OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
- Celebrations marking Veterans Day gave way to somber virtual gatherings
Wednesday, with many of the nation's veterans homes barring visitors to
protect their residents from the surging coronavirus that has killed
thousands of former members of the U.S. military.
Cemeteries
decorated with American flags were silent as well, as many of the
traditional ceremonies were canceled. With infections raging again
nationwide, several veterans homes are fighting new outbreaks.
In New York City, a
quiet parade of military vehicles, with no spectators, rolled through
Manhattan to maintain the 101-year tradition of veterans marching on Fifth
Avenue. President Donald Trump took part in an observance at Arlington
National Cemetery, while President-elect Joe Biden placed a wreath at the
Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia.
More than 4,200
veterans have died from COVID-19 at hospitals and homes run by the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and nearly 85,000 have been infected,
according to the department.
That death toll
does not include an untold number who have died in private or state-run
veterans facilities, including the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts,
which had nearly 80 deaths earlier this year. Two former administrators were
charged with criminal offenses after an investigation found that "utterly
baffling" decisions caused the disease to run rampant there.
American veterans
are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because of their age and underlying
health conditions, some of which can be traced to exposure to the
Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange and smoke from burning oilfields in the
Persian Gulf.
All told, the
coronavirus has taken almost a quarter-million lives in the U.S., or about
four times the number of American military deaths in Vietnam.
The Holyoke
Soldiers' Home has barred all visitors for two weeks after a staff member
tested positive in late October. It honored the veterans throughout the day
with gifts, treats, music and a virtual ceremony.
Officials also
remembered those who died at the home in western Massachusetts. "Those
veterans that we lost will not be forgotten, and we'll be sure to use their
memory that a tragedy like that won't happen again," said state Rep. Aaron
Vega.
In Idaho, 33
residents of the state veterans home in Boise have tested positive,
including nine on Tuesday, said home administrator Rick Holloway. Six have
died, and four are hospitalized.
On Veterans Day,
the home is normally full of family members, community groups and officials
who gather to thank the former members of the military for their service.
This year, the halls were empty, and the home planned to serve residents a
special prime rib dinner in their rooms.
"It's a different
environment right now - very, very quiet, and the care we're providing is
more one-on-one activities," Holloway said.
Idaho Gov. Brad
Little pleaded with residents to wear masks and socially distance in honor
of those who served in the armed forces. "They have endured loss of friends,
loss of limbs and loss of mental and emotional security to protect us. Now
our veterans need us," he said in a statement.
Ninety-eight
veterans have died from COVID-19 in Missouri's seven veterans homes since
Sept. 1, and Gov. Mike Parson ordered an independent review after several
deaths in October.
In Oklahoma, more
than 300 cases of coronavirus have been reported at six of the state's seven
veterans homes and 72 residents have died from COVID-19. Officials believe
the two worst outbreaks were caused by an employee who was infected but had
no symptoms.
Rusty Elkins said
his 84-year-old father Glenn Elkins, who joined the Navy during the Korean
War and spent most of his career as a public school teacher and
administrator, was among those who died from COVID-19 after contracting it
at the veterans home in Norman, Oklahoma.
He said he believes
a shortage of staffers and a rotating group of doctors led to a lack of
leadership at the facility that worsened the problem. His father was
transferred to a hospital in Oklahoma City, but his condition deteriorated
as he waited for a bed.
"I wanted him to
have a chance, but by then it was too late," Elkins said. "I didn't get him
here quick enough."
Posted 11/12/2020