Friend,

I was at Duke studying medicine and law during the 9/11 attacks. I told myself that the best way to help my country was to finish school and start treating patients. But a year later, I picked up the newspaper and on the front-page was a man in uniform resuscitating an Iraqi child. The paper said it was a Marine doctor.

I called my local recruiters office and asked to join. He said the paper had messed up — the Marines didn’t have doctors; that was a Navy doctor deployed with the Marines. I told him I didn’t care what branch I served in, I just needed to help.

I finished my final year of medical training and was deployed to a base in Iraq, a ten-minute flight to Ramadi.

Just like the man in the newspaper picture, I was a Navy doctor assigned to a Marine squadron. My team were the famous Purple Foxes. For seven months we flew casualty evacuation missions in Al Anbar Province, picking up civilians and servicemembers in critical condition from combat zones and bringing them back to the safety of base for medical attention.

The veterans I served with in Iraq were the most honorable, hard working people I’ve met. When the brass bell on base started ringing (our signal to prepare for a mission), the Purple Foxes took that responsibility seriously. They knew we had Americans and Iraqis anxiously waiting for the sound of our chopper that meant help had arrived.

Many of the Purple Foxes signed up to serve, like I did, because of the events of 9/11. Today, and every day, I thank them for answering the call to serve, and for the sacrifices they made for our country and our families.

And to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and their gold star families: we will never forget.

— Dr. Kermit Jones
Former LT, USN

Paid for by Kermit Jones for Congress
Kermit Jones for Congress
PO Box 713
Roseville, CA 95661
United States

Kermit Jones is a former member of the U.S. Navy. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement from the Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy.

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .