My first Fathom Event: Dr. WhoDay of the Doctor in 3-D. Was it worth it? Heck Yes!
Loved-One is a fan of Doctor Who. Not a Johnny-come-lately fan, Loved-One can name all the companions since Romana I, Roman II, who came out of nowhere with no explanation, and K-9, Loved-One’s favorite companion. And what about his favorite Doctor? Tom Baker, hands down. Tom Baker and his crazy 10 foot scarf.
I’m a late comer. I started with Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor and Rose (Billie Piper) as his companion. The Empty Child pointed out a big difference between British television and American. British children die. Lots of British children die.
I’m crazy about Doctor Who; my favorite re-generation is David Tennant. I cannot decide which companion I like the most: Is it Rose, or Amy and Rory, or Clara, or maybe Martha. Jack Harkness
This is Day 5 of Frank Zyber’s memories of WWI. This is the last in the series. If you’ve missed Day 1-4, you might want to click on the related articles. You won’t want to miss what I think is his visit to a cat house. Today’s recollection continues with Grandpa’s experience at Fort Custard.
It was a cold round ride and what seemed like ten mils before we reached a place that had what looked like new buildings and very dark everywhere. We were told to get off and find a building that was open and get in and make the most of it. We found one and after getting in and by the light of a match now and then we found a hot air furnace, but no fuel or beds. Looked around out of doors, but all we found was a stack of iron beds along side of the building and they were covered with ice and snow. They were of the folding type and had to be jerked, pulled and pried to get them apart and taken in and set up. No mattresses or covering of any kind and we
My bonus mother, Marilyn, the mother Loved-One gave me, gifted us with flowering trees from the Arbor Day Foundation: two Washington Hawthorns and a Crab-apple. The trees were tiny, little seedlings that fit in a sandwich bag. All Together.
The Crab-apple last fall. You can see the thorns of one Hawthorn growing behind.
Loved-One and I nurtured them, took pictures of them and gave progress reports to Marilyn. The Crab-apple made her home beside our water garden with nary a worry. The next spring,
Veterans Day | Field of poppies (Photo credit: *Arielle*)
Are you…”
“Yes,” he smiled. “And I believe you are…”
“Yes,” I said. “I thought you looked like you might be…”
“Yes. You too, looked like you might be…”
We both laughed. And so we met at Flatlanders’, a local sandwich shop. He a retired Veteran; a pediatrician; a researcher; a father; a husband; and a man who goes toe to toe with Kathleen Sebalius on budget issues. Me, a retired quality professional in the FDA regulated industry; a mother; a wife; a new journalist; a newish writer; a woman awed by Kathleen Sebalius’s strong conviction at BlogHer 13.
We, Dr. Errol Alden and I sat over hot beverages as if we were old friends. Neighbors meandered in and back out, stopped to say hello and remind Dr. Alden about choir practice at the Methodist Church later that afternoon. On November 11, Dr. Alden will talk to the local High School students about Veterans’ Day.
Dr. Errol Alden, MD, FAAP, retired from a military career in 1987. He explains the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day to me: “Memorial Day is a time to remember those who died defending our country; Veterans’ Day is a time to consider what veterans contributed to their country.”
In 1938 Congress dedicated November 11 “to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” This new legal holiday honored the World War I veterans and the end of “The War to End All Wars.” In 1954, after both World War II and the Korean War, Congress changed “Armistice” to “Veterans,” and November 11 became a day to honor all American veterans of all wars.
Alden grew up one of seven children in a farming community; I the second of nine, in a similar farming community. We were both nerdy/geeky high-school students, he played the French horn, I the flute, in the marching band. We both participated in student government. We both loved our dairy cows. Dad helped me name my 4-H heifer, Lady Bird. Dr. Alden laughed at the obvious political joke my father interjected into my young life.
Alden went on to play in the Ohio State Marching Band where he graduated with an Agricultural Science degree. So how did he become a military pediatrician? Approaching graduation, Alden pondered aloud to his parents that he might be interested in medical school. They told fellow parishioners, who told friends, who told his classmates. By the time he got back to school, the news was out. He was going to medical school. Alden confesses, “I didn’t want to disappoint my parents.”
Alden became a military pediatrician. Besides treating children of service men and women, and children of Embassy officers, he taught at Madigan Army Medical Center, in Fort Willis, Washington, he served as chairman of Uniformed Services Health Sciences at Walter Reed and he helped establish pediatric standards of care.
Throughout his 25-year military career, Alden experienced many sociological changes. Before the Vietnam war, PTSS (Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome) was rarely recognized. “People cannot be in war without emotional strain.” It only took me seeing “The Deer Hunter” to appreciate the trauma of war. Even before I had a son, I hoped never to send one of mine to war.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw-Tyr6Rb6I
Alden also saw the military go from draft-status to all-volunteer. This ushered in a shift in strategy. During the Vietnam War, soldier did one tour of combat duty; now, soldiers are re-deployed to war zones many times. Alden explains the difference between an all-volunteer and a draft military, “Citizens who have been to war are anxious to avoid it.” He an I are on the same page, once again.
