Flight hero Yeager honored on visit
RICHLAND TWP — Veterans, politicians and residents packed St. Barnabas Nursing Home on Thursday morning to honor the man who broke the sound barrier more than 60 years ago.
Gen. Chuck Yeager was all smiles as he toured the facility and talked with residents. Yeager came to accept an annual award given by St. Barnabas Charities, the fundraising arm of St. Barnabas Health Systems.
During his visit, Yeager took an unexpected trip down memory lane.
At the facility's chapel, he met Kenneth Keisco, 87, a former classmate at Luke Field in Arizona, where Yeager received his pilot wings and appointment as a flight officer.
It was a special occasion, Yeager said, because he never had the chance to reunite with any classmates after World War II. Keisco became the first classmate with whom Yeager had reconnected since he graduated in 1943.
"This brings back lots of memories about the good times," Keisco said. "This is just great, quite an honor."
The occasion certainly was an honor for William Day, president and CEO of St. Barnabas Health System, who has seen scores of luminaries pass through the corridors during his 42-years at St. Barnabas.
He's hosted dignitaries such as former President Gerald R. Ford, former First Lady Barbara Bush and actress Debbie Reynolds. The list grows each year, Day said, but nothing yet quite has compared to the legacy of Chuck Yeager.
"It's really an incredible thrill, he's been a hero for a long time," Day said. "There've been a lot of other great people to come here, but it's just an honor and privilege to be with him here today."
Day greeted Yeager and his wife, Victoria, as they arrived on the Richland Township campus.
Yeager also was welcomed by Manda Beattie, a 96-year-old resident who served as an Army nurse in Paris during World War II, and William Cully, an 84-year-old resident who flew B-17 bombers in Europe during the war.From there, Yeager proceeded inside to a lobby packed with excited residents, some holding signs that read "You're Supersonic" and "Welcome to Our Home.""You may admire me, but I admire you more," Yeager told the veterans in the crowd.Residents also presented Yeager with a flight jacket with hand-sewn patches.Among those in attendance Thursday was state Sen. Jane Orie, R-40th, who presented him with an honorary Senate citation.Yeager then spoke briefly to crowd before touring the rest of the facility. He thanked the crowd for such a warm welcome to Western Pennsylvania."I'm really impressed with the facility here, and after meeting all of the people here, I know why it's such a special place," he said.The celebration continued Thursday night with a dinner ceremony in downtown Pittsburgh, where Yeager was presented the 2009 Hance Award as part of St. Barnabas' Founder's Day Celebration.The annual award is given to influential and prominent leaders who make a difference in their community and who disperse goodwill. It is named after St. Barnabas founder Gouverneur P. Hance and has been given since 1980.Past recipients of the Hance Award include former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the late actor Charlton Heston and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.St. Barnabas Charities raised more than $4.3 million last year.
