Veterans Life - February 2013

Veterans Life A Sound Publishing Monthly Magazine

Women who have served www.kitsapveteranslife.com

February 2013

Northwest Navigator says it will soon cease publication The Northwest Navigator will print its final weekly edition on March 29, 2013. After that final edition, there will no longer be an official or authorized Navy print newspaper for Commander, Navy Region Northwest, or other Installations: Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Naval Station Everett, Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Magazine Indian Island.

The Northwest Navigator consistently won numerous top awards for production

and reporting, and has helped tell the Navy story to tens of thousands of Sailors, family members, retirees, veterans and community members around the Region and around the world. The decision to stop publication was made as a Navy-wide cost-savings measure.

“This was a tough headquarters decision in a belt-tightening world,” said Sean Hughes, public affairs officer at Navy Region Northwest. “We’d like

to thank everyone who made The Northwest Navigator a part of their lives, the outstanding publishers we’ve worked with over the years, and all of those who helped us share the stories of our f leet, fighters and families.”

Official Northwest Navy news and information will still be available in many formats, including on Navy social media pages (Facebook and Twitter), websites, and in internal command employee newsletters.

“This is the end of an era, but we still have Navy information to share and stories to tell,” Hughes said. “We will continue to communicate through our official Navy channels, and of course, work with area publishers and media representatives to further our Navy’s story with our communities. We will continue to explore new ways to communicate in this fast-changing media landscape, and look forward to keeping the conversation going.”

British Navy Visits Carrier Stennis

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Schumacher, John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs U.S. 5th FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – Several guests from the Royal Navy frigate

HMS Monmouth visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Jan 15.

Royal Navy Cmdr.

Gordon Ruddock , Monmouth’s commanding officer, and 15 Monmouth

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sailors met with Rear Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3, Stennis’ commanding officer, Capt. Ron Reis, and Capt. John Beaver, commander of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21.

“As the Royal Navy moves toward the rebirth of its fixed-wing carrier operations, it’s been an invaluable education today,” said Ruddock.

“My team and I have had our eyes opened to the complexities of what we are about to generate.”

During their visit, the British sailors observed f light operations from the flag bridge and toured several spaces throughout the ship including the flight deck, hangar bay, jet shop, and the carrier air traffic control center.

“I have never seen anything like this ship before,” said Royal Navy Able Seaman Communications Specialist Sordan Bate. “It

was very interesting to see flight operations and the way everyone was always busy.” “[This visit] reaffirms the strongest relationship between two navies, the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy,” said Beaver.

The visit was part of a passing exercise (PASSEX) to improve interoperability between the two navies.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, consisting of Stennis, Carrier Air Wing 9, DESRON 21, and guidedmissile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) are forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility to strengthen regional partnerships, sustain maritime security, and support combatant commander requirements for assets in the area.

For more information about Stennis visit www. stennis.navy.mil and www. facebook.com/stennis 74.

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Veterans Resources BREMERTON American Legion Post 149 4922 Kitsap Way (360) 373-8983 DAV, Chapter 5 2315 Burwell Ave. (360) 373-2397 Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 29 521 S. National Ave. (360) 373-2296 Marine Corps League, Det. 531 (360) 695-7233 Navy League, Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula P.O. Box 5719 (360) 479-1233 NABVETS, Kitsap Chapter 865 Sixth St. (360) 434-7572 Veterans Services Office (Olympic College) Humanities and Student Service Building, Room 104 (360) 475-7560 VFW Post 239 190 S. Dora Ave. (360) 377-6739 GORST DAV Chapter 22 4475 Birch Ave. W. (360) 275-0329 PORT ORCHARD American Legion Post 30 615 Kendall St. (360) 876-1158 VFW Post 2669 736 Bay St. (360) 876-2669 WDVA Building 9 Veterans Service Center 1141 Beach Dr. E., Retsil (360) 895-4346

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On the inside

This month in Veterans Life, we are celebrating stories of women Veterans who have served their country in various capacities. Among them is Commander Darlene Iskra who retired from the Navy in 2000, after 21 years of service. As one of the first female officers to serve at sea, Iskra’s career was marked by a number of firsts, but that was never her motivating factor, she told reporter Wes Morrow. Wes sat down with her to talk about the many firsts she had in her career and how different it was then for women in the military. Iskra’s class at the diving school was one of the first to be integrated, with both men and women in the same program.

Jessica Ginet has this month’s Veteran Profile on MMCM(SS) Greg Peterman who enlisted with the Navy at the age of 18 in his hometown of Cortez, Colorado, in 1972. There were no special circumstances prompting him to join. His family had no history of Naval service. Peterman served in the Navy for 20 years and looks back fondly on his time spent in the silent service. Peterman, the married father of two grown children, now resides in Slidell, Louisiana. He retired in 1993.

Reporter Chris Chancellor has a story about healthcare resources for local veterans. As he found out, there still will be occasions when veterans will need to travel to the Veterans Administration’s two main divisions at American Lake in Pierce County and Seattle for care. But both male and female veterans can fulfill many of their needs through the Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic. The story takes a look at the changing services offered by Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic, the first local Veterans Administration health clinic. The story also has important information for veterans who want to learn how to get care online or through the Telehealth network at the VA without having to drive long distances.

BECAUSE YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH BOOT CAMP.

And in honor of Valentine’s Day coming up this month, colleague Kathy Reed on Whidbey Island tells us about two special couples who have made their love last throughout military careers. Jean Hayden and her husband, Dick, and Trudy Sundberg and her husband, the late Capt. John Sundberg, are featured.

They tell their love stories and the challenges each faced as they were often apart because of military assignments.

In this month’s Bond column, Brian Kelly, of Bainbridge Island, takes us through his experience in the Army, with the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade in Germany when he was selected for specialized Army training that only 10 soldiers from the entire base had been chosen for. The name of the training was misleading as he found out.

As always, we’d love to hear from you with your feedback and/or thoughts for future editions of Veterans Life. We want to hear from veterans who own local businesses that we can feature. We’re looking forward to our March edition when we bring readers up-to-date with state and national legislation pending in 2013.

On the cover:

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Cora Ann Bowen (left) worked as a cowler at the Naval Air Base; Eloise J. Ellis was a senior supervisor in the Assembly and Repairs Department, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 1942.

INSIDE

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THE TIP OF THE SPEAR Cmdr. Darlene Iskra retired from the Navy in 2000, after 21 years of service. As one of the first female officers to serve at sea, Iskra’s career was marked by a number of firsts, but that was never her motivating factor.

10

Army nurse heals mental wounds

War seared Sarah Blum. As a longtime Army nurse in an operating room within earshot of Vietnam’s battlefields, Blum saw what modern warfare could do to the human body – and soul.

THE BOND

Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Mikhail Gorbachev was in the Kremlin. And I was in the Army, with the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade in Germany.

Life

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MMCM(SS) Greg Peterman enlisted with the Navy at the age of 18 in his hometown of Cortez, Colo., in 1972.

There were no special circumstances prompting him to join. His family had no history of Naval service.

“I came from a rather poor area with not many opportunities for work so I decided on the Navy,” he said.

Peterman served in the Navy for 20 years and looks back fondly on his time spent in the silent service. Peterman, the married father of two grown children, now resides in Slidell, Louisiana. He retired in 1993.

First assigned to the USS Sculpin SSN590, he also served on the USS Plunger SSN-595, the USS Gurnard SSN-662, the USS Andrew Jackson SSBN-619B, the USS Dixon AS-37 and several other school commands. Peterman was stationed in Port Orchard from 1974-1977 on the USS Sculpin while completing a refueling overhaul. Since that time, he has been all over the world with the Pacific Fleet.

“They called us the silent service for a reason,” Peterman said.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s crews had to sign documents that prevented them from discussing certain events that happened during the Cold War. He’s still restricted from discussing his experiences.

“I would have played college football, gotten my degree in something and probably never have left southwestern Colorado,” Peterman said.

Instead, Peterman traveled the world.

His fondest memory while serving was the day he qualified to serve on submarines while stationed on the USS Sculpin SSN-590. He acknowledged the qualification required a lot of hard work but the feeling of accomplishment he had remains something he considers very important to this day.

When Peterman enlisted, the recruiting motto was: “Join the Navy and See the World.” He reminisced about those days.

“We worked hard. But we were also allowed to play hard and have a good time.”

The Navy of today, however, uses the recruiting motto: “The Global Force For Good.”

“Today’s Navy works as hard if not harder,” he said.”But most of the fun stuff is no longer politically correct or allowed.”

The Navy of today is working within the constraints of today’s society, Peterman explained “In my day, we did things to fit in with society then,” he said. “Today’s society is very politically correct so today’s Navy is very politically correct.”

