Tag Archive for: veteran spotlight

Portrait photo of young woman dressed in Air Force uniform

Meet Freda Routt, U.S. Air Force Veteran

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For Veterans Day this November, JKV honors all 170+ retired military residents.  Here is one Veteran resident’s story and why she loves where she lives.  

 

Freda grew up in a Navy family that moved frequently before finally settling in Virginia Beach, where her father retired from military service. After attending college and changing majors a couple of times, she decided to join the military. Although her dad was a Navy veteran, he encouraged Freda and her brother to join the Air Force. She joined the Air Force in September 1975 and served for four years until August 1979.

Freda went to Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and technical school at Lowry AFB in Aurora, Colorado, where she studied Inventory Management. Her first duty station was K.I. Sawyer AFB in Marquette, Michigan. Located on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior, it was quite a change from Virginia. She arrived there in January, when the cold and snow were quite a shock for a girl from Virginia. While there, she enjoyed many activities in the local area and earned recognition as Pride Airman of the Month and Quarter, as well as a medal for Meritorious Service.

Her next duty station was Incirlik Common Defense Installation in Incirlik, Turkey. Quite a change from Upper Michigan!  Freda enjoyed learning about the local area and culture. She even took archaeology classes given on base by the University of Maryland and went on many field trips to interesting historical and archaeological sites.

Freda earned the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-5, in less than four years of service. She decided to leave the military after her enlistment was up. However, after finishing college, she returned to government service as a civilian in the field of Inventory Management and Logistics, first with the Navy and then with the Coast Guard. Her time in the Air Force led her to a great career and retirement.

U.S. Air Force female soldier in uniform accepting an award from a uniformed superior

Freda Routt, U.S. Air Force

 

Freda moved to John Knox Village with her wife, Scooter – also a retired veteran, in November 2024 from the Fort Myers area. They were searching for an inclusive community, and were drawn to JKV for the warm, welcoming culture and sense of community.  Along with Scooter, Freda enjoys the extensive life enriching activities offered at JKV, especially the local field trips and the opportunity to sing in JKV’s chorus. Her favorite thing about JKV is the people here and meeting so many new friends.

We are honored that Freda and her wife Scooter have chosen to make John Knox Village in Pompano Beach their home.

 

John Knox Village (JKV)

For almost 60 years, JKV has set the bar when it comes to delivering an all-inclusive resort lifestyle designed for living life to the fullest at each stage of retirement. JKV emphasizes fitness and overall well-being with world-class programming, state-of-the-art amenities, healthy and delicious dining, and much more. Residents are entitled to unlimited use of healthcare services and 24/7 healthcare professionals on campus. There are no time or financial limits on the long-term care benefits that residents receive, regardless of the level of care required. Simply put, a life plan agreement at JKV provides a fiscal safety net with an unparalleled community geared to a wide range of needs, whatever the road ahead brings.

Want to learn more about what John Knox Village has to offer? Contact us today or call (954) 783-4040 to take a tour, or for a no-pressure conversation with one of our Life Plan Consultants.

 

Old photo of a soldier dressed in uniform

Meet Bob Atkins, Retired U.S. Army Aviation Corps Specialist, 5th Class

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For Veterans Day this November, JKV honors all 170+ retired military residents.  Here is one Veteran resident’s story and why he loves where he lives.  

For the past two years, Bob Atkins and his wife Karen have made JKV their home. Since first arriving, Bob has been sought out to share his story with the community because he saved many lives in Vietnam.

Bob knew he was headed to Vietnam, so he joined the Army Aviation Corps. “I decided I’d rather fly over the jungle rather than walk through it,” he said. Bob attended helicopter training school in Alabama and was assigned as the crew chief on a rescue-and-recovery helicopter in Vietnam during 1967-68.

“We had just one mission,” Bob said, “to rescue the crew if a U.S. helicopter went down. We would sit on the outskirts of the combat zones. If a U.S. helicopter went down, we went in immediately to rescue the crew. Sometimes we got air support, and sometimes we didn’t. We’d go in anyway because there were lives on the line.”

As crew chief, Bob was responsible for all maintenance to be able to keep his helicopter in the air at all times. It wasn’t unusual for him to return to base in a helicopter with bullet holes through the tail boom or even a rotor blade. Ignoring Army protocols, Bob would use heavy duct tape to patch the holes and secure the rotors. “We were never down for more than one day,” he said. In addition to his maintenance responsibilities, Bob also manned one of the two machine guns on board from his open-door seat on the helicopter.

