First Falklands Task Force: Operation Journeyman 1977

TSgt Joe C. PO3 Steven Sherrill CW3 Kevin Storm SSG (Join to see) SGM Steve Wettstein SMSgt Thor Merich MSG (Join to see) PO1 John Johnson MAJ Ken Landgren LTC Greg Henning PVT Mark Zehner MSG Tom Earley Alan K. SPC Mark Huddleston PO1 H Gene Lawrence SGT Elizabeth Scheck Sgt Deborah Cornatzer SSgt Boyd Herrst SPC Diana D. SFC George Smith

Very informative ! I had read something about these ops.. I had been in the accident in mid ‘77 and seen newspapers in the Red Cross lounge at Scott AFB. When there I noticed the lounge in disarray.. so I proceeded to straighten up best as I could, that’s when I seen the newspapers.. so I straightened them up and set aside . Then continued to straighten the rest of the lounge. A Red Cross volunteer came in and helped me finish straightening .., by then I was kind of exhausted.. and we watched TV awhile ... I and her where she was from and she told me not far from Ann Arbor, Mi. She asked me if I knew of where Ann Arbor Airport.. she grew a few miles east of it. And I told my hometown .. Wayne, Mi. She said she had schoolmates in college at Eastern univ. in Ypsilanti, Mi . That were from Wayne. Small world ! I asked if I could take the newspapers up to read.. they looked a little dated(about a week). She said she thought anybody would mind.. We’d been talking and never introduced ourselves by name.. So I told her mine and she told me hers... her name tag was kinda covered.. She asked what floor/ward I was on .. I showed her my wrist tag .. She went back to my ward with me and I introduced her to fellas I shared a room with. “So what you bring us Boyd ?” “Oh, I was down to the R.C.
Lounge awhile and she came by and we.
Visited awhile and I brought her up with me !” Carolina visited with us awhile and took her leave.. I settled back and read about the Falkland sitrep.. The paper had kinda bad print, paper was n’t thaf
Good either.. My roomies took the rest of the paper... “Geez, it’s a week old !” “Oh.. quit your belly aching, Sam !” Another roomie retorted.. My roomies were all older than I .. We looked out for each other.. got stuff like newspapers, magazine.. a soda.. I got put in a general ward temporarily.. a few weeks later I got moved to a Neuro ward.., got assigned a new doc. Young fella , which to me was good.. he was on the level and didn’t use cover words .. didn’t condescend either .. He said he seen my papers and that I was reading about the Falklands .. so we talked about that, get off the medical jibber jabber.. we’d talked about 45 minutes. And he realized he had to go visit some other patients..
He came back and told me I was going to St. Louis college Hospital for a Cat-Scan ... “So what kind of cats, Doc, Persian, Calico ?” “Funny.. all the comedians out of work.. No cola beverages, rest of eve, ok? sprite, Ginger ale, water ok!” And he signed off my chart and left... I had to skip bkfst too.. no loss there.. it was a kinda long ride.. had a AF medic/ driver and a civilian orderly.
the orderly saved the day and got us around a traffic jam up.. if not for him we might have been late. The people at St Louie had a weird way of doing c-scans..
I think it was their mission to make patients uncomfortable as possible.. I seen a critique sheet and folded it and took it back to Scott AFB Hospital .. they were rude too.. I documented all that, I was as cooperative as humanly expected.. I may have had a TBI (called a.closed head injury then). but I wasn’t knocked into imbecility.. I managed to get some AF stationary from my Doc.. he helped me and a section clerk helped me do my write up.. I made our Hospital Cmdr aware of their conduct and asked him to commute with their head administrator about their deplorable conduct. I got a full Manila envelope and forwarded it through Patient SQDN and up the Chain of hospital command.
I spoke with a Neurologist and He said they were going to hold off on a Ned board and send me to Keesler AFB. To do Burr holes to relieve pressure.. I asked if it were possible if I could go to Wright-Pat Reg. Hosp. I’d researched too
and they have a quite competent Neuro surgical staff .. So he said he’d see what could.be done.. a week ewent by and a captain from the Hospital Cmdr’s staff visited with me and informed me my comments about negative attitude at St. Louis Univ hosp were not the only ones from AF patients sent there.and that Our
I.G. Is working with the university Admin to remedy the sitrep.. So where’d I learn the various terminology/correct language ? I’m a reader Captain Sir , and to make sure my paper wasn’t just shoved aside
I made sure to word it correctly and not sound like a belly-acher. Just belly aching.. “You certainly got our attention
SSGT. Is there anything we Can do for you ? In fact there is . Talk with Dr. Yee that Neurologist and persuade him if possible go find me a great Neuro Surgeon at W-P Hospital in Ohio .. I just fon’f Wang any ol surgeon drilling holes in my noggin ! “We’ll see what can be done for you SSGT. ( I know rank is not normally used in the hosp for patients and I appreciated when the
Captain used it). Dr. Yee dropped by..
I don’t know who you know around here, I was asked to be sure to find you your Surgeon at W-P AFB Hospital... and we have a Doctor who also calls Livonia, Mi.
home., His name is Doctor Ward and he’s interested In taking your case. Dr. Yee left some paperwork on my table.. I waited and put them in my portfolio. He didn’t come back so I take it he left them for me.. If he needs them.. Well, he can have them.. first I will see if I can get copies made.. just in case.. I made my copies and he came back by and asked about them.. “Oh sure Dr. Yee, here you go !” And I passed them to him.. a week later I got moved to Aerovac holding.. I
Was there two weeks.. There seemed to be more serious cases to be aerovacced.
I woke up the 3D morn’g and found some nurses and a med tech by my bed.. The med tech was checking on me and seen my pillow was kind of soaked by where my right side of my head was on my pillow.. and he got the nurses.. “It’s the protective fluid leaking.. not a big deal.”
It was to them .. My status got changed from routine transfer to a stat. So I was going out tomorrow.. I knew when to shut-up.. I wanted out of Scott.. two weeks in a holding pattern.. I was getting to know people on a familiar basis.. I had to be busy.. I went around helping fill water pitchers .. getting stuf for those that were bed-ridden.. One gal was going for an eye operation.. I read to her . There was a daydoom area.. I helped tidy it some.. finally my flight time came.. W-P was not the first stop.. well it wasn’t my call .. We actually didn’t go to Keesler and let off two others.. then across to. The Carolinas and back up to McGuire and then to W-P.. what a long day I had .. couldn’t wait to get I. A real bed ! ..it was late, For sure ! Finally got in and got a bed... They said my Doc be in in the morning..

Great history share Chief.