William Schamel Stryker M.D.

Each anniversary brings another memory reminderof a departed teacher who inspired young surgeons to always strive for excellence,and to always remember to care.

I never remember if I got to that Dr Stryker, he took care of be since I was a toddler until I school. He made this very quite shy girl into a confident women who grew up 2 have to sons and became a ER nurse who loves to take care of people. I hope his family know I appreciate everything he has done for me and he always made me feel special, and he will always be remembered

I always meant to send Dr. Stryker a note telling him how well I was doing. He corrected my back with a spinal fusion when I was 10 years old. I now have 4 grown children and continue to play tennis! Thank you Dr. Stryker.

I am now about 88, the age of Bill Stryker when this story occurred. Sue and I were standing in the lobby of the Marines Memorial Association in San Francisco, where we stayed during the Orthopaedic Academy meeting. As Bill Stryker stepped out of the elevator, Sue asked, " Dr. Stryker, what are you doing here? ...You're retired ..." Bill paused, looked somewhat puzzled, smiled, and said " Susan, you don't ever really retire from lifetime learning ..."

On June 11, 1965, at USNH Balboa, Dr. Stryker saved my right foot and ankle. I returned to my unit ten weeks later

Dr Stryker treated my father in the pacific late in WWII. My father remembered Dr. Stryker for his whole life. He saved my dad's foot and Dad was grateful until the day he died.

You will never be forgotten. A heart of gold . You enabled me to keep my foot at the age of 22 . You always treated me and everyone else like we were your only patient. May the lord take care of you the way you did us all . Rip

I first saw Dr Stryker when I was a dependent son USN and a senior in high school. I had separated my shoulder at the end of my junior year and was told by another doctor that I wouldn't be cleared to play football in my last year of high school. My father, being used to the ways of the military, told me we could just go over the head of the Navy Commander who had operated on me and 'take it to the Captain'. Captain Stryker told me my shoulder would be fine and that I should just wear another knee pad under my shoulder pads. What he wanted to see more was my hip which had been pinned by a friend of his several years before. Later, I saw Dr Stryker as an E-3 IC man when I showed up for an appointment with another doctor and ran into him in the hall. He looked at my name stenciled on my shirt and said, "Johnson! How the hell did you get into the Navy?" I told him that the Ensign who gave me my physical in Seattle had never heard of him and didn't believe my hip condition was bad enough to defer me. After asking if I had anything better to do than be in the Navy, he told me to report next Sunday. That I was getting out of the Navy. There was more but this is enough to endear the man to me forever. I onlt wish I'd known he was going to live so long. I'd have made the trip to San Diego to thank him in person.

At the age of 12 Dr Styker was my surgeon.I was A Military Dependent.I was born with a bone missing in my left leg.He sat me down and told me the different options i had and what could be the outcome with each.I picked an amputation.In January 2019 it will be 50 years ago.In the military you are told what you get.Ill never for get Dr Stryker.RIP Captian StrykerDale Garrison

1968 I was Capt. Stryker's patient at Balboa during those bittersweet days when some of Pueblo's crew returned to Balboa from North Korean prison. He fixed my broken femur and it's still holding up!

Probably 5 - 10 years back ... I tracked the good doctor down and I left a message with his office (I recall it was a teaching U). Doctor Stryker returned my call at my home. I told him I just wanted to thank him for helping me. We had some small talk; we both like cars. His favorite a old Jag. I shared how I'd become an engineer in auto manufacturing and a few possible parts sources. We bid one another farewell. May God Bless and Keep Captain Stryker and his family.

He was an AWESOME man and Dr. with a heart of GOLD. I will never forget him. He did many of my operations growing up and kept me out of a wheelchair. Ortho has lost a great Dr. and teacher.

Captain William Stryker was a role model and leader for young Orthopaedic Surgeons in California for several decades. He was a mentor,an academic thinker, and teacher for young surgeons at the US Naval Medical Center,Balboa,at the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital, and at the UCLA Harbor Hospital. He was a lifetime student of Orthopaedic Surgery. He founded the Orhtopaedic Residency Training Program at the Balboa Medical Center and established its reputation for teaching excellence. Bill Stryker provided a professional benchmark for those of us that followed in his footsteps and elected to always search for excellence in our own professional careers.
Richard M. Braun MD