 

 

Vietnam U.S. soldier sitting in the open doorway of a grounded Army helicopter

U.S. Army Aviation Corps Specialist Bob Atkins in Vietnam

 

Even after such dedicated service, Bob’s return home was a nightmare. When his plane landed in California, the soldiers on board were told to change into civilian clothes and not wear their uniforms off the plane so they wouldn’t be recognized. It didn’t work. “People could tell we were soldiers because we were still wearing our combat boots. We had rocks thrown at us. People spit at us; they called us names. It was terrible and completely unexpected,” he said.

Bob’s life post-service was fulfilling, as he and his wife Karen raised a son as he made a successful career as in manufacturing until he retired.

Two things helped Bob eventually embrace being a Vietnam veteran. First, as a vet, he used the G.I. Bill to fund his college education and embark on a successful, rewarding career. Second, he has been involved in the “Honor Flight” for the past 10 years. The Honor Flight is a free, all-expense-paid trip that transports U.S. military veterans to Washington, DC, giving them a chance to visit memorials built in their honor. “It’s very rewarding to me because I get to meet a lot of veterans and be with them all day,” Bob said. “It’s a lot of fun and at the same time very meaningful for all of the volunteers as well as the veterans.”

Bob says about living at JKV, “Karen and I were looking for a place that provided long-term healthcare, and what we found at JKV is the perfect solution. We were very impressed with all the information, tours, and videos, but it really wasn’t until we actually moved in that we discovered the activities, amenities, and benefits. The social interaction is truly amazing, and the activities planned by our Life Enrichment department are outstanding in every way. There are so many wonderful activities that we can’t do them all… but we try! There are so many advantages to living here…the Aquatic Complex, the Fitness Center, the many libraries, the entertainment activities, the RAS, and the wood shop. And we feel safe living here – we definitely feel we live in a secure community.”

We are honored that Bob and his wife Karen have chosen to make John Knox Village in Pompano Beach their home. 

 

U.S. Army soldier standing beside an Army helicopter on the tarmac

U.S. Army Aviation Corps Specialist, Bob Atkins

 

John Knox Village (JKV)

For almost 60 years, JKV has set the bar when it comes to delivering an all-inclusive resort lifestyle designed for living life to the fullest at each stage of retirement. JKV emphasizes fitness and overall well-being with world-class programming, state-of-the-art amenities, healthy and delicious dining, and much more. Residents are entitled to unlimited use of healthcare services and 24/7 healthcare professionals on campus. There are no time or financial limits on the long-term care benefits that residents receive, regardless of the level of care required. Simply put, a life plan agreement at JKV provides a fiscal safety net with an unparalleled community geared to a wide range of needs, whatever the road ahead brings.

Want to learn more about what John Knox Village has to offer? Contact us today or call (954) 783-4040 to take a tour, or for a no-pressure conversation with one of our Life Plan Consultants.

 

Military headshot of a young woman in uniform with an aqua blue background outside the photo

Meet Terry “Scooter” Hayes, Retired U.S. Army

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For Veterans Day this November, JKV honors all 170+ retired military residents.  Here is one Veteran resident’s story and why she loves where she lives.  

After graduating from high school in 1976, Terry Hayes attended The Art Institute of Atlanta. After completing one year, she realized her family’s financial situation would not allow her to continue attending college, with two sisters also attending college.  So, she enrolled in the U.S. Army’s delayed enlistment program, following in her father’s footsteps.

Terry, who later adopted the nickname, “Scooter,” went to Fort McClellan, Alabama for basic training. According to Scooter, soldier women received the same training as men. But she loved the rigors of training and earned sharpshooter badges for her skills with both rifles and hand grenades.

Unfortunately, Scooter sustained a serious knee injury during basic training, which later limited her time in service.

After graduating, she went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to train as a heavy equipment operator.  There, Scooter learned to operate two-ton dump trucks, tractor-trailers, bulldozers, earth augers, scrapers, power rollers, and more.  As a petite, slightly-built woman, this was no easy feat, and her colleagues would notice and remark on it.  She was then sent to the Presidio of San Francisco to join the 51st Engineer Detachment.  She loved the Army and enjoyed the hard daily work.  However, her knee injury continued to plague her, so the time came that Scooter was no longer able to continue in service.

Years later, doctors determined that a progressive brain disease had begun during her military service.  Scooter became paraplegic in 2017.  Today, she belongs to Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).  She became an expert in fencing, competed in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and participated in veterans’ downhill sit-skiing and adaptive waterskiing camps.  Her story is truly inspirational.  Read more about it here.

Scooter and Freda, her wife of 28 years, moved to JKV in 2024.  They love all the art classes, trips, and activities.  JKV is a perfect fit for this active and fun-loving couple. They say they just wish they had moved here earlier!

