Eagle Scout candidate organizes work day

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The brick pad, the picnic table and sign placard near the outlet stream. Front, from left to right, Kameron Rossignol, Kasen Kelley, Remy Pettengill, Ayden Newell, Caleb Knock. Back, Ben Lagasse, Aiden Pettengill, Hunter Praul, Kaiden Kelley, Michael Boostedt, Leaders Derek Rossignol, Darryl Praul and Ron Emery. Missing from photo Leaders Lee Pettengill and parents Keith Lagasse, Jonathan Knock and Grange member Bernie Welch (contributed photo)

by Bernie Welch
Member of the Vassalboro Grange
Photo by Ron Emery, Troop #479

There is something wonderful about being amongst volunteers. What better way than to be part of an Eagle Scout project that promotes community, conversation and education. The Vassalboro Historical Society and the Vassalboro Grange partnered with the Maine Rivers to create an opportunity for the talented troop #479, of China, and specifically Eagle Scout candidate, Ben LeGasse, with the thought of sharing a bit of Vassalboro Lore from the Historical Society and the Grange, plus providing a place to share the plan for an alewife introduction to China Lake. Ben and his father organized a work day on Saturday, October 19. They pre-planned and created a bench and sign placard for the north side of the Grange and also planned and placed a picnic table and sign placard at the Outlet Stream to provide respite for the fishermen, bird watchers and soon to be alewife tourists that promise to be more plentiful once the Maine rivers project is complete.

Ben and his father organized a work day on Saturday, October 19. They pre-planned and created a bench and sign placard for the north side of the Grange. (Contributed photo)

An eagle Scouts project is one that fills a need. The Eagle Scout Service Project, or simply Eagle Project, is the opportunity for a Boy Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of his community. This is the culmination of the Scout’s leadership training, and it requires a significant effort on his part.The project must benefit an organization other than the BSA, and it cannot be performed for an individual or a business or be commercial in nature. Completing an Eagle Project is a requirement in order for Boy Scouts to attain the Eagle Scout rank. Ben chose to organize his project to support the greater Vassalboro community. On the work day he involved his fellow scouts and their fathers. All Scouts actively participated in clearing the area and placing sign posts , the bench, the brick picnic table pad and the picnic table.

Ben also solicited and received tremendous support from Hannafords in South China, Fieldstone Quick stop, Lowes Home supply and, of course, parents and friends. The fathers of the scouts were also out in force providing guidance, institutional memory and wisdom when using hand tools. A ground wasp nest did not deter but did enliven the effort on the day of the event. Grange members provided food and information about the grange. Ben will share his project with the Vassalboro Historical Society and the Maine Rivers during future meetings. His discussion and question answer session at the last Friday Grange meeting was informational and a bit of fun.

Scouting in our area is a hidden community gem. Young people inspire community members to think about the power of doing something for the benefit of others. Yes, there is something wonderful about being volunteers. And you know what , they can be us!

Ben, 17, is a senior at Erskine Academy, in South China, and the son of Keith and Kristie LaGasse, of Windsor.

Mourners pay tribute to local community anchor

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David Herard, China rescue chief.

David Herard remembered as dedicated firefighter, family man and marine

by Ron Maxwell

This space is not large enough for the story of David Herard. During his remembrance at the China Dine-ah, I talked with daughters, sons-in-law, family, friends and colleagues and was given a glimpse into the life of a man who made his life’s work looking after people, both those he knew and those he had never met. His dedicated care of the town of China, his country and his family shone through every conversation I had, as did his obvious love of duty and honor for their own sake.

David in his youth.

David was a straight shooter and you always knew just where you stood with him. David looked like a “grumpy old Marine” (a phrase used with love by one of his mentees that I talked with) but had a heart of gold behind that exterior. David hated being praised and avoided accolades. I can’t help but feel that if he were reading this he would not enjoy it, but as it is true I will tell the story.

David and his childhood best friend played Cowboys and Indians as kids growing up in Waterville, and both volunteered for tours in Vietnam where they served our country well. David’s commitment showed in his volunteering for a second tour in his difficult job of being a tunnel rat, a mission that required entering small tunnels to underground networks that were filled with enemy combatants and booby traps. I read online that the tunnel rats were the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War and thinking about the process sheds light on David’s determination to serve others even when the job was difficult. It was in those tunnels, during his second tour, that a mortar nearly killed David. He saw a brilliantly lit place and a river and heard the voices of people on the other side. But a hand on his shoulder told him he had more to do and then he woke hearing the medic who was pounding on his chest (and saving his life), ordering “Marine, you do not have permission to die yet!”

