Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day and there will not be an issue of the Journal. I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to each and every staff member and volunteer. Each day, you make countless contributions and sacrifices with dedication and unwavering professionalism. A hospital or clinic is mainly bricks and mortar, but they become a place of healing and care through what you do. Your service and those before have made the National Naval Medical Center a world-renowned institution for 66 years. In the time I have been Commander, I have witnessed the camaraderie and fellowship each of you possesses as a member of a huge and caring health care team. It is an honor to serve with you. This Thanksgiving will find many shipmates traveling to family or friends, or perhaps a quiet time spent in the crisp fall weather. This Thanksgiving will also find many deployed and many standing the watch ... it is what we do, and I ask that we always keep those shipmates and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers.
This is also a good time to look back at the history of our Nation and the first Thanksgiving and to remember the brotherhood that our country was built on. When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in December of 1620, they encountered a very severe winter. They had already faced the hardship of a 66-day ocean voyage and lost nearly half of those brave enough to endure it. The winter would have been even more dreadful, if they had not gotten help from the Wampanoag Indians. This generous tribe provided food, supplies, and survival skills to our ancestors. Soon the Pilgrims managed to stand on their own and produced a bountiful crop in 1621. As an expression of their deep gratitude ... their ‘‘thanks,” the Pilgrims and the Indians celebrated the first Harvest for three straight days. This was our Nation's first Thanksgiving Day celebration.
We, as modern day Americans, still have as much to be thankful for as the Pilgrims. In addition to remembering and respecting our forefathers who helped build and safeguard this great country, it is a time to turn our hearts and our prayers to those that are currently paying the price for our freedom. They are spending Thanksgiving in the deserts and mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq or perhaps another isolated area or at sea, far from turkey dinner and family. Again, keep them in your thoughts and prayers as you enjoy the independence to bow your head in thanksgiving prayer with the freedom of whatever religious belief you choose. Be thankful to them for keeping our American ideals alive and defending our Nation.
As a patient, we thank you for allowing us the honor to provide your care. We are also thankful that we know you are receiving state-of-the-art care from the best-trained military and civilian professional medical team available anywhere. If you’re a staff member, you can be thankful for your important contribution toward the wellness of those who have served and are serving and the fellowship and friendship of your Shipmates. As a medical center we can be thankful for our opportunity to care for our wounded warriors. This is our greatest honor and privilege. As Americans we can all be thankful for our freedoms and our great Nation.
I have to smile at times as I think about the great opportunities that lay ahead as we combine the best practices of Navy, Army, Air Force, and civilian medical care into the new joint medical care center. Every once in a while I am asked if the cultural differences in the services make this too difficult, and I always answer that the cultures and traditions of the services will be a great footprint on this joint facility and a source of pride for all.
However, especially at this time of year, I am reminded that if the Pilgrims and the Indians found a way to connect, support each other, share cultural differences, and give thanks together for the most important things in life, then certainly we can too. (However there is a little limit for football on December 6th ...Go Navy Beat Army!)
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. As you enjoy your holiday plans, please always remember to put safety first. If you're driving long distances to get home, make sure you get plenty of sleep and remain alert as you travel. Watch what you drink and eat ... do not over do it. I need you safe and count on all of you as we team-up to make a difference. Never underestimate your value to your family, your shipmates, your command or to me.
Commander sends.
Rear Adm. Matthew L. Nathan
Medical Corps, United States Navy
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