Sean C. Morgan
Jodi Allworth raised her hands high in the air, thumbs up, as she prepared to cut a ribbon in front of the veterans home named for her father Saturday afternoon.
Allworth, daughter of war hero Edward C. Allworth, was at the center of a crowd of officials associated with the project as she officially opened the new Veterans’ Home in Lebanon.
Two years to the day from the ground-breaking ceremony, public officials, veterans and citizens of Linn County celebrated the completion of the new 154-bed Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home. Joining hundreds, Jodi Allworth and other members of Allworth’s family attended.
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs announced the location of the home in Lebanon in April 2010 and broke ground on the new $40 million facility on Sept. 20, 2012. It is the second home in Oregon. The first is located in The Dalles, while a third home will be constructed in Roseburg.
The home is named for World War I Medal of Honor recipient Edward C. Allworth. During the war, Allworth was commanding U.S. Army soldiers in France when the enemy destroyed a bridge and forced his troops to cross a canal.
Allworth “mounted the canal bank and called for his men to follow,” according to his Medal of Honor citation. “Plunging in, he swam across the canal under fire from the enemy, followed by his men.
“By his personal leadership, he forced the enemy back for more than a kilometer, overcoming machine gun nests and capturing 100 prisoners, whose numbers exceeded that of the men in his command. The exceptional courage and leadership displayed by Capt. Allworth made possible the reestablishment of a bridgehead over the canal and the successful advance of other troops.”
The home, located at 600 North Fifth Street, across Highway 20 from Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, has been designed on the small house model for skilled nursing facilities. Construction Manager John Osborn said this enhanced model creates a small community for a group of residents and staff.
“It is a significant improvement from the traditional skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The small house model alters the facility’s size, the interior design, staffing patterns and methods of delivering skilled professional care and services,” Osborn said. “These enhancements make this veterans’ home a special place for some very special people who honorably served our country.”
The home offers space for residents who need long-term care or rehabilitation services as well as Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Care at the facility is an earned benefit available to veterans, their spouse and parents who had a child die while serving in the U.S. armed forces.
“This dedication means that Lebanon is going to lead the U.S. in terms of showing how to care for older veterans in America,” said Sen. Ron Wyden. For years, the accepted wisdom has been that older people would rather be cared for at home rather than in an institutional setting; but that is something that had never made it into veterans services.
“Today, we show the rest of the country how to do veterans services right,” Wyden said.
“There aren’t many things that enjoy 60 percent or better support when it comes to taxes,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio. That happened here.
Linn County voters agreed to a 10-year local option levy costing 19 cents per $1,000 to pay approximately $12 million of the cost of the new facility.
“The citizens of Linn County didn’t blink,” said Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist. “By a 2-1 margin, they approved this measure. Well done to the citizens of Linn County.”
DeFazio said that Americans need to be thankful to their veterans and those still serving today to protect against those who would deprive them of their rights.
And providing those services means Congress making some changes.
“We’ve got some house cleaning,” he said, but new tools will help improve services to veterans. When a doctor graduates, the doctor faces $300,000 in debt. When it comes to finding a job, the doctors can make better money working outside the Veterans Administration, meaning the VA has trouble recruiting doctors. A new program will reduce their school debt by 20 percent per year for five years, making it possible for them to pursue careers with the VA.
The project faced a lot of turns and speed bumps, Nyquist said. Two years ago, the cost of the project increased, and it was short $4 million.
“I knew of only one place to ask for it,” Nyquist said. The commissioners went to the legislature, Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, Rep. Andy Olson, Rep. Phil Barnhart and Sen. Fred Girod – and the legislature responded.
“There’s no Republicans or Democrats in the state legislature when it comes to veterans,” said Senate President Peter Courtney. “Today we honor our commitment to the brave. We’re not going to let you be alone to the end. We’re going to take care of the mind and body in a community way.”
That’s what Oregon is, “and it’s a good day to be a veteran here in Oregon,” Courtney said.
Nyquist also recognized the efforts of retired ODVA Director Jim Willis of Albany.
“Jim, you were here for the start of this,” Nyquist said. “You’re here today. We appreciate you so very much.”
“It’s hard to believe we stood in this empty field two years ago today,” said Lebanon Mayor Paul Aziz.
For information about the Veterans’ Home, benefits, qualifications and the application process, visit lebanon.oregonveteranshomes.com.