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This story I am writing is about how a person can begin with very little but can dream and make their dream come true with hard work and desire. The United States of America is the greatest country in the world. So dream, work hard and achieve the things you want. Remember our forefathers fought and died so you could be able to have dreams come true.

 Patriot Ken

 A FREEDOM OF DREAMS

ONLY IN AMERICA

 A young boy and his family moved from Texas to California so his father could find work. While living in California, his father took his knap sack and asked him to walk to the corner with him. When they got to the corner his father explained, “Since you are the oldest I want you to go back and tell your mother and your brother and sisters I won’t be coming back. He had left him and his mother and four siblings in California with no money, friends or other family. Later his mother loaded them on a bus and went back to Texas. This is where he experienced living in an orphanage in 1947. When he arrived at the orphanage his first impression was that it looked like a prison, except it had no lookout towers.

As he and his brother and two sisters arrived at the receiving home, a two story brick building, where they would stay for the next two weeks. This is where they were put into quarantine to be watched for any kind of disease. Later they were moved to the main campus where his sisters were separated from him and his brother. One sister went to live with an Aunt and Uncle because they could not have children of their own.

While at the orphanage he realized he had to grow up in a hurry. He worked on the farm that the orphanage owned in the morning and then went to school then went back to the farm afterwards. He would do work that men had to do like milking cows, bailing hay, picking cotton and driving a tractor. Working hard as a young boy would help him in his life later on. He did this until he graduated in 1955.

After he graduated from the orphanage he received his B.A., then went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine Degree where he was licensed in 1962 to practice in Texas. Following his residency he entered private practice in 1970 (with neurosurgical board certification in 1972). He later became Professor of Surgery (neurosurgery) and Director of Neurosurgery Residency Program at the University of Missouri in Columbia. He also held the Presidency of the Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons form 1982-1987.

He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri in Colombia in 1990, and has been a member of the Texas Bar since 1992. He also served twenty-seven years in the U.S. Army Reserves as a general medical officer, neurosurgeon, flight surgeon, advisor on reserve affairs to the Department of Defense. He was also hospital commander where he received the Military Medical Merit and the defense Meritorious Service Medal. He is now retired since 1998 at the rank of Brigadier General. He is now Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law, Austin where he has taught since 1996.

Only in America could a person have the opportunity to achieve the things he did. This was done by a man who started out with nothing but dreams and determination. The man that this story is about ask that his name be Anonymous. This was based on a true story. So to honor his wishes I have left his name out of this story.

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