U.S. Navy aviation ordinanceman
Senior adults honored the service of resident and employee military veterans in a socially distanced ceremony streamed throughout the community.
Two days ahead of Veteran’s Day, Buckner Parkway Place unveiled its Veterans Memorial Wall inside the senior living community. The unveiling ceremony featured resident and employee military veterans in front of a small, socially distanced crowd of senior adults. The ceremony was also streamed throughout the community on the Parkway Place TV channel.
The Parkway Place Veterans Memorial Wall currently features service photos of 30 residents with space to add more. “Holding a ceremony to honor our servicemen and women on Veteran’s Day is one of our most important and anticipated events of the year,” said Abraham Mathew, executive director at Parkway Place. “The idea for the wall came to us as a way to amplify our gratitude to 365 days a year.”
The unveiling ceremony included welcoming words from Parkway Place chef Derone Martin, U.S. Navy MS3 (ss) mess specialist submarine safe third class petty officer; the Pledge of Allegiance by resident Ruger Winchester, U.S. Air Force colonel; “The Star Spangled Banner” by social worker Ellis Bardin, U.S. Coast Guard E-6 gunner’s mate 1st Class; and speeches by residents Dan Tennant, U.S. Army sergeant and U.S. Air Force first lieutenant, and Tom Burke, U.S. Navy aviation ordinanceman.
Centers for Disease Control guidelines were enforced throughout the ceremony, including temperature screening, social distancing and use of PPE. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Parkway Place employees and residents have been vigilant in following the policies and procedures implemented by Buckner to mitigate risks of transmission.
Prior to the pandemic, Parkway Place hosted annual Veteran’s Day luncheons and invited local Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps to present the colors during the national anthem. In addition, nearby West Briar Middle School would often invite residents from Parkway Place to address the students.
To download a video of the Parkway Place Veterans Memorial Wall being assembled, click here.
Located in the heart of Houston’s Energy Corridor, Buckner Parkway Place is a 15-acre community serving senior adults with the highest level of hospitality and care. Parkway Place offers a complete continuum of living and care on-site, so residents can have the peace of mind knowing their address can remain the same despite changing medical needs.
Parkway Place resident Tom Burke_U.S. Navy aviation ordinanceman
