"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 for 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.

A long retired Colonel who as a young USN 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 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 70 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 MSG 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 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 seems 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 un-caring government and ungrateful civilian
populace should all take note. We should all remember that
we must " Earn this.""
Rangers Lead the way!
CPT Stephen R. Ellison, M.D.