COVID-19 and veterans in the news

COVID-19 hitting veterans in good ways as well as bad

UPDATE: Vietnam veteran left behind by COVID-19 panic
Chicago Now
UPDATE: After suffering another heart attack, the doctors decided that the operation was no longer elective, but necessary. He went into surgery this morning and is doing okay.

Lou Ciesla, a Vietnam Air Force veteran, may need critical heart surgery, but, sorry, Lou, because coronavirus patients are expected to flood hospitals, even though they're not there yet, your surgery has been knocked to the back of the line. It's now defined as "elective."

Family of Vietnam veteran and retired Milwaukee firefighter, 66, say he 'died alone' of coronavirus as his loved ones sat in quarantine
Daily Mail

Lawrence Riley was a Navy veteran and his son Elvaughn was inspired to enlist after him. Lawrence Riley, 66, died on Thursday, March 19, in Milwaukee

He fell ill with a fever five days before and only tested positive for the coronavirus two days before his death
Riley's wife, daughter and one of his sons are still in quarantine in their home and cannot grieve with the rest of the family
The Navy vet who served in the Vietnam War has been described as an 'icon'
He also served as a Milwaukee firefighter from 1978 to 1990
Wisconsin has 488 coronavirus cases and five deaths
Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

Veterans Answer the Call of Duty for COVID-19-Vulnerable Vets
Spectrum News

A Vets4Vets volunteer appears in this image from March 2020. (Victoria Maranan/Spectrum News)

“We realized that a significant proportion of our members and even veterans and families that are not members of our post in the local area are over 70 to 75 years old," said Buda Veterans Alliance's Bruce White. "And by definition, they need to be protected.”

So veterans in Buda, Kyle and Creedmoor stepped up and found a solution.

“The Vets4Vets really is a culmination of veterans setting all other things aside saying, ‘We are still one family,’”said veteran volunteer Cassaundra Melgar-C'd Baca. “We are gonna do the same thing we did in the military. We’re gonna pick up our bags, find those in need and take care of the problem.”