Salute to Veterans
By Emily Bregel, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.
Sep. 11–The Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation launched National Rehabilitation Week on Monday with a tribute to military veterans.
The reception, attended by dozens of veterans, rehabilitation patients, community members and hospital staffers, began with a traditional hat ceremony performed by members of the Vietnam Veterans of America’s Chattanooga chapter.
The five uniformed veterans marched slowly in Siskin’s Fitness Center, placing hats at five empty place settings on a round table before saluting.
“This is the fifth time I’ve done this, and I get tears in my eyes every time I do it,” said local VVA member Ken Starry, who performed in the ceremony. “It means a lot to me because when we came home from the Vietnam War in 1975, we were shunned and ridiculed by the public. This is our way of saying we care about our missing in action and our POWs still missing today.”
Siskin staff members opted this year to honor veterans, past and present, at the 17th annual National Rehabilitation Week celebration, said Teresa Dinger, marketing director for Siskin.
“We celebrate every year, and it’s to honor the field we work in,” she said. Because rehabilitation services originated to care for those injured in wars, she said, “This year we chose to let our theme be ‘patriotic pride.’ “
Monday’s events also included a display of the Tennessee Wall, a memorial wall that lists the names of the 1,291 soldiers from Tennessee lost in Vietnam; swing dance lessons; health screenings; and tours of the hospital and fitness center.
Robert Pompilio, administrative director for support services at Siskin, emphasized the benefits of rehabilitative services for those wounded in battle or struggling with the psychological effects of war.
“It gets veterans back into the mainstream of life as fast as possible … as well as helps them understand and realize that life can go on and they can be productive and will be productive again,” he said.
Siskin’s Fitness Center, which has about 400 members and opened six months ago, offers work-out services and support for recovering patients, Chief Operating Officer said.
“We built it because a lot of our patients told us that they just didn’t want to stop coming for therapy, because they felt like they wouldn’t be able to keep the gains that they’d made,” she said. “We’ve tried to keep it affordable.”
Siskin patient and Iraq veteran Jeff Hall, 32, of Chickamauga, Ga., had a stroke after a car accident in March, five months after returning from combat.
He spent 45 days in the intensive care unit at Erlanger and was not expected to survive, he said. But after three months of in-patient rehabilitation and continued work in the day hospital at Siskin, he has improved enormously, he said.
“I’m still not able to use my left side, but we’re getting there,” he said.
Monday’s event also gave veterans of all wars an opportunity to recognize the bond that comes from having experienced combat, Chattanooga native Larry Orr, 59, said.
Mr. Orr served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969 and performed in Monday’s traditional hat ceremony. He did not join the Vietnam veterans group until 1991, he said.
“For a long time after I came back from Vietnam, I isolated myself and probably self-medicated myself and was a workaholic,” he said. “When I joined this chapter and saw where everybody talked the same language, it’s a healing process to get you where you can talk freely about your sorrows and your happiness.”
E-mail Emily Bregel at ebregel@timesfreepress.com
CEREMONY SYMBOLISM During a traditional ceremony to honor missing soldiers, Vietnam Veterans of America members circle a round table and place five military hats at five place settings representing the five branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.
Small table — Symbolizes frailty of prisoners against their oppressors White tablecloth — Symbolizes purity of their response to the call to arms Rose in vase — Symbolizes the families and loved ones who await the return of the missing Slice of lemon — Symbolizes their bitter fate Salt — Symbolizes their families’ tears Bread — Represents the strength they no longer have Drinking glasses — Upside down, as the missing cannot toast
Source: Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 203
REHABILITATION WEEK SCHEDULE Today: Memorial service at the flagpole at 9 a.m. A soldier and USO “cigarette girl” will take pictures with patients from 9:30-11 a.m. From 2-4 p.m., the Officer’s Club (public dining room) will host an Iron Chef Cook-Off where employee teams will create dishes from surprise ingredients.
Wednesday: Patients and staff may view a hat ceremony at 10 a.m., performed by the Vietnam Veterans of America. Staff members will participate in Siskin Hospital’s version of the “Great Race” at 12:15 p.m. A Patriotic Patient Party will be held from 2-4 p.m.
Thursday: An employee appreciation lunch with a USO theme will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Patients will be entertained with patriotic and war-era music by staff members from 10-11:30 a.m. and from 2-3:30 p.m.
Friday: A roving “Take-a-Break” will roam the hospital from 2-4:30 p.m., serving war-era treats. Employees also may turn in last-minute care package items for troops.
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