Photo By Emily Klinkenborg | Lt. Col. Christopher Bowen, right, the one-year Advanced Education in General...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. — The Smith Dental Clinic and the Fort Carson Dental Health Activity (DENTAC) held a Memorialization Ceremony Oct. 7, 2020, to dedicate their education center to the late Retired Col. Lawrence (Larry) G. Breault.
Breault served over 30 years of active duty service as a general dentist and periodontist and served more than 10 years as a mentor and chief of periodontics at the Fort Carson one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD-1) Residency Program.
The invocation and benediction for the ceremony was led by Maj. Matthew Canada, chaplain, Evans Army Community Hospital. Staff Sgt. Katherine Bolcar, vocalist, 4th Infantry Division, sang the national anthem.
“Col. Larry Breault was a pillar of this program for 10 years,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Bowen, director program, AEGD-1. “I can think of no one more deserving of this honor, and neither can countless former residents, colleagues and staff members of Col. Breault.”
Individuals who knew Breault submitted commentaries detailing the impact he had on their lives. Bowen shared some of those stories with the audience during the ceremony.
“Col. Breault was a great mentor who really cared about his residents, and working with him was the highlight of my AEGD,” wrote a former resident. “His mentorship and guidance made me a better dentist, and I will always be grateful for the time he poured into teaching our class.”
Breault earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Tufts University of Dental Medicine, Massachusetts in 1985 and completed the AEGD-1 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the following year. He later went on to earn a Master’s of Science degree in Oral Biology from the Medical College of Georgia in 1994 and completed the U.S. Army Periodontics Residency Program at Fort Gordon, Georgia, in 1995.
During his career, Breault published numerous articles in Periodontics and was awarded Mentor of the Year four times at Fort Carson’s AEGD-1 program.
“I am proud that we are able to recognize an excellent clinician and caregiver,” said Col. Robert Selders, commander of the Fort Carson Dental Health Activity. “I feel that I have missed an opportunity to know him, but I think from what I’ve read and the excellent write up we had about (Col. Breault), that he was a great person and this is a very fitting thing to do.”
Last spring, Bowen approached Selders with the proposal to dedicate the clinic’s education center in Breault’s name. Selders, who was successful in establishing a memorial dedication at Fort Stewart, Georgia, knew that this would also be an extensive process for the Smith Dental Clinic.
The dedication proposal was routed through U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) and Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, the 45th Surgeon General of the Army, favorably approved the Col. Larry Breault Education Center.
Retired Col. Edward Fowler and Retired Col. Jay Etzenbach, fellow colleagues and friends of Breault, flew in from Texas and Hawaii, respectively, to attend the ceremony and provide remarks as guest speakers for the event.
Breault’s wife, Dayna, and her brother, Douglas, were also in attendance. Dayna Breault shared stories of their lives together and reflected on her husband’s career as the third, and final, guest speaker for the ceremony.
“The success of the clinic was not because of him, it was because the clinic worked as a team,” said Dayna Breault. “Thank you to Smith Dental Clinic for being there for us in our time of need. Your prayers and support were very appreciated in our journey.”
Soldiers, civilians and Family moved to the clinic’s education center after the ceremony to witness the Col. Larry Breault Education Center ribbon cutting and dedication plaque reveal.
The event concluded with a cake cutting ceremony in the education center, but guests lingered long after the event to wander around the room decorated with photos, awards and other memorabilia honoring Breault.
“His legacy and impact will live on,” said Bowen. “My hope is that when mentors and residents walk into the room, they learn about him and aspire to be like him.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2020 12:45 |
| Story ID: | 381853 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Dental clinic education center is dedicated, by Emily Klinkenborg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
