61-year-old Orthopedic Surgeon Bill Krissoff joins Navy after son’s death in Iraq.

Unfortunately Bill Krissof will never get half the media attention that Cindy Sheehan received.

Cindy Sheehan lost her son, Casey Sheehan, in Iraq and spent all of 2005 as the darling to the media and the left protesting the Iraq war. She was dubbed the name “Peace Mom” and was paraded around by the left and the media to try and dent support for the Iraq war.

Today, Sheehan is pretty much treated as an irritant or an embarrassment as she and anti-war protestors carrying signs that read “Impeachment is Patriotic” were booed and yelled at during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Ca. Not that she deserves better, but her son, who died for a noble cause, does.

Cindy Sheehan is not the only parent whose loss of a son in Iraq prompted a response worth noting. Here is a much more uplifting story of a parent’s actions to a son’s death in Iraq that has not received hardly any media attention.

Marine 1st Lt. Nathan Krissoff was killed Dec. 9, 2006, at the age of 25 in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, prompting his 61-year-old father, Bill Krissoff, an orthopedic surgeon to join the military.
Krissoff’s youngest son, Austin, is also an officer in the Marine Corps.

“Both my sons were hugely affected by the events of 9/11, and Nate was proud to serve in the Marines, as Austin is,” Krissoff said. “I share their views.”

So as most orthopedic surgeons his age contemplate retirement, Krissoff is closing his practice, leaving behind his Reno home, relocating to San Diego and taking on a new position as Navy Lt. Commander.

Krissoff will serve in the Navy as a medical officer and although 19 years over the Navy’s official age limit, Dr. Krissoff will serve as a Navy Surgeon for three years.

“My interest in Navy medicine was because they take care of Marines,” he said.

Just like Mrs. Sheehan, Dr. Krissoff met with President Bush, but that is where the similarities end.

Since the cut off for medical officers joining the Navy is 42, Krissoff was told it would be a difficult and lengthy process to get in. Krissoff took the issue and asked for the needed waiver from the highest authority possible – President George W. Bush.

Krissoff had the opportunity to meet the president in August at an American Legion convention in Reno where Bush asked each family what he could do for them.

Krissoff told the President he wanted to serve and used humor to push the issue.

“Sir, I’d like to serve, but they told me I’m too old, but I’m younger than you sir,” he said.

After the conversation Krissoff quickly got an age waiver and is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in the near future.

It is unfortunate Bill Krissoff will never get half the media attention that Cindy Sheehan received.

Bill Krissoff is the American Hero deserving of media attention and fame, not Cindy Sheehan.

Good luck to you in Iraq, and God Speed Sir.