We are honored that Scooter and Freda, also a retired veteran, have chosen to make John Knox Village in Pompano Beach their home. 

 

John Knox Village (JKV)

For almost 60 years, JKV has set the bar when it comes to delivering an all-inclusive resort lifestyle designed for living life to the fullest at each stage of retirement. JKV emphasizes fitness and overall well-being with world-class programming, state-of-the-art amenities, healthy and delicious dining, and much more. Residents are entitled to unlimited use of healthcare services and 24/7 healthcare professionals on campus. There are no time or financial limits on the long-term care benefits that residents receive, regardless of the level of care required. Simply put, a life plan agreement at JKV provides a fiscal safety net with an unparalleled community geared to a wide range of needs, whatever the road ahead brings.

Want to learn more about what John Knox Village has to offer? Contact us today or call (954) 783-4040 to take a tour, or for a no-pressure conversation with one of our Life Plan Consultants.

 

Portrait of Army colonel in uniform sitting before an American flag

Meet Bill Sullivan, Retired U.S. Army Colonel

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For Veterans Day this November, JKV honors all 170+ retired military residents.  Here is one Veteran resident’s story and why he loves where he lives.  

Bill Sullivan was drafted in 1969 and reported for induction at the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station (AFEES) in Jacksonville, Florida, just as Neil Armstrong took humanity’s first steps on the moon. He began basic training as a Private E-1 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and nine weeks later received his commission as a Reserve Army Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC).

Bill continued his training with a two-week officer orientation course at Fort Lee, Virginia, followed by the two-month JAG Basic Course at the University of Virginia. After graduating on Christmas 1969, he received orders to report to Fort Riley, Kansas, in January 1970.

At Fort Riley, Bill worked for a colonel he greatly respected. When the colonel was reassigned to Army Headquarters in Okinawa, then a U.S. protectorate, Bill requested a transfer to join the colonel there. His request was granted a few months later. Bill and his wife, Judy, welcomed their first child at Fort Riley. When Judy joined him in Okinawa, she was pregnant with their second daughter, who was born a month later.

One of Bill’s most memorable assignments was serving on the Army Homecoming Team during Operation Homecoming at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, from January through April 1973. With hostilities in Vietnam ending, American prisoners of war were being repatriated. Many arrived at Clark for debriefing before continuing to Germany and then the United States.

The Army assembled a team of doctors, social workers, chaplains, attorneys, and finance officers to help the returning servicemen address their questions and concerns. Bill vividly remembers standing on the tarmac as Air Force transports landed and the men descended the boarding ramps. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” he recalls.

Years later, he witnessed a similar emotional homecoming while standing on the tarmac at Hunter Army Airfield in South Carolina, as troops returned after the first Gulf War.

Okinawa was Bill’s final active-duty assignment. After leaving active duty in 1974, he and Judy moved to Lighthouse Point, Florida, with their two young daughters. Both were South Florida natives — Bill from Miami and Judy from Coral Gables — and were eager to return home. That same year, Bill began practicing law with his fraternity brother, Peter Portley. Their professional partnership continued until both retired in 2020.

Bill served on active duty from 1969 to 1974 and wisely remained in the Active Reserve, ultimately retiring as a colonel in 1997.

Reflecting on his military service, Bill says, “I always smile when someone thanks me for my service because I truly feel that I got more than I gave. Judy and I loved the culture of the military community. We made so many great friends and shared so many wonderful experiences. There is a camaraderie in military service that is hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. We both loved it and will always cherish the memories.”

Today, Bill feels right at home at John Knox Village (JKV), surrounded by fellow veterans and heroes. He and Judy will celebrate their third anniversary as JKV residents this February. He explains:

“JKV embodies the spirit and charm of the close-knit small town we came to love during our 50 years in Lighthouse Point, along with the inclusive, caring, and giving culture we experienced and cherished in military life. We both agree that moving to JKV was one of the best decisions we’ve made in our 59-year partnership.”

 

John Knox Village (JKV)

For almost 60 years, JKV has set the bar when it comes to delivering an all-inclusive resort lifestyle designed for living life to the fullest at each stage of retirement. JKV emphasizes fitness and overall well-being with world-class programming, state-of-the-art amenities, healthy and delicious dining, and much more. Residents are entitled to unlimited use of healthcare services and 24/7 healthcare professionals on campus. There are no time or financial limits on the long-term care benefits that residents receive, regardless of the level of care required. Simply put, a life plan agreement at JKV provides a fiscal safety net with an unparalleled community geared to a wide range of needs, whatever the road ahead brings.

Want to learn more about what John Knox Village has to offer? Contact us today or call (954) 783-4040 to take a tour, or for a no-pressure conversation with one of our Life Plan Consultants.