Today, as we celebrate Veterans Day, let us take a minute and salute all who have served and honor the sacrifices made by members of the U.S. armed forces and their families to preserve our freedom.
Veterans Day gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of the veterans who are now orthodontists within our PCSO community. We have a large number of veterans amongst our ranks and today we celebrate each and every one.
Veterans are using their knowledge, skills, and experience to help advance the profession of orthodontics. We have reached out to a few of the many veterans in our community for some highlights of their experiences.
From Dr Norm Nagel (Conejo Valley): “I served in the U.S. Navy/Naval Reserve for 31 years, achieving the rank of Navy Captain. Instead of retiring, I joined the National Guard and retired as a Colonel, Army of the United States. The time I spent serving my country was some of the best years of my life.”
From Dr. Kurt Stormberg (San Diego, CA): “I spent 5 years in the Navy Dental Corps and served during the first Gulf War. I spent 2 years aboard the USS Germantown (LSD-42) stationed out of Sasebo, Japan. During this time, I saw many interesting ports from Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Tarawa, Okinawa, Guam, Australia, and Guadalcanal. My time in the Navy was a very rewarding experience. We all wanted to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and serve our country and our fellow Americans. I was honored to serve with the Navy and Marine Corps and care for my sailors and marines so they could accomplish their missions. I think if you talk to most veterans, they would say they didn’t do anything special and don’t need any thanks, but I always believe veterans deserve our respect. So, on this Veteran’s Day, I want to thank all our veterans in the PCSO for their service to our country.”
From J Demeo (Hawaii) “ I began my service as a Health Professions Scholarship Program recipient at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. I attended Commissioned Officer Training school in Montgomery, Alabama and learned to become an Air Force officer. After graduation, I did an AEGD-1 in Washington DC before shipping overseas to Germany to practice general dentistry. Following that, I was selected for the Tri-Service Orthodontic Residency Program (TORP) in San Antonio, TX. After graduating, I was sent to Italy to provide orthodontic treatment to servicemen and family members. I left active military service to move with my family to Hawaii and have continued to serve in the Reserves at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam.”
From Sam Suliman (Stockton CA) “I was born in Syria and immigrated to the United States when I was a young boy. After finishing college and dental school, I wanted to give back to the country that had given so much to me. In 2008 I enlisted in the Navy to serve our country. It was such an honor to wear a United States uniform, to train with the best of the best and to give back after I was given so much. After being stationed in San Diego and Japan, I returned to Tennessee to complete orthodontic residency which opened the door for me to come home to Stockton California where I currently practice.” You can learn more about his story in a video about his life.
We are happy to have so many veterans, but we must never forget that not all return. At PCSO we offer our sincere thanks for the personal sacrifices of those who have served.