Patient Stories

Hospice Brings Peace for World War II Veteran and Family

Tony was a young teenager when he and his younger brother George boarded a boat from Hong Kong to Canada. Neither spoke English, but they were destined for Fall River, where they were originally from.

“They had little name tags on their coats that said, ‘Hi, my name is Tony’ – ‘My name is George.’ And they sailed across the ocean that way,” said Tony’s son Marty.

They had moved to China years earlier so that their mother – who was dying of tuberculosis – could be closer to her family. But once Japan invaded China in the early days of World War II, Tony and George were sent on the long voyage back to America – first by boat, then by train.

They eventually found their way home, went to school, and found jobs. When Tony turned 18, he signed up for the Army… only to be turned down.

“He weighed 103 pounds and needed to be 105,” said Marty. “So he went next door to the Navy. And they took him.”

Tony’s service in the Navy put him in the middle of historic moments during the war. He was aboard the USS Vicksburg at the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he witnessed the iconic flag raisings. The ship and her crew later supported the attack on Okinawa and were among the fleet in Tokyo Bay for Japan’s formal surrender in 1945.

But it would take decades for Tony to feel comfortable sharing details of those experiences with his family.

His daughter Connie had once tried to extract details. “I got to the sticky parts about the war and he started welling up. I never saw him do that before. He couldn't go on.”

Tony’s wife Josephine would tell their children that he would still wake up about once a month – into his 90s – having nightmares about what he saw.

The family credits two things with eventually getting him to open up. The first was a next-door neighbor and fellow war veteran, with whom he could trade stories.

The other was in 2018, when Tony and others were officially honored with Congressional Gold Medals for Chinese-American World War II Veterans. The recognition prompted Tony to reflect – even if painfully at times – about what he had experienced.

Until then, his three children knew him as a mechanical designer who spent his career working on textile machines.

“He always thought in 3D – one of the best design guys out there,” said Marty.

He was always smiling and loved telling bad jokes that he found hysterical.

He and his wife, Josephine, were married for 72 years before she died in 2024. She was cremated, and the urn was brought back to their assisted living apartment – where Tony would make sure flowers were always nearby, and would acknowledge her whenever he walked past: “Hi Mama… Love you Mama.”

“He knew he was safe.”

In early 2026, just shy of his 102nd birthday, Tony was in the hospital and his family was in crisis. He had hurt his back in a fall and developed pneumonia. But more than that, Tony just wasn’t himself – acting delirious in ways his children didn’t recognize. In hindsight, they realized he was approaching end of life, and the stresses of the hospital environment were taking a toll.

At first, they weren’t sure what they were going to do. But then they learned about hospice, and agreed to have Tony brought to the Care Dimensions Hospice House.

“As soon as he went through the doors, something clicked,” recalled daughter Linda. “He knew he was safe. And the nurses immediately made him comfortable.”

“I am happy here. I like it here,” Tony told his children.

It was a complete reversal from the man they had been with over the previous few days.

The spacious rooms and open guest policy gave Tony’s large family room to gather. Grandchildren flew in to visit and say goodbye – while sharing old funny stories.

“At one point, we asked how many people were allowed in the room, because there were so many of us. And the staff said it wasn’t a problem,” said Connie. “That was a gift for the whole family.”

The family was also able to bring the small urn with the cremated remains of Josephine. Having her there added another layer of comfort during Tony’s final days.

At the end, Linda knew her father was at peace. “I told him: Papa, it’s time for you to be with Mom. You don’t have to fight anymore… We’re going to be okay. And you’re going to be okay.”

Caregiver Guide Brought Comfort and Understanding

Looking back, Tony’s three children reflected on how the peaceful environment at the hospice house led to their father being comfortable enough to share a few final laughs with them… something they were not sure they’d get after seeing his decline in the hospital.

At the house, the family said they were also grateful to better understand what Tony was going through. Staff were always checking in to answer questions, and they also found a caregiver booklet, which walked through what to expect at end-of-life, immensely helpful.

“I read through it and couldn’t believe it,” said son Marty. “It was describing exactly how my dad was acting and what he was going through.”

Added Linda: “That booklet saved our state of mind. It calmed us all down because we said, ‘OK, this is normal. We get it.’”

Above all, the siblings agreed that their tight-knit family helped carry them through the entire experience.

“I have fabulous siblings,” said Linda. “It was difficult, but we were a good team. We didn't fight. We just did what we had to do.”

View the caregiver booklet that helped Tony's family better understand his journey.