Today we’d like to introduce you to Samuel Axelrad, M.D..
Samuel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I would not be where I am today or be who I am today if it wasn’t for all sorts of tiny coincidences and twists of life rooting back from when my grandfather immigrated to Houston from Romania, my parents meeting for the first time through accidental circumstances, going to the Sewanee Military Academy, to studying medicine and all of the events that happened during and after my life in the Army. In 1966, I was drafted into the Army. I was a physician with some military training (through military school) and I was made commanding officer of a mobile army surgical unit.
I did a lot of things in Vietnam and the whole experience was life-changing, but the one story that stood out to me and has impacted me the most was on October 27, 1966 when a helicopter dropped off a young injured enemy soldier who we called Charlie. I amputated his arm because of gangrene and when he was better he helped us around camp with our Vietnamese patients inside the base before ultimately being sent to a clinic we set up staffed by local Vietnamese people with support from a rotating group of US Army medics that would come from the base. After he left our base, that was the last I saw of Charlie until 46 years later.
In 2010, my grandchild stumbled across the chest of where I had put all of my things from the war, including the arm that was given to me by my men after they reconstructed it, not as a prize or a souvenir. I kept it because I felt like I was a custodian of the arm and I wasn’t going to throw it away. It sparked an interest for me and my family to go back to Vietnam and visit and see how it has evolved since I was last there and hope that Charlie was alive and well and was able to receive his bones back. While my family and I were there, we took a tour and spoke to the tour guide/historian, who coincidentally was a journalist during the weekdays, about my story. The journalist knew this was a story worth hearing and sharing and wrote the story to share with the citizens of Vietnam to spread the story and in hopes that someone would recognize the story and bring Charlie and myself back together. 5 days after she sent that article, they found Charlie and I went back to Vietnam to bring his bones back to him. I got to see where life had taken him after our encounter with each other all those years ago. He turned out to live a great life and have raised wonderful children who all contribute to the greatness of society. A lot of people ask me why I saved him, and I always say because I’m a doctor and that’s what you’re supposed to do. If I was in the same situation again, I’d do it the exact same way. There are no accidents.
As a child, I would say I had a pretty simple childhood. My father made our toys instead of going out to buy the newest objects, we went to movie theaters on weekends, ice skated in the rink across the street and like all the kids in that neighborhood, we played outside. As a teenager, I rode jumping horses in horse shows. I found passion in taking care and riding horses and later realized that they were in a sense, my therapy. My passion led to me getting really sick and having to give up riding and having to drop out of school. When I got better, I tried to make up the classes I couldn’t make in school and eventually had a calling to go to Sewanee Military Academy (Junior and Senior year of high school) and was an honor student.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think all things considered and just from the perspective I choose to have, I believe it was a smooth road. Granted, there’s no such thing as a life without trials and hardships but I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, there are no coincidences and I’ve been blessed to be given the life I’ve lived.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
After Vietnam, I took a residency in urology and became a urologist. I formed a group of urologists called “Houston Metro Urology.” I think what sets me apart from other people and other urologists were my experiences as an army veteran who served in Vietnam.
Pricing:
- Peaceful Bones, $14
- https://www.amazon.com/Peaceful-Bones-Extraordinary-Friendship-Heart-warming-ebook/dp/B01M3S572W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519143330&sr=8-1&keywords=peaceful+bones
Contact Info:
- Website: http://go.peacefulbones.com/get-book
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeacefulBones/
- Twitter: @PeacefulBones
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Peaceful-Bones-Extraordinary-Friendship-Heart-warming-ebook/dp/B01M3S572W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519143330&sr=8-1&keywords=peaceful+bones
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