Despite the changes in climate, Peterman said, “The Navy is still filled with great people doing great things.

They just have a very different atmosphere to do it in.”

Peterman was well-prepared for retirement.

“When I retired (from the Navy) I already had a job lined up,” he said.

He had been planning his retirement from the Navy at the age of 48. Despite his extensive legwork, however, the plan fell apart and he noted, “I still survived.”

Completely retired for ten years, Peterman credits good financial planning, sound investments and his Navy retirement for his current financial security. The training and skills he obtained while in the Navy were invaluable as well.

“My skills of being a nuclear trained machinist’s mate directly took me into the civilian nuclear industry,” he said.

“From there I moved into the oil and gas sector where I used my Navy training to set up preventive maintenance programs for large off-shore oil rigs.”

That part was easy, Peterman quipped.

“The only challenge I had was finding enough prior and retired Navy guys to fill the jobs in the company I worked for,” he said.

For those looking to retire, Peterman offers this advice: “Recent vets, make sure everything is documented in your medical record and service record before you get out or retire,” he said. “You earned all the good deals. So make sure you have the documentation to use them.”

Peterman added this last thought: “I had a mentor that told me to get every qualification I could get (because) that was the key to success,” he said.

“He was right and to this day I approach everything like that.”

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The tip of the spear Darlene Iskra helped pave the way for women in the Navy

By WES MORROW Cmdr. Darlene Iskra retired from the Navy in 2000, after 21 years of service. As one of the first female officers to serve at sea, Iskra’s career was marked by a number of firsts, but that was never her motivating factor.

In 1979 Iskra was working at a swimming pool after graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in recreation management. She joined the Navy because it was one of the few jobs that offered benefits as well as equal pay for women.

“There weren’t a whole lot of jobs like that around for women,” Iskra said.

Someone she worked with at the pool said she should try to be a Navy diver because she was such a good swimmer. Iskra admitted she had always wanted to learn to dive, but didn’t even know at the time that there were Navy divers.

Iskra went to officer candidate school, where she volunteered for the diving program, and was accepted.

The law had only changed in 1978 allowing women to serve on some non-combat ships.

“At the time I had no idea, at all, that women officers had not ever done this before,” Iskra said. “I was within the first small group of women officers who had gone to this dive school.”

Iskra’s class at the diving school was one of the first to be integrated, with both men and women in the same program. There was one other woman with Iskra in her class.

In Officer Candidate School they received the same training as the men, she said, but there was one difference: The women were required to wear skirts

for their class alpha uniforms.

“When you’re marching around in the middle of winter, it got a little chilly,” Iskra said. “If you want uniformity then you should make the women wear slacks too.”

When Iskra graduated and went to her duty station aboard the USS Hector, uniforms continued to be a problem. Since the Navy had only recently begun allowing women to serve on ships there were no female at-sea uniforms — women had to buy men’s uniforms, which fit awkwardly, as they weren’t designed for

women’s bodies. Women had been serving in the Navy since 1948, but never before on ships.

The USS Hector was a repair ship based in San Francisco Bay. Iskra served as the diving officer aboard the vessel.

After spending two years aboard the Hector, however, Iskra’s advancement was impeded by a problem the Navy had not yet addressed. While it had opened up non-combat ships to women, the Navy had only a handful of ships designated as such. c o ntinue d

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“There were all of these senior officers who had no place to go,” Iskra said. “There was just no upward mobility.”

Unfortunately for Iskra and her crew, the ship wasn’t even equipped with enough gas masks for everyone.

Iskra wanted to be at sea, but she had to transfer back on-shore, where she taught nuclear safety and security at the nuclear weapons training group.

Despite their lack of defense, the Opportune made it through Desert Storm and back home unharmed. In 1993, two years after returning from the Middle East, Iskra moved off the Opportune and the ship was decommissioned.

“It was interesting, but it certainly wasn’t what I had joined the Navy to do,” she said.

She was able to return to sea in the mid 1980s when the Navy built a new class of salvage and repair vessels. Iskra joined the crew of the USS Grasp as the operations officer.

While on the Grasp, Iskra was selected for executive officer and made lieutenant commander. Shortly thereafter, she was selected for the position she would unwittingly be remembered for. Iskra was named commander of the USS Opportune, a 200 ft. rescue and salvage ship

1990 to 1993. Three weeks after she took command, Operation Desert Storm began, and the Opportune deployed to the Middle East.

