You’re in Hawaii
Giffird woke up in a hospital in severe pain, mentally confused and unable to remember the details of what had happened to him. He noticed that he couldn’t hear anything. A nurse sat down and began to exchange written notes with him.
She told him that he had arrived five days earlier in a coma after being medically evacuated from Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Giffird took the pen from the nurse and wrote, “Where am I?” She smiled and handed him a note that read, “Aloha, you’re in Hawaii at the Tripler Army Medical Center. You’re safe here and we’re going to take good care of you. I’m Leilani, your nurse.”
Giffird had no memory of the events of the last few weeks and was completely unaware that over half of the Marines in his platoon were killed. While in the hospital, Giffird began to have nightmares and started to remember bits and pieces of his tragic ordeal—but he refused to discuss it with anyone.
After being released from the hospital, Giffird was transferred to Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor to begin the processing of his medical discharge from the Marine Corps. He was devastated at the thought of leaving the Marine Corps and had no idea what he was going to do with his life.
Giffird woke up in a hospital in severe pain, mentally confused and unable to remember the details of what had happened to him. He noticed that he couldn’t hear anything. A nurse sat down and began to exchange written notes with him.
She told him that he had arrived five days earlier in a coma after being medically evacuated from Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Giffird took the pen from the nurse and wrote, “Where am I?” She smiled and handed him a note that read, “Aloha, you’re in Hawaii at the Tripler Army Medical Center. You’re safe here and we’re going to take good care of you. I’m Leilani, your nurse.”
Giffird had no memory of the events of the last few weeks and was completely unaware that over half of the Marines in his platoon were killed. While in the hospital, Giffird began to have nightmares and started to remember bits and pieces of his tragic ordeal—but he refused to discuss it with anyone.
After being released from the hospital, Giffird was transferred to Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor to begin the processing of his medical discharge from the Marine Corps. He was devastated at the thought of leaving the Marine Corps and had no idea what he was going to do with his life.