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Donovan Veterans Fund

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Harry Donovan

For four days and nights, Harry Donovan was lost at sea. His entire crew had been attacked, so there he sat, stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where hope seemed as distant as the shoreline.

Deliverance came in the form of a U.S. landing ship. Its crew pulled Harry to safety, offering him food, clean water and everything he needed to get back on his feet. After returning from World War II, Harry regained his footing stateside by earning his high school and college diplomas and becoming a successful accountant, even serving on the staff of a sitting U.S. president. 

Service being Harry's motto, he never forgot the crew that saved his life. He also hasn't forgotten the plight of his fellow veterans, so many of whom struggle to find normalcy when returning from combat. In 2012, Harry and his wife started the Donovan Veterans Fund of Akron Community Foundation. Its mission is to educate, rehabilitate and train fellow veterans so they can enjoy successful lives and careers like Harry.

"So many people don't understand: When you have been in a war and had buddies killed around you, and you've been exposed to someone shooting at you, you are just so glad you got home," Harry said. "It can be difficult to get your life back together."

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