Service and heart are the core of our company. Today we salute members of our SYNERGY HomeCare family who have proudly served to protect our freedom and have shown tremendous love for our country.
We pride ourselves in caring for veterans of all ages. Our owners diligently work to help veterans get the financial resources they have earned to help pay for their in-home care services. Many of our owners have caregivers who are specially trained to care for veterans who are living with physical or psychological conditions. We are committed to improving the quality of life for our clients. There is help available and our owners can direct you to additional community resource partners that can enhance the quality of your life. Please call 1-888-432-2692.
Veteran Salute – Mr. Woodley – Conroe TX
At 97, former Army Sgt. Clinton Ayer Woodley, is one of the oldest surviving members of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
Mr. Woodley enlisted in the army in 1940 and was stationed at Ft. Bliss, Texas where he patrolled the Texas-Mexico border on horseback. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was sent to the Pacific Theater where he participated in four campaigns during the War before being honorably discharged in 1945.
Last year, seventy years after his service, Mr. Woodley was awarded four medals for his service, including the Bronze Star Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal with four bronze service stars and the World War II Victory Medal.
It has been an honor for the SYNERGY HomeCare staff of Conroe, Texas to serve Mr. Woodley. We thank him for the many years of service he provided to protecting our country.
Veteran Salute- Mr. Ray Fitzgibbon – Seattle WA
“We are all part of a greater good.” This is a lesson Fitzgibbon learned in the Navy and one he lives by. The former Navy Lieutenant says the military stresses the importance of serving others – something he started doing when he enlisted in the service back in 1975 and continues to do with SYNERGY HomeCare today.
During Fitzgibbon’s time in the Navy, he was deployed to the Persian Gulf where he helped maneuver his ship safely through mine-filled waters off the coast of Iraq. These are the same waters where Saddam Hussein started the Kuwaiti oil fires.
For his bravery, he was awarded the Commendation Medal which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Ray Fitzgibbon now serves as a hero to his senior clients in Seattle, Washington. Thank you, Ray Fitzgibbon, we are proud of your service.
Active Reservist Salute – Mr. Matt Bratsburg – Omaha, NE
Matt Bratsburg continues to serve our Country while also serving his community as the owner of SYNERGY HomeCare in Omaha, Nebraska.
Matt is an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force Reserve. He is assigned to the Joint Reserve Intelligence Support Element which supports USSTRATCOM at Offutt, AFB, NE.
Matt enlisted in July 1995 shortly after graduating from high school. He was awarded a ROTC scholarship in 1998 and was commissioned as an officer in 2001. He has a total of 18 years of service (10 on active duty and 8 as a reservist).
Matt has deployed three times for a total of 18 months in support of the global war on terrorism. Matt has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Achievement Medal with an oak leaf cluster.
Matt joined the military 21 years ago and continues to serve today out of a sense of duty to support and defend the Constitution and to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Similarly, he serves as President and Owner of SYNERGY HomeCare of Omaha out of sense of duty to the members of his community who cannot fully care for themselves. Many of these individuals are fellow veterans for whom Matt considers it a special privilege to provide care.
Matt continues to serve his community as the owner SYNERGY HomeCare franchise in Omaha. Matt and his family live in Mead, NE with his wife, Mindy, and three children: Lilja (7), Bode (4), and Brogan (2).
Veteran Salute – Ms. Kerry Barkley – Milwaukee WI
Kerry Barkley of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is proud to be part of an elite group. She wasn’t a member of a Special Forces team, or involved in a clandestine military operations; she represented the small percentage of women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, only 1.4 percent of all female Americans have ever served in the armed services, compared to 13.4 percent of all male Americans.
Kerry Barkley joined the Army in 1982 — first as a reservist, then as an active-duty member. Barkley has the distinct honor of being named the first female Chaplain Assistant of the Jewish Chapel at the West Point Military Academy. Although she did not serve during wartime, Barkley was involved with many conflicts occurring in the 80s. She provided spiritual support to the thousands of soldiers.
SYNERGY HomeCare is proud to have Kerry Barkley as one of our clients.
