This is an after-action report from Bruce Higdon of the Southeastern Chapter's visit to the Asheville VA Hospital.
From: Bruce Higdon
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 7:10 AM
To: Bacon (E-mail)|Subject: VA After Action ReportJeff,
We had a great time at the Asheville, VA. It was a snowy weekend, with a lot of warmth among the vets.
Mike Mikula, David Barbour, Jimmy "Doodle" Lyle and his wife, Karin, Jack Cassady, my son, B.J., and I spent the morning and afternoon with he patients and staff.
Jack gave his "Lexicon of Comicana" presentation and told the group how we do our work, in a comic way. Following that, we got the vets involved by playing "Stump the Cartoonist." The audience called out different situations for us to present in a cartoon. That was tough, at times.
We broke for lunch and returned to visit the bedsides in the active ward. Most of the visits were touching and very well received. We talked about their service and thanked them for their service by leaving a caricature or drawing with "Thanks for your service to our country" and a signature.
The Volunteer Coordinator, Tom DeFrange (Thomas.DeFrange@va.gov), was our escort and guide. He was well pleased with the visit and asked us to come back. The local Asheville cartoonists agreed and will set up another visit in the summer.
I have attached some photos that have been cleared by the VA.
We move on to Augusta on the 15th of April.
Bruce
Bruce Higdon
Artist/Illustrator
A big smile
Bruce Stand-up
The gang
Jack with BAR rifleman
Mike Bush
Mike and Rudy
Stump The Cartoonist
