Saluting Our Veterans and Their Caregivers
Guests admired the red, white and blue décor and listened to patriotic tunes while waiting for the ceremonies to begin at a recent event held at The Cedars in Cranston called a “Salute to Veterans and Their Caregivers.” In attendance were dozens of family, friends and staff as well as over 20 veterans of World War II. Some wore hats and badges marking their service or rank during the war. One who wore his complete Navy uniform was Carmino DeBiasio, brother of Cedars’ resident Anthony DeBiasio, who along with brothers Joe and Thomas, also in attendance, all served in the War at the same time. “Our mother spent many nights sitting by the window waiting and praying for us,” said Mr. Debiasio. On this occasion over 70 years later, the brothers sit together to receive special recognition for their sacrifice and bravery.
The event, held in early June to correspond with the 71st anniversary of D-Day, the invasion that marked the end of the war in Europe, as well as National Nursing Assistant Recognition Week, the caregivers of those veterans, often the unsung heroes of any nursing center. “It is ironic that nursing assistants are often referred to as the ‘front line.’ Similar to our veterans who also served on the front lines, these caregivers are often the eyes and ears of their supervisors. They are the closest to the heart of our mission to provide great care. It is important to pause and pay tribute all those who give selflessly of themselves for the good of others, “stated Susan Whipple, CEO/Administrator of The Cedars.
After the ceremony, the guests gathered to share stories at a cookout and concert in their honor. In preparation for the celebration, Lorraine Fusco, daughter of resident John Boezi, did extensive online research and found a lengthy account of her father’s 557th Field Artillery Battalion. When asked if she thought whether her then 18-year old father was frightened about leaving home for the first time and going to war, she said no. “They had a job to do and they did it. They didn’t hesitate,” Fusco said. When Mr. Boezi and Mr. DeBiasio became roommates at The Cedars, they discovered that they had fought in the Battle of the Bulge together as members of the same battalion, a testament to the Rhode Island “small world” concept.
During World War II, 16 million Americans served their nation. Today, that number stands at just over a million. As our “Greatest Generation” reach their nineties and beyond, hundreds of individual accounts of the war are lost each day. A celebration such as this at once reminds us to pay homage to the great sacrifice of all our veterans, and to remember their caregivers, who give compassionately of themselves each day.