FREDERICA, De. - Eugenia "Gene" Thornton has a long history of service to her country; the Frederica resident joined the US Army during the Vietnam War. "When I first joined, women were not really in the army, women were in the WAC Corp, the Women's Army Corp," explained Thornton. "What they wanted to do was to have women actually be integrated and serve in the same branches that the men served in. So I was in group one women's officer orientation course one (WOOC 1). I was in the first group of women to serve in male positions." Thornton was commissioned as a direct commission officer, served in Korea, and was in country during Desert Storm. During her time in the army, Gene rose to the rank of Colonel, which she tells us was "kind of a big deal," as only a handful of women or so held such a position. When Thornton returned stateside, she was found to be suffering from Desert Storm Syndrome, a prominent condition affecting some Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems. "After the Gulf War, I began to not be able to physically do some things. My hair fell out, I had rashes, I had holes come [through my skin], there's a hole there a hole there on the right side of my body -- it turned out that I was under a cloud of sarin gas for three days," recalled Thornton. Despite the ailments that followed her from the Gulf War, Thornton made it home, as did her husband Donovan "Don" Jagger. The pair met at Fort Riley in Kansas; Don, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, serving through the Vietnam era (stationed in Germany) all the way through the Gulf War as well. Thornton says he also suffered illness due his time in the desert; she says Jagger suffered from dementia, and believes that it was a result of exposure to sarin, though she says VA doctors never concretely confirmed her hunch. It was Jagger who inspired her work at the Delaware Veterans Home in Kent County. The couple's Vizsla dog, named Dolly, would accompany Gene to visit Jagger when he became too ill to live at home. Their family dog, turned into a source of comfort for others after Gene took Dolly to National Capital Therapy Dogs for training so that she could visit with other veterans. "When you go in, and you see them light up, they smile. Even those who don't know how to smile, you can see it in their eyes, you can see their faces relax," explained Thornton who says she and Dolly have been able to log hundreds of hours visiting with veterans. "There's a lot of things that happen when you take a dog into any facility. They bring happiness, they bring joy, [and] they bring a bright spot to an otherwise dull day." Jagger passed away after his battle with dementia last August. Thornton says that some days, he would not recognize her, but would perk up at the site of Dolly or at the sound of her bark. She says that her inspiration to do this work, also helps keep her husbands legacy alive. "I know my husband wanted to leave the world a better place than he found it. He stated that as a military officer himself, he stated that afterwards, and he stated that with his actions. So I know he would appreciate the overall concept of it," she explained, adding that while it helps her fellow veterans, it's been beneficial for her as well. "When you're in the military, a lot of us have this saying about "still serving." Still serving is important to a veteran, to make a difference in your life, in the lives of other veterans, and in your community." The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) launched the #StillServing campaign in to bring attention to and honor the continued commitment and sacrifice of America’s veterans. For some of those men and women, dogs have played – or continue to play – an important role. The VFW is encouraging veterans and service members to share stories on social media with #StillServing to show how they continue to answer the call to serve in their communities. Gene not only continues to serve her fellow veterans, but also her community at large. Thornton served as President of the Southern Delaware Heart Association for 5 years, and was a Kent County Planning Commissioner for 13 years. She currently serves on the board of the Friends of the Delaware Public Archives and is active in the Fund for Women, serving on the grant committee 3 years and currently works on a collaborative committee to keep girls in school. And if that wasn't enough, she is also the President of the Dover Chapter of the Military Officer Association of America. While it has been quite some time since they have been able to return to the veterans home, it's something Thornton says she hopes they will be able to do soon. "I can relate to them, and plus my husband being a military historian, I am able to relate to even the World War II veterans. They had one that served in Italy and I was able to relate to him. I feel what they felt, even though I was in a different war, and I know what it's like to serve as they do. So it helps me to better therapy dog team when I go to the veterans home, and I have an affinity for it and enjoy going there as well," Thornton told us. While her husband may be gone, he is certainly not forgotten. Don and Gene, who served our country, are still giving to their community, with the help of their beloved four-legged companion.
To learn more about #StillServing, click here.