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| Charlie Adams holding a picture taken when he and others presented a wreath to be placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 2012. |
State of the Heart Hospice is part of the “We Honor Veterans,” a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program is designed to empower hospice professionals to meet the unique needs of dying veterans and teaches respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment and, to comfort hospice patients with a history of military service and who possibly have physical or psychological trauma.
Adams, who is under the care of State of the Heart Hospice, is proud of his 35 months of military service in the U.S. Army. He was in the Pacific war zone during World War II. As a staff sergeant, he served as a crew leader of a group of men charged with making sure heavy equipment was properly serviced, by adding oil and grease to the equipment which was used to build runways for U.S. war planes.
A native of Celina, he entered the Army in 1943 and was discharged in 1945. Adams, who turns 92 this month, lives at home. He has one daughter, Susan Ellis. “It is a relief to have State of the Heart providing hospice care,”” said Ellis. “They visit him regularly, monitoring his heart health and overseeing his well-being. It has helped me a lot.” Adams was having difficulty getting in and out of a standard size bed, so the hospice staff brought in a hospital bed which has made getting in and out of bed easier and safer. This was a great help in assuring he could stay in his own home.
“State of the Heart is proud to honor Mr. Adams and other veterans like him,” stated Kelley hall, education coordinator for State of the Heart. “We want our veterans to know how much we appreciate their service.” State of the Heart provides care to patients and families in eastern Indiana and western Ohio who are confronting a life limiting illness.
State of the Heart realizes that most hospice patients prefer to remain in their own homes where they are surrounded by family, friends and pets and are in a familiar comfortable setting. Adams’ home is filled with mementoes including photos, wood carvings and shell artwork he has done, and he has the companionship of his dog, Espee who likes to walk on the back of the couch to lick the ears of visitors.
Adams recalled his closest brush with actually being involved in the throes of battle. “We were in Okinawa and were packing and preparing for an invasion of Japan,” he explained. “We were getting equipment readied for an invasion when word came that the atomic bomb had been dropped and thereafter the war was ended.” He returned home, rejoining his wife whom he had not seen in two years, and went to work for Goodyear where he retired after 40 years of service. The family is familiar with hospice care, he said, as his wife was cared for by State of the Heart Hospice.
Two years ago, he was honored when he was invited to go to Washington D.C. where he participated in a ceremony laying the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As a Mason, he was joined by the Grand Commander of the Ohio Masons and two others as they presented the wreath for placement on the tomb. “It was quite an honor to do this,” he said.
A nonprofit agency, State of the Heart Hospice, with offices in Greenville, Coldwater and Portland, has served area communities for 33 year. For more information about any of the services provided by State of the Heart, visit the agency web site at www.stateoftheheartcare.org
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