Wayne Miller planned to compete in the Golden Age Games with his father as soon as he turned 55. But before they could compete together, his father died.
“I went ahead and went to the games in his honor,” the 58-year-old Marine said.
Miller returned to the games last month, one of about 700 veterans from across the country who competed in Birmingham, Ala. At the games, veterans 55 and older compete in a variety of sporting events and try to qualify for the Senior Olympics, Department of Veterans Affairs spokesman Frank Cimorelli said.
Wayne Miller
The Silver Spring resident has competed in the games twice. Injured in Vietnam, Miller has a prosthetic leg and shrapnel damage all over his body. When he was first injured at age 18, he was paralyzed from the neck down.
While he must use a wheelchair, Miller is one of a few veterans nationwide to participate in all four major Veterans Affairs events — the Golden Age Games, Wheelchair Games, the Creative Arts festival and the Winter Sports Clinic.
This year, he won a gold medal in discus, a silver in bowling and a bronze in horseshoes at the Golden Age Games.
“Dad, these ones are for you,” Miller, a counselor at the Silver Spring veterans affairs office, said he told himself after winning.
When he’s not competing, Miller stays fit by swimming, playing basketball, softball and sometimes doing tai chi.
While the games help him to stay in shape, Miller said the best part about them is the camaraderie that comes from so many veterans competing together.
“There was a time when World War II, Korean and Vietnam vets didn’t talk,” Miller said. “There was this great, silent embarrassment. And then, all of a sudden at these games guys are talking about their experiences. You’re back in a family again.”
Bernard Gibson
The 74-year-old from the District began competing in the Golden Age Games when he was 55. He has competed every year since.
He competes in table tennis, discus, shot put and a few jumping events.
An Army man who served in the Korean War, Gibson said he has “a bag full” of medals from the games he’s competed in.
“For anybody, it’s important to stay in shape and keep from getting stiff when you get old,” Gibson said. “You have to keep the blood pumping.”
James Milyko
Milyko, 64, is a Marine Corps veteran who was in Vietnam at the onset of the war. He is from Mount Rainier, Md., and participates in bowling, billiards, horseshoes and rifle shooting.
He stressed the friendships formed at the games.
“It’s fabulous,” he said. “Teammates go to support their teammates.”
The games do more than bring veterans together, though. They promote healthy, active lifestyles for veterans who may not enjoy life much anymore.
“The underlying principle is to stay active, to not just deteriorate in old age,” Milyko said. “[The games] show them that they can indeed compete and socialize and have a good time doing it.”
Milyko said he is always impressed by the older participants competing in strenuous events like the bike race — especially by one man, a previous roommate, who died this year but used to bike in the competition.
“He won a gold medal in the bike race and was as proud as he could be,” he said. “He peddled his heart out.”
Gary Cox
After taking a break for two years, Cox competed in the games for the second time this year.
He bowled, played billiards and shot air rifle. He came in fourth in billiards, but only three people were given awards.
“It’s been a very enjoyable time,” said the Cross Junction, Va., resident. “It’s a self-confidence builder, relaxer and a workout.”
Cox plans to attend the games the next two years, planned for Des Moines, Iowa, and Hawaii.
The 61-year-old served as a paratrooper in the Army during the Vietnam War.
Stanley Levy
Levy, 84, is a World War II Navy veteran.
This year — in his 15th year participating — he competed in two bike races, table tennis and discus. Although he didn’t win any medals, he said he usually brings back two to three each year. This year, he was slightly under the weather, he said.
The games help the New Carrollton resident stay fit and give him a chance to travel.
“I’m afraid to quit,” he said. “As long as I can, I’m going to try and stay active.”
