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The Newspaper for Veterans and All Who Love Them.

MAY/JUNE 2019

We remember the fallen.

Whether you’re a discharged veteran, a member of the Guard or Reserve or on active duty, you and your family are welcomed home at Tri-C.

JOIN USTri-C’s Annual Memorial Day Remembrance Event

Friday, May 24, 2019 / noon – 2 p.m.

Western Campus 11000 Pleasant Valley RoadParma, OH

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) is committed to veterans.

tri-c.edu/veterans216-987-3193

19-0377

DD 214 Chronicle May/June 2019 3www.dd214chronicle.com ✩

VOLUME 9 NUMBER 3

The Newspaper for Veterans and

All Who Love Them.

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Terence J. Uhl

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR John H. Tidyman (216) 789-3502

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Ann Marie Stasko (216) 704-5227

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER William J. Donohue

(440) 669-0994 [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Matt Kuhns

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS JC Sullivan Eli Beachy

Jerri Donohue Darlene Johnson Nancy Peacock Barry Goodrich

DD 214 CHRONICLE IS PUBLISHED BY John H. Tidyman

3280 Glenbar Drive Fairview Park, Ohio 44126

For subscription information call (216) 789-3502

Editorial Statement

DD214 Chronicle is committed to its readers: Veterans of every generation and all who love

them. The printed newspaper is delivered across northern Ohio without charge: More than 60

libraries, colleges and universities that welcome veteran students, VFW and American Legion

posts, city halls, Veteran Administration offices and health care facilities, organizations in

support of veterans, advertisers, political offices, and Veteran Service Commissions. DD214

Chronicle also maintains dd214chronicle.com and DD214 Chronicle/Facebook.

•The Chronicle would not exist without its

advertisers. Make the effort to patronize them.John H. Tidyman, editor

198th Light Infantry BrigadeAmerical Division(216) 789-3502

forgedironstidyman@gmail

STAND AT EASE By John H. Tidyman, Editor

Plenty of troops appear unafraid when the bul-lets whiz by or the big guns make the ground tremble. They are well-trained and well-

equipped. All hope their officers are smart, brave, and admirable.

But the MOS I most admire is 68W. Medic. The guy who looks just like us, smokes and curses as we do; he looks forward to mail, stand downs, R&R, and dreaming of home.

But the differences between medic (or corpsman) are many. After basic training, they begin a 10-week course.

They learn to hold a dying soldier and tell him, “You’re going to be all right.” They know our bodies pretty well. They know that when the blood is pounding out, it’s an artery that was

shredded, and he knows how to stop the flow. He can patch head wounds, inject powerful pain drugs, secure a broken arm or leg, or pull a poncho over a dead troop’s face.

The medic’s voice is the last voice heard by the dying troop.

In the heat and confusion of battle, they pay no attention to screams of, “Incoming!” or the spe-cial buzz of bullets passing over his head or next to him.

Their hands are washed not with soap and water, but with blood and guts. They wipe them on their fatigues.

How they learn courage under fire I’ll never know. But every so often I wonder. When I learn again I’ll never know, I give thanks those fearless troops were there.

MOS: Sixty-eight W

Since the last Memorial Day, we have become grayer, maybe heavier, probably grouchier. But we’re inhaling and exhaling, enjoying the occa-

sional glass of whiskey, and hoping to see the Indians win it all before we’re planted.

We enjoy Memorial Day for lots of reasons. Early in the day we watch parades and listen to men and women talk about the country and those who fulfilled their duty on our behalf. Those who never came home. Those whose last breaths were taken on foreign soil.

A few years ago, I watched The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The ceremony was moving and impressive. The Guards were spit-shined, precise, and sharply creased.

As I was fascinated by The Guards, I looked at the Tomb of the Unknowns and wondered about their families, friends, classmates, sweethearts, and fel-low troops.

Every war is pockmarked with tragedy. If losing a family member to war scars the heart, that hor-rible and never-ending pain is made worse by not knowing.

One of those Unknowns left home. Smiling as he said goodbye, turned and began the great adventure of his life. Wrote a few letters home, each one op-timistic and hopeful. The letters stopped. Frantic prayers followed. An eerie quiet permeated the house. The tragic news wasn’t far behind.

I think of the bones in The Tomb. The bones

belong to men whose skins were black, white, or a combination. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all others, and atheists.

On Memorial Day, we think of the many, many thousands of troops who took their last breath in service to our country. But the huge number of those killed in action overwhelms me. I cannot think of hundreds of thousands of deaths.

I can think of only one at a time. So off it is Ravenna to stand at foot of a veteran’s grave. I read a headstone and try to imagine his life. I know he was young and a Marine. He always will be. Was he engaged? Married? A father? Did every nephew and niece jump for joy when he was coming to visit?

He was young; his headstone says he was only 24 when his heart stopped beating. Twenty-four? Battlefields are for the young and courageous. They are our killing grounds.

Killing grounds have always been with us. The price we pay is always high. Lives lost to all sorts of weapons: booby traps, small arms, artillery shells, disease, hand grenades, bayonets, carpet bombings.

When a young trooper breathes his last, the pain and suffering end. For those who knew and loved, the heartbreak begins and, in many ways, never ends.

On this Memorial Day, I’ll go and visit the grave of another soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe the visit will end as it did last year: a prayer for him and those who loved him.

Memorial DayBy Rev. Andrew Rerko

Elmwood Church of the Risen Christ

✩4 DD 214 Chronicle May/June 2019 www.dd214chronicle.com

Shelter dogs in northeast Ohio are joining the 300-some nationwide who found loving

homes with veterans through Pets for Vets. A year ago, Joan Tiefel learned her veterinarian was rais-ing funds for the organization. Intrigued, she did some research.

“I reached out to them for infor-mation,” Tiefel said. “After an eight month process of working with the national office, we got our 501c3 designation in December 2018.”

