Every November 11th, we honor those men and women who have served their country in battlefields all over the world. We are still fortunate to have with us, veterans of World War II. Many of them are residents, right here in our Anthem Memory Care communities. Their stories are riveting and, while they may struggle with short term memory loss, long term memories often come back in unexpected moments of joy. When this happens, we listen and learn. Their stories are riveting and take us back to another era.
In honor of Veteran’s Day this year, Chelsea Place Memory Care in Aurora Colorado honored WWII veteran, Linden Matthews, a 97-year old former Navy machinist. Linden served in the Battle of Attu, in the Aleutian Islands, as well as the Battle of Okinawa.
The event was covered by local news station, KUSA TV. A reporter spoke with community relations director for Chelsea Place, Jenni Dill. “The things that happened earliest in their lives are deeply engrained in who they are,” Jenni told the reporter. “In a lot of ways I feel like I get to be the keeper of that history,” she added.
Here is a video of coverage of the event by KUSA TV:
Outside Chelsea Place, banners were placed along the walkways, with photographs of Linden Matthews as well as eight other veterans. It was a very special day, not only for the vets themselves, but for family members and Chelsea Place staff. Everyone is deeply touched by listening to the stories of the lives of these wonderful residents and being taken back to another time and place.
As the veterans sat and observed their tributes, a musician played the Star Spangled Banner and Taps in honor of the special ceremony.
“I want them to feel like they are movie stars, because they are,” Jenni Dill says.
It gives all of us at Anthem Memory Care a wonderful feeling to celebrate our veterans. We cherish their stories and are honored to have them as a part of our family.