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Woodcarvers Fashion Canes For Veterans  Patrick Hall of Manheim Township (center) thanks Lancaster County Woodcarvers’ president Phil Owen (left) and club member George Basehore for a custom cane made by Basehore. By Rick Hiduk When George Basehore of Middletown picked up woodcarving 12 years ago as a form of therapy after some surgery, he never imagined that his new hobby would eventually touch the lives of military veterans or that the stories they would share with him and other members of the Lancaster County Woodcarvers (LCW) would impact him. "A lot of these guys had never talked about their service, even to their families," Basehore related. He and other local carvers had started making custom-made canes and walking sticks for veterans and inviting the recipients to the organization's monthly meetings for a brief presentation. "When they came to pick their canes up, they felt comfortable telling stories that had never seen the light of day," said Basehore, who is also a member of the West Shore Woodcarvers of Mechanicsburg. Basehore read an article in a woodcarvers' trade magazine about a group in Oklahoma whose members were making canes for veterans and contacted them for more information and advice about organizing something similar in south-central Pennsylvania. LCW is now one of many groups across the country that produce the handmade canes, working closely with the Lebanon V.A. Medical Center to find men and women who can benefit from the program. To date, the club has made about 50 canes, including three for women. Interested readers may download a request form and see photos of past recipients at www.caneclub.org. Specific information such as military branch, service dates, rank, and the number of inches from the floor to the fold of the veteran's wrist are requested in order to personalize the gift. The canes are free. The majority of the canes are distributed locally, although they have been shipped across the country at the request of veterans' family members who live locally. If the veteran is unable to attend an LCW meeting, the carver will deliver the cane to him or her. The meetings are held at the Central Grill on Doe Run Road in Manheim on the last Tuesday of the month. Most of the canes and walking sticks have a bald eagle as a handle. The carvers often use a woodburning tool to inscribe the stick with personal information and phrases or logos that relate to the recipient or his or her former military task. "There's no two of them alike," said Basehore, adding that most of the canes, however, are embossed with "We, the people of the United States of America, thank you." Basehore related that the gifts are always well received and that the veterans are eager to show the canes to family members and neighbors. The carvers take a personal interest in each request because they want the piece to be as meaningful as it is useful. Basehore's tone became somber when he told of one veteran who learned that he was terminally ill shortly after receiving his cane, and who was so proud of it that he instructed his family to bury it with him. "It's very rewarding," said Basehore of his involvement with the project. He would like to see more people take an interest in woodcarving. "We're always looking for new carvers and new requests for canes," he stated. For more information, readers may contact Basehore at saaber41@verizon.net . Manheim Township Merchandiser - 01/13/2010  John Albright of Manheim Township (left) displays the cane carved for him by Lancaster County Woodcarvers member Mike Reed.  Photo by Rick Hiduk |
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