Senior at Univ. of Florida and thought (or really did not have clarity of thought) that I would take my chances on a high number with the lottery. Well, my number came up in the double digits, so the ole boy was gone. Almost too old for the reserves and certainly not wanting to be in the jungle, so a doctor friend and Capt. in the Naval Reserves said he could get me in the reserves. GREAT IDEA!! Well what do you want to do in the reserves? So far I was majoring in "partying" but he informed me that the Navy did not have that billet. So he said what about being a Hospital Corpsman? Another GREAT IDEA I thought. Well he left out one little detail: that the Navy went with the Marines. Oh good, going to the place I was trying NOT to go to. Not too fond of being shot at with a large red cross on my head as a target. Out of Corps school my luck continued. My orders for Vietnam were changed to a (no cost to the government) exchange of duty station and so I worked In the Pensacola Naval Hospital emergency room instead. I give all the credit to the Navy. I found something I loved. Ended up going to Univ. of Alabama in Birmingham Physician Assistant program in 1973 and had a wonderful career in vascular surgery. I now work at a community clinic giving back to the people who have no ability to see a doctor. THANKS NAVY!
