I would like to thank each and every taxpaying American citizen
for the medical care I received over the last 4 days following a minor/micro seizure in the speech area of my brain which made simple multiple syllable words extremely difficult to bring together in thought and then verbalize.
As an American veteran that served OUR country I was able to obtain emergency medical care and extended testing to ascertain whether or not I had suffered a stroke, here at the Veterans Administration hospital in the city I live in. For that, I am grateful.
I never served on a battlefield where bullets fly. I stood my first watches aboard ship as a lifesaver helping out fellow mariners and trying to stem the flow of drugs into this country over the waters of the Gulf, Caribbean and Atlantic. Later, I served behind a desk as a Search and Rescue coordinator along the TX Gulf coast standing my watch answering phone calls, making phone calls and passing instructions along to floating and airborne units so they could discharge their duties and perform the actual rescues they trained so much and so hard to do. I have all the ribbons and medals, commendations and letters of appreciation for my part while standing my watch.
My life choices good, bad or otherwise, decisions made logically or emotionally and wrong thinking led me to where I am now in my life. No income, no pension, no 401k, no Social Security (too young), no other means to pay for even the most basic of medical care.
I survive for now, because of the love of a father for his son even while our beliefs are in opposite political camps. He himself being a veteran, including Vietnam service, yet who is an avowed conservative that only believes the fair-n-balanced propaganda he has subjected himself to for the last 25yrs. Without him in my life, I would probably be another veteran living on the streets holding up signs at intersections and such. Without my father and his love of his oldest son, his namesake, I wouldn't be posting this on the internet.
So again, I would like to thank each and every single one of you, the American taxpayers, and veterans, who help provide the socialized medical care that I was able to receive recently.
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I hope your health problems are resolved and you and your Dad can begin to smooth over the rough political edges that come between you.
I've been there with my family, but before they died we came to an understanding to not allow politics to come between us. It took many tense years to get to that position.
You paid your debt to us before ever receiving any help from us, so it should be us who are thanking you. Thank you. 
and don't beat yourself up about the past, you can only move forward....live and learn 
