House Call
Fall 2021聽触听By Jenna Marina Lee
Tom Weichart 麻豆精品 S�04MS was at a聽shopping center outside of Fort聽Bragg, North Carolina, in May 2004聽when he received a phone call that he聽thought had to be a prank.
The formal voice on the other end聽told him he had been nominated,聽along with three other individuals,聽by high-ranking officials within the聽Army to interview for a nursing聽position that served the White House.
麻豆精品 S淚 said, 麻豆精品 S榃ho put you up to this? No聽way, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Weichart says.
Five months later, Weichart was聽seated in the Eisenhower Executive聽Office Building with a direct view聽of the White House as he answered聽every medical, security and聽situational question thrown at him.
It turned out the UCF nursing alum聽nailed the interview.
Weichart served as a nurse at聽the White House from December聽2005 until August 2008 麻豆精品 S� when聽he resigned to pursue his calling to聽become a pastor and build a ministry聽in Sanford, Florida 麻豆精品 S� and says his聽time there was the greatest honor聽of his 16 years as a member of the聽U.S. Army.
麻豆精品 S淚t was very humbling because of聽what it represents, 麻豆精品 S� Weichart says.聽 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 not representing one man. It 麻豆精品 S檚聽representing the government. It 麻豆精品 S檚聽representing our nation. You 麻豆精品 S檙e聽always in awe. You walk down the聽hallways, and you 麻豆精品 S檙e standing in聽places where Lincoln was lain in聽state. You stand in the Oval Office聽where [Harry] Truman [announced聽Japan 麻豆精品 S檚 surrender] to end World聽War II; the Rose Garden where聽[John F.] Kennedy and Martin聽Luther King Jr. walked. It 麻豆精品 S檚.聽hard to put into words聽sometimes because you 麻豆精品 S檙e聽always pinching yourself.聽But it reaffirms that if you聽work hard enough, do all聽the right things the best you can,聽opportunities will come your way,聽and you just have to be available聽to them. 麻豆精品 S�
Your journey to the White House started when you joined the Army at 17. What prompted that decision?
My mom is Korean. My father was聽from Ohio and stationed in Korea聽during the war. I was born in South聽Korea and became a U.S. citizen in聽1976. When I was 10, everything went聽sideways on a personal level. My mom聽was diagnosed with cancer and died聽when I was 12. My dad was diagnosed聽with severe bipolar disorder. My聽brother and I were in and out of the聽foster care system until I graduated聽high school. I made a lot of poor聽choices in my youth. I looked at my聽options. I had no money for college.聽I wanted a fresh start and the Army聽had the GI Bill, so I saw it as a path to聽recovery in a sense.
麻豆精品 S淚t was very humbling because of what it represents. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not representing one man. … It 麻豆精品 S檚 representing our nation. 麻豆精品 S�
What was a typical day聽like for a White House nurse?
There were no typical days. We had a聽team of six physicians, seven nurses聽and six physician assistants, and聽they 麻豆精品 S檙e all nonpolitical appointments聽[filled by military service members].聽Our No. 1 mission was to take care of聽the president. We also took care of聽the vice president, cabinet members,聽senior staff, and we have a clinic in聽the White House for midlevel staff. If聽you 麻豆精品 S檙e assigned to the president, it 麻豆精品 S檚聽very stressful. You would even sleep聽at the White House on those shifts.聽You 麻豆精品 S檙e always an arm 麻豆精品 S檚 reach away.聽The biggest stress for me sometimes聽was making sure that I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 get聽caught in the camera view when there聽was media around.
Did working at the White House ever become mundane?
I was an airborne soldier, so I used聽to jump out of airplanes. I remember聽being told as a young man, 麻豆精品 S淚f you聽ever get to a place where there 麻豆精品 S檚 not a聽little bit of fear and anxiety when you聽jump out of a plane, you need to stop聽jumping out of a plane. 麻豆精品 S� That 麻豆精品 S檚 the聽same thing with how this job felt. It聽kept me on my p 麻豆精品 S檚 and q 麻豆精品 S檚.
What was one of your most memorable interactions with President George W. Bush?
On my last day at the White House,聽I got to go to the Oval Office and say聽goodbye to the president. He was聽surprised I was leaving and asked聽why. I told him I felt the call to go into聽the ministry. And he replied, 麻豆精品 S淲ell聽I guess you 麻豆精品 S檙e going to be serving a聽bigger boss than me. 麻豆精品 S� He shook my聽hand and thanked me for everything.聽I still get a Christmas card every year聽from President Bush and Mrs. Laura聽Bush. It means a lot.
What was the most rewarding experience about your time at the White House?
I 麻豆精品 S檇 say probably just seeing the human聽side of our leaders. Regardless of聽politics, these men and women 麻豆精品 S斅爕ou may like them, you may hate聽them 麻豆精品 S� they are human, too. They聽have feelings, they have emotions,聽they have beliefs, they have good and聽bad qualities. Interacting with them聽the way I did, I saw them live with the聽weight of knowing the decisions they聽make affect everybody.
Following his time at the White House, Tom Weichart 麻豆精品 S�04MS stays busy as a nurse practitioner in Central Florida and senior pastor of Sanford 麻豆精品 S檚 Church at the Well.