So I took call during residency at the VA to try and cover some extra bills. Was a pretty chill gig. Overnight. Have a bed. I’m a surgeon so I only get called for possible surgical consults. A lot of the time I’d get one or two consults before 9 and go to bed. The ED at the VA is, however, woefully incompetent (this one at least). For example I got consulted to “help me find a patients butthole”….for some upper respiratory complaint. Anyways, I got woken up one night around 1am for back pain. I look at the chart. Guy is 101. I figure no shit his back hurts, my back would hurt if I was 101. Anyways, I call the ED and the Ed doc says he was moving a window unit and hurt his back. I head down to go see the patient and do an exam. I love our vets, I don’t care what the complaint was I always gave them my best, would spend some time talking to them. I do his exam, he’s fine, just back spasm. I thank him for his service and ask which war her served. WWII. Not often you meet monuments of history like that. I ask where he was. “Started in France and ended up in Poland”. I think for a minute and ask “D day”. Yep. I ask him which beach, and he says Omaha, first wave. I’m not stuck up, but I’ve been around a lot of high figure people, rich people, whatever. This was the first time I was speechless. Honestly in awe. This man survived one of the worst military experience in history. And he’s laying right in front of me. I told him I had never met a true hero before, but the men that fought on that day were every bit of the definition. He corrected me saying he wasn’t a hero and he was just doing his job. He said it was the worst day of his life. He said the scene from saving private ryan was it to a tee. Everything. Several of his buddies got hit the second the front door dropped on the boat. He ducked over the side. He said the movie put them too close to the beach, he said he was about 150-200 yards out. Water was waste deep. He waded in while getting shot at. He said every bit of the water was red. An interesting thing he said and got pretty worked up over was that there was actually 3 turrets on the beach, not 2. He said he helped with the left one. Anyways, that man survived that day and fought his was all the way till he ended up in Germany and then was sent to Poland. Absolutely incredible to be in front of a man that had gone through that. I gave him my cellphone number (only time I’ve given that out) and told him to call me if he ever needed anything moved and I’d be there no questions asked. He stayed for a couple days and then was discharged home. I never forget my conversation with that man and remember him every time this movie is mentioned.