The Emory L. Bennett Memorial Veterans Nursing Home is located at 1920 Mason Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32117 and is home to 120 full-time residents, a dog named Molly, 4 cats and 3 parakeets. Yes you read that right, this home houses a few animals in addition to the veterans and it sure is a positive attribute from what I can tell!
I arrived at the home shortly after 1100 this morning and upon pulling up I spotted a sign that read “The price of freedom is visible here” which couldn’t be a more true statement. It wasn’t long before I was parked and greeted by the Activities Director, Tiffany and given the tour of the facility. All Florida Department of Veteran Affairs (FDVA) homes have a similar layout but immediately I took notice of a barber shop and a store front that the residents have access to a couple of times a week. These two additions may seem small but they gave a feeling of community to the home that isn’t always present and that put a quick smile on my face. It was nearing lunchtime which is perfect in my opinion seeing as the residents are active and generally kick around the common areas following chow.
Here is a list and brief bio of some of the veterans I was lucky enough to speak with:
• Randy (USCG) 26 yrs active duty serving most of his time in the waters around his home state of Florida. Having served in many positions as an enlisted Guardsman he was most proud of his time intercepting drugs of the coast of Miami.
• Eli (USMC) 15 yrs active duty serving time in the Pacific Campaign of WWII. At 93 years young, Eli was incredibly animated and positive as he told me of his days serving his country. Interesting fact is that he shares a birthday with the Marine Corps that he loves dearly and in his words “it was meant to be.”
• Chappy (USAF) Active duty having served in the Korean War with a branch of the service that was still new. The United States Air Force was officially formed in 1947 and the Korean War spanned from 1950-53.
• Johnny Mike (US Army) Served as a 11B Infantryman for 4 yrs before medically discharged.
• Tom (Unknown) I wasn’t able to catch more than a name from Tom between his lunch and a physical therapy appointment but he caught my eye with a “ex Prisoner Of War” hat embroidered with his name. I will be sure to sit down with him on a future visit!
• Ed Hall (US Army) WWII Mr Hall was the most animated character of the day and if not for his WWII Veteran hat I would’ve put him in the time between Korea and Vietnam. At 94 he is one of the oldest residents of the home but looks and acts much younger. We talked mostly of his life outside the military, his wife Laura, his job as an engineer and his education having achieved a Master’s Degree from the University of Iowa in Engineering. Mr Hall had a love for life, no regrets and an extremely positive outlook on the days ahead.
I said my goodbyes and made my way out of the home and to the local VFW Post 1590 on my way south. Today was amazing and just what I needed to get my mind back on track and the creativity flowing. I’ll leave you with a photo of Molly, the star of the show!