Veteran Salute – Mr. Brian Walker – Memphis TN
Brian Walker is the owner of SYNERGY HomeCare of Memphis. Before entering the home care industry, Brian served 12 years in the United States Air Force. During his service, Brian was deployed to a classified location where he provided direct combat support during the Battle of Kamdesh, one of the bloodiest battles in the region. The attack resulted in the loss of eight American soldiers.
Several years later, Brian realized that most people go through life never knowing their purpose. Brian recognized most of the medals he earned were not for the things he did, but because of his dedication to helping others.
Brian now puts his passion for serving others into his SYNERGY HomeCare of Memphis franchise, by improving the quality of life for his clients and by giving back to his community.
Brian’s connection to the military continues to play a role in his life and his business. Through Brian’s dedication, his office was recognized by the Military Order of the Purple Heart as a Purple Heart business. This is the first Purple Heart designation of any office in the Home Care industry.
Mr. Walker currently serves as the Post Commander for the local VFW and has been named both AKK State and All-American Commander.
Thank you for your service, Brian Walker. You are a hero in our hearts.
Veteran Salute – Mr. Ken Darre – River Forest IL
Mr. Darre was a junior in high school when Pearl Harbor was attacked. As with many others of his generation, Ken felt the call of duty to his country. He was only 17 at the time, but since the services weren’t checking age closely, he enlisted in the Navy. After receiving his training as a hospital corpsman, he was stationed on a hospital ship in the Pacific. Mr. Darre was part of a team that treated and cared for the injured soldiers coming from the battlefields.
After the war, Ken returned home. While jobs were plentiful, Ken had his sights set on college, but he needed to finish high school first. At 21-years-old, he went back to Oak Park-River Forest High School to complete his senior year. He wasn’t the only one at his school to do this. It is extraordinary to think that battle-experienced men and women were going back to high school and sit next to 17 and 18-year-old kids. Ken completed high school, went to college, and had a successful career in public relations.
It’s an honor for our SYNERGY HomeCare team in Oak Park, Illinois to serve Mr. Ken Darren.
Veteran Salute – Mr. Christopher Broyles – Conyers GA
Christopher Broyles has dedicated his life to serving others. First, with the United States Air Force, and now as the owner of SYNERGY HomeCare in Conyers, Georgia.
Christopher joined the Air Force in 2002. He has been stationed all over the world, but it was during his deployment to Afghanistan, that this former USO Airman of the Year showed his bravery and commitment to his country. The former Staff Sgt. and his platoon helped save the lives of several Marines by rescuing them from their vehicles which had been struck by improvised explosive devices, all while engaging in a firefight with insurgents that surrounded the area. Christopher has received awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Combat Action Medal.
“I chose to serve my country to preserve the rights and freedoms of every United States citizen, help those in need, and to save the lives of my military family and the lives of innocent people around the world. I served to help make the world a better place.” Now Chris Broyles serves his community by providing in-home care for the elderly and disabled, allowing them to have the quality of life they deserve.
Thank you Christopher Broyles, for your service to our Country and to your community.
Veteran Salute – Mr. Matt Enderle
Matt’s journey began on August 23, 1982, at age 17, when he stepped on the yellow boot print stencils on the pavement at US Marine Recruit Depot – Paris Island, SC. During Matt’s active duty service, he was a radio operator with field artillery units in California, Japan, Korea, Philippines and Australia. During Enderle’s travels, the Marines taught him lessons in discipline, perseverance, and mental toughness, which helped him to meet the tests that life brings to all of us. Matt quickly learned that behind every met challenge is an open door with a new opportunity to be achieved.
After active duty service, Matt leveraged his experience in the Marines to meet his next goal, of earning a college degree. This degree provided Matt new opportunities to pursue a career in Human Resources with Fortune 500 companies. Currently Matt operates a SYNERGY HomeCare in the Richmond, VA area with his wife, Beth Pollard. With the traits he honed in the Marines, the valued partnership of his wife and the support of SYNERGY HomeCare and fellow franchise partners, new and unexpected doors will open as Matt continues his journey to continue to serve others.
In recognition of Veteran’s Day on November 11th and every day, we salute our active duty soldiers and the brave men and women who served before them.
