The Newspaper for Veterans and All Who Love Them. VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 THANK YOU WOMEN IN SERVICE UNIFORM OF THE DAY 4 Some Headlines, Some Comments 13 The Friends of Cleveland Fisher House Mail Call Fun, Travel, Adventure Get on board, good buddy! 5 Dominion Energy Wants to Talk with You: Job Recruitment Events 14 VA Needed Only Three Years to Create VA ID Cards 6 Women in the Vietnam War: Lynda Van Devanter 15 Cleveland’s Robert P. Madison fought for country, equality; An Honorable Man Lessons We Have Learned the Hard Way 16 Changed Lives 7 Marine Veteran Faced Enemy Dominion Energy Awards $50,000 to at Home Cuyahoga Community College to Support Veterans’ Educational and Employment 8 Last to Die in World War II Efforts 10 Belgian War Bride Recalls Female Truck Driver Traveled Wartime Romance, Marriage 18 Rough Road - With Good Companions 12 Freshman at Kent or Trooper in A Budding Career Mideast? Trooper! Education as an art form Enlisting was WW II WAC’s True Battle 19 The Long Run: Rocky Bleier’s Inspirational Journey Navajo Code Talker, Marine Veteran George B. Willie Sr. remembered for heroic service to the nation WASHINGTON – Today Navajo Code of the Second Marine Division as training in the States, they were sent performances prevailed throughout Talker, Marine Veteran George B. part of a specially chosen Navajo- to the Pacific for assignment to the the war and came from commanders Willie Sr. passed away after a storied speaking contingent of Marines. The Marine combat divisions,” the MCU at all levels.” life of service to our nation. He en- “Code Talkers” spoke in their Native history says. “In May 1943…[in a] “Our nation will continue to honor listed in the U.S. Marine Corps as a American tribal language that was request for a report on the subject, and pay tribute to the Navajo Code 17-year old in 1943. effectively a code that the enemy was the various division commanders Talkers, such as George Willie Sr., for The U.S. Department of Veterans unable to crack throughout the war reported to the Commandant that countless generations to come.” said Affairs (VA) honors the heroism, despite many efforts to do so. excellent results had been achieved VA Secretary David Shulkin. “Their commitment and dedication of Willie According to Marine Corps [by] Navajo code talkers in training unique contribution to the Marine and his comrades that made up the University history of the Navajo Code and combat situations, and that they Corps and the Army during World elite Navajo Code Talkers. Talker Program, it was established in had performed in a highly com- War II provides an enduring symbol Willie’s wartime service began September 1942. mendable fashion. This high degree of pride for the families of these as a private in the 10th Battalion “Once the code talkers completed of praise concerning the Navajos’ great Veterans and of the nation.” www.dd214chronicle.com DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2018 ✩3 Some Headlines, Some Comments Mom wants to stop daughter The Newspaper for 5 from opening credit accounts to Veterans and pay for heroin All Who Love Them. Dealers take credit cards? PUBLISHER EMERITUS Ohio Wesleyan biologist blasting Terence J. Uhl 6 plants into space PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Good idea, but harvesting is John H. Tidyman going to be a bitch. (216) 789-3502 [email protected] Trump is considering calling 7 Jerusalem Israel’s capital, MANAGING EDITOR officials say Ann Marie Stasko (216) 704 -5227 Benjamin Netanyahu retaliates: We’re considering calling ART DIRECTOR America’s capitol Podunk. Laura Chadwick Steve Bannon battles Republican CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 8 leaders for the soul of their party JC Sullivan Eli Beachy Now this battle ain’t gonna last Jerri Donohue long. Darlene Johnson Nancy Peacock Cleveland Clinic raises $50 million to Opossum gets drunk after breaking into Barry Goodrich honor outgoing CEO Toby Cosgrove liquor store 9 1 DD 214 CHRONICLE IS PUBLISHED BY Somehow, I can’t see Toby on his knees, Big deal — it was all bottom shelf. John H. Tidyman praying: 3280 Glenbar Drive Viagra factory is turning men in this town Fairview Park, Ohio 44126 A PHYSICIAN’S PRAYER into walking stiffs 2 Lord, Thou Great Physician, I kneel before For subscription information Thee. Since every good and perfect gift must Real estate prices skyrocket in town. call (216) 789-3502 come from Thee: I Pray Penn State football recruit charged with Give skill to my hand, clear vision to my mind, robbing a Wawa of $13,600 Editorial Statement 3 kindness and sympathy to my heart. Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift at DD214 Chronicle is committed to its readers: Expected to be red-shirted. least a part of the burden of my suffering Veterans of every generation and all who love fellow men, and a true realization of the rare Famed conductor James Levine accused of them. The printed newspaper is delivered privilege that is mine. Take from my heart all sexual abuse; complaints date back to his 4 guile and worldliness, that with the simple across northern Ohio without charge: More time in Cleveland faith of a child I may rely on Thee. than 60 libraries, colleges and universities Amen that welcome veteran students, VFW and It’s clear he didn’t use his good looks to charm anyone. 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 MAIL CALL maintains dd214chronicle.com and DD214 Chronicle/Facebook. appened to be in the library last night where • I picked up a copy of the latest Chronicle. I The Chronicle would not exist without its Hadmired the cover photograph of the Veterans advertisers. Make the effort to patronize them. Section at Lake View Cemetery, and then I spotted John H. Tidyman, editor Dad’s headstone in the background! Mom is right next th to him with her own marker because she also served in 198 Light Infantry Brigade the WACs as a nurse. It’s a wonderful historic cemetery.. Americal Division Christine Kriha Kastner (216) 789-3502 forgedironstidyman@gmail ✩4 DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2018 www.dd214chronicle.com Dominion Energy Wants to Talk with You: Job Recruitment Events ominion Energy Ohio is hosting four job Date: January 9, 2018 recruitment information events on Janu- Session One: 2:00PM-4:00PM D ary 9 and January 10, 2018. The company Session Two: 6:00PM-8:00PM is recruiting individuals for Field Metering Servic- Location: Holiday Inn Akron-West Fairlawn es Helper positions. These positions are full-time 4073 Medina Road, Akron, Ohio 44333 opportunities and start at $21.10 an hour. These Akron Recruitment Session Eventbrite positions require the following: Registration www.eventbrite.com/e/dominion-energy- · Strong customer service skills recruitment-session-tickets-41346510526 · Desire to learn and perform advanced tasks · Strong mechanical skills Date: January 10, 2018 · Willingness to work overtime, shifts and Session One: 2:00PM-4:00PM call-outs Session Two: 6:00PM-8:00PM · Valid driver’s license Location: Holiday Inn Independence · High School Diploma or GED 6001 Rockside Road · Ability to work outdoors in extreme weather Independence, Ohio 44131 conditions · Ability to pass a physical assessment and Cleveland Recruitment Session Eventbrite mechanical aptitude test Registration www.eventbrite.com/e/dominion-energy- Interested applicants should consider attend- recruitment-session-tickets-41345785357 ing one of the recruitment sessions to meet with supervisors and hiring managers to discuss For additional questions please contact qualifications. Sessions will be held on the fol- Ruth Rachel Przybojewski at rr.przybojewski@ lowing dates at two separate locations: dominionenergy.com or at 216-386-0381. AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR HEROES Affordable home options for Veterans. ƒ15% off purchase price ƒPortion of closing costs paid ƒHome warranty included ƒBuild wealth through home ownership Find out more about the Cuyahoga Land Bank HomeFront Program today! www.cuyahogalandbank.org OR CALL 216.698.8853 www.dd214chronicle.com DD 214 Chronicle January/February 2018 ✩5 Women in the Vietnam War: Lynda Van Devanter By Kristine Meldrum Denholm hough overlooked in history Assigned as a surgi- “When you don’t with in ‘Nam. She wore a sweater lessons, 11,000 women were cal nurse for the 71st have any sanity around over her nurse’s uniform, hiding her stationed in Vietnam, 90% Evacuation Hospital you, you try to find silver bar. Tserving as nurses. One was Lynda in Pleiku, she soon normalcy, comfort, As she tried to readjust, it’s here Van Devanter, who chronicled her felt the heavy combat communication with that Van Devanter does not hold memoirs in Home Before Morning: and casualties were another person on a back, recounting alcohol abuse, re- The Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam unending. She detailed level removed from curring nightmares, PTSD, difficulty (University of Massachusetts Press, the constant barrage the environment of in jobs, a marriage and divorce, and 1983, 2001.) It was the first published of rocket attacks, destruction. You want engulfing depression. book by a female Vietnam veteran. then the helicopters to share moments of But what is triumphant in the Personal narrative drives any and call: “Incoming happiness,” she wrote. story arc is the resilience of the story, gives history a face. And no wounded.” They read- Van Devanter was also human spirit; a VA counselor offered one knows war’s face like a nurse ied gurneys, plasma, buoyed by tapes from therapy, offering a “structured pro- repairing the wounded, comforting morphine, prepped her parents. cess for understanding the most dif- the dying.