Hospice of the Valley patient Donald Krause (center) is honored for his military service with a Salutes visit from volunteer Charles Simmons and social worker Roberta Fellows.
Hospice of the Valley patient Donald Krause (center) is honored for his military service with a Salutes visit from volunteer Charles Simmons and social worker Roberta Fellows.
Lovin' Life
March 1, 2026
by Lin Sue Flood
As an Air Force One pilot, Donald Krause lived by a strict mandate: Land within 30 seconds of the scheduled touchdown. Ronald Reagan trusted him so much that when Donald tried to retire, he urged the Korea and Vietnam War veteran to stay on. The president needed Donald’s help fixing the national air defense.
A year later, Donald finally hung up his uniform with a unique parting gift: the receiver of the red rotary phone he had used to speak directly with the president.
Hospice of the Valley social worker Roberta Fellows began visiting her 92-year-old patient a few months ago. As she got to know him, she discovered a lifetime of accolades from his Air Force career including surviving several shoot-downs in Vietnam. I kept trying to convince him that there should be some recognition for that, Roberta recalled.
But Donald resisted. All I ever did was just do my job, the Surprise resident said. I don’t know what the fuss is about. Recently, his son and daughter-in-law persuaded him to accept a Salutes visit from fellow veteran and Hospice of the Valley volunteer Charles Simmons. The Hospice of the Valley program was created to honor veterans for their years of military service and sacrifice.
To everyone’s surprise, Charles had been Reagan’s operation room nurse during the president’s 1985 cancer surgery. That shared connection serving one of the nation’s most respected commanders in chief made the tribute especially meaningful.
“It was a wonderful experience,” Charles said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Donald’s son, David, has cherished hearing stories his father had never shared until now. He’s also grateful to Donald’s care team for being outstanding and providing every little bit of support we’ve ever needed physical, social, emotional and spiritual. The Salutes tribute, he said, was the cherry on top.
To join Hospice of the Valley’s Saluting Our Veterans program, visit hov.org/volunteer or call (602) 636-6336.
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