John Pryor, M.D.

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To the many families, friends, and colleagues of Dr. John Pryor.  
 
First, John died doing what he and all on these lists are genetically  
programmed to do - care for their fellow men and women, give them a chance at  
survival and recovery and to return them as a functional member of  society.     
John trained in his chosen profession to be the  medical adventurer that is an 
understandable underlying and unquenchable force  which is present in each of 
us.    Going to the heart of danger,  both in the large inner city hospital as 
well as in a war in bay off lands, we  see the toughest of the tough; the task 
which others might retreat or shirk  from, John found his peace while 
attempting to piece together the most complex  of cases.   
 
Second, John understood the illogic of his chosen field of trauma  surgery.   
He understood that the streets of Philadelphia were just as  dangerous as the 
venues of hostility in a country at war.   He  understood that he was 
predestined to be in the heat of the battle, whether it  be Philadelphia or Mosal.    
  It was his fate to patch  up the secondary effects of man's inhumanity to 
man.    Yes, in  an ideal world preventive strategies would completely 
eliminate the area of  surgical skill where John was most skilled and comfortable, the 
need for John  Pryor's in the future will never be eliminated.    Now and for 
 the long foreseeable future, the acute care trauma critical care surgeon 
will at  the pinnacle of physicians in demand and needed in communities around 
the  world, especially the United States.     
 
Third, how so very sad to loose John Pryor during this special time of the  
year.    For all of the major faiths with which we in the United  States are 
most familiar, their festive and holy times are now:   Christianity, Judaism, 
Islam, Quanza.    Yes, even Ramadan is  now.    
 
Some on these list knew John Pryor very well and their loss is most  severe.  
 Our hearts, prayers, support, and understanding are extended  to them.   
Some knew John peripherally or were just learning of his  developing career 
trajectory.   Still others only suffer as they know  John represents the kind of 
surgical spirit that all surgeons possess.   Yes, John Pryor has the trauma 
surgeon's genome.   There is no need  for question or discussion.   We each in our 
own way know exactly why  John was in Iraq.   On another day, the loss could 
have been any one  of us.  
 
John:  as a soldier, we respect and salute you.
          as a teacher, we  seek to emulate you.  
          as a visionary, we  support you.
          as a surgeon we  recognize your master skills
          as a human, we  applaud and memorialize your unique and lasting 
contributions. 
 
We each will rededicate our genetically predetermined professionalism to be  
built on the foundations of your work.  
 
Kenneth L. Mattox, MD
Houston
 
 
 
 
 
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