When I heard about Doug Ruch’s passing, my heart broke. Doug was a Vietnam vet and part of the 'Dying to Serve' tour, an effort that raises awareness about veterans struggling with cancer. But what happened next chilled me to the bone.

Doug faced false accusations from leftist media outlets claiming he was involved in fraudulent cancer fundraising. These claims were not only hurtful but could have affected his family and friends who supported him during this difficult time.

It’s heartbreaking because Doug was a man of integrity, dedicated to serving his country and now trying to raise awareness about the challenges faced by veterans with serious illnesses. But in the last days of his battle, he had to endure these cruel attacks on his character.

The truth is that we may never know exactly what happened or why Doug was targeted this way. All I can say is that it’s incredibly irresponsible and shows a complete lack of empathy towards someone who was already fighting for their life.

When I started looking into this three years ago, one thing became clear: the media often has a double standard when it comes to veterans like Doug. They are quick to paint them as scammers or con artists without ever providing evidence or allowing those accused a chance to defend themselves.

This is not just about Doug and his family; it’s about every veteran who deserves support and compassion, especially in their time of need. But when they face attacks like these during their final days, it’s a sign that we as a society have failed them.

So I’m writing this to remind everyone that at the end of the day, Doug was a man trying to do good work and raise awareness about an important issue. Let us honor his memory by standing up against these kinds of unfounded attacks.