The love David’s family showed in their eyes as stories were told of how he looked after them. A daughter said, that if they had had problems, they never worried long. David made sure of it. He provided for them, while he was quietly patching his own clothes. He gave everything even if it left him with no time, no matter what. He was content to look after everyone else without recognition. It was this love that I saw when I first met David, when my youngest son Peter and I came to adopt two kittens a year ago. His love was plain to me, in the way he looked at his daughter and granddaughter, it was clear that he was looking out for them and after them.

It was to this daughter his last words were “You are my anchor,” and then she told me “But he was mine.” It was to this granddaughter his last words were “You’re a pretty girl and I love you.” He was good with his grandchildren and had big expectations for them to be well-rounded and respectable. I am sure he said farewell to his whole family the same way as the quoted words above: using direct, carefully chosen words of love as one last way to care for them.

But it wasn’t just his own family he looked after, he extended that service to his town. He started public service with the Weeks Mills fire department, but transitioned to their safety officer (leading trainings and supporting crews) and then became an EMT for the town of China area.

David Herard’s service jacket. (photo by Ron Maxwell)

David was an EMT for about 10 years, starting with his training when he was in his 60s and culminated in his being elected rescue chief. Anecdotal reports from his colleagues range from 95 – 100 percent response to rescue calls, with one volunteer telling me how he looked at the call sheets and regularly the number 901 (the chief’s number, David’s number) appeared, documenting David’s presence at a scene. He had a good head on his shoulders, a calm demeanor, and a way that reached the people he was helping that gave them a peace and a confidence in his care. He was dependable, always the first to go, going all the time, always there and willing to help. He also mentored newer members to his work by walking them through their calls and advising them.

More than once, as I talked to the people he loved, I found myself hoping that I would be seen by my family and community as he was by his. These people who shared with me their love of David Herard understood and respected him in the way that I have always hoped I would be understood and remembered. I am a better man because I heard his story and have his example to follow. His service to them was quiet and constant and dependable and he didn’t want recognition for his work. They all saw and loved him for it. This work ethic, this love for family and his community, and this selfless dedication are to be commended and emulated. His is an example that is heroic. Thank you for your service, David.

An interment will take place on Friday, November 15, at 10 a.m., at the Wall, at the Veterans Cemetery, on Civic Center Dr. (Rte. 27), just off I-95 Belgrade Exit,. All who plan to attend should arrive by 9:45 a.m. There will be fire department and sheriff’s department escort.

First time

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Gaige Martin, 13, of Benton, had a very exciting youth day hunting experience when he shot his first deer on October 26. (contributed photo)

Joins military following in family footsteps: and still involved with veterans

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Tina Richard, second from left, in the wheelhouse of the USS Hunley.

by Roland D. Hallee

Following graduation from Rumford High School, in 1984 Tina Richard, of Clinton, decided she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father and brother, and join the U.S. Army. When that didn’t work out, she was determined to continue her pursuit to serve her country. Her father served a tour of duty in Vietnam, and she felt the need to do her part.

That’s when she decided to join the U. S. Navy, and did just that in August 1987, at the age of 20.

Following basic training in Orlando, Florida, with Company K125, at a Navy base that no longer exists, she was assigned to the USS Hunley, a sub tender, as a quartermaster. The Hunley was designed to tend most of the long-term requirements of the Polaris Class of submarines. The ship achieved several records and milestones in its service.

Quartermaster is a military term. In many navies, a quartermaster is an officer with particular responsibility for steering and signals. The seaman is a non-commissioned officer (petty officer) rank; in some others, it is not a rank but a role related to navigation.

The term appears to derive from master of the quarterdeck where the helmsman and captain controlled the ship. The duties involve reading charts assisting in the navigational process.

The USS Hunley, AS31, was sent to Holy Lock, Scotland, as she had done several times previously during its commission, to assist in submarine repairs. During Richard’s tour of duty, the Hunley was docked in Scotland for six months, when it was then sent back to the United States, to be stationed in Charleston, North Carolina.

[See also: Brief history of USS Hunley]

“When I got on the USS Hunley (AS-31) in Holy Loch, Scotland, in January 1987, said Richard, “I started out in deck department. I handled the mooring lines in and out of port. I painted the decks, bulkheads, the anchor chain and the side of the ship.”

Once underway, she drove the ship and kept in contact with engineering about how fast or how slow to steer the ship under the Officer of the Deck during her watch.

