Editor’s Note:

After receiving a “Demand for Full Retraction and Cessation of
Publishing Misleading Information” from DD214 because of the claim that Loveland Magazine published an article that contained misleading information that characterized DD214’s business as an attempt to exploit veterans, we have deleted the story that was published on April 15, 2024 titled “Clermont County offers advice: Protecting Ohio’s Military Veterans”. In the story we wrote that Clermont County Recorder, Deborah Clepper cautioned “Veterans to be aware of exploitative practices”.

DD214 demanded that Loveland Magazine issue a retraction and correction of the “article(s) concerning DD214” which clearly states that DD214 is not a fraudulent or otherwise illegitimate business, and that we “published this article without proper investigation and issue the enclosed statement from DD214 therewith.” (See the below statement of Steve May the Chief Veteran Advocate of DD214 Direct.)

DD214 further demanded that Loveland Magazine:

• Remove the article(s) concerning DD214 from the internet and/or any other medium in which the article(s) has been published.
• Cease from further publication or transmission of stories, articles, etc. to any other news organization and/or syndicate (e.g. Associated Press, Bloomberg, etc.) regarding DD214 and this misleading narrative.
• To the extent you learned this misleading information about DD214 from a County Clerk and/or County Recorder’s Office, ask the County Clerk and/or County Recorder to stop claiming DD214 is a scam, fraud or otherwise illegitimate business, and inform the County Clerk and/or County Recorder that DD214 is a legitimate business offering wholly lawful services to veterans.

DD214 is not a fraudulent or otherwise illegitimate business and we published this article without proper investigation.

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Why Veterans Should Use Private Help for Public Services

At a VA hospital in Phoenix, over 40 veterans died waiting to see their doctors. They were on long wait lists that averaged 115 days. The hospital told regulators that patients were seen within 14 days. Government employees lied to protect financial bonuses. Veterans suffered.

Unfortunately, veterans routinely suffer at the hands of bureaucracies that are at best complicated and antiquated–at worst, uncaring and corrupt.

That’s why we created DD214Direct. Our company helps veterans locate and obtain their discharge documents (aka “DD214”). We charge a small fee, and take the pain and hassle out of this complicated process.

But the government sees it differently. “There is no reason to pay,” say some government officials. They think it’s easy because they never underwent the user experience themselves.

The discharge document–proof that a veteran served–is the gateway to an array of public and private benefits. Delays obtaining this critical document cost veterans money, care, and dignity.

Every day counts. Every. Single. Day.

Our software is smart and detects common application errors, routes the request to the appropriate records repository (there are over 75), digitizes paper documents, and ultimately

delivers what the veteran needs faster than most could do on their own. We have a team of 40 veteran advocates who solve complications that technology cannot.

We serve individual veterans and organizations that help veterans. A homeless shelter, a veterans law firm, and even a county jail use our software to get veterans the benefits they’ve earned in the fastest way possible.

So the next time you read about a bureaucrat warning veterans not to pay for help, think about where you want to place your trust: a faceless government agency, or a veteran-owned small business with excellent reviews and a history of solving problems for veterans.

Steve May

Chief Veteran Advocate, DD214 Direct

US Army Veteran