FOR JEWISH VETS GROUP, EVERY DAY IS MEMORIAL DAY.Byline: DENNIS MCCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Every day is Memorial Day for the men of Post 603. Every day at least a handful of them climb the steps leading into Building 99 at the Sepulveda Veterans Hospital, their arms filled with games to play, refreshments re·fresh·ment n. 1. The act of refreshing or the state of being refreshed. 2. Something, such as food or drink, that refreshes. 3. refreshments A snack or light meal and drinks. to serve, sundries sun·dries pl.n. Articles too small or numerous to be specified; miscellaneous items. [From sundry. to pass out to the ailing vets. Every day they walk in with a smile on their face and cheer in their voice. But inside they're crying, they say. You can't help but cry inside walking through Building 99. The veterans living there are all long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. patients in pretty bad shape. Some are middle-aged vets from Vietnam, others older vets from World War II. Their age doesn't matter. Only one thing does. Their bodies are failing them, and they are alone in a VA hospital. Harry Fingerroth and his colleagues from San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Post 603 of the Jewish War Jewish War can relate to:
It's not the words that are important in 99, anyway, these men say - it's just being there that's important. ``Just showing them that they're not forgotten,'' is the way Fingerroth, commander of Post 603, puts it so poignantly. Every day, then, is Memorial Day for these members of Jewish War Veterans of the USA - the oldest veteran's organization in America, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. There is a proud look in the eyes of Burt Herman, David Berger David Berger may refer to:
``Most people think it's either the American Legion American Legion, national association of male and female war veterans, founded (1919) in Paris. Membership is open to veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. or Veterans of Foreign Wars,'' says Herman, national comptroller for the organization. ``But we're older than all of them, dating back to March of 1896.'' The group dates back to when 78 Jewish veterans of the Union Army and Navy met at an opera house in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. to form an advocacy group denouncing claims that Jews did not fight in the Civil War. Today, there are more than 300,000 former servicemen and servicewomen who are members of Jewish War Veterans - 220 of them serving in Post 603 in the Valley. They are facing what many veterans' organizations This is a list of veterans' organizations. Australia
Good work like these daily visits to Building 99 to help disabled vets with their therapy sessions, or to just to sit with them in silence, if that is what they want. It is important because, as Harry says, ``If not us, who?'' A membership drive begun in 1988 to lure the descendants DESCENDANTS. Those who have issued from an individual, and include his children, grandchildren, and their children to the remotest degree. Ambl. 327 2 Bro. C. C. 30; Id. 230 3 Bro. C. C. 367; 1 Rop. Leg. 115; 2 Bouv. n. 1956. 2. of Jewish War Veterans into falling in behind their fathers and grandfathers is, candidly, not going so well, these men admit. For Burt, he thinks it's a little resentment his kids still have that he spent so much time away from home when they were growing up, attending conventions and working hard for the Jewish War Veterans. For Harry and David, it's more that their descendants have other interests in life - that they don't have the same background and memories to draw on, like what it was like to fight a war for your country. Without these memories, it's not as important for them to pay these daily visits to Building 99 as it is for their fathers and grandfathers who can easily see themselves here. The truth is that when many younger people look at them today, they see ``old World War II codgers,'' David says The Right Reverend Richard David Say, KCVO, DD (4 October 1914 - 14 September 2006), former bishop of Rochester (1961-1988). He was often noted for his height (6ft 4in). Life He was the son of Commander Richard Say, RNVR. , candidly. They don't see elderly men showing respect and honor to comrades - men who want it to be Memorial Day every day for the vets who served their country, and are now in pretty bad shape over at Building 99. They don't see that it's damned important to their fathers and grandfathers who fought on the same side with these men and women that they not be forgotten any day of the year. They don't see that's why it's so important to walk through those doors of 99 every day with a smile on your face and cheer in your voice. Even when you're crying on the inside. If not the men of Post 603, and the men from every post in every service organization in this country - who? MEMO: Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. |
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