Joe Ditler

Strong In, Strong Out Joe Ditler

Dick Virgilio will tell you that this book is for his family--children and grandchildren; a legacy he wants to leave them of a simple man who worked hard to make a life for them.

I will tell you it is the story about a man who never gave up, no matter what the odds. He survived a difficult childhood, and being cast adrift at a military academy for his entire youth. He went on to create a magnificent career as a doctor and surgeon.

He saved innumerable lives in Vietnam and created a pioneering trauma care system in San Diego that continues to save lives today.

Then, when he put his professional life behind him, he began to check off boxes on his long-overdue Bucket List that included sailing into the South Pacific in search of a childhood dream.

Despite his own physical handicaps (a weak heart) he sailed alone from San Diego to Hawaii, logged more than 50,000 miles under sail, and another 125,000 under power.

He has always said, "I wanted to live, and even die if necessary, in the middle of a great adventure, with my wife and kids by my side."

There were times when that nearly was the case. Welcome to the wonderful and refreshingly self-deprecating world of Dick Virgilio.

-- Joe Ditler