The man on the left is Dr. Bill Krissoff, an orthopedic surgeon. The man on the right, his son, First Lt. Nathan Krissoff who was killed in Fallujah, Iraq in 2006.
Upon receiving the news, Bill decided to honor his son by joining the military; the only catch was his age. Bill was 60 years old at the time, and way above the age limit for enlistment.
In August, the surgeon seized an opportunity when he and his wife, Christine, were invited to meet President Bush in Reno along with the families of other fallen soldiers from the area. The President asked: “Is there anything that I can do?” Bill replied: “Well, there is one thing. I'd like to join the Navy Medical Corps. Is there any way you could help me with this process?” A few days later, President Bush granted him an age waiver and Bill was able to join. In 2009, at the age of 63, he deployed to Iraq for 7 months, came home, and immediately volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan. He is credited for saving dozens of lives while performing more than 200 trauma operations.
Bill Krissoff said most people understood why he joined the military, especially those who lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. But he said others think he was crazy to give up a successful orthopedic practice to go to a war zone. "I tell them I'm honored and privileged” #fathersday #honor #courage