Richard came back to the states in Norfolk, Virginia, after six months of being in Scotland. “After being in deck department for awhile, I wanted to find a rate that I could go up in rank so I shopped around and found something I really liked. I became a quartermaster, navigation in and out of port.” She worked directly with the captain and executive officer.

“Duties I did as a quartermaster included, correcting charts, using a sexton, had to know about tides and currents, determined the time of sunrise and sunsets, worked with compasses – the magnetic compass and Gyro compass – and planned for when we went out to sea. I was very good at being out on the weather deck and picking up the navigation stuff so the quartermaster in the pilot house could plot it.

“They called me eagle eyes because I was quick and my eyes were incredible. In August 1989 our ship went to Charleston, South Carolina, to tend SUBRON FOUR submarines.

“In September we were underway steaming east to avoid the wrath of Hurricane Hugo. We were out to sea over a week. Upon our return to port we assisted in the local cleanup and relief efforts. We returned to our homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, in November, in time to enjoy the holidays with family members.”

Richard was discharged from the Navy on August 28, 1990, and returned home to Rumford, as a QM 3.

“I would’ve stayed in but back then they would not let women on many ships. Now the ladies are on all of them, even subs. I didn’t want shore duty and I loved being out to sea doing my job.”

Richard took a year off and then, “I did one year of reserves [because] I was bored. I was not use to sitting around on my weekend duty so I got out as a QM2 after taking the test. Would I do it again? Yes, I would and make a career of it.

“My most memorable memories of being in the Navy was being out to sea and seeing beautiful sunrises and sunsets, watching the dolphins swim at the bow of the ship, going to Scotland, Annapolis, Maryland. seeing the Blue Angels fly, Halifax, Novia Scotia, the buildings were just incredible and the fort I visited had lots of history. Even went on a Canadian Navy ship which was way cool. Made many friends, in fact, I keep in touch with a few of them on Facebook. Some day I hope to go to a reunion and catch up with some of my shipmates.”

It was a different experience for Richard as she served on board the Hunley, which was a coed subtender. At first segregated from the male seamen, the policy was changed later to allow for mixed accommodations. Changes were taking place at an accelerated rate during her active duty, as even the uniforms of the female service members changed during her time of duty.

But, being a quartermaster on board the ship didn’t exempt her from other manual duties. One of those experiences involved having to be lowered down the side of the ship to do some painting on the hull. It was not one of her favorite things to do, knowing there could be sharks in the waters that were only a few feet below.

One of the oddities of the Hunley, as Tina explained, was that it “had a periscope.” She doesn’t know why.

The Hunley was decommissioned in 1994 and turned into scrap metal in 2007. As of this writing, there are only two subtenders left in service.

During her active duty, she was awarded the Good Conduct ribbon, National Defense ribbon, Sea Service Deployment ribbon, with one star, Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon, Humanitarian Service ribbon, and SW Asia (Persian Gulf).

But, following her discharge from the military, is when she began her career in the American Legion.

She joined the Legion in 2000, and would commute to Lewiston from her home in Rumford. That travel commitment lasted two years. Her subsequent marriage brought her to Clinton, as her husband’s employment was at the SAPPI, Hinckley mill, and she became deeply involved with the American Legion Post #16, in Skowhegan.

In her 19 years of service to the American Legion, she holds the position of historian and chaplain locally, and is historian and first vice president at statewide District #10.

“I love my positions and I love helping other veterans,” she emphasized.

But, her work is far from being done. She is very much involved in veterans’ issues and continues to support military veterans, past and current.

Brief history of USS Hunley

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USS Hunley leaving port in Holy Lock, Scotland

USS Hunley (AS-31) was a submarine tender of the United States Navy launched on September 28, 1961, and commissioned June 161962. The Hunley was designed to tend most of the long-term requirements of the Polaris Class of submarines. The ship achieved several records and milestones in its service. The Hunley was decommissioned from the regular navy, in 1995 transferred to the US Maritime Commission, and in 2007 sold as scrap to a metal recycling company in Louisiana. In September 2008, during Hurricane Gustav, the decommissioned ship broke free of its moorings in the New Orleans Inner Harbor, but caused little or no damage while adrift.

Hunley had the distinction of being the first ship designed and built from the keel up to service and maintain the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarine Fleet. She had complete facilities for servicing the complex Polaris Weapons Systems and for accomplishing any submarine repair other than a major shipyard overhaul. The hull was laid down in by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia and sponsored by Mrs. J. Palmer Gaillard, wife of the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. The ship was named in honor of Horace Lawson Hunley, the designer of the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel in naval history, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley.

