THIRWOOD PLACE RESIDENTS CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AND HONOR SOLDIERS PAST AND PRESENT
Thirwood Place celebrated the holidays and honored soldiers past and present at their festive holiday gathering last week. All the traditional signs of a holiday party were evident: a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with brightly colored packages beneath it, a roaring fire under a festive mantelpiece, a group of carolers surrounding the grand piano, hot cider, eggnog and a variety of tasty holiday favorites prepared by the chef and his team. But there was a twist to this party as the residents of both the independent living and assisted living areas joined together not only to celebrate this holiday season and reminisce about fond memories of past years, but also to honor soldiers past and present on the 66th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Thirwood Place resident and guest speaker, Gilbert Goodwin, a veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor, held the attention of young and old as he relayed his first-hand experience of being aboard the U.S.S. Curtiss on that fateful day. Goodwin, a 19-year old member of the Navy at the time, was on the bridge of the ship, watching as the Japanese planes flew in and attacked. Despite the efforts of Goodwin and his fellow shipmates, the loss of 21 of his closest friends as a downed Japanese plane crashed into his ship was part of what he describes as “the saddest day of my life”. Goodwin’s remarks brought tears to many and ended with a respectful standing ovation and round of applause. Translating their respect and admiration for Goodwin and fellow veterans into action, the residents then participated in supporting the troops fighting in today’s conflicts. Many wrote personal notes to send to soldiers as others helped to assemble gift boxes for the soldiers.
Throughout the event, a feeling of camaraderie was combined with heartfelt conversations and many laughs, highlighting the theme of Thirwood Place as “a place where the pleasures of life can be enjoyed in elegant, gracious surroundings with vital, interesting contemporaries.”
DAVENPORT ACCOUNTANT AWARDED MBA
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