The new Cleveland chapter is placing animals with veterans liv-ing in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Summit and other counties in northern Ohio. Columbus has the state’s only other chapter. The animals are not service dogs. While pets help persons with PTSD, the program is open to all veterans, not just those suffering from various ailments.

Animal trainer Clarissa Black founded Pets for Vets in 2009 to ad-dress two problems: the astronomi-cal number of wonderful dogs who land in shelters, and the emotional needs of returning or transitioning veterans. Pets ease loneliness, re-duce anxiety and boost self-esteem.

Black designed a process to pair veterans with compatible furry

friends. A Pets for Vets trainer first meets with the applicant and becomes familiar with his or her personality, lifestyle and home. For example, an apartment dweller recently contacted the Cleveland chapter. Because his building bans dogs bigger than 35 pounds, a trainer searched shelters for a dog meeting that requirement. A veteran who runs might request an energetic dog to run with him or her. And vets with kids need dogs that can adapt to family living.

Once a dog is found, the or-ganization trains it to suit the veteran’s needs. Some vets might ask for a dog who doesn’t jump on furniture. All Pets for Vets dogs are housebroken.

Trainers use positive training techniques exclusively. In addition, they must have taught training classes and be experienced in as-sessing dogs. Tiefel said that only about 20 percent who apply to become Pets for Vets trainers are accepted. Most chapters have four

approved trainers. She is grateful that Pets for Vets Cleveland already has six – three on the east side and three on the west side.

All veteran applicants, too, re-ceive a brief training to ensure they use the same commands their dogs have learned.

The chapter covers adoption fees and the cost of foster care and train-ing. There is no charge to veterans, but they must be able to afford their pets’ basic needs, such as food and annual veterinarian visits. The or-ganization stays in touch with the veteran after a dog is placed and will help out if an animal develops expensive health problems.

“If a dog gets diabetes or needs costly surgery, the national orga-nization has funds to cover the expense,” Tiefel said.

For her part, Tiefel is well aware of the unconditional love offered by animals. Because of shared memories of their childhood pets, she dedicated the Cleveland Pets for Vets chapter to her brother, Howard. Now living in Las Vegas, he was a medic in Vietnam.

To apply for a dog, call Tiefel at 330-348-4000 or visit www.petforvets.com/cleveland.

“Pets for Vets” Rescues Dogs, Restores VeteransBy Jerri Donohue

In 1971 I saw David Hackworth on television while he was in the field in Vietnam saying what no

one else was about American leader-ship deficiencies, such as officers in the field consistently inflating enemy body count to enhance their careers. I thought at the time I thought at the time was an enemy plant, a turncoat. What American officer could be saying such things? With his words, however, he became a living legend.

Because of that news film I later sought to learn more about him. Orphaned when he was one year old, he was raised by a paternal grandmother in Ocean Park, California (now part of Santa Monica). Having a lust for adventure, at the age of 14 he paid someone to act as his father so he could claim to be old enough to join

the Merchant Marine with parental consent. He served in the South Pacific and when the war ended he used this documented service to enlist in the Army. He was fortu-nate when, while stationed in post-WW2 Trieste, some career NCOs took him under their wing and turned his attitude around, hence 'About Face.’

When the Korean War broke out he earned a battlefield commission as a First Lieutenant and, before it was over, he reportedly was one of the mostly highly-decorated soldiers from the war. Among his decorations were multiple Purple Hearts and Silver Stars. Afterwards he left the Army but reenlisted in 1956 as a Captain.

As a Colonel in Vietnam, Hackworth created and commanded Tiger Force, a unit in Vietnam that

was formed specifically to apply their own guerrilla warfare tactics against Viet Cong guerrilla fighters.

Hackworth’s co-writer Julie Sherman wrote “It is also a stun-ning indictment of the Pentagon's fundamental misunderstanding of the Vietnam conflict and of the bureaucracy of self-interest that fu-eled the war.”

Despite leadership shortcomings, American soldiers beat the enemy there. North Vietnamese military leaders later admitted they were on the verge of giving up. We just couldn't beat the enemy here at home though.

Sullivan, an internationally-published writer, resides in Northfield Village, Ohio. With the 2nd Armored Division (Hell on Wheels) he served in the U.S. and with NATO forces in Europe.

“ABOUT FACE”A book review by JC Sullivan


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Since being ranked among the top five chapters of Student Veterans of

America (SVA) in January, Lakeland Community College’s chapter members have redoubled their efforts.

“The cabinet is currently working on twenty-three proj-ects ranging from individual representation of the veteran community to involvement with state and federal legisla-tion,” said Chapter President Alexander Picciano.

The 27-member Lakeland chapter of SVA was named among the top five of 1,588 chapters nationwide at the 11th Annual National Conference of Student Veterans of America in Orlando, Florida on January 5. The national organization selected Student Veterans of Louisiana State University as its Chapter of the Year. Other finalists were Student Veterans of University of Washington, Tacoma; Fordham Veterans Association; and Rebel Vets of University of Nevada, Las Vegas. SVA honored the chapters because of their advocacy for student veterans, for providing resources necessary for their success and for working to improve the campus and wider community.

Lakeland’s SVA is student-run and its officers include Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force veterans. Edward Evans, its advisor and co-ordinator of Lakeland’s Veterans

Center, is a former Marine. Picciano, a business major, was de-ployed overseas twice while in the Marine Corps. He campaigned on the promise to operate the chapter like a business. Unlike most SVA chapters, it meets weekly.

Lakeland’s SVA was recognized for helping student veterans reach their education and employment goals.

In addition, it initiated M.O.V.E. (“Mindful of Veterans Everywhere”) to support all former

servicemen and women, not only those pursuing a college education. With M.O.V.E., chapter members donate time and money to assist struggling veterans, pitch in on projects for other veterans’ orga-nizations, and support veteran-owned businesses.

