Dr. Sam Bierstock began penning political parody songs 15 years ago while finding humor in the management of the U.S. health care system, but it was during a visit with a veteran soldier at the Palm Beach International Airport, when he found his most lasting tribute.

Bierstock, a resident of the city’s northeastern quadrant near George Bush Boulevard, wrote “Before You Go” the morning after an eye-opening ordeal with a veteran working the change booth late night at P.B.I.A. Bierstock was returning home to Florida, after 1 a.m. when he rolled down his window and gave the veteran change, he was startled when the older man, a veteran said, “I took two bullets for this country and look what I’m doing now!”

Bierstock drove away, then slammed on the brakes, put the car in reverse and sped backward to the toll booth. He then thanked the man for Bierstock’s wonderful life in this country. The veteran began to cry.

Fast forwards, three years ago, this Veterans Day, Dr. Sam Bierstock, who wrote the lyrics for “Before You Go,” and piano player John Melnick, who wrote the music, were invited to perform at the U.S. Capitol with an orchestra backing them during the song. This Veteran’s Day, the duo will return Nov. 11, and join their band, Dr. Sam & The Managed Care Blues. The band will travel to the nation’s capitol to play the song at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

“I’m thrilled and looking forward to this important chance to share this song that has already touched so many veterans and their families,” Bierstock said.

The song has been downloaded more than 20-million times at the website www.beforeyougo.us.

“It’s a tremendous honor!” Melnick said.

“ I’m looking forward to it… We each have an idea where were going with this song, bringing thoughts to veterans causes. I have a thought of this becoming part of a national patriotic songs catalog. We’re going to be out at the Vietnam Memorial Wall, I don’t know what to expect. ‘Before You Go’ was originally written for World War II veterans and we’ve expanded it to all eras,” Melnick said.

Bierstock and Melnick wrote the song in 2005.