ALTAVISTA, Va. – A fire destroyed a key facility at the National Center for Healthy Veterans in Campbell County just a day before Veterans Day, leaving behind a trail of devastation. The center’s main barn was reduced to rubble, but one powerful symbol of resilience remained standing: the Soldiers Cross.
Robert Dees, president of the National Center for Healthy Veterans, described the significance of the cross in the wake of the disaster. “Symbols are very important in a crisis. In trauma, many of our veterans—most of our veterans—are very familiar with that Soldiers Cross. They’ve laid their brothers and sisters to rest, and so that Soldiers Cross is symbolic to us. But it’s still standing. It’s firm. It’s a symbol not of despair but of hope.”
The center, which provides critical support to veterans dealing with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other mental health challenges, was preparing to host a major Veterans Day ceremony. The veterans who go there attend a 9-month residential program.
They had planned to welcome more than 500 people to honor those who have served in the military. However, their plans were upended when the barn burned down the day before the event.
Dees reflected on the situation, saying, “We have a volunteer army of 700 volunteers. The Saturday before this happened, we had 125 volunteers right here preparing for the ceremony that was going to occur.”
There was little left standing after the fire. A few chairs, set up for the Veterans Day ceremony, were among the only things untouched by the flames.
The barn, which served as more than just a building, held a deep significance for the center’s work. “In this barn, not only did we have 18 horse stalls and a 14,000-square-foot riding arena, but we also had our offices. All of our admin, all of our computers were destroyed,” said Dees.
While no human lives were lost in the fire, the staff confirmed that two therapy donkeys—an integral part of the center’s animal-assisted therapy programs—were killed in the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Despite the loss, Dees and the center’s staff are drawing strength from the very veterans they serve. “It’s really interesting that our staff are the ones truly affected by this and the veterans... excuse me, this is emotional, the veterans that we train are now comforting us. And it’s powerful,” he said, holding back tears.
The National Center for Healthy Veterans is already planning to rebuild. Staff members say they hope to have a new barn up and running in time for next year’s Veterans Day. In the meantime, the center is accepting donations to help with the rebuilding efforts.
You can donate at FireRelief@HealthyVeterans.org
This new build will come before their additional lodge to double the number of veterans they can serve.