  Liberté (Admin) (69.3.251.122 - 69.3.251.122) |
Tell the story of the VA Hospital to the world. Share your memories below. | ||
ISLD (12.241.147.5 - 12.241.147.5) |
My mom used to play the organ for the Catholic Mass in the TB ward on Sundays. If I climbed up on the roof of my house in Allen Park, I could see it, plain as day. I'm going to miss that old landmark! | ||
mpow (66.73.188.212 - 66.73.188.212) |
When I first moved to Detroit, I remember driving through Allen Park and seeing all this bland sprawl architecture, and then I ran into this beauty and I thought wow this area really cheers me up with a humanity of red brick memories that wern't even mine. | ||
johnaabowman@aol.com (205.188.208.135 - 205.188.208.135) |
figures. michigan tearing down another beautiful building... i guess no-one cares about michigan history, or its beauty.....than god we have this man taking pics and having this site...or we wouldnt know about detroit's history! | ||
aeb (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) |
I only moved here in 2001, so I do not have long ago memories of these buildings. But, ironically I had been admiring the VA building the few times I went by it on the freeway, and I was SHOCKED to see it was being dismantled when I drove by recently. It is such a beautiful building that I assumed was in use... or if not in use, I would think would be put to reuse. Both are sad to see go. I understand Detroit might eventually build a new civic center to replace COBO, I think that old, huge industrial buidlings or others should be considered for that project. Detroit should take advantage of its industrial history for developing its future. With brownfield and other cleanup funds available reuse should be easier than in the past. | ||
kenny zzzzzzzzzz (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) |
in the latter years the doctors didn't hardly speak english. took my dad who was a veteran of WWII,and who needed medicine for his cancer.we took our medical records and waited 7 hours for our 10 am appointment.then they told us he had to have their tests.the building was nice but gov. did not know how to run it.dad kept paying the $500 a month for cancer medicine til he died. | ||
Lil Joe (56.0.96.17 - 56.0.96.17) |
I had an uncle that returned from viet nam in 1970. shortly after his return he came down with some strange aliment that no doctors could cure. Needless to say he was admitted to the Va Hosp. were he spent close to 10 yrs. It was depressing for me to go and visit him. To see the many open wards, sometimes bedding 20 or 25 men. My uncle was a young man,but many of the patients were old, and was just there waiting their time out. I was glad when my uncle died. | ||
Pat (206.126.224.7 - 206.126.224.7) |
Employed by the Allen Park VAMC in 1974, I have witnessed many changes in healthcare at the VAMC and had many friends come and go through the years at that facility. Moving to a wonderful and beautiful new facility was terrific, but we seemed to be moving into a big, sterile building devoid of any memories. The character of the 'old place' is missed. As I see this old building being reduced to rubble, I almost feel that my many memories are somehow laying in those piles of concrete and bricks. The 'silver lining' is that improvements happen and new memories are made. We must continue to change with the times! | ||
jger (68.40.109.63 - 68.40.109.63) |
I suppose we could "preserve" graceful old buildings like the VA Hospital simply because they're old (and therefore in some sense historic)and beautiful (a judgment call). But why? So the few people remaining with memories of them can find comfort? So the public can come around and stare at them? And would the public do so? Preservation has to have a rationale if it's to make any sense. An old, old hospital like the VA can never be reconfigured for another use. The cost would outstrip any possible gain from potential uses, so the burden of preservation would fall on the public sector, which doesn't have a great track record in the field. The VA Hospital and the Lincoln Motors Building served their purposes. Note them, document them, respect them, salute them -- and move on. | ||
mel (205.188.208.135 - 205.188.208.135) |
My dad has worked at the V.A. for over thirty five years. The memories I have of the hospital have to do with him and his colleagues that worked so hard to help our nation's veterans. It's not the building itself that evokes memories for me, it's what it stood for. The V.A. is a tribute to the men and women who were in the service and risked their everything for all of us. When I see the old V.A. as I drive down the Southfield Fwy., it strikes up feelings of patriotism as well as admiration for the bravest of us all - our veterans. | ||
Tyrone Ellis (24.187.49.230 - 24.187.49.230) |
