Thank you for Larry Dandridge’s column
My name is Kimberly N. Morgan, and I am a long-time resident of Beaufort County. I am also a reader of your fantastic newspaper, and I wanted to give some feedback on one of your Contributors, Larry Dandridge and his weekly column pertaining to military issues, benefits, etc. But first, I want to give you a bit of context.
My husband, Jim, is a recently retired 26-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps; he is also a disabled combat veteran. After multiple combat tours (from) 2003-2020 (in) Iraq and Afghanistan as an EOD Tech (bomb squad), my husband sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), back and shoulder injuries, hearing loss after exposure to multiple IED blasts, as well as several other combat-related medical issues such as PTSD and the development of a tumor and chronic sinusitis likely related to burn pits.
Due to symptoms caused by these medical issues, I am the primary caregiver for my husband, and I handled his disability claim with the VA. The claims process is very overwhelming and dealing with the VA can be … taxing, to say the least.
In addition to caregiving, I also work full-time and have a very demanding schedule. My husband and I also have a child and home to care for.
I have been struggling to handle the VA claims process and navigate the maze of benefits, offices to speak to, appointments to make, etc., and one afternoon, I came across Mr. Dandridge’s column. It happened to cover a topic relating to VA disability claims, and when I realized that The Island News had a digital archive available of Mr. Dandridge’s past columns, I was overjoyed.
I cannot emphasize enough how much Mr. Dandridge’s columns – and emails and phone calls, after I reached out to him – have helped me navigate the overwhelming process of dealing with the VA, and how much critical information they have provided me with. His contribution to the community via these columns is incredible, and I appreciate the fact that The Island News both publishes his columns and makes past columns easily available online.
Mr. Dandridge and The Island News are both amazing assets to Beaufort, and I look forward to continuing to read both the newspaper as well as Mr. Dandridge’s columns.
Thank you, and I wish you and the entire staff at The Island News a very happy holiday.
– Kimberly N. Morgan, Beaufort County
Keep up the good work
Thank you for your coverage of Hanukkah. The local press and periodicals mostly ignore this holiday, so it is very welcome.
I was also happy to see the article from Rep. White, someone who wants to make much needed changes instead of whining about things they do nothing to fix. Keep up the good work.
– Elaine Lust, Hilton Head Island
