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.
