ABOVE: VA Illiana Health Care’s BUILDING 58 was constructed as the “General Medical and Surgery Building” in 1934.
When it began in 1898, the VA Illiana Veterans Administration Medical Center grounds in Danville were known as the “Danville Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.” As part of this year’s 125 year anniversary, tours of the grounds are happening this week, with more scheduled between 10 AM and Noon, as well as between 2 PM and 4 PM, this Thursday (March 30th).
VA Illiana Public Affairs Officer Dori Camacho-Torres says you’ll ride around and see what is offered to Veterans for physical, emotional, and spiritual care.
AUDIO: It will go through the Veteran villages, and then it will go through the pond. It’s one of our biggest areas for not only Veterans but also staff. You know once the weather permits, and it’s getting a little nicer, people walk out there regularly; the patients to do recreational fishing. We’ll see Building 58, which is our historic building. We’ll see a little bit of our greenhouses, which we partner with the University of Illinois. We go through the cemetery; as most people know we do share the grounds with the National Cemetery Association.
VA Illiana Public Affairs Specialist Heather Rafanan says you’ll be seeing places visited by celebrities over the years.
AUDIO: On the tour you’re going to find things like the bandstand, where Ronald Reagan came to visit one time. And then you’ll also see things like the National Cemetery, to see how well we’ve grown. So there’s a lot of history. Dick Van Dyke has visited us. Back in the hey day they used to have carts and buggies pulling up at the grandstand just to hear music, so it was pretty interesting.
That visit by Ronald Reagan was in May of 1958, by the way.
To take a tour between 10 and Noon or 2 and 4 on Thursday (March 30th), just stop at Building 98 by the new canopy and sign up. And if you are interested in enrolling in any special Veteran programs at VA Illiana Health Care, just call 217-554-6424,
