Our Military Community

00:00:38:13 - 00:00:55:14
Unknown
Hello, everyone. Gerry Talbot with you once again here at Gulf Coast State College, getting our military program back on the air once again. I'm so appreciative to the college for allowing me to do this and what we're going to do as long as we can carry through on this program is we're going to talk about the military community.

00:00:55:16 - 00:01:17:21
Unknown
We're going to talk about things that are important to our veterans, things that are important to our active duty, the school systems. We'll get into talking to some of our representatives and talk about what's happening not only statewide, but also national level. So it's great to be back. Again, I want to personally thank Gulf Coast State College once again for allowing me to be on the program with them once again.

00:01:17:21 - 00:01:42:14
Unknown
And we will get going now and we'll talk about it throughout the day today. Some of the important things with our veterans and what better way to kick off this brand new program with November 11th being veteran days? I'm bringing in a group from Clifford Simms, a nursing home, and let me just introduce them to first of all, we have Jennie O'Hare, who's the activity director over there at Sims.

00:01:42:16 - 00:02:00:11
Unknown
Hank over here, who is something else. He's an Air Force guy, just like I am Master Sergeant retired Henry Wolf. And then sitting next to him is Sergeant Robert Burgess out of the Marine Corps. Thank you all for coming in today. It's a pleasure to have you. And it's an honor to be with you guys. We'll talk to you a little bit in just a second here.

00:02:00:11 - 00:02:29:11
Unknown
But first of all, Jennie, give us an overview. What is Clifford Simms? Well, thanks for having us here today, Gerry Clifford. Chester Simms is a veterans nursing home. It's a 120 bed facility that is run by the state, is licensed by the state of Florida, and we serve just veterans. You have to be honorably discharged to come. And we have a variety of different services.

00:02:29:11 - 00:02:51:20
Unknown
Of course, this 24 hour nursing services. And then we also offer housekeeping services and meal services and, of course, activities. And that's what I do. Now, how long is it how long have you guys been there? We had our dedication to the building in 2003, so we've been open for 20 years. And when I was over there the other day, you'll have three ladies in there now.

00:02:51:20 - 00:03:19:02
Unknown
What's the deal? Yeah, we only have three female veterans at this point. We did at one when we were in our coming into growing, we had up to maybe 12 to 14, but now we have three. All right. Well, we'll get back with you in just a second. But I want to talk to these two gentlemen here. And it like I said, being a fellow veteran myself, it's it's so important that we talk to you guys and let the community know what's going on.

00:03:19:02 - 00:03:44:22
Unknown
First of all. Hank, I'm going to start with you. When did you come in and why did you come in? Well, I came in 1963. My dad had always been in the Army as long as I can remember. And I decided I didn't want to be in the Army. So I went in the Air Force. I thought it would be a great career to learn how planes operated, different systems on aircraft.

00:03:44:24 - 00:04:00:18
Unknown
You know that when I went in the Air Force, I said the same thing. You're not going to draft me. I wouldn't know I would hit. And it was really funny because I got my draft notice when I was in basic training. There you go. There you go. But you know what, Robert? You're you were in the Marines and everything.

00:04:00:20 - 00:04:32:20
Unknown
Why did you join? It just stuff was going on at that time, 1966. And a lot of Vietnam was getting kicked up and I wasn't going to college and I'd be drafted. So I don. What was your job when you were in in the military? I was in one of six to the rifle flamethrowers. Yeah. I had a brother that was over in Vietnam, in Danang.

00:04:32:20 - 00:05:05:16
Unknown
But why did you choose the Marines? Well, the truth is, my dad was in the service, and he is in three other branches. And I joined the Marine Corps because of family feel that the whole thing took all the. Did you enjoy at the time being in the military and the camaraderie? Everything was okay. It was just something that went on, you know, everyday life.

00:05:05:18 - 00:05:24:29
Unknown
You know, I think there's there's people say, Jerry, why do you get along with the Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, whatever? You know, people need to realize that we're all doing basically the same job. We support and defend the Constitution, the United States of America. And it doesn't make any difference what uniform we wear. We are always there.

00:05:24:29 - 00:05:49:06
Unknown
And I don't know how you feel. And Hank, I'm going to ask you, when you're out with a group of people or visitors and stuff, personally, I can tell a military veteran or someone that's in the military, do you have that same feeling? Sometimes I do, Yes, sir. A lot of times they'll come up and ask me what branch of service I was in and they'll say, You thank you for your service and it makes you feel good.

