Pride of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station team Published Jan. 16, 2008 By Senior Airman Ann Wilkins Jefferson 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- 910th Maintenance Squadron and Civil Engineer Squadron members complete home improvement tasks for former Reservist ailing from Lou Gehrig's Disease The camaraderie of members of the military is a special bond found in very few occupations. Being an Airman is not only a job but being part of a second family, the Air Force family. And that extends outside the base and regular working hours. Such is the case with several members of the 910th Airlift Wing who went above and beyond to help a former Reservist and coworker ailing from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Vern Boozer, now 68-years-old, had retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1994 after a 35-year career, 12 on active duty and the rest as a Reservist and Air Reserve Technician at the 910th. He worked mainly in the Communications Navigation shop here and remained close to the 910th family after retirement, especially through motorcycle rides with other enthusiasts from the base and through his wife, Chief Master Sgt. M. Arlene Boozer, of the 910th Airlift Wing Performance Planning office. Just two years ago in April 2006 Vern was diagnosed with ALS, and his life has changed completely. But his close friends back at the 910th have not. The Boozers informed them of Vern's diagnosis soon after it was made. They responded by helping him and his wife deal with the continuing challenges and adjustments of living with the disease by donating their time, talents and companionship at the Boozers' home. ALS was first identified as a disease in 1869, but doctors still don't know what causes it nor how it can be prevented, effectively treated or cured, according to the ALS Association (www.alsa.org). ALS is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. As the disease progresses, motor neurons that control muscles cease to function and die, ultimately resulting in total paralysis in the later stages. What makes the ALS "particularly devastating is that as people progressively lose the ability to walk, move their arms, talk and even breathe, their minds remain sharp, acutely aware of the limits ALS has imposed on their lives," the ALS Association states. By June 2007, when the disease had progressed to the point it interfered with Vern's physical agility, Chief Master Sgt. Lou Cox, Chief of Readiness for the 910th Civil Engineer Squadron, offered to lend a hand helping with home improvement tasks for the Boozers. Chief Boozer initially declined, she said. But a few weeks later she called back to Chief Cox to say she did think of one project he could help coordinate. A creek runs in the back of the Boozers' yard and behind it are some woods. Vern needed a more accommodating way to cross the creek to dump grass clippings in the woods after he cut the lawn. So, Chief Cox, his two sons, Joshua and Jacob, and Tech. Sgt. George Telshaw, a structural specialist from the CE squadron, built a bridge over the creek. They shopped for all the supplies and built the bridge that month, with Chief Boozer having to do nothing but pay for the materials needed. Vern's friends in the 910th Maintenance Group were also aware of his declining health. "Boy, they really stepped up when Vern wasn't able to get out," Chief Boozer said. Senior Master Sgt. Kirk Neuleib, 910th Avionics Superintendent, is Vern's former coworker and one of the fellow motorcyclists who rode with Vern. "We've known each other for 21 years," Sergeant Neuleib said. He had been visiting Vern one or two times a week and in the fall of 2007 started fixing up Vern's 1978 Corvette to prepare it for sale to make space in the Boozers' garage. "I started to see Vern had a hard time getting around," in and out of the house, he said, so he thought about building Vern a ramp from outside into the house. What he didn't know was at the same time, Chief Boozer was asking around for bids from outside professionals for a ramp; one estimate was $5,500, she said. Coincidently, just after she sent out that request, Sergeant Neuleib approached her about building a ramp in the garage. "Vern was always one of those guys who did something for someone else: his ailing mother-in-law, his brother-in-law who died from cancer - this was just a matter of getting a few people together. I needed help," Sergeant Neuleib said. He found help via several other Airmen from the 910th Maintenance Group: Aerial Spray's Senior Master Sgt. John Daniels; and Avionics' Master Sgt. Bob Viers, Avionics Guidance Control Systems NCOIC; Staff Sgt. Andy Ford, Avionics Guidance and Control journeyman; and Staff Sgt. Corey Repko, Communication and Navigation Systems journeyman. With a team in place, the Airmen put their plan into action ... Although none of the