Genealogy program devised by Sons of American Revolution proves therapeutic for wounded warriors

Dec. 18--When A. Parks Honeywell learned about a genealogical program that bolstered the spirits of wounded soldiers, he felt compelled to see if he could start one.

The seasonal resident of the north country has seen his efforts succeed in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area where nearly 50 soldiers at the James A. Haley VA Polytrauma Center have discovered the power of family research to help them with their psychological wounds.

Now, Mr. Honeywell hopes the program, Operation Ancestor Search, can be expanded for more injured veterans at Fort Drum, which began a program a few months ago.

"Family research is a wonderful hobby for anyone," Mr. Honeywell said in a phone interview from his home in Trinity, Fla. "It's an all-encompassing, all-engrossing hobby that takes your mind to another place."

Operation Ancestor Search is a free genealogy program offered to injured service members in military hospitals, veterans hospitals and armed forces retirement homes across the country. OAS began in 2011 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., as a program of the District of Columbia chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, a nonprofit patriotic, historical and educational organization headquartered in Louisville, Ky.

Mr. Honeywell, who lives on Norway Island in Goose Bay near Alexandria Bay from June through October, hosted a meeting in July with officials from Fort Drum's Warrior Transition Batallion to explain OAS.

Maj. Jennifer C. Farrell, operations officer of the battalion, said there are 49 soldiers in the unit who are taking part in OAS. She has seen therapeutic results for soldiers.

"That's one of the reasons why we supported it," Maj. Farrell said. "It can make our soldiers realize they are part of a wider community. It lets them see how much bigger the world is that they are part of."

Some military staff members of the battalion also have taken advantage of the program, Maj. Farrell said.

Mr. Honeywell is a graduate of SUNY Maritime College in Throggs Neck, the Bronx. He was commissioned as an ensign in the Naval Reserve in 1956. He went to work for Westinghouse Electric Corp. and its commercial nuclear power division right after college. But the engineer spent 14 years as an inactive officer in the Naval Reserve. He is active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

"I just have a heart for veterans in general, but specifically for wounded warriors," said Mr. Honeywell. "I think OAS is one of the most worthy programs that the Sons of the American Revolution has ever devised."

Shortly after it was created, the OAS program at Walter Reed became very popular among wounded warriors and their caregivers. SAR chapters around the nation began sponsoring OAS programs, which are funded by a grant by ancestry.com.

Today, OAS operates at 14 military medical centers and wounded warrior organizations. Nationwide, OAS volunteers have worked with more than 500 wounded warriors and their family members.

Mr. Honeywell, who moved to Florida in 1989, has been a member of the Clearwater, Fla., chapter of the SAR for the past 15 years. He also was instrumental in creating a SAR chapter in the north country.

The Thousand Islands chapter of the Empire State Society of SAR was created this year with an installation of officers ceremony held in October. Mr. Honeywell is the chapter's president.

"I have time available," said Mr. Honeywell, whose wife, Lois M., died in 2009. "There's nothing better to forget problems that I might imagine I have than in serving others."

Mr. Honeywell, 80, learned about the OAS program in April.

"My thought was gosh, I can get that going in Florida," he said.

The James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital has wounded veterans in two main units, Mr. Honeywell said. The Tampa Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center is one of five facilities in the country designed to provide intensive rehabilitative care to veterans and service members. The hospital also is home of the Michael Bilirakis Department of Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injury Center.

After starting the OAS chapter at the hospital, Mr. Honeywell selected three assistants. All volunteer their services. Mr. Honeywell, whose home in Trinity is a 45-minute drive to the James A. Haley hospital, estimates he spends about 20 hours a week with the OAS program.

The volunteers work with patients to obtain free ancestry.com software and explain how to do family tree research.

Many service members, Mr. Honeywell said, are surprised to discover they had relatives who served in the military, some as far back as the Revolutionary War. But the program also offers benefits, that for veterans, hit closer to home.

"It puts them in touch with their family because you can't do this without making family connections," Mr. Honeywell said. "They don't go back very far until they realize that they don't know their grandmother's maiden name or where she was born -- that sort of thing. That means they have to be in touch with their families. Some of these soldiers aren't that connected to their families. Some are downright estranged. This gives them an opportunity to place themselves back into the family."

Mr. Honeywell said it's also rewarding to see wounded warriors making use of down time as they recover.

"I just can't imagine how difficult it must be for them to be in that situation and not to have anything that they can do with their time," he said.

Mr. Honeywell said anyone who wants more information on OAS or is interested in volunteering can contact him by writing to him at parkshoneywell@gmail.com or by calling him at 315-212-9077.

The OAS volunteers provide genealogy assistance to soldiers who request it in conducting their research.

Mr. Honeywell said people also can contact him if they are interested in more information on the Thousand Islands chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

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