Iskra stayed in the Navy for seven more years, but her heart was no longer in it.

When she received her fitness report from her superior, she was ranked lowest among her four other peers, despite passing all inspections and being the only one of the five to deploy to a war zone.

The deployment was a nerve-wracking time, Iskra said. The Opportune usually operated independently, not as part of a battle-group.

Iskra said when she asked her superior about the confusing report, he said, “Well, you had opportunities that the men haven’t had and therefore I don’t think it’s going to hurt you.”

“Everything I had done in the past was geared towards becoming a commanding officer,” Iskra said. “When I got selected for command, to me, it was just a normal progression.”

“We were out there all by ourselves,” Iskra said.

After that, Iskra said, things sort of went down hill.

They had only two 50 calibre machine guns and two anti-aircraft guns aboard the ship.

She was the first woman in the history of the U.S. Navy to command a ship, an achievement that places her among the most important naval firsts for women.

Even then, Iskra said, “We didn’t have any air search radar, so the only time we could shoot at anything was if they were directly above us.”

“It became almost unbearable,” she said.

“The crew and my peers were very supportive,” but her superiors seemed to be leaving her out on her own. There was a lack of support, she felt.

But, Iskra said, it was never her intention to break such ground. She was only going through the progression of her own career.

Since the Opportune was a non-combat ship outside a battle-group, it didn’t have the classified publications that told the weapons capability of the enemy; however, there were reports during Desert Storm that the enemy possessed chemical weapons.

“My goal was to be in command, but it wasn’t to be the first woman in command,” she said.

Iskra commanded the Opportune from

After leaving the Navy, Iskra went back to school. She got her master’s degree in Sociology from University of Maryland.

She worked as an aid to Washington State Sen. Maria Cantwell, where she was an integral part in bringing about a bill that put an end to the practice of forcing U.S. military women in Saudi Arabia to wear traditional abaya and walk behind men.

She received her Ph.D. from University of Maryland, College Park in 2007. Her dissertation was titled, “Breaking through the brass ceiling: Elite military women’s strategies for success.”

Iksra said the biggest stumbling block for women in the Navy is not the system itself, but the individual leaders within the system.

“The leaders don’t believe fully in integration,” she said. “They need to take this seriously, and treat everyone with respect.

They talk the talk, but they need to walk the walk.”

Of course, Iskra said, this isn’t a problem with all the Navy’s leadership — officers like Adm. Ronald Zlatoper and Adm. Michael Mullen have helped push the issue forward.

Right now, women are going through the same issues with submarines that Iskra went through with ships. Iskra said she wishes things would move forward more quickly, but agrees with Zlatoper when he said, “It’s an evolution, not a revolution.”

Iskra spoke highly of leaders like Zlatoper and Mullen for their foresightedness. She spoke repeatedly about how she didn’t guide her career to be the first at anything, but just like Zlatoper and Mullen she led the way for the changes that needed to take place.

Though she may not have been thinking of herself when she spoke about them, her own words give testament to her contribution: “It takes leadership like that to push these sorts of things. It doesn’t happen without a person leading the way.”

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Veterans have a local option in health care Bremerton outpatient clinic helps serve the needs of local veterans

By CHRIS CHANCELLOR There still will be occasions when patients need to travel to the Veterans Administration’s two main divisions at American Lake in Pierce County and Seattle for care. But both male and female veterans can fulfill many of their needs through the Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic.

“When we changed to having state clinics, they thought they could get every service the same as Seattle or American Lake,” Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic nurse manager Cheryl Morgan said.

That is not the case at the 925 Adele Ave. location, the first Veterans Administration health clinic when it opened in 2001. But Morgan said services eventually should be enhanced once they open at a larger location.

For now, Morgan said patients suffering from conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and eye problems are referred to doctors at the large VA hospitals in Seattle and American Lake. Once a doctor examines patients, they often can return to the Bremerton clinic for follow-ups. To mitigate travel, Morgan said there are morning transportation options to both larger clinics. The one to Seattle runs Monday and Wednesday, while American Lake goes Tuesday and Thursday. Morgan said they request that patients make afternoon appointments to provide sufficient time to get to both locations.

The Bremerton clinic also does not provide emergency care.

“If a patient needs it, we call 911,” Morgan said.

The main benefits of the clinics — there are others in Bellevue, Chehalis, Federal Way, Mount Vernon, Port Angeles and Seattle — is convenience.

