thedrifter
07-21-06, 07:22 PM
Vet carves canes for wounded comrades
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — Through a television news report, Korean War veteran Jack Nitz found a way to help other war veterans with his craft.
Nitz, a member of the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarvers Association, got the idea of hand-carving canes for veterans with leg injuries after seeing a story about wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
He recruited other veterans and woodcarvers to make 30 walking sticks, which vary in size but all bear an eagle’s head on the handle.
Nitz, 76, said the canes are made more for special occasions rather than everyday use.
When he tried to distribute the canes, Nitz discovered that privacy laws prevented his group from giving them away through U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals.
“We thought we would have no problem distributing the canes,” he said. “But when push came to shove, (the VA) said they weren’t qualified to do it.”
The American Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, ensures a patient’s medical record and history are kept private.
Nitz said the only way the Woodcarvers Association could get the name of a veteran was through word of mouth or if a veteran happened to see a news program about the canes.
On Monday Nitz heard from the Nevada-based Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit organization aimed at showing support for soldiers.
Patti Patton-Bader, the founder of Soldiers’ Angels, said the organization wanted to help because the specially crafted canes will help veterans physically and emotionally.
“Sometimes, this little act of kindness can make all the difference in the healing of a hero,” Patton-Bader said.
Soldiers’ Angels will help locate soldiers who have leg injuries and pay postage to mail the canes to the veterans, she said. The mailings could begin next week.
Fifteen canes had been given before Monday, six outside Oklahoma, Nitz said.
One of the recipients was Sgt. Michael Donnelly in Suffolk, Va., who suffered several leg injuries from an explosion on his second tour of duty in Iraq. While he was a patient at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, his father learned about the canes and asked for his son to receive one.
“I thought it was very nice,” Donnelly said. “The guy was very talented. It’s like a regular cane, but cooler.”
Ellie
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — Through a television news report, Korean War veteran Jack Nitz found a way to help other war veterans with his craft.
Nitz, a member of the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarvers Association, got the idea of hand-carving canes for veterans with leg injuries after seeing a story about wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
He recruited other veterans and woodcarvers to make 30 walking sticks, which vary in size but all bear an eagle’s head on the handle.
Nitz, 76, said the canes are made more for special occasions rather than everyday use.
When he tried to distribute the canes, Nitz discovered that privacy laws prevented his group from giving them away through U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals.
“We thought we would have no problem distributing the canes,” he said. “But when push came to shove, (the VA) said they weren’t qualified to do it.”
The American Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, ensures a patient’s medical record and history are kept private.
Nitz said the only way the Woodcarvers Association could get the name of a veteran was through word of mouth or if a veteran happened to see a news program about the canes.
On Monday Nitz heard from the Nevada-based Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit organization aimed at showing support for soldiers.
Patti Patton-Bader, the founder of Soldiers’ Angels, said the organization wanted to help because the specially crafted canes will help veterans physically and emotionally.
“Sometimes, this little act of kindness can make all the difference in the healing of a hero,” Patton-Bader said.
Soldiers’ Angels will help locate soldiers who have leg injuries and pay postage to mail the canes to the veterans, she said. The mailings could begin next week.
Fifteen canes had been given before Monday, six outside Oklahoma, Nitz said.
One of the recipients was Sgt. Michael Donnelly in Suffolk, Va., who suffered several leg injuries from an explosion on his second tour of duty in Iraq. While he was a patient at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, his father learned about the canes and asked for his son to receive one.
“I thought it was very nice,” Donnelly said. “The guy was very talented. It’s like a regular cane, but cooler.”
Ellie