Airmen had built a handicap-compatible ramp before, "We all had home improvement experience, and we researched the rules and regulations on the Internet, including the ALS Association Web site," Sergeant Neuleib said. The sergeants chose to build the ramp inside so Vern wouldn't be forced to deal with elements like rain, ice and cold Ohio winters with an outside ramp, Sergeant Neuleib explained. Chief Boozer also noted that ALS stiffens a person's joints in the cold, another reason the ramp needed to be in the garage. Once all the plans were made and materials purchased, the five Airmen came to the Boozers' home each night after work one week to clear out the garage, which is just off King Graves Road not far from the base. "They stored our summer furniture, farmed out all our vehicles to their own garages, hung shelves on the walls. And their spouses helped, too, bringing lunch and dinner," Chief Boozer said. Sergeant Neuleib said they placed Vern's "things he can't use anymore in the attic. It was a little hard to do, putting away a person's tools, knowing they won't be used again - it's sentimental." Then that Saturday, the men arrived at 8 a.m. to start building the ramp, with additional help from the Boozers' neighbor, Ron Froats, who works at the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) tower at the airport. After Chief Boozer made them breakfast, they worked nearly non-stop until 11 p.m. until the project was completed, completely exhausted, the Chief observed. But they proudly stood on the ramp to pose for a photo and toast a drink with Vern. Not only has the ramp been a God-send so far for Vern, Chief Boozer said, but her 91-year old mother is living with them, too, and has greatly benefited from using it. In October 2005, Vern started showing signs of ALS. With the disease progressed now over two years, he spoke very slowly and slurred but able to articulate enough to be understood. "I was very tired," Vern recalled about early signs of something wrong. His wife said she noticed he had become very emotional, too. She should know Vern's demeanor well: They met back in 1978. "We both worked in Hangar 305. Vern was in Avionics and I worked for Maintenance Squadron Analysis," said the chief. While they were on vacation in Arizona in January 2006 visiting daughter Lynn, Vern took a phone call from his son, Vernon Jr., who thought his father had been drinking because of his slurred speech. Concerned, Chief Boozer took Vern to an emergency room at a Mayo Clinic in the area, where they were told Vern had Myasthenia Gravis, a chronic neuromuscular, autoimmune disorder meaning "grave muscle weakness" that causes varying degrees of weakness involving the voluntary muscles of the body. But back home in the Youngstown area, Vern's doctor sent him to a neurologist, who then sent him to the Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic doctor did not have the final test results but told the couple he believed Vern had ALS. The Boozers decided to get a second opinion and went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which Chief Boozer said was number one in neurology in the nation. While at the Mayo Clinic, the results from the Cleveland Clinic came back and were officially confirmed as ALS, what the Mayo Clinic diagnosed as well. That was in April 2006. "Our lives changed forever," Chief Boozer said, saying she and Vern then accepted that the life they once had was their old life, and now they had a new life. Knowing that no cure exists for ALS, Chief Boozer said, "Our goal now is to make people aware and educate them about ALS." The Boozers said Vern has "the best" or slowest-progressing type of ALS. It can start anywhere, but his started in his throat and is working its way down through his body. Vern said after being diagnosed with the ailment, he first noticed his upper body strength was declining when in the fall of 2006, "I rode my motorcycle for the last time, I noticed I didn't have the strength" to keep a firm grip on the bike, he said. "My (left) shoulder and arm had deteriorated." By early January, he still had use of his right arm and walked with the aide of a walker, but he and Chief Boozer said his legs were about to give out "in about a month." He uses a wheelchair already, though, just to save energy. The chief already was helping her husband dress and undress, get in and out of bed, shower, scrub, brush teeth, fix food. She said she was close to having to feed him herself, eventually with all feeding done through a tube, and having to prepare a bedroom downstairs for him. They have family and friends who come and help. Vern has two children and two stepchildren. His son Vernon Jr. comes over on his days off, his stepson Randy Graham comes by if needed, Lynn was just in from Arizona for a visit, and his stepdaughter LouAnn lives in Norway and stayed for a long visit with her husband in December. The