“We used Cleveland Bred to produce M.O.V.E. t-shirts and PatchOps to produce M.O.V.E. and SVA national logos, both veteran owned and operated,” Picciano said.

Troubled by the deteriorating

condition of the campus’s ex-isting Vietnam veterans’ me-morial, the chapter helped raise money to replace it with one designed by a SVA member. The college sup-ported this endeavor, and a new memorial complete with lighting, three flagpoles and a soldiers’ cross was dedi-cated in September 2017. Politicians and college board members attended the cer-emony, as well as Army and Marine reserve units, and members of the American Legion, Legion Riders, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans. SVA members and Lakeland Honors Program now are partnering to clean up the original memorial in its new location.

The Ohio Department of Transportation recently approved the chapter’s request to adopt a section of highway in Lake County dedicated to Marine Lance Cpl. Andy Nowaki, who was killed in Iraq in 2005. The chapter commit-ted to keep the stretch of Route 44 litter-free.

On campus, SVA is developing an affordable program in which individuals with PTSD or other dis-abilities will train their own service dogs under the supervision of pro-fessional dog trainers.

“Everything our chapter does is for the veteran community as a whole,” Picciano said.

Student Veterans of America Ranks Lakeland Chapter Among Nation’s Top Five

By Jerri Donohue

Lakeland Student Veterans of America chapter members at the national conference in Orlando, Florida (l-r): Ed Evans (SVA chapter advisor), Bobby Scheaffer (SVA chapter secretary), Robert Hutson (SVA chapter sgt. at arms), Alexander Picciano (SVA chapter president), Charles Overberger (SVA chapter vice president), Jessica Ales (SVA chapter treasurer), and Kevin Halbrook (SVA chapter media specialist).

DD 214 Chronicle May/June 2019 7www.dd214chronicle.com ✩✩

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Community West Foundation announces the release of their 2018 Annual Report. The theme chosen is from the words of poet

Kahlil Gibran, “Work is Love Made Visible” and captures the sheer joy and privilege the Board and staff feel about the work they engage in at Community West Foundation. These words are certainly alive, active and abundant in the Foundation’s activities.

The Foundation shared $2.1 million in grants that helped 53 local organizations providing for the most basic of necessities helping our neigh-bors who hunger for food, shelter, health care, emergency assistance and love. The impact can be seen and felt throughout the city. An addi-tional $1.5 million supported the valuable work of Fairview and Lutheran Hospitals. There is no greater gift to our community than to restore the spirit of hope to those who need it most.

Community West received great support and opportunities from a wonderful community of people. The Foundation raised $4.2 million, a reminder that people value the Foundation’s mission and believe in their work. It is clear that donors are impressive in their loyalty, longevity and love for this wonderful west-side Foundation.

The Foundation’s important work is strength-ened by the efforts of its Board, donors, partners and grantees all helping to address the needs of our community. We are all so fortunate to live in a community where wonderful individuals and organizations embrace the idea of philanthropy.

Learn more about the Foundation’s inspiring work and you too will be moved to join in and make your love and service visible to others. Visit communitywestfoundation.org to read about the 2018 highlights and the power of partnerships.

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Ohio Army National Guardsman Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado respects the Ms.

Veteran America contest because it raises funds for Final Salute, Inc., a nonprofit that helps homeless women veterans.

“And it’s open to all ages, all branches, and you don’t have to have a certain body type,” Sgt. Gorbulja-Maldonado said.

Chosen as a semi-finalist, she hopes to head to Nevada in June for that phase of the competition. Much depends on her ability to cover the expense of travel, accom-modations and wardrobe.

Although the contest awards a small monetary prize, Gorbulja-Maldonado said its real reward is becoming a spokesperson for Final Salute and actively promoting it for a year. Winners are chosen based on an interview, military history and performance in a lip sync contest. The fourth component is ongoing involvement within the community.

Just 25 years old, Gorbulja-Maldonado emceed the American Legion’s Department of Ohio cen-tennial celebration in Columbus in March. She became commander of AL Post 808 at the University of Akron when she was only 20. For

10 weeks last summer, she interned at the American Legion’s office in Washington, D.C. in its Veterans Employment and Education Division.

Gorbulja-Maldonado wants the American Legion to thrive.

“The big concern is that the American Legion is too old, too white and too male,” she said. “The average age [of members] is 68.”

She realizes that some of the 520 AL posts in Ohio will die out. She and a few Post 808 members recently visited American Legion gatherings in Portage and Summit Counties to suggest using social

media and other ways to attract younger veterans.

Gorbulja-Maldonado is proud of Post 808, whose roster lists a 19-year old National Guard enlistee, student veterans of the War on Terror, and University of Akron staff and graduates who served during the Vietnam War and other eras.

Gorbulja-Maldonado also partici-pated in the University’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter and she credits the University’s Military Services Center for its work with vets.

“It’s one giant collaboration,” she said.

Refusing to curtail her ambi-tions because she is dyslexic, the guardsman held three part time jobs and carried a full course load. She received bachelor’s degrees in Organizational Supervision and in the Science of Education from the University of Akron. At Northeast Ohio Medical University she earned a master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on military family programs and community wellness.

Using a careful, determined approach, Gorbulja-Maldonado ap-plied for—and received—$38,000 in scholarship money. She shared her “how to’s” as a panelist at the Student Veterans of America na-tional convention in January.

Still a squad leader in the 135th Military Police Company in Chagrin Falls, she is writing a handbook, GuideOn Education for veterans and current military personnel. Last year Gorbulja-Maldonado launched a business, GuideOn Education Consulting LLC to assist transitioning ser-vice members and organizations that support them. She posts helpful blogs on its website, www.guideoneducation.com.

“I want to inspire and educate,” she said.

