Month: May 2015

A Personal Tribute on Memorial Day at Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May in the U.S., honors those who died serving in the armed forces. In 2014, we visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire, New Mexico, to participate in a remembrance service and view an engraved brick .

updated May 25, 2025

The United States celebrates Memorial Day on the last Monday of  May, a day set aside to remember people who died while serving in the armed forces, although many families use it to remember other deceased loved ones also.  

Memorial Day 2014 was special and unique for me and my husband.

We had planned a trip to New Mexico, not realizing we would be there on Memorial Day. I was attending a medical conference. We wanted to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Angel Fire.

Since my husband is a Vietnam Veteran, I had ordered a brick engraved with his name to be laid on the walkway there. We wanted to see it, and decided to go on Memorial Day, to join the special remembrance service they have on that day.

It was a chilly overcast day, not what we expected for late May. Fittingly, the rain held off until the ceremony ended, then it poured down. I took all of the photos in this post.

on the memorial grounds, the chapel in the background
In the background, I am kneeling to view Raymond's brick
In the background, I am kneeling to view Raymond’s brick
Inside the chapel, which is never locked; it is open for anyone to enter at any time
presenting a flag and plaque to the family of a fallen soldier
A flag and plaque were presented to the family of a fallen soldier
music by a local military reserve unit
A local military reserve unit provided music.
Raymond with the late Dr. Westphal, who founded the memorial in honor of his son who died in Vietnam (an old photo)

On an earlier trip Raymond met with the late Dr. Westphall, who founded the memorial in honor of his son David, who died in Vietnam.

 David Westphal Veterans Foundation

“The purpose of the David Westphall Veterans Foundation is to honor America’s veterans and members of its military forces by memorializing the sacrifices they have made and by recognizing the sense of duty and the courage they have displayed as they answered their country’s call to arms.”

Sharing the HEART of remembrance

Thanks for sharing the Angel Fire Memorial with us. If you are ever in northeast New Mexico, don’t miss visiting the memorial, museum, and veterans cemetery which has been added since our last visit. You can also visit nearby Taos and the Taos Pueblo.

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Dr Aletha 

A true-life Vietnam Veteran served as the inspiration for this novel about a lost veteran who found his way home. I reviewed it in this post.

REVENANTS-The Odyssey Home: a book review

Most people know and understand what war does to countries- changing boundaries, toppling governments, destroying infrastructure, wasting the land, bankrupting economies. Revanants speaks to the human cost for communities, families, and individuals-driving families apart, killing dreams, interrupting plans, wounding bodies and emotions, and destroying hope. On a global scale, war may be justified but in…

Keep reading

Waist size matters; what’s yours?

Your waist size should measure less than your hips. ( that is, a ratio less than 1)

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I started a series about obesity by introducing the concept  of body mass index, BMI.

What is obesity, why does it matter?
BMI Chart created by Vertex42.com. Used with permission.
BMI Chart created by Vertex42.com. Used with permission.

But physicians also consider another measurement in diagnosing obesity. Simply waist size. Something most of us don’t think about until we want  to buy new clothes, or notice that the old ones don’t fit. But an elevated waist circumference can be a problem for more reasons than making it hard to fasten your seat belt on an airplane. It correlates with a greater risk of the same conditions that elevated BMI is, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.

So how high is too high? In the United States, the following values are used most often.

  • for women, a waist greater than 35 inches (88 centimeters)
  • for men, a waist greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters) 
a tape measure wrapped around an apple

Another related value  is the waist-to-hip ratio; disease risk is increased

for women, if the ratio is greater than 0.85 and for men if greater than 0.9

Or another easy way to remember this is – Your waist size should measure less than your hips. ( that is, a ratio less than 1)

Learn more in this discussion on waist size from Harvard.

Waist Size Matters | Obesity Prevention Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

exploring the HEART of healthy weight management

Dr. Aletha