Rock Steady, a New Word for Resiliency

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES

06.03.2020

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Kleynia McKnight 

Defense Department Support to FEMA COVID-19       

U.S. Army Capt. Eric L. Dungan bid an honorable farewell to World War II and Korean War veteran Sgt. George Crouch in the presence of hospital staff and military medical personnel assigned to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y, May 15, 2020.

Crouch was discharged after being hospitalized for more than 25 days battling and ultimately defeating COVID-19.

Dungan and Crouch’s journey began May 1, 2020, just days after the death of Crouch’s wife of over 43 years. Both Crouch and his wife were admitted to the hospital due to complications related to COVID-19.

Crouch’s tragedy brought him closer with Capt. Dungan – who was serving at Jacobi as a social worker as part of Department of Defense’s support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local and state authorities during the response to COVID-19.

“When I first met [Crouch], I was informed that his will was broken. He had given up and that he had allowed the disease to take over his body and mind. However, that changed when we began to slowly build a relationship by sharing our military experiences,” said Dungan. “[He] taught me the term ‘rock steady,’ so we started to say ‘rock steady’ on a regular basis just to make sure that we both knew that what we want is the same mission at that point; for him to get better.”

While medical providers and social workers provided a sound care plan, it was determined to be less than effective. Crouch needed a little more motivation to get him on the right track. Little did they know the relationship Crouch and Dungan were building was a care plan that no one could draw up, and that no prescribed medication could aid.
Dungan, along with military members assigned to Jacobi and six other area hospitals, took “duty, honor, and country” to a degree that only soldiers in the battlefield typically witness, according to Crouch’s daughter, Kai Adwoa-Tomas

“There was an instant comparability between the military members and my father,” said Adwoa-Tomas. “Whereas there is definitely a difference in the time period in which my father and the other military personnel served, there was definitely commonality that assisted with his recovery.”

The day Crouch was discharged from Jacobi, an honor walk was held at the entrance. The hospital staff and military members assigned there for COVID response, stood side-by-side displaying a sense of joy and respect for the COVID survivor. The memories created at Jacobi between Crouch and his military medical care team will follow through to his next chapter in life.

• Date Taken: 06.03.2020
• Date Posted: 06.06.2020 12:14
• Story ID: 371405
• Location: NEW YORK, NY, US