Ohio Guardsman Makes Ms. Veteran America Semi-Finals By Jerri Donohue

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When PFC Arthur Newell and two other GIs rushed toward desperate screams outside a farmhouse near Linz, Austria, they found a group of marauding Red Army soldiers about to gang-rape four teenage

girls. The Americans had spoken with the teens shortly before. “They were blond, blue-eyed, just starting to develop,” Newell said. “Only

about fourteen years old.”The Russians had ripped off the girls’ clothing. One of the men motioned

for the Americans to join them.Instead, Newell fired his M-1 into the air. His buddies gathered the

Russians’ cartridge belts and unloaded the guns they had leant against the house. Then they marched their allies to the Danube River and into the boat they’d used to cross it.

As the Soviets paddled for the other side, the GIs opened fire, riddling the vessel with bullet holes.

“The boat sank,” Newell said. “The river was going 10 miles per hour and they had heavy boots on. I presume they drowned.”

The episode occurred in May 1945, just days before the war in Europe ended. By then, Newell had witnessed plenty of human misery.

A draftee from Struthers in Mahoning County, he had ar-rived in France with the 65th Infantry Division in January 1945. By March, he was fighting for the city of Saarlautern in Germany’s Saarland. American and Germans soldiers alike lived

in basements of bombed out buildings. A lieutenant suffered a nervous breakdown during a shelling. When a sniper killed their sergeant soon after, it fell to Newell and three other men to deliver his body and the in-capacitated officer to a pick-up point. Leading the lieutenant by the hand, they crossed railroad tracks, dodged a machine gun nest and reached their

eerie destination, a factory with pots and pans dangling from the ceiling in the dark.

After leaving Saarlautern, Newell and a buddy became separated from their platoon. They had covered their foxhole with tree branches as snow fell. During an ensuing bombardment, when it was unlikely the enemy would surprise them, the exhausted men fell asleep. They emerged from their in-ground cocoon hours later to discover the Americans had pulled out, and snow had covered their tracks.

The two wandered for three days. On one occasion, a German soldier relieved himself in a ditch where they hid but didn’t spot them. Newell and his friend finally encountered men from another company who helped them rejoin their own.

Newell received a Bronze Star for capturing enemy troops in the town of Struth. He eventually learned some GIs had shot these defenseless prison-ers instead of taking them to the rear.

Germany surrendered a month later but Newell remained in Europe with the occupation army until 1946.

Now 93 years old, Newell has been married for 67 years. While he and Marcia raised their seven children, he worked in the steel mill and installed doors and windows on the side. He remained in touch with Army friends, and in 2009 and 2010, he was president of the 65th Infantry Division Association.

The veteran said life was tougher when he first returned to civilian life.“You tried to drown what you did and what you saw,” he said.

World War II Vet Battled Germans, Criminal Allies

By Jerri Donohue

“Well, it’s about time.”


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Health and wellness boils down to being active – socially, mentally, emo-tionally and physically. McGregor sits on a picturesque 45-acre campus with walking paths and gardens that are ideal for exercise and social

engagement. It’s a natural setting for getting outdoors and being active, and we use it for recreational opportunities including a community garden, horti-culture, summer concerts and even beekeeping.

There is no doubt that creative endeavors enhance the quality of life. Seniors live in the best of times, given their financial and political clout. Their needs and concerns are being heard because Boomers want to live lon-ger and also want to have more meaningful years.

Cleveland, voted an Age-friendly City, is one of the best places in the Country to enjoy the experience of aging!

“Central to McGregor’s mission is the commitment to support programs that allow older adults to age

in place, wherever they call ‘home.’ Our number one priority is to build out the capacity of services

that enables affordable senior housing”, stated Rob Hilton, President & CEO. “We’ve long been aware of

the appalling shortage of senior housing, particularly for the low-income people we serve. We’ve spent

seven years working together to produce this plan.”According to the Center for Community Solutions, over 300,000 older

adults living in Cuyahoga County, represent 24% of the total population. Projections indicate that by the year 2030, older adults over age 65 will out-number children and teens under age 20, representing a "New Majority”.

McGregor embodies the entire continuum of care by meeting the changing needs of Cleveland’s seniors. The McGregor Foundation and affordable living provider CHN Housing Partners are teaming their talents for a $12 million senior assisted living project in Cleveland. The three-story, 90-unit building rising on part of the McGregor’s campus at 14900 Private Drive, is designed to serve the growing population of aging people.

Anticipating a dramatic demographic shift with the nation’s elder care system –referring to the baby boomers, 76 million of them born in the U.S. between 1946 and the mid-1960’s and now reaching retirement age - McGregor’s landscape is blooming! McGregor will increase options for the growing senior population in greater Cleveland, anticipating the completion of McGregor Assisted Living, late summer of 2019! More at www.mcgregoramasa.org or call 216-851-8200.

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Clustered around a table in American Legion Post #421 in Fairview Park, several women

stuff large boxes with cookies, candy, toiletries and encouraging notes. Their record is 86 packages sent in a single month to service personnel stationed abroad.

“Without the community’s sup-port, we would not be able to afford doing this on a regular basis,” said Kathleen France, President of Blue Star Mothers Ohio Buckeyes Chapter 26. “The average flat rate box costs $17 to ship overseas.”

Founded in 1942, Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. is a non-sectarian, non-political organization that sup-ports veterans and current service-men and women. With more than 200 chapters nationwide, its members are biological mothers, stepmothers, and adopted and foster mothers of military personnel. France, for ex-ample, has a son in the Navy, attached to a Marine unit forward surgical team; her daughter is a Navy lieuten-ant commander. Friends and other relatives join as associate members. Serving the greater Cleveland area, Ohio Buckeyes has 24 members and seven associates.

