Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Medal of Honor recipient Allen James Lynch wants veterans to know there is help for them, through his Allen James Lynch Foundation.
By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com
MONTGOMERY — Even though he is one of the elite, a recipient of the Medal of Honor, former Army Sgt. Allen James Lynch relates to all veterans.
“I know these standing ovations are just an excuse to get up, get the blood flowing, stretch the back. I know how it goes,” he jokingly told the Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club gathered in Montgomery May 8.
The packed room enjoyed Lynch’s stories and his telling of the little bird fable, but he had a serious message to deliver: Veterans in America need help. To hear Lynch’s little bird fable, visit Fox Valley Labor News YouTube Channel.
“I’ve been working with veterans for 45 years — and I’ve learned that veterans that are in need of a lot of help, get it. But there’s a lot of vets that don’t need major stuff, they just need a little bit of help,” he said.
“That’s what we do,” said Lynch, referring to his Allen James Lynch Foundation.
The Foundation provides help to veterans who may just need a little boost to get through hard times, such as a laptop for school, a rent payment, or help with home repairs.
Lynch was 22-years-old in December 1967, serving as a radio-telephone operator in the village of My An, Binh Dinh Province of Vietnam when he rescued three wounded soldiers and stayed behind to protect them when the rest of the company withdrew. He single-handedly defended the wounded men against enemy attack until locating a friendly force, which could evacuate them. President Richard Nixon awarded Lynch the Medal of Honor in 1970. To hear Lynch’s experience in Vietnam, visit Fox Valley Labor News YouTube Channel.
After the war, he was working for the Veterans Administration and recounted how times were sometimes tough for his young family.
“A lot of times there was too much month at the end of the money, and we were living paycheck to paycheck. We’ve all been in that situation. Next thing you know you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” he said. “It was a tough few years there.”
Lynch said there are a lot of veterans who go through the same thing and it’s something the foundation helps with.
“We had a guy who just got back from Afghanistan, was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas, his wife was in Chicago. She needed transportation. We paid for her to get down there and see him,” he said. Another instance was paying school uniforms for a veteran’s children in Alabama. To hear Lynch’s talk about the many ways his foundation helps veterans, visit Fox Valley Labor News YouTube Channel.
“People tell me, these are the little things that help us out. Everything will be ok if I can just get over this hump,” he said.
Lynch said all recipients of aid are vetted. It goes to people who deserve it.
“We had a guy call us up and ask for thousands of dollars. He said once he had that, he’d be ok. It was a lot of money, that’s not what we do,” he said. “What we do isn’t Earth shattering. We don’t build houses. We just help veterans who fall into that gap and need the help.” To hear additional stories by Lynch, visit Fox Valley Labor News YouTube Channel.
For further information on the Allen James Lynch Foundation, please visit the Allen James Lynch Foundation.