Volunteers, Sanford Health employees hand-knit blankets for veterans

Veterans Day just got a little warmer at Sanford Health, as volunteers and Sanford employees who are veterans delivered hand-knit blankets to patients who served in the U.S. Armed Forces on Friday to recognize them for their service.

To Capt. Paul Weckman, a 26-year Navy veteran who oversees military and veteran services at Sanford Health, every day is Veterans Day. But the three-year tradition of delivering blankets, and giving veteran pins to patients who are veterans, is an extra way to care for them.

“Even with this little small token of appreciation, a lot of our veterans have never even been thanked or recognized, especially our Vietnam War veterans. They did not have a good experience coming home,” Weckman said. “This is another form of healing, by coming in and visiting with them, maybe even telling a sea story or an Army story, whatever the case may be, because it’s veterans talking to each other.”

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Weckman and Becca Conner, manager of volunteer services, brought the blankets to patients like Doug Bultje and Jeff Jones.

Conner said a team of 20 volunteer knitters knit blankets for all kinds of patients in all different colors and sizes for patients across the hospital system to deliver to patients in need of a little extra comfort. Each blanket takes about 20 hours, she estimated.

“The reactions have been very meaningful. The veterans have voiced that to be remembered on this day means a lot to them,” Conner said. “They have a tough time opening up, but getting a blanket from another veteran makes them feel like they’re able to talk about their experience.”

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Robert Sommer greeted each patient and told them the story of his own service in the Air Force from 1990-1995 during the first Gulf War working as a mechanic. His mechanic experience has translated well to his current position as manager of plant operations at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls.

“Thank you for your service, and everything you did for our nation,” Sommer told each veteran.

Bultje told Sommer about his time in the Army and as a clerk, and Jones told him about his 20 years in the Army, from which he retired in September. He served in Afghanistan from 2013 to 2014.

“It was an honor to have served,” Jones said.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sanford Health honors veteran patients with blankets for Veterans Day