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Insanity of Wars: Choosing Medicine and the Military
Insanity of Wars: Choosing Medicine and the Military
Insanity of Wars: Choosing Medicine and the Military
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Insanity of Wars: Choosing Medicine and the Military

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The journey travels from London to France; Germany; Switzerland; Denmark; Italy to Dublin; New York; Berkeley, California; the Hawaiian Islands; Japan; China; Beverly Hills, California; Austria; and Scotland, exploring the Middle East, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
It is a true story of an English boy who lived through the German Blitz of London and who dreamed of being a doctor but had no money to do it. It outlines a British educational system that could be a model for the USA. It shows experience working through medical schools in London and Ireland. It compares life as a gunner private with his privileged position as an officer in the British Army serving in England and the Far East with escalating promotions to colonel in the United States Army managing a combat support hospital.
It includes the inner struggles of a boy taught to hate the enemy only to discover the shame of it years later. It includes recovery from failure, world exploration, pioneer family practice in the wild areas of Canada, and obstetrics-gynecology professorial roles extending from Okinawa through Hawaii to Florida.
It is a story of the love of mankind and family with pride in assisting a son complete a marathon at ten years and to continue for Harvard acceptance at fifteen years of age. It is the story of a soldier who sees not the glory but the insanity of war.
Please send your feed-back to adbarnesmd@gmail.com Thank you.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherXlibris US
Release dateFeb 29, 2016
ISBN9781514427927
Insanity of Wars: Choosing Medicine and the Military
Author

A. David Barnes MD PhD MPH FACOG

David Barnes, MD, PhD, MPH, FACOG, is a son of a mailman and recalls the bombing of London and the hatred toward Germans, Japanese, and the Communists now ISIS. He attended King’s College, London University, for premed and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland for medical school. He completed eight years in the British Army, serving in Germany, England, and Malaysia as a family practitioner. Dr. David married Dr. Valerie Frazer, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the Adelaide Hospital, during the internship year. After Singapore, they crossed the Atlantic with a ten-week-old son as Armstrong and Aldrin were landing on the moon. They became pioneer physicians with their own hospitals in Northern Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. Subsequent OB-GYN training took them to New York, then the University of California–Berkley. Both Dr. Val and Dr. David joined the US Army Medical Corps, serving in Texas, Hawaii, Japan, California, Colorado, Alaska, Europe, and Central and South America. Dr. David remained in the US Military for twenty-two years, both active duty and reserves. His work included academic, administrative, private practice, humanitarian medical missions, and multiple scientific publications. Dr. David has completed nineteen marathons and one triathlon and believes Park City has the best snow for skiing. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Mary. He has three children and three grandchildren. Please send your feed-back to adbarnesmd@gmail.com Thank you.

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    Insanity of Wars - A. David Barnes MD PhD MPH FACOG

    Copyright © 2016 by A. David Barnes, MD, PhD, MPH, FACOG.

    Library of Congress Control Number:   2015919281

    ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5144-2790-3

                    Softcover       978-1-5144-2791-0

                    eBook            978-1-5144-2792-7

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

    Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

    Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

    Rev. date: 12/13/2016

    www.insanityofwars.com

    1-801-891-2341

    Contents

    Introduction

    Prologue

    Chapter 1 The War Years (September 1, 1939–September 2, 1945)

    Chapter 2 Post–World War II

    Chapter 3 The Mighty 11+ Exam: The English Educational System

    Chapter 4 Mom and Dad

    Chapter 5 Time at Shooters Hill Grammar School, 1948–1955

    Chapter 6 Spirituality

    Chapter 7 Senior at School

    Chapter 8 Premed Days, 1955–1958

    Chapter 9 Following Premed: The Book Salesman

    Chapter 10 Gunner Barnes

    Chapter 11 1962–1966: Leaving the Army and Getting to Medical School

    Chapter 12 Medical School, Continued

    Chapter 13 1966–1967: The Preregistration Internship Year

    Chapter 14 1967–1969: Singapore and Malaya (RAMC), Continued

    Chapter 15 Family Practice in England and Canada, 1969–1974

    Chapter 16 OB-GYN Residency in New York, 1974–1977

    Chapter 17 Early School Enrollment: New York

    Chapter 18 University of California–Berkeley, 1977–1978

    Chapter 19 United States Army, 1978–1981

    Chapter 20 After Hawaii, 1981

    Chapter 21 OB-GYN Residency Program, California

    Chapter 22 The Disaster Mission to Peru

    Chapter 23 More Unusual Cases in OB-GYN Residency

    Chapter 24 Skiing in Tahoe

    Chapter 25 Los Angeles, California

    Chapter 26 Humanitarian Military Medical Missions

    Chapter 27 Retirement?

