The Army is ALWAYS looking for dentists.
Might be a long-shot but as a longtime dentist Rep. Paul Gosar might find an age waiver if he was inclined to join.
Actually this reminds me of a story about the only military dentist to get the Medal of Honor...
Might be a long-shot but as a longtime dentist Rep. Paul Gosar might find an age waiver if he was inclined to join.
Actually this reminds me of a story about the only military dentist to get the Medal of Honor...
Ben Salomon was an infantryman and later a dentist.
As a 29 year old (this would have been 1944) he had been commissioned and then sent to the Marianas Islands to fill in for a wounded surgeon.
A losing Japanese commander ordered waves of suicide attacks...
As a 29 year old (this would have been 1944) he had been commissioned and then sent to the Marianas Islands to fill in for a wounded surgeon.
A losing Japanese commander ordered waves of suicide attacks...
While treating a patient, Saloman began to observe Japanese soldiers approaching his casualty collection point
He grabbed a rifle and shot an attacker before resuming care. He then clubbed two Japanese soldiers, bayoneted one more, and shot a fourth one.
He grabbed a rifle and shot an attacker before resuming care. He then clubbed two Japanese soldiers, bayoneted one more, and shot a fourth one.
Seizing small arms available to him, he ordered medics to evacuate the wounded while he provided covering fire.
Contact with Salomon was lost as US troops withdrew from the area
Contact with Salomon was lost as US troops withdrew from the area
They found Salomon's dead body laying on top of a machine gun surrounded by dozens of dead Japanese soldiers.
A blood trail showed that he re-positioned the gun numerous times to cover the retreat even while wounded.
A blood trail showed that he re-positioned the gun numerous times to cover the retreat even while wounded.
The final count of dead enemy soldiers piled in front of his position was 98 Japanese soldiers.
Salomon received the Medal of Honor only decades and decades later, in 2002
His Medal of Honor is at the AMEDD museum in San Antonio.
MOH citation:
cmohs.org/recipient-deta…
Salomon received the Medal of Honor only decades and decades later, in 2002
His Medal of Honor is at the AMEDD museum in San Antonio.
MOH citation:
cmohs.org/recipient-deta…
And this is why it took so long for Salomon received his Medal of Honor:
