VA bans vet’s gun-shaped walking stick from Syracuse hospital
NEW BERLIN – The VA hospital in Syracuse told a local Vietnam Air Force veteran to leave his walking stick at home last week. The Syracuse VA Medical Center stated the walking stick, a life-sized wooden carving of an M-16, could cause patients at the facility unnecessary anxiety.
New Berlin resident Steve Simons said hospital security called him on April 14 following a medical visit and told him his gun-shaped walking cane was being permanently banned.
Simons carved and stained the wooden M16 cane himself and intentionally designed it to appear similar to the actual weapon, but adds: “It looks like it’s made of wood.”
Simons crafted the M16-shaped walking stick in February and said he brought it to the hospital on at least a dozen occasions.
“I’ve taken it everywhere I go – the hospital, the bank, the store, wherever. I’ve had a lot of people, vets, come up to me. It’s a great conversation starter. I usually end up giving people one of my cards and I’ve never had a security official approach me about it before they called me last week,” he said.
Gordon Sclar, public affairs officer at the Syracuse Medical Center, said the hospital did not comment on specific issues relating to patients, but issued this statement:
“The mission of this VA facility is to care for veterans, who by their very essence, were trained to use weapons to defend our country’s values and freedom. To introduce a realistic looking M-16 rifle or any such weapon facsimile has the potential to be disruptive to our health care mission. The sight of such an object may not be readily explainable to our veteran clientele and thus could unnecessarily raise their anxiety level. We chose to take a prudent and common sense approach when faced with a decision of being proactive with respect to limiting the introduction of such potential disruptive factors into our care environment,” he said.
Simons said he’s never been made aware of any complaint by a fellow veteran or a family member, and disputes the degree of realism his cane portrays.
He said he was told by VA officers his cane might trigger a security incident and for his own safety, it was banned from the facility. Simons also admits he has a number of other walking sticks to choose from though, including one previously issued to him by the VA.
Simons has contacted the VA to lodge a complaint about the decision, but concedes he doesn’t want to offend other veterans or their families.
“If the concern is a security concern, I question that though,” he said.
Simons graduated Sherburne-Earlville in 1970 and enlisted in the United States Air Force at the age of 19.
In the service he met his current wife Sherry, also an Air Force veteran. In 1971 Sherry took leave from the service to have the couple’s first child. In 1972 Simons served his first and only tour in Vietnam, driving military supply trucks.
It was during this period of time Simons says he suffered injuries to his back and was exposed to dangerous chemicals, including Agent Orange, that he believes contributed to a series of medical issues he’s sought care for through Veterans Affairs. Simons served until 1979 before being honorably discharged.
Even before even the service, Simons said he’d always had a love of art. He’s created dozens of oil paintings over the years. One, a portrait of then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, was donated to the first couple, displayed in the White House and is currently being stored in the National Archive. Besides countless portraits on canvas, other works by Simons have included elaborate paintings on guitars and other mediums.
Between 10 to 15 years ago though, Simons said he lost the ability to paint and draw as his hands’ uncontrollable shaking grew steadily worse. He said the cause was a deteriorating nervous system condition, neuropathy, which may be related to the chemicals he was exposed to in Vietnam.
“They say there’s no way to tell for sure but there are known links between being exposed to that stuff and the type of ailments I have,” he said.
Simons also suffers from other spinal and back injuries and often requires a walking stick to get around comfortably. In the absence of being able to create oil paintings or draw, Simons developed other artistic hobbies over the years using computer programs and his workshop. Apart from walking canes he carves cabinets, and can do a variety of work with wood, he also does leather imprinting and creates glass portrait lithographs using programmable equipment linked to his computer. Most importantly, he explained that the process of creating art helped him fight off depression.
Simons said he created the disputed walking stick as a tribute to his own personal experiences in Vietnam.
“It saved my life.” he said.
While stationed at the Tan Son Nhat Air Force base in Saigon Simons’ said his unit came under attack by enemy forces. He said a preemptive force of suicide soldiers, called sappers, were the first to strike the base using explosives to detonate a stash of weapons just outside his barracks. He said the initial explosion destroyed several of his fellow soldiers weapons.
Simons, who still had his M16, and another soldier carrying a revolver took defensive positions at the entrance of the barracks to keep the suicide bombers from rushing into the building. Other unarmed men took shelter inside. It was during this time Simons opened fire with his rifle shooting an enemy sapper who attempted to run inside. The man was killed instantly and was unable to detonate his explosives. Simons was later awarded the Bronze Star for his role in the incident.
Simons said the walking stick helped draw interested people into conversations and that he was in the processing of creating three more M16-shaped walking sticks, ordered by other veterans.
“I’ve improved the design some. The magazine in the next one will actually pop out and open up so you can put your wallet in it,” he said.
Simons said he offered to paint his walking stick bright pink to appease any concerns the VA hospital may have, but officials still declined to allow it back into the facility. He’s now working on a new wooden carving for another cane he hopes to soon be taking with him on medical appointments.