“Veterans don’t always have to drive across the bridge or take a ferry to Seattle,” said Lorin Smith, public affairs specialist for the VA’s Puget Sound Health Care System.

In addition to her role with the clinic, Morgan is a patient. She recently went in for a mammogram at American Lake — that is the closest hospital to where Morgan lives — and was surprised with how quickly they process results and call to schedule a follow-up visit. Morgan said patients at the Bremerton clinic receive a similar level of care. And if someone misses an appointment, Morgan said they receive a phone call to find out the reason behind it and to reschedule.

Both Morgan, who has attended funer-

als of former patients, and Smith said the clinics have enhanced the level of care for veterans.

“It’s almost like a family,” Smith said.

“It’s a very personal relationship with our patients and veterans.”

Smith said women’s health care also is a focal point for the VA. According to Smith, Kitsap County has more than 4,000 women veterans, with 317 enrolled at the Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic. He said there has been a 66 percent increase in the number of women veterans enrolled in VA Puget Sound since 2007.

The Puget Sound Women’s Clinic provides services for birth control options, cervical cancer screening, infertility evaluation, mammography, pregnancy care under VA maternity benefits, tubal ligations, menopause management, treatment for incontinence, colposcopy, screening for HIV and STD’s, osteoporosis evaluation and treatment, evaluation and treatment for trauma, chaplain and spiritual counseling, homeless women services, primary care, social work services and mental health referrals.

Among Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic’s 14 registered nurses — eight of whom served in the Armed Forces — Morgan said one, a woman, specifically is designated for women’s health. She said women have the option of seeing anyone they want, though.

In addition to primary care, Morgan said dermatology and “Telemental” health are the most sought after services at the clinic.

Marcus Grandjean, director of data and analytics for the VA’s Puget Sound Health Care System, said My HealtheVet is most popular among veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan.

“They’re much more likely to use email,” he said.

Grandjean said another service offered through the VA is “Telehealth.” He said that program allows veterans to go onto a teleconference with doctors to seek answers for medical problems. The service can be beneficial to disabled veterans.

According to the VA website, Kenneth Winn suffered a head injury while deployed in Operation Desert Storm.

Under different circumstances, Winn would have to drive more than 150 miles from his home in Crescent City, Calif., to Roseburg, Ore. But because of Telehealth, he only has to drive to the VA clinic in town, where he is connected with his counselor at VA Roseburg.

“Crescent City is No Man’s Land,” Winn told the VA. “With Telehealth, it makes it where I can talk to my doctor without having to travel very far. It helps to talk to her when I’m down. She’s keeping tabs on my medications and stuff like

Morgan said VA officials also endeavor to improve service. One change entails communication between a physician and patient about treating an ailment.

“The physician always dictated to the patient how they were treated,” she said.

“We now embrace their ideology and provide them with care.”

Smith said that is easier now than ever as VA officials have embraced social media. He said the VA joined Facebook two years ago and it has more followers and “likes” than any other federal agency.

Locally, it is www.facebook.com/vapugetsound. Smith said it isn’t popular with just younger veterans, either.

“Surprisingly, the data shows the majority of our fans are 55 years and older,” Smith said. “The old thoughts about digital divide are going by the wayside.”

There also is a www.twitter.com/ vapugetsound account.

“We invite comments and questions,” said Smith, referring to both Facebook and Twitter. “It’s just another tool to reach out to all of our veterans.”

Smith said one area where the VA has not reached is text messaging. He said that will be available “in the near future,” but did not have a specific timeline.

In lieu of text messaging, Smith said the VA offers “My HealtheVet.” This secure system is designed for veterans, active-duty servicemembers, their dependents and caregivers. According to the website, the most popular feature is online prescription refills. There also is an option to send “a non-urgent secure message to participating members of your VA health care team.”

“We need to go where our veterans are,” Smith said. “They need to go out and jump on the bandwagon.’

that. She makes sure I receive what I need to receive.”

But Grandjean said the program entails much more than that.

“Our Telehealth medicine program is anything from dermatology to primary care for people in rural communities,” he said. “If someone cannot make it to a primary care facility that might be a good option.”

Patricia Ryan, associate chief consultant for the VA Office of Telehealth, says on the VA’s website that there is another important benefit to that function.

“This is important because a large percentage of our rural veterans are advancing in age,” she said. “They have chronic health conditions that require constant monitoring. If it wasn’t for Telehealth, we’d be hard-pressed to deliver the kind of day-to-day observation they require.”

