Monthly Archives: March 2024

National Vietnam War Veterans DayIt was noted by a proclamation in 2012 and by an Act signed by the president in 2017. March 29 was chosen as National Vietnam War Veterans Day because on March 29, 1973, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disbanded, and the last U.S. combat troops left the Republic of Vietnam.

Please don’t tell me we lost the war or it wasn’t worth it. You would be deprecating those who sacrificed, and the sacrifice was great.

More than 58,000 young men and women lost their lives there. This includes three from my little town in Ohio called Mantua, including a friend known to all as Bobby. In addition, the physically wounded totaled more than 300,000 in Vietnam, with another 75,000 left severely disabled from their physical wounds.

There are also the emotional scars of war. We call it PTSD today. The numbers aren’t precisely known, but the range is 15% of those serving to as many as 30% have gone through the tortuous journey of PTSD at some point. When you consider 2.7 million served, well, do the math.

This day was created in 2017 “to give Americans the opportunity to say ‘Welcome Home’ to a group of veterans who never got the reception they deserved when they returned to the United States.”

Another attorney and I battled it out in court for almost three hours. It was a case that had to be heard by the court. What I liked was that the other attorney was kind of like me. We’re throwbacks to a time when cases were tried when necessary, not settled or continued. The Magistrate did a good job of ruling on objections. I think I know the outcome, but that’s up to the Magistrate, not me.

Sometimes, I hear people complain that attorneys have some buddy system. Are we friends outside of court? Yes. Do we do what we can against each other in court? Yes, we do. I point this part out only because clients see their attorney talking to the other attorney, and oftentimes, it’s a friendly conversation. That part of it ends when we walk into the courtroom.

I use the analogy of boxing. For 12 rounds, two guys pound on each other and then embrace(attorneys don’t do the last part). It ends; we go our separate ways and can be friendly toward each other again until the next time we meet in court.

Folks, please believe there is no collusion regarding your case. Most of our business is by word of mouth, which requires us not to cut secret deals but to fight for the rights of the people we represent.

Originally written on March 25, 2013

This Guy Inspires Me

The picture is of a Lancaster man. The man you see has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He has what is called primary-progressive MS. That’s a fancy name that means it is a steady worsening of symptoms and disability as it progresses. I could give his name, but I don’t know if he would want me to do that.

So, on a Friday, a group of people is at the fairgrounds setting up for the MS Walk the following day. Now, this guy is helping set up tables. He grabbed a table at a time, moved himself and the table by wheelchair, set the table down, pulled out the legs, and returned to get another table. I don’t know this for sure, but I’m certain he positioned more tables than anyone else and, if not, certainly moved tables to the furthest distance.

Me, I was sitting on a stage. I was there because I had then relapsing-remitting MS. Today, it has progressed to what is called secondary-progressive. The doctor misled me, and the change in name was only because I was using a cane. Really, it means I’ll experience a gradual, steady change in my ability to perform daily tasks.

He came over, and we talked. I believe I noticed that his wheelchair was powered only by him. He chatted, showed me some pictures on his cell phone, introduced me to his granddaughter, and told me about his wife. I guess they had just taken a trip to Florida. Oh yeah, one of the pictures he showed me was a souped wheelchair he made that could power itself in the woods and go up steps.

When I speak of MS, I often steal a line from the movie Heartbreak Ridge. Well, I changed it; you must adjust, adapt, and overcome when you have it. Something better comes from a Rocky movie. Rocky is talking to his son, and I have to shorten this some, but the advice Rocky gives his son is as follows:

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!… But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that…”

So this guy has been knocked around by life, but he keeps coming back. There’s no quit in him. Some, maybe many, would give up. I see so many give up when facing almost nothing. But for him, the obstacles are there. He gets hit, takes it, and keeps moving forward. As Rocky said, “That’s how winning is done!”