I used to go with my step-Grandmother who was active in the American Legion to pass out books and magazines to the patients. I was only a little kid and it was really weird. Many of the guys were completely out of their minds and laying around half naked with festering bed pans beneath them. They always asked for the dirty magazines that my step-Grandmother kept hidden in the bottom of the book cart so that I didn't see them,,,ofcourse I discovered them. I never really liked going there because it was a miserable place and smelled worse than a kennel. I still cannot beleive how sub-standard the care was for people whose lives were destroyed "defending" our country. This was back in the late 1970's, though I can't imagine the hospital improved, it probably got even worse. There were not enough nurses, it was dirty, it smelled, and it you could hear shell shocked and drug addicted ex-soldiers moaning and screaming through the walls. There was also a store run by the American Legion that had donated items for the long term/psychiatric patients to shop in. My step-Grandmother (whom I was not that fond of) used to steal cheap crap from it and give it to me for Christmas while she gave her REAL grandchildren store bought gifts that were pretty nice. She also never took any of her REAL grandchildren on those horrific tours of the hospital to give books to legless, insane, horny ex-soldiers. Sorry my memories are not fond memories, in fact I am not sorry to see that desperate place go. | ||
Fulltimemonti (24.190.108.43 - 24.190.108.43) |
My grandparents lived right across the street from the VA. I always thought it was a beautiful building. I remeber knowing I was almsot to grandmas when I saw the building. Very sad about tearing it down! | ||
detroiter (12.245.253.143 - 12.245.253.143) |
My Grandfather passed away there. I did not know him but because the building still exsisted it opened the door for my father to tell us about him. The insight that these buildings had brought to me about my father and grandfather can not be taken away even with their destruction. I am sad though, maybe the door won't open quite so simply for me to open up about these stories to my children. What do they plan to build? | ||
Rob (136.1.1.101 - 136.1.1.101) |
I remember driving past this building decades ago, and my mother blessing herself in memory of all those who she knew were suffering there due to their service to their country. My wife's father passed away in that building. He had spent much of his life visiting there and bringing some hope to residents, and he brought our kids along and they helped him along in his efforts, it was good for them to see that part of life and remember it always. That is a beautiful building, and I'm glad it was there to help our veterans for so many years. | ||
deshetld (67.39.177.79 - 67.39.177.79) |
When I was in thrid grade at Lindemann elementary school in Allen Park (1982), on Valentines day our class went to the V.A. hospital to bing the Vetrans shampoo, toothpaste, shaving cream and cards( as they did for my grandfather years before in the 60's). The experience was fun and enjoyable, in that we could make these vetrans happy to have visitors. | ||
MikeBuddy (136.1.1.33 - 136.1.1.33) |
I was born in 1959. I remember from a very early age passing the hospital and seeing the houses on the grounds. My grandfather, Dr. Thomas Crane, was the second hospital administrator, serving in the late 30's and early 40's. My mom and her family lived in the house on the end of the row along Outer Drive. My parents fell in love and their weddding reception was in that house. I went to the decommissioning ceremony last November, took several pictures, and said good-bye to an icon that I've known all my life. It's too bad that they couldn't find a use for the hospital but the Ford family donated the land that the hospital stood upon and now the government has given the land back to them. | ||
dtom118 (150.198.138.127 - 150.198.138.127) |
In the early 50's, my uncle, a WWII vet, spent some time at the VA, and we would visit him on Sunday afternoon, driving all the way to the Hospital from the east side of Detroit. I remember we had a '49 Plymouth, and, because we were little kids, had to stay in the car because of the conditions in the hospital. They were building new "ranch style" homes in the area, one of which was a builder's showcase home priced at $16,000. Many years later, in the late 80's I finally entered the Hospital to give a presentation at a professional meeting and got to meet some of the Hospital's many employees. As others have commented, very little can be done with these buildings, which provided a vital service to our community. Let us remember, and move on. | ||
J.R. (69.14.62.249 - 69.14.62.249) |
I don't think people get upset about one building in particluar being torn down. I feel upset that in Europe and other places, buildings are restored, building that are hundreds of years old are still used and lived in today. As I drive around the Detroit area I think to myself: " If I had the money I would do something". I would buy one building and try and make it great again. The city of Detroit itself is beautiful but haunting. So many empty buildings. The architechture is grand and in some instances breathtaking on many of the old buildings. I hope people begin to see the value of restoration in and around Detroit. Detroit is a beautiful city and if everyone would get over the wounds of the past and do something to help it could be a great city like Chicago. I too was sad to see the V. A. building go, it was a beautiful building, I always looked for it on the way to the airport. | ||
