The East Cooper Breakfast Rotary Club will meet Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 7:30 a.m. in The Cooper River Room at the Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park. We are pleased to have Larry Dandridge, as our guest speaker. Breakfast catered by Dish and Design.
Larry Dandridge is a retired soldier, aviator, author, motivational speaker, Vietnam era wounded warrior, and an accomplished business man. He is a South Carolinian and a volunteer Patient Adviser at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC. He is also the past president of the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Charleston, SC Chapter and he led many efforts to help, in too many ways to mention here, our military men and women, veterans, and their families. His leadership articles have been published in the US, Germany, England in over 20 magazines and newspapers and two books.
Larry will talk about the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s need for FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON, the US Helicopter War in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, the two bloodiest years of America’s longest and most controversial war, and the all five-star-reviewed book, military history and action book, BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE), which many say may be the best book ever written about the helicopter war in Vietnam.
A member of the “West Point Logistics Hall of Fame (inducted in 2002)”, his awards include the 2006, 2007, 2008 AUSA Exceptional Service Awards”, “2009 AUSA 3rd Region Brenda M. Dougherty Award”, “2009 Ralph H. Johnson VA Med Center Volunteer and Sponsor of the Year Award”, “2010 MOAA Charleston SC Robert J. Lahm Award”, 2011 AUSA 3rd Region Significant Achievement Award”, the “VA Special 2012 Volunteer Award”, and the “Runner Up for the 2012 VA Spirit Award”. His military decorations include the Purple Heart, German Silver Cross, two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Joint Meritorious Service Medal, 5 Army Meritorious Services Medals, 15 Combat Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, and others.