Navy Region Northwest Commander Visits Tacoma Veteran's Hospital

TACOMA, Wash. - Commander Navy Region Northwest (NRNW) visited the American Lake Veteran's Hospital in Tacoma, Wash. May 19.  

Rear Adm. Jeff Ruth, the NRNW commander, met with patients of the hospital during his visit.  

"The men and women here have sacrificed a lot for our country," said Ruth. "I think that it is very important to recognize these veterans for their service and let them know how much we care."  

Ruth met with several veterans during his visit, including former Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen. The veterans had served in conflicts going back decades, including Korea and Vietnam.  

"I greatly enjoy hearing the stories these veterans have to tell me," said Ruth.  "There is a wealth of knowledge and experience here. Many of these veterans have lived through important times in both military and American history."  

The American Lake campus is part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System. There is another large campus located in Seattle and several smaller clinics located around the Puget Sound.  

The American Lake VA campus, established in 1923, was the 94th veteran's hospital to be built by the War Department for the care of World War I veterans. Today, the official mission of the Puget Sound VA system is to honor America's veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.  

Ruth also met with hospital staff members during the visit as well, and expressed his confidence in the quality of the facility and the care provided by its employees.  

"The facilities here are beautiful and impressive," said Ruth. "The staff is also extremely friendly and they take great care of our veterans. Our nation's heroes are definitely in good hands." 

For other information about your Navy in the Northwest Region, please visit the Navy Region Northwest website at www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrnw.html.