East Tower renamed for veterans Blanchet, Phillis

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - After receiving a sizable contribution from anonymous donors, CentraState Medical Center has renamed its East Tower in memory of two local veterans.

In a dedication ceremony held on Sept. 25, hospital officials unveiled a new sign renaming the East Tower the Blanchet-Phillis Memorial Tower.

According to a press release, the hospital received a combined gift of $1.5 million from a group of anonymous donors.

"To honor the group's wishes, the CentraState Healthcare System has dedicated the hospital's East Tower to the memory of Thomas Blanchet and William Phillis for their service to our country," John T. Gribbin, president and CEO of the health-care system, said in the release.

Thomas Blanchet's son, Bill, was expected to speak at Monday's ceremony. In prepared remarks he said, "Even though today we are honoring two of our family members who served their country in protecting its freedom, this is also an opportunity to thank all the men and women who served in the past, and who are serving today. ... We, the family, wish to thank all the donors who made this day possible."

Blanchet, who died last year at the age of 87, was a member of the CentraState Healthcare System and the CentraState Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees. He also served on the board of directors for the YMCA of Western Monmouth County.

According to the press release, Blanchet served in the U.S. Marines Corps and fought in the battle of Sugar Loaf Hill in Okinawa during World War II. He was one of the few rifle company commanders to survive the battle, while his company suffered 80 percent casualties. Blanchet's sixth Marine Division was later honored with a Presidential Unit Citation, the highest unit award conferred by the United States.

Phillis, who was Blanchet's brother-in-law, was born in Ohio in 1923 and raised in Atlantic County. According to the press release, Phillis was a bombardier/navigator for the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II.

After being shot down over Germany in December 1944, Phillis was captured and spent six months as a prisoner of war. After the camp's liberation by the Russian Army, Phillis returned to the United States in 1945.

In 1951, he was recalled to active duty as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, serving in the Korean War as a B-29 bombardier/navigator. His aircraft was shot down by a Russian-piloted MiG near the North Korea and China border in 1952. Phillis was 28 years old when he was declared missing in action and later presumed to have died in that mission. Phillis was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Air Medal, according to the release.

Storyboards depicting the wartime experiences of Blanchet and Phillis are on view in the main lobby of the medical center.

The Blanchet-Phillis Memorial Tower was built in 1993 and doubled the size of CentraState Medical Center at the time. According to the release, the tower currently houses some of the most used clinical services including emergency; labor, delivery and recovery; pediatrics; oncology; medical/surgical; cardiology, respiratory care; dialysis; case management; infection control; and The Novo Nordisk Diabetes Center.

The $1.5 million donation will go toward a $10 million capital campaign which was kicked off earlier this year by the CentraState Healthcare Foundation. The gift will be used toward the con-struction of a 175,000-square-foot ambulatory campus which will include Centra-State's Health Awareness Center.

Construction is under way for the project and is expected to be completed in late 2007.