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About an hour before Gov. Mike Parson became one of the last governors in the country to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, I was texting with an old friend.

Her father is a retired veteran. He lives at the Missouri Veterans Home in Bellefontaine Neighbors.

For the past few weeks, amid the coronavirus pandemic, things have been tough for the veterans there, and the loved ones who can no longer visit.

鈥淭he families have appointments to wave at the loved ones through the glass window,鈥� she told me. 鈥淭hey are miserable. Families and vets.鈥�

Nearly three years ago, Parson turned his full attention to the veterans living at the seven veterans homes in the state, but to the North County home in particular, where bad management had put the lives of the elderly veterans who lived there in danger.

In the Republican鈥檚 long career as a rural sheriff, then a state representative, state senator and, at the time, lieutenant governor, it was a moment of leadership that stood out. To stand up for a vulnerable population, Parson took on his boss, then-Gov. Eric Greitens, and through his actions, forced him to act.

As families complained to him of the bad management, and the attempts by the Missouri Veterans Commission to shut them up, Parson launched his own investigation. The investigation results were emailed to reporters, including me, and Parson鈥檚 office continued to work with veterans鈥� families and other 鈥渃ritics鈥� to ramp up pressure on Greitens to do the right thing.

Eventually, about a week after Parson held his own news conference demanding change at the top, and after Missouri鈥檚 two U.S. senators, Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Roy Blunt, demanded an investigation, Greitens conceded. He replaced the members of the Missouri Veterans Commission. They fired the general who ran the homes, and a new director replaced the management at the troubled north 51黑料 County facility.

But before he did that, Greitens directed some snark his critics鈥� way.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need more meaningless letters from career politicians,鈥� he wrote to Blunt and McCaskill in a tone that was purely Trumpian. 鈥淲hat we need is action.鈥�

Three years, later, Parson finds the shoe on the other foot.

Nearly every county that has a veterans home has reported a positive case of COVID-19, or more than one, or will soon, as the number of cases has spread to 76 of Missouri鈥檚 114 counties. The number is growing by the day. At the time of Friday鈥檚 news conference, 19 people had died statewide from COVID-19. For weeks, Parson had resisted issuing a 鈥渟tay-at-home鈥� order like those issued in Missouri鈥檚 biggest cities and in nearly every state in the country. The state鈥檚 top medical professionals, from the Missouri State Medical Association to the Missouri Nurses Association, the Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence, the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Missouri Hospital Association had all pushed him to issue the order for a week or more.

Republicans like St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann called for the order. So did Democratic state Auditor Nicole Galloway, who is running to be her party鈥檚 candidate for governor.

But Parson, like Greitens three years, ago, not only resisted, he lashed out at his critics, including on the day when he reversed course and issued the order.

鈥淥ver the past several weeks many have supported the decisions I have made, and some have criticized,鈥� Parson said Friday. He said his previous social distancing order was 鈥渆xactly where Missouri needed to be at that time.鈥�

The nation鈥檚 top scientist leading the battle against the coronavirus begged to differ.

A couple of hours before Parson issued his order, Dr. Anthony , 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why that鈥檚 not happening,鈥� in regard to the last few Republican governors who were holding out.

So intent was Parson on Friday to not give his critics an inch, he went so far as to criticize those mayors and governors 鈥� many of them Republicans 鈥� who dared to issue a stay-at-home order before he did.

鈥淢any orders were put into place in other states and many cities without thinking of the unintended consequences,鈥� he said, in a bit of petulance that is hardly becoming of a governor.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Parson walked away from his Friday news conference without taking questions.

My friend hopes Parson doesn鈥檛 walk away from the veterans he stood up for three years ago while a different governor dawdled. Despite a change in management, things haven鈥檛 improved much there, she says.

About an hour after the governor鈥檚 stay-at-home order was announced, a veteran from the home died at the hospital. COVID-19 had been suspected as a possible cause of death, but the test came back negative, veterans home officials said.

In Missouri, the death toll is rising. Stay at home, the governor says, in an order that came too late.