No More to Give

Your writer is a totally blind, 100% disabled, service connected, medical officer veteran of the Korean conflict. I have just observed my 87th birthday, bodied wracked by cancer. Patient by Zimmer Cancer Clinic.
I’m not a victim, God has been too good to me to complain about anything. My greatest blessing, born into poverty although my family and ancestors were landowners. I never knew anything but hard work and hard times. It was God, family, and church. I graduated from a small country school, 13 in my graduating class.
But, we are not stuck where we start. I was blessed to attend and graduate from two great universities including UNC at Chapel Hill. Although, a lifetime of clinical depression, I worked my way through eight years of college completely… Working at night; school during the day, selling books door to door each summer.
I jumped through all the hoops, boards of examinations to achieve a commission as an Army officer. I served a long career as a field grade medical officer… army hospitals, serving those who were drafted to serve.
I was left with a small amount of vision in one eye, which I couldn't discuss because it is bad enough to see a doctor with two eyes. I was active in my community, “Young Man of the Year in the State of North Carolina”, voted one of the five “Most fascinating men”, writer-speaker at secular and religious meetings, philanthropy at many places. I practiced for several years, it was a very successful practice. Then, the one who chose me for life chose that I should travel the world, smell and taste his great creation… 8 round the world trips, every continent, including both poles, passport stamped in 157 countries.
There have been many disappointments, such as failed marriages, thankless child, and grandchildren, misgiving relatives, thankless friends, and associates. I failed God many times, but God never failed me. Now, at twilight, I live in disbelief at what has happened to my country.
I think of the national cemeteries I have observed, the many VA hospitals where the employees have only two things on their mind, their paycheck and their retirement. Their last concern is the veteran, so many veterans just commit suicide. Your government knows that is cheaper to bury a vet than to care for one. This veteran has always paid out of his pocket for his own health care. I never was issued a white cane by VA, never got my allotments in order. It has been to me up to support myself. Some of the sorriest women on God's earth, Barbara, Agnes, Angie were assigned to me to help me with things. One nurse actually spits in my face. One said, “Why don’t you old men go ahead and die?” (VA hospital at Durham, NC).
I never knew a vet who would not give his life for his country. I truly believe that includes the 116,000 buried on foreign soil. I have nothing more to give.