Veterans' Day, 2019

            The generations of my family have been chronologically spaced such that my grandfather was not a part of any branch of the military for World War II. My uncle Jack was a part of the national guard and my father a part of the Army Reserves, post Korean war and during Viet Nam. May father-in-law served in the Army and my brother-in-law, Keith, in the Air Force.  For my part, I was in the naval reserves prior to Desert Strom.

            It’s my brother, Chris, who is on my mind as we observe Veterans’ Day in 2019. As a part of the army reserves he was deployed three times throughout the war on terror. It took a toll on his growing family and his medical practice, but thankfully God has seen them through it. 

            Chris had resigned his commission a few years ago and he’s since been working with other physicians to provide further care for our veteran community. But then their son, Peter, entered into Army ROTC in college last year. It has been in that renewed contact that Chris has been moved to rejoin the Army Reserves.

            So, today, I want to express how profoundly thankful I am for our veterans, among whom my favorite is Colonel Chris Winter, MD.