The Vietnam War: I was there

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Credit UPI Photo by Jeff Taylor 4/19/72

by Gerald A. Boulette
Skowhegan

Yes, I was there, along with a thousand other young boys…rather, men! I saw, I did, and I’ve seen it all. It’s hard for some people to visualize what it’s like to see a man die right in front of you. For me, it will be forever in my mind. For the veterans, war will always be a figment of their mind ‘til the end. I’m reminded every month, every year of Vietnam, in one way or another. Never to forget to see your fellow comrade fall in battle. I’ve seen it all and hope never again. Yes, I’ve been there, and seen it all. My thoughts and prayers are with the future vets who will fight in all these next wars. I know what they face!

Gerald A. Boulette was a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army serving in Vietnam from December 1966 through December 1967.

Welcome home: A Vietnam experience

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Clinton Hayward with his dog, Joy, at his home in South China on Three Mile Pond. (Photo by Eric Austin)

by Eric W. Austin

“The war was so unpopular, you couldn’t go anywhere in public in uniform,” says Vietnam veteran Clinton Hayward. “You would be berated, assaulted, threatened. It was frightening.”

We’re sitting in the living room of his home in South China, looking out over Three Mile Pond. He pauses a moment, leans forward and says, “To be honest about it, I hadn’t talked about my military experience with anybody at all until about a year ago.”

In 1966, after a duty tour in Vietnam of more than 12 months, Hayward, just 24 years old, returned to the United States. It wasn’t the welcome he expected.

“I flew into Boston,” he remembers, “and I had to take a bus to Calais to get home. I was still in uniform. I went into the bus station in Boston to get a bus to go to Calais, and everybody was swearing at me and cursing at me. It was the most humiliating” – he pauses, doesn’t finish. “And I had just come from a war zone the day before, thinking I had accomplished something important, that I had done something good.

“I never wore a uniform after that in public,” he says. “It was just too stressful.”

Born in Vanceboro, Maine, a tiny town on the Canadian border, Hayward grew up in nearby Calais and joined the U.S. Air Force right out of high school.

On his father’s side, Hayward came from a deeply military family, so joining the U.S. military was a no-brainer – although he admits he enlisted over the objections of his mother, who had hoped to see her son enroll in college instead. The year was 1961.

Hayward would find his first test the following year when, in the fall of 1962, newly-elected President John F. Kennedy informed the American public of a Soviet plan to install nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba, leading to a tense 13-day standoff that brought the United States to the brink of nuclear war.

“We all thought it was going to be the Third World War – they were already preparing teams to deploy,” says Hayward. “It was a great relief when it was over, because we just thought it was a done deal: [Soviet President Nikita] Khrushchev was not going to back down, and John Kennedy certainly wasn’t going to back down – he was a man that you really didn’t want to mess with.”

Although the whole episode lasted less than two weeks, the standoff was intense, with U.S. military forces going to DEFCON 2 – the highest military alert ever given in the post-WWII era. Everyone prepared for all-out war against the Soviet Union. Hayward, just out of basic training, slept at his duty station with his fellow recruits, only taking short breaks to shower, grab some chow or a change of clothes.

Once the Cuban Missile Crisis had passed, Hayward settled into life on an American military base, first in Oklahoma, and then in Newfoundland and New Hampshire. He initially trained as a carpenter, although he later cross-trained in a number of specialties as he took night and evening classes in addition to his daily work on the base. Early on in his career he developed an aptitude for a particular skill called “packing and crating,” and it was this skill that he would be called on to employ in his first tour of duty in Vietnam.

It was now 1965, and the war in Vietnam was heating up. The U.S. Air Force sent Hayward to a naval and airbase being constructed at Cam Ranh Bay in western Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea. The location would become a significant strategic base for American forces. Given little more than 30-days’ notice, 23-year old Clinton Hayward left a new wife and a three month-old daughter with his parents and headed for Southeast Asia.

Accommodations at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, in 1966.

When Hayward arrived, the base was still under construction. “They had these giant inflatable buildings,” he recalls. “They had these big air compressors, and they would pump them up, and then if you’d lose power, they would just collapse on themselves.”

As Cam Ranh was a strategic air base, construction of runways was a top priority. “The runways at that time – most of them – weren’t even cement,” Hayward explains. Instead, they were formed of more than two million square feet of aluminum matting, manufactured in the U.S. and then shipped to Vietnam where they were snapped together like floor tiles.