The chapter’s spaghetti dinner last fall raised enough money to cover bimonthly shipping expenses. Donors in the community provide some of the package contents such as socks (Boy Scouts); toothbrushes, tooth-paste, floss (area dentists); Christmas stockings and sewing kits (American Legion Auxiliary). American Greetings employees collected items on the chap-ter’s wish list. Four schools amassed an enormous quantity of Halloween candy last year.

Chapter members volunteer at the American Legion’s fish fries and other events. Four times a year, the women operate a bingo game at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky. Relationships develop as they work together.

“We hope to support our mothers, not only while their sons and daugh-ters are in the military, but after-wards,” France said.

Ohio Buckeyes OH26 will meet Monday, May 13 and Monday, June 24 at 6:15 at American Legion Post #421,22001 Brookpark Road, Fairview Park. For more information, contact France at [email protected]

Blue Star Mothers Support Military Sons, Daughters and Each Otherby Jerri Donohue

Continued on page 14

1230 N Abbe Rd., Elyria, OH 44035 • LorainCountyVeterans.com

SERVICES ARE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE TO VETERANS OF LORAIN COUNTY ONLY

A morning shuttle is available to Wade Park & Parma. Home pick-ups are provided to the VA Clinic in Sheffield Village. Availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Wheelchair accessible service is available.

TO SCHEDULE A RIDE CALL440.284.4624

TEMPORARYFINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

May be available to Vets or their widow, who show a need and meet eligibility requirements. Applications are by appointment only.

VA CLAIMS ASSISTANCEService Officers advise/assist Vets & their family of their rights and/or obtaining possible benefits through the VA, the State of Ohio and Lorain County.

RESOURCE ROOMOur clients are able to utilize computers, get on-line and/or print documents. We also send faxes and provide a notary.

Departs LCVSO ...... 7:15 a.m.*1Departs JFS ........... 7:30 a.m.*1Departs VH ............ 7:45 a.m.*1Departs Elyria ....... 8:00 a.m.*1Arrives W/P ............ 9:15 a.m.*2Departs W/P .......... 3:00 p.m.*3Arrives LCVSO ....... 4:30 p.m.*3

PICK-UP & DROP OFF LOCATIONSLCVSO: 1230 Abbe Rd., Elyria

JFS (Jobs & Family Services): 42495 North Ridge Rd.VH (Valor Home): 221 W 20th St., Lorain.

Elyria: Admin. Bldg., 226 Middle Ave.

*1 May depart earlier if all riders are present.*2 Approx. time, add 20-30 min. if shuttle goes to Parma.*3 May depart earlier if all riders are done with their appts.

TRANSPORTATION to VA Medical Appointments

14 DD 214 Chronicle May/June 2019 www.dd214chronicle.com✩

Twice a year, the women of OH57 in Ashtabula County invite disabled veterans of all ages from the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center to dinner at VFW Post #6848 in Geneva.

“We entertain them with a band or DJ and feed them home-cooked food until they can’t eat anymore,” said Chapter President Angela Gruber.

The mothers listen to the veter-ans’ stories and in true Mom fash-ion, they send their guests home with gifts.

“Our intention is to bring them joy, but we all walk away from the event with our hearts so full!” Gruber said.

Some of the chapter’s 25 mem-bers help serve the banquet at the Wheelchair Games sponsored by the Buckeye Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America. In addition, the women assemble troop packag-es, and they reach out to families of recent enlistees. Gruber, who has a son in the Air Guard and another in the Marine Reserves, said a mem-ber told her what to expect when her boys were in basic training and after. The chapter’s roster includes a Gold Star mother and women who joined 25 years ago.

“The friendship and support we offer each other is invaluable,” Gruber said. “It is very hard to have a child serving far away from home, possibly in harm’s way.”

OH57 will meet on Monday, May 20 and Monday, June 17 at 6 p.m. at VFW Post #6848, 76 Depot Street, Geneva. For more information, con-tact Gruber at [email protected]

Last December, Patriot Moms OH7 in Brunswick collected so many goodies, magazines and other items, they sent two pack-ages to every person on their list, and urged recipients to share the bounty. For fun, each box included a small dollar store Christmas tree. Chapter President Marilyn Cronick later received a photo of the one her Coastguardsman son had decorated with airplane parts. He fashioned a star from earplugs.

“The packages say, ‘We are think-ing of you,’” Cronick said.

The women spent $600 on postage for their holiday project. Because of the high cost of ship-ping, they try to confirm that ad-dresses are current. Cronick said it is disheartening and wasteful when an undelivered package returns to the chapter.

To raise money – and awareness of Blue Star Mothers – they will sell t-shirts and small flags at Seville’s village-wide garage sale on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15.

They occasionally hold bingo games at the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center and they collect items for VFW Post #9520 to distribute to patients there. The women volunteer at the post’s recognition dinners and fish fries.

Several chapter members also carry a Blue Star Mothers banner in the Medina and Brunswick Memorial Day parades and deliver wreaths to area cemeteries.

Most of the 24 members live in Medina County. Their sons and daughters serve in all branches of the armed forces.

“We support each other, espe-cially those who have kids in bad spots,” Cronick said. “That’s always kind of scary. We get together and talk.”

OH-7 Patriot Moms will meet Tuesday, May 21 and Tuesday, June 18 at 6:30 at the VFW Hall, 1439 S. Carpenter Road, Brunswick. For more information, contact Cronick at [email protected]

Blue Star Mothers attend fu-nerals of those killed in military service, whose parents eventu-ally receive a Gold Star flag. Sue Simmons, President of the Canton/Akron Stars and Stripes Chapter OH2 also designed a coin for their mothers.

“It’s to assure them that their son or daughter has not been forgot-ten,” she said.

Simmons had two sons in the Air Force and one grandson is a Marine. Her 60-member chapter sends fast food restaurant gift cards to military personnel sta-tioned in the States, and packages to those serving overseas.

