally recognized historical trail. Our efforts came to the attention of Congresswoman Jackie Speier  who authored HR 1022. We were invited to come to D.C. and testify  before a Congressional Subcommittee in support of the Bill which we did. Here is where it stands now.

The Speier bill H.R. 1022 passed the House on unanimous consent. Sen. Feinstein's version S. 544 had a hearing in October of 2011 and no subsequent movement. As you know the bill will need to be passed in identical form by both houses of Congress.

The new wrinkle is a bill introduced in July 2012 by New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman. S. 3399 combines the Buffalo Soldier Study Act with 10 or 12 other "study bills." If this larger bill can pass both the House and Senate the Buffalo Soldier bill will be law. This remains a long shot.

We also started a signature petition to President Obama to try and get the Third black graduate of West Point Charles Young posthumously promoted to Bridger General and the petition can be found on our Website.

Get to the point? Certainly.

We are in desperate need of funds to purchase items for our youth programs, Tents, fishing equipment, Archery equipment and money to rent buses for field trips to places like Allensworth, the Presidio and other places of historical significance to the Buffalo Soldier legacy. We also need funds to purchase period correct uniforms for our youth and adult members.

All we ask is a minimum donation of a month’s salary for a Buffalo Soldier, $13.00, please note that their white counterparts were paid $26.00 a month.

Respectfully,

David K.L. Ofwono

David K. L. Ofwono

President / Captain

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Los Banos Buffalo Soldiers

9th&10th Cavalry Association

P: 209.534.6371

www.LosBanosBuffaloSoldiers.org

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Sign the Petition - Support the Campaign!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-forgotten-veteran

Health Concern: New virus found in Missouri; ticks suspected

August 30th, 2012

10:55 AM ET

It started with fever, fatigue,  diarrhea and loss of appetite.

But for two farmers in northwestern Missouri, the severe illness that followed a tick bite led epidemiologists on a journey to a new viral discovery.

"It's brand new to the world," said William Nicholson with the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It's unique in that it's never been found elsewhere and it is the first phlebovirus found to cause illness in humans in the Western Hemisphere. At this point we don't know how widespread it may be, or whether it's found in other states. We don't know how many people in Missouri may have had this virus, as the finding of a completely new virus was a surprise to us."


Nicholson, one of the authors of the report detailing the two cases published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, suspects the new virus is a member of the tick-borne phlebovirus and is a distant cousin to Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV), a virus found in central and northeastern China and known to cause death in 13 to 30% of patients.

There are more than 70 distinct viruses in the phlebovirus family, and they're grouped according to whether they are carried and transmitted by sandflies, mosquitoes or ticks.

"We're not saying at this point that it is tick-borne," Nicholson said. "We suspect ticks. It might be a lone star tick or another tick, but we have not ruled out sandflies or mosquitoes."

According to Nicholson, this new virus "clusters genetically" - or is very similar, yet distinct - to other tick-transmitted phleboviruses and more distantly with the sandfly and mosquitoes. Researchers identified it by genetically sequencing the entire genome of the virus and comparing it to existing viral genomes.

"We're casting a wide net so we can really figure out where this virus is located and how it's being transmitted," he said. "We are also going to be doing laboratory studies to learn more about the biology of the virus and how it might be transmitted."

One farmer was a healthy 57 year-old man; the other, a 67-year-old man with type II  diabetes. Recovery for both farmers was slow. Both were hospitalized for about two weeks in 2009, and took about a month and a half to recovery fully.

It's unknown whether this new virus can be transmitted from person to person, but no family members or caregivers reported symptoms similar to either patient.

At the moment, Nicholson said, there is no cause for concern. "I don't think anyone should be worried. We are not worried ... we are curious of what role the virus plays in human disease."

To that end, an epidemiological study is underway in western Missouri, where researchers hope to identify new patients with similar symptoms. For now, researchers will turn their attention to the large number of vertebrae hosts maintaining the virus in nature - mammals both wild and and domestic, as well as birds. In the fall, they will check out the deer and wild turkey population.

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. And while this new disease might not be tick-borne, ticks are the number-one suspect. Nicholson says people should use repellent, check themselves for bites or ticks, and avoid certain areas - if possible - that might serve as good habitats for ticks, such as wooded areas and areas with fallen leaves.

Post by: Saundra Young - CNN Medical Senior Producer

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/30/new-virus-found-in-missouri-ticks-suspected/?hpt=hp_bn12