Memorial Day Poem

Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was a soldier, physician and poet.

In Flanders Fields  Dr. John McCrae,  May 3rd, 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow                         Between the crosses, row on row                         That mark our place; and in the sky                         The larks, still bravely singing, fly                         Scarce heard amid the guns below.                         We are the Dead. Short days ago                         We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,                         Loved and were loved, and now we lie                         In Flanders fields.                        Take up our quarrel with the foe:                        To you from failing hands we throw                        The torch; be yours to hold it high.                        If ye break faith with us who die                        We shall not sleep, though poppies grow                        In Flanders fields.

Footnote:


McCrae fought in the second battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium where the German army launched one of the first chemical attacks in the history of war. They attacked the Canadian position with chlorine gas on April 22, 1915, but were unable to break through the Canadian line which held for over two weeks. 


Alexis Helmer, a close friend, was killed during the battle on May 2, 1915. McCrae performed the burial service himself, at which time he noted how poppies quickly grew around the graves of those who died at Ypres. The next day, he composed the poem while sitting in the back of an ambulance.  The poem remains one of the most popular composed during WW I.

Top Dog Winner ( Blue Team )

Well it is official.  After 2 days of very intense and neck to neck times.  The BLUE team prevailed and won this year's competition after two consecutive years won by the Red Team.

Cutting through the Car and into a double T confined space to reach the "prize"
Day 1 Super Prop Challenge.  Yes it is cramped in there.  Took each team nearly 3.5 hours to get  through this challenge. That is the light at the end of the tunnel.

SC USAR Top Dog Challenge

SC USAR TopDog Challenge Competition May 24-25, 2012 (Fire Academy, Columbia, SC)

Well it is that time of year again.  The annual 2-day SC USAR Top Dog challenge between the Red and Blue team.  I was up for a day, y'day and was Medical/Medic for the whole team.  Got to get just a little dirty in one scenario but for this time, I was mostly an observer.  


Lucky for all, there was no major injury on the day of events aside from a few blisters and minor scraps.  Day 2 is today and will wait to post the winning team.  There was a good turnout, larger than last year and the course was much more challenging.

Some picks below.

Rescue Scenario "Katrina" from roof top, Yeah there are up there.  Rescuer and dummy  in tow

Bridge Callapse Scenario where they cut thru the car to reach victim

Yes, this crap can happen.  It does everyday on our highways.  Here the team is shoring up an unstable vehicle then cutting through the metal and inner workings of the car to get to the victim (dummy)

Confederate Memorial day in Georgetown, SC

Old Baptist Cemetery Civil War Memorial

Firing of the cannon

At the "Old Baptist" historic cemetery on Church St. in downtown Georgetown, SC the SCV "White Camp" and members of the Rough & Ready Camp in Myrtle Beach formed up to commemorate the annual memorial of Confederate dead some buried at the cemetery and also honor fallen SCV member for the year.  The honor guard numbering some dozen or so fired a 3-round salute which was followed by the firing of four mortars and a howitzer.  The speaker was the President of the SC SCV chapters and the dead from the war were remembered from the county by having their names read.  The mortar and howitzer fire I am sure woke the hungover bikers staying at the hotel adjacent to the cemetery.  Shortly afterwards we heard them crank up their hogs and bolt out of town.  I had the pleasure of meeting many of the members of the local SCV group I had spoken to just the week before.  Mr. Vernon Parker, et. al. put on a good show and remembrance.

Speaker for ceremony:  Mark A. Simpson, Commander

South Carolina Division

Sons of Confederate Veterans

3rd flag of the CSA

CSA howitzer

Mic scores in second-to-last tournament game of the season.  To a slew of Hi-Fives Mic scores one for the team in the 2nd tournament game of the final day of playing for the season.  Mic's favorite position is the middy (mid-fielder).  In a pass he caught as part of a turn-over, Mic "kisses his stick" and runs the ball up-field to the opponent's net.  Seeing an opportunity he shoots and lands the ball in the corner of the goal opposite of where the goalie is defending.  He returns to his team mates to bunches of celebratory hand slapping.  

