GENERAL FAUSONE AT JIMI’S ALONG WITH DAVID COPEMAN 10.9.08

A hearty handshake and a heartfelt thank you from a Brigadier General is not the stuff experienced every day by our beloved ‘Band of Brothers’, but October 9 was one of them.

When Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone put in an appearance at Jimi’s in Royal Oak during the bi-monthly meeting of the circle of World War II air force veterans that we have been filming as an integral portion of ‘Detroit’s Greatest Generation’, the mood was raised beyond its usual cheerfulness to downright pride and glee.  The General made a point to circle each table and greet the veterans individually and embrace the men and their wives, taking time to learn a bit about the service records of each, to chat in an easy and respectful manner, and of course, to thank each for their efforts on behalf of our generation.

As the Assistant Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs, General Fausone is the Assistant for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs works directly with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.  Her own service record is impressive, having served active duty in various nursing staff positions. In late 1981 she transferred to the Michigan Air National Guard and served at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in various staff and command positions. In 1995, Fausone transferred to the 110th Medical Squadron, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base and was assigned as the medical squadron commander. In January 1998, Fausone was selected as the Air National Guard assistant to the Air Combat Command nurse at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and served as liaison between the Air National Guard and the Air Combat Command providing guidance for medical training, policies and programs.

A further highlight of the afternoon was the distribution of 30-inch hand-carved canes from the Michigan chapter of the National Wood Carvers Association, each listing the individual veteran’s name, unit, branch of service, and images of medals and similar accolades.  Cane project chairman David Copeman explained that the majestic eagle atop each cane is personally rendered by a wood carver in a style that suits individual talents, thus making each cane as unique and impressive as the men and women who have received them.  Said Copeman, “At first, the canes were distributed to injured veterans, but we came to realize that all veterans of foreign wars deserved the same recognition.  So now, if a veteran applies, he or she will receive a cane customized by a member of the Wood Carvers Association in recognition and thanks for helping to keep America strong.”