“I would say that 75 percent of the sorties that were flying over North Vietnam were coming from Cam Ranh Bay,” Hayward says, “so [planes] were going off every few minutes and they were coming back every few minutes.”

Hayward worked out of a hangar on the edge of one of the runways. His job was to disassemble shot-up planes, “pack” those parts into “crates” and ship them back to the United States where they were repaired before being returned to Cam Ranh Bay and put to use once again.

“In order to do that kind of work,” says Hayward, “we had to work right on the flight line, so planes were coming and going right in front of the building where we worked.”

Coming and going…and crashing. Crashes were nearly a daily occurrence at Cam Ranh. “The ones that were coming back were usually shot up,” he says. “They were on fire, or crashing – trying to make a landing but the landing gear would be shot up, so there were aircraft crashes there almost every day.”

Hayward pauses, his eyes growing distant and for a moment I see that young man, only 23 years old, with a wife and young daughter back home in America, but with death a part of his daily experience in Vietnam. “Sometimes the pilots would be able to eject, and save themselves, but more often than not they would perish in those crashes,” he continues. “And I was seeing those crashes. That was pretty traumatic.”

Clinton Hayward, right, enjoying a beverage with Air Force squad mates at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, in 1965.

Something else sticks in his mind all these years later as well. “I grew up in a middle class family,” he tells me. “Not rich by any means – somewhat meager means, I guess – but I had never seen third world poverty [like that].”

His eyes take on a bit of that haunted look again. “These people in Vietnam – the natives – were such wonderful people, but they had nothing. And what little they did have, the war had destroyed.”

He remembers dinner time on the base. The military gave you plenty of food, he says, but it wasn’t very good food and many of the American soldiers did not eat everything on their plates. “After you ate, you would walk by a number of trash cans lined up outside the [mess] tent,” he recalls. “You would dump your food into those [cans], and there were dozens of small children lined up to dive into that food that you were dumping out of your tray into a trash can.”

The scene prompted the young Hayward to write an article about his experience and send it back home. He thinks it was published in the Bangor Daily News sometime in 1966. “That was the most striking image…it’s basically seared into my mind,” he says. “I still have – I wouldn’t say nightmares, but I still have dreams about going through that chow line and having kids fightin’ over the food I was dumping.”

President Lyndon B. Johnson (top left) and General William Westmoreland visit the troops at Cam Ranh Bay for Christmas in 1965.

One of the positive highlights of Hayward’s time in Vietnam was when President Lyndon B. Johnson flew into Cam Ranh Bay with entertainer Bob Hope and General William Westmoreland, the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, during the Christmas of 1965.

Clinton Hayward finished up his service in Vietnam in October 1966. He likely would have stayed in the Air Force for life, but after only a few weeks at home, he was told he was being sent back to the war zone. “I had eight years in at that point,” he says. “I was prepared to be a lifer. I had just gotten back – 30 days, maybe? – and I was told I was going to be redeployed to Vietnam. It was the same month that my enlistment was up, so I just got out.”

Outside of his military experience, Hayward is most proud of his conservation work with the nonprofit organization Ducks Unlimited. “If it wasn’t for the work Ducks Unlimited does in North America,” he says, “there wouldn’t be any water fowl left.” Hayward has started Ducks Unlimited chapters all across Maine, including Calais, Machias, Waterville/Winslow, Farmington and in the Western Mountains region.

Although some of the time he spent in Vietnam was difficult, Hayward sees his military experience as immensely valuable and positive. “Going into the military was one of the most important things I ever did,” he tells me. “I am a strong advocate for military service, and I would encourage any young person, female or male, to do their part.”

Contact the author at ericwaustin@gmail.com.

Military service is a rewarding career

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Margaret Williams at the 286th Battalion, in Augusta, in 1978.

by Roland D. Hallee

Not having gone to college as originally planned, Margaret Williams, 64, of Clinton, decided it was time to do something.

So, at the age of 22, she enlisted in the Army National Guard. Thus began a long military career for the 1974 Winthrop High School graduate. At the time of her enlistment, she lived in Mt. Vernon.

She would eventually attain a bachelors degree from the University of Maine at Augusta in 1992, and a master of education degree from the University of Maine at Orono in 2007.

“The education program in the Army is what helped pay for my bachelors degree,” she points out.

She spent 26 years working for the military of which seven were active duty. Following her military service she pursued a career in teaching.

However, she attributes most of her life goals because of the military.

