Veterans who spent seven years fighting
for a nursing home in East Tennessee will see their dream
materialize in 2005.
About 100 veterans turned out Monday to hear Gov. Phil
Bredesen announce plans to open a 140-bed veterans nursing
home in Knox County. Joining Bredesen were U.S. Rep.
John J. Duncan Jr., Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale
and leaders from surrounding counties.
"There was a real need for a place where East Tennessee
veterans can age gracefully and with dignity and be
close to family," the governor said Monday.
The state already has veterans 'homes at Murfreesboro
in Middle Tennessee and in at Humboldt in West Tennessee.
The facilities have 120 beds each.
With nearly 40 percent of the veterans in the state,
or about 98,000 of Tennessee's 258,000 veterans, living
in Knox County and the surrounding area, there was a
clear need for a home in East Tennessee, authorities
said.
"The bottom line is that we needed to move forward
with this sooner rather than later," said Bredesen,
who made the East Tennessee veterans'nursing home one
of his campaign promises. "East Tennessee is long overdue
for this."
For Don Maddling the announcement marked a personal
victory. For 10 years he drove veterans and their families
back and forth between Knoxville and the veterans' nursing
homes in Murfreesboro and Humboldt.
Several years ago he was planning to take a woman to
visit her husband in Humboldt. But when he called the
nursing home to confirm, Maddling was told the man had
been transferred to Murfreesboro. Maddling didn't give
up. He made plans to take the woman to visit her husband
the next weekend. Before they made it, however, the
man had passed away.
It's a common story, Maddling said. Veteran Gerald
Clark said something similar happened to him.
"What it means to me as a veteran is never having to
spend time away from family," Maddling said. "I'm glad
to go ahead and see it come about."
Ernest Gardner, a World War II veteran, has been meeting
and working on the project for seven years.
"The many veterans who need it really need it," Gardner
said. "This is the greatest Father's Day gift I could
ever get."
Maddling and Gardner have fought hard for this project
and are continuing to fight. Supporters have pushed
to ensure the facility has a wing dedicated to the care
of those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. They
say it's the only such wing among veterans' homes in
the state.
The nursing home will be located off Pellissippi Parkway
near the Westbridge Business Park in West Knox County.
The state worked with federal officials to secure 65
percent of the building cost. Knox County has provided
the land as well as $6 million for construction costs.
"American veterans have always been there to answer
the call," Ragsdale said.
He praised Duncan for his work to help secure the federal
money.
"East Tennessee has the highest population of veterans
in the state," Duncan said. "There is nowhere in the
country that needs this place more."
Rachel Kovac may be reached at 865-342-6271.
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