One thing is crystal clear when you enter the inner sanctum of Dr Larry Anderson; time in the military is where the man was made. Larry Anderson, commoner, bounced around a bit in youth, eventually enlisting in the military with visions of becoming a pilot. Fate would have her way and instead saw him a decorated member of A Company of the 228th Aviation Battalion. 1967 Vietnam. A Door Gunner on the Chinook Helicopter.

A door gunner is just what the name implies.

"There were no harnesses. There was no seat. There was a gun. In a war.

And a young man from Georgia who wanted to be a pilot. And duty. Always duty.'

The “Doctor” in Dr Anderson came later. Following in the footsteps of 5 generations of family physicians prior, Dr. Anderson is a recognized member of the National and International Osteopathic Physicians, serving as the President of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians in 2016-2017. Osteopathic medicine is based in the science that one part of the body begets another in the pursuit of wellness. An Osteopathic Physician treats the whole person. A member of the Northside staff since 2013, Dr. Anderson is a well-recognized

and respected in the medical community.

To know Dr Larry Anderson is to know his dedication to so many things Dawson County. Quickly upon coming to the area he and his wife Pat became involved in the community. An active member of the Chamber of Commerce, they both soon found a community outreach mission in The Good Shepherd Clinic. From its beginnings in the

basement of Grace Presbyterian to its new home behind the CVS in what

was previously the NEGMC Physicians building,

Dr Anderson has been a constant.

Beating the bushes (at times “brow’ beating them too) with the late Rev. Dr. Mark Weaver, out of nothing they created healthcare for those in Dawson County who had no access before. Word spread, others became involved, and now the Good Shepherd Clinic serves the uninsured and overwhelmed in Dawson County.

In addition to health care, the Clinic also provides

dental, eye and hearing services.

An active member of the Dawson County Veterans Association, he was the Veteran of the Year in 2009. When you hear Dr. Anderson say, “ A Company of the 228th Aviation Battalion” you hear, deep in his voice, the Pride of the Pack. He says it for each man in this brave fraternity of brothers. We cannot know what they know, but we can be profoundly thankful for their bravery. He walked out of a hellhole of a place, remembering what was left behind,

and turned that experience into a lifetime of service.

This is the Inner Sanctum of Dr Larry Anderson.

Thank you, Doc, for sharing with our community and

making it a better place than you found it.