Four Seasons honors 500th veteran in hospice care

Press release from Four Seasons:

On the anniversary of the first Veteran we pinned as part of our We Honor Veterans program, this fall Four Seasons was honored to recognize Guy Wellman Jr. as its 500^th veteran to be acknowledged since Four Seasons began partnership with the We Honor Veterans program in 2014.

After graduation from Indiana University in 1943, Guy Wellman Jr. attended Army Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Ga. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Wellman served in the 99th Infantry Division, the first complete infantry division to cross the Rhine River under fire at the Remagen Bridge in Germany during World War II in March 1945. Wellman attained the rank of Captain and received the Bronze Star for heroic service while in combat.

“We laid in a house near the bridge and timed the shells coming in and when we felt we had it right we ran all the way across,” Wellman says. “The bridge eventually crumbled into the river due to the shelling and plane bombings. It was a huge turning point to the end of the war when our troops captured that bridge.”

Three MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) Representatives were present to honor Guy Wellman for his service on October 16^th. They included Lt. Col. Don Jackman (U.S. Army Retired), Col. Henry Johnson (U.S. Air Force Retired), and Capt. Mike Covell (U.S. Navy Retired). Lt. Col. Don Jackman conducted the ceremony, which marked a special moment as he also conducted the very first WHV (We Honor Veterans) Pinning Ceremony on November 20, 2014.

Our President and CEO, Millicent Burke-Sinclair was present and shared her appreciation for his service by giving him a “We Honor Veterans” blanket, while the Army branch of service pin was placed on his collar by Lt. Col. Don Jackman.

“It was incredibly meaningful to honor Mr. Wellman with this pinning ceremony, to see him celebrated and lifted up by family and friends was especially profound,” said Millicent Burke-Sinclair, Four Seasons CEO. “The ceremony is a small gesture in comparison with the great sacrifices our veterans have made, but it allows us the opportunity to thank them with reverence and respect in their later years. It is also an opportunity to thank them for allowing us to serve them in their time of need.”

Over one third of the patients served by Four Seasons are veterans. Four Seasons offers each veteran hospice patient an opportunity to have a pinning ceremony if it is at all possible to arrange during their time receiving hospice services, publicly acknowledging their service and sacrifice.

For those facing life-limiting or chronic illness, the pinning ceremony provides a beautiful way for them to receive dignity and honor, often helping families find peace during a difficult time.

The original program was developed by the Veteran’s Administration along with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Four Seasons is proud to partner with the national We Honor Veterans program and the local MOAA chapter in offering this important and cherished service to patients and families. The clear and profound impact experienced by patients and families is seen daily and provides yet another opportunity to care for those who have first served us.

The We Honor Veterans program is made possible through Four Seasons by donations from our community. To make a gift in honor or memory of a beloved veteran, please visit www.fourseasonsfdn.org/impact/we-honor-veterans.