Cassot, Art

Art Cassot hails from New Jersey, where he grew up in the northern part of the Garden State.  Art came of age in the Vietnam era, and wondered what his future might hold.  He considered the navy or the air force, but had long waiting lists at the time, so Art opted for the army, looking at an option in the medical field.  It ended up leading him to a long term career as an army medical specialist, first in X-rays and later as an anesthetist.  He would eventually put those skills to the test when he served overseas in Operation Desert Storm.  Along the way Art was posted to Okinawa, and he completed Jump School at Fort Campbell, serving as a medic for the 101st Airborne; from there he attended nursing school, staying connected to the reserves.  The next stop in his ongoing medical specialization would be anesthesia school, and following completion of this program it was in this capacity that Art was deployed on Operation Desert Storm.  He arrived there a few weeks before the air war began, and the unit set up its mobile field hospital in the Saudi desert.  They treated casualties of all types, both American and Iraqi, dealing with the many challenges brought on by the war and the environment – not to mention the cultural differences.  Returning to the US, Art continued in the reserve force but made the decision to retire as the new millennium dawned.  He and his wife relocated to Pennsylvania as Art retired from private practice as well; today he maintains his links to the military through the Red Rose Honor Guard and the Veterans’ Breakfast Club, who we thank for their role in facilitating this zoom interview.