    Chapter 28 Locum Life

    Chapter 29 Opinions

    Chapter 30 Conclusion

    Chapter 31 Levity

    Chapter 32 And Finally…

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    PUBLICATIONS AND MANUALS

    1. Barnes AD: The Rotating Internship. Pulse Newsletter, p 7, September 8, 1967.

    2. Barnes AD: Clinical Case Study: A Simultaneous Tubal and Uterine Pregnancy. The Female Patient, 2(12) 46, December 1977.

    3. Barnes AD: Ultrasonography of Fetal Death in Utero. The Female Patient, 3(1): 75, January 1978.

    4. Barnes AD: Health Services. American Medical News, p 6, February 13, 1978.

    5. Barnes AD: Decisions. San Francisco Chronicle, p 38, March 6, 1978.

    6. Barnes AD: Insomnia in Women. The Female Patient, 3(4): 96 April 1978.

    7. Barnes AD: Hassani SN, Bard RL: Fetal Demise in Third Trimester. New York State Journal of Medicine, 78:1260, July 1978.

    8. Barnes AD: Hassani SN, Bard RL: Fetal Demise in Third Trimester. Obstet & Gynecol Survey, p 128, February 1979.

    9. Barnes AD: Running and the Incidence of Coma. Canadian Family Physician, 26:1013, August 1980.

    10. Barnes AD: Obesity and Pregnancy. Tropic Lightning News, p. 11, September 1980.

    11. Barnes AD: 200 Pounds and Pregnant. Caducean, p. 6, 16 Sept. 1980.

    12. Barnes AD: Overweight and Pregnant. Aloha Hoalauna, p. 1, November 1980.

    13. Barnes AD: Women and Cancer. Aloha Hoalauna, p. 4, February 1981.

    14. Barnes AD: Lung Cancer Deaths of Women. Tropic Lightning News, p. 3, March 1981.

    15. Barnes AD, Root RM: The Importance of the Pelvic Examination - Meigs’ Syndrome. The Female Patient, 8(11): 89, November 1983.

    16. Barnes AD: Review of Diabetes in Pregnancy - 1983. KMC/OB/GYN Protocol.

    17. Barnes AD, Rivera R, Toot PJ: Lecithin-sphingomyelin Ratio and the Presence of Phosphatidylglycerol. Amer J Obstet & Gynecol., 148:231, January 1984.

    18. Barnes AD, Biskinis E, Tupulur I, Toot PJ: Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Presence of Phosphatidylglicerol: Report of Three Cases. Amer J Obstet & Gynecol, 148:347, February 1984.

    19. Barnes AD, Hattis RP, Toot PJ: Oral Contraceptives and Six Benign Liver Tumors – The Mestranol Question. West J Med., 140(6): 954, June 1984.

    20. Barnes AD, Harder EW, Toot PJ: Successful Pregnancy Following Partial Hepatectomy for Removal of Ruptured Hepatocellular Adenoma. Amer J Obstet & Gynecol, 150(8): 998, December 1984.

    21. Barnes AD, Toot PJ, Freeman SI: Pseudo Phosphatidylglycerol. Amer J Obstet & Gynecol. 151(3): 418, February 1985.

    22. Barnes AD, Van Geem TA: Fractured Femur of the Newborn at Cesarean Section. J of Repro Medicine, 30(3): 203, March 1985.

    23. Barnes AD: Sterilization by Bilateral Tubal Cauterization and Subsequent Pregnancy. Sterility and Fertility, 43(6), June 1985.

    24. Barnes AD: High-Risk Surgery. West J Med., 143(3): 533, Oct 1985.

    25. Barnes AD, Perez L: An Influx of Hydatidiform Moles. The Female Patient, 11(3) 29-32, March 1986.

    26. Barnes AD, Van Geem TA, Johnson DM, Fok RY, Toot PJ: Postpartum Complication with Porcine Heart Valve - The Age Factor. The Female Patient, 11(3) 29-32, March 1986.

