Submitted

SALISBURY — As a part of Veterans Day events, retired Salisbury physician and Vietnam veteran Myron “Ockie” Goodman was the featured speaker to an overflow audience at the Nov. 13 meeting of the Carolina’s Chapter of the Military Officers Association at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center.

Goodman, who was a U.S. Army medical doctor in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, shared many of his wartime experiences during the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia. Although Goodman volunteered after UNC Medical School for the Army to serve in Vietnam, he wants you to know, “I am not a war hero,” he said. “I was a medical doctor in the town of Can Tho in South Vietnam near the Mekong River, and my job was to treat the Vietnamese and American soldiers who needed medical attention.”

Goodman shared stories of not only treating soldiers wounded in combat but also both Vietnamese children and adults.

“Many Vietnamese wanted to be treated by an American doctor,” said Goodman. “We also visited and treated many young children in orphanages in Vietnam. I saw about every disease and injury you can imagine. It was a very humbling and meaningful experience for me personally.”

Goodman told the audience of his fellow military veterans, “When we ventured out of our military compound, we got shot at occasionally, but my job was to treat the sick and wounded. I loved being there to serve my country and help save lives of our servicemen. For 13 months, I was a doctor for the Military Advisory Command in South Vietnam, where we supported combat troops fighting in IV Corps in the Mekong Delta region.”

Goodman related one story when he treated U.S. Army Officer Baxter Mowery of Salisbury, who was wounded in combat during the Tet Offensive.

According to Mowery, “I was wounded by an enemy bullet and was checked into Can Tho clinic for medical treatment. I was totally surprised to see my good friend and former Boyden High School classmate Myron “Ockie” Goodman as my doctor. Neither one of us had any idea the other was in Vietnam. We talked for hours and hours. It was a half a world away from home, where no one had even heard of Salisbury or Boyden High School. Thank God for Myron. He treated many of our soldiers and helped save my life.”

In response to questions from his audience, Goodman described the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam and said many veterans today are still suffering from their exposure to chemicals used to defoliate the jungle.

Goodman also recognized the Salisbury Veterans Administration Medical Center, where his son Michael is a doctor. “We are fortunate to have one of the best VA Medical Centers in the country in Salisbury, where they treat thousands of veterans from across the state and country,” said Goodman. His son Christopher is also a doctor at Rowan Diagnostic Clinic in Salisbury. Myron’s wife, Mary, is a registered nurse. Many of his family members attended the MOAA meeting.

Today, almost 55 years later, after his service in Vietnam, Goodman recalls how much he believed in what we were doing in Vietnam. “We were there to contain Communism and defend freedom in the world. I don’t have strong opinions about the war today, but I very much believed in it then. I think our philosophy was if we could win the minds and the hearts of the Vietnamese people, we could have won the war. However, it was a political and defensive war. It’s a shame that we lost so many young men fighting for the freedom of the Vietnamese.”

In his introductory remarks of Goodman, Vietnam veteran Ronnie Smith said, “Myron is one of the finest men I know, and yes, he will always be my hero.”

The Military Officers Association of America meets every other month at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center in Salisbury. All current and retired military officers are eligible and invited to attend. Contact MOAA President Gary Applewhite at 704-636-7858 or Secretary Bob Loeblein at 704-636-4766.