95-Year-Old Navy Veteran Continues to Serve via Lifetime of Blood Donations

95-Year-Old Navy Veteran Continues to Serve via Lifetime of Blood Donations

Among the many bits of wisdom shared by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a question he posed during one of his sermons: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"  

For James Reed, that is a question he has answered many times, in many ways.

Reed, a 95-year-old Navy veteran, has been a blood donor for nearly his entire adult life, recently surpassing the 22-gallon mark for his donations.  Because he donates blood roughly every two months, he’s become a familiar and popular face for the staff at the Red Cross Mobile site on University Avenue in Rochester, as a large group gathers around him to catch up as his phlebotomist sets up his donation process. 

Reed regales them with stories of his service in the Navy and then jokes about the donation “competition” he has with his 59-year-old son, who is a platelet donor.

A native of Bristol Valley, NY, approximately 30 miles south of Rochester, Reed shared some of the humble memories of his early years.

“I was six years old when we got electricity in our house,” he recalls, “and my first seven years of school were in a one-room schoolhouse.”

From his parents, he learned lessons that he would carry throughout his lifetime, including the concept of being of service to others.  His inspiration in becoming a blood donor was influenced in part by his mother’s history of donating.

“My mother had done it (donating blood) but had to stop when she was 72.”

After completing high school, Reed volunteered to enlist in the U.S. Navy, in the early stages of the Korean War (“I felt it was right to volunteer your time for Uncle Sam,” he states casually.).  He was initially assigned to a repair ship based in Newport, Rhode Island.  His concern for others quickly emerged while stationed on the ship.  One of his crewmates, who was married with a young child, was going to be reassigned to another ship and port and was distraught about being separated from his wife and child.  Reed saw this and approached one of his commanding officers and volunteered to take his shipmate’s new assignment, on an icebreaker that made frequent trips to clear paths approaching the North Pole, where submarines might travel.  

“If I could stop him from being separated from his wife and baby, I thought it was the right thing to do.”

Before completing his military service, Reed also started his blood donation journey.

“An officer’s wife was ill and in need of blood transfusions. An officer in the medical department made me aware that I had the right blood type to donate.  I was glad I did it.” 

After his discharge from the Navy and after earning a degree at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), Reed continued to live a life of service to others, leading the Monroe County Department of Social Services. Heading a department that provides services to more than 50,000 individuals each year was a heavy load, and a personal tragedy led Reed to evaluate where he wanted to spend his time.

“My sister died of cancer at 42, leaving behind four boys. She died in June and in August of that year her 17-year-old boy was killed by a drunk driver running a red light.  On the way home from the funeral, I looked in the back seat at my two boys and told my wife ‘these guys are only young once, and I’m bringing home work every night.’”

A leader at RIT’s Business School informed Reed of an opportunity to bring his leadership skills and desire to be of service to others to the not-for-profit sector, which led him to being appointed as Director of Family Services of Rochester. After overseeing an expansion of that agency’s social services program, Reed retired in 1994. 

Still not finished giving back, he volunteered at Lifetime Care, serving as a hospice volunteer. After stepping away for a time to care for his wife, who had been diagnosed with Multi Systems Apathy (MSA), a degenerative disease similar to ALS, Reed returned to his volunteer role after her death in 2001.  To this day, he still volunteers and leads small group bereavement sessions.

As for his commitment to donating blood, the fulfillment he felt after that initial donation during his service in the U.S. Navy has remained with him to the present.

“I always have a good feeling that somebody is being helped and it doesn’t cost me anything,” he says.

Reed is also thrilled that he now receives information on where his donations are being used.

“The last time I gave I got a message that it went to a young boy who had a (medical) problem. I remember saying my prayers and thanking God for my being able to help that boy.”

Written by: Michael Tedesco, Regional Communications Director, American Red Cross of WNY

Red Cross, Quilts of Valor Foundation Collaborate to Honor Local WWII Vet

Thanks to the actions of a thoughtful and resourceful local Red Cross Volunteer, a Rochester-area WWII veteran was honored more than 75 years after serving his country. Joseph Young, Jr., who served as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s 20^th Corp under General George Patton’s command, received a Quilt of Valor at a gathering at the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross office at 1040 University Avenue on Wednesday, February 23, at 12:00 p.m. U.S. Congressman Joe Morelle, representing New York’s 25^th Congressional District, will also be on hand to honor Young.

Red Cross Community Volunteer Leader Laurie McFaul Frey, who in December accompanied the 98-year-old veteran to a Wreaths Across America ceremony to honor deceased U.S. service members, discovered that he had never been honored for his service in WWII by any local group or program. Through a collaboration with Red Cross staff and volunteers, including Services to the Armed Forces (SAF) Chair Susan Louis, a request was made to the local Chapter of the Quilts of Valor for a hand-made quilt for Lt. Young. Barbara Frost, New York State Coordinator for the Quilts of Valor Foundation, will present the quilt to Young.  

