Staff reports
Larry Dandridge, the veterans/military columnist for The Island News, was recognized Thursday, Oct. 24, with a Certificate of Appreciation by Erik Zielinski, manager of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Fisher House Charleston, and the Friends of Fisher House Charleston 501c3 that supports Fisher House Charleston.
Zielinski presented the award to Dandridge for his eight years of support for Fisher House Charleston, which began in early 2015, when he volunteered to be an “Ambassador of Good Will” for Fisher House Charleston and the Friends of Fisher House Charleston.
Dandridge, a retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, wrote the award-winning book “Blades of Thunder” (Book One), gave more than 100 speeches, and participated in book signings to raise money to help buy the land that Fisher House Charleston is built on. He has directly raised more than $80,000 for Fisher House Charleston. His book and public speaking have also served as a catalyst to raise more than $5 million to purchase the land and refurbish the old carriage house behind Fisher House Charleston.
Dandridge has been recognized numerous times by the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Fisher Foundation, Fisher House Charleston, the Friends of Fisher House Charleston, the Governor of South Carolina, the S.C. House of Representatives, the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), the Military Officers Association of American (MOAA), and others for his support. His recent awards for helping our Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen/women, Coastguardmen/women and veterans and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and Health Care System and Fisher House Charleston include:
- SC’s Highest Civilian award, The 2023 Order of the Palmetto; the S.C. House of Representatives Feb. 1, 2020, Resolution and Service Award H.5224; and the Fisher Foundation 2024 Outstanding Support Award.
- MOAA 2022 Charleston, S.C. Robert J. Lahm Award; the 2016 National Aging in Place Award; and the 2018 Military Writers Association of America Silver Writing and Book Award.
Dandridge has written more than 200 articles for The Island News, mostly (more than 160) on veterans’ benefits and how to apply for those benefits. Those informative articles have resulted in hundreds of letters of praise and emails from all over the Lowcountry of S.C. and Georgia. His veterans’ benefits articles are being used to help train new S.C. County Veterans Service Officers (VSOs), educate Veterans Service (and patriotic) Organizations (VVA, AL, VFW, DAV, Lowcountry, Leathernecks, Knights of Columbus, SCDVA, Sumter Guard, AUSA, Rotary, Washington Light Infantry, Exchange, MOAA, Lions, Kiwanis, DAR, Naval Order of US, etc.), and educate veterans on what their state and federal veterans’ benefits are and how to apply for those benefits and services.
“It has been a great honor to serve military members, veterans, and their families, caregivers, and survivors and The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Fisher House Charleston, and the Friends of Fisher House Charleston,” Dandridge said upon receiving the award. “Our Fisher House is truly a miraculous facility with a team of extraordinarily special employees and volunteers. It is no wonder the Ralph H. Johnson VA is the only five-star medical center and healthcare system in S.C. It is obvious why the Joint Commission has rated the Rated the RHJVAMC&HCS (which owns and operates Fisher House Charleston) in the top 10 percent of all public and private medical centers and healthcare systems in the USA for quality of care, customer satisfaction, infection prevention and a hundred other metrics. Fisher House Charleston has been the highest achieving Fisher House and we South Carolinian and Georgia veterans and our families are so fortunate to be served by the RHJVA Medical Center, Fisher House Charleston, and the Friends of Fisher House Charleston.”
Dandridge helps veterans and military members and their families in the S.C. and Ga., coastal counties in many ways, including volunteering as:
- The Vice Presient for Veteran Affairs for the Charleston Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the Coastal S.C. Chapter of the Association of the US Army (AUSA).
- A Patient Adviser, a Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) Instructor, an Employment Assistance Advisor, a Member of the Patient Experience (Past Customer Service Committee) Committee, a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Committee, and a member of the CEO’s Stakeholder Advisory Council, at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.
- An Ambassador of Goodwill for Fisher House Charleston.
You can read Larry Dandridge’s past articles on veterans’ benefits in The Island News at https://yourislandnews.com/category/military/.
