From a Military Doctor
Written By CPT Stephen R. Ellison, M.D.

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 or my specialty,
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, 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. 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, 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. 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 am angered at the cut backs,
implemented and proposed, that will continue to decay their meager
retirement benefits.

I see the President and 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.

Sorry I have not blogged in a while. The great cosmic muffin or whoever is in charge of things lately has decided that my geforce2 video card needed to go to heaven. So... with out a video card my computer has refused to do anything but sit there looking darkly at the world and going "Beeep"
I have been reading the all encompassing works of "Douglas Adams". Best know for his work titled "The Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy"
I haven't been listing to much music this week as most of what I listen to was on my puter and now all it does is go "Beep". Which is nice but hardly worth listening too.
Had a "bit" of snow last week and the result was all the kids home for another 5 day weekend. By the time monday rolled around and the kids went back to school I was about ready to collapse or go insane and then collapse!
Thats all for now. and remember
DONT PANIC

The following passage is from a sermon by John Hagee:

I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the soldier
at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody hands.
He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded
from months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity
away from his family surrounded by nothing but death and
carnage of war.
He stands though, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath.
He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this...
I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now
your children graduate too illiterate to read it.
I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote and
you stay at home because it rains.
I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech and you
remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business.
I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you and it
has stolen democracy from the people.
It's the soldier, not the reporter who gives you the freedom of the
press.
It's the soldier, not the poet who gives you the freedom of speech.
It's the soldier, not the campus organizer who allows you to
demonstrate.
It's the soldier, who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose
coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn
the flag!!!

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they
protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts
they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of
Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Amen."