Naturally
Well-known Member
- Location
- Corner of Walk 'n Don't Walk
Disclaimer: If you don't want to read the wall of text in this message, skip to the last paragraph for questions I have. Thank you
The story begins decades ago when I was 33ys old and a (elderly) recruit in U.S. Navy Boot Camp. There and in about my 3rd week of training, I developed a stress fracture just below the knee of my left leg. Then sent to medical hold where I would be on crutches for 63 days as my leg healed. Near the end of those 63 days, I was ordered to sign a medical discharge document. I was to be sent back home once the Navy had treated my condition. The doctor explained that I was susceptible to future recurrence of stress fractures and it would not be prudent for the Navy to allow continued service. Reluctantly I signed the discharge document and returned to medical hold awaiting healing and discharge from the Navy.
While in medical hold, I met another recruit also in medical hold. He had been assigned to the Chaplin corp as an assistant while he awaited his medical discharge. I noticed, admired and coveted a cross on a ball chain the guy wore. I wanted that cross necklace. Not one like it ... I strongly wanted THAT ONE. I didn't understand then or now, why that one. I just wanted it.
I wasn't then, nor ever had been, nor am a Catholic. It puzzled me why I felt such an affinity for the necklace. After all, it was just an inexpensive cross made of some kind of pot metal, on a ball chain. Something a Chaplin might hand out routinely I supposed. Figured there must be tons of them available at the Chaplin's office. But I didn't want to become involved with the Chaplin or his religion. I just wanted that cross necklace in spite of the fact I had no idea of its meaning.
I asked the guy if I could have the necklace. He explained that the necklace had great meaning for him. The Priest has blessed it and personally presented it to the guy. He was not willing nor had ever given any thought to parting with the necklace. He cherished it perhaps on multiple levels. It was very special to him and held meaning.
As the days neared for my medical discharge from the Navy, I spoke with the guy again about the cross necklace. After all these decades later, I can't remember the specific conversation, but I must have exuded respect for the necklace and my words regarding the necklace must have moved the guy. The guy presented the necklace to me with HIS blessing. He asked only that I wear it and not part with it. It held special meaning.
I had given up much in my civilian life at the age of 33 to join the Navy. It bothered me greatly that I had not served MY country and felt I'd finally done the right thing by joining the military. The week I was to be discharged from the Navy and sent back home, I determined my mission to rescind the discharge and continue service in the Navy.
At the hospital I spent a whole afternoon going from one doctor to another trying to appeal the discharge document I had been forced to sign. The first doctor, who had diagnosed my propensity for stress fractures and forced me to sign the medical discharge document, refused to consider my appeal for rescinding the discharge. I did not accept that decision and sought another doctor on staff. He too refused to negate the opinion of his colleague. So I sought a third staff doctor. He too didn't want to hear of it. I wasn't giving up. I went to the office of a fourth doctor and again I was turned away.
Wearing the cross necklace with respect and inspired to not give up even though after appealing to four doctors, I was disillusioned and disappointed. At each doctor's office I'd been seated in a waiting room to wait a turn to speak with each doctor. I'd been at the hospital all afternoon. I'd done my best ... I thought.
It was almost 5 P.M. and most day shift people at the hospital had either gone home or were prepared to leave shortly. I'd done all I could and time had run out. I began to proceed to exit the hospital and await the 5 P.M. bus for a return trip back to medical hold barracks.
I paused in the lobby of the hospital and examined the registry of doctors. As my eyes ran down the list of doctors I realized I'd been there already ... been there ... been there ... been there.
Then I noticed a name on the registry I'd dismissed. It was the office of a female doctor. She saw female patients. Guys saw male doctors. All four of the doctors I'd appealed to that afternoon were male and there were no other male doctors to speak with or listed. I KNEW it was useless to speak with a female doctor as I turned and faced the hospital exit.
But something refused to let me walk through that door and out into the world away from that hospital. A walk that would have destroyed once and for all, the hopes and dreams of proudly serving my country ... with a deep breath, I turned back to the last possibility, prepared to find her office closed for the day.
Her office was unlocked, the waiting room empty. Looking around the room I KNEW I was in the wrong place ... I thought. The room was adorned with "female" posters on the walls. Yep I was in the wrong place, guys aren't seen here.
The whole office was quiet but I found one person in the area behind the desk, wrapping things up for the day and on their way out. It was the female doctor.
