Life happens…

We don’t know what the future holds, as nearly every shift in a trauma hospital reminded me. I would encounter patients who never expected that their day, and sometimes their life, would end in the ER or ICU that night. John Lennon wrote “Beautiful Boy” for his 5 year old son: “Life is what happens…

Sentinel on the hill

Overlooking Washington, DC, a lone guard treks back and forth, 24/7. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located below the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If the government closes because of blizzard or Nor’easter, the guard remains at place of duty.  In the blazing…

Pledging allegiance

To what or whom do you owe loyalty? Reading about the resignation of Ralph Peters, a retired U.S. Army intelligence officer, from Fox News made me wonder about how many willingly or thoughtlessly sell their souls to attain wealth, power, position or fame. Peters claimed the network had “degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to…

Army Strong

While the U.S. Army’s recruiting slogan “Be all you can be” has been superseded by “Army Strong,” the women who spoke at  the Army Women’s Foundation (AWF) Annual Summit on March 12th, exemplify the qualities embedded in both mottos.  Captains Kristen Griest and Shaye Haver, the first two women to earn Ranger tabs from one of…

Nevertheless, they persisted

What a century of war it has been since the “War to End All Wars.” The First World War lasted from 1914–1918, although the United States didn’t declare war against Germany until April 1917 in response to President Woodrow Wilson’s request to make the world “safe for democracy.” The Armistice ending the fighting was signed…