Veterans Day marks a very important moment for our country. It is a time to honor those who protect the security and well-being of our nation and the civilians who call this country home. At Liberty Lutheran, we bring comfort and security to all of those we serve, and so, we truly appreciate our veterans who have made great sacrifices to protect our people and keep us safe in our homeland.
In honor of Veterans Day, Liberty Lutheran would like to celebrate our veterans and thank them for all that they have done to protect our freedom. With that, we wish to show our gratitude by presenting to you the voices of veterans throughout our family of services who have proudly served our country.
“I went into the service in 1942 and came out in ‘45, six months after the war ended. I was a scrub nurse in the Navy operating room of a TB hospital in New York. It was radical surgery and very scary, but also gratifying. At the time, everybody was doing what they could to serve the country. I was doing what I thought was a patriotic duty. It wasn’t at all about me.”
–Marilyn Finkel, resident at The Hearth at Drexel and veteran of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.
“I served in the Navy from 1964 to 1968. It was a really different experience. I got to see a lot of the world. I was in France, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong. I was in a lot of different places. It was good to get out there and serve my country. I was very proud to do it.”
–Theodore Harris, member of the West Philadelphia Senior Community Center and veteran of the U.S. Navy.
“I was certainly proud to serve my country, but it was no hardship for me like it was other veterans. I went in as a Captain in the Medical Corps. I was a physician stationed in Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. My personal feeling is that everyone should serve their country. I certainly share in the sacrifice that my fellow veterans made, and theirs was far greater than what I did, and I thank them for it.”
–Dr. Divo Messori, resident at The Manor at York Town and veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
“I served in the US Army Military Police Corps from 1985-1988 and I was stationed in Bad Kreuznach Germany, 8th Infantry Division, 8th MP Corps. In my role as hospice chaplain one of the things I did was facilitate the ‘We Honor Veterans’ ceremonies for our patients that were veterans. And most times, for those patients that understood, they declined the ceremony – they didn’t want to be thanked – that’s not what their military service was about. As a veteran, I understand this. Veterans are a Band of Brothers, a special club, if you will, that in order to truly understand the motivation and sentiments of, you need to be one yourself. It’s hard to put into words what my service means to me, but maybe there is a clue within the motto of the MP Corps, ‘Assist, Protect, Defend.’”
–Karynjean Dickhoff, Liberty Hospice Chaplain and veteran of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps.
“I spent 29 years altogether in both the Air Force and Air Guard. I was stationed in Soesterberg, Netherlands. I flew fighter jets for about 10 years. It was very exciting flying the fighters. I met my wife while I was active duty at Soesterberg Air Base, and that has been the highlight of my active duty assignments. We are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary next year. My service means everything to me and I admire our president’s efforts to support our military and protect the people of the U.S.”
–Ed Fleming, resident at The Village at Penn State and veteran of the U.S. Air Force
“I was in the United States Air Force for 23 years during the Vietnam War and so forth. Serving my country meant everything to me. It meant the protection of my family and others. It meant giving them a good life and not having them worry about people trying to take things away from them like their country.”
–Ron Coder, resident at The Village at Penn State and veteran of the US Air Force.
“I am very proud to have been in the service and be a veteran. I was in the Army Corps of Engineers. I enjoyed helping people and using my knowledge and skills. I appreciate everyone’s service to this country.”
–Larry Herbstritt, resident at Artman and veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“I served as a Captain for two years in the US Army Dental Corps. I was a dentist stationed in San Francisco, the bay area. I had a very nice time in the service. I met my wife and we had our first child when I was there. I enjoyed being in the service.”
–George Reis, resident at Artman and veteran of the U.S. Army Dental Corps.
“I served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1966 to 1970. I was in Vietnam from ‘68 to ‘69. Vietnam was a life-changing experience for me. I remember the people of that country and their culture. I really enjoyed that. My service always felt really good. It felt good when someone would say, ‘What did you do during the war?’ and I could tell them I enlisted and did what I felt was right. I was proud to be in the Coast Guard.”
–Stanley Feldman, resident at Paul’s Run and veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard.
“I spent four years in the Navy. My first tour was in Hawaii. My second tour they sent me back to the U.S. and I worked at the Pentagon for two years. There, I was in the Naval Intelligence which required a special clearance because of all the sensitive material that came across my desk. When I think about what my service means to me I really just feel it in my heart.”
–Frank Engel, resident at Paul’s Run and veteran of the U.S. Navy.
Liberty Lutheran is grateful to all of the veterans who serve our country as their dedication, sacrifice, and service, protect and defend our nation. Your service means that the people of this country feel comfort in knowing their freedom is protected and their homeland is secure. Thank you for defending our nation and for upholding our freedom.
