Charity's Children: The Long Days and Nights of the Iron Men

Ciaravella, James M.: - James Ciaravella Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Tulane University in 1964 and his MD from Tulane Medical School in 1968. Following a straight surgery internship at Charity Hospital (1968-1969), he completed his general and cardiovascular surgical residency in 1977. He served two years' active duty in the US Air Force (1970-1972), finishing with the rank of major. He served as chief resident on the Tulane Surgical Service and as Assistant Clinical Director at Charity from 1976-1977. Following training at Charity Hospital he was accepted to a special fellowship in cardiac surgery at the Mayo Clinic. In 1978 he was appointed assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics at Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. In 1980 he moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he practiced cardiovascular and thoracic surgery until his retirement in 2003. He then started Dr. C's Designs, making custom Western furnishings, and subsequently began oil painting and sculpting. He has been a juried artist to the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the past sixteen years, and has twice served as a judge in that event. His art has served as the cover on three editions of the Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society. His bronze sculpture of the noted Crow chief and historian Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, the only authorized sculpture of Dr. Medicine Crow, is in the collections of two museums. In 2009 Dr. Ciaravella designed, sculpted and donated to the city of Shreveport the US Navy SEAL Memorial honoring two of Shreveport's fallen heroes: Lieutenant Commander Jonas Kelsall and Chief Petty Officer Robert Reeves. Dr. Ciaravella and Len, his wife of forty-nine years, live in Shreveport, Louisiana, for half the year and in Alpine, Wyoming, for the other half.