Earlier this year, the VA stopped charging veterans a copayment when they receive care in their homes via video conferencing from VA health professionals.

“Eliminating the copayment for this service will remove an unnecessary financial burden for veterans,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a news release. “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that veterans have access to the first-class care they have earned with their service to our nation.”

Through an infrared system, patients can use a Bremerton Community Based Outpatient Clinic room to access a counselor at the VA hospital in Seattle.

Morgan said those patients, who suffer from a variety of mental-health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, have an hour-long conference each week.

“Mental health is a huge component of the population that we serve,” she said.

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VETERANS LIFE | 7

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By JOHNNY WALKER The storied life of Poulsbo City Councilman Jim Henry may have begun in humble surroundings, but by striking a difference, building relationships and choosing service, his legacy endures as a quiet but influential leader for North Kitsap County.

The Chicago-born first son of James Henry Jr. and Gladys Pollard, James Henry III was born on Sept. 9, 1937, at Cook County Hospital in Illinois.

Growing up in the Maxwell Street district, Henry had to make tough choices early in life. With the help of his uncle Charles Henry, who was a steward in the Navy during World War II, he chose Navy service as a way to move up.

Henry graduated from David G. Farragut High School in 1955 and promptly enlisted in the Navy.

Graduating from boot camp at nearby Naval Station Great Lakes, he was accepted into the submarine service as a quartermaster and never looked back. Like Admiral Farragut, it was full speed ahead for Seaman Henry.

“I was James until I went into the Navy,” Henry said. “Overnight, I became Jim Henry for 31 years.”

It was on his first submarine, the USS Hardhead (SS-365), where the wide-eyed Henry learned one of the most important lessons of his life.

After taking an opportunity to ask a warrant officer on watch, “Do warrant officers really have to know everything?,” the warrant soberly replied, “No, Henry, you simply have to know who does.”

This was important news to a young man who was just getting out of his neighborhood into a very big world.

“Suddenly, all things became possible,” Henry said. “That, I could do.”

Henry’s romance with the Pacific Northwest began on July 24, 1967.

As a new warrant officer on the USS Arikara (ATF-98), he was standing his first watch afloat as officer of the deck as the fleet tug made a sunrise passage eastward through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

“The morning sky was beautiful — blue and without a cloud,” Henry said.

“I was enthralled and decided right at that moment I would tell my wife that this is where we would live.”

The needs of the Navy were not as easily swayed. It took 14 years for Henry to land orders at Keyport, where he led as range control officer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Engineering Station until his retirement in 1986. Henry returned to Keyport as a civilian the following year, and retired from civil service in 1999.

Henry’s entry into local politics

evolved from an invitation from Poulsbo’s mayor, Richard “Mitch” Mitchusson, to join the planning commission. As he dove in and nurtured new relationships, Henry’s innovation and good nature helped to develop a strong and enduring governmental relationship between the Suquamish Tribe and Poulsbo City Council.

Henry’s ability to collaborate and bridge cultural barriers is a credit to his appreciation of how differences can make us stronger. Soon, he became a member of the Suquamish Warriors, a group of Suquamish Tribe and community veterans, and was ultimately honored by the Suquamish Tribe as an honorary elder.

In part, Henry attributes his success in life from a deep drive to be busy but also his willingness to try different things. It isn’t a surprise that he advises younger generations to do the same.

“Do something,” Henry said. “Don’t be afraid to try something you haven’t done before. The first time you succeed, it becomes easier. And I’ve discovered that when you are working at things that are fun, it’s not work — it’s fun.”

Concerning education, Henry is equally impassioned.

“I know you want to get out of there and are tired, but those teachers are priceless assets. Listen. It will all come back to you later.”

With almost 60 years of global and community service, the life of James Henry III is an enduring profile of giving that leads and inspires generations to come.

— Johnny Walker, a Kingston photographer, is a retired Navy chief petty officer whose career included service as chief of investigations at Navy Submarine Base Bangor. He is a periodic correspondent for the North Kitsap Herald and Veterans Life and wrote this profile of Jim Henry for the Herald’s Who’s Who 2012 section.

Brewing up business Whidbey Island veterans find success as small business owners

By KATHY REED The many skills military veterans bring to the employment table has garnered a lot of attention recently. Employers across the nation are recognizing that the training and discipline necessary to make someone a success in the military can make someone a very good employee in the business world.

