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General . He came over and he noticed my caduceus . He asked me where I went to medical school . I told him , and he said , “ I bet you didn ’ t know I went to the University of Louisville ” and I said , “ Yes sir , you graduated in 1926 ,” and [ General Heaton ] made sure I got transferred to the MASH unit .”
Dr . Marshall continued , “ Leonard Heaton was very adamant about getting more medivac helicopters because he knew that life expectancy and saving limbs really depended on the [ amount of ] time from injury to definitive care – just like it is now .” Indeed , wounded soldiers in Vietnam greatly benefited from the use of helicopters for emergent medical transport to MASH units , with reportedly 97.5 % of them recovering from their injuries and 80 % returning to duty , according to the Royal College of Surgeons of England . In his later years as Surgeon General , he oversaw the modernization of older military hospitals across the U . S .
Upon his promotion to Lieutenant General on Sept . 9 , 1959 , Dr . Heaton became the Surgeon General and the first physician to achieve the three-star rank . During his 10 years as Surgeon General , he served under Presidents Eisenhower , Kennedy , Johnson and Nixon . Furthermore , Dr . Heaton received numerous awards throughout his career , including the Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters , the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters , the American Defense Medal , the European African Middle East Campaign Medal , the World War II Victory Medal , the American Campaign Medal , the Pacific Campaign Medal , the National Defense Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster , and Four Overseas Bars .
At the conclusion of his remarkable career , Lieutenant-General Heaton retired from the U . S . Army on Sept . 1 , 1969 . He and his wife lived quietly in Pinehurst , North Carolina , where they enjoyed spending time with their married daughter and two grandsons . General Heaton enjoyed playing golf with President Eisenhower as well as professional golfer Arnold Palmer . An avid golfer , he only stopped playing while undergoing treatment for aggressive colon cancer . Unfortunately , this battle against cancer would be his last ; in July 1983 , General Heaton was admitted to Walter Reed General Hospital where he died on Sept . 8 , 1983 .
General Heaton ’ s youngest grandson , James D . Mayson , was only 18 years old when his grandfather passed . Now a medical malpractice defense attorney in Staunton , Virginia , James cherishes many fond memories of his grandfather . Known to many as simply “ The General ,” Heaton ’ s reputation as a highly decorated Army officer did not dampen his sense of humor – particularly with his grandsons . James recalls one particular Christmas dinner where someone had forgotten to give the General a chair at the dinner table . Rather than draw attention to the missing furniture , Heaton got on his knees and began eating as if nothing was amiss . This went unnoticed by everyone except for young James sitting next to him , who started laughing . James ’ s mother , Sarah , became irritated and asked , “ What is it ?” General Heaton and James feigned ignorance until Sarah finally caught on about 20 minutes later . She promptly chastised her father for ruining their nice Christmas dinner which only made them laugh harder .
On May 21 , 2021 , James was invited to speak at the memorialization of Heaton Road in front of the Desmond T . Doss Health Clinic in Schofield Barracks , Hawaii . Honoring his grandfather ’ s exceptional legacy , James shared a quote from Heaton ’ s journal about the attack on Pearl Harbor , “ This was the worst day of my life . However , I was meant to be here and I wouldn ’ t have chosen any other place to be .” Heaton lived a life of admirable service to his country and his patients . “ I think he had a gift for medicine ,” James remarked . Although easily overshadowed by an impressive military career , James emphasized his grandfather ’ s humanity , generosity , and kindness . Heaton impressed the value of honesty , hard work , and commitment upon both grandsons from a young age . Even at the end of his life , the General lived with passion and purpose . James shared , “ Even though General Heaton would say to his patients , ‘ It ’ s okay to let go ; It ’ s okay to not fight it ; It ’ s okay to go in peace ’... he certainly didn ’ t live his life like that . He was fighting till the end .”
Leonard D . Heaton was many things : a physician , a General , and a proud grandfather . From a humble medical student at the University of Louisville to the Surgeon General of the U . S . Army , his legacy of service is a powerful reminder of the potential that lies within us all .
References
Burg , Maclyn P . “ Interview With Leonard D . Heaton .” Eisenhower Presidential Library , Dwight D . Eisenhower Library , 27 Oct . 1975 , www . eisenhowerlibrary . gov / sites / default / files / research / oral-histories / oral-history-transcripts / heaton-leonard-337 . pdf .
Collins , Ashton J ., and Jerry W . Martin . “ Interview with Jerry Martin , MD .” 17 Nov . 2024 .
Collins , Ashton J ., and Joseph C . Marshall . “ Interview with Joseph Marshall , MD .” 17 Sept . 2024 .
Collins , Ashton J ., et al . “ Interview with James D . Mayson .” 13 Nov . 2024 .
Heaton , Leonard D ., et al . “ President Eisenhowerʼs operation for regional enteritis .” Annals of Surgery , vol . 159 , no . 5 , May 1964 , pp . 661 – 666 , https :// doi . org / 10.1097 / 00000658-196405000-00003 .
“ Heaton , Leonard Dudley ( 1902 - 1983 ) .” Plarr ’ s Lives of the Fellows , Royal College of Surgeons of England , livesonline . rcseng . ac . uk / client / en _ GB / lives / search / detailnonmodal / ent :$ 002f $ 002fSD _ ASSET $ 002f0 $ 002fSD _ ASSET : 379506 / one ? qu =% 22rcs % 3A % 2BE007323 % 22 & rt = false % 7C % 7C % 7CIDENTIFI- ER % 7C % 7C % 7CResource % 2BIdentifier . Accessed 31 Dec . 2024 .
“ Honor Guard Ceremony for Lieutenant General Leonard D . Heaton .” Honor Guard Ceremony For Lieutenant General Leonard D . Heaton | Harry S . Truman , www . trumanlibrary . gov / photograph-records / 2014-315 . Accessed 31 Dec . 2024 .
“ Join Us Live for the Grand Opening of Our New Annex and the Memorialization of Heaton Rd .: By Desmond T . Doss Health Clinic- Schofield Barracks .” Facebook , Desmond T . Doss Health Clinic- Schofield Barracks , 21 May 2021 , www . facebook . com / watch / live /? ref = watch _ permalink & v = 1118127648669748 .
“ Leonard D . Heaton .” Wikipedia , Wikimedia Foundation , 18 Dec . 2024 , en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Leonard _ D ._ Heaton .
“ Leonard Heaton Dies ; Ex-Army Surgeon General .” The New York Times , The New York Times , 12 Sept . 1983 , www . nytimes . com / 1983 / 09 / 12 / obituaries / leonard-heaton-dies-ex-army-surgeon-general-dr-leonard-d-heaton-retired . html #.
“ Surgeons General .” AMEDD Center of History & Heritage , U . S . Army Medical Department Office of Medical History , achh . army . mil / history / surgeongenerals-l-heaton . Accessed 31 Dec . 2024 .
Ashton Collins is a second-year medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine .
Dr . Kasdan is an emeritus clinical professor of plastic surgery and resides in Louisville , Kentucky .
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