    27. Barnes AD: Diet and Calories for the Pregnant Diabetic. The Female Patient, 11(3) 17-21, March 1986.

    28. Barnes AD: Diabetes and Pregnancy. West J. Med., 144(5) 614, May 1966.

    29. Barnes AD, Rivera R: Recommendations for Change in Certificates of Death. West J of Med., 145(4) 520, October 1986.

    30. Barnes AD: Surgical Pros and Cons. Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics p. 65, January 1987.

    31. Barnes AD: Routine Prenatal Testing. Gazette, p.2, March 1988.

    32. Barnes AD: Prenatal Visits – Century City, Los Angeles - Bestside p. 7 August 1989.

    33. Barnes AD: First Two Days in Zorritos, Peru. Medrete Peru 83308, p. 2, July 1998.

    34. Silverman MA, Barnes AD, et al: Medical Readiness Training Exercise in El Salvador, Central America, 1996. Military Medicine, 163, (8) 519, August 1998.

    35. Barnes AD: VA Benefits after Two Years Active Duty. Echo p3, May/June 1999.

    36. Silverman MA, Barnes AD, et al: Cancer Screening in the Elderly Population. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America, 14, (1) p. 89-112, February 2000.

    37. Barnes AD: Non-surgical Management of a Large Hemoperitoneum from a Ruptured Corpus Luteum – A 15 Year Study. The Female Patient, 30 (11) 29-34, November 2005.

    38. Barnes AD: A World of Opportunity. Locumlife p. 10-11. November 2006

    39. Barnes AD: Happy New Year! Locumlife p.32 February 2000

    40. Barnes AD: Youngevity: Alaska Experience, Locumlife p. July 2012

    BOOK CHAPTER/MANUAL

    Barnes AD, Toot PJ: Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neville F. Hacker, M.D., J. George Moore, M.D., Cap. 3, Ovulation, Fertilization and Implantation, pp. 25-34, W.B. Saunders Company, 1986.

    Barnes AD: Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy Manual, pp. 1-50 February 1986.

    Barnes AD, Berkus M: Guidelines for Obstetrical Care Manual, pp. 1-15 May 1989.

    Barnes AD: Guidelines for the OB/GYN Medical Assistant, pp. 1-12 August 1990.

    Barnes AD: Epidemiology of Cervical Cancer in the U.S.A., Including Diagnosis and Importance of the Papilloma Virus, pp. 1-41 - February 1995.

    img022_.jpg

    Mom’s gravesite (with her daffodils)

    Mum’s favourite poem

    I wandered lonely as a cloud

    That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

    When all at once I saw a crowd,

    A host, of golden daffodils;

    Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

    Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

    Continuous as the stars that shine

    And twinkle on the milky way,

    They stretched in never-ending line

    Along the margin of a bay:

    Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

    Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

    The waves beside them danced; but they

    Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

    A poet could not but be gay,

    In such a jocund company:

    I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

    What wealth the show to me had brought:

    For oft, when on my couch I lie

    In vacant or in pensive mood,

    They flash upon that inward eye

    Which is the bliss of solitude;

    And then my heart with pleasure fills,

    And dances with the daffodils.

    -William Wordsworth

    author%20sailing%20boat.jpg

    SEA-FEVER

    I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

    And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

    And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

    And a gray mist on the sea’s face, and a gray dawn breaking.

    I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

    Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

    And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

    And the flung spray and the blown spume and the sea-gulls crying.

    I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gipsy life,

    To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

    And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow rover,

    And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

    — John Masefield

    How My Wish was Born

    Imagine Brittany in December at three years, nearly four years of age. She has completed three months in Japan. She can count in Japanese and knows some basic Japanese expressions. She has also learned to count in Spanish; she knows the names of the planets and the names of Santa’s reindeers. She is good at the Hoola-hoop and in Okinawa, she surpasses children her own age, teenagers, then adults in three competitions, reaching a six-hundred record of rotations! All this while only three years old! She has learned to snow ski green and blue slopes, as well.

    Now she is with her Dad on the balcony of their condominium in Okinawa, Japan, under the star-lit sky, early in the morning. They can just identify the ocean in the distance.

    Brittany is anticipating her fourth Christmas and what presents she might get. There is no moon, just a sky full of multiple stars above. Brittany and Dad have been talking about sunrise and sunset, dawn and twilight. She knows that when the sun soon rises, the sparkling picture of the sky will end.

