I have a VA account and I use it to pay my small prescription co-pays and catch news about what the VA is up to with old-fart G.I.s like me.

People are terrified about their medical records being on the internet and I understand that. The VA can make my medical records available on-line (via User/PW) if I show up and sign a privacy waiver. I'm going to do it and I'll tell you why.

First of all, at my age I don't care about privacy from an employer or anybody else. Second, it's 34 miles for me to get to the VA Hospital in Northport and that's an easy drive for me while upright. Not so much if I get carted into a civilian hospital flat on my back after a 911 call. Or become suddenly ill and wind up in a closer hospital for treatment. In those scenarios I would want my attending physician to have access to my VA medical records that can be yanked up on a screen with all my prescriptions. I pay dearly for Medicare Part B for emergencies but the VA is my primary healthcare provider for zero dollars. They have some years of medical records on me. And stripping for a young female MD at the VA is a great thrill for a toothless old Marine.

On a more serious note I will be signing a waiver with the VA on Tuesday so that my medical records will be available on the internet with all the CT scans and MRI images. Everything. I just hope that the photos of my last colonoscopy make my back porch look good. The bride and I will have the User/PW. I just want a civilian hospital to have a heads-up available if I ever get into one in bad shape.

I was out to the VA Hospital at Northport, Long Island on Tuesday November 5th and made my visit to the the VA Healthcare rep. I signed the papers to get all my healthcare records available on line before going on to a medical appointment with a young female MD who wanted to talk about my latest CT scan and all of my organs from my throat down to my groin.

And then I thought about November 5th, 1965 - my first day in the Marine Corps as a 17-year-old recruit at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Seems like yesterday but my oh my, how time flies.