PENDLETON, Ore.-The first day of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 922 Cowboy Breakfast in Pendleton’s Stillman Park kicked off Round-Up week bright and early on September 16.
Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) is the media sponsor for the Cowboy Breakfast and KUMA News/Talk Radio FM 96.5/1290 AM broadcast live from Stillman Park, with Marty Campbell and guest host Mackenna Naughton interviewing some GSHCS doctors.
Doctors Matthew Thompson and Dennis Su spoke about some of the services offered and recent technological advancements in surgery and treatment at GSHCS.
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon Matthew Thompson, MD, FAAOS, FAAHKS, is one of four Orthopedic Surgeons on the GSHCS Orthopedics team that also includes two Podiatrists, as well as two Physiatrists.
“We have a state-of-the-art facility and we’re working on bringing in leading edge technology to offer the very best to this community,” said Dr. Thompson, of the Good Shepherd Orthopedics building, operating suites, and robotic technology used for hip and knee replacement surgery.
Dr. Thompson is certified in Mako Robotic surgeries and has a background in orthopedic oncology, treating tumors of the musculoskeletal system.
“We use robotic surgery to do joint replacements, and the technology helps us make a precise plan that meets the patient’s anatomy, so that we can be very precise and create the best joint reconstruction we can,” said Dr. Thompson.
While he hopes no one is injured at the Round-Up this week, Dr. Thompson went on to discuss some common orthopedic injuries, including bone fractures and ligament damage, common to rodeo competitors.
Board-Certified Vascular Surgeon Dennis Su, MD, who has 15 years of knowledge and expertise, is one of only about 3,000 vascular surgeons in the country, and the first in Eastern Oregon, talked with Campbell and Naughton about vascular health.
“The vascular system affects the whole body,” said Dr. Su. “It’s the vessels, arteries, and veins from head to toe – everything except the heart and brain.”
Good Shepherd Vascular Surgery treats aneurysms, stroke, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and many more conditions.
Specializing in vascular surgery, Dr. Su utilizes newer technology that hasn’t been present in the area before, including removing blood clots by needle without making big incisions.
Dr. Su also tries to take a holistic, preventative approach with his patients by educating them about the importance of movement and circulation, and trying to modify vascular conditions, so that a patient doesn’t always need surgery.
“The body is unique and can generate its own collateral,” said Dr. Su, who treats a lot of poor circulation in the legs. “Your best friend is walking, and I’m your second-best friend, I’m always here when you need me.”
Cowboy Breakfast: A Round-Up tradition
Organized by VFW Post 922, the Cowboy Breakfast, consisting of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and more has been held in Pendleton’s Stillman Park during the Pendleton Round-Up since 1949.
“During World War II there was rationing and people were kind of isolated,” explained Roger Rasico, an Army Veteran and member of VFW Post 922, who served in Vietnam. “Once the war ended, things exploded and people converged on Pendleton for the Round-Up.”
The Round-Up Association worked with the VFW to develop the breakfast when local restaurants were overwhelmed by the influx of visitors to Pendleton during the Round-Up.
According to Rasico, VFW members and volunteers built the pavilion and the original wood-fired grills in Stillman Park, which were eventually replaced by iron grills from the old Army base at the Pendleton Airport, which have now been replaced by gas grills.
The Cowboy Breakfast is VFW Post 922’s only fundraiser of the year and over 800 volunteer hours go into making the event a success, with more than 4,000 people served during Round-Up week.
“It’s been a great experience, I really enjoy it,” said Rasico. “We’ve got great veterans and volunteers, some of which have been coming for 40 or 50 years.”
The Cowboy Breakfast is an opportunity for the Pendleton community and those in town from across the country and around the world to come together before the Round-Up.
For Roesch Kishpaugh, a Marine Corps Veteran and member of VFW Post 922, who served in Vietnam, the communal aspect of the Cowboy Breakfast is what continues to stand out year after year.
Kishpaugh has been attending the breakfast since the early 1950’s and recalls meeting people from Wisconsin and Germany over the years, as well as families that return every September.
“It’s a very good event,” said Kishpaugh. “One of the best parts is you pay once but can go back and get as much food as you want.”
The VFW Post 922 Cowboy Breakfast in Stillman Park continues through September 19, with breakfast served from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. daily.
2026 marks the 116th year of the Pendleton Round-Up, an event that annually draws over 50,000 people to Pendleton.
Stillman Park is located at 413 SE Byers Avenue in Pendleton.
