Rest in Peace

Richard Galeano died yesterday. He may not be widely known, but to us fighting the battle to save our VA in Hot Springs, he was an inspiration. He showed up early on in the struggle, bravely spoke up in front of friends and foes, and, once again, fought another battle as the faithful soldier he remained all his life.

Richard was among the six veterans that I interviewed for Reveille in Hot Springs: The Battle to Save our VA who have all fought their last battle and are now at peace. I will attend yet another funeral for another veteran who will always remain in my heart, and his testimony in the book will outlast me to enlighten others long into the future.

During his interview he shared his pride in his family's strong military heritage. He and two of his brothers were both in the Air Force during the sixties. Two of his sons served in the U.S. Marine Corps and his third son is in the U.S. Army and received a Bronze Star three times for his service in Iraq.

As his health deteriorated Richard would still appear at all of the meetings for Save our VA that he could possibly attend, accompanied by his oxygen tank. I would look for his wave of acknowledgment when he spotted me in the crowd.

What I will remember best about Richard was his attention to the needs of the Native Americans who used our VA, and his part in establishing the first sweat lodge at our VA to assist these Natives in their recovery.

Toward the end of his life Richard would still conduct some of the sweats at the VA when no one else was available. He had his own sweat lodge at his home in the country where he would welcome all who joined him in prayer.

The following is the last paragraph from his chapter in Reveille in Hot Springs:

You don't have to be a Native American to go through a sweat lodge ceremony. No matter what color, all participants are brother veterans. The Hot Springs VA has shown its uniqueness for all veterans by being the first VA facility to provide a sweat lodge, which helps in the healing of many veterans. The Inipi is located in a peaceful, secluded corner of the VA. Every Friday the smoke can be seen rising from the steam of the heated rocks, carrying the prayers and songs of veterans, with hope and possibilities for renewal and recovery.

Whenever I see smoke I will remember this veteran who recognized the importance of the sweat lodge in the healing of veterans. Long may the smoke rise at our VA!