Volunteers perform 'small miracle' at Army veteran's Disputanta home

By Mr. Patrick Buffett (IMCOM)November 17, 2014

Fort Lee volunteers help Vietnam veteran
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, Va. -- Raymond Conner Jr. and his wife Bertha pose for photos with an honor guard from Fort Lee following a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at their home in Disputanta. The wheelchair ramp in the background was built by volunteers from For... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Lee volunteers help Vietnam veteran
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, Va. -- Eddie Boyd, a Skookum Contract Services employee at Fort Lee, secures deck boards to a wheelchair ramp frame during a volunteer project Nov. 8 at the Disputanta home of Vietnam veteran Raymond Conner Jr. and his wife Bertha. Construc... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Lee volunteers help Vietnam veteran
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT LEE, Va. -- Collin Thomas, a Skookum Contract Services employee, cuts lumber during a community service project Nov. 8 in Disputanta. About a dozen volunteers -- most of them workers from Fort Lee -- donated their time and talents to build a pai... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. (Nov. 17, 2014) -- "I'll be so glad when I don't have to climb in and out of this house anymore," grumbled Bertha Conner as she struggled to negotiate the single step up to the cement pad that provided access to her Disputanta home.

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a few years ago, Bertha copes with nearly constant back pain that "gives her a fit" whenever she's on her feet. Last winter, she said she laid out in the cold for two hours because she had fallen and nobody was there to help her into the house.

Her husband, Raymond Conner Jr. -- an Army veteran who served in Vietnam -- is tackling mobility issues as well. The 66-year-old takes medication to control trembling hands believed to be a symptom of exposure to Agent Orange. That and osteoporosis of the head and back, in addition to a recent stroke, makes him a "fall risk," according to his doctors.

"You know how you get dizzy when you're bent over and stand up too fast? That happens to me if I turn too quickly or stay on my feet too long," Ray explained. "It really scares me sometimes. It feels like my body is giving up on me."

Ray has a motorized electric wheelchair that has sat in a shed unused because it would involve lifting the 200-pound contraption down to the ground. There was no way to get it into the house, either, so it hasn't done the couple much good as a mobility aid.

"She probably needs it worse than I do," Ray noted. "Neither one of us is in great shape, but she's having a lot of trouble walking. It would be great if we could get it (the wheelchair) out of there."

Knowing this small part of the Conner's story is important to understanding the significance of a community service project that took place at their home Nov. 8. About a dozen volunteers -- most of them Skookum Contract Services workers from Fort Lee -- donated their time and talents to build a pair of much-needed wheelchair ramps for the elderly couple. The overall project took about nine hours to complete. A few of the volunteers returned Nov. 9 for landscaping work and a special ceremony on Nov. 11 -- featuring an honor guard from Fort Lee's Charlie Company, 262nd Quartermaster Battalion, and the Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department -- paid tribute to Mr. Conner's military service.

"There was never any doubt this was the right thing to do," said William Wright, a manager for the contract company, which provides a wide range of facilities support services to Fort Lee. Skookum is a Chinook word that means strong and well built in a unique fashion, among other translations.

"We see ourselves as members of the Army community, and projects like this fit our corporation's mission statement, 'creating opportunities for people with disabilities,'" Wright said. "Most of the guys who volunteered are veterans as well, so they understand the importance of helping out fellow service members."

When Wright and fellow coordinator Vaughn Taylor reached out to the surrounding community for support, they received an equally enthusiastic response. The Prince George Lowe's home improvement store provided all of the needed lumber at a drastically reduced price. Locally owned Frances Johnson Bakery provided cake for the volunteers, and retired Lt. Col. Pete Adler -- an Army Logistics University department chief -- stepped up to serve as the project leader.

"Why do I do this?" posed Adler, after making note of the 80-plus volunteer projects he has undertaken over the past couple of years with nonprofit organizations and a church ministry team. "Because it's needed, it's important and it's way cool. It's that look, those tears, you see in a family's eyes at the end of the day. That's when you know how much this really means … it all becomes clear why this is significant."

Wright offered a similar perspective. "I think just about everyone has an internal need to help somebody," he said. "It's the sense of community; we're all in this together. So, I'm not really surprised it came together the way it did. The people involved understood the situation and wanted to make a difference any way they could. It's always easier to work for a passion rather than simply a paycheck."

The impact this project had on the Conner's was evident not only on the day of construction, but also during the special tribute on Veterans Day. Standing in their front yard that Tuesday surrounded by friends and family, with their brand new wheelchair ramp as the backdrop, the couple was clearly overwhelmed by the show of community support.

"All of this has been a total surprise," Ray said. "At first, I even thought, 'why are they doing all this for me?' You know what I mean? Then I realized that it's just what these types of people do, and I know they have helped a lot of veterans like me. They have a good heart, and I'm just thankful for everything they're doing for us."