AAPA

We live in times when threats to our freedom, security and to our very lives have become all too commonplace. Environments we believed to be safe, from shopping malls to college campuses, have been the recent scenes of events that shake those beliefs. It is then that we depend on those whose sole job it is to protect us, and in whom we put our trust. There are none in whom we place greater trust than in our military, whose individual members understand that they may be called upon to put their lives on the line to protect us. And history shows that they have done, and continue to do, just that whenever they are needed.

We may try diligently to understand violent acts, but some acts seem so senseless that they defy understanding. Such is the case with the shootings at Fort Hood Texas on Thursday November 5th, which took 13 lives and injured scores of others.

These were individuals who had dedicated themselves to helping others, on the battlefield and on the home front. We mourn them all, and grieve for the families and loved ones they leave behind. None more so than one of our own: physician assistant (PA) Michael G. Cahill, 62, of Cameron, Texas.

Michael was a practicing PA with over 20 years experience helping others in rural clinics and veterans hospitals. A civilian contractor at Fort Hood, he was a retired chief warrant officer in the National Guard. He exemplified his profession, which was born in the military, with ties that remain strong. It is made up of men and women, such as Michael, dedicated to the well-being of their patients; often putting the patient before self.

It is fitting to note that, except for this violent incident, Michael G. Cahill would probably have continued to live out his days, unnoticed except for his thankful patients, working at his profession, seeking no personal glory. It is also fitting that we remember him - and those who died with him - as the heroes they were.

We will miss them.