00:05:49:08 - 00:06:28:07
Unknown
Now, one of the things that a lot of people always want to ask is, as a veteran now, and I'll go back to you on this, Robert, as a veteran, what kind of changes have you seen from the time you came in the military to now with our military? Well, there was a draft going on back when I went in where I graduated from high school, and they were seven of us, or I think it might have been eight that joined the Marine Corps together.

00:06:28:09 - 00:06:53:03
Unknown
We all went there boot camp together. We had to wait a little while ago. So we graduated in June and it was I had I had to turn 18 before I could go to boot camp. So it was July before we got to go to Paris out. What about you? Like, what was the question? What about the military?

00:06:53:05 - 00:07:16:19
Unknown
The difference you've seen from the time you went in to now? Oh, it's changed quite a lot. Back when I went in, it was more like a you're a group and you you trained as a group and everything now is more on the individuality of the person, what he knows how he works, have like, you know, one thing that has really changed is the discipline.

00:07:16:21 - 00:07:32:19
Unknown
And I know when you guys are in and when I was in, if you were told to get a haircut hard to do it. And I go right now and I say, You should have been there 5 minutes ago now it's like, Well, you know, sir, can I wait till payday or something like that? It seems like the the discipline is a little more lax.

00:07:32:19 - 00:07:53:03
Unknown
It's more like a civilian type job than a military job. And you noticed that? Yes, I have. When you were told to get a haircut, you better go get it right now. If your shoes weren't shined, you better shine them. And if your fatigues didn't look right, then you better get them right. What about you, Robert? Same feeling.

00:07:53:05 - 00:08:13:27
Unknown
More or less everything. It just kept us busy. And that's the thing. We. We ate together, We prayed together. We went to war together. And it was a camaraderie and everything. I'm going to give you guys a break for just a second. Vinnie, I want to jump back over to you.

00:08:13:29 - 00:08:33:00
Unknown
You said that you take veterans, they don't have to be retired just as long as they're been in the military. Correct. What are some of the admission requirements that that you have over there like these gentlemen had to go through to to get. I know it. You don't just say, okay, I'm here. Put me in. There's a lot of stuff involved in that.

00:08:33:03 - 00:08:55:17
Unknown
Yes, of course you have to. Well, first of all, you have to need our services. You can't just come in. And if you're not, if you need nursing services, can't just come in off the streets and be able to take care of yourself, because that's not what we do. We're a 24 hour nursing service. So you have first of all, you have to need our services.

00:08:55:19 - 00:09:23:28
Unknown
And then and but basically that's all you just have to have that. It's a paperwork. And if you don't meet the criteria on the paperwork and you're a high functioning individual and you can still go about your merry way in life, then you don't need our services. So we wouldn't we wouldn't be able to admit you. There's a there's a whole team that looks at the paperwork to make sure that you're eligible, but basically you a honorably discharged veteran.

00:09:24:00 - 00:09:51:23
Unknown
And another question that I get a lot is when people I have talked to that thought maybe about going over and being there, how do these gentlemen, how do they pay for their services or is it free? That's a big question. People want to know, is it free? No, it's not. It depends on your service connected disability. And I'm I'm not because I'm activities.

00:09:51:23 - 00:10:16:04
Unknown
I'm not I don't know all the details on that. So I don't really want to say too much about that. But I do know that it's based on their disability. Some pay nothing. Some pay a portion. Some pay all. What's what's the age group? I know when I was over there a couple of weeks ago, I met one gentleman that was 102 years old and he was like, you know, active and everything.

00:10:16:10 - 00:10:45:20
Unknown
What's what's the age group? Well, we do we have three 100 year olds. I hope the two two of our ladies are 100. And then the gentleman that you met is 100. But then we have one that's as young as 30 something. So there's a cross section in there, and that's that's what's good about it. It's not people say when you say a nursing home for veterans, they're thinking about people that are sitting around with zombies, basically with nothing to do.

00:10:45:22 - 00:11:05:17
Unknown
They have disabilities. They may be in and out of a wheelchair. It doesn't make any difference. But they have this misconception that it's a place where you're shipped to go pass on to another life. That's not true. That's not true. That's the old way of thinking of a nursing home is we're not we don't go there to die.

00:11:05:17 - 00:11:27:21
Unknown
We go there to finish living and it we're very fortunate at the VA, at the Veterans home, because we have this community support that is so generous. Right? Whatever we need, whatever we need. If I ask for something for one, I get 20 of them and then 20 people can have it. So we do a lot of things.

00:11:27:21 - 00:11:45:20
Unknown
We do a lot of things with the community. So we're always out and about. We don't, we don't. I try. We try not to stay still because, you know, if you sit around and you write, you're bored, you're lonely, you're depressed, and that's the good thing. You have a bunch of activities and things, things you offer. We'll get to that in a second.