    It is nearly 6am, and Brittany starts to talk:

    My Wish

    "Stars above so, so beautiful,

    I hope my wish comes true.

    The sun will come up when I beckon,

    And I truly wish—

    The sun and moon to rise up.

    The sun is going to take my wish.

    My time is almost broken."

    BRITTANY.JPG

    This book is dedicated to

    my ladies and son.

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    Also Ben, Bryn, Brad and extended families

    And in memory of Brooke who left too early.

    And her daughters Chloe and Alexa.

    Purpose

    This is my story:

    —An encouragement for students considering medicine as a career

    —An encouragement for students considering the military for a career

    —An outline of how a son could get into Harvard at fifteen years

    —The insanity of wars

    —The way I see it, my opinions

    The Incentive to Compose This Book

    1. The widespread forgetting of the 73 million men, women, and children killed through the insanity of just six years of war (1939–1945).

    2. The widespread lack of knowledge among mothers and daughters of the occurrence and lifespan of the ovum and sperm destined to be their next generation!

    3. The frequent criticism of the general US educational system and an outline of a British education system as comparison.

    4. To reiterate Never, never, never give up.

    Introduction

    Let me tell you about my Grandfather Arthur Joseph Barnes (1876-1925), and the medical care he received at Guy’s Hospital, London, in 1925 before antibiotics. Guy’s Hospital in the UK is the equivalent to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, USA.

    Grandpa and grandma lived on Harper Street in the borough of Southwark (pronounced Southuk) between the Elephant and Castle (familiar to Sir Michael Caine) and the famous Tower Bridge. They had ten children and there had not been much opportunity for work since World War 1 that ended in 1918 after more than 888, 642 men had died, many from mustard gas that had torn at their lungs in the trenches of France. I have an uncle who lies dead in the fields of Normandy age 18 years.

    It was a time of Depression, for some.

    So Arthur (my grandpa) became a street hawker to support his family.

    Southwark is a small borough on the south bank of the Thames River (opposite the Tower Of London built in 1066 on the north bank). Many families had marveled while the Tower Bridge was being constructed (1886-1894), including Arthur as a teenager.

    Southwark had a convent in AD 606, (after the Romans had left during the early AD 400’s), but before William the Conqueror took over England in 1066. The convent became a priory 40 years later (AD 1106), and then became the local parish church about AD 1540.

    When Arthur was 29 years of age the parish church was upgraded to a cathedral for Southwark.

    In the old days Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare used the parish church and later Charles Dickens and John Harvard (who later sailed the Atlantic to finance the university in Boston).

    Shakespeare’s (reconstructed) Globe Theater is a mere five minutes walk along the Thames embankment (river’s edge).

    William Shakespeare (1564-1616) came to London (Southwark) from Stratford as an actor, writer and part-owner of the playing company.

    After confronting a little difficulty in the north part of London, he came to Southwark, opened his theater and started with Julius Caesar in 1599. William Shakespeare buried his brother Edmund in the Southwark Parish Church in 1607.

    John Harvard (1607-1638) was born and raised in Southwark. His father was a butcher and pub owner and had 9 children. Like most (humble and rich) families they christened (or baptized) their child before one year. John was baptized at the parish church in 1607 (documented).

    When John was 18 years (1625) the plague decimated the family leaving only John, his brother Thomas and mother.

    His mother married two more times. Following the death of three husbands, her wealth increased to be able to afford sending John to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he obtained a BA at 25 years, and an MA at 28 years, then he became ordained in the church. Soon John and his wife Ann Sadler left London and traveled to work in New England as a teaching pastor.

    They had no children, and on his death from tuberculosis, just two years later (age 31 years) he bequeathed half his estate (780 pounds) and a 360 book library to the college he wanted named after him.

    The community subsequently named the area Cambridge after his English university.

    Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) was also born in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He became known as the Father of English literature. He later moved to Kent where it is believed he started The Canterbury Tales in the early 1380’s. Geoffrey Chaucer knew John Gower well. Gower (who is buried in Southwark Cathedral) was poet laureate to both King Richard II and King Henry IV and worked part of his life in the priory precincts. Chaucer makes reference to Gower. In the Canterbury Tales, the pilgrims start from Southwark. Characters in Canterbury Tales are fictitious except the landlord of The Tabard Inn (a few blocks from the parish church) Harry Bailey did exist (leases on record from 14th century). Following his death at 57 years, he was returned to London and buried in Westminster Abbey, within 20 minutes of Southwark. In the Abbey he is joined by Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, David Livingstone, Alfred Tennyson, John Dryden, Robert Browning, multiple monarchs of England and some icons of politics like William Gladstone and Clement Atlee.

