Your Stories: Paying Tribute to One Veteran’s Life of Service

Johnson Memorial Hospital colleague, Mary Sutherland, with her late father, a U.S. Navy veteran.

My father was a proud U.S. Navy veteran, having served aboard the destroyer William M. Wood as a radio communications officer, first class. Later in life, he was the treasurer of his local Veterans of Foreign Wars association in Harrison, Maine. In that role, his most cherished commitment was fundraising for his VFW chapter. He sat quietly in front of the local grocery store well into his eighties and gently said hello and nodded to passersby, many of whom came to know him as they purchased raffle tickets or, near Veteran's Day, buddy poppies. His VFW chapter used those funds in their community -- paying for heating fuel for low-income neighbors; helping a local disabled veteran rebuild and make accessible a new home when his burned down; offering scholarships, etc.

In fall of 2021, after our mom passed, my dad began to need more care than we could secure for him at his home. We were fortunate that he was able to be cared for at the Maine Veteran's Home in South Paris, Maine. The staff and services were exemplary. They cared for him, and they cared for us. They would take him to appointments in a van that read, "Proudly caring for those that served." They lived that sentiment, to a person. They carried me through. The morning he died, as I helped walk him on a flag-draped stretcher to the funeral car, all available staff came and lined the hallways to honor my dad's service. That is their custom and it meant the world to me. It was among the most heartbreaking moments of my life, but I greatly appreciated their recognition and respect for an ordinary hero of this nation who was, and remains, my beloved, much-missed dad.

Submitted by Mary Sutherland, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Speech Language Pathology, Johnson Memorial Hospital

In honor of Veteran’s Day, colleagues are invited to share photos or stories of service and inspiration all month long. Have a story you want to share? Submit your story at TrinityHealthOfNE.org/YourStories.