January is National Blood Donor Month, an observance to encourage people to consider donating blood and platelets. Because of the holidays, inclement weather, and cold and flu season, the winter months often experience reduced donations and an increased risk for blood shortages for many health care facilities.

As Naval Medical Center San Diego celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, one corpsman has long been honoring King and abiding by his vision of strengthening the values of the communities we serve for the betterment of all people.