veterans

May 24, 2014April 18, 2020

Honoring Jonathan Lydick For Memorial Day

My 3rd great grandfather Jonathan Lydick (1846- 1914) and his wife Anna Marie (1852 – 1944)

Usually during holidays honoring veterans, I like to honor my Dad who served in Vietnam. However, for this year’s Memorial Day, I want to honor my 3rd great grandfather Jonathan Lydick (1846 – 1914). He was born in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Northwest Ohio. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 at the age of 17 at Lima. He served in the 12th Ohio Cavalry as a part of Company G.

During his time in the service the 12th Ohio had operations against Morgan’s invasion of Kentucky May 31-June 20, 1864. Action at Mt. Sterling, Ky., June 9. Cynthiana June 12. Skirmish at Lebanon, Ky., July 30 (1 company). Burbridge’s Expedition into southwestern Virginia September 20-October 17. McCormack’s Farm September 23. Laurel Mountain September 29. Action at Saltville, Va., October 2. Stoneman’s Raid from Bean’s Station, Tenn., into southwestern Virginia, December 10–29. Bristol December 14. Marion December 17–18. Saltville December 20–21. Stoneman’s Raid into southwestern Virginia and western North Carolina March 21-April 25, 1865. Wilkesborough March 29. Wilkinsville N.C., April 8. Danbury April 9. Statesville and Salem April 11. Salisbury April 12. Dallas and Catawba River April 17. Swannanoah Gap April 20. Howard’s Gap, Blue Ridge Mountains, April 22. Asheville April 25. Duty in middle Tennessee, eastern Tennessee, and North Carolina, until November 1865.

November 11, 2011April 18, 2020

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow…

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 the guns fell silent across the Western Front in Europe. That’s why we mark November 11th as Veteran’s Day to honor not only our war dead (like my father, pictured on the right) but to celebrate the living men and women who put themselves in harms way. Raise a glass to honor and thank them all and hope, one day, no other sons and daughters, moms or dads, or brothers and sisters have to go to war. Here’s a classic poem about war titled “In Flanders Fields”:

November 12, 2007April 18, 2020

To our Veterans

We observe Veteran’s Day today November 12th. Soldiers Off to Battle

To all those veterans, past and present, and those risking their lives today, thank you!

March 23, 2007April 18, 2020

If you think the Walter Reed scandal was bad

If you think the Walter Reed scandal was bad…

I read an article in the Nation tonight that talks about the rash of military discharges of wounded Iraq war veterans, in order, it seems to save the VA money on benefits.

The article, How Specialist Town Lost His Benefits, by Joshua Kors, highlights a previously unreported practice of discharging wounded soldiers as having a personality disorder, which happens to be one of the ways a soldier can be discharged and not be eligible for any future benefits.

The article highlighted the case of Jon Town, from Findlay, Ohio, who was seriously wounded, in 2004, when a rocket slammed into a wall 2 feet above his head. Since then he has suffered from deafness, memory failure and depression. In 2006 it was determined that he would never recover enough to go back to active duty.

But instead of sending Town to a medical board and discharging him because of his injuries, doctors at Fort Carson, Colorado, did something strange: They claimed Town’s wounds were actually caused by a “personality disorder.” Town was then booted from the Army and told that under a personality disorder discharge, he would never receive disability or medical benefits.
Town is not alone. A six-month investigation has uncovered multiple cases in which soldiers wounded in Iraq are suspiciously diagnosed as having a personality disorder, then prevented from collecting benefits. The conditions of their discharge have infuriated many in the military community, including the injured soldiers and their families, veterans’ rights groups, even military officials required to process these dismissals.
They say the military is purposely misdiagnosing soldiers like Town and that it’s doing so for one reason: to cheat them out of a lifetime of disability and medical benefits, thereby saving billions in expenses.
How Specialist Town Lost His Benefits

Not only did Town lose his disability pay or chance to receive long-term VA medical care, but he left the Army actually owing $3000 when they took back his $15,000 bonus.

The article reports that up to 22,500 soldiers have been discharged for a “personality disorder” in the past 6 years with a sharp increase since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The US once again shafts veterans.