“My military career had helped me with time management, leadership, organization, self-discipline, a can-do spirit and always getting back to people when they request assistance,” she emphasized “I have had several volunteer positions where meeting management came in handy.”

Because the military began using computers in the 1980s, far ahead of the public sector, she had a leg up on others from her military time of service.

She completed her basic training at Fort Jackson, in South Carolina, and advanced individual training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, in Indiana.

Once having completed her training, she was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters 286th Service and Support Battalion, in Augusta.

Her time in the military also took her to some training in Germany and Guatemala, where she spent six months improving roads, building a school, building hospitals and digging wells, among other humanitarian acts.

“My greatest military schooling accomplishment was to complete the Army Sergeants Major Academy, at Fort Bliss, Texas.”

Margaret Williams at the 240th Engineering Group, in Waterville, in the 1990s.

Once back home, she served as the Family Program Specialist for the state of Maine, and this was rewarding as she helped families who had their soldiers deployed. As a Personnel Noncommissioned Officer, she assisted units and soldiers by ensuring their records were up to date and they were ready for deployment.

She also served as Personnel NCO for the 240th Engineering Group, in Waterville, where she reviewed personnel actions on more than 1,500 soldiers before forwarding them to the state headquarters.

Following her separation from the National Guard, she was presented with what she described as her highest award, the Meritorious Service Medal for her 26 years of service. She also received the Army Com­menda­tion Medal, Army Achievement Medal and other awards.

“I was privileged to have the opportunity to serve,” she concluded. “I recommend the military to young people who are searching for a career. As one of 12 children growing up in rural Maine, I wouldn’t have believed that I would have been able to travel to many states and overseas.”

She cites other rewards and benefits: “In retirement I am reaping the benefits of discounts for veterans, good medical insurance and care with the VA health care system.”

A brief history of Togus VA hospital

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Togus in the 1800s

by Gerry Day
Military veteran

Maine veterans are lucky to have access to the oldest Veterans Administration hospital in the United States.

Thanks to the early veterans who took on the challenge to start the new VA hospital, who had to grow their own vegetables and raise animals to be able to feed everyone. They also maintained the buildings and the equipment in the hospital. Without those early veterans, there may not have been a Togus hospital at all.

Togus was named after the Worromontogus Native American tribe that lived in the area.

The hospital was founded following the American Civil War and admitted its first veteran on November 10, 1866.

Today’s VA staff doesn’t have to go through each day the way they did back then. But, do they have it easier?

The current staff has been taxed to provide services not even thought of in those days: budgets, laws passed by Congress, financial benefits, service-related issues and family benefits, life insurance, house loans, school loans for veterans and, in some cases, their family. They also have to determine service and non-service connected benefits. They no longer treat just the sick and injured veterans. Now, with added requirements and computers to process, they also need additional technical training to stay proficient at the job.

Prior to new agreements with the Department of Defense, the information needed to determine eligibility for a veteran’s rating, the VA would contact as many as 20 different organizations, and probably still couldn’t verify their eligibility.

There were many questions to be answered. Was the veteran in the place where the incident happened at the time? Was he treated medically as a result of the incident?

It was a long and trying process for the veteran and the VA. Because of new procedures where the Department of Defense provides the VA with current medical information on what treatment a veteran has been receiving, the VA, in most cases, has to go to one place for the information.

The people who work to get veterans rated for their claims are the VA staff, with help from service organizations, and others who volunteer their time. Some who have retired from the VA and have come back to volunteer to do many jobs, takes the load off the staff who process the claims.

If the veteran has a justified claim, the VA will do all they can to get the claim approved, and get the veteran awarded the benefits they deserve. Currently, the VA, according to the Department of Defense agreement, gets copies of a veteran’s medical records when they are discharged. This makes it easier and quicker to process new claims, as they will have access to documents needed to process the claim.

This also makes it easier for the VA medical staff to treat veterans. They now have current medical information about what has been done to treat the veteran while on active duty.

For those living away from Togus, there have been agreements made for them to be treated closer to home. In some cases, this is not possible because there isn’t a doctor in their area who practices in a specialized field. They, then, have to find treatment elsewhere, and this probably means a trip to Togus.

According to the Togus public information officer, Jim Doherty, the VA currently treats 42,500 veterans in Maine. They have eight full time outpatient community clinics, and three part-time community access clinics.

Maine veterans have the best of the best taking care of their needs. I know, I am a service-connected veteran myself.

With that in mind, thanks to the two Garys – Gary Burns and Gary Kennedy – who spend their time helping Maine veterans as veterans’ advocates. They do a great job mediating cases between the veteran and the VA system. We can’t thank you guys enough.