Those skills can also help those veterans who choose to go into business for themselves. In fact, veterans are 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than those with no military experience. Veterans make up nearly 10 percent of the nation’s successful small businesses, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Whidbey Island is home to several successful veteran-owned businesses.

Either word-of-mouth or the business directory on the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs website led us to talk with the owners of three of them.

Lincoln Computers, Clinton Scott Lincoln was a Munitions Specialist in the Air Force. He is a 1969 graduate of Langley High School and returned from

his four years of service to join the family plumbing business.

“It was something I had planned on doing,” Lincoln said. “And in the environment I was raised in, it seemed like a good way to make a living.”

Eventually, Lincoln said he had taken plumbing as far as he could. His computer business, which he owns with his son-in-law, Jason Kalk, opened in 1995.

He credits the military with helping him learn how to treat people.

“It helped me learn respect and it also gave me a new respect for people who have served in the military,” he said. “I had lived a sheltered life up until that point and it opened my eyes.”

Lincoln said during his time in the Air Force he had worked a second job and that connection to the business world, he feels, enabled him to keep enough of a focus on business that he was ready for it when he finished his service. But times, he said, are different for veterans returning home today.

“The challenges are different today,” he said. “The war I was in was not popular, but the economy wasn’t bad. Now I think returning vets are widely accepted, but the jobs aren’t there.”

Tough economic times for everyone make it difficult to think about starting a new business, Lincoln said. But even in tough times, being a veteran can be an advantage.

“It’s so hard to start up a business,” he said. “But veterans today may have a

little leg up with some of the contacts they have now and help with the benefits they’ve earned.

“Take advantage of the opportunities out there,” he continued. “The Economic Development Council, for instance. Do your research.

A wing and a prayer isn’t going to do it.”

As far as his own service is concerned, Lincoln said he’s always played it low key. Flags in the window and signs in the store let patrons know it is a veteran-owned business.

“I’m not going to hide it, but I’m not going to flaunt it,” said Lincoln. “It was something I was glad to do, something that needed to be done. I don’t expect any more out of it.”

Coaches Pizzeria, Freeland For Dave Dillman, who owns Coaches Pizzeria in Freeland with fellow veteran Gary Nau, his military service shaped his life. Dillman was in the Army in 1969-1970, while Nau was in the Marines from 1965-1966. Dillman said his experience in the Army during the Vietnam war taught him valuable leadership skills which have served him well over the years.

“The military taught me to lead, not follow,” he said. “That has carried me through my adult life. The military did everything for me. I regret I didn’t stay in.”

Instead, Dillman took advantage of the GI Bill c o ntinue d

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Mike Donohoe checks freshly roasted coffee beans at his Oak Harbor business, Honeymoon Bay Coffee Roasters.

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Coaches Pizzeria co-owner Dave Dillman visits with a fellow veteran and customer in his Freeland, Wash. restaurant.

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VETERANS LIFE | 9

Scott Lincoln, left, owns Lincoln Computers in Clinton, Wash. with his sonin-law, Jason Kalk.

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said Dillman, but they met just two years ago through the Veterans Resource Center on South Whidbey and struck up a friendship.

Now business partners, the two had a strong vision for their pizzeria, which opened Aug. 10.

“We’ve both coached and been involved with school sports, so we wanted to draw on our association with sports teams,”

and went back to school.

He enjoyed a successful career in business. Nau spent a good bit of his career in retail and restaurant management. Both men moved to Whidbey Island about 11 years ago,

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Dillman said. “We’ve built it around family, that’s the whole focus. Family, kids, military and seniors.”

As customers place their order at the counter, Dillman strikes up a conversation, asking the elderly man if he’s a veteran. When he answers ‘yes,’ the two quickly start trading service stories, although this customer served in World War II. Another gentleman in the group talks about his time in the military as well, and Dillman thanks them for their service.

With Dillman’s service has come perspective, although not from a pleasant source. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer, due to his exposure to Agent Orange. Recovered and cancer-free now, he is philosophical about it all.

“It makes you look at your life,” he said. “I’m not afraid to die.”

In the meantime, business has been good and lessons learned long ago and over the course of a career are put into practice every day.

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Mike Donohoe, owner of Honeymoon Bay Coffee Roasters in Oak Harbor, said he walked away with all kinds of things following his service in the Navy.

“I grew up in the military,” he said. “I discovered my work ethic — I already knew a lot from home — but I learned how to be a good employee. It also helped jumpstart my patriotism; once I was in I realized the sacrifice it takes.”

