In October 2023, the Department of Veterans Assistance broke ground on the Charles Calvin Rogers State Veteran Nursing Facility.
The facility will be named in honor of a Southern West Virginia Vietnam Veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient: Fayette County native Charles Calvin Rogers. U.S Army Major General Rogers, a native of Claremont who died in 1990, earned the Medal of Honor following acts of heroism that took place near the Cambodian border on November 1, 1968. For more information about MG Rogers, see his full biography here.
The 120-bed, state-of-the-art nursing facility will be constructed through a combination of state and federal money. Construction is estimated to take 18 months to two years. Veterans in Southern West Virginia had appealed for this facility, and it became reality when Gov. Justice earmarked funds necessary for construction. The nursing facility will be financed via a grant administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Among many requirements, grant approval calls for land to be identified and state money to be in place. Gov. Justice’s administration made the Beckley property available as the facility’s site then set aside the required state funds.
The facility will utilize what is known as a small home model. Residents will live in 12-to-15-person communities that feature common rooms, kitchens, dining areas, and other amenities designed to emphasize dignified and autonomous living.
