Gold Star Story - Heath Robinson

Born April 15, 1981 on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Heath Robinson lived with his family in Plattsburgh, New York before moving back to the Columbus area. Heath enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard in 2003, and served a tour in Kosovo and Iraq with the 285th Area Support Medical Company and was a two time Ohio Army National Guard NCO of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

In 2017, Heath was diagnosed with a rare cancer caused by prolonged exposure to burn pits. Retiring in 2019, the Veterans Administration denied providing him with family caregiver benefits, who at the time did not recognize the connection between burn pits and chronic illnesses.

Heath died May 6th, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Danielle, and daughter, Brielle.

His fight would continue in the eventual passing of the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. The legislation provides comprehensive relief for all generations of veterans, from Agent Orange to the 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans exposed to burn pits during their deployments.