00:11:45:20 - 00:12:10:25
Unknown
But I want to get back to these guys again. Robert, I'm going to start with you this time. What advice would you give to a young man or a young lady that's thinking about, you know, what, I'm getting out of school now? And I'd like to serve my country. What advice would you give to them? How to go about it, what to find out and what to expect.

00:12:10:27 - 00:12:38:26
Unknown
Well, with me, I started out I had a recruiter come to the school and that bringing you in touch with it, it was the military's service connection and it still stuff that motivated me more or less. It just at the time Vietnam was going on, I knew I'd be drafted if I didn't because I wasn't going to college.

00:12:38:28 - 00:13:14:14
Unknown
So I went ahead, Don, so I could get my year over with. But then, of course, I stayed. I didn't stay longer than four years, but I had some different opportunities that come up because. Hank, what about what about you? Would you tell a young person today? I would say it was a good way of life. I had 26 years in the military and I enjoyed it was 26 years of probably except for one one assignment.

00:13:14:14 - 00:13:36:16
Unknown
But that's you know, you're going to have good with the bad, right? I got had three years in Southeast Asia. I grew up in a military family. So it was it was a good way of life for me. And the education benefits, too. There's a lot of education benefits today that that we didn't have when we all came in.

00:13:36:16 - 00:14:01:01
Unknown
You know, back then you could take a course even if you were overseas, like in Vietnam, we could take a course and you'd wait probably me one or two days a week, right on your time off if you had any. And we'd go over different subjects. I took advanced math while I was over there and I took some college courses when I got back.

00:14:01:03 - 00:14:24:02
Unknown
And that was that was was good. When I was over in Japan, they had the University of Maryland over there. And I got all the way through calculus too, with them and all kinds of things. So the opportunity was there. What was your favorite? I know you were only in for years, but what's your what's your favorite memory, Robert, of the military?

00:14:24:04 - 00:14:53:03
Unknown
It was a discipline outfit. We had certain things we had to do and we had to stay. You know, you do your exercise, you do everything else. It goes all day. Boot camp was enjoyable in a way. And then, of course, I part of the what I would have liked to change but is still good for training and good for what happened.

00:14:53:03 - 00:15:38:01
Unknown
And I thank it today, you know, for going through that because I got through it so well. One thing that a lot of people, when they go into the military, they have a lot of questions, but when they come out, they have this respect and love for this country. Can you expand on that, Hank? You're right. At that point, you get to know it's like a family when you're in the military, it doesn't matter where you're Marine, age, navy, whatever, you're a family, and yet you're there to help protect the country.

00:15:38:03 - 00:15:58:05
Unknown
And that's the good thing about it. Jenny, let me run back over to you for a second. What are different things that you offer over there? I know you're don't our veterans are not sitting around over there twiddling their thumbs and saying, okay, at 6:00 in the evening? No, I go to bed at 645. What do you what do you offer it?

00:15:58:10 - 00:16:17:11
Unknown
Well, we like it. We have a nice little routine in the morning. We like to we do exercise every morning. We read the newspaper to them every morning and we get together. We have a social time where we drink coffee and have a little snack and, you know, kind of plan our days. We always have bingo. Of course, birthday parties in the normal Bible studies.

00:16:17:11 - 00:16:48:06
Unknown
And but we've even just this month it has been overwhelming with us going out. We had the Rotary Club, we went fishing, we went to St Andrew's State Park, and I took a group fishing. We went to a wrestling match at these these guys in it and they weren't in the match, but they. Okay, good. Thank they were set, they were able to meet some of the wrestlers and though, you know, watch the show.

00:16:48:13 - 00:17:06:22
Unknown
So we like to go we like to do if we can't go out, people will come in. We have several different bands. We just had a family member that hosted a fish fry there and we had a new gospel band that came in and sang gospel music to us. So we're constantly we have the whole project come in.

00:17:06:28 - 00:17:33:28
Unknown
They bring their horses, they're from the whole project, and we have the little dolly that comes and comes in the building. And once in a while we have the Alliance pet therapy groups that come in and come with their dogs in the they love the pets. So we do a wide variety of different things. So that's that's the good thing about it from what you're explaining it from what I saw and I know these two guys would back you up on that is it's a home.

00:17:33:28 - 00:17:53:25
Unknown
It's not. It's a family. They're all together. They all have something in common. But it's a home. And that's what we like. We like to have that home feeling something that's on the mind of a lot of people now with everything that's going on and a lot of politics involved in it, no matter how you look at it.