Celebrating 30 years of private practice in physical therapy

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Suzanne and Ray Bouchard

After helping hundreds of people live pain-free lives in Germany, France, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Maine, Susanne Bouchard, PT, LMT established Bouchard Physical Therapy Services that opened its doors for business in 1989 first at the building of Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Robert Hottentot and in 1990 Augusta (Stone Street) in a rental facility.

Susanne Bouchard, PT, LMT, CEO, Physical Therapist, Founder and President of the Business, is a licensed Physical Therapist since 1971, and since 1984 in Maine; is a licensed Massage Therapist since 1971, and licensed in Maine since 1994; is a licensed Balneo- and Medicinal Bathmaster since 1971.

With over 49 years experience now, she originated her physical therapy studies in Germany, and in 1977 moved to the United States with her husband, a native Mainer.

Susanne remembers: “Back then, when people asked me what I did for work and I said Physical Therapy, they had no idea what it was. It wasn’t even in the yellow pages in Maine. At that time physical therapy was mostly located in hospitals.”

Since there were almost no private physical therapy practices in the area, Mrs. Bouchard saw the need and the opportunity: “I wanted to be able to give my patients the highest quality of care, as well as utilize specific physical therapy methods developed in Germany.”

Gaining unique skills and expertise from that country and combining it with the American way of treatment approach, she has been able to provide high quality physical therapy techniques that have brought about lasting treatment results.

Being trained in Cranio-sacral Therapy, Neuromuscular Therapy, Muscle Energy, Strain-Counterstrain, Connective Tissue Massage, and Swedish Massage has made the hands-on therapy invaluable. “It’s extremely rewarding when a patient tells you of being completely free from pain as a result of the therapy sessions.”

In 1990 Dr. Robert Hottentot, orthopedic surgeon, who was on the Board of the Waterville Boys and Girls Club, was instrumental in heating up the water temperatures of their swimming pool to 92° F, so it could be used for therapeutic purposes. Since water therapy (aquatics) plays a vital role in rehabilitation in Europe, Susanne Bouchard, during her physical therapy schooling was trained in aquatic physical therapy, and had learned the healing values of warm water therapy. Coming to the state of Maine she discovered that there were almost no warm water pools available to the community.

For a total of 20 years Mrs. Bouchard and staff carried out aquatic physical therapy treatments with the patients. From 1991 to 2001 at the old Boys and Girls Club pool in Waterville, and at the new facility, the Alfond Youth Center in 2001, aquatic physical therapy continued in the small pool being at the temperature of 92° F, until 2011.

As both clinics were growing, and word of mouth spread the news that we helped eliminate chronic pain (together with her staff excellent one-on hands-on care for one hour personalized treatment sessions were offered), they had to look for more space.

In 1993 the Augusta Physical Therapy clinic moved into the radio station building at 160 Riverside Drive, in Augusta, until the new facility there was built.

In August 2002, the Waterville Physical Therapy clinic moved into their new facility at 149 Silver Street, Waterville, which gave everyone a lot more space and a gym area. That is where they are located today.

In Augusta, over a period of 14 years the business grew from a little office to a full fledged larger physical therapy clinic, and health and fitness facility. Everyone was happy to move into the brand new building in October 2003, after the clinic had spent 9 years in the little radio station building next door. The new physical therapy facility is located behind the radio station, down the hill. The mailing address continues to be 160 Riverside Drive, Augusta.

In 2003 Bouchard Physical Therapy changed ownership and was donated to Light of Life Ministries, Inc, a not-for profit 501 (c)(3) organization. The name change took place which since then provides services to the community: Advanced Health Physical Therapy and Fitness, a division of Light of Life Ministries, Inc. Susanne Bouchard remains the executive director and manager of both facilities.

“During the past few years, the competition has been tougher as there are more therapy clinics in the area, says Mrs. Bouchard.” Advanced Health Physical Therapy has been able to continue to make a positive impact through service to the community by upholding a reputation for providing outstanding patient-oriented care. Word of mouth has been our best advertisement.”
Mrs. Bouchard also credits the company’s ability to stay competitive through the commitment to excellence of her high quality, experienced therapy staff.

She thanks local physician providers, Maine and beyond, who have entrusted their patients to Advanced Health Physical Therapy. “What makes this physical therapy practice so unique is that each patient receives hands-on care from a very good, long-standing staff knowledgeable in the specific soft tissue approach dealing with chronic pain, and most other types of pain”.

