09/03/2025 Joel Lang, DPM
My Military Podiatry Career
It is impressive that podiatrists now enjoy the
military ranks of Captain, Major, and Colonels,
and are even provided with scholarships. But it
was not always so. My story.
When I graduated from NYCPM in 1960 there were
only 6 officer (2nd lieutenant) positions in the
Army only and they were all filled at the time.
For some reason, I was the only one in my class
who served in the military. The others must have
known something that I didn’t know.
I was “drafted” into the Army on October 20, 1960
as a lowly raw recruit and yes, I was married at
the time. I went through the usual basic training
involving marching, marksmanship, grenades, gas
(tear gas and chlorine) chambers, PT, KP, guard
duty and even the privilege of crawling through
mud and snow under live machine gun fire – twice.
Upon completing boot camp (with a marksmanship
badge), I was stationed at Walson Army Hospital,
Fort Dix, New Jersey, just 65 miles from home, as
a physical therapy technician. I spent most of my
time changing sheets on gurneys. When they learned
that I was a podiatrist, I was transferred to the
orthopedic clinic down the hall.
There was a small podiatry clinic attached to the
orthopedic clinic, which was manned full time by a
civilian podiatrist from Trenton, NJ, who had been
there for many years who viewed me as an intruder
into his domain. When I wasn’t needed to apply or
remove casts in the cast room, I was allowed to
treat patients in the adjoining podiatry clinic.
I may have been the only enlisted man ever allowed
to operate independently (soft tissue only) and
write prescriptions, which was against the
Universal Code of Military Justice, but I had the
full support of my commanding officer. The
hospital provided health care to all the men in
basic and advanced infantry training, as well as
permanent faculty families at Fort Dix, the
adjoining McGuire Air Force Base and Lakehurst
Naval Base down the road. Quite a varied
population– infants to retirees.
As a cast technician, I applied and removed
thousands of casts to all parts of the body and
was later invited to give many casting workshops
at podiatry seminars. I learned to use serial
casting for club feet deformities on newborns, a
skill I utilized in practice but never learned in
school. I had emergency call one night a week and
one weekend a month, exposing me to “extra-
podiatric” middle-of-the-night procedures such as
reducing a dislocated shoulder and stabilizing a
clavicle fracture.
On the podiatry side, I saw a lot of trainee
traumas (stress fractures every day) that I would
never have seen in practice, as well as WWII and
Korean War veterans with residual injuries and
frostbite. I only got to the OR once to assist in
a massive multi-bone lawnmower injury I would
never have been qualified to handle on my own. I
even treated a newborn infant who was born with an
infected ingrown nail.
Life was good. I lived with my wife about 20 miles
off the post and basically had a 9-5 job with very
low pay. My wife taught school in Trenton, NJ. We
didn’t have much money but had steady incomes and
an 8-year-old Ford coupe.
When I had just a few months left in my 2-year
term, I had an opportunity to become an officer
(2nd lieutenant), at a desirable post, providing I
extended my enlistment for another three years. To
apply, I needed a letter of recommendation from my
commanding officer. He called me into his office
to say, that he was totally pleased with my work,
and would write a wonderful letter of
recommendation. However, he advised me to reject
the offer. I asked why? In his exact words, he
said " You are an imposter. You are a civilian in
military uniform”. He advised me to return to
civilian life where I belonged. He pointed to the
eagle on his shoulder and said, "I belong here,
you don't". He advised me to serve the few months
I had left and be discharged. He was right. While
I thought it was something I wanted, I would not
have really enjoyed another three years in the
military. I took his advice.
Overall, I look back on the experience as a
positive and maturing one. It afforded me unique
training I never would have gotten otherwise and
broadened my horizons. It was my “residency” when
there were nearly none available. It changed the
trajectory of my personal and professional life.
While I would not have volunteered to serve, in
the end, I am glad I did. And what timing!!! I was
too young for the Korean War and too old for the
Vietnamese War. I was discharged (with a good
conduct medal) on October 19,1962, right in the
midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when
separations days later were held up for another 90
days.
I like to think that the “Army’s experience with
me”, laid some groundwork for the high esteem
podiatry is now held in military organizations.
I retired from private practice in 1997. I wanted
to share this story for years, but I never got
around to it. I didn’t know if anyone was
interested. If some others out there had similar
experiences or have any comments to share, I would
be glad to hear from you.
Joel Lang, DPM, (retired), Cheverly, MD