A native of Rochester, Young entered the military in December 1942 and was assigned to 20^th Corp, a part of Patton’s vaunted 3^rd Army, with which he served until December 1945. Second Lt. Young was part of the second wave on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944, and fought on from France through Austria. For his bravery and service, 2^nd Lt. Young was presented with four medals - a Good Conduct medal, a WWII Victory medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign with Three Stars, and an American Campaign. 

After his discharge, Lt. Young came back to Rochester and worked at Taylor Instruments for a few years before accepting a position at Eastman Kodak, where he worked for 36 years until his retirement in 1985. In 1949, he married his lovely wife Helen Rose Jordan. They were married for 54 years and had three children: Joseph, Deborah and Robert. They also have five grandchildren and three great grand children

Catherine Roberts, whose son, Nat, was deployed in Iraq at the time, founded Quilts of Valor in 2003 after experiencing a dream of a service member in despair gaining comfort after being wrapped in a quilt. Since that time, it has evolved into a movement of over 10,000 volunteer members across 600 groups in all 50 States. The organization’s primary objective is to bring healing to service members and veterans through an expression of gratitude and the belief that the quilts bring a tangible comfort to those who receive them. This year, Quilts of Valor expects to reach the milestone of awarding its 300,000^th quilt to a veteran.

Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Program:

While many recognize the American Red Cross as an organization that collects and distributes blood products and responds to local and national disasters, its Service to the Armed Forces program (SAF) has a long and storied history of supporting the military and is a prominent and valuable asset the organization provides within communities throughout the nation. Today, the American Red Cross continues to serve the U.S. Military community from the time a service member takes the oath to navigating life as a veteran. The Red Cross SAF program holds a congressional charter to provide the direct link of communication between the active-duty service member and their family at home.

In the Western New York region alone, the Red Cross provided 3,487 case services to veterans and family members during the last fiscal year. On a global perspective, each year, the Red Cross provides more than 500,000 services to members of the military, veterans and their families across the country and around the world.

• In times of emergency, the Red Cross helps military families communicate with their loved ones and facilitates their return home through our Hero Care Network, which is available online, by phone, through a mobile app or in person, 24 hours a day.
• A variety of free resiliency workshops are offered, in person and online, to provide active military, veterans and their families with effective tools for facing challenges and stress.
• Red Cross medical and non-medical volunteers provide care, comfort and therapy items at veteran hospitals and military treatment facilities.
• Stateside the Red Cross has a presence on all military installations.  It also offers programs and services on-site at more than 140 military medical facilities and 170 veteran’s care facilities worldwide.   

 

Military Awareness Month: Army Officer Making a Global Impact from WNY

It’s quite possible that service runs through Joel Smith’s veins.

“My dad was the Disaster Chairman for the Red Cross in West Virginia. There was always a lot of flooding so literally as an 8-year-old kid, I had a Red Cross hardhat which I thought was the coolest thing. My dad would be coordinating these responses and I would always tag along with him.”

The West Virginia native would tag along on responses with his father well into his teenage years, something that helped to shape his philosophy on life as an adult.

“I was raised in a household where we were literally taught that we’re here to serve, not be served. And as a young kid, that’s really annoying,” Smith laughed. “But I found as an adult that if you can maintain an attitude of ‘I’m here to serve’ it improves your every day, because on the days where you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you stop when you take care of somebody else.” 

The family motto seems to have stuck with him. Now an Army Major with the 328^th Combat and Operational Stress Control unit, Smith has dedicated his life to serving his country and community. As a Behavioral Health Officer, Smith provides support to members of the military, often embedding with combat arms units on the frontlines.

At one point providing support to 3,000 soldiers in what he described as a “hot spot,” Smith explained their needs range from discussing combat events to more personal matters like a breakup or even a family emergency.

“As a behavioral health officer, it was really common for a unit to get a Red Cross message for one of their soldiers. They would end up bringing that person to me, or I would go out to them. I saw that interaction frequently and it was never good.”

The American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) provides assistance to members of the military on active duty, connecting with the individual’s unit if there is an emergency at home and helping to coordinate transportation and financial assistance when needed.

In 2008, Smith and his family were on the receiving end of one of those calls.

“It was significant. My oldest son was in basic training and my father passed away. We needed to use the Red Cross to get that message to him and start the process. In a time of crisis, it was the best.”

That’s why Smith was excited for his “full-circle” moment with the American Red Cross of Western New York, explaining that he jumped at the chance to join the Service to the Armed Forces committee when asked just a few years later.

“One thing we do very well in the military is take care of each other. That’s our whole focus. We tell people you’ll never be alone, and I really think that’s what our Service to the Armed Forces committee embodies.”  

