George Smith served as a U.S. Army combat field medic in Vietnam. His missions in 1969 focused primarily on providing frontline trauma and medical care to soldiers.
Today, Smith’s family is on a mission to give him the recognition they say he deserves.
Smith, 75, is a hospice patient at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King. ThedaCare is in partnership with the facility, providing care to hospice patients like Smith through ThedaCare’s involvement in the national We Honor Veterans program. The program provides ongoing veteran-centered education for team members and volunteers to help improve the care provided to the veterans ThedaCare serves. It was developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Smith was seriously injured in combat while serving at LZ Sharon, a landing zone for American forces. He hunkered down in a field for hours, waiting for help. Eventually he was rescued. His injury, a severely damaged knee, required surgery. Even after surgery, the damage to Smith’s repaired knee was significant enough that when his combat tour ended, he was granted service-connected benefits.
Smith’s son, John, said his father’s mobility remained adversely affected years after his service in Vietnam.
“You can see the scar across his knee,” the younger Smith said. “He couldn’t run, play baseball or basketball with me. It was because of the injury, the sacrifice he made for our country.”
Petition for a Purple Heart
The family is now petitioning to have Smith awarded the Purple Heart. The military decoration honors members of the U.S. Armed Forces that were wounded or killed while serving.
“His records are incomplete,” John Smith said. “His unit was overrun and their commander was killed. Important records were probably destroyed because they didn’t want the enemy to get them. So right now, finding complete information about my father’s military records feels like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
The family’s story and petition efforts have moved several ThedaCare team members who are supporting the We Honor Veterans program, including Registered Nurse, Kelly Klemm.
That’s because through the program, team members and volunteers can capture the stories of veterans, if they are interested in sharing. Or, if a veteran passes away while in a ThedaCare or other facility, teams can coordinate a pinning ceremony or provide flag services.
Klemm, a veteran of the U.S. Army, said he developed a close bond with the Smith family and joined the effort that has helped secure nearly 1,000 signatures – online and on paper – on the petition to award Smith the Purple Heart.
“It’s really to show the family that we care,” Klemm said. “It also lets society know how veterans like George have sacrificed. It’s been very rewarding. I’m so happy to do it.”
John Smith said his family and supporters have also reached out to Wisconsin Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson for help getting Purple Heart recognition for Smith.
“I’m passionate about my father and proud of his service to our country,” the younger Smith said, visibly fighting back tears. “It would mean a little bit of the sacrifices that he made and other veterans made was worth it. It paves the road for them to finally receive something, an acknowledgement that they and their families deserve.”
Supporting the lifeinspired Movement
ThedaCare’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of communities by empowering each person to live their unique, best life. The organization is also committed to the movement to reinvent health care by becoming a proactive partner in health, enriching the lives of all and creating value at every opportunity. It’s what the organization calls lifeinspired.
The We Honor Veterans program allows ThedaCare to provide specific care for each person – meeting their unique needs – in this case, veterans. Leaders encourage the development of unique programs that allow the health system to support individuals in their health journey.
Megan Rennie is the Clinical Manager for ThedaCare at Home Hospice. She, too, is supportive of the petition for Smith and efforts to award him the Purple Heart. She said the effort and ThedaCare’s support for Smith is reflective of the health care system’s dedication to providing individualized care for each person in the community.
“The needs of veterans like George are unique. They have different life experiences that can impact their care,” Rennie said. “We have the special opportunity to meet veterans where they are in their health and hospice journey. Our team members are committed to supporting those needs. Providing that care to veterans like George is truly an honor.”
Rennie encouraged people interested in learning more about the We Honor Veterans program at ThedaCare to call 920-702-6400.
