VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse dentist honors veterans in her own way
Dr. Joan Laura: Here comes somebody. Come on in! Come on in, sir!
Veteran: Hi, Doc!
Laura: Hey, hey! How are you doing?
Veteran: Good!
Joseph Duffey: Dr. Joan Laura welcomes veterans to her Eastwood Dental Office. Thirteen years ago, she started her Veteran’s Day special, where veterans can receive cleanings, fillings or extractions at no cost. Her special has helped over 450 veterans, accumulating over one hundred thousand dollars-worth of free dental care. Her reason? A simple thank you.
Laura: They have given up so much for us, and we live here in a free country because of these veterans, and it is the least I can do to say thank you.
Duffey: Some veterans have heard about what Eastwood does by word of mouth. But Marine Corps veterans like William Scott Parkhurst found out on 93Q radio and local news in Syrause and decided to visit for the first time.
William Scott Parkhurst: Last Thursday, I heard about this on the news, where veterans could have a tooth pulled or filled or cleaned for free to come up here. So, here I am.
Duffey: Dr. Laura comes from a line of Army servicemen. Her grandfaher, Anthony E. Ross, was a World War One veteran. And her father, John E. Laura, was a dentist in the Korean War. Before Korea, he established Eastwood in 1948. His character, Dr. Laura says, inspired her to care for all veterans, especially those with little benefits.
Michael Mulroy (Air Force Veteran): If you don’t do 20 years in the military, you don’t have dental insurance, and you can’t get your teeth cleaned, but she steps up and Dr. Laura steps up and takes care of the veterans in the area.
Duffey: Dr. Laura says her late father instilled a sense of patriotism in all of his children. However, she says that the annual event comes with slight regret.
Laura: I always say this with a tear in my eye. He passed away, and I thought about this the year after he passed, and he’s never been here with me, and he’s never seen me do this, and I would have loved it if he could have been in the waiting room with all those veterans.
Duffey: On Veteran’s Day, Dr. Joan Laura reminds Americans of the importance of service. And how you don’t have to be enlisted to pay it forward. Joseph Duffey, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Dr. Joan Laura of Eastwood Dental Office serves veterans by offering them cleanings, fillings, or extractions for free every Veteran’s Day.
The tradition started thirteen years ago and has helped over 450 veterans. The annual special has accumulated over $100,000-worth of free dental care.
Laura’s Veteran’s Day special is her way of thanking those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“They have given up so much for us, and we live here in a free country because of these veterans,” Laura said. “It is the least I can do to say thank you.”
There were veterans who were fairly new to Laura’s annual service. William Scott Parkhurst, a Marine Corps veteran, found out on 93Q radio and local news in Syracuse last week. Parkhurst could not help but take a morning visit for the first time.
“Last Thursday, I heard about this on the news, where veterans could have a tooth pulled or filled or cleaned for free to come up here,” Parkhurst said. “So, here I am.”
Veteran benefits depend on length of service, discharge status, or if a certain disability is connected to military service. That is why Michael Mulroy, an Air Force veteran, has returned for the fifth time at Eastwood.
“If you don’t do 20 years in the military, you don’t have dental insurance, and you can’t get your teeth cleaned,” Mulroy said. “[Dr. Laura] takes care of the veterans in the area.”
Laura comes from a line of Army servicemen. Anthony E. Ross, her grandfather, was a World War One veteran. And her father, John E. Laura, was a dentist in the Korean War. He created Eastwood Dental Office in 1948.
Her late father instilled a sense of patriotism in all of his children. However, she said the annual event comes with slight regret.
“I always say this with a tear in my eye. He passed away, and I thought about this the year after he passed, and he’s never been here with me, and he’s never seen me do this,” Laura said. “I would have loved it if he could have been in the waiting room with all those veterans.”
Laura’s work is a reminder to Americans about the importance of service and how one does not have to be enlisted to pay it forward.