Team St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization: Vocational Wellness

from our Marketing Department

Bill Greger was drafted twice. The first time, during the late stages of World War II, he was placed on limited service until the war ended, when he was shipped to Manila, Philippines, to help with the rebuilding effort.

More than 60 years later, in January 2005, Bill found himself conscripted for active duty once again. That's when a group of his fellow St. Leonard residents and former service members "volunteered" Bill to lead their new veterans organization.

As he had so long ago, Bill accepted his post without grumbling and endeavored to do his best as president pro tem of the group. Bill earned the loftier title of Commander, but his work has remained essentially the same. The group formed on the recommendation of Wellness Director Deb Stewart, who thought a regular gathering of St. Leonard's veterans might promote fellowship. Inspired to do more than simply enjoy one another's company, the 127 veterans initiated a project to create a memorial to deceased former residents who had served their country. This project eventually evolved into a large display with brass nameplates listing veterans among St. Leonard's current residents, as well as those who have passed on.

While this multi-year effort progressed, the group undertook a series of service projects to support local soldiers deployed overseas. Over the years, the veterans have raised funds to purchase and distribute phone cards, commissary cards, and desert cooling/hydration towels to members of the National Guard unit based in Kettering and a Dayton Marine military police (MP) company. Representatives of the veterans group also regularly participate in special activities such as the annual Veterans Day celebration at St. Leonard, dedication ceremonies to accompany ongoing construction of new facilities and amenities, and volunteer projects on campus and throughout the region. Members have also helped to organize group trips through the Honor Flight Network, a program based in Springfield that flies veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the WWII Memorial. In July 2007, the veterans began a project to capture and share some of the historic experiences of their members. St. Leonard had an active memoir group for residents, and Lou Liebold and Bob Lamb decided to encourage their fellow veterans to get involved.

Nearly two and a half years later, Liebold expects a collection of more than 30 stories by the veterans, ranging from brief remembrances to lengthy memoirs, to be published in 2010. He and Lamb found the work of soliciting and editing all of these tales more challenging than expected, but well worth the effort. They were also surprised by the content of those stories. While he doesn't consider his own service in Europe, which involved only a few months of combat, particularly exciting by comparison, Liebold contributed his own tale, which includes a firsthand account of liberating a concentration camp. Lamb, who was involved in the memoir group before helping to launch the veterans' version, published his own book-length memoir, War Stories and Memories, in 2008. Lamb's book is available, as the forthcoming compilation will be, through the St. Leonard store.

After 10 and 14 years at St. Leonard, respectively, Greger and Liebold are still thrilled to be part of this community and contribute to it whenever the opportunity arises. "It just gets to be like one big family," Greger said.