My Family History: the Vautrots and Johnsons

My surname, "Vautrot," dates back as far as the First Crusade, which was launched in 1095 A.D. The Vautrot's were from Alsace-Lorraine, a region between France and Germany, and they joined Pope Urban II's crusade to recaptrue the Holy Land from the Muslims; and they were succesful. We also know that the Vautrot's came to America at the time of her birth: they fought in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783 A.D) under General George Washington. Lastly, all four of my great, great-grandfathers fought in the American Civil War (1861-1865 A.D.); two for the Confederate Army and two for the Union Army.

My mother's maiden name is Johnson; my grandfather, Joe Johnson (4/23/1889 - 03/09.1968), for example, prospered in the Piney Woods as a planter, a cattleman, and the biggest sheep rancher in Allen and Evangeline parishes. From dawn to dusk, he and a crew of fifteen to forty men rode the woods herding, branding and cutting calves, dipping and shearing sheep and searching for rustlers. He was admired for his horsemanship, unflinching courage and respected for his ethic of hard work and honesty. Terse, he spoke to the point; tough, he endured hard times with honor; stoic, he suffered sorrows without complaint. At the time when and at the place where he lived, folks knew the difference between a man's value and his worth. Joe Johnson was a man of worth.
His cousin, Leroy Johnson, is notable for being one of the few men to have received the United States Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in battle! This award, the Medal of Honor, is truly a monumental achievement: it has been awarded to very few soldiers--a little over 3,000 soldiers have received it since it was created 300 years ago during The American Revolutionary War. WW II Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Leroy Johnson was born in Caney Creek, Louisiana. He served as a Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 126th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. On December 15, 1944 near Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands Sergeant Johnson as squad leader was sent to patrol a ridge held by a well-entrenched Japanese force. Seeing an enemy machinegun, which covered the approaches to several other enemy positions, he chose three other men, armed them with hand grenades, and led them to a point near the objective. The men had knocked out the gun and begun an assault when hostile troops on the flank hurled several grenades. As he started for cover, Sgt. Johnson saw two unexploded grenades that had fallen near he and his men. He deliberately threw himself on the grenades and received their full charge in his body. Fatally wounded by the blast, he died soon afterward. Sgt. Leroy Johnson received his Medal of Honor posthumously, and it was accredited to the state of Louisiana. In 1947 the New Orleans Army Air Base was renamed Camp Leroy Johnson in his honor.

52 pound Catfish!

Here I am holding an Opelousas Catfish, which I just caught out of the bayou at our camp: the Mallard Bay Hunting and Fishing Club. This fish weighed 54 pounds, and was very tough to handle by hand, as it was biting my fingers in this picture (because I was holding him up by his teeth!), and he was hitting my right leg with its very powerful tail! I later skinned and cleaned this fish: it fed about 10 men. These Cajun men made a Catfish Couvillion out of it: that is a red, tomatoe gravy that is rich in Cajun and Creole spices and served over a bed of rice. It also has diced peppers and onions in it, too, making it a spicy Cajun delight!

Alligator in my hands!

Here I am, yes a doctor, holding an alligator! I caught this a few hours earlier in the bayou at my camp in Gueydan, Louisiana (Cameron Parish). The alligator was only about 4 feet long. I was raised hunting alligators in Southwest, Louisiana; as it is part of our/my Cajun Heritage. By the way, there is a hunting season on alligators, just like there is a hunting season on bullfrogs. A hunter is allowed to kill only a certain amount per year (less than 15, I think). I have killed probably only 5 in my life. I prefer to fish for catfish.

The "Three Vautrot's": Cajun Fishermen!

Here you see the "Three Vautrot's" holding three Opelousas Catfish! Well, I am holding two of them, Jude Vautrot is holding one, and I am not quite sure what my dad is holding behind his back.

The Three Vautrots: Here you see, from left to right: Victor J. Vautrot, M.D. holding the head of a 54 pound Opelousas Catfish; in the middle is Mr. Jude Vautrot from Church Point, Louisiana, and to the far right is my father, H.G. Vautrot, J.R., also from Church Point, Louisiana. In the background, is my dear friend Dennis Simon: he is cleaning an alligator! 

Skinning Catfish on the Bayou

Cleaning a large Opelousas Catfish in Gueydan, LA at my hunting camp. May 2005. The Opelousas Catfish has many other names, such as Flathead, Mashwatan, and several other Cajun French names! The meat is the best out of all of the species of freshwater catfish! This catfish weighed about 25 pounds. In my left hand, I am holding a Blue Catfish, which is a different species of freshwater catfish.