“The next one I’m carving is going to be of a naked woman. That silhouette won’t be as threatening,” he joked.
New Berlin resident Steve Simons said hospital security called him on April 14 following a medical visit and told him his gun-shaped walking cane was being permanently banned.
Simons carved and stained the wooden M16 cane himself and intentionally designed it to appear similar to the actual weapon, but adds: “It looks like it’s made of wood.”
Simons crafted the M16-shaped walking stick in February and said he brought it to the hospital on at least a dozen occasions.
“I’ve taken it everywhere I go – the hospital, the bank, the store, wherever. I’ve had a lot of people, vets, come up to me. It’s a great conversation starter. I usually end up giving people one of my cards and I’ve never had a security official approach me about it before they called me last week,” he said.
Gordon Sclar, public affairs officer at the Syracuse Medical Center, said the hospital did not comment on specific issues relating to patients, but issued this statement:
“The mission of this VA facility is to care for veterans, who by their very essence, were trained to use weapons to defend our country’s values and freedom. To introduce a realistic looking M-16 rifle or any such weapon facsimile has the potential to be disruptive to our health care mission. The sight of such an object may not be readily explainable to our veteran clientele and thus could unnecessarily raise their anxiety level. We chose to take a prudent and common sense approach when faced with a decision of being proactive with respect to limiting the introduction of such potential disruptive factors into our care environment,” he said.
Simons said he’s never been made aware of any complaint by a fellow veteran or a family member, and disputes the degree of realism his cane portrays.
He said he was told by VA officers his cane might trigger a security incident and for his own safety, it was banned from the facility. Simons also admits he has a number of other walking sticks to choose from though, including one previously issued to him by the VA.
Simons has contacted the VA to lodge a complaint about the decision, but concedes he doesn’t want to offend other veterans or their families.
“If the concern is a security concern, I question that though,” he said.
Simons graduated Sherburne-Earlville in 1970 and enlisted in the United States Air Force at the age of 19.
In the service he met his current wife Sherry, also an Air Force veteran. In 1971 Sherry took leave from the service to have the couple’s first child. In 1972 Simons served his first and only tour in Vietnam, driving military supply trucks.
It was during this period of time Simons says he suffered injuries to his back and was exposed to dangerous chemicals, including Agent Orange, that he believes contributed to a series of medical issues he’s sought care for through Veterans Affairs. Simons served until 1979 before being honorably discharged.
Even before even the service, Simons said he’d always had a love of art. He’s created dozens of oil paintings over the years. One, a portrait of then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, was donated to the first couple, displayed in the White House and is currently being stored in the National Archive. Besides countless portraits on canvas, other works by Simons have included elaborate paintings on guitars and other mediums.
Between 10 to 15 years ago though, Simons said he lost the ability to paint and draw as his hands’ uncontrollable shaking grew steadily worse. He said the cause was a deteriorating nervous system condition, neuropathy, which may be related to the chemicals he was exposed to in Vietnam.
“They say there’s no way to tell for sure but there are known links between being exposed to that stuff and the type of ailments I have,” he said.
Simons also suffers from other spinal and back injuries and often requires a walking stick to get around comfortably. In the absence of being able to create oil paintings or draw, Simons developed other artistic hobbies over the years using computer programs and his workshop. Apart from walking canes he carves cabinets, and can do a variety of work with wood, he also does leather imprinting and creates glass portrait lithographs using programmable equipment linked to his computer. Most importantly, he explained that the process of creating art helped him fight off depression.
Simons said he created the disputed walking stick as a tribute to his own personal experiences in Vietnam.
“It saved my life.” he said.
While stationed at the Tan Son Nhat Air Force base in Saigon Simons’ said his unit came under attack by enemy forces. He said a preemptive force of suicide soldiers, called sappers, were the first to strike the base using explosives to detonate a stash of weapons just outside his barracks. He said the initial explosion destroyed several of his fellow soldiers weapons.
Simons, who still had his M16, and another soldier carrying a revolver took defensive positions at the entrance of the barracks to keep the suicide bombers from rushing into the building. Other unarmed men took shelter inside. It was during this time Simons opened fire with his rifle shooting an enemy sapper who attempted to run inside. The man was killed instantly and was unable to detonate his explosives. Simons was later awarded the Bronze Star for his role in the incident.
Simons said the walking stick helped draw interested people into conversations and that he was in the processing of creating three more M16-shaped walking sticks, ordered by other veterans.
“I’ve improved the design some. The magazine in the next one will actually pop out and open up so you can put your wallet in it,” he said.
Simons said he offered to paint his walking stick bright pink to appease any concerns the VA hospital may have, but officials still declined to allow it back into the facility. He’s now working on a new wooden carving for another cane he hopes to soon be taking with him on medical appointments.
“The next one I’m carving is going to be of a naked woman. That silhouette won’t be as threatening,” he joked.
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