The author was borne in Arnhem, The Netherlands, were he lived with his family till after the German occupation. He studied medicine at the University of Utrecht, and then immigrated with his young family to Canada where he finished his medical studies in Victoria. He practiced General Practice and after a short residency in anesthesia, practiced both for a number of years before moving to the US, doing residencies in General Surgery and several subspecialties. He worked for a short time back in Canada and in the Caribbean, before moving to the Pacific islands. He is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons, the Royal College of Surgeons (Canada) and in the International College of Surgeons. He is now retired and lives with his wife in Bellingham Washington.