{"id":77144,"date":"2026-06-05T07:07:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T11:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/iraq-war-veteran-restores-japanese-garden-on-west-la-va-campus\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T07:07:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T11:07:27","slug":"iraq-war-veteran-restores-japanese-garden-on-west-la-va-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/iraq-war-veteran-restores-japanese-garden-on-west-la-va-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Iraq War Veteran Restores Japanese Garden on West LA VA Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

While the VA medical facility in West Los Angeles has faced years of disputes and construction setbacks, an Iraq War veteran has dedicated himself to restoring a Japanese garden situated within the sprawling campus grounds.<\/p>

The veteran’s efforts to rehabilitate the garden have persisted throughout the facility’s troubled period, providing what appears to be a peaceful refuge amid the ongoing institutional challenges.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Iraq War veteran has spent years working to restore a Japanese garden located on the expansive VA medical campus in West Los Angeles. The restoration project has continued despite ongoing controversies and construction delays affecting the facility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":77143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[831],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780657647829.png?fit=1%2C1&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-k4g","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":75402,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/iraq-veteran-transforms-abandoned-garden-into-healing-space-for-fellow-vets\/","url_meta":{"origin":77144,"position":0},"title":"Iraq Veteran Transforms Abandoned Garden Into Healing Space for Fellow Vets","author":"Admin","date":"June 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"An Iraq war veteran is spearheading efforts to restore a forgotten Japanese garden at a Veterans Affairs facility in West LA. John Follmer is working with other veteran volunteers to rehabilitate the neglected outdoor space on the campus.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44117,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/life-continues-near-iraq-iran-border-despite-ongoing-conflict\/","url_meta":{"origin":77144,"position":1},"title":"Life Continues Near Iraq-Iran Border Despite Ongoing Conflict","author":"Admin","date":"March 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"New photographs reveal how residents of Basra, Iraq are carrying on with everyday activities while war affects regional commerce. The images show port workers handling cargo, oil field operations, and border crossings under heightened security measures.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774794964370.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774794964370.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774794964370.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774794964370.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59675,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/combat-veteran-finds-healing-through-bourbon-and-mindful-tasting\/","url_meta":{"origin":77144,"position":2},"title":"Combat Veteran Finds Healing Through Bourbon and Mindful Tasting","author":"Admin","date":"April 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Iraq War veteran Fred Minnick discovered an unconventional path to managing his PTSD through bourbon appreciation and what he calls \"taste mindfulness.\" His journey from combat trauma to finding peace through mindful bourbon tasting is detailed in his new book.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36447,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/norfolk-university-professor-killed-in-shooting-was-combat-veteran-from-chesapeake\/","url_meta":{"origin":77144,"position":3},"title":"Norfolk University Professor Killed in Shooting Was Combat Veteran from Chesapeake","author":"Admin","date":"March 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, a 42-year-old Army ROTC professor at Old Dominion University, was fatally shot on campus Thursday. The Chesapeake native served as an Apache helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming a beloved mentor to students.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773440518518.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":31216,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/fort-campbell-military-families-navigate-mixed-feelings-about-iran-conflict\/","url_meta":{"origin":77144,"position":4},"title":"Fort Campbell Military Families Navigate Mixed Feelings About Iran Conflict","author":"Admin","date":"March 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Military families near Fort Campbell Army Base express conflicting emotions about the ongoing Iran war, balancing pride in their service members with concerns about safety. 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