MAY/JUNE 2019 We Remember the Fallen
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The Newspaper for Veterans and All Who Love Them. MAY/JUNE 2019 We remember the fallen. Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) is committed to veterans. 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 US Tri-C’s Annual Memorial Day Remembrance Event Friday, May 24, 2019 / noon – 2 p.m. Western Campus 11000 Pleasant Valley Road Parma, OH tri-c.edu/veterans 216-987-3193 19-0377 VOLUME 9 NUMBER 3 STAND AT EASE By John H. Tidyman, Editor The Newspaper for Veterans and All Who Love Them. PUBLISHER EMERITUS MOS: Sixty-eight W Terence J. Uhl lenty of troops appear unafraid when the bul- shredded, and he knows how to stop the flow. He PUBLISHER AND EDITOR lets whiz by or the big guns make the ground can patch head wounds, inject powerful pain drugs, John H. Tidyman tremble. They are well-trained and well- secure a broken arm or leg, or pull a poncho over a P (216) 789-3502 equipped. All hope their officers are smart, brave, dead troop’s face. and admirable. The medic’s voice is the last voice [email protected] But the MOS I most admire is heard by the dying troop. MANAGING EDITOR 68W. Medic. The guy who looks In the heat and confusion of Ann Marie Stasko just like us, smokes and curses as battle, they pay no attention to we do; he looks forward to mail, screams of, “Incoming!” or the spe- (216) 704-5227 stand downs, R&R, and dreaming cial buzz of bullets passing over his ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER of home. head or next to him. William J. Donohue But the differences between Their hands are washed not with medic (or corpsman) are many. soap and water, but with blood (440) 669-0994 After basic training, they begin a and guts. They wipe them on their [email protected] 10-week course. fatigues. ART DIRECTOR They learn to hold a dying soldier How they learn courage under and tell him, “You’re going to be all right.” They fire I’ll never know. But every so often I wonder. Matt Kuhns know our bodies pretty well. They know that when When I learn again I’ll never know, I give thanks CONTRIBUTING EDITORS the blood is pounding out, it’s an artery that was those fearless troops were there. JC Sullivan Eli Beachy Jerri Donohue Darlene Johnson Nancy Peacock Barry Goodrich Memorial Day DD 214 CHRONICLE IS PUBLISHED BY John H. Tidyman By Rev. Andrew Rerko 3280 Glenbar Drive Elmwood Church of the Risen Christ Fairview Park, Ohio 44126 ince the last Memorial Day, we have become belong to men whose skins were black, white, or a For subscription information grayer, maybe heavier, probably grouchier. But combination. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all call (216) 789-3502 Swe’re inhaling and exhaling, enjoying the occa- others, and atheists. sional glass of whiskey, and hoping to see the Indians On Memorial Day, we think of the many, many win it all before we’re planted. thousands of troops who took their last breath in We enjoy Memorial Day for lots of reasons. Early service to our country. But the huge number of those Editorial Statement in the day we watch parades and listen to men killed in action overwhelms me. I cannot think of DD214 Chronicle is committed to its readers: and women talk about the country and those who hundreds of thousands of deaths. Veterans of every generation and all who love fulfilled their duty on our behalf. Those who never I can think of only one at a time. So off it is came home. Those whose last breaths were taken on Ravenna to stand at foot of a veteran’s grave. I read them. The printed newspaper is delivered across foreign soil. a headstone and try to imagine his life. I know he northern Ohio without charge: More than 60 A few years ago, I watched The Changing of the was young and a Marine. He always will be. Was he libraries, colleges and universities that welcome Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The ceremony engaged? Married? A father? Did every nephew and veteran students, VFW and American Legion was moving and impressive. The Guards were spit- niece jump for joy when he was coming to visit? posts, city halls, Veteran Administration offices shined, precise, and sharply creased. He was young; his headstone says he was only As I was fascinated by The Guards, I looked at the 24 when his heart stopped beating. Twenty-four? and health care facilities, organizations in Tomb of the Unknowns and wondered about their Battlefields are for the young and courageous. They support of veterans, advertisers, political offices, families, friends, classmates, sweethearts, and fel- are our killing grounds. and Veteran Service Commissions. DD214 low troops. Killing grounds