Local restaurants help Stars and Stripes OH2 fund its shipments by

contributing a percentage of profits on a given day. On Monday, June 10, the Dairy Queen at 4111 Hills and Dales Road NW in Canton will donate part of its proceeds between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

In her “thank you” note, a sol-dier deployed to the Middle East reported that two of her unit brothers, former foster kids, had never received a package. Simmons tapped into the Blue Star Mothers network. Within weeks, the men were swamped with boxes from Michigan, California, New York, Ohio, Minnesota and Nevada.

The chapter will partner with the nonprofit Warriors Journey Home to offer an informational evening for families of return-ing servicemen on Thursday, May 2 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Tallmadge Community Center, 46 N. Munroe Road, Tallmadge.

Speakers include a military wife who will describe changes to their family after her husband’s deploy-ment and techniques that helped them.

“The people that leave are not the people coming home,” Simmons said. “They have changed - some-times for the better, sometimes for the worse.”

Stars and Stripes OH2 meets Tuesday, May 7 and Tuesday, June 4 at 6:30 at DeHoff Realty Building, 821 S. Main Street, North Canton. For more information, contact Simmons at [email protected]

Blue Star MothersContinued from page 12

First Negro Nurses Land in England. England, 1944. August 21. Photograph (Library of Congress)


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While he was stationed in Korea, Army enlistee John Runkle learned West Point had accepted him for its incoming class.

Runkle immediately asked the military academy to hold his place for one year—he didn’t want to leave his unit just as it was being deployed to Iraq.

The episode was a factor in the Northeast Ohio Foundation for Patriotism (NEOPAT)’s decision to honor U.S. Army First Lieutenant John M. Runkle at its annual gala held March 2 at the Astrodome of Parma. NEOPAT provides emergency finan-cial assistance to struggling military families ($100,000 in 2018), supports programs for vet-erans, and preserves the memory of deceased service personnel. Each year the nonprofit orga-nization recognizes a serviceman or woman from northeast Ohio who died in the War on Terror. The award is named for Charles Kirby Wilcox, a West Point graduate who was killed by an enemy grenade in Vietnam in 1968.

Executive Director Jack Newman said Runkle was a perfect example of patriotism and selflessness.

“He earned honors in high school, played foot-ball and could have gone on to college pursuing a career in engineering,” Newman said. “Yet he enlisted to serve his country as a direct reaction to Nine-Eleven.”

Born in 1984, John Runkle Jr. grew up in West Salem. He opted to enlist in the Army during his senior year of high school and attended boot camp after his 2002 graduation. Following his stint in Korea and a 10-month de-ployment in Iraq, he entered West Point. The combat veteran ranked in the top ten percent of its 2009 graduation class.

In 2010, he earned the Ranger Tab. At Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he served with the 4th Battalion 101st Aviation Regiment and eventually went to Afghanistan as a pathfinder. Runkle’s quick-response team was rushing to the site of an attack when an improvised explosive device killed him and five other soldiers at Spin Boldak, Kandahar province on May 26, 2011.

Runkle was 27 years old.Lt. Runkle’s funeral service was held in

the gym of Northwestern High School, his alma mater, and he is buried in Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman.

Since his death, more than 130 classmates, friends and strangers posted tributes to the officer on West Point’s website. His military decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, and an Army Achievement Medal.

Christine Runkle described her son as “a sol-dier’s soldier.”

“He was both enlisted and an officer,” she said. “He knew both sides of it.”

West Point twice named summer field training sessions for Lt. Runkle. Last year, Christine Runkle was invited to address gradu-ates of Task Force Runkle, Cadet Leadership Development Training for seniors. She quoted portions of a student essay her son had writ-ten about the three characteristics of a good leader.

“John’s goal was to go back to West Point and teach,” Christine Runkle said. “In a little way, he did. I got to teach them through his paper.”

In March, Christine Runkle attended West Point’s Fallen Comrades Half Marathon. Each mile marker is named for an Academy graduate killed in the War on Terror. Standing by the one dedicated to her son, she cheered on the runners.

At its gala, NEOPAT unveiled a video salute to Lt. Runkle. Interviews with his family—sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking—give glimpses to the soldier’s personality. Christine Runkle and 16 other rela-tives attended the event.

“We felt humbled and honored that they chose John,” she said.To view NEOPAT’s video tributes to Lt. John Runkle and previous Charles

Kirby Wilcox honorees, visit its website www.neopat.org

NEOPAT Honors Fallen “Soldier’s Soldier,”Lt. John M. Runkle

By Jerri Donohue


Captain Myles Walter Keogh's story provides rare insight into life of 19th century Irish

emigrant soldierMyles Walter Keogh was a rest-

less spirit who often found himself in the vanguard of history. During his all too short life, he would make the Vatican his home, come within a hair’s breadth of capturing the Confederate general Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson in battle, and make a last stand alongside ‘General’ Custer, at the ill-fated Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Born in 1840 on the periphery of the small village of Leighlinbridge in Co Carlow, to a large but success-ful farming family, he was one of 12 siblings. He had been expected to marry well and become a pros-perous farmer in his own right. Yet Myles had other ideas. His ener-getic nature and need for adventure meant he would never be content with a sedentary lifestyle, at least while a young man.

His first opportunity to escape the monotony of rural life came in 1860 when the embattled Pope Pius IX sent out a plea to all Catholics to come to the defence of the Papal States, and preserve the Pope’s temporal holdings against the forces of Garibaldi and the House of Savoy, who sought to unify the Italian peninsula. The call roused the sympathies of the Catholic laity in Ireland and across Europe, and hefty donations and eager recruits were quickly dispatched to Rome to

defend “the Holy Father” from his enemies.

He was the only Irish officer to take part in the Battle of the Little Bighorn and apparently one of the last to fall.