It was the last day of play, for the Rival Lacrosse Series - Boy's 6th Grade Teams at the EuroSport Complex in Efland, NC his team the Durham Tunes went home with a 2 win and 1 loss record for the tournament weekend.  Dad of course is very proud.  All season long he was the player who cheered on his fellow teammates and showed outstanding humility and good sportsmanship in a game that can be rough and mean-spirited.

A day at Pullen Park

Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC

Alllll Aboard the train!

serene surroundings of Pullen Park walking trail

A day in Raleigh at Pullen Park.  OK, to work off our huge lunch at Sitti Lebanese Restaurant (thank you Noelle) in downtown Raleigh, Cindy and Michael suggested we visit Pullen Park.  Very cool idea and turned out to be several hours of fun, fun, fun....

My TripAdvisor Review is below:

JPSaleebyMD

Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Top Contributor

289 reviews

108 helpful votes

“Kids had a blast on the paddle boats”

What a nice park. Bored on a weekend? Nothing to do with the kids? Do I have an answer for you. Pullen Park established in 1887 or so boasts tons of stuff for kids and big-kids (adults) to do. Start off with the walking trails that run through the park, then a train ride ($1 per person) for a general view of the park along its periphery. Want some real fun and a little work out too... then rent a paddle boat and go for a cruise. Paddle boat rentals are $6 for up to four people. There is also a carousel ($1) and kiddy boat rides too.

Hungry? Well there is the Pullen Place Cafe on property that offers light fair, such as sandwiches and beverages and the such. The also offer LocoPops too.

The staff and parking attendants make it easy to get in and have fun even on the busiest days. It is free to enter the park and then you buy tickets for a la carte fun.

Visited May 2012

Dual Lecture in Plymouth, NC

Traveled to Plymouth, NC (near the Somerset Historic Site) to deliver two lectures on the Civil War.

First was "Advances in Medicine & Surgery during the Am. Civil War"

followed after an intermission w/ refreshments by

"Dr. Hunter H. McGuire: Gen Stonewall Jackson's Surgeon, a Giant in 19th Century Medicine"

Both were received well despite the thin turnout.

http://news.ncdcr.gov/2012/04/27/somerset-place-presents-civil-war-medicine-lecture/

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	Plan Your Visit Events & Programs Directions Visitor Center Stratford Lodging Stratford Dining Private Events The Great House Gardens Nature Trails Stratford Cliffs Nearby Attractions E-Newsletter Volunteer Geocaching Extended Validation SSL		Surgery & Medical Advances during the Civil War November 3, 2012 9:00 am.- 4:30 p.m. duPont Library at Stratford Hall The amputated limbs, shattered bodies and the photographs of battlefield dead are familiar images of the carnage of the Civil War. No other American conflict, on our soil, has exacted such a toll of human suffering. However, what is far less known, are the medical and surgical advances made during this time, and how those emerging methods still resonate and enhance our current practical medical procedures. Some of the topics to be covered in this one-day symposium are: the emergence of modern emergency room methodologies, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the Civil War soldier, African Americans in medicine during the Civil War era, and an overview of Civil War medical practices. This important symposium seeks to add to our growing understanding of this great and tragic American event. The symposium fee is $75.00. Early registration is recommended. This program is free to Friends of Stratford (FOS). Please contact 804-493-8919 formembership information only. To register for, or get moreinformation about this program, please either e-mailrsvp@stratfordhall.org, FAX 804-493-0333, call Jon Bachman at 804-493-1972, or leave a voice-mail message at 804-493-8038, ext. 7787. Program Schedule 8:30-9:00 Musical prelude, Evergreen Shade 9:00-9:10 Keynote: George Wunderlich 9:10-9:50 Surgery & Medicine during the American Civil War, J.P. Saleeby, M.D. 9:50-10:35 Something’s Never Change, Dr. Adrian Wheat Break 10:35-11:45 11:45-12:30 October 30th 1862: The Day the Modern Emergency Room Was Born, George Wunderlich 12:30-1:30 Lunch available in Stratford Hall dining room 1:45-2:30 Prologue to Change: African Americans in Medicine in the Civil War Era, Dr. Robert Slawson 2:30-3:15 Artificial Limbs in the Civil War Era, Dr.Guy Hasegawa 3:15-3:30 Break 3:30-4:15 Post Traumatic Stress during the Civil War, John Ream 4:15-4:30 Q/A 4:30-5:00 Musical postlude, Evergreen Shade This program sponsored in part by Page Woltz in memory of her grandfather, Dr. Thomas Whitehead Murrell, the first dermatologist in Virginia, and her father, Dr. Thomas W. Murrell, Jr., former head of the American Dermatological Association.

