This takes a little
time to read but is well worth the effort. It just might open your eyes to the
world around you.
Written by a doctor, and
very profound! 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 email together. If you choose not
to pass it on, fine, but I think you will want
to, after you read
it.
Soon To Be Gone - From A Military
Doctor
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.
(NOTE: "Saving Private Ryan" YouTube trailer video was added by Scott Ley)
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 PacificIsland 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 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.
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., U.S. Army