VA Photos of the Week: January 3, 2020

USAF and Army Veteran John Van Buskirk works on the range of motion of his hip and leg with the guidance of Physical Therapist Kevin Palm in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Therapy Gymnasium at the Dallas VA Medical Center. Van Buskirk served four years in the Air Force and did a tour in Vietnam in 1968. He later joined the Army and spent 21 years in the Army before retiring in 1996. One of his latest accomplishments was graduating law school two years ago, at the age of 71. Photo by Jennifer Roy, public affairs specialist at the VA North Texas Health Care System.

We wanted to wish a very happy 100th birthday to Navy Veteran, Hue Jewkes, of Sandy, Utah. During #WWII, Jewkes served in Panama, Hawaii, Midway Island, and the Philippines. Thank you for your service! Photo via Tyler Moore, VA Salt Lake City. 

Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts chose the Orlando VA Health Care System to earn their Disabilities Awareness Badge. The group of young, brilliant minds gained knowledge about the visible and concealed disabilities #Veterans face—from Physical Therapy to Mental Health. The Scouts learned the medical strategies used and possible new career ideas. You never know, one of the Scouts could be your VA doctor one day! Photo via Orlando VA staff.

Army Veteran Derek Papierski and his family were surprised with gifts and a holiday dinner provided by those work in the Podiatry Clinic at Phoenix VA Medical Center. The staff knows Mr. Papierski because, as their patient, he opened up about some of his family’s recent struggles. That’s when they knew they had to jump into action. The group collected enough donations to provide Mr. Papierski with several gifts for each member of the family, dinner for the holiday and a cake for one of the Veteran’s children’s birthdays. Mr. Papierski said he was so grateful that the staff thought of him because his family has fallen on tough times recently. Photo via Phoenix VA staff.

Thank you to Rowdy Butler with the Roll to Wreaths Oklahoma Chapter for spending Christmas Day visiting Veterans at the Sulphur Veterans Center and presenting them with the challenge coin. It means a lot to them to know they are not forgotten this holiday season. Photo via VA Oklahoma.