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.
> We care for civilian emergencies as well as military
> personnel. San Antonio has 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 brings 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 the 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 my inquiry. I have been privileged to hear
> 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 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.'
>
> If it weren't for the United States Military, there'd
> be NO United States of America!
>
> And now as you have finished reading this, our Congress that enjoys
> their free medical care, are in the process of charging these people for their medical care and at the same time possibly reducing their retirement pay.
> A typical political "Thank you."
>
> If you choose not to pass it on, fine, but I think you will want to.
>
> In God We Trust!
> 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.
> We care for civilian emergencies as well as military
> personnel. San Antonio has 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 brings 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 the 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 my inquiry. I have been privileged to hear
> 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 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.'
>
> If it weren't for the United States Military, there'd
> be NO United States of America!
>
> And now as you have finished reading this, our Congress that enjoys
> their free medical care, are in the process of charging these people for their medical care and at the same time possibly reducing their retirement pay.
> A typical political "Thank you."
>
> If you choose not to pass it on, fine, but I think you will want to.
>
> In God We Trust!
--
No comments:
Post a Comment