Buying my first home: May 2005; New Orleans, LA. Photos taken prior to Hurricane Katrina (Aug 27, 2005)

Finally, the back view of my house and property. Here you can see the windows of the master bedroom. To the right, one can see that my garage has windows as well, which is where I will put an AC unit for my gym.

My garage, which has a remote control access. I will not use it for my truck, but will convert it into a gym: it is very clean inside, very new, and has excellent cement floors. I intend on putting cable television and a window wall AC unit. This would make a terrific place to exercise or hang-out. To the right of this picture, one can see some roses: there is a rose garden next to my house! 

Buying my first home: May 2005; New Orleans, LA

A picture of one of the three bedrooms. Again, the curtains and carpets will be removed, and beautiful, stained laminated wood floors added. All three of my bedrooms are 11x14.

This is the parlor, showing the front door. I will remove those terrible curtains, remove that white carpet, and place beautiful laminated wood floors. 

Here is the opposite view: this is with my back at the dishwasher in the kitchen, facing towards the dining room where my mom is entering, from the parlor in the very background of this picture. The parlor is behind her, the dining room is to her left, and the kitchen area is where I am standing. 

Here is a view of my kitchen from my parlor. The Parlor is the first room a visitor walks into from the outside. In this shot, one can see my dining room (before the kitchen counter top, and the kitchen itself). That door to the left in this view, that is the door that leads outside to the covered driveway. 

Here is the opposite end of the driveway: I have my back to the closed-in garage, and am facing my front gated-in driveway. To the right are several beautiful plants. To the left, there is a small door, that is not the sidedoor to my kitchen: it is a door that leads to my utility room, which is where my clothes washing machine and dryer are located (outside utility rooms are the norm in New Orleans I just found out, esp. in older homes built several decades ago). In the photo is my realtor, who just exited the steps that led-up to my side door. Notice the roof: again, there is a large portion of covered driveway, that is ideal for getting into and out of one's car if it is raining. Moreover, I think it makes an ideal spot for Barbeques at night! 

Buying my first home: May 2005; New Orleans, LA

My home in Arabi, Louisiana; St. Bernard Parish. Here I have walked up my drive way and tried to picture both the front gate (on the left), the fenced-in front porch (on the right), and the covered portion of the driveway beyond my front gate: there you can see a door, which gives access to my home, into my kitchen (a brilliant idea in design for carrying groceries inside my home directly into the kitchen if it is raining...I wont get wet!) Now, the front door at the right of this picture, behind the porch gate, leads into my parlor. The roof is only 4 years-young. I am very proud of my new home! It is great investment, and will certainly make me money when I sell it after residency!

A view of my first home in St. Bernard Parish (on the outskirts of Orleans Parish where New Orleans is). As you can see, I have both a covered driveway and at the very end of the driveway, I have a closed garage (remote control open-close). My lot is decent: it is 100 feet long by 50 feet wide. 

Buying my first home: May 2005; New Orleans, LA

My first home in Arabi, Louisiana! I am moving to New Orleans for my residency at Tulane University School of Medicine, and I committed myself to buying a home rather than renting for 5 years. The mortgage on it is tax-deductible, much like my $190,000 medical school debt! Rent is not a tax write-off and a waste of money.

Hunting & Cleaning the American Bullfrog: Cajun Style!

Hunting the American Bullfrog is quite variable: many locals (Cajuns) have their own techniques, which are co-dependant upon both the areas they hunt the frogs and the way their father taught them. And by the way: there is a hunting season on bullfrogs! It is NOT done year round, and we can NOT take as many as we please. Nonetheless, the most universal method of hunting these very large frogs involves: a flash light at night (their eyes reflect the beam in a very distinctive hue), a quick hand to grab them, the other hand holding a cold beer, and a large cotton/wool sack to place them once you caught the frog. The flashlight that is shined directly into their eyes will "blind" them to your slow approach. But one must be very fast with their hand to grab them, or else they leap far away into the safety of the muddy pond. Then you can celebrate your accomplishment with the swig of some cold beer, as you brag to your buddy about how fast you are despite having had so much to drink! Only in Louisiana! To clean Bullfrogs, you need a table as you see here with all of the following: a sharp knife to make an incision that is the circumference of the frogs head; a pair of "skinning pliers" to pull the skin down after it is cut to the depth of the meat; and a small hatchett to cut the head off. Be sure to wash the meat thoroughly in the buckets of clean water afterwards. Frog meat is best served fried: that is the most common way Cajun people, such as myself, eat it! However, I have recently used it on my George Foreman grill (a healthier alternative, especially for a physician to be mindful of)!