OneOfThoseKids (24.211.133.63 - 24.211.133.63) |
I grew up in Dearborn Hgts, across the Southfield freeway from the VA. I have not lived in MI for many years now, but have many memories (good and bad).... I went thru some bad times as a young teenager, I don't remember how I got involved at the VA hospital pushing the patients from room to room, but I did that for a while... they gave me a free meal ticket and a lot of memories... Working at the VA, meeting and working with those people as a young volunteer changed my life forever.. The building may be gone.... But I have great memories of what helped me thru a troubling time in my life. | ||
Janet Field (68.108.186.11 - 68.108.186.11) |
My family moved to Dearborn, MI in 1949, I was 5 years old. We lived at 3315 Walnut St. and as I opened the back door of our new house I could see the giant red brick building in the distance. There were no houses on Southfield to block the view of the island down the middle of the road, where oak trees towered into the sky and shaded the road during the warm months. I didn't know the giant red building was a VA hospital, but mom walked to the front steps of the building every day she worked and the bus would pick her up. One warm summer day I watched men build a stage on the lawn and put up signs. I couldn't read, so I had no idea what the signs said. A few days later I saw crowds of people on the lawns and some of them were in wheelchairs and wore their P.J.'s outside. They looked like they were having a good time, so I snuck across the street to the party (when my sister wasn't watching me). Everyone was having a good time and a band was playing music from the new stage. The USO was having a party for the Vets. I was a little girl who was never warned about strangers, or that I should be afraid. I wasn't scared as I walked around and talked to the men in their P.J.'s. I made a lot of new friends that day and treated like a little princess, from the men in P.J.'s. They gave me candy, cake, and soda pop, (all I wanted) what a wonderful day I had. I was invited to return any time I could, now that they knew I lived across the street. I returned may times over the years we lived there. I spent so much time at the V.A. Hospital visiting the patients, most of the nurses and doctors called me by name and let me inside when they weren't supposed to. Dearborn was a small town then and Orvil Hubbard was king, according to my dad. There were small victory gardens growing on our block and my grandfather had the biggest one. He grew apples, cherries, plums, peaches, pears, corn, tomatoes,and lots of big black grapes. Pa had so much growing, he didn't notice how much or how often I picked fruit and vegtables, for my friends at the hospital. I just forgot to tell my grandparents or my parents, about my friends that lived in the hospital. They all found out, one day when they couldn't find me. The girl next door tattled on me. I thought I was going to be in big trouble, but mom just went over, meet my friends at the V.A., Then mom invited any of them who could, to a picnic in our back yard. They told my mother that I brought a little joy into their lives and they brought a lot of happiness into mine, until we moved in 1955. I met young soldiers that were paralyzed from the neck down, from the waist down, some had missing parts, hands, arms, legs,and eyes. I didn't understand why some of my little friends were scared of them. I loved them all and spent a lot of time playing games with them and just talking to them. I remember for my birthday one year I was given a hand made puppet and lessons on how to control the strings that made it work. I still have a leather change purse one of them made for me. If anyone knows someone that was a patient at the hospital between 1949 and 1955, please e-mail me. I joined the Army myself when I graduated from High School. Janet Field vegasclover@yahoo.com | ||
gb (68.40.109.140 - 68.40.109.140) |
A wonderfully heart-warming story. Thanks for telling it. | ||
Stawasz (209.69.198.170 - 209.69.198.170) |
I grew up just a few miles from the historic Allen Park VA hospital. The hospital brings back fond memories of my Aunt "Annie Stawasz" who worked at the hospital for many many years - up until the late 1970s when she retired. She passed on about 14 years ago - to drive down Southfield freeway and to look at the timeless classic quality of the building(s) always inspired memories of my Aunt and my relatives of her generation. I will deeply miss this landmark. The inspirational look of the facade of this building will never be duplicated in our modern day of cheap building materials and poor quality workmanship. Thanks for the pictures. - J. Stawasz | ||
dolores carlson (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 207.74.195.249 |
