WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today spoke on the Senate floor about a local project in Maine that provides Maine veterans with personalized wooden canes that have bald eagle heads carved into the handle. George and Donna Gunning, together with Burt Truman, have made 2,474 eagle canes – and counting – free of charge for any Maine veteran who asks for one.

“The bald eagle is a national symbol of freedom and independence, but with these canes, it has also come to symbolize the debt of gratitude owed to our nation’s veterans,” said Senator King. “Each cane is a treasured reminder that someone cares, someone notices, and someone appreciates what they’ve done.”

George and Donna Gunning of Windsor began making the eagle canes approximately 8 years ago, after learning about a similar project in Oklahoma that aims to help post-9/11 veterans with combat-related injuries. The Gunnings saw an opportunity to help veterans in their state, and began making canes for Maine veterans from any conflict from any time. They were soon joined by Mr. Truman of Hallowell, and together, they have made nearly 2,500 canes.

The Gunnings and Mr. Truman operate solely on donations, and the canes are provided at no cost to the veteran. Each cane is personalized for the veteran to reflect their branch of service and any military honors received.

A broadcast quality video of Senator King’s remarks can be viewed HERE. The text of Senator King’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, is below:

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Madam President, I rise today to share some good news from my home state of Maine. It’s a story of veterans helping veterans – of three people from Maine who have positively impacted the lives of thousands of veterans in my state, and done so in a unique way: by making personalized wooden canes with a bold and intricate bald eagle head carved into the handle for any Maine veteran who wants one.

About eight years ago, George and Donna Gunning from Windsor heard about an endeavor in Oklahoma called the Eagle Cane Project. The mission of the project was to help post-9/11 veterans who had trouble walking because of leg disabilities due to combat-related action by providing them with unique, hand-carved eagle canes. As a Navy veteran, George, along with his wife, Donna, who grew up in a Navy family, were both intimately familiar with the sacrifices and difficulties that accompany military service. The project touched their hearts and they quickly recognized it as an opportunity to give back to veterans in Maine.

They brought their own version of the project to the state – offering a personalized eagle cane to any Maine veteran who had served anywhere in the world, in any conflict across the globe. And it wasn’t long before the Gunnings were joined by Burt Truman from Hallowell, who spent two decades in the military – in the Navy, Army Reserve, and the Air National Guard. The trio work together on each cane they made – crafting them, painting them, and personalizing each one by etching the veteran’s name and molding medals to show their branch of service and any honors they received.

As impressive as each of these masterpieces are, the number that the trio has produced is even more astounding. The current count is 2,474 canes made free of charge and funded solely through donations.
And for all their hard work and dedication, the trio remains adamant that they deserve no special recognition. Instead, they would rather the attention and admiration be directed towards the veterans receiving their canes, who have borne so much for our country. And that is the true magic of this project. It is all about recognizing our veterans, supporting them, giving them something to lean on – both physically and emotionally.

In recent months, there have been a number of efforts here in Congress to further support our veterans – to improve their access to care and support services. While the Choice Act, which was signed into law last August, made progress in this area, more work remains to be done. To ensure that provisions of this legislation are implemented in accordance with Congressional intent, Senator Moran, Senator Collins, myself, and others have introduced a bill to improve how the VA determines eligibility for use of the Choice Program. Currently, veterans can only use their cards if they cannot get an appointment within 30 days, face an excessive burden of travel – such as a body of water – or if they live more than 40 miles as the crow flies from any VA facility – regardless of whether or not it provides the types of care they need.
 
In rural states like Maine, as the crow-flies is not a representative measure of how far someone must travel. Furthermore, we must be taking into account whether or not the VA facility in question can provide our veterans with the specific care services they require. Our bill offers a fix by requiring the VA to use its existing authority to offer community care to veterans who live more than 40 miles driving distance from the nearest VA medical facility that provides the type of care they need. I hope that in the coming weeks, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on this issue so that we are able to find a path forward.

As we look for that path, we can draw inspiration from these eagle canes.  The bald eagle is a national symbol of freedom and independence, but with these canes, it has also come to symbolize the debt of gratitude owed to our nation’s veterans. Each cane is a treasured reminder that someone cares, someone notices, and someone appreciates what they’ve done.

I’ve seen firsthand the powerful effect that these canes have. Earlier in March, I was meeting with members of the Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars, and one of the gentlemen had with him a beautifully carved cane that caught my eye. Thinking it was the only of its kind, I asked him where he found something so unique. Needless to say, I was shocked and impressed to hear that, although it was personalized, it was one of thousands made in the same Windsor workshop.

But more telling was how quickly and enthusiastically the VFW members jumped to explain where the canes came from, and how glowingly they spoke of the project. They knew the history of the project, they described the meticulousness of the craftsmanship down to the finest detail, and they quickly gave me George’s name – their enthusiasm underscored their true appreciation for support and recognition this Eagle Cane project in Maine had given them. Burt, George, and Donna’s work is a true testament to the strength of our veterans’ community in Maine, and that, really, is what it’s all about.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

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The photos are courtesy of George and Donna Gunning.   

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