Thanks to Those Who Serve - Happy Veteran's Day

I want to offer a heartfelt thanks to the brave men and women who serve or have served in our armed forces. My late father actually managed to serve in both the Navy (pictured here) and the Army. Growing up with extremely limited means in Charlestown, MA the V-12 Program supported my father's aspirations to attend college and medical school. My Dad loved to tell me stories that they were so poor that he had to eat lettuce sandwiches since they were too poor to afford meat to put in the sandwich. However, my Dad later confessed that he actually traded the sandwich meat for chocolate cake or other dessert items once at school....

Following the end of World War 2 (he graduated from Tufts Medical School in '47) Dad wanted to go to Europe to serve but as member of the Navy he was told that he would likely be assigned to Portsmouth Navy Hospital here in the US. Fortunately one of the former residents at the University of Minnesota was head of medical procurement for the armed services so in 1948 he and my Mom drove to Washington DC from Minneapolis to find out where he would end up. Turns out there was a spot in Trieste Italy and so Dad was made Chief of Surgical Services and off they went to Europe. Along the way he was quickly transferred from the Navy to the Army! Service to his country was very important to Dad. His two brothers had served as members of the medical corps assigned to the Big Red One and fought all across North Africa.

Although his military career was not long-lived, my parents had a deep love of country and respect for those who serve. Dad finished his career as a surgeon in the VA medical system. In July, he was laid to rest with full military honors including an honor guard. God bless all of you who serve or have served our great country both in peacetime and in war.

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