Soon to Be Gone, but Never Forgotten - Honor Salute
Honoring our veteran hospice patients’ sacrifice and service one last time
The CNS Honor Salute program recognizes veterans who are on hospice by providing a simple but powerful tribute of appreciation for the veteran’s service to our country. Active-duty or retired military personnel in dress uniform join CNS associates at the patient’s home to conduct a formal ceremony. Veterans are presented with a personalized appreciation plaque, military service lapel pin, and an American flag. Military personnel give the salute command followed by a salute to the patient, which is returned by the patient when able.
Honor Salute Coordinator, Technical Sergeant Garry Bell, shares that, “Our goal is to give our veterans a sense of peace and share our country’s gratitude for their service. Before the Honor Salute program came to be, only the families of our veterans got the accolades and appreciation for their loved one’s service at the honors ceremony that the military provides graveside. But that doesn’t do a whole lot for the veteran. So, I thought that ‘Honor Salute’ would be a great way to let our veterans know they haven’t been forgotten and to feel the accolades too.”
CNS implemented the program in 2016 in cooperation with and approval from the Department of Defense and have carried out nearly 500 Honor Salute ceremonies since its inception, averaging about two ceremonies per week. The Honor Salute experience varies depending on the circumstances and needs of each veteran. Sometimes the veteran is alone, with only the military volunteers and CNS associates who are there conducting the ceremony. Other times, the room is packed with family and friends who are there to celebrate with them. Whether there’s one person or 80, each Honor Salute provides a meaningful experience for everyone who is involved.
Healing through Camaraderie
Providing our hospice patients a last chance to connect with their fellow military comrades also brings a unique opportunity for them to open up and share memories with their families or even come to terms with the trauma they experienced while in service. When our volunteers enter patients’ homes in their military uniforms, the veterans instantly feel their shared bond. Garry says, “Those of us who served in the military have a special camaraderie and when veterans see us in our uniforms, they are able to open up because they know we understand each other. We have been through and seen things that no human should ever have to see.”
There was one patient who felt like he didn’t deserve a salute and was resistant to the ceremony. When the group arrived at his residence where he and his wife were waiting, the veteran didn’t even say hello. The volunteers and CNS associates tried to talk with him before starting but he wouldn’t answer any questions. So, they went forward with the ceremony while he stiffly sat next to his wife, staring straight ahead. After concluding, the Honor Salute team gathered their supplies to leave, thanked the man and his wife, and began walking.
Unexpectedly, the veteran asked the team if they could come back for a minute. Garry remembers, “We all stood in front of him and he shared that ever since he’d served in the war, he had a black spot on his heart. He told us that we had just taken that black spot away. We were able to give him that relief and peace before he died, and I think that’s great. To me, that experience sums up what this program is all about.”
Another veteran was surrounded by his wife, kids, and grandkids during his Honor Salute ceremony. He was excited for the opportunity and even proudly wore the jacket he’d worn during World War II. The team finished the salute, and were talking with the veteran who asked his grandson to grab a photo album from his room. The veteran sat in his chair as his family sat on the floor surrounding him while he shared photos, cards, letters, and stories of his time in the military and World War II.
Garry says, “As I was listening to this man’s stories, I heard someone sniffling behind me. I turned around to see his son crying and also videotaping his dad. Later that day, this son told me that they’d tried to get their dad to talk about his experiences in the war and this was the first time that any of them were able to hear them.”
The Honor Salute team and volunteers are passionate about providing this service to their fellow veterans. Garry sums it up when he says, “For us to be able to have that kind of meaningful impact makes the whole program worthwhile.”
Garry Bell served in the United States Air Force for 20 years and retired as a Technical Sergeant (E6). He was an Avionic Sensor System Specialist who spent most of his career overseas including in England, Germany, Korea, and Iraq. He retired from the Air Force in 1995 and with bachelor’s degrees in both electronic engineering and mathematics, he went on to work with an aerospace program and later Kennecott Copper Mine. Now retired from the mine, he’s happy to have come full circle in working to serve his fellow veterans through the Honor Salute program.
To help us perform more Honor Salutes, consider making a gift to the CNS Honor Salute Program at cns-cares.org/donate.