Bob Michel Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, a delivery driver noticed something peculiar on the clinic’s loading dock—a mysterious box wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. No label, no note, just an ordinary-looking package among stacks of medical supplies. The delivery driver picked up the box curiously but decided against opening it. Later that day, another neighbor passing by noticed the same package still sitting there. ‘Hey,’ they said, ‘didn’t you order some mystery package?’ The clinic staff eventually opened it—and found nothing more than a bag of donuts inside. Everyone laughed it off as a friendly prank.

2. One day, a delivery driver pulled up to the clinic and saw something odd: a small, perfectly folded American flag sitting on the steps. The delivery driver picked it up curiously and noticed an old-fashioned stamp with ‘Happy Fourth of July’ written in elegant script. He smiled, thinking someone must’ve forgotten it during the holiday rush. As he walked inside, a friendly nurse asked him if everything was okay—she’d seen him pause outside. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, ‘Just found our country’s spirit waiting for us!’

3. At night, when the clinic was quiet, a strange humming sound would occasionally echo through the empty corridors. No one could explain its source or make it stop. One evening, an elderly neighbor came over and said she heard the same humming too. Turned out her new hearing aid was set on maximum volume. Ever since then, whenever anyone hears the noise, they just smile and say, ‘Must be another patient testing their new device!’

4. One afternoon, a curious neighbor passing by asked aloud: ‘Why does that VA clinic seem to attract so many pigeons?’ A delivery driver overheard and joked, ‘Maybe those pigeons are veterans too, waiting for their appointments!’ Soon enough, everyone started calling it the ‘Bird VA,’ and whenever someone saw a flock gathering there, they’d say, “Looks like today’s winged vets are in for therapy!”