FRANK (BOB) HARVEY, JR UNITED STATES ARMY
Frank (Bob) Harvey Jr. joined the Army Draft at 18 years of age. “At the time, I was unable to afford college, but I felt the need to move on. Being able to go to college afterward on the G.I. Bill helped me make the decision,” Bob says. “Also, coming from a religious background, I put the decision in God’s hands.” Bob was sent to Fort Sam Houston for Medic Training, but Bob was worried about the perception that soldiers could become targets as medics in Vietnam. “I continued to have faith, and while other medics were being sent to Vietnam, my orders were to move across the base of Fort Sam Houston for training as an orthopedic technician. In fact, I had the honor of graduating top of my class, and I was given the opportunity to remain and teach the next group of orthopedic students coming through.” Through his experience teaching, Bob was able 028
to be there for his students. “Teaching helped me to gain the ability to work with my students. There was a lot of mental stress at the time, especially since we were in the Army during a war that so many were against,” Bob says. During Bob’s time at Fort Sam Houston, he was promoted to be in charge of Ft. Sam Houston Beach Pavilion Hospital Annex, which was part of the Brooke Medical Center. Working in the orthopedic section, Bob helped with casts, tractions, and orthopedic surgeries. “The hospital had four wards, and most of the time, there were up to 300 patients. Most of those patients were returning from Vietnam,” Bob says. “It was a fulltime job working with wound care and keeping the soldiers’ spirits high. Many of them suffered not only physical trauma/wounds but also mental trauma. A lot of them didn’t want to go home that way.” A LT M a g a z i n e | N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 1