my memories of v.a.hospital in allen park are not good. it has nothing to do with the building itself. it has to do with what it represents to me. my dad was severely disabled in ww2. whenever he went there we were treatedwith contempt. every time . all day waits for appointments were common. imcompetence was the norm. those unlucky enough to be patients there had the look of abandoned hopelessness. so sad to think that this is our country's thanks to those who gave their lives and future in the name of freedom.i really think that those who wax rhapsodic about the landmark never had to depend on it for themselves or their loved one's health care. (Message approved by admin) | ||
Quinn Member Username: Quinn Post Number: 73 Registered: 01-2005 |
My father went through chemotherapy and radiology there in the late 80's for bone cancer, eventually succumbing to the disease. The VA Allen Park Hospital was a horrible place. Dirty, unfriendly staff, bad equipment. I have the worst memories of hearing patients screaming in pain there. Like a nightmare. I have alot of experience with hospitals...growing up with older parents everyone was in a hospital at one time or another, so I know hospitals (in fact my friends mother worked at the va in ann arbor and I visited there a number of times. nothing like Allen Park.) I was very happy to see that place close. | ||
Catherine Gruesbeck (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 141.209.242.103 |
My grandfather lived at the VA Hospital for nine years in his old age. He was a WWI veteran who was a very funny man. He used to see the amputees on the ninth floor and put his fingers to his lips to us and say, "ssshhhh, if you're bad, they'll cut your legs off", or "sshh, FBI" (meaning the hospital staff). He'd have us laughing. When my mom would take him home for dinner, she'd fix a turkey dinner and all kinds of fixings. When she would bring my grandfather back to the hospital, the nurse would inquire, "Joe, what did your daughter fix for dinner". He'd respond, "Dead snake", just being outrageous as he was. Also, I used to work at the VA hospital as a nurse's assistant doing triage, delivering blood lab specimans, and moving patients from floor to floor during my sophomore year of college at HFCC. I remember seen a lot of veterans with Agent Orange. The veterans also had to be very patient in the waiting room. They waited hours, sometimes almost an entire day to see a doctor. The staff was very nice, however. (Message approved by admin) | ||
Jltyler Member Username: Jltyler Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2005 |
Hi all, I'm new to the forums and felt the need to respond here. My father work at the Allen Park VA from '79 untli the move to Forrest and Warren. I have few memories of the place, I always thought it looked like an asylum, and my father working in the psychiatric ward didn't help that thought much. One thing I do remember clearly as a child my father would take me to work occasionally and for lunch we'd go to the coney across the street that had footlong coney's. | ||
Detroitdecor27 Member Username: Detroitdecor27 Post Number: 29 Registered: 10-2003 |
My memories of the VA hospital take me back to grade school. My mom initaited the Valentines for Vets at my elementary school. My mother, myself, and three of my friends reported to the VA hospital on Valentines day with about 300 valentines day cards that the students made. We went room by room handing them out. It was one of the most gratifying experience for a 11 year old. The vets were so appreciative just to see young people coming to visit. They wanted to tell us all of their stories and just have some one to talk to. At first it was a little scary for a kid to see people without legs and arms and in different states of health but once you got past the physical appearance and well the smell of the hospital I really found that I enjoyed myself. Of course I was also taken back by the beauty of the building itself. It was so grand and impressive from the outside. I was devistated to know that they tore down the structure. By the time my sister was in the 6th grade the new VA hospital was built and next generation of kids were passing out valentines for vets at the new hospital... | ||
Sue Adams (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 69.47.121.89 |
I live in Lincoln Park and have had many occasions to pass the VA Hospital in Allen Park. If you drive by there now you would never believe there had been a huge Veterens Hospital there. Now its going to be a shopping center. (Message approved by admin) | ||
C. Arthur DeTar (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 216.19.20.6 |
I have many memories of that old brick building. My father started work there as a pulmonologist in 1965. He had his own wing full of big pulmonary diagnostic machines, full of vacuum tubes and ocilliscopes. The halls were dark and green in the mid sixties. Looking like an old Army hospital on the inside. The outside was much more grand looking. We lived at 18023 Oakwood Blvd. just a couple miles away. Many years later I became employed as a nurse in that old brick building. Took care of many Vets over the years until I moved away to take care of my then retired and dying father in Arizona. I imagine between my father and myself, we had taken care of many thousands of American Veterans in that old brick building. Sorry to see it gone, but I understand the fiscal burden it would be to maintain an old behemoth like the Allen Park VA. (Message approved by admin) | ||
(Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 68.84.163.110 |
My memories were that of a female veteran. We were treated as second class citizens in some areas. If you went in as a walk in patient it took all day and sometimes you would need to go back the next day to get treatment. The security of that building was zilch. All I can say is Thank You for the Yale clinic and the new Detroit Building it is 100 percent better. (Message approved by admin) | ||
Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2 Post Number: 9 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 24.223.133.177 |
My memories of the Allen Park VA Hospital are many, varied and totally memorable. I was born and raised on the eastside of Detroit and never had an occasion to go to the VA Hospital myself until I became a veteran of the Vietnam War. Even though I never went there as a kid I had a neighbor that use to go there all the time in the late 1940s and early 1950s. I never thought about him much at all in my adult life until I marched up the Champs Elises in the Armistice Day Parade in Paris in 1998. It was in this parade where I mingled with veterans of the 1st World War, 2nd World War, Korea, Indo-China War, Algerian War and the Vietnam War that this man from my childhood came to my mind. I wrote what follows to all the guys I served with in Vietnam as a remembrance of Veterans and Veteran’s Days of past as a tribute to all of our service and sacrifice. Young men still see the beginning of the path and old men see the end of the path more clearly. I was feeling the loss of comrades and the sentimentality of all the years that had gone by when I wrote what follows. The Allen Park VA Hospital was woven into the story that follows but I didn’t know it at the time. Here we are on the eve of celebrating another Veterans Day or as when we were kids they called it Armistice Day! I don’t have any activities planned for tomorrow’s recollection of days gone by but I will take a moment tomorrow to remember each and every one of you along with some incident that ties us together. I will also remember those that went before and after us and I will hold a “good thought” and a prayer for those that are in the middle of it right now. Especially, those that are giving their lives and their bodies in the Iraqi War, God bless them and you! I want to remember someone to all of you. He lived two doors south of my house on Gallagher St. in Detroit, Michigan back in the middle of the 1950’s. He rented a room and was a confirmed bachelor all his life. I am ashamed to say that I can’t remember his name (I have remembered his name since last year when I sent this to you for Veterans Day it was Andy!) but I remember the goodness of his essence. He was a World War One veteran that served in combat during the Trench Warfare that was going on “over there.” And, he was gassed during the Battle of the Somme and it affected him for the rest of his life. The reason I know those facts is that he told me and I have remembered everything he told me. The affect it had on him was that he always walked like he was drunk. He would stagger from side-to-side as he walked down the sidewalk. To the average person they thought he was drunk and it appeared that way. But, it’s a perfect example of how people judge other people without knowing all the facts or “walking in the other person’s moccasins.”, me included. The neighbors use to make fun of him laughing and snickering because they said, “Here comes that drunk!” He use to go to the Allen Park VA Hospital all the time for treatment and medicine. He was a very kind, mild mannered man that always had a nice word for the kids in the neighborhood. Back In those days we didn’t have a lot of money for extras like candy and ice cream. But, whenever the Good Humor ice cream truck came down the street and he was there he bought all the kids an ice cream. Some of us would follow him to the corner store because after he bought his groceries he would use his change to buy us candy. He knew that everybody use to make fun of him and call him a drunk along with many of the kids because they heard their parents say it. He would often get arrested by the police for being drunk in public but he never got mad or resentful about any of the jeering because he would say, “If I saw somebody walking the way I walk all the time I would think they were a drunk, too.” And, he would laugh but he would also say, “I served in the Great War” which is what he called it, “and I am proud of the fact that I walk funny because I served my country.” So, as the Ancient Egyptians use to say, “People live on forever in the minds and hearts of those that remember them.” I want to say that I am thinking about that good old, kind guy that served his country in the Great War and he lives in my memory and now yours. God bless him wherever he is! Your Comrade-In-Arms, Mike S. ’64-“67 |
