Byline: TERRY BROWN - Staff Writer
Four patients who added music to their therapy at the Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center performed so well they became National Veterans Creative Arts Festival winners.
Jerome Salsburg, James Smith and Timmy Tolbert , all of Albany, as well as James Delaney of Schenectady, all performers with the Stratton Behavioral Health Recovery Center Bell Choir, were nominated for the competition by their therapists.
The Stratton entertainers were among 130 veterans selected as first place winners from more than 2,800 entries in the national fine arts contest. The entrants competed for music, drama, creative writing and art awards.
The Stratton hand bells-hand chimes choir earned a gold medal in the instrumental group category and their pop, Broadway, patriotic and religious category performance won a bronze medal in the music division.
Also, they were among 110 artists and performers invited to the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival hosted by the St. Louis VA Medical Center last month. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Help Hospitalized Veterans and the American Legion Auxiliary sponsored the competition and festival.
The bellringers performed during a gala variety show at the festival.
Helen Fitzgerald of Albany, a senior ambulatory solo, was selected as a gold medal winner in the dance division.
George Barner of Albany, a senior drama soloist, was named a silver medal winner, and William Quinion of Albany, a religious poet soloist, earned a bronze medal in the drama division.
Donald Hyman of Albany, a singer and dance soloist, earned a gold medal in the music division.
The Vets of Albany Choir earned a silver medal in the comedy-vocal group and a bronze medal in the patriotic vocal competition of the music division.
'Each year, this national event recognizes the progress made through creative arts therapies, and raises the visibility of veterans' accomplishments following disability, disease or life crisis,' said Susan Fleech , a VA program specialist. 'For the veterans, the festival also inspires pride while establishing opportunities to develop new skills.'
'I participated in the festival to show that people with disabilities and illness can do a good job at working things out,' said Salsburg, 61, who was wounded in the Vietnam War and began playing hand bells just a year ago.
Tolbert, 49, an Army veteran, said his involvement in the choir and the festival advanced his therapy.
Delaney, 79, an Army veteran, said being able to ring bells and achieving the right rhythm makes him feel good and 'has taught me hand, brain and eye coordination.'
'I feel that my experiences with the Creative Arts Festival have raised by self-esteem and enhanced my life,' said Smith, 55, an Air Force veteran. 'Being involved in the arts is an excellent therapy.'
Back from Mideast About 150 citizen soldiers of the state Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division returned Tuesday from a Bright Star training mission in the Mideast.
The Headquarters and Special Troops Battalion soldiers returned to their armory in North Greenbush after completing the U.S. Central Command exercise conducted in Egypt.
Bright Star is a multinational joint training exercise intended to expand military-to-military relations with partner nations across the Middle East and the world, according to Lt. Col. Richard Goldberg, a state Division of Military and Naval Affairs spokesman.
The 42nd Infantry Division soldiers deployed to Cairo earlier this month in support of Bright Star.
The 42nd Infantry Division soldiers staffed a command and control headquarters for U.S. Army and coalition forces employed in a battle simulation exercise. The computer-model war game placed senior leaders and staff of the Troy unit in command of more than 110,000 coalition forces during computer-generated battles.
The exercise focused on tactics, techniques and procedures for use by the U.S. Army Central Command and U.S. Central Command leadership and staff. Battle simulation included counterterrorism, consequence management, humanitarian assistance, counterinsurgency and conventional operations.
The state Army National Guard soldiers trained with troops from Egypt, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Jordan, the United Kingdom, Kuwait and Pakistan.
Most of the Rainbow soldiers already have combat experience. The division's Headquarters, including Genereux, deployed to Iraq in 2005 as the combat headquarters for the Multinational Division for North Central Iraq. The unit, organized as Task Force Liberty, operated from Tikrit, Iraq and worked to support the developing Iraqi security forces and assist in an Iraqi national referendum for their constitution on Oct. 15, 2005. Completes basic training
Air Force Airman 1st Class Dustin Place of Wynantskill has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio.
He is now undergoing advance technical training as a command post apprentice at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Miss.
The airman is the son of Ernest and Pamela Place of Wynantskill. He is a 2007 graduate of Columbia High School, East Greenbush.
Spotlighting vets Names and photographs of 1,600 veterans and military personnel from Watervliet are being broadcast by the Watervliet Housing Authority's Access WVLT (Channel 17) on Time Warner Cable to households in ZIP code 12189 through Sunday. 25
People who want to add names and photos to the video can drop off information and pictures at the Housing Authority at 2400 Second Ave. News of your soldiers and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or by e-mail at brownt@timesunion.com.
