New Orleans, LA - On February, 19th my wife, Amy, and I had the distinct honor and privilege of meeting our US Surgeon General, Vice Adm., Regina Benjamin, at the premiere of my film, The Wereth Eleven at the National WWII Museum.

Admiral Benjamin was in attendance as she is the niece of one of brave soldiers of the 333rd Artillery Battalion, Willie Alphonse, who is featured in the film.

Meeting the Surgeon General got me wondering about how the office came to be and what it's history was. I was surprised to learn it started out as a office in the Navy to provide health care to sick and injured merchant seamen. In 1870, the Marine Hospital Service was reorganized as a national hospital system with centralized administration under a medical officer, the Supervising Surgeon, who was later given the title of Surgeon General.

And today the Surgeon General uniform reflects the naval heritage of the office with collar insignia and shoulder board with contain an anchor along with an eagle on a staff.