The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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The ceremony Saturday at the All-Veterans Memorial was set aside to say “thank you” to veterans who served in all branches of the military; the remaining days of the year give the opportunity for others to put action to those words.

Mary Beth Brown, acting chief services officer at Colmery-O’Neil Veterans Hospital in Topeka, talked to the crowd about the sacrifices and services that the veterans have provided throughout the country’s history. Reading from a speech made by President Lincoln in 1865, she told the crowd that he took the lead in making sure that veterans, and their families, were taken care of when their service was finished.

About 33,000 veterans receive medical services from Kansas veterans hospitals.

“Of that 33,000, 1,000 are from the current conflict,” Brown said.

To take care of them last year, approximately 1,000 volunteers between the two hospitals put in an estimated 89,000 hours of service.

“We honestly couldn’t run our hospital or our patient programs without them,” Brown said.

The volunteers handle transportation, appointment-reminder calls, teach computer basics, and “much, much more,” she said.

Donors provided about $1,000,000 in funds, clothing, televisions for the hospitals, personal-care items, telephone cards, stamps, snacks, reading materials and other items, in addition to the time donated.

One of the volunteer programs is enriching history for family and friends, she said. Interviewers talk with veterans to get their stories on tapes as a permanent record.

“What a legacy to leave,” she said.

She told the audience about a coincidence that occurred recently during two of those interviews, after a volunteer noticed that the stories carried a familiar thread.

One of the veterans had served time in Germany. He’d been taken a prisoner of war, and described the sharing of meager rations and, later, the time U.S. troops came in to liberate the prison camp.

The second veteran also had been in that part of Germany during an overlapping time period.

“Luckily, it was done by the same volunteer,” Brown said of the interview. “... The other vet told his story of being with the troops that liberated the POW camp.”

The interviewer asked each man separately if he would mind if his name and contact information was given to the other. Both agreed.

“Little did they know that they lived 30 miles apart,” Brown said. Then, their wives met. “Their wives had been best friends in high school. What a reunion that was.”

Brown said that sometimes, veterans have difficulties talking to their families about their roles in the wars. Taping with an interviewer seems to overcome that reluctance.

“Then (the family) can watch it if you do not want to be present,” she said, encouraging vets at the ceremony to take part in the project.

A number of veterans were involved in the program, as well as in the color guard and firing squad. The Emporia High School Band, led by Bob Haselhuhn, played music before and after the ceremony.

Richard McCoy, representing Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1980, was master of ceremonies.

Bill Gardner, American Legion Post 5 Adjutant, and John Clark, of the new VFW men’s auxiliary unit, raised the flag, and the Rev. Jim Akers, American Legion state chaplain, led the opening prayer.

Ron Whitney, American Legion first vice commander, read “In Flanders Fields,” and Lt. Col. (ret.) Lee Hoskins gave the closing prayer.

Joey Sanchez and Adam Schondelmaier of the EHS band played “Taps” and echo.

Girl Scout Jennifer Knickerbocker, assisted by Girl Scouts from Unit 101, led the crowd in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Our Boy Scout didn’t show up today,” McCoy said with a chuckle, “so the Girl Scouts had the honor to carry it all.”