WESTFIELD, Ind. -- For Westfield chiropractor Dr. Soong Ahn, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 bring back horrific memories.
He was there in New York for his first day of orientation at New York Chiropractic College when the planes struck the twin towers.
“I’m sitting in my first classroom and our secretary runs into our office, screaming and yelling, saying everyone needs to go home because a plane flew into the World Trade Center,” says Dr. Ahn.
Now a Carmel resident, who has offices in Westfield, Plainfield and Greenfield, he promised he would always do something to honor everyone who fought as a result of 9/11.
So when he opened his first practice here in Indiana 13 years ago, he decided he would treat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan at no cost when they returned.
He has been doing that ever since.
“In any given month, we see probably two to four Iraq or Afghanistan veterans. So in a given year, our company sees up to 30 veterans a year.”
That adds up to several hundred veterans treated for free through Dr. Soong Ahn and his practices.
“It’s really heart-warming to be honest with you,” Ahn says. “We think of people who have fought in war as people who have lost their arms, lost their legs, but we don’t consider other types of injuries.”
Dr. Ahn says carrying one hundred pounds of gear at all times has long-lasting effects and added stress on your body.
When he tells veterans they don’t have to pay for their treatment, he says most people cry.
“For these people, bombs are exploding next to them, but they’re crying in my office, thanking me, telling me this is the nicest thing somebody’s ever done for them since they got back.”
The Westfield chiropractor says he’s thankful he’s able to provide care for the brave service men and women and feels like he’s doing his part in this ongoing conflict.
Ahn’s Westfield office is at 17441 Carey Rd. Ahn’s wife, Caroline, is a music professor at Anderson University.
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