    Another notable buried in Southwark Cathedral is Bishop Lancelot Andrewes who was translator of the King James I Bible. As a youngster he went to school in Stepney, London.

    Ben Jonson (1555-1626) is buried in Southwark Cathedral. His life started as a bricklayer and became a playwright for the Globe Theater and is considered second to Shakespeare during the reign of James I.

    Charles Dickens visited the church January 1869 and describes the cold night February 27, 1869 in All the Year Round.

    My favorite boat ride is along the Thames river, eastwood from Westminster (where are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben) to Greenwich, and to view The Grapes on the left (north) bank of the river where Dickens had found a quiet room to write.

    Returning to grandpa. While selling goods around the streets of Southwark, Arthur sustained a cut to his right hand that led to cellulitis (swollen right arm) and fever. When he could not work anymore from the pain, swelling and temperature, he did what folks had to do, attend the E.R. of the local hospital, which was Guy’s Hospital in London.

    The method of treatment in 1925 for a swollen arm from cellulitis was two incisions across the arm.

    Not surprisingly it did not do any good. His fever probably went up further causing him to be delirious and to die suddenly the following day at 49 years of age, leaving a widow with many children.

    Interestingly, the case was noteworthy to publish with the title Danger of a Cut without specifying whether it was the cut to the palm of the right hand or the surgery cut to the right arm.

    Since the newspaper article was widely read, there was a missed opportunity to stress the importance of cleaning an initial wound and reporting early arm swelling.

    That year my Dad, also Arthur, was eighteen years of age and away at sea in His Majesty’s (King George V) Royal Navy and destined to remain in the Royal Navy for thirty years. He was unable to attend his father’s funeral.

    Grandpa’s death at 49 years from cellulitis of the right arm… 1925

    Newspaper%20report%20of%20grandfather%e2%80%99s%20death.JPG

    A man’s death from blood poisoning, apparently arising out of a minor cut about a fortnight old, was investigated at a Southwark inquest on Wednesday.

    The man’s name was given by his wife as Arthur Joseph Barnes (49), of Harper-st., Southwark. Since the war, she said, he had been working as a street hawker. He suffered periodically from a bronchial cough. On Thursday he showed witness a mark on his arm, but there was nothing alarming about it. The next morning witness thought it might be an abscess or an insect bite, and on Friday night he became feverish. He had to come home from work on Saturday, and later he went to Guy’s Hospital.

    Dr. J.R. Brock Hern, house surgeon at Guy’s Hospital, said he admitted the man on Saturday. The right arm was inflamed, but there was no surface mark, and witness thought that it was very improbable that it had been caused by an insect bite. On the hand of the same arm was a little scar of an old minor injury about two weeks old. The resident surgeon saw the patient and two incisions were made in the affected arm, but without giving any relief. The man later became delirious and died suddenly on Sunday evening. The state of the lungs indicated chronic bronchitis, which contributed a good deal to the rapid collapse. Death was due to very acute blood poisoning, arising from the injury in the hand. By the time the man arrived in hospital he had gone too far for anything to be done.

    The Coroner (Mr. Danford Thomas), remarking that the blood poisoning must have followed on the abrasion to the hand, recorded a verdict of Death from misadventure.

    Grandpa and grandma lived on Harper Street in London, just south of Tower Bridge in the borough of Southwark.

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    Grandpa Arthur Joseph Barnes destined to die at Guy’s Hospital from cellulitis of the right arm.

    img001_.jpg

    Grandma Lucy Phoebe Barnes after ten children.