Even while on deployment, Smith makes sure to stay connected with the committee. While on location in remote areas overseas, Smith and the committee, helped to address the needs of multiple units, fulfilling a request for something as simple as quality work gloves for a maintenance unit and coffee for another.

“The SAF committee had a direct impact,” he explained. “I was really humbled. It’s just very rewarding that you can contribute at a local level and have a global impact.”

It’s an impact he regularly encourages others to make, particularly civilians who might not be aware of the Red Cross resources available to veterans and military families.

“The level of sacrifice when you’re in the military,” he explained. “It’s so noble in our own communities to take care of our veterans or family members of those who are serving, because they are the ones who really sacrifice.”

He concluded with that all too familiar motto he was raised on years ago.

“The more you give, the more you get back.”

The month of May is Military Appreciation Month, the American Red Cross is inviting people around the country to turn ‘Thank you for your service’ into action. For those with a military background or just a heart for military and veteran communities, you can learn more about ways to volunteer and support Service to the Armed Forces by visiting www.redcross.org/saf.

Virtual Workshops to Help Military and Veteran Communities Cope During COVID-19

The American Red Cross is launching a new virtual workshop for active military members, Guard, Reservists, veterans, and their families that addresses unique stressors felt by this community during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is the first time the Red Cross will be utilizing a virtual platform for a Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) workshop. Michael Willis, a licensed mental health professional, is one of the facilitators for the virtual workshop. Dr. Willis notes sources of stress can vary from individual to individual, as well as the ways in which we each cope with stress.  He points out that, in addition to the uncertainty, stress and isolation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of loss, and with that, a lot of grief. Dr. Willis notes the loss isn't just about the death of a loved one but can also include the loss of a job and connections to family, friends and co-workers, and it is important to know how to cope with the grief that accompanies it.  For military personnel and their families, these losses are compounded by additional stressors such as delayed reunions or altered deployment schedules.  In addition, veterans may have difficulty accessing community resources that provide medical and behavioral health services, training or social support, which can affect mental health during this time of sheltering-in-place.

Although the in-person and virtual workshops encourage attendee participation through discussion and sharing, such participation is voluntary.  People can also attend and only listen. All content shared by participants in the workshop is kept confidential. The 60-90-minute virtual workshop will cover topics such as the signs and symptoms of stress, effective communication to decrease stress, relaxation exercises, recommendations for better sleep, stress reduction techniques and establishing a relationship between what you think and how you feel. 

Dr. Michael Willis  

The SAF workshop facilitators, like Dr. Willis, are all licensed mental health professionals, and deeply committed to helping the Service members, veterans and their families.  Dr. Willis has been a SAF volunteer since 2014 and has led over 40 reconnection workshops of which 14 workshops focused specifically on stress management for the American Red Cross SAF division.    He also represented the Red Cross on an Honor Flight to Washington DC to provide mental health support to the participating veterans. When presenting the workshops, his favorite part is interacting with participants during the activity portions, and Dr. Willis believes the most beneficial aspect of the program is the "toolbox" of stress management techniques the participants take with them.

To learn more about the workshop, or to register, contact your local American Red Cross chapter, or contact them by visiting redcross.org and entering your zip code.

Story by: Karin Schneider, Communications Volunteer

American Red Cross, Western New York Region

Baseball, apple pie and American heroes

There's nothing more American than baseball, and we owe the freedom to enjoy the national pastime to the sacrifices of our military men and women. So, what better way to recognize our Veterans than by taking them out to the ballgame?

Last night, the American Red Cross hosted veterans from the Batavia Veterans Administration Hospital at the Batavia Muckdogs game at Dywer Stadium. The tickets for the game were donated to the American Red Cross by Dr. Paul C. Stomper of East Amherst, and the Red Cross also provided the meals for the Veterans in attendance (no word on if apple pie was on the menu). A picture-perfect night was made even better when the hometown Muckdogs beat the Staten Island Yankees, 5-3.

The Red Cross would like to thank Dr. Stomper and the Batavia Muckdogs for their generosity and support of our veterans, and our own Suzanne Falise for making the necessary arrangements. 

The American Red Cross serves and supports members of the military, veterans and their families by providing needed comfort and care in military and veterans hospitals, support for military families with vital social services and emergency communications to keep families connected when they need it most. 

Holiday Mail for Heroes

It’s that time of year again.  Family, friends and loved ones are coming together to celebrate the holidays, drink eggnog, eat pumpkin pie, tell stories and fight over the seat closest to the mashed potatoes.  But let’s not forget those service members, veterans and their families who are sacrificing their holiday traditions to ensure that we can continue to celebrate ours.  To send your appreciation and holiday cheer, you, your family and friends can join the American Red Cross’s Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. 

To get involved in this year’s campaign, create a card and mail it by December 10^th to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD
20791-5456

Cards will be sorted and delivered to a service member, veteran or their family so that they can see how much we appreciate their sacrifices, especially during this holiday season.