- I am a doctor specializing in Emergency Medicine in the
Emergency Departments of the only two military Level One-trauma centers.
They are both in San Antonio, TX and they care for civilian Emergencies
as well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military retiree
population in the world living here, because of the location of these two
large military medical centers. As a military doctor in training in my
specialty, I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Even with my enlisted service and minimal combat experience
in Panama, prior to medical school, 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 in the first 30 minutes, 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.
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- The things they did for me and everyone else that has
lived on this planet since the end of that conflict are priceless.
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- 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.
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- 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, his head cut in a fall at 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.
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- 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 MSgt. 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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."
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