Jack and Jesse Kennedy, 98-year-old twin brothers and Army veterans, reunited Monday at Pennybyrn Nursing Homes in High Point, North Carolina, after years apart. Their family had hoped the brothers could see each other again.
According to WBAL News Radio, Bayada Hospice, based in High Point, facilitated the reunion by physically bringing Jack to Pennybyrn Nursing Homes so he could see Jesse. Bobby Ashley, who is affiliated with Bayada Hospice, said watching the two brothers together was deeply moving. Jack's son, Craig Kennedy, described walking into the room and seeing both of them holding each other's hand.
A Bond Sharpened by Dementia
In WXII 12's account, Craig Kennedy said his father often spoke about Jesse and that he believed Jesse sometimes asked about his father, too. Kennedy said the brothers' connection was apparent as both began experiencing the effects of dementia.
WXII 12 reported that the brothers grew up in Thomasville, North Carolina, and worked jobs including tobacco farming before joining the U.S. Army together. Craig Kennedy recalled that they served at Camp Polk in Louisiana. He also thought they may have been stationed at Fort Monmouth in Georgia, but presented that recollection as uncertain.
Service Recognized Decades Later
Their time in the Army was formally recognized during the visit, with the brothers receiving certificates and pins honoring their military service, as WXII 12 reported alongside Craig Kennedy's recollections of the twins' Army postings. For a family that has watched two brothers age together, apart, and now side by side again, the small ceremony added a formal note to an otherwise intimate reunion.
What official sources establish
For questions about hospice transportation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says Medicare-covered hospice services must be consistent with a plan of care. That general guidance does not establish how Bayada arranged or paid for Jack Kennedy's visit.
The U.S. Army's Fort Polk history traces Camp Polk's creation to facilities that arose from the Louisiana Maneuvers. That provides historical context, but does not confirm the twins' individual postings; the history does not identify records that could verify their assignments.
The family described the reunion as a positive moment and said they believed the world could use more of them. For Craig Kennedy and the rest of the family, seeing the brothers together again was a meaningful occasion.
