Julie Bryan hugged whom she described as “one of the greatest nurses in the world,” a woman who helped care for Bryan’s father in the years he lived at the Vancouver VA campus’ Community Living Center.
The two reconnected Friday at a ceremony honoring Bryan’s dad, John Bryan, and 31 other veterans who had passed away over the last six months, during the biannual memorial service, Remembering our Heroes.
The service was held in the center’s dining room overlooking the campus lawn. Pink roses and raised garden beds could be seen in the background through the floor to ceiling windows.
Inside, family, friends and staff sat silent as bagpipes sounded from the hall. Members from the Washington National Guard Color Guard posted the colors.
“Today, we come together to celebrate the lives of our heroes, our patriots, our veterans who are no longer with us,” said Darwin Goodspeed, director of the Portland VA Health Care System.
The Community Living Center is a 72-bed transitional care unit that provides short-term care and rehabilitation to veterans. Some respite care is also available, as well as an eight-bed unit dedicated to hospice care and those living with a serious illness.
Kelli Roesch, public affairs specialist for the VA’s Vancouver Division, said the center strives to provide veterans with what they need. Some veterans stay for a few days, while others stay for years.
Julie Bryan said her dad was one of the residents who lived there for a couple of years.
“We should have more community living centers in this country,” she said. “The nurses here are so dedicated to helping veterans with whatever they need, and it made all the difference for my dad.”
John Bryan joined the U.S. Navy when he was 18 years old and served for about two years during World War II. Other than to say he enjoyed being on the ship and playing cards, he didn’t share much about his service.
“He went back to the business of growing up,” Julie Bryan said.
It was only when her dad was much older that she learned he received an award for saving his fellow shipmates when their ship was hit in a Japanese kamikaze attack.
On Friday, not every veteran being honored had family in attendance, but Kristen Saxton, a social worker, and Jenna Bray, a veteran care coordinator, read a letter from the staff, titled “If These Walls Could Talk,” highlighting memories of their patients.
Many of the short quotes were gathered anonymously. Among those shared were: “He loved to tell stories.” “I loved how he sang to us.” “He was very witty.” “He loved to give the staff a hard time” “He was always smiling, it makes me smile just thinking about him. ”
All of the veterans were recognized with a bell and candle ceremony. As Bray read their names, Saxton lit a candle for each.
