rapid fire
Honoring Veterans in Hospice
Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur observed during a speech before Congress that old soldiers never die, they just fade away. Volunteers with We Honor Veterans know that’s not true, of course, and they help hospice staffs nationwide provide special end-of-life services to fellow veterans.
The program provides educational resources and information to guide hospice staff pairing patients with veteran volunteers. Approximately 1,350 hospice programs nationwide currently participate, says Emil Zuberbueler of the Virginia-based National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which collaborated with the VA to develop We Honor Veterans in 2008.
“Because they have had similar experiences, veterans relate to one another,” Zuberbueler explains. “There is an immediate bond.” Veteran volunteers also better understand the unique, often service-connected, physical and psychological needs their comrades might have as they approach the end of life, Zuberbueler says.
Jim Brack of Cary, N.C., is a Navy veteran who volunteers at Hospice of Wake County in Raleigh. Many of the patients he visits are veterans of World War II or the Korean War, and Brack’s military service helps establish a friendly rapport. “No one cares if you were in combat,” he observes. “There is an association because you were in the service. It’s a very special connection.”
Brack helped initiate a program in Wake County that honors veterans with a certificate, a small American flag, and a lapel pin. It’s a special thank-you that sometimes brings recipients to tears. “It’s a huge thing for them,” he says.
To learn more about the We Honor Veterans initiative, visit
www.wehonorveterans.org.
— Don Vaughan
Miscellany: VA access
MY HEALTHEVET. The VA’s award-winning website
www.myhealth.va.gov offers veterans secure access to portions of information in their VA health care records anywhere and anytime. Its Web-based tools give users greater control over their care and wellness, helping them become active partners in their health care. All veterans and servicemembers are encouraged to enroll and explore the site at
www.myhealth.va.gov. *CHICKEN ON TOUR. Learn to cook some of the best chicken dishes Europe has to offer. Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, USPHS (Ret), D.O., provides recipes for chicken Valencia, coq au vin, chicken cacciatore, and more at
www.moaa.org/nutrition.
APPLY FOR LOANS AND GRANTS
The deadline to apply for educational assistance from the MOAA Scholarship Fund is noon, Eastern time, March 3. Children pursuing their first undergraduate degrees whose parents are active duty or retired enlisted personnel or MOAA members are eligible to apply.
Visit
www.moaa.org/education for eligibility requirements and to access the 2014-15 online-only application.
PHOTO CONTEST
Enter Military Officer’s 2014 photo contest* for a chance to win up to $500 and have your work published.
All MOAA members and their spouses may submit one photo in each of four categories. Email entries to
photocontest@moaa.org or mail them, attn: MOAA Photo Contest (full address on page 6). The contest closes at 4 p.m., Eastern time, March 31.
*online: Find photo contest entry forms, rules, and full details at
www.moaa.org/photocontest.
FEBRUARY 2014 MILITARY OFFICER 27
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