The acronym is LDRSHIP and the uppercase letters stand for Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage. These are the values of the United States Army to which Master Sergeant Eric Marts of Moorhead, Minnesota first committed himself when he enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1985. They are values to which he has remained devoted and true, notwithstanding the adversities he encountered as he fought for the freedom of millions and […]

As veterans of the U.S. Military, we are proud to have trained to defend our nation and then to have served honorably in whatever capacity and wherever we were assigned. Although we hold in special esteem the branch of the military in which we served, in my case the Marine Corps, the values promoted by each branch overlap and have many of the same themes. These are the values we have taken with us to […]

Values: Specific or general, there are positive values embedded in our organizations, our military, and our Constitution. They are hopefully enduring values. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are just the basis for values and freedoms such as independence, courage, leadership, integrity, honor, etc. As a blinded veteran or family caregiver, empower yourself and others through courage, integrity, independence, and dignity. How is this done? By standing up for yourself and your fellow “man” […]

District Directors Goldsmith, Jackson Assume New Roles on BVA Board Blinded veterans Daryl Goldsmith of Pensacola, Florida and Kevin Jackson of Austin, Texas have been sworn in as members of the BVA Board of Directors representingDistricts 5 and 6, respectively. The official actionoccurred on July 24, 2020.  Under BVA’s National Bylaws, each of the newly elected District Directors will serve three-year terms. Darryl will serve in the capacity for the first time while Kevin has […]

Who are Caregivers? Caregivers are the people who rise to the challenge when a loved one has a need that they cannot accomplish without help. Everyone associated with BVA has some degree of relationship with this concept. Remember when that “jerk in the little white coat said ‘you’re done!’” Then VA sent a letter to the state and medically revoked your driver’s license. Finally, you had to go back to your family and friends and, […]

Blinded Veterans: Always rising to the challenge How many times have you heard that you amaze people with what you can do while being blind? How about the statement that they couldn’t do it? Sometimes you may have felt this way about yourself but then you realize that, at the end of the day, you can’t take off the nightshades. Yeah, it’s a challenge.At some point in our lives, somebody told us we were blind […]

Ken Horn: Rising to New Challenges through Operation Peer Support When Lieutenant Colonel Kennan “Ken” Horn (Ret.) was first nominated in January 2017 to receive the most prestigious annual award of the Blinded Veterans Association, he knew next to nothing about the award and perhaps even less about a group of veterans he would soon thereafter champion and with whom he would become a significant player. Nor did the native Oklahoman realize that he had […]