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A lot of people say they “worked their way up.” Charles Thomas actually did it, step by step, when the alternatives were a factory line, a foundry floor, or getting drafted into the Vietnam War. We talk with Charles about growing up in Willow Run after moving from Detroit, finding his identity through sports, and grinding through two demanding jobs just to save enough money to start college. That determination takes him from junior college to a full basketball scholarship at Gonzaga University, where he trains for a career in clinical laboratory science and medical technology. 

From there, the story turns into a Vietnam-era military journey that rarely gets told from the medical side. Charles walks us through joining the United States Air Force, basic training at Lackland, advanced training at Wright-Patterson, and the reality of doing the same work you trained for but “the Air Force way.” At Fairchild Air Force Base, he supports military medicine and helps process blood drives shipping blood to Vietnam, a reminder that wartime care depends on labs, logistics, and quiet precision. We also get into leadership and career growth, including Officer Candidate School, running labs, and training new techs. 

After active duty, Charles pivots again, completing physician assistant training and building a long civilian career as a PA in surgery at Michigan State, including plastic and reconstructive trauma surgery and breast cancer reconstruction coordination. He also serves in the Michigan Army National Guard and reflects on family legacy, from a 58-year marriage to raising identical twin sons who reach the NBA and later become coaches. If you care about military service, healthcare careers, physician assistant life, or how to build a meaningful life across decades, you’ll take a lot from this conversation. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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