Alongside 1,400 other Irishmen, Keogh soon found himself in Italy as a member of the Papal Army’s Battalion of Saint Patrick. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and posted to the city of Ancona after only th


Alongside 1,400 other Irishmen, Keogh soon found himself in Italy as a member of the Papal Army’s Battalion of Saint Patrick. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and posted to the city of Ancona after only three weeks of training.

But the reality of his position was not as glamorous as he might have expected. The uniforms the Irish volunteers received were Austrian army cast offs, while their firearms consisted of obsolete muskets. Despite this, both he and his fellow countrymen were praised by their commanders and fought tenacious-ly in every engagement and put up a spirited defence of their positions.

The Papal Army as a whole, though, was no match for its na-tionalist opponents, and quickly folded after a short, lacklustre campaign which ended after just 18

days. Keogh was taken prisoner but soon released.

As a measure of the esteem he was held in, he became one of only 50 Irish veterans to be selected to join the Papal bodyguard’s newly created Company of St Patrick (complete with bespoke green uni-forms), and was awarded both the Pro Petri Sede medal for Gallantry, and made a Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great.

Now a captain, he was attached to the army of Brigadier General James Shields, and despatched to the Shenandoah Valley. His bravery was frequently reported on and, during the earliest stages of the battle of Port Republic, his mount-ed patrol came across the staff of General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson holed up within the town.

Luckily for the general, his horse was saddled nearby and he was able to make his escape, though many of his senior officers weren’t so fortu-nate and were taken prisoner.

Keogh was then made a staff of-ficer under Brigadier General John Buford, a cavalry commander with whom he formed a close bond, and who affectionately referred to his Irish officers as “dashing, gallant and daring soldiers”.

After serving in both the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville campaigns, Captain Keogh would take part in the largest cavalry engagement ever to take place on US soil, the Battle of Brandy Station, before following

Buford to Gettysburg, where he earned a titular promotion to Major for his “gallant and meritorious service”.

Captured in 1864 following an at-tempt to free Union prisoners from Macon, Georgia, he would spend two- and-a-half months in captivity before his release. A second titular promotion followed the Battle of Dallas, and he ended the war as Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.

The victorious US army was vastly reduced, but Keogh man-aged to secure a captaincy in the 7th Cavalry Regiment under the command of the controversial Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.


He was one of 34 Irish soldiers who died that day. His body was also one of the few that wasn’t mutilated, reputedly because of the papal medals he still wore.

His horse, Comanche, was the only injured animal the rescue party spared, and after he was nursed back to health, was adopted as the regimental mascot of the 7th Cavalry.

Keogh’s eventful life was one cut sadly short by circumstance and ill fate, but still a fascinating one that provides rare insight into the life of a 19th century Irish emigrant soldier.

The only Irish officer to fight in the Battle of the Little Bighorn

In a single week, Army veteran and substitute teacher Holly Koester taught kindergarten physical education, fifth-grade math, sixth-grade art, and seventh-grade science. Berea school children are great fans of Koester and Glory, her assistance dog.

“She’s a good ice breaker,” Koester said of the 11-year old charcoal lab. “She gives people their doggie fix.”

Current president of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Buckeye Chapter, Koester (rhymes with “Chester”) joined the ROTC with her twin sister, Joy, in their junior year of college. She was commissioned in May 1981. After time in Germany and at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, she suffered a spinal chord injury in a car accident in Huntsville, Alabama on a temporary road on the post.

“I don’t have any feeling from the bra-line down,” Koester said.

The Army soon moved Capt. Koester to Louis Stokes VA Medical Center where she remained for almost a year. Previ-ously athletic, she struggled with the fact that she would not walk again.

“I cried a lot,” Koester recalled. To be near her, Koester’s parents, a sister and a brother

moved to Cleveland suburbs from their homes in New York State. Their devotion motivated Koester to accept her situation.

“Unless I got myself together, they weren’t going on with their lives,” the veteran said.

At the same time, Koester drew strength from her religious convictions. She believes God wants her to help others in wheelchairs, and that her subsequent involvement in Paralyzed Veterans of America helps fulfill God’s plan for her. While still at Wade Park, she wrapped gifts for patients who were quadriplegic.

“I was the only one who had good hands,” Koester said.Encouraged by her recreational therapist to try adaptive

sports, Koester traveled to Miami, Florida for the 1991 Nation-al Veterans Wheelchair Games. She had equated wheelchairs with “being sick and weak” until then. She adjusted her attitude as she watched more than 300 people in wheelchairs play basketball and other sports.

After her medical discharge in October 1991, Koester volunteered in an elementary school and discovered she loved working with kids. She realized a career in education was possible when she met a wheelchair athlete who taught school. She completed coursework for certification and became a substitute teacher in 1997.

Although Koester has won gold medals in adaptive sports events ranging from air guns to slalom, her passion is wheelchair racing. In 2008, she became the first “wheeler” to complete marathons in all 50 states. She is repeating the 50-state circuit with her twin, now retired from the Army. In May, the sisters will participate in marathons in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo.

Before becoming president of PVA’s statewide Buckeye Chapter, Koester served as its sports director. She noted that sports offer socialization, improve coordination and build confidence. But she encourages PVA members to pursue other interests, too.

“If they aren’t into sports, we have a creative arts show,” Koester said. “Whatever skills they have, or they want to im-prove, we want to help them – to get out and get active.”

Wheely Energetic Veteran Promotes Adaptive SportsBy Jerri Donohue


Call LCCC’s Veterans Service Center at 440-366-7685 or visit www.lorainccc.edu/veterans or email our office at [email protected].

It’s Your Future. Get Started Now!Veterans Service Centerat Lorain County Community College

The Student Veterans and Military Members Center at LCCC assists all veterans, guardsmen, reservists and their dependents transitioning to a successful educational career. You’ve done your duty, now let us help you prepare for your future.

