WOMEN’S HISTORY the U.S. Army has witnessed a included work in public health, lot during her life. labor and delivery, and home MONTH MADE When Mary E. Walton, R.N., health care. looks back, she considers her Walton’s first experience with EXTRA SPECIAL FOR life as one lived with purpose. “I the Department of Veterans A WOMAN WHO believe being a nurse is exactly Affairs was in the late ‘50s when what God intended for my life,” she came seeking a job; but MADE HISTORY she said. “I love serving and blacks weren’t allowed at that hope when people mention my time. She returned to VA in name, they recall my service and 1978 as a caregiver when she dedication.” accompanied her husband (now Walton expressed an interest deceased), also a World War in health care from early child- II Veteran. She became a VA hood and recalls administering patient herself a little more than first aid to family and friends 30 years ago. and helping doctors to deliver When she was more recently babies in black people’s homes. admitted to the Dallas VA Medical “I didn’t know what a midwife Center, she made quite an was back then,” she said with a impression with her personable giggle, “but I guess that’s what I demeanor and openly sharing her was doing.” journey from a young neighbor- The Dallas native worked hood nurse to a highly skilled, as a candy striper at the city’s educated professional. Baylor Hospital, and it was there Pete Dancy, associate that she met a white nurse who director of VA North Texas she recalls “took her under her Health Care System, asked wing.” The nurse helped Walton retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Tom to enroll at Brewster Methodist L. Daniels if he would honor Hospital-School of Nursing in Walton with a visit. Daniels, a Jacksonville, Fla., which at the Vietnam Veteran, was recently time, was affiliated with Florida appointed as a member of the A & M University (FAMU) and Secretary’s Advisory Committee was also one of the few schools in for Minority Veterans. the country On March 19, he made a available to black nurses. surprise visit to Dallas VA After graduating from Medical Center to see Walton Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Tom L. Daniels Brewster and FAMU, Walton and declared her to be “General visits WWII Veteran Mary E. Walton at the continued her studies at Howard for a Day.” Dallas VA Medical Center in March. The So how does an award- highly decorated Vietnam Veteran and University in Washington, D.C., current member of the Secretary’s Ad- and in 1944, she joined the winning nurse, who practiced visory Committee for Minority Veterans, for more than 70 years, rate VA declared Walton to be a “General for a Army as a first lieutenant. Day” during his surprise visit. Following her return from health care? World War II, Walton took on “It’s as perfect as perfect By Erika Neroes her first assignment with the can be,” Walton said. “The only A 93-year-old World War II city of Dallas at Parkland Hospi- problem I have is I sometimes Veteran and possibly the first tal – becoming its second black get cold, but I understand they black nurse from Dallas to join nurse. Her career eventually can’t heat up the whole building just for me.” VA_Vanguard FINAL (MAY 10).indd 2 5/10/2013 1:58:26 PM Inside VA NGUARD Features 2 Women’s History Month Made Special VA’s Employee Magazine 4 Veterans Gets Help From VA To Rebuild His Future Spring 2013 6 Million Hearts Campaign To Fight Heart Disease Editor/Senior Writer: Gary Hicks 8 COVER: Veterans Compete At Nordic Skiing World Cup StaffWriter: Jennifer Sardam 10 Former VA Deputy Administrator At Asheville VAMC 12 Joining Forces At Durham VA Photo Editor: Robert Turtil 14 Sen. Daniel K. Inouye Laid To Rest Published by the Office of 16 Veteran Rocks With Georgia Overdrive Public Affairs (80D) 18 Veteran HR Specialist Erick Walton U.S. Department 19 of Veterans Affairs Helping Hands: VA Tennessee Valley Health System 810 Vermont Ave., N.W. 27 Formerly Homeless Veterans Get Housing Assistance Washington, D.C. 20420 28 Music Therapy Helps Soothe PTSD Symptoms (202) 461-7427 30 Veterans With TBI Aided With Acupuncture E-mail: [email protected] www.va.gov/opa/publications/ 31 Fitzgerald And Puppies Behind Bars vanguard.asp 32 Blind VA Doctor Sees Patients Differently 33 DMA Marks Two Years Of Improvement 34 Revolutionizing Long-Term Patient Care 36 Celebrating 90 Years Of Service 38 VA Warriors To Workforce Program Departments COVER PHOTO: Army Veteran Jeremy Wag- 20-23 Around HQ ner prepares for his race at the Interna- tional Paralympic Committee Nordic Skiing World Cup in Cable, Wis. Wagner was one 24-25 Medical Advances of eight Veterans