Veterans Home in line for upgrades
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

By Doug Wilson
Herald-Whig Senior Writer
Tammy Duckworth visited the Illinois Veterans Home Tuesday night with a vision about how she plans to improve the local care facility and the rest of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
Calling the Quincy home "the flagship" of the four Illinois veterans homes, Duckworth plans to see Fifer Infirmary open later this year after mold problems are solved. Then she hopes to have a systematic upgrade of other buildings at the home.
"I want to make sure all the buildings are up to standards," said Duckworth, appointed director in December. "This might be where I end up living some day."
A veteran of the war in Iraq, Duckworth spent 13 months in military hospitals after she lost her legs when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down. Now in her mid-30s, Duckworth sees other veterans as her comrades in arms and wants to see the state and nation live up to the promises made to veterans.

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