Ms. Laura Pechaitis
Constituent Services Liaison
Office of Senator Sherrod Brown
Erieview Tower
1301 East 9th St., Suite 1710
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Dear Laura:
Thank you for your prompt return of my call. Per your request, I will detail what my inquiries have resulted in so far, to try and locate a DSN # for the Greater Cleveland area and, hopefully, all of Ohio.
My son, Maj. Thad D. Weist, was deployed for the fourth time now to Afghanistan approximately three weeks ago. Shortly after his arrival, he contacted me and asked if I could try and find the DSN # utilized by the military in Northeast Ohio so that he could dial up a 216 or 440 exchange. I first contacted the DFAS office at the Cleveland Federal Building and spoke with the director’s secretary. She was very helpful and sent out inquiries to several people to see if they had access to such a number. Two of their staff people responded back to me and informed me that such a number is not available. I then contacted the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Cleveland Headquarters, also located in the Federal Building. I explained my request and was transferred to one of their tech people who had been deployed himself and knew exactly what I needed. He called me back within the hour and said he had found the DSN # for Ohio deployed troops and that it was out of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. He gave me that number which is known as the “Ohio Morale Line” (787-1110). The tech’s name is Joe Dellarose and he can be reached at 216-902-6117.
I forwarded this information to my son via email. He emailed me back and explained that when he called this number, he was asked for his credit card number so that they could charge him for the long distance fees from Dayton to the Cleveland exchange area. I then contacted Lt. Cornell Blue’s office at Army recruiting command, Cleveland, also at the Federal Building. I had no luck there either. I find it hard to believe that soldiers deployed out of the Dayton area can enjoy the “Ohio Morale Line” and the rest of the our deployed military have to pay for this service.
I feel confident that Senator Brown can correct this oversight so that all of our deployed troops in Ohio can enjoy the Ohio Morale Line and not just those in the Dayton area code exchange.
Any assistance Senator Brown could provide would be greatly appreciated, not only for me, but for all of the men and women that are deployed from this great State.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this most important issue.
Daniel T. Weist
President, Cuyahoga County Veteran Service Commission
Office: 216-698-2646
Home: 440-835-2654
Cell: 440-241-0042
Email: danweist [at] wowway [dot] com
