BAMC Family Ties: A Generational Affair

By Lori Newman, Brooke Army Medical Center Public AffairsApril 25, 2019

3 Generations at BAMC
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3 Generations at BAMC
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3 Generations at BAMC
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3 Generations at BAMC
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3 Generations at BAMC
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Capt. (Dr.) Scott Murtha with sons Kevin and Andy, and wife Jeani, at his residency graduation ceremony at Brooke Army Medical Center in June 1992. Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Andrew Murtha was born at old-BAMC in 1989 and is now completing his reside... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Everyone says the military is a tight knit community, but for one family the connection to Brooke Army Medical Center and Fort Sam Houston is formidable, spanning three generations.

Claire Murtha was born at BAMC in March 2019 to Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Andy Murtha and his wife, Caroline. Andy Murtha was also born at BAMC, in 1989, when the hospital was located on Fort Sam Houston. He is currently a fourth-year resident in Orthopaedic Surgery at BAMC. Caroline Murtha, too, recently worked at BAMC, as an Oncology registered nurse.

But the family connection goes much further.

"I was born during the intern year of my dad's residency in Anesthesiology," Andy Murtha said.

His father, Scott Murtha, added, "I have great memories of my time at the old BAMC, and I visit the post to reminisce every time we are in San Antonio. It was a privilege to take care of our dedicated military men and women and their families. I have great respect for them and our country through this experience and have passed these values on to my children."

Coincidently, Caroline's father, Steve Mueller, was also born in old-BAMC when his father, Army Capt. (Dr.) Arnold Mueller, was stationed there in 1958.

"It's a blessing to have a healthy granddaughter," Mueller said. "Sharing the same hospital as our common birthplace 60 years later makes it even more special. What are the odds on that happening?"

"It means a lot that Claire was born at BAMC," Andy Murtha said. "I was excited to press the button and hear the lullaby announcing her birth."

Andy's mother, Jeani Murtha, agrees. "We thought it was interesting that both of the families had connections to BAMC when Andy and Caroline started dating years ago, but we never imagined that they, too, would be at BAMC at the time of their daughter's birth. It's rare to have this unique experience for three generations of a family in the same military medical facility."