Eric Calley, a Marine veteran who spent two tours in Iraq and now advocates for other returning veterans, was on a trip from Florida to Detroit when flight attendants began unnecessarily taking issue with his service dog during some turbulence. The conduct of the attendants sparked complaints from a fellow veteran on the flight, as well as others.

Calley – who is the brother of Michigan Lt. Governor Brian Calley – was sent an apology from US Airways because, “it appears our airport personnel didn’t handle the situation with the quality customer care we expect.”

Calley’s first service dog, sadly, passed away last year. His new service dog, Sun, was made possible by a fundraiser.

“She helps me just leave the house,” he said. “She helps me deal with people. Dogs are 10 times more intuitive than humans. They pick up things way more than we do. If you have a flashback, and say you’re dreaming you’re overseas and you wake up, you still think you’re over there for a while. She helps you get out of that. She brings you back to real time.”

Calley also wants people to know that there is a two-year waiting list for veterans who need service dogs, and the list is growing ever longer. But you can help.

Eric Calley works with a program called Liberty’s Legacy in honor of Calley’s first dog to provide more service dogs for Michigan veterans. Calley said his goal for 2015 is to bring “as many dogs as possible” to Michigan.

Liberty’s Legacy works with schools to set up penny drives to raise money for veterans who are waiting for dogs. Literally, Calley says, every penny counts.

If you’re interested in setting up a penny drive at your local school to sponsor a Michigan veteran, contact Lansing State Journal columnist Louise Knott Ahern, who wrote the story on Calley and his service dog, at lkahern@lsj.com. She will put you in touch with Eric Calley.

You can read the full article on the Detroit Free Press website, here:  http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2014/12/22/eric-calley-veteran-service-dog-sun-us-airways/20762173/

Legal Help for Veterans members Paul Bohn and Kristina Derro have been big supporters of service dogs for veterans.  Paul is on the board of Stiggy’s Dogs in Howell, Michigan.

And when we say “on the verge of becoming homeless,” it’s true. The deal to save Dahlberg’s home was closed less than 24 hours before he would have lost his home.

Dahlberg said he was overwhelmed with emotions. And he said of his home: “I’m here until I die.”

***

Here is the full story from the Livingston Daily:

Last week, Brighton couple Keli Murillo and Jay Bobel, CEO of Northville-based Spartan Equities, stepped forward to put forth more than $142,000 in fees associated with saving Hamburg Township resident Ross Dahlberg’s home.

“It’s a miracle come true,” said Dahlberg, a Korean War-era veteran.

The veteran’s home was ultimately sold at a sheriff’s auction to Day Glo LLC in March due to what Joshua Parish, a veterans benefits counselor, believes was an error by the state’s Step Forward Program. Dahlberg fell behind on mortgage payments because of a divorce and medical issues, which put him in and out of the hospital and rehab care.

A state official refuted Parish’s claim that Dahlberg’s completed application was received by the state homeownership office on time.

If it weren’t for Bobel and Murillo, Parish said he was told “Day Glo LLC was going to have the Sheriff’s Department come remove Mr. Dahlberg from his home.”

Bobel, whose company regularly assists with home redemptions in the county, said he saw the opportunity to “do good” after reading a Daily Press & Argus article on the topic, which prompted him to call Parish.

“Something just didn’t sound quite right to me, and I wanted to help,” Bobel said.

Parish’s mission to help Dahlberg stay in his home became a community effort in July when he launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign in hopes of securing $130,000 needed to reclaim the home before a six-month redemption period that expired Thursday. Those funds will be transferred into a secure account and go toward Dahlberg’s tax payments on the home, where he will virtually live for free.

“I want to go out in the parking lot and do a little dance,” Parish said Thursday. “I’ve exhausted so much time and effort for this project.”

The Veterans Affairs official has also secured supplies from Home Depot and Allied Lumber in Howell, Ann Arbor-based Fingerle Lumber and Milford-based ABC Supply to replace Dahlberg’s roof that had sustained water damage over a number of years. Work began Thursday by volunteer contractors from Pinckney-based Jim’s Roofing.

Dahlberg, who is wheelchair-bound due to the effects of diabetes, said he has met a number of “good people” during his struggle whom he would like to thank. He is now receiving home health assistance seven days per week through a Veterans Affairs program.

“At the moment, I’m a little choked up,” Dahlberg said Thursday afternoon. “I’m overwhelmed with emotions.

“I’m here until I die,” he said of his home.

Other important players in the effort included attorneys Paul Bohn and John Drury, and Howell-based Matecun, Thomas and Olson PLC, Parish said.

Originally posted Livingston Daily September 25:
http://www.livingstondaily.com/story/news/local/community/hamburg-township/2014/09/25/hamburg-veteran-keeps-home/16242855/

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800