Hospice Patient Honored With Veteran Pinning Ceremony

Recently, members of the SSM Health at Home hospice care team in Madison, Wis, gathered to honor Jerome “Jerry” Preston for his service to our country. While Jerry’s wife Sharon looked on, staff conducted a “pinning ceremony” in which the team acknowledged Jerry’s military service and the sacrifices made by both he and his family. Jerry’s ceremony was especially poignant as Sister Georgeann Roudebush, a spiritual and grief counselor on the Greater Madison hospice team, played “Taps” during the ceremony.

Jerry, who grew up on a farm near Ladysmith, Wisconsin, always dreamed of serving in the military. He enlisted in the Marines right out of high school, beginning his military career at Camp Pendleton in California. He drove a five-ton truck and loved his years of service. He shared that it could be lonely but some of his favorite times were mail call and visiting California’s mountains and beaches. He shared that he would encourage young people to “do the best you can and follow your dreams.” When asked if he could serve again today, where in the world he would like to be stationed he replied, “I wouldn’t mind doing it all again back at Camp Pendleton.”

“It was a moving ceremony,” said Roudebush. “Experiences like this affirm why I love working with hospice patients.”

Pinning ceremonies are offered to all veteran hospice patients as part of the We Honor Veterans program. SSM Health at Home’s hospice locations in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin are accredited We Honor Veterans partners. The program assists health care providers in better caring for veterans at end-of-life by recognizing the unique challenges they may be facing. The goal is to guide veterans and their families toward better outcomes and a more peaceful end-of-life journey. Pinning ceremonies are just one way our hospice team recognizes and honors those patients who have served our country. Learn more about our hospice program and We Honor Veterans.