Soon to be Gone- Leswiner

Thanks Les!

Many of our younger citizens remember those who gave so much for us, but relatively few stop to think about it.

God, please continue to bless America.

Sam



SOON TO BE GONE

By A MILITARY DOCTOR



This should be required reading in every
school and college in our country. This Captain, an Army doctor, deserves a
medal himself for putting this together. If you choose not to pass it on,
fine, but I think you will want to, after you read it.





I am a doctor specializing in the Emergency
Departments of the only two military Level One-Trauma Centers, both in? San
Antonio , TX and they care for civilian Emergencies as well as military
personnel. San Antoniohas the largest military retiree population in the
world living here. As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is
less than glamorous. One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of
sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering
passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay,
only more work.

Most often, it is a victim from a motor
vehicle crash.

Often it is a person of dubious character
who has been shot or stabbed. With our large military retiree population, it
is often a nursing home patient. Even with my enlisted service and minimal
combat experience in Panama , I have caught myself groaning when the
ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person from one of the local
retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not stopped to
think of what citizens of this age group represented.

I saw 'Saving Private Ryan.' I was touched
deeply. Not so much by the carnage, but by the sacrifices of so many. I was
touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the graveside, asking
his wife if he'd been a good man. I realized that I had seen these same men
and women coming through my Emergency Dept. and had not realized what
magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they did for me and
everyone else that has lived on this planet since the end of that conflict
are priceless.

Situation permitting, I now try to ask my
patients about their experiences. They would never bring up the subject
without the inquiry. I have been privileged to an amazing array of
experiences, recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an Emergency Dept.
encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals I have
had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their last admission
to the hospital.


There was a frail, elderly woman who
reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm.
She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and the multiple
needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a 'hard stick.'
As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her
forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply
said, ' Auschwitz .' Many of later generations would have loudly and openly
berated the young medic in his many attempts. How different was the response
from this person who'd seen unspeakable suffering.

Also, there was this long retired Colonel,
who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific
island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, he had a minor cut on his
head from a fall at his home where he lived alone. His CT scan and suturing
had been delayed until after midnight by the usual parade of high priority
ambulance patients. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to
call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought
him without his wallet. He asked if he could use the phone to make a long
distance call to his daughter who lived 7 miles away. With great pride we
told him that he could not, as he'd done enough for his country and the
least we could do was get him a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it
ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours,
and I couldn't drive him myself.

I was there the night M/Sgt. Roy Benavidez
came through the Emergency Dept. for the last time. He was very sick. I was
not the doctor taking care of him, but I walked to his bedside and took his
hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn't know I was there. I'd read
his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He
died a few days later.

The gentleman who served with Merrill's
Marauders,

the survivor of the Bataan Death March,


the survivor of Omaha Beach ,

the 101 year old World War I veteran.

The former POW held in frozen North Korea ,

The former Special Forces medic - now with
non-operable liver cancer,

the former Viet Nam Corps Commander.


I remember these citizens.
??
I may still groan when yet another ambulance
comes in, but now I am much more aware of what an honor it is to serve these
particular men and women.

I have seen a Congress who would turn their
back on these individuals who've sacrificed so much to protect our liberty.
I see later generations that seem to be totally engrossed in abusing these
same liberties, won with such sacrifice.

It has become my personal endeavor to make
the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when
I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Their response to these particular
citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next
generation.


My experiences have solidified my belief
that we are losing an incredible generation, and this nation knows not what
it is losing. Our uncaring government and ungrateful civilian populace
should all take note. We should all remember that we must 'Earn this.'


Written By CPT.Stephen R. Ellison, M.D. US
Army


If it weren't for the United States
military,
there'd be NO United States of America