Posted on 08/03/2005 11:55:01 AM PDT by Calpernia
The deafening blast and the blinding flash of a roadside bomb might be the last thing the soldiers and Marines can recall before awakening in a bed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. And when they turn to either side in that hospital bed, the first thing they are likely to see is a Purple Heart embroidered on their pillow.
They won't know it, but they have Ken Hunter, a retired pharmacist in Burleson, to thank. The Purple Heart is the nation's oldest military decoration. It was created by George Washington and is given to GIs wounded or killed in combat.
Today many of the soldiers wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, particularly those with burn injuries, are treated at Brooke, where Hunter used to work. He said he got the idea some months ago. He designed an embroidered Purple Heart patch and contracted with a company in New Braunfels to stitch it onto pillowcases for the wounded GIs at Brooke. So far he's produced a few hundred.
He picks up the cost himself, explaining that he's doing it to enhance the care of patients there. Between active duty and the reserves, Hunter spent 35 years in the Army and retired as a colonel. For a time in the early 1980s he was an instructor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, but most of the time when he wasn't on active duty he worked as a civilian pharmacist under contract to the Air Force.
His ties to Brooke go back to 1990-91, when he served there during Operation Desert Storm. Hunter said that from his years as a medical professional he knows the importance of morale in the healing process.
"I see this as a tool to help the doctors get the patients well," said Hunter, 70. "When the nurses put this pillowcase on the pillow of a patient, it changes the atmosphere. Everybody sees it, and it's a positive thing."
Fresh out of pharmacy school, Hunter was drafted in 1960. It turned out he loved the military life, and had he a choice he would still be there.
"The Army was my hobby," he said. He's past the age when he can serve in the reserves.
His pillowcase project is a way to still be able to do his bit for those who've been in combat. The Purple Heart medal features a gold heart with a purple inlay and a profile of George Washington. All too often, the medal and an accompanying certificate are stuck in a drawer, said Dr. Jim Jacobson of Arlington, a retired colonel who served in the Army Medical Corps.
Jacobson's ties to Hunter go back to the Desert Storm days, when he was medical chief of staff at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
"I share with Ken his interest in caring for service personnel who have been injured. This is his implementation of the idea that there is a lot more to medicine than just medicine and surgery," Jacobson said.
He said that the Purple Heart holds special significance in the military and that Hunter has tapped into a way to use it for healing.
"Here, at the time when they need it most, it can be on display," Jacobson said. "It has been so popular that some of the soldiers at Brooke won't sleep on it, but hang it up." "Ken is a regular guy, and this is something that a regular person did for regular people who need help," Jacobson said. "This says any one of us can make meaningful contributions."
FYI, I don't have a link. Article came in email.
They won't know it, but they have Ken Hunter, a retired pharmacist in Burleson, to thank. The Purple Heart is the nation's oldest military decoration. It was created by George Washington and is given to GIs wounded or killed in combat.
I especially like this part of the story. LBJ and Vietnam came along and gave the Draft a bad name.
This man has a lot of style. We need more like him.
FYI
Wounded Veterans Job Search
http://www.military.com/support
.
Vietnam War - Purple Heart:
RONNIE GUYER PHOTO COLLECTION
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm
.
Burleson ping.
he's a good guy.
What a great idea from a generous hero. Thanks for the ping.
Here is the link to the Star Telegram article:
(same info as the email)
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/12274588.htm
No Blue States found a link to this article:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1456257/posts?page=10#10
Thank you!
sorry, didn't get it right.
Thanks for the ping!
BTTT
Volley bump!
bttt
Volley bttt!
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