Around BVA...

New Hines Facility
Honors Pioneers

The reconstructed Central Blind Rehabilitation Center (CBRC) at Hines is a fitting tribute to those to who founded and gave momentum to the original facility in 1948, said BVA Executive Director Tom Miller.

Speaking to a dedication crowd on May 20 that included VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, Hines Chief Jerry Schutter, Retired Chief Jay Whitehead, Alumni President Bill Lyons, blind rehabilitation center professionals, and BVA notables Dave May (Ohio), George Pyle (Ohio), George Estill (Indiana), and Bob Malak (Wisconsin), Tom named some of the more significant figures in the history of Hines and VA blind rehabilitation in general.

“These are individuals such as Warren Bledsoe, who was the first coordinator of blind rehabilitation services at the VA Central office; Kay Gruber, an advisor from the American Foundation for the Blind; our longtime BVA chaplain Father Thomas Carroll; and of course Russell Williams, a war-blinded veteran of World War II and the first chief here at Hines.”
Despite the celebration associated with the completion of the building reconstruction, Tom emphasized the importance of the human element and the everyday people who made the events of the day possible.

“Blind rehabilitation has never been as much about bricks and mortar as it has atmosphere and expectation,” he said. “It is the professionals and support staff who help to restore self-confidence and esteem and who ultimately make the difference.”

A personalized BVA brick, located in the CBRC alongside those of other organizations and donors, features the BVA emblem followed by three lines of text that read: Blinded Veterans Association, Washington, DC, Chartered 1945.

BVA Honors Fallen on Memorial Day

BVA National President Appleby and Government Relations Director Tom Zampieri continued the Association’s solemn Memorial Day tradition of placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Left to right, President Appleby, his cousin Jessie Dutton, Tom Miller, and Tom Zampieri on sun-drenched Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery.

The two were joined in the wreath presentation by Tom Miller and Neil’s second cousin, Jessie Dutton of Annapolis, Maryland. The foursome walked together down a concrete platform and presented the wreath to the Tomb’s Guard, who placed it near the marble casing containing the remains of the Unknowns.

The ceremony followed the annual program in an always-crowded Cemetery amphitheater, located directly behind the Tomb. Addressing the large gathering were President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard D. Myers.

“As we look across these acres, we begin to tally the cost of our freedom, and we count it a privilege to be citizens of the country served by so many brave men and women,” said Bush. “We must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives—by defeating the terrorists, advancing the cause of liberty, and building a safer world.”

In High Point, North Carolina, Vietnam Veteran and North Carolina Regional Group Secretary Charles Southard represented BVA at the dedication of a new war memorial consisting of a monument and a brick concourse bearing the names of those from the city who had died in service to the nation.

The dedication was attended by more than 100 veterans, citizens, Senator Richard Burr, and Congressman Howard Coble. The memorial itself was the brainchild of 17-year-old Nicholas Ruden, who felt that World War II veterans like his grandfather were being forgotten. Through his efforts, he raised thousands of dollars and also secured support to move a World War II Doughboy monument from an obscure train depot location to the more prominent Main Street location of the new memorial. The Doughboy now stands watch over the entire memorial.