Blind Army Veteran excited for his first experience at the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic

By Kevin C. Miller

When John “Jack” Oberleitner joined the Army in YEAR, he had dreamed of making it a career. That dream collapsed after receiving a head injury in Vietnam and developing a rare form of glaucoma. The condition caused him to lose nearly all vision in his left eye overnight, forcing Oberleitner into medical retirement after four years of service.

“At first, my right eye was all right,” Oberleitner said. “But treatment at the time for that condition was not ideal, and despite several surgeries and medications, I eventually lost my vision in my right eye as well.”

Oberleitner went to the Hines VA Blind Rehabilitation Center near Chicago to learn how to become as independent as possible. There he learned how to read Braille, eventually becoming an instructor. He also learned to use a “white cane” and speech recognition technology.

While learning how to navigate resources and services for Veterans with blindness or low vision, he encountered a DAV benefits advocate at the Department of Veterans Affairs facility where he was rehabilitating.

“I was looking for an advocate and found one in DAV,” Oberleitner said. “Their help was instrumental in my recovery, and I thought it was important to join an organization that fights to improve the lives of Veterans and their families.”

As a service-connected blind Veteran, Oberleitner has used his experience to help other Veterans overcome their own challenges with vision loss. Oberleitner, a lifelong artist, volunteers at his local VA, helping other veterans with blindness or low vision explore their creativity through art.

By staying connected and involved at the VA, Oberleitner learned about the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic through what his community calls the “Blind Vine,” an informal group of blind veterans that share resources and information with each other.

“I’ve heard so many positive things from my fellow blind Veterans [about the Golf Clinic] and thought I would finally try it myself,” he said. “I had not played golf before until we had an introduction lesson [in July] at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center. It will be a great experience to learn something new and expand my network of disabled Veteran friends.”