Dignity, honor and respect were the core themes present at Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties’ veteran’s breakfast on June 12.

Along with their friends and family, local veterans gathered at the Otterkill Country Club to commemorate their service and honor the sacrifice of those who did not return home. Many took the time to catch up with old friends and listen to the scheduled speeches and presenters. June 12 is also Women’s Veterans Recognition Day.

Maggie Sutter, the director of development at Hospice of Orange, said the veteran committee deserves a large amount of credit for planning the breakfast. Almost twice the size it was last year, Sutter said the event stands as a testament to their collaboration with other organizations, like nursing homes or other veteran groups.

"I think the whole purpose of it is just to bring veterans together,” Sutter said. “Hopefully they feel appreciated, and they can have conversations and meet other veterans alike and bridge the gap between different organizations that they can hopefully work together [with] in the future.”

Major Brian A. Ibbs — commander of the 105th Base Defense Squadron, Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh — who was chosen as the guest speaker for the event, spoke of his own time in the service, including stories about other veterans who had lost their lives fighting on behalf of their country.

“I have a lot of pride in having the opportunity to speak with these veterans here today to talk a little bit about what we are currently doing in the air force specifically and in the air national guard,” Ibbs said. “It’s really just a great time for community and engagement for our base, Hospice of Orange and Sullivan County and the veterans in our local community.”

Having pursued a job as a mortuary officer from 2019-2023, Ibbs credited the experience as one of the most impactful positions of his career. The program’s mission is to ensure dignity, honor and respect for fallen service members, as high honor is offered to those who die fighting for their country. Describing one moment where he was sent to inform a family that their son had passed, Ibbs said they were very grateful to the airforce and took a lot of pride in the respect that was offered to their loved one.

A Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties Veterans Committee volunteer, Ginny Urban, was awarded the Annual Paul V. Rader Vet-to-Vet Volunteer Award for her contributions to the organization.

“I’m very honored to get this award,” Urban said. “It is totally unexpected. I love working with all of the veteran committee members, and I am happy to support the veterans in any way I can.”

Sandi Cassese, the president and chief executive officer of Hospice, said she is very proud of the event they held honoring the nation’s veterans and those that support them.

“Hospice of Orange and Sullivan counties has been involved in making sure that our veterans understand very well the benefits that they are entitled to and to make sure that they understand that they are safe in the care of us [at Hospice] if they are to face a life limiting event,” Cassesse said. “And we want to be sure that we have respectful inquiry and we understand fully the sacrifices that our veterans have made. This is just one small way of us giving back to our dedicated members of the service.”