by Christina Crowe
The UAB Department of Pathology honors all those who served, and is grateful to share a few personal stories from our team.
Solomon Strong currently works as a Pathology Specialist in the Autopsy Department, for the past two years. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He was a member of the 186th ARW as a Security Forces Member out of Meridan, Mississippi, serving six years with a total of one tour overseas.
Monica Henderson, our Residency Program Director, has two family members to honor on Veteran's Day. The first is her grandfather Ret. Colonel Claro Bueno Sr., who served in the U.S. Army during WWII.
"He was a prisoner of war and only survived the Bataan Death March because he escaped into the jungle with a few other soldiers," Monica says. She and her son Ayden recently honored Col. Bueno at the Birmingham Dia de los Muertos Festival, held at Sloss Furnace on November 2, placing a photo of her grandparents at the ofrenda.
"In honor of our patriarch, the family went and visited the Banaoang Community school (an elementary school) in Ilocos Sur, Philippines in 2018," Henderson says. "This school is important to us because it sits on our family’s land, my great-grandfather offered to build the elementary school on it, and my grandfather and family financially support it. We donated a computer lab in honor of my grandfather (pictures attached) when we visited in 2018 and the lab was named after my grandfather."
In addition, Monica's husband Tristan, pictured below when he was in community college in Cerritos, served in the Army as a military policeman. He became a transfer player at UAB's football prgram, which brought their family to Birmingham. He now works as director of recruiting for UAB Football.
Christine Pesoli, M.D., GI Fellow, UAB Pathology, celebrates her father, Trygve "Arne" Arnesen, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and was stationed at Chu Lai from 1968 to 1969. He was a gunner on a swift boat during the Tet Offensive. Pictured below, at left during his service; at right, serving as grandfather to Christine's baby Ava.
We remain in gratitude to our veterans for their service to our country, and to their families, who have served alongside them. We owe you so much on Veterans Day and every day. Thank you.