This weekend we held a small ceremony  for the Masters and O’Connor families at the veterans’ memorial at Hospice Inpatient Unit (HIPU). The ceremony honored the memory of their loved ones, both of whom were Marines.

Mrs. Teresa Masters’ husband, Harry, died under our care on Christmas Eve, 2015, while Mrs. Gloria O’Connor’s husband, Donald, died under our care on February 14 last year. SgtMaj Mays was on hand to pin the wives and thank them for their patience and dedication as military spouses, one of the toughest jobs there is. He shared that he and Harry had spent time together at Parris Island where he now serves in a command position. (Mrs. O’Connor on left and Mrs. Masters on right)

I was joined by Jim Strickland, who initially funded our veterans’ initiative and commissioned the statue and memorial pictured above. He said a few words about his father and I explained our Level IV We Honor Veterans program, and thanked the families for their joint, generous donation of $5,000.

If you are interested in adding your loved one’s name to our memorial, please call me at 912.629.1027

~Ophelia Rodriguez, Hospice Savannah Foundation, and We Honor Veterans committee co-chair