Brandon Twp.- Last month, township resident Duane Getzmeyer, 56, was named State Commander for the Disabled American Veterans, Department of Michigan.
Getzmeyer was drafted in 1969, just six weeks after graduation from Waterford Kettering High School, and served in the Army’s 196th Light Infantry Brigade while in Vietnam from 1970-71. In October 1970, while on patrol as a point man, Getzmeyer was wounded by a bomb that exploded when a fellow soldier tripped a land mine.
‘I was hit on my chest and lost some of the use of my left arm,? said Getzmeyer. ‘I was in the hospital and had several surgeries to repair my arm after I came home.?
Getzmeyer joined the DAV in 1973; however, he did not become active in the organization until 1990. Since then, Getzmeyer has served in a variety positions in the organization including secretary/treasurer and chapter commander.
‘Our main focus right now is to keep the programs funded,? he said.
‘Cutting through all the red tape of the VA Hospitals is a key issue. We found out the hard way regarding those problems from the situations at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. That was uncalled for.?
‘Our little township has made big sacrifices since the Civil War right through the current conflict in the Middle East. Today, when these veterans come home from Iraq and Afganistan, I don’t want them to be treated like I was coming home from Vietnam.?