I spoke with her about many things. Among those things, I explained to the military doctor that all my life I'd breathed hers and the air of others who had served their country. All my life I'd drank their water. It was my strongest desire to serve MY country. Furthermore and at my age, 33, if there were anything left at home for me, I wouldn't have left it. I had nothing to go back to. My future lay in service with the United States Navy. It's what I wanted to do and felt I was meant to do.
She listened and apparently I touched something in her with my words, presence, persistence and resolve. Pulling up my medical records on her computer, she rescinded the medical discharge and annotated the records to reflect that I was deemed fit to return to a normal Boot Camp company for completion of boot camp and continued Naval service. She had lifted a ton of bricks off my disillusioned and discouraged back. I sincerely thanked her and exited the hospital with my feet barely touching the ground. Silently I touched the cheap cross on an inexpensive ball chain beneath my shirt that had given me hope and inspiration and said thank you ... Thank You.
Returning to medical hold at a late hour, I was to report to the medical hold office to explain my absence for the entire afternoon and into the evening. There I found the Warrant Officer in charge of Medical Hold was still in his office at that hour. I explained to the Warrant Officer what had transpired. I was cleared by a doctor and deemed fit for return to a Boot Camp Company. He said, fine, you will do so tomorrow morning.
Not only did I complete boot camp but continued another 20yrs of Naval service before retiring from the Navy. I easily met all physical requirement including marches and runs without any recurrence of stress fractures four doctors had diagnosed I was prone to. Not a single stress fracture since that first one. I was whole.
Throughout my Naval career, I wore that cross necklace. From the images below, you can see that I long ago wore the chrome completely off the ball chain and somewhat smoothed the figurative relief of the cross. I kept my promise to the guy that I would respect and wear the cross necklace that was special to him.
So if you've read my blah blah blah thus far, and are Catholic or a religious scholar, I have some questions ...
- Is there a name for this cross or is it just some type of generic Catholic semblance?
- I've always assumed the first image below was the front of the cross and worn it that way, but no idea if that is correct or even if there is a front and back?
- Anything you can share about the cross and its meaning and images is appreciated. Thank you.
And if you ever see THAT guy who is not wearing this necklace ... bless him. Thank you
Respectfully,
Naturally (Jim) FCC(SW) USN ret
The story begins decades ago when I was 33ys old and a (elderly) recruit in U.S. Navy Boot Camp. There and in about my 3rd week of training, I developed a stress fracture just below the knee of my left leg. Then sent to medical hold where I would be on crutches for 63 days as my leg healed. Near the end of those 63 days, I was ordered to sign a medical discharge document. I was to be sent back home once the Navy had treated my condition. The doctor explained that I was susceptible to future recurrence of stress fractures and it would not be prudent for the Navy to allow continued service. Reluctantly I signed the discharge document and returned to medical hold awaiting healing and discharge from the Navy.
While in medical hold, I met another recruit also in medical hold. He had been assigned to the Chaplin corp as an assistant while he awaited his medical discharge. I noticed, admired and coveted a cross on a ball chain the guy wore. I wanted that cross necklace. Not one like it ... I strongly wanted THAT ONE. I didn't understand then or now, why that one. I just wanted it.
I wasn't then, nor ever had been, nor am a Catholic. It puzzled me why I felt such an affinity for the necklace. After all, it was just an inexpensive cross made of some kind of pot metal, on a ball chain. Something a Chaplin might hand out routinely I supposed. Figured there must be tons of them available at the Chaplin's office. But I didn't want to become involved with the Chaplin or his religion. I just wanted that cross necklace in spite of the fact I had no idea of its meaning.
I asked the guy if I could have the necklace. He explained that the necklace had great meaning for him. The Priest has blessed it and personally presented it to the guy. He was not willing nor had ever given any thought to parting with the necklace. He cherished it perhaps on multiple levels. It was very special to him and held meaning.
As the days neared for my medical discharge from the Navy, I spoke with the guy again about the cross necklace. After all these decades later, I can't remember the specific conversation, but I must have exuded respect for the necklace and my words regarding the necklace must have moved the guy. The guy presented the necklace to me with HIS blessing. He asked only that I wear it and not part with it. It held special meaning.
I had given up much in my civilian life at the age of 33 to join the Navy. It bothered me greatly that I had not served MY country and felt I'd finally done the right thing by joining the military. The week I was to be discharged from the Navy and sent back home, I determined my mission to rescind the discharge and continue service in the Navy.
