PRESS RELEASE: Northern Westchester Hospital Nurses Honor Colleague with $1,015 Donation To Salute Purple Heart Recipients
Registered Nurse, Veterans Advocate Edie Meeks Served in Vietnam with the Army Nursing Corps from July 1968 – July 1969
Nurses, doctors and staff from Northern Westchester Hospital present Edie Meeks with a check for $1,015 to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission in her honor. (Photo Courtesy of Northern Westchester Hospital)
(MT KISCO, NY) – On Giving Tuesday, nurses at Northern Westchester Hospital gathered for a special, surprise ceremony to honor one of their own. Edie Meeks, who is a Registered Nurse working in Northern Westchester’s Operating Room, was a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in Saigon and Pleiku, Vietnam, from July 1968 to July 1969, where she treated countless American service members, many of whom had suffered life-altering injuries.
To thank Meeks for her service, the nurses at Northern Westchester Hospital donated $1,015 to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, a cause whose focus on telling the stories of America’s combat-wounded and those killed-inaction is close to the heart of the former Army nurse.
“We admire Edie for her service to our country and community. It seemed only natural to honor her legacy of generosity with a donation to the organization she works so tirelessly to support,” said Caryn Fischer, the OR Charge Nurse who organized the fundraising drive.
“The OR staff at Northern Westchester Hospital are a unique and kind group of people. I’m so grateful to work with such giving and caring people,” said National Purple Heart Honor Mission Board Secretary Edie Meeks.
Meeks was inspired to join the Army Nursing Corps after seeing the war’s impact on her brothers, and that passion for caring for our nation’s heroes has continued to drive Meeks’ advocacy work, including her work with the Women’s War Memorial and her service as Board Secretary for the National Purple Heart Honor Mission.
“Edie is truly an inspiration. Her passion, energy and focus on caring for others is boundless and it’s rooted in her experiences as a front line combat nurse during the Vietnam War,” said National Purple Heart Honor Mission Board Chairman Richie Lay, himself a Purple Heart recipient who served in Vietnam. “We are tremendously grateful for the nurses at Northern Westchester Hospital for their generosity. Our Purple Heart heroes, especially those from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, are leaving us every day and it is mission critical that we preserve their stories of valor for future generations.”
Originally from Minnesota, Meeks’ brother was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps during Vietnam. Seeing first-hand the war’s impact on him and others his age left Meeks with an urge to do more for the young American men serving their country. After serving in-country for a year, Meeks had become frustrated with what she saw was the disregard for the lives of the young men in her care. She returned home and, while she didn’t know it at the time, suffered from PTSD. She credits her involvement with the Women’s War Memorial during the mid-1990s as being a pivotal moment in her coming to terms with the horrors of war, and her personal journey toward recovery.
Earlier this year, during the National Purple Heart Honor Mission’s 2021 Patriot Project mission, Meeks shared her story of service, recovery, and perseverance with Purple Heart recipients from across the nation in what was one of the event’s most moving evenings. Beyond her work with the Honor Mission, Meeks continues to be involved in veteran’s advocacy, having recently been featured in PBS’s TV Series and podcast, "American Veteran.”
Those wishing to learn more about the National Purple Heart Honor Mission and donate to support the cause can do so by visiting www.PurpleHeartMission.org.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HONOR MISSION
The National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports a variety of programs to promote the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, pay tribute to our Purple Heart recipients, and educate all Americans about our combat-wounded veterans to ensure those who sacrificed for freedom are never forgotten. Learn more and support their efforts at www.PurpleHeartMission.org.
ABOUT NORTHERN WESTCHESTER HOSPTIAL
Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a member of Northwell Health, provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 700 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment. NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high-quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit www.nwh.northwell.edu and connect with us on Facebook.