65: What Does Memorial Day Mean for Military Leaders?, with Lt. General R. Scott Dingle, Lt. General Ronald J. Place, Joseph Caravalho, Jr., M.D., MG, U.S. Army, (Ret.), and Elder Granger, M.D., MG, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Meet The Guests:
This episode showcases military leaders. Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle is the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command. Lieutenant General Ronald J. Place, M.D. is the Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Joseph Caravalho, Jr., M.D. is a retired Major General of the U.S. Army and currently serves as the President and CEO of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. Elder Granger, M.D., is a retired Major General of the U.S. Army and is the Founder and President of The 5P’s LLC.
Key Insights:
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May to mourn U.S. military personnel who died in service. We asked military leaders to share what Memorial Day means to them.
- Honoring Past Leaders. LTG Dingle shares a quote from General Douglas MacArthur: no one desires peace more than the soldier because it is he, or she, who must pay the greatest price when called upon. (0:40)
- Honoring the Ultimate Sacrifice. LTG Place shared a personal story of a soldier that died in his medical care, succumbing to injuries from an IED. Following that deployment, LTG Place stopped thinking of himself as a surgeon first, and rather as a soldier first.(2:37)
- Honoring Selflessness. MG Caravalho points out that there are many patriots; many people that act selflessly for this country. However, Memorial Day is about those who chose to put on a uniform and promised to defend the United States no matter the situation and no matter the sacrifice. (6:54)
- Honoring History. For MG Granger, Memorial Day reminds him that freedom is not free. We must honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice from not just modern wars, but also from the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War 1 and 2, and other historical battles that solidified America’s freedom. (9:27)