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    Plaque on wall of Southwark Parish Church that became a cathedral. Church services are still conducted regularly.

    photo2.JPG

    Grandpa and grandma’s parish church in Southwark also used by (!): 1. GeoffreyChaucer(1343~1400)……Canterbury Tales 2. William Shakespeare (born in Stratford, worked in London) buried his brother Edmund here. 3. Bishop Lancelot Andrewes translator of King James I Bible worked and buried here. 4. John Harvard baptized as infant here 1607 (before going to Massachusettes). 5. John Gower (poet laureate to King Richard II and King Henry IV) is buried here. 6. Charles Dickens..shoe polish factory worker at 12 years. …later wrote Great Expectations, Pickwick Papers. 7. Ben Jonson (1555-1626)..bricklayer became playwright second to Shakespeare in reign of James I.

    img003.jpg

    Grandpa Arthur Joseph Barnes - death certificate.

    img004.jpg

    My town looking down from THE SHARD at borough of Southwark to the right (south bank of River Thames) and to the Tower of London (next to Tower Bridge to the left or north bank of Thames.

    (The Shard is the tallest point in London)

    GLOBE%20THEATER.JPG

    Globe Theater 5+ minutes walk from parish church Southwark Cathedral where William buried his brother Edmund.

    img005.jpg

    View of The Grapes, Charles Dickens’ quiet room (retreat) seen on the north or left bank if cruising east on the River Thames to Greenwich.

    I have been privileged to work in 16 countries and 13 different states of the USA

    UK : London and St. Ives, Cornwall

    Belfast and Guernsey, the Channel Islands

    Eire: Dublin

    Europe: Germany, Nurnberg

    Far East: Singapore

    Malaya

    China: Beijing. Xi’an, Chendu

    Japan: Okinawa

    Central America: El Salvador

    Mexico

    South America: Peru

    Canada: Saskatchewan

    Nova Scotia

    USA: New York… Albany, Glen Cove (Long Island), Jamaica

    Maine

    Utah

    Pennsylvania

    Florida

    California… Berkeley, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Beverley Hills, etc.

    Montana

    West Virginia

    USA Virgin Islands. St Croix

    Hawaii… Honolulu… Big Island (and most marathons)

    Alaska… Fairbanks (in summer), Sitka and Anchorage (in winter).

    Georgia

    Caribbean: Antigua

    St. Lucia

    Cuba

    Total world madness at time of my birth

    709980_FNL_01.tif

    1935-1945: Total War in Europe, Africa,

    Russia, China, Mongolia, Japan, etc.

    Prologue

    I am a London Blitz survivor.

    I prayed hard on my knees, leaning against my bed. I was six years of age, May 5, 1943. The bomb explosions around the house had stopped for a while, and the characteristic whistling sound of a V-2 rocket had suddenly ceased—which meant, in a few moments, the rocket, devoid of fuel, was heading down to explode on my neighborhood. Beneath our indoor metal shelter that had only a roof and four posts surrounding our bed, a mother and her two boys prayed the rocket would pass over their house. Additionally, I prayed on my own that the Germans would not land at Dover and progress along the Roman roads to London.

    Simultaneously in Berlin, Ernst, a young teenager, was praying hard that British, American, and Russian soldiers would not take over his country. Little did I know, years later, we would be friends.

    Meanwhile, my father, as a Royal Navy enlisted range finder, was focusing on calculating distances to bring to their death the young pilots of the Luftwaffe coasting the Atlantic and the English Channel. He had already been on three Royal Navy ships hit and sunk by German Navy torpedoes and lived only because he remained on the ship to be rescued just prior to the ship disappearing beneath the waves.

    My visiting Royal Navy uncle and neighbor, when on short leave visits, had recounted stories of pulling seamen, both British and German, from the angry waters of the dark ocean.

    Concurrently, Ernst’s father, as an unlisted German infantry soldier, became part of the war machine in Europe, killing anyone who did not look like a real loyal German.

    Neither Ernst in Berlin nor I in South East London knew that more than sixty years later, we would be colleagues and friends at the University of Utah after both having shared a life as physicians, professors, and consultant specialists in obstetrics and gynecology. Our combined work occurred in Europe, Canada, and United States—from Alaska to Hawaii, Florida, the Far East, and Central and South America. Unconsciously, we strove to bring life back to earth where we had learned that from 1939 to 1945, humans had destroyed in just six short years more than 73 million lives—men, women, and children. It was a time of insanity.

    This is my story. Ernst will have to tell his.

    The intent and target audiences of my story are the following:

    1. To inspire teenagers who think they would like to do medicine as a career but feel overwhelmed by difficulties.

    2. To inspire those considering the military as a career

    3. To demonstrate to teachers and to school administrators a successful English school teaching model, of benefit to both students and the community

    4. To agree with those who understand that wars are insanity

    5. Explanation of how life begins

    6. For parents who

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