By CPT.
Stephen R. Ellison, M.D (received via email by editor)
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 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, and 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 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 we 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."
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By Jack
Lee
It's signed and sealed, even though retired service
members will have to wait almost another year for final delivery.
On Monday, October 30, the President signed the FY2001
Defense Authorization Act into law -- including provisions authorizing
TRICARE-for-life and pharmacy coverage for Medicare-eligibles, and
allocating part of the government surplus to establish a trust fund that
will make this coverage a mandatory entitlement that will not have to
compete for funding with the rest of the Defense budget.
Now, the Nation has made official its decades-old
promises of lifetime health care (to be effective October 1, 2001) for
military members who accept the unique demands and sacrifices inherent in
a career in uniform. It's no longer a case of unfulfilled recruiting and
retention promises. It's the law of the land.
No more will retired service members, or their family
members and survivors -- as of October 1, 2001 -- lose their military
health coverage upon attaining Medicare eligibility at age 65. No more --
as of April 1, 2001 -- will those beneficiaries be excluded from
Department of Defense retail and mail-order pharmacy programs.
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By
Al Garcia
In a few days we will exercise the time honored
tradition in our country of entering the voting booth to make
private/confidential marks on a ballot containing the names of persons
vying for public offices. This year we will elect national, state, and
local public leaders. I wish to encourage each member to exercise this
right by absentee ballot, early vote, or at your precinct booth on
November 7. The end result will have lasting effects on retirees for years
to come.
We have been a TROA Chapter for one year. We were
chartered on October 22, 1999. The majority of the membership had been
members of the Albuquerque Sub-Chapter for close to 18 years. We have come
a long way as fellow TROAns, from sub to full chapter status.
Congratulations are in order to all of you (us) for bringing to pass this
growth.
There are many responsibilities that are incumbent upon
us as a chapter that we did not have before. We are having some growing
pains, but we are growing.
One of the most important responsibilities we have is
to offer all eligible retired, active, or previous service officers and
surviving spouses the opportunity of membership in our Chapter and TROA.
There are many individuals in our large community that meet eligibility
criteria and the active membership is the best mechanism for recruiting
these good folks. I encourage each of you to think about this and contact
members of the recruitment committee or Chapter officers with names.
Perhaps you can think of inviting these folks to attend our general
membership meetings. We need your help in this area.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Chapter Officers,
and Committee Chairs, I wish to thank each member for individual and
couple support. Each of you, member and spouse, inspire us through your
patriotism, dedication to Chapter and TROA goals and objectives, and a
desire to help Totah Chapter to succeed. You make the Chapter what it is
and will determine what we become in the future.
CONGRATULATIONS ON FIRST CHARTER YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
As a reminder, if you have not yet voted, please do so.
Exercise that right vote for which all of us have helped to guarantee
though our service to the nation. Get out and vote now. In this election
every vote counts, so make yours count.
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