An Image of Bravery

Thank you for telling the story of this amazing man. My heroes on this Veterans Day. Dr John and Dennis. Amazing human beings and friends that I cherish. YOUR NAME IS NOT ETCHED UPON THE WALL You fought for freedom in a far off land In the jungles and rice paddies of Vietnam A bullet from the enemy made you fall But your name is not etched upon The Wall Two bullets took off the side of your head But you fought to live and you are not dead You watched your best friend die and fall But your name is not etched upon The Wall You refused to give up though life has been tough Most men would have quit and given up You fought to live and refused to fall And your name is not etched upon The Wall The days of War have long been gone But the battle to live still rages on Not all our Heroes had to fall. Thank God! Your name is not etched upon The Wall ©Copyright 2004 by Mary E. Rogers DOCTOR JOHN Sent to you to mend and heal How many would survive? They left the 24th Evac. Some would surely die Scenes never to be forgotten Etched within your mind Never knowing, always wondering How many would you find Thirty-six long years had passed Your paths would cross again You found one of those soldiers Whose body you tried to mend His life has been successful The struggles were not few But he had taken what was dealt When he fought for the red white and blue You met in Long Binh, Vietnam Brought together by the hell of war Doctor and patient reunited In the year two-thousand and four The Master's hand took over When your job was done To love, to laugh, to live again The "freedom bird" brought this one home ©Copyright October 19, 2004 by Mary E. Rogers

I would like to thank CBS21 and Tanya Foster for bringing the heroic story of Dennis Haines to the public on this Veteran's Day, forty-one years after Dennis was wounded. His experience is one of the true "I am an American" and "I will never give up" sagas that we so long for now, and with that attitude he achieved a brilliant career at Hershey Medical Center Development and Planning, without being able to drive a car, walk, or see out of one side of his visual field. It was Our pleasure to have been put at the right place at the right time, in VietNam, and now to be among his dearest friends. John N. Baldwin, Major, MD FACS Jeannie Baldwin, 1st Lt, Nurse Corps Twain Harte, CA