on the 11-man U.S. team at the event in January. (Photo by James 26 Introducing Netz) Page 29 VA_Vanguard FINAL (MAY 10).indd 3 5/10/2013 1:58:29 PM Army Veteran Shane Nuttle shares a light moment with VA Speech and Language Pathologist Natalie Hartgrave while receiv- ing speech therapy. Photo by Christopher Beshears the injury,” he said. “From what I’ve been told by other people in my platoon, (the IEDs) were completely unexpected and there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it.” Diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury that affected his speech, vision, balance, coordination and cognitive thinking, he had problems with his attention span, learning and decision- making. His injuries were so extensive that doctors said he would have to undergo intensive rehabilitation just to live independently. In March, Nuttle was admitted to the VA Polytrauma VETEran GETS HELP from Rehabilitation Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, one of five PRCs around the VA TO REBUILD HIS FUTURE nation. He underwent compre- hensive inpatient treatment and had to re-learn how to do basic By Nathan Schaeffer Balad when a roadside bomb things such as eating, walking Shane Nuttle’s Army career detonated near his Humvee. and talking. got off to a great start after The Pawnee, Okla., native “Basically, I had to change he earned his “Jump Wings” in suffered a ruptured spleen, every aspect of the way I lived 2004 with a vision of a 20-year broken jaw and several broken my life before the IED,” said Army career ahead of him. bones in his face and was Nuttle. “I’ve done a lot of therapy The newly minted paratrooper unconscious as Army medics and done a lot of recovery. It was immediately assigned to treated his wounds on the pretty much affected everything 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry battlefield. He was evacuated in one way or another.” Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky., to a U.S. military hospital in Two months later, Nuttle and shortly thereafter, deployed Baghdad, then Landstuhl, was discharged from the to Forward Operating Base Germany, and finally to Walter Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Falcon, just outside Baghdad in Reed Army Medical Center and the Army allowed him to November 2005. in Washington, D.C. Nuttle return to Pawnee to live with Exactly two months after remained in a coma for two his parents for the remainder hitting the ground, Nuttle was weeks following the blast. of his enlistment. on patrol with his platoon in “I don’t remember the day of At home, he helped his Page 4 | VANGUARD | Spring 2013 VA_Vanguard FINAL (MAY 10).indd 4 5/10/2013 1:58:31 PM father raise cattle on the family possibility of going to college for Hartgrave got me back to ranch, but he had trouble the first time in his life. wanting to live a life somewhat accepting his inability to do “His goal was to spend close to what I used to live,” he the same amount of work he 20 years in the military,” said said. “The VA has done a lot.” had done prior to his injury. Hartgrave. “He never pictured Nuttle was accepted “Before, I was very hyperactive himself going to college and he into the Wounded Warrior and hardly ever slowed down,” hadn’t imagined what he’d do Project’s TRACK program in said Nuttle. “Now, I’m not on up until that point.” San Antonio and began living the go nearly as much and I’m The 29-year-old set a goal of on his own in January. not nearly as active as I was attending Texas A&M University before. A lot of that also has to do and earning a bachelor’s degree. with some depression issues.” It would not be easy, but he was “The biggest thing I’ve While at home, he received determined. seen in him is a change treatment through the Oklahoma “Brain injury recovery is City VA Medical Center and different for everyone, and in his self-esteem.” Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical the ones who make the most When he set a goal Center in Muskogee. improvement are the ones who that we helped him In 2008, he began receiving are willing to accept that ‘yes, treatment through the Muskogee something really bad happened, define, he’s just worked VA’s Polytrauma Support Clinic but it’s not going to keep me so hard at it. He’s Team (PSCT). from moving forward in life,’” been very goal-driven PSCTs are responsible for said Hartgrave. “Their attitude managing the care of Veterans plays such a big part in how they once we’ve helped who have suffered polytrauma recover and he’s definitely been him define goals.” or TBI and assists them with the role model for that.” integration back into their home Benge and Hartgrave or community.