Veteran Burl Miller Honored by Caldwell Hospice

LENOIR, NC (November 9, 2017)…Korean Army Veteran Burl Edison Miller was recognized with gratitude for his service to our country by Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care (CHPC) on November 6, 2017. CHPC Veteran Volunteer Bill Oxford, Volunteer Coordinator Brittany Bonn, and other CHPC staff members attended the presentation of a certificate, flag, and poppy to Mr. Miller at Lenoir Healthcare Center, where he currently resides.

Poppies, donated to Caldwell Hospice by the American Legion Lenoir Post 29, are being presented this year to patients and caregivers as a lasting memorial symbol to our fallen veterans. The red poppy was immortalized in the famous poem, “In Flanders Fields,” written by Canadian officer, Col. John McCrae. Oxford quoted the poem during the presentation.

Miller, who served most of his active duty in Korea, shared stories of his time there as well as in the US, where he lost a finger loading a shell into a 120mm cannon. He laughed as he told how when he closed the ammo door he was missing a finger. When asked about his time in the military, he responded: “We just fought like the devil! The best thing was that we stayed alive.”

Following the war, Miller returned home to the farm and later worked at and retired from Broyhill Furniture. He and his late wife Lizzie had four children and “plenty of grandchildren.”

Caldwell Hospice provides hospice care to Mr. Miller. He enjoys seeing his care team visit at the long-term-care facility where he resides. In addition to a CHPC physician, his care team includes a nurse, certified nursing assistant, medical social worker, chaplain, and volunteer. This team works together to develop an individualized plan of care for Miller. “It is my pleasure and an honor to know Mr. Miller,” says CHPC Chaplain Delbert Minner, also a veteran. “He loves to converse and places his faith and hope in God.”

Americans across the country celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, a special day to salute the men and women who have bravely served our country in the military.

These fellow Americans have made profound sacrifices in defense of freedom and they deserve our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Honoring our nation’s Veterans includes supporting them throughout their entire lives, especially at the end. 

As our nation marks Veterans Day on November 11, Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care wants to share its commitment to increase Veterans’ access to compassionate, high quality hospice and palliative care for those who are facing serious and life-limiting illness. As part of this commitment, Caldwell Hospice is a part of an innovative program, We Honor Veterans, developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Through We Honor Veterans, Caldwell Hospice is ensuring that their organization is equipped to address the unique needs of our nation’s Veterans.

It surprises many Americans to learn that every day, 1,800 Veterans die. That’s more than 680,000 Veterans every year—or 25 percent of all the people who die in this country annually. A generation of World War II and Korean War Veterans are facing end-of-life care decisions now, and they are quickly being followed by younger Vietnam War Veterans, many of whom are confronting serious illnesses at an even earlier age.

The liberty that we, as US citizens, enjoy comes at a price paid by these valiant men and women. Let each of us make sure we do our part to recognize and support them throughout their lives.

If you know a Veteran who is facing a serious or life-limiting illness, please reach out and help them learn more about the services that hospice and palliative care can provide. To learn more about the ways Caldwell Hospice supports our nation’s heroes, call 828.754.0101 or visit www.caldwellhospice.org or Facebook.

To all our nation’s Veterans, thank you.