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Coming to America Part 2

Coming to America II,



by Michael Saleeby


There were a few people from Lebanon on the freighter traveling to America, perhaps about ten. Some were seasick like me, especially an elderly lady, who I met again a couple of years later in N.J. I was working at a plastics company and the secretary to the chief there was a Lebanese woman. We got to talk and she mentioned her mother coming by ship to stay with her. It turned out that it was the same woman that came with me. It's a small world! I got to know the rest of the family in NJ; they came from Zahle. I lost track of them shortly after I moved back to Oklahoma. Also on the ship I met a student from Beirut who could not make it and went back. In Oklahoma I met some Lebanese and Jordanian students. We became good friends and stayed in touch for several years. One, Elias from Lebanon, graduated as an electrical engineer, went back and started his own company. Two, Samir and Salah were from Jordan also graduated as electrical engineers. Samir got married to an American girl and joined the US Army for a while. After getting discharged got a job with RCA and became an officer with the company. Samir and his family were transferred to Beirut for a while. Salah, also married an American girl, went back to Jordan and became an officer in the Jordanian Air Force. Another was a Lebanese American, Dick Shaheen, who studied geology. We met Dick and his wife later in Beirut while he was searching for oil in Lebanon. We lost track of him.



The teachers and the citizens of Oklahoma were very nice to us. We were invited to their homes on holidays. Some were Lebanese Americans. One was a very prominent banker, also sits on the Board of Directors of AUB. The other owned a diner in Oklahoma City (The Queen Bee). I was staying at the University dorm, formerly army barracks, and I enjoyed my time there very much. The people were very friendly. After graduating in 1958 I was planning to go back to Lebanon, but there was a war going on there and the US Marines landed in Beirut... So I decided to go to Graduate School at Seton Hall. I applied for a job at a chemical company and there I met the most beautiful girl in the world. You see God had to start a war in Lebanon so that I would have the opportunity to meet my sweetheart FuFu and the rest is history...

Madison get a visit from a special "Doctor"

Duke's Doctor Dog visits Madison Post-Op

Lot 5

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My First Trip to the USA (Michael Saleeby)

My First Trip To The USA

By Michael Saleeby

It was a hot August day in 1955.  I had been preparing for this day for quite some time.  Applying to an accredited College in the USA, getting accepted, securing funds, applying for a student visa at the American Consulate in Beirut, purchasing a passage ticket to New York, and another from New York to California. Also a hotel reservation in New York .  So many details for a 20 year old who had never left Lebanon, except to visit Syria on an annual pilgrimage to a monastery  there. All this, and much more,  had to be synchronized. No room for errors.

Finally, when all was secured, it was time to leave for the New World and start a new chapter of my life. However, one thing never occurred to me amidst all this commotion and preparation. The separation, physically, from those whom I have loved all my life. I was aboard an Egyptian freighter, along with a few passengers, when suddenly the ship started to move. All I could see are my family members on the dock waving, with smiles and tears.  That was the very moment I felt the reality and shock of separation for the very first time in my life. Something I would never forget.  It took several days at sea for this reality to sink in and to accept a new reality.  I have no choice now but to look ahead  and plan the implementation of the rest of the itinerary.  

Some of the passengers were students going to various colleges in the USA. We had not known each other prior to this voyage. This was my first sea voyage and I was sea sick  all the way.  We made stops at Italian and French ports along the way and took time to do some sight seeing.  At one point so much cargo was unloaded that the ship was listing when we departed the port.  The Captain assured us that all is well and the crew are adjusting the cargo load to correct the situation. 