At Advanced Health Physical Therapy and Fitness, the physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are licensed in the state of Maine, are Medicare certified and are credentialed with most major insurance companies. With the passage of Direct Access in 1991 in Maine, a prospective patient/client can be seen by our physical therapists directly (self refer) on a cash basis.

Mrs. Bouchard reports that frequently the physical therapy programs are being updated and the professional staff (doctors of physical therapy and physical therapist assistants) attend major continuing education seminars and other skilled training seminars to keep up with the latest developments in physical therapy and rehabilitation wellness.

WHAT DOES A BEGINNING TREATMENT LOOK LIKE:

“At the start of your treatment sessions with Advanced Health Physical Therapy you will discover that we are a very unique PT practice. We first thoroughly evaluate, investigate and assess each patient, which takes about one hour. Then we design a specific treatment program that addresses the immediate physical issues and those that are prescribed by referring physician.

“We provide individualized hands-on physical therapy including deep massage, myofascial release, Muscle Energy Techniques, Cranio-sacral and Neuro-muscular Therapy, Strain/Counterstrain and other Soft tissue Release Techniques for pain relief, besides Stretching/ Strengthening Exercises, Mobility/Flexibility exercises, Balance and Posture training, Gait training, Functional Movement training. We also offer moist heat, Ultrasound, Electrical Stimulation, Ice packs and Ice massage, instruct in Contrast bath and many other modalities and procedures as indicated,” says Mrs. Bouchard.

With over 30 years in providing quality physical therapy they have established themselves in this community and the Kennebec Valley having served thousands of satisfied patients.

Their continued research proves a high success rate: 95 percent of patients get well, learn and stay well. When a patient graduates from physical therapy, the patient receives a coupon to use the fitness club/ wellness center for one month free, to easily facilitate the continuation of their wellness and fitness to stay healthy and pain free.

Mrs. Bouchard believes that physical therapy should be easily accessible. That is why they offer convenient patient parking, short wait times, one-on-one treatment rooms, early morning, lunch time and evening appointments.
For the patient’s benefit the clinics accept and file most insurance plans, and make payment plans available. They also accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

OUR MISSION:

Seeing our physically disadvantaged and injured clients restored to health in a comfortable, caring and personalized atmosphere, where skilled Physical Therapy is delivered through trusted, credible and capable hands.

Advanced Health Physical Therapy (formerly Bouchard Physical Therapy Services of Augusta) was founded out of a need to provide dedicated and skillful physical therapy services:

  • With excellent rehabilitation programs through professional and caring staff in appropriate state-of-the-art facilities
  • Improvement is facilitated through training, teaching, healing techniques and well-being education in an encouraging, personal and supportive environment

During the past 30 years we have successfully carried out our vision of a physical therapy clinic that is patient centered, one on one hands on, staffed by experienced and caring professionals.

To achieve our vision we have:

  • Developed precise rehabilitation treatment programs that are focused on treating the whole person. As physical therapists we establish functional goals that we communicate to the patient and work with the patient to achieve these goals
  • Provided our patients with great service and successful rehabilitation programs. We receive referrals from over 140 different medical doctors from Maine and beyond, and patients/clients that self refer, as we have direct access in the State of Maine
  • Hired and maintained an experienced, caring staff of therapists and assistants who have a combined experience of more than 80 years in outpatient physical therapy

One Project that is not finished yet is our HEALING WATERS THERAPY POOL.

In Augusta, on October 17, 2019, we have the open house from 3 to 6 p.m., at which time we give tours to view the Therapy Pool and the Clinic Facility.

Susanne M. Bouchard, PT, LMT, CEO, Founder, Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, 1971, Physical Therapy School at University of Tuebingen, Germany, has practiced in Germany, France, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma and for the past 26 years in Maine. She is a 1971 Licensed Massage Therapist, 1971 Licensed Balneo and Medicinal Bathmaster.

She oversees and works at both clinics in Waterville and Augusta.

We establish a treatment plan to relieve your pain and regain your function, educating you to prevent further injury and enjoy a pain free lifestyle.

Mrs. Bouchard concludes: “With all that said and done, we believe that we have made an impact into this community during these past 30 years, as we have touched many thousands of lives, who remember us.

The Biblical motto: “laying hands on the sick and they shall recover” has been our motto since the start of our physical therapy clinics. Tens of thousands of patients, clients, and customers have again and again affirmed to us that we truly perform: “hands on personal care”.

So we celebrate 30 years of physical therapy care during this coming year and say.

Thank you to our community.