Vietnam Veterans

Chapter 13:  The Father of Bone Marrow Transplantation

The upper age limit at most centers is 50 to 55 years for an allogeneic transplant (related or unrelated) and 60 to 65 years for an autologous transplant. The decisions to place age limits on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have been driven by higher complications and death in older age groups. This is attributed to their reduced ability to withstand high doses of chemotherapy (and sometimes irradiation) needed before the transplant, higher risk of short- and long-term complications of therapy and having other major health problems such as serious heart, lung, liver or kidney disease. The older transplant recipients also suffer acute and chronic graft versus host disease more frequently than their younger counterparts.

Chapter 11:  Separate but Equal

The military made a major step toward recognizing the equality of DOs with MDs in June 1968, when the Army Medical Service was redesignated as the Army Medical Department. The new department’s documents read, “The Medical Corp consists entirely of commissioned medical officers who are physicians (doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathic medicine) who have completed at least one year of post-graduate training (internship)…”