At the hospital I spent a whole afternoon going from one doctor to another trying to appeal the discharge document I had been forced to sign. The first doctor, who had diagnosed my propensity for stress fractures and forced me to sign the medical discharge document, refused to consider my appeal for rescinding the discharge. I did not accept that decision and sought another doctor on staff. He too refused to negate the opinion of his colleague. So I sought a third staff doctor. He too didn't want to hear of it. I wasn't giving up. I went to the office of a fourth doctor and again I was turned away.
Wearing the cross necklace with respect and inspired to not give up even though after appealing to four doctors, I was disillusioned and disappointed. At each doctor's office I'd been seated in a waiting room to wait a turn to speak with each doctor. I'd been at the hospital all afternoon. I'd done my best ... I thought.
It was almost 5 P.M. and most day shift people at the hospital had either gone home or were prepared to leave shortly. I'd done all I could and time had run out. I began to proceed to exit the hospital and await the 5 P.M. bus for a return trip back to medical hold barracks.
I paused in the lobby of the hospital and examined the registry of doctors. As my eyes ran down the list of doctors I realized I'd been there already ... been there ... been there ... been there.
Then I noticed a name on the registry I'd dismissed. It was the office of a female doctor. She saw female patients. Guys saw male doctors. All four of the doctors I'd appealed to that afternoon were male and there were no other male doctors to speak with or listed. I KNEW it was useless to speak with a female doctor as I turned and faced the hospital exit.
But something refused to let me walk through that door and out into the world away from that hospital. A walk that would have destroyed once and for all, the hopes and dreams of proudly serving my country ... with a deep breath, I turned back to the last possibility, prepared to find her office closed for the day.
Her office was unlocked, the waiting room empty. Looking around the room I KNEW I was in the wrong place ... I thought. The room was adorned with "female" posters on the walls. Yep I was in the wrong place, guys aren't seen here.
The whole office was quiet but I found one person in the area behind the desk, wrapping things up for the day and on their way out. It was the female doctor.
I spoke with her about many things. Among those things, I explained to the military doctor that all my life I'd breathed hers and the air of others who had served their country. All my life I'd drank their water. It was my strongest desire to serve MY country. Furthermore and at my age, 33, if there were anything left at home for me, I wouldn't have left it. I had nothing to go back to. My future lay in service with the United States Navy. It's what I wanted to do and felt I was meant to do.
She listened and apparently I touched something in her with my words, presence, persistence and resolve. Pulling up my medical records on her computer, she rescinded the medical discharge and annotated the records to reflect that I was deemed fit to return to a normal Boot Camp company for completion of boot camp and continued Naval service. She had lifted a ton of bricks off my disillusioned and discouraged back. I sincerely thanked her and exited the hospital with my feet barely touching the ground. Silently I touched the cheap cross on an inexpensive ball chain beneath my shirt that had given me hope and inspiration and said thank you ... Thank You.
Returning to medical hold at a late hour, I was to report to the medical hold office to explain my absence for the entire afternoon and into the evening. There I found the Warrant Officer in charge of Medical Hold was still in his office at that hour. I explained to the Warrant Officer what had transpired. I was cleared by a doctor and deemed fit for return to a Boot Camp Company. He said, fine, you will do so tomorrow morning.
Not only did I complete boot camp but continued another 20yrs of Naval service before retiring from the Navy. I easily met all physical requirement including marches and runs without any recurrence of stress fractures four doctors had diagnosed I was prone to. Not a single stress fracture since that first one. I was whole.
Throughout my Naval career, I wore that cross necklace. From the images below, you can see that I long ago wore the chrome completely off the ball chain and somewhat smoothed the figurative relief of the cross. I kept my promise to the guy that I would respect and wear the cross necklace that was special to him.
So if you've read my blah blah blah thus far, and are Catholic or a religious scholar, I have some questions ...
- Is there a name for this cross or is it just some type of generic Catholic semblance?
- I've always assumed the first image below was the front of the cross and worn it that way, but no idea if that is correct or even if there is a front and back?
- Anything you can share about the cross and its meaning and images is appreciated. Thank you.
And if you ever see THAT guy who is not wearing this necklace ... bless him. Thank you
Respectfully,
Naturally (Jim) FCC(SW) USN ret
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