At times the sea was so rough with waves so high that, standing on deck, was a grave adventure. The ship will ride the wave so high,  then dip into a deep valley with a wall of water splashing over us with great force.  I never thought that such a phenomenon existed. The Captain was British with a smoking pipe permanently, it seems, in his mouth. While dining,  the dishware in the cabinets were rattling like crazy and the ship was rocking and squeaking so much that it seemed, to us,  like it is going to sink  any moment.  The Captain, however, was very calm, and, at one point took pleasure in telling  us that another ship in the general area is in distress and seeking our help! 

Finally we arrived and docked in Hoboken, NJ, on Labor Day. After all the formalities some of my new friends and I took a cab to a Hotel in New york City. Along the way the cab entered a tunnel  and, it seemed to me, that it was taking a long time to get out of the tunnel. I asked the cab driver why is it taking this long, and where are we? He said we are under the Hudson River.  At this point I started to panic and told him to step on it. What an unexpected and frightful experience! 

After a couple of days in NYC I flew to Los Angeles on my way to Santa Ana College in California. Took a cab to the YMCA, checked in, then took a cab to look up a High School friend  who was studying there and who recommended the college to me. Well, he was gone, transferred to points unknown...Went back to the YMCA. Next day I went to the college to register, etc... While I was walking on Campus a lady approached me speaking to me in a "foreign" language. I said, are you talking to me? She said yes. I, then, realized that she thought I was Spanish. I told her that I am Lebanese. She pulled a book by Gibran Khalil Gibran tucked under her arm  and, with a big smile,  introduced herself. The people there at the Santa Ana College were super and very helpful.  I, however, was very lonely, especially with my friend gone. I looked at the mirror at the YMCA and said to myself, what have I done?  Then, remembering that I have school friends in Oklahoma, called them and they told me to come on over. So, I rode the bus to Oklahoma and enrolled at Oklahoma City University.

more to come

Dr. Saleeby to speak at Somerset Place Historic Site

Say a prayer for Madison

Madison w/ funny candy teeth

SC USAR Task Force-1 DMS course

As the medical team leader for the South Carolina Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) Task Force-1, I set out to participate in a Disaster Management Course.  This course was in conjunction with the NC TF-1 folks to our north and there were participants from all over.  NY (FDNY), FL (Miami), Utah and even a few US Marines joined in the fun.  


It was four days of intense didactic (class room lectures) as well as hands-on exercise on the ''rubble pile'' with real-world scenario.  All this culminated in our final day starting at 08:00 and ending at 13:00 (that is 11:00PM for you landlubbers).  The final day was intended to push us past our comfort zone, with really austere conditions and live moulage victims in our final drill.  There will be more pics to follow, but some details cannot be shared (if I tell you I will have to shoot you  (wink)).

Members of the SC USAR TF-1 contingency (Dr. Curt. Armstrong, Candace Gleason, paramedic/rescue, [me], Matt Smittle, EMT/Firefighter)

Day at the Range... firing range that is...

With the crew from WellnessOne... we decided to spend a day with Blaine (one of our clients who also happens to be a Concealed Weapons Instructor/Firearms instructor with the NRA) for the SC Concealed Weapons Certificate course.  The state requires a course and passing a test (with FBI background check) in order to carry a concealed weapon.  The class started at 9AM at the Horry-Co. airport and ended up at a private firing range. We ended with a "bang" literally.... a really loud couple of bangs from a DEA issue AR-16 (M-16).  Most of our training and course was didactic classroom work, but we did get signed off by shooting designated targets at set distances with 22-cal. Sig Sauer P226R & Walther P22 semi-automatic pistols.

Sig Sauer 226R

Walther P22

AR-16

Here are some out-takes.  All in all our instructor was great, and we all had a very good time, expanding our knowledge of small arms and fire-arm safety.

The Crew... in a "Gangsta pose" with the AR-16

JP behind the AR-16

Sharon kicking some A$$ with a big gun.

NOTE:  Watch out them girls can shoot.  All of the gals did great on their targets.