guys from Maintenance still stop by every other week to visit, with Sergeant Neuleib saying he tries to hang out with his old buddy at least once a week. "The support has been amazing," Chief Boozer said, like people who bring meals to help out, military and civilians alike. She specifically acknowledged "Marty Campa, Chief of Civilian Personnel; Nora Stephens, the wife of the 910th Mission Support Group Commander Col. Bill Stephens; and retired Maintenance Chief Donald Pompelia who come by continually." Vern also said he is "very happy that neighbors and friends are praying for him." Again, ALS affects the motor skills and muscles of the body but not the mind, so Vern is keenly aware of what is happening. While he is not in pain, he said, of all the capabilities he's lost, he is most frustrated "by not being able to use my hands." He uses a new device called the Dynovox communicator paid for by the Veterans Administration which allows him to use a computer by touch for now, but once he's lost that ability he'll use a mouse via his head and finally through blinking once he can't move at all. The VA is also providing a phone that will hook up to the Dynovox so Vern can communicate that way. Chief Boozer said Vern is also on a VA registry of those with ALS, and said studies show ALS affects military members and veterans twice as much as the regular population. She has her own theory that it's due to immunizations, but many feel it is trauma-related. Vern was in Vietnam, and also suffered a motorcycle accident, but he doesn't believe that triggered the ALS he has, he said. The chief said the VA has recognized ALS from the Persian Gulf War for those veterans but authorized use for Vern because his illness is catastrophic. And for some reason it seems to affect older men and younger women, she said. They did advocacy work in Columbus and are going to Washington, D.C. this year for similar work. Last September they put together a team for the local ALS Walk, which was the top fundraising team for Youngstown with 41 members raising more than $6,000 for ALS research. Vern aptly named his group, "Team Hope, because I hope they find a cure for this devastating disease for the people who follow me in this battle," he explained. Realizing that he cannot hope for his own recovery, Vern is donating his brain and spinal cord to the Cleveland Clinic. He visits the Clinic every three months so they can see how the ALS is progressing. Those with ALS usually have about three to five years to live after diagnosis. But there are many cases where people have lived much longer, Chief Boozer said. "He's very brave. He asked the doctor how he was going to die," Chief Boozer said. The doctors told Vern he would eventually die from suffocation, since the muscles that control the diaphragm and lungs would quit working. However, Chief Boozer said they were on a list to receive a special new diaphragm pacing device that will help keep the diaphragm working once it can't on its own "since that muscle is the only one that needs to be exercised with ALS," she said. "Then we'll bring him home for calling hours, and after that he wants to be cremated," with part of his ashes to be taken to the Grand Canyon, which holds a special place in his heart, the chief said. While ALS is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, Vern said he's surprised a lot of young people don't know who Lou Gehrig was. Yet Chief Boozer said when they tell people Vern has ALS, people are often not quite sure what it means. Once she clarifies by saying it's Lou Gehrig's disease she said they say, "Oohhh." Lou Gehrig was the famous New York Yankees baseball team's first baseman in the 1920s and 30s, known as the Iron Man for his consecutive-games-played streak only recently broken in 1995. He retired from baseball after being diagnosed with ALS, and before he died he lent his name to the disease to help raise awareness of it. Vern said he does not pity himself or ask "Why me?" Instead, reminiscent of Gehrig's famous retirement speech line, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth," Vern said, "I've had a very good life. I traveled to Europe with my son, fly ..." his voice trailed off as he paused to think some more but simply added, "I have no regrets." "And you have me!" Chief Boozer tacked on cheerfully, to which Vern responded by crediting his family's support. He stressed again that he feels the love of family and friends and has hope. Finally, he specifically emphasized that he considers the guys from Maintenance as his guardian angels, always watching out for him and making him feel safe when he is with them. So for Vern's Airmen friends in the 910th Airlift Wing the term "unrivaled wingman" takes on a whole new meaning when angels' wings are involved. And one day in the near future they may have their own special guardian angel looking out for them in return.