Here I am holding one of the frogs in my fingertips, and taking the picture with the other hand at the same time. If you notice, the frog stretches as long as my finger tip to my elbow! That is exactly 18 inches long (yes, I measured). By the way, frog meat does not taste like chicken or fish. It is a distinctive meat, with its very own unique flavor and texture! Frog meat is a high-priced delicacy in Southwestern Louisiana: it is served only at our finer Cajun restaurants, and it is expensive! Moreover, there is a hunting season on frogs, too 

Part of the Catch: 6 of the 18 Bullfrogs I caught at night.

Here are the six American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) before I cleaned them. I used, in this photo, a very large kitchen table spoon as a size comparison!

Here are six cleaned American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana); I caught them on my friend's property (Brandon Arabi) near Abbeville, Louisiana. Brandon owns a beautiful piece of paradise: he has several crawfish ponds, rice crops, etc on his property. One early evening in May, we rode on his four-wheeler and, with the use of headlights, caught 18 very large bullfrogs sitting on the water bank, by hand!
 

May 2005 Update

I graduated from Ross University School of Medicine on April 1st, 2005. My cumulative grade point average for those four years is a 3.9. I will graduate with honors Sum Cum Laude.

I was accepted to Tulane University School Of Medicine for my residency training in Psychiatry. Only six were accepted into the four-year progam out of the 305 that applied from across America! I feel very fortunate and blessed to have achieved this after all of these years of intense studying & long night calls at the hospital.

Sisters' Sea Lodge: Fall 2001 on the island of Dominica: Ross med. school.

An age-old photo taken in my 1st Semester of medical school at Ross University in September 2001, on the island of Dominica. I am with my good friends: Cathy, Rosy, Amber, Jim, Mujahed, Mia, me, and Margaret. We were all very young and knew nothing about medicine then (only one month of schooling!). Now, after more than 10 semesters and 4 years of schooling, each one of us is a physician. Amazing! In this photo, we were celebrating Amber's birthday; this particular restaurant was on the beach, and the view of the moon over the Carribean Sea that night was unforgettable! The food, which was fresh lobster, sea shrimp, and Red Snapper fish from the nearby bay, was absolutely stunning. They served these entrees on large banana leaves rather than traditional plates. The beer of choice was the local beer: Kubuli. It is made by the islanders.



Here are some photos taken in 2002, our 3rd or 4th semester of medical school at Ross University in the British West Indies (isle of Dominca). In these photos are my dear European and Middle Eastern friends: Ali Harb (radiology residency), Dmitry L. (internal medicine residency), Taras D. (psychiatry residency), Mishna (ob/gyn residency), "Stoytch"/Chris (internal medicine residency), "Paki" (anesthesia residency), Oleg (anesthesia residency). Most are from Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Siberia. They are good friends; they studied long and hard in the library; they also took time off to play sports, weight lift, visit neighboring islands, too. After our 4 semesters on the island, they went to America for their 2 years of clinical rotations, worked hard still, and many landed outstanding residency positions!

Another Blizzard hits Queens, NY

Shovelling my truck out of snow the day after yet another New York blizzard hit us in Queens, NY in Feb. 2005! That is where I was living during my many last rotations of medical school (OB/GYN, Surgery, Neurology, etc). Also seen in this photo is Sita, which is our Yellow Labrador Retriever. She was quite "busy" watching me do all the work! She is a truly terrific dog: full of personality and mischief.

New Orleans: Feb 2005

With my mom, Barbara Ann Johnson, in the French Quarter section of New Orleans, La on Feb. 15, 2005. She drove down to visit me from our hometown of Lafayette, LA. to visit me for my interview at Tulane University School of Medicine. I was living in New York, completing my last rotations of medical school and was invited to fly down for the interview at Tulane.
She will proudly tell ya' that she was born in the "piney woods" of Louisiana, and that her father was a rancher and a farmer! My mom is an English Literature high school teacher for 25 years; she also teaches Greek Mythology, Theology, and Shakespeare (which she can quote effortlessly). Nonetheless, she has been a true and sincere supporter of my medical career, both psychologically and financially: med school can, at times, be difficult to handle because of the long hours we work and the difficult patient cases we handle, and it is certainly very, very expensive. So, again, I am eternally thankful to have such a supportive mom by my side, as you can see here!

New Orleans, LA: Feb. 2005

Standing in front of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, La on Feb 15, 2005. It was the day prior to my interview with Tulane University School of Medicine, which is where I was later accepted to do my residency training! What a blessing from God.