have always been with us. The Chronicle also maintains dd214chronicle.com and Every war is pockmarked with tragedy. If losing price we pay is always high. Lives lost to all sorts of a family member to war scars the heart, that hor- weapons: booby traps, small arms, artillery shells, DD214 Chronicle/Facebook. rible and never-ending pain is made worse by not disease, hand grenades, bayonets, carpet bombings. • knowing. When a young trooper breathes his last, the pain The Chronicle would not exist without its One of those Unknowns left home. Smiling as he and suffering end. For those who knew and loved, advertisers. Make the effort to patronize them. said goodbye, turned and began the great adventure the heartbreak begins and, in many ways, never John H. Tidyman, editor of his life. Wrote a few letters home, each one op- ends. th timistic and hopeful. The letters stopped. Frantic On this Memorial Day, I’ll go and visit the grave 198 Light Infantry Brigade prayers followed. An eerie quiet permeated the of another soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Americal Division house. The tragic news wasn’t far behind. Maybe the visit will end as it did last year: a prayer (216) 789-3502 I think of the bones in The Tomb. The bones for him and those who loved him. forgedironstidyman@gmail www.dd214chronicle.com DD 214 Chronicle May/June 2019 ✩3 “Pets for Vets” Rescues Dogs, Restores Veterans By Jerri Donohue helter dogs in northeast Ohio friends. A Pets for Vets trainer Once a dog is found, the or- approved trainers. She is grateful are joining the 300-some first meets with the applicant and ganization trains it to suit the that Pets for Vets Cleveland already Snationwide who found loving becomes familiar with his or her veteran’s needs. Some vets might has six – three on the east side and homes with veterans through Pets personality, lifestyle and home. ask for a dog who doesn’t jump on three on the west side. for Vets. A year ago, Joan Tiefel For example, an apartment dweller furniture. All Pets for Vets dogs are All veteran applicants, too, re- learned her veterinarian was rais- recently contacted the Cleveland housebroken. ceive a brief training to ensure they ing funds for the organization. chapter. Because his building Trainers use positive training use the same commands their dogs Intrigued, she did some research. bans dogs bigger than 35 pounds, techniques exclusively. In addition, have learned. “I reached out to them for infor- a trainer searched shelters for a they must have taught training The chapter covers adoption fees mation,” Tiefel said. “After an eight dog meeting that requirement. A classes and be experienced in as- and the cost of foster care and train- month process of working with the veteran who runs might request an sessing dogs. Tiefel said that only ing. There is no charge to veterans, national office, we got our 501c3 energetic dog to run with him or about 20 percent who apply to but they must be able to afford their designation in December 2018.” her. And vets with kids need dogs become Pets for Vets trainers are pets’ basic needs, such as food and The new Cleveland chapter is that can adapt to family living. accepted. Most chapters have four annual veterinarian visits. The or- placing animals with veterans liv- ganization stays in touch with the ing in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Summit veteran after a dog is placed and and other counties in northern will help out if an animal develops Ohio. Columbus has the state’s expensive health problems. only other chapter. The animals are “If a dog gets diabetes or needs not service dogs. While pets help costly surgery, the national orga- persons with PTSD, the program is nization has funds to cover the open to all veterans, not just those expense,” Tiefel said. suffering from various ailments. For her part, Tiefel is well aware Animal trainer Clarissa Black of the unconditional love offered founded Pets for Vets in 2009 to ad- by animals. Because of shared dress two problems: the astronomi- memories of their childhood pets, cal number of wonderful dogs who she dedicated the Cleveland Pets land in shelters, and the emotional for Vets chapter to her brother, needs of returning or transitioning Howard. Now living in Las Vegas, veterans. Pets ease loneliness, re- he was a medic in Vietnam. duce anxiety and boost self-esteem. To apply for a dog, call Tiefel Black designed a process to pair at 330-348-4000 or visit veterans with compatible furry www.petforvets.com/cleveland. “ABOUT FACE” A book review by JC Sullivan n 1971 I saw David Hackworth the Merchant Marine with parental was formed specifically to apply on television while he was in the consent.