00:17:53:25 - 00:18:22:06
Unknown
But Hank, what bothers you most right now about the way veterans are being treated? Some of the services like when I was able to travel, I had to go to Pensacola to get my glasses and had your aunt get an examination and then go back home then. Now, there's no way I have to I have to actually buy eyeglasses.

00:18:22:06 - 00:18:50:13
Unknown
Their dental care is we don't have any dental care per say, other than going to your dentist that you have. It's like it's like the promises that were made to you when you came in and and to me is would take care of you for the rest of your life. That's really not happening, right? No, it's not. And I think a lot of it's got to do with money.

00:18:50:15 - 00:19:22:10
Unknown
Robert, what what bothers you most about the way veterans are treated today? Well, the veteran sometimes doesn't follow through, especially when you go into that. Could the VA clinic in Pensacola, that's where you had to go to get you the services they gave for you and you had to follow through with it? I thought I did. And I was able to get my 100%.

00:19:22:10 - 00:19:51:28
Unknown
But it took a while and we just had to keep working at it. We're not it's not that the veterans will give up. That's the point right there. And before you finish, you have to keep doing what you do and what they what they need done. If they want you to go over there and follow through with a different doctor and do that because all it's going to do is happier.

00:19:52:00 - 00:20:16:29
Unknown
The problem we have today with with a lot of our veterans that I've talked to that with, with the health care itself is there is an extreme shortage of staff, be it just assistance in the clinics, be it nurses, but doctors, there's a big shortage of doctors. And the other thing about it is, is like with if you have a doctor downtown, you can say call up and say, you know, I don't feel good today.

00:20:16:29 - 00:20:35:10
Unknown
I say, okay, come in at 315 this afternoon. It may take you a month or two to get an appointment. How do you deal with something like that, Hank? Well, I have them. I have my own doctor downtown that takes care of me. But if I have something that I have to go through the VA, it takes a while.

00:20:35:12 - 00:20:57:13
Unknown
You just have to wait and suffer through it. And that's. And that's it. Personally, you know, as a veteran, I don't think that's right. There's really not I mean, and people need to understand and I don't care what veteran you talk to, they don't want anything they haven't earned. But if they've earned it, they deserve to be treated with that and that.

00:20:57:13 - 00:21:23:22
Unknown
And that's, to me, is one of the most important things right now. Jenny, running back over to, you know, I could run out of breath by the time I get there as as an activities director, What are some of the things that you see really brings a smile to these two guys here on their face and to the rest of the veterans.

00:21:23:22 - 00:21:45:04
Unknown
What makes them happy? Because when I was there, the staff loves our veterans, and I know these guys. I've seen them looking at the lady nurses over there. Yeah, yeah, you smile. It's okay. But the thing is, is is the staff genuinely loves them. And why? What what causes people to fall in love with the veterans like that?

00:21:45:05 - 00:22:09:29
Unknown
I'll tell you, some of our staff are veterans as well. They were in the military. I personally was not in the military, but I feel like I'm giving my portion by working there and I know several other people that work there feel the same way. They're not. They're not. We were in the military, but we're serving the veterans, so we're serving the military.

00:22:10:01 - 00:22:33:01
Unknown
But I think what makes them smile is the simplest things. You can go out and go fishing and do all that and that's fine. But when they have kids that come in that have drawn these little pictures and they hand it to them or somebody, just like when we were on that fishing dock, people came up to them and shook their hand and said, Thank you for your service.

00:22:33:04 - 00:22:52:15
Unknown
Those are the little things, the little thank you's. It doesn't have to be a major thing, just the little thing, the support that they get from the community. I mean, that's outrageous. And that and that is super. I mean, if you have been over it or visited, you need to go over there and visit. But let's let's switch gears for just a little second here, Robert.

00:22:52:15 - 00:23:20:11
Unknown
Veterans Day, November 11th, what does Veteran's Day has changed? And I'll come right out and say it. It used to be it was honoring the veterans wholly. Now it seems like, oh, well, I'm off. It's another day off. What what has changed over the years that you've seen with Veterans Day? Really? I don't really have ever thought about it before.

00:23:20:13 - 00:23:55:28
Unknown
You know, I'm a lot like a lot of people at another holiday. But it's the veteran is somebody that you've got to thank them mainly for your freedom now. And that's what keeps it going. And the veteran is somebody that when he when he did what he did, he wasn't asking for nothing. He was just out there. And that's what they all do.

00:23:56:01 - 00:24:25:16
Unknown
And you'll find out and I hope it continues. That will always be that way. Thank you. Response to them. Well, it's it's got like you said, it's got the words. People are forgetting exactly what we're actually celebrating or not really celebrating but honoring. And people think it like you said, it's just another day off. They've forgotten what we went through to do that.