LCCC’s Veterans Service Center is a one-stop shop where you can:• Learn how to maximize your veteran’s benefits• Learn about other scholarships available• Talk with a Veterans Certifying Official• Meet with a Counselor• Explore all that LCCC has to offer

“LCCC was my best choice because I knew

there was a military and veterans

presence here.”

Anna Lupson, Navy veteran and LCCC

psychology student who is using her

veterans benefits to attend school. She

plans to continue her education through

LCCC’s University Partnership program.

LCCC Veterans ad July August 2016 ad.indd 1 6/6/16 2:21 PM

“After generals and congressmen, no one scares me,” the Cleveland Heights woman said, recalling the year she spent in Vietnam, from 1970 to 1971. She served her coun-try with the American Red Cross in a program called Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO).

“Armed with nothing but cook-ies and homemade entertainment programs, the Donut Dollies risked their lives every day as they tried to fulfill their mission and cheer up the U.S. troops,” according to the website promoting a documentary called The Donut Dollies.

On average, more than 280,000 servicemen participated in rec-reation activities in Vietnam and neighboring countries every month during the eight years of American combat activity (1965-1972). Many took place at Red Cross recreation centers, where there would typi-cally be a piano, books, pool and ping pong tables, and a kitchen, “to make snacks for the guys. Kool-Aid was very popular,” Sprague said. That was confirmed by Allen Lynch, a Medal of Honor winner

who recently visited Red Cross headquarters in Cleveland while promoting his memoir.

“Those girls played a crucial role in Vietnam,” Lynch said. “It was just a comfort to see someone from home. Not to sound racist, but it made us feel good to see the ‘Round Eyes.‘”

That’s what many of the men called the Donut Dollies, according to Sprague. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the CO of the firebase wanted us there, so he did every-thing necessary to make us feel welcome and comfortable. I guess his guys were in better spirits after a visit from the ‘Round Eyes.’”

The Donut Dollies split their time between forward firebases and Red Cross Recreation Centers, like the ones at Cam Ranh Bay and Danang, where they brainstormed ideas for games and fashioned whatever pieces and parts were needed to make the games work. They also worked up song and dance routines.

“During Christmas of 1970, my unit at Long Bing created a parody of the Bob Hope Show, with a story line, singing and dancing, some

jokes . . . just a special way to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to the guys on the firebases who didn’t or couldn’t get into the main city for the real show,” Sprague said. They per-formed about seven shows a day for the week leading up to Christmas, and on Christmas Day, they per-formed in three hospitals.

“I do believe we made a lot of military a little less homesick that Christmas,” she said.

The Red Cross provided other services to members of the military in Vietnam, including more than 2 million emergency communica-tions between servicemen and their families. Red Cross field directors and chapter staff at home assisted an average of 27,800 servicemen each month with personal and fam-ily problems. Vital service to the Armed Forces continues today, with volunteers providing humanitarian support to service members, veter-ans and their families around the clock and around the globe.

Back home, Rosanna Sprague now serves as an Ambassador at the Destination Cleveland Visitor’s Center, where people from around

the world come to learn about the city. “I have so much fun welcom-ing them and relating easily to all kinds of people on so many levels. I learned that in Vietnam, too!”

For information about Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces volunteer opportunities, visit redcross.org or call 216-431-3328.

Rosanna Sprague is fearless. She was a Donut Dollie.


He served his country with honor, now he needs your help.

Community Service Alliance

Fulton House3387 Fulton RoadCleveland, OH 44109

216.351.0655

For more information or to donate online, you can visit comservealliance.org

Community Service Alliance serves northern Ohio veterans emerging from homelessness. These veterans need our support.This holiday season, help a veteran by donating to Community Service Alliance. Your gift is 100% tax deductible.

No veteran should be homeless.

We provide two basic services:

1. Temporary emergency financial aid and assistance to eligible veterans and family members who have demonstrated a need as set forth by the Commission.2. Assist veterans, family members and survivors when applying to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for benefits.

Our assistance includes but is not limited to:• Financial Assistance:• Rent and mortgage payments• Utilities: Gas, Electric and Water• Food and personal Hygiene items• Certain Medical• Transportation to and from VA Medical Centers in Cleveland (Louis Stokes

Hospital), Parma and Akron CBOC’s, Ohio• Grave markers and flags• Free Notary for Veterans & Families

Service Assistance:• Preparations of forms and paperwork• Documentation of claims and pertinent data• Proper submission of claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs thru a

service organization• Submission for awards decorations and medals• Notary Public & DD 214 Certification

Our services are FREE of charge!

Contact us:210 Northland Dr. ‐Medina, Ohio [email protected]

www.medinacountyveterans.org

Our PledgeWhen you come into the County Veterans Service Office you will be assisted by one of our knowledgeable associates. The people that work in the Medina County Veterans Service Office have a compassionate understanding of the problems which confront veterans, widows,widowers, and their families.

Sincerely,Veterans Service Staff

This year’s “Management Top 250,” published by The Wall

Street Journal, ranks the best run U.S. companies based on

customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development,

innovation, social responsibility and financial strength. Dominion

Energy was ranked as the top electric and gas utility. And

military publication G.I. Jobs ranks Dominion Energy top in our

industry and 5th among all U.S. companies. It marks the 10th

consecutive year Dominion Energy has been recognized as a

military-friendly company. So to each and every one of our 16,000+

dedicated employees, THANK YOU for your commitment to

excellence, your dedication to community and most of all for the

energy you bring to this company each and every day.

SADDIQ K. HOLLIDAY

TECHNICAL SERGEANT— AIR NATIONAL GUARD

HUMAN RESOURCES— DOMINION ENERGY

Dominion Energy has been named America’s best managed electric

and gas company.

It helps when 1 in 5 new hires is a veteran.

Careers.DominionEnergy.com

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