Standing before many of the M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center’s 21 veterans, Administrator/Thompson Health Vice President of Long-Term Care Mathew Janczak said it was both an honor and a privilege to address them on Veterans Day.
While some faced the enemy in combat, others repaired aircraft, cared for the wounded, supplied the troops, or stood ready for a call that never came.
“Every role mattered. Many of you volunteered, and others were called. All of you accepted a responsibility greater than yourselves, knowing it could mean leaving your families and risking your lives for people you would never meet,” he said.
Janczak himself is a veteran. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he served in the Navy for nine years, attaining the rank of lieutenant. His time in the service included three overseas deployments, with work as a radar intercept officer in combat aircraft and later as a Naval flight instructor.
He told the nursing home residents gathered for the Veterans Day ceremony, “When I think about what it takes to answer that call, I think of courage, determination, selflessness, and a firm dedication to duty and integrity. These are qualities you carried then, and they are the same ones we see in you today.”
Janczak quoted President John F. Kennedy: "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." He added, “We pledge to live by those words, in how we care for you and in how we honor your service.”
In addition, Janczak also recognized the family members who supported their loved ones in military service, some of whom were present for the ceremony organized by the facility’s Recreation Therapy Department. It included music, a reading, and a prayer. Each veteran received a hat, a certificate, and a pin. They also enjoyed hot fudge sundaes with guests and fellow residents.
Earlier in the day, Janczak joined U.S. Army veteran David Wilkins – Thompson’s director of recruitment and engagement – in distributing gifts to the health system’s employees and volunteers who are veterans. It is a tradition within the health system, which has an annual display featuring many of these individuals.
Thompson’s independent and enriched living communities of Ferris Hills at West Lake and Clark Meadows also held Veterans Day programs, receiving a surprise visit from two children who had spent the day creating cards and drawings for those who served.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
