Interview no. 1622

He describes the process of getting into medical school, and trying to keep his G.I. benefits. Dr. Fushille enlisted in the Navy before the war and was accepted, but was told to remain in school because they had no place for him. He eventually served on an aircraft carrier during WWII, where he faced hurricanes, fires, and kamikaze attacks by the Japanese. Dr. Fushille served in the combat information center on the carrier as a radar technician. He finished his medical exams in 1957, before returning to New Jersey to complete his internship; by this time he and his wife already had 2 children. After finishing his medical training, the mayor of Jersey City asked him to serve in the House of Representatives, but he turned it down. Dr. Fushille came to El Paso after his residency and became a partner with Dr. Taylor in 1962, because Taylor had had a heart attack. Taylor died in 1967, leaving Fushille alone with the practice. Dr. Fushille also worked at Thomason General Hospital, the first eye doctor there. He worked with the other eye doctors in El Paso to create the Great Plains Lions Eye Bank and perform glaucoma screenings. Though he helped create the Eye Bank, he was never invited to be a member of the Lion’s Club. Dr. Fushille describes his relationships and interactions with many different eye doctors, and his continued emphasis on performing glaucoma screenings for the community