He Saved Sailors’ Lives, Countless Others

This Memorial Day weekend, I revisit the life and legacy of my friend Dr. Charles H. Read, a flight surgeon during World War II who went on to make invaluable medical contributions during peacetime.

Cover art from Dr. Charles Herbert Read Jr.’s 2018 book “Memoirs of the Flight Surgeon of HMS Nabob.”

It’s hard to believe my friend Dr. Charles Read has been gone for nearly a decade. I first met him at my wife’s restaurant where he spent nearly every Sunday with his wife, the artist Chunghi Choo, enjoying a leisurely brunch. But he also came on his own some nights, already deep into his 90s, drank wine, nibbled a bit, and flirted with the young and not-so-young waitresses and staff. His smile was contagious, his charm unequaled, and his intelligence equaled only by his compassion. This piece is in honor of him and all those who’ve served our nation and its allies. May we never forget their sacrifices, and never abandon their commitment to freedom and democracy. —MJ