22 vets honored at nursing homes in Fort Oglethorpe and Rossville
On Nov. 8, local groups and individuals, headed up by Caris Healthcare, a hospice organization, visited two nursing homes to honor resident veterans, one of whom was 101 years old and had served in WWII.
Caris participates in a program called “We Honor Veterans.” The program is designed to recognize and serve veterans in healthcare institutions.
For Veterans Day this year, Caris wanted to honor two men under their care and decided to expand the effort to honor all eight veterans at NHC Healthcare in Rossville and all fourteen at NHC Healthcare in Fort Oglethorpe.
Caris staff and 2nd Lt. Charity Gibson, an Air Force chaplain candidate, visited VFW Post 3679 to ask members to be a part of the ceremonies. “Sam Parrish at the post really got the men excited about it,” says Gibson, “and helped us get together a group to participate.”
The ROTC Color Guards from Ridgeland High School and Lakeview-fort Oglethorpe High School were invited to do a presentation of the colors at the nursing homes in their respective towns, and Ridgeland ROTC students did a pinning of veterans at NHC Healthcare in Rossville. LFO ROTC students were unable to stay for the pinning ceremony, but Caris staff, Vietnam veteran Roger Helle, who spoke at both events, Sam Parrish’s son, Richard Parrish, and Ashley Duffy stepped in to do the honors. Angie Burgess sang the National Anthem at the ceremonies.
“It was very touching,” says Caris Chaplain Steven Allert. “Some of the men and women were tearful and some excited. You could tell how much it meant to them.”
Larry Palmer and David Boyles of American Legion Post 95 conducted flag-folding ceremonies for the ceremonies. Flags were donated by the state of Georgia, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
“We’re proud of the team that pulled these events together,” says Allert. “Our veterans deserve to be honored and we’re happy to make sure that those who can’t make it to public ceremonies are recognized, too.”