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John C. Meyer, MD
Branch of service: U. S. Navy Years of service: 1986-1991
“ My interest in military medicine began before medical school. I was accepted into the Health Profession Scholarship Program, which provided a scholarship for my medical education. After serving five years on active duty and several more in the reserves, I knew I wanted to pursue aviation medicine. I considered programs from the Air Force, Army and Navy, but the Navy’ s philosophy resonated with me: as a flight surgeon making critical decisions about a pilot’ s airworthiness, it was essential to understand their responsibilities firsthand. The best way to do this, the Navy believed, was to train flight surgeons to fly themselves.
Between my first and second years of medical school, I spent the summer at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island for officer training. This immersive experience covered military history, leadership, military bearing and naval warfare, and even included lessons on marching and leading formations.
I graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 1986, earning the rank of Lieutenant in the Navy. I then completed a one-year internship in general surgery at the Naval Hospital San Diego before being transferred to the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute( NAMI) in Pensacola, Florida. There, I trained in aviation medicine and flight physiology. My ultimate assignment was predetermined: I would serve with Marine Corps helicopters. As such, I advanced directly to H-57 helicopter training.
My next duty station was Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, where I joined HMLA-167, a UH-1( Huey) and AH-1( Cobra) squadron. In this role, I was responsible for the squadron’ s medical care and readiness. I spent a significant amount of time in the hangar with the maintenance crews, learning about the aircraft, which in turn led to more opportunities for flight time. I was required to log monthly flight hours and flew both the left seat in the Huey and the front seat in the Cobra. As all Navy and Marine Corps helicopters have dual controls, I would actually fly.
After two years with HMLA-167, I transferred to HMM-261, a CH-46( Sea Knight) squadron. In March 1990, the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing as part of Landing Force Sixth Fleet aboard the USS Saipan( LHA-2). The Saipan played a pivotal role in evacuating 1,600 civilians and embassy personnel from Liberia during Operation Sharp Edge. I was responsible for providing medical support during medevacs and while on the ground.
Following our return in December 1990, I was redeployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. As Wing Surgeon, I oversaw 15 flight surgeons, both active duty and reserve. Once our duties in Desert Storm were completed, I returned to MCAS New River as a Commander, marking the end of my active-duty service.
I began my ophthalmology residency at St. Louis University in 1991, transitioning to the Naval reserves for a few more years before ultimately separating.
I am profoundly grateful to the Navy and Marine Corps for the invaluable training and experiences I received. The responsibility and leadership I was entrusted with at such a young age far exceeded what I would have encountered in civilian life. I have become a strong advocate for the benefits of military service: discipline, accountability, respect, teamwork and a deep concern for others before self are traits essential for success, not just in the military, but in family, work and society at large.
Semper Fi.”
Norman Radtke, MD
Branch of service: U. S. Navy Years of service: 1960-1968
“ I volunteered for Vietnam to help stop the domino effect of communism. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara destroyed the reputation of the military which was not regained until after Operation Desert Storm because he used poor tactics in fighting the war. These include: using body count to incentivize military performance, initiating Rolling Thunder to bomb North Vietnam into submission and lying to the American Public in 1966 that we were winning the war when he knew this was not true. I think our country should have two years of required national service after high school. All of us need to be extremely vigilant of China and its effort at world dominance.”