00:24:25:18 - 00:24:53:20
Unknown
They've forgotten the things that we had to face in order to be there. Stuff like that. Yeah. You want to say something? Yeah. That's why when we a lot of people celebrate Veterans Day that Friday or that Monday, we always celebrate Veteran's Day and Memorial Day On the actual day. Yeah. We don't sway from that because that is the day that is designed for that honoring.

00:24:53:20 - 00:25:21:18
Unknown
So we take it very seriously at the and so and everybody comes out and we do a big a big ceremony. And I mean it's it's a big day for them on that day and we make sure of it and as you go through the years that everything the holidays are so important to all of us. And I know you guys have got lots of big things planned for the holidays.

00:25:21:18 - 00:25:35:03
Unknown
So what I'm going to do, June, is I'm going to let you talk that way about that. But as you're talking, I'm going to hold up these pictures of these guys here. Let them get a close shot. This was the first one I hold up will be of Hank and I. I can see you did some airbrushing on this.

00:25:35:03 - 00:25:54:23
Unknown
You can't tell me you did. But but, Jenny, what's going on over the holidays? Okay, so. Well, we have think. Well, of course, Halloween's first. So we have a big party coming up for Halloween and Halloween. Bingo. We've made arrangements to do a special Halloween bingo. Then, of course, we have veteran's Day. We're going to have a ceremony.

00:25:54:29 - 00:26:18:27
Unknown
I have a band coming out to play on that day. And then we have a motorcycle group that's coming out as well. And then Thanksgiving, we are actually taking a group over to the VFW 8205, and they do a Thanksgiving dinner there. But we also do one at the home where the families can come and they can eat dinner with their veteran.

00:26:18:29 - 00:26:55:00
Unknown
So and then Christmas is just all month long, nonstop up from parties and people coming out to do caroling. And then Christmas Eve, Santa Claus comes and delivers all the gifts and they really Yeah. And then Christmas morning, they open them up. Yep. Santa Claus. And then come see me. Yeah. He comes there. Does he, guys? Yeah. Yeah, we're we're almost running short of time here, but I'm going to ask each of you individually, and I'm going to start with you, Hank, And you got about a minute to say it.

00:26:55:03 - 00:27:22:05
Unknown
What makes you feel this is such a good place to be? Well, when I got there, I had been through. Through back operations and the care I got at Sam's with nothing but the best. I had been at the hospital and it got infected. Had a second operation, And when they moved me to Sam's, it's the service there is just outstanding the people there.

00:27:22:05 - 00:27:53:22
Unknown
And it's not just their job to them, it's being part of a family. Robert, same to you. The family atmosphere is always there, always will be, I hope. And the question again, I get things a lot, so I really do. The question for me, what is really why do you enjoy being at Sam's so much? Or you don't have to worry about things.

00:27:53:24 - 00:28:14:12
Unknown
You don't have things to worry about. It's like being at home by itself and you got somebody to go talk to if it's a problem and it's a it's just a great place. And it and I'll tell you, if you haven't been there, I keep reiterating that you need to go there. Jenny, one minute. Wrap it up. What do you want to tell me about Sam?

00:28:14:14 - 00:28:34:11
Unknown
Well, it was it's been a pleasure working there for 20 years, so I have to say that I'm going to be retiring from there not too soon, but pretty soon. So I've made through the years so many people that just get in your heart and just stay there. And every morning I get to see these guys every morning and hang out with them and do fun stuff with them.

00:28:34:11 - 00:28:50:12
Unknown
So I can't complain. And I'll tell you what, what a better bunch of guys. You couldn't find a better bunch of guys to hang out. I agree. Well, you know, I can sit here and talk all day, but I know we're running short on time, but I want to thank each and every one of you, a master sergeant, Henry Wolf, U.S. Air Force, retired.

00:28:50:12 - 00:29:11:12
Unknown
Thank you, sir, for coming today. And thank you for your service. Sergeant Robert Burgess, the U.S. Marines, thank you for your service and thanks for coming in. And Jenny, you're the general here. As the activities director over there. You couldn't meet a nicer person. Jenny, thank you so much for coming in today. We appreciate it. And she's not going to retire.

00:29:11:15 - 00:29:36:03
Unknown
Well, just just remember, these veterans, they are such an integral part of our family. Go over to Chester Clifford's gyms over there and visit the nursing home and you will understand why our military is so important to this community. Thank you so much for watching. We'll see you again next week with another edition of our military. Have it.

00:29:36:05 - 00:30:00:29
Unknown
Have a great day, everyone.