For Center for Hospice Care (CHC), there is no greater privilege than serving veterans and their families. That’s exactly why CHC holds a Veterans Tribute Ceremony each year at its Mishawaka Campus – to honor our country’s heroes, many of whom have been forgotten by history.
On Tuesday, October 10, CHC held its eighth annual Veterans Tribute Ceremony. Veterans, their families, and countless supporters gathered at CHC’s Captain Robert J. Hiler Jr. Memorial to commemorate a brave group of men who tragically lost their lives: the Lost 74.
Veterans currently account for 1 in every 4 deaths, and nearly 25% of CHC’s patients are veterans. Looking for a way to better serve these individuals, CHC joined “We Honor Veterans,” a national initiative meant to help veterans better understand the benefits that are available to them at the end of their lives.
“As we’ve learned more about the number of veterans who are dying today, it seems like we need to find ways to recognize and honor their service as well as provide opportunities for their families to remember and memorialize their loved ones. This is how we’re doing that,” said Mike Wargo, chief operating officer of CHC.
As a Level Five partner, the highest level an organization can achieve, CHC does many things to support veterans. The Veteran Tribute Ceremony is one way that CHC raises awareness for veteran stories that have gone untold or been forgotten.
“I think having people share their different perspectives and experiences is important. I hope everyone walks away today understanding that there are so many stories out there that have never been told and that will never be heard unless we open up those channels of communication,” said Wargo.
This year's tribute shared the story of the Lost 74. On June 3, 1969, the U.S.S Frank E. Evans sank off the coast of Vietnam after colliding with an Australian aircraft carrier. Within two minutes, 74 men died – only one body was recovered. This was an incredible tragedy, yet these brave heroes’ names were not added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. because of technicalities regarding the boundaries of the war zone.
Each year, the CHC team invites a veteran to share important stories with the community. In years past, CHC has invited a Medal of Honor recipient as well as a survivor of the Beirut bombing. There was no better person to tell the tale of the Lost 74 than Rear Admiral Tim Weber, who recently retired from the United States Navy after serving for 33 years.
Weber was humbled at the invitation to come and speak about such a brave group of sailors.
“In the Navy, we talk about our core values of honor, courage, and commitment. Part of that is honoring those who have given the greatest sacrifice. Being here today is truly the honor of a lifetime. This is the first veterans event I’ve been to as a veteran after retiring last year and it just feels right. People have thanked me for being here, but I could thank them ten times and it wouldn’t be enough,” said Weber.
During his speech, Weber emphasized how important it is to remember and honor our veterans in ways both big and small so that they may never be forgotten.
“Our veterans deserve our respect and honor in any way we can give it. If you’re walking by a memorial or through a cemetery, stop and think about the veterans. Reach out to an old friend who has served and say thank you. Deliver care that matters – that’s something that the people here at CHC do exceptionally well,” said Weber.
The attendees took Weber’s words to heart. After the ceremony, everyone took a moment to walk around the memorial and look at all the new bricks and plaques that had been donated by families in memory of their loved ones. People took pictures of plaques that struck them and ran their fingers over each name. Then, everyone went inside to continue bonding with one another – veterans and families who had lost their loved ones in service shared their stories. A blanket with each of the Lost 74’s names sat out on display. It was touching to watch the community actively keep veterans’ memories alive.
“The Lost 74 is a heartbreaking and tragic story, but the community and healing that has come out of it is breathtaking. It’s been wonderful being a part of it. I’m going to be thinking about all the love and compassion and support from today and what it represents for a long time,” said Weber.
CHC’s eighth annual Veterans Tribute Ceremony couldn’t have been more eye-opening. The CHC team is committed to helping veterans share their untold stories in any way they can.
“Many veterans don’t talk much about their service during their lives for all kinds of reasons, but at the end of their life find that they want to share those stories. Here at CHC, we have people who are trained to facilitate those types of conversations. We have veterans who volunteer to be companions with our veteran clients so they can share stories with someone who understands and find ways to share those stories with loved ones. We even do pinning ceremonies for our veterans to give them the opportunity to share. It’s all about making sure that veteran patients and their families are able to communicate and get the closure they need in the end,” said Wargo.
Everyone can’t wait to see how CHC’s Veterans Tribute Ceremony grows and continues to shed light on veterans for years to come.
“Every year, we add more blocks and bricks to our memorial; I hope that, eventually, that wall will be completely full of names and every brick will have an inscription. I hope that we’ll have to start thinking about the next thing we can do to honor our veterans. This event has been a wonderful part of our organization,” said Wargo.
To learn more about how Center for Hospice Care serves and honors veterans, visit cfhcare.org.
