Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently honored war veterans during the grand opening of the Jones and Cabacoy Veterans Care Center in Virginia Beach.
There, he thanked the men and women who served in the U.S. military with the event coinciding with Veterans Day.
One in 12 Virginians is a veteran, with 700,000 of them living in the state.
"The Jones and Cabacoy Care Center is more than a care center," said Youngkin. "It is a building that reflects our commitment to serve those who serve us."
The care center opened its doors to the public after six years. The long-term care and rehab facility for veterans is the third of its kind in Virginia.
It was named after Filipino-American Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Cabacoy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010, and Air Force Col. William Jones III — a World War II, Korea and Vietnam hero who died in a plane crash in 1969.
The families of the two spoke during the opening ceremony.
"I’m sure they would've made a great team in life," said Anne Jones-Gilfillian, Jones' daughter. "But now they’re together looking over all you veterans who are so fortunate to live and have this magnificent place."
Said Tami, widow of Staff Sgt. Christopher Cabacoy: "Welcome to a place that would not just mend wounds but also bring back laughter filled moments. Those laughter-filled moments that make life worth living. Let’s honor Christopher Cabacoy and Col. Jones by ensuring that every person who walks thru these doors receives the care and support they truly deserve."
The veterans care center sits on a 26-acre piece of land, donated by the City of Virginia Beach.
The 128-bed facility features all private rooms, with indoor and outdoor common areas, occupational therapy space and an in-house pharmacy.
The center is equipped for short-term rehabilitative care, which can accommodate a stay of up to 100 days, and long-term care, including a secure memory care unit.
Tami Cabacoy said the facility means so much to her and to her family, as it not only bears the name of her late husband – but it also represents many other Filipinos who died in the service.
"It's an honor to be a part of this facility, to not only welcome veterans but to heal them, for them to receive the care they properly deserve and a home environment," she added. "It's nice that it represents a Filipino name. For it to be on a building it’s beyond words."