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 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 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 an d 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 CAPT. Stephen R. Ellison,
M.D. US Army
For my brothers in arms, Past, Present
and Future…….THANK YOU
If it weren't for the United States
military, there'd
be NO United States of America .
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