80 Poems by Two Octogenarians

Richard F. Leighton, M.D. is a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah campus. He received an A.B. degree from Western Maryland College and an M.D. degree from the University of Maryland in 1955. Following an internship at University Hospital, Baltimore, he served as a U.S. Navy flight surgeon. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology at Ohio State University where he served as a faculty member for nine years. In 1974 he was appointed Chief of Cardiology and in 1990 Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. In 1997 he relocated to Savannah, Georgia. Dr. Leighton is author of over 90 publications in the field of cardiovascular disease and of 3 recent books: ""Dear Folks: A Memoir from 500 Letters"" in 2016, ""From Guam and Beyond: Stories of the Men of VW-1"" in 2018 and ""Reflections of a Hessian"" in 2019. His family includes 3 children, 3 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Frank E. Carlton, M.D. is a urologist and professor of surgery and medical education at Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah campus. He received a B.A. in English and his M.D. from Emory University, continuing with a medical internship at Bowman Gray. After a urology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and two years in the U.S. Army he moved to Savannah, Georgia in 1968. During his years of active practice he was president of the medical staff at Memorial Hospital, president of the Georgia Medical Society and editor of the medical bulletin of the Georgia Medical Society. Other activities include three terms as president of Forest City Gun Club, founding and serving as president for ten years of a marine conservation lobby: the National Coalition for Marine Conservation (now known as Wild Oceans, wild oceans.org) and over ten years of service as a United States Commissioner on two international marine conservation organizations, one dealing with highly migratory species (bill fish and tuna) and the other with salmon, appointed by Presidents Reagan and Ford. Previous publications include several urological articles, fishing and boat building stories and poems in Anglers Journal, Messing Around in Boats and Saltwater Sportsman. He and his wife, Hulda Call Smith, of 64 years, spend time caring for 4 grown children, 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.