Maine veterans honored at Togus, UMA

It’s been a busy week for Maine veterans and those who support them, with events at the University of Maine at Augusta and VA Maine Healthcare Systems-Togus.

Thursday marked the 150th birthday of the U.S. veterans hospital near Chelsea – the first of its kind in the nation.

Nursing students Chad Ceccarini, left, an Air Force veteran, and Nicholas Whitmore, an Army veteran, fold a flag during a Veterans Day ceremony Thursday in the Randall Student Center at the University of Maine at Augusta. The flag was presented to nursing instructor Patricia Day and will be displayed in a nursing classroom. Cards written by students were presented to veterans, along with ice cream and cake at the event. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Veteran Peter Ogden, left, and Togus VA Director Ryan Lilly and examine stones on display Thursday at the Togus veterans hospital as part of the Summit Project. The engraved rocks commemorate military veterans who have died since Sept. 11, 2001. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

A stone in memory of Marine Corps Maj. Samuel Leigh stands on display Thursday at the Togus VA as part of the Summit Project. Stones picked by relatives of several veterans who have died since Sept. 11, 2001, are on display in the lobby of the hospital. A Belgrade resident, Leigh was a 13-year veteran of the Marine Corps who served two tours of duty in Iraq before dying in an aerial accident on Oct. 29, 2009. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

State and federal officials celebrated the occasion in September, but a smaller party was held Thursday on the actual birthday of the Togus hospital.

Pieces of commemorative artwork were dedicated at the celebration, while writers with unique connections to Togus spoke during a ceremony in the hospital’s theater.

The speakers included Allen Breed and Robin White, who are both related to Bowman Bigelow Breed, a surgeon who was in charge of Togus during its early days. Breed and White recently published a book, “My Own Dear Wife,” using letters exchanged between Bowman Bigelow Breed and his wife, Hannah.

Among the artworks dedicated at the Thursday ceremony was a large eagle carved out of wood by George Gunning, a Navy veteran who makes and donates eagle-headed canes to Maine veterans. Gunning was joined at the ceremony by his wife, Donna Gunning, and military veteran Burt Truman, who have helped him produce more than 3,000 canes.

The University of Maine at Augusta also has been honoring veterans. The school has a large nontraditional student population, including several hundred veterans, so the week has been meaningful, said Amy Line, coordinator of military and veterans affairs at the school.

Kennebec Journal Staff Writer Jason Pafundi contributed to this report.

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