Donohoe opened Honeymoon Bay four and-a-half years ago. He got a job roasting coffee off-island several years ago

and found what he wanted to do. He wanted to explore a career that would enable him to live on Whidbey Island.

“I loved what I did, but I wanted to do it my way,” he said, moving back and forth around his 1979 coffee roaster, which he rebuilt over the course of a year.

He loves what he does, he said, and roasts about 1,500 pounds of coffee each week. At any given time, the shop offers between 19 and 25 different roasts. A small espresso bar offers coffee drinks, cookies and scones. Customers can taste at least six different kinds of drip coffee every day and choose their favorite. Bags of whole beans are roasted, packaged and sold right there in the store, plus Donohoe has a good base of wholesale accounts. In short, he really loves what he does.

“I love the flexibility and I love the customers,” he said. “Coffee is such a social animal. It’s right up my alley.”

Donohoe credits his military service with giving him the courage to strike out on his own in business.

“I think it’s the fact you’re less intimidated by taking a risk,” Donohoe said. “Once you’ve been through some of those challenges you face in the military you tend to believe in yourself a little more.”

He said his Navy experience hasn’t only helped him with his own business, but in other jobs he’d applied for over the years.

“Every job interview I went to, I would tell them I’m a veteran and I never got turned down,” he said.

“They know you’re going to be to work on time and do what you’re supposed to do. There’s a big plus being associated with the military.”

If you know of a Veteran-owned business in Kitsap County that should be featured in Veterans Life email the editor at lkelly@ soundpublishing.com.

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A framed sign at Lincoln Computers in Clinton thanks customers for supporting a veteran owned business.

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Army nurse heals mental wounds

By Mark Klaas War seared Sarah Blum. As a longtime Army nurse in an operating room within earshot of Vietnam’s battlefields, Blum saw what modern warfare could do to the human body – and soul.

Soldiers and civilians, bodies torn asunder by enemy and friendly fire, rivers of human blood, suffering on a lunatic scale. For a young woman determined to do her duty, the war cut cruelly, horribly, lastingly deep.

“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. It was crazy,” Blum said of treating the wounded in an evacuation hospital in a battle zone by the Iron Triangle. In that thickly forested, 120-square-mile area, most of the heavy fighting took place in 1967.

“Can you imagine seeing people with their bodies partially mutilated, mangled, blown apart?” Blum said. “I’ve never seen so much blood in my life. Where I worked, the operating room, I was covered with blood. … I literally was standing in blood. It was horrible.”

Because battle lines were not sharply drawn in the confused jungles and thickets of Southeast Asia, Blum’s hospital also served as a MASH unit. The airlifted wounded came quickly and frequently to doctors and nurses at the 12th Evacuation Hospital in Cu Chi, making it the largest user of fresh blood in all of Vietnam, Blum said.

Despite the challenges, Blum said, the efficient hospital staff saved more wounded than it lost.

“I saw the worst because of where we were,” she said. “We were right beside the Ho Bo Woods, where all the fighting was going on. I saw it. I heard it. I smelled it.”

Sights, smells, and sounds that shaped what Blum would become.

Drawing on her wartime experiences as a decorated Vietnam War nurse and her later training stateside, Blum works today to heal others psychologically torn by war and other traumatic

events — even as she was torn. Her long, and at times difficult, journey ultimately led to a fulfilling career as a practicing nurse psychotherapist, energy healer and author.

Blum is a psychotherapist living in Auburn, and counsels clients from all walks — men and women, active duty and reserve, and veterans in King County and beyond.

She specializes in helping people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Blum’s personal experiences taught her a great deal about trauma and how to heal it. War, she said, has proven to be the best preparation for being an effective psychotherapist and coach.

What she didn’t know then, as an Army captain nurse, is that psychological symptoms associated with PTSD would follow her home.

Blum got through those terrible days in the operating room by “building up a brick wall around my heart.” She only succeeded in suppressing her feelings. “(In Vietnam) I couldn’t let the emotions get the best of me,” she said. “I had to learn really fast to turn it all off, so that it didn’t show. I did a lot of stuff internally to be able to survive.”

She deals with the same issues today.

“Being a client, I was doing my own healing work. I spent years in my own therapy and dealt with issues from Vietnam and uncovered the early childhood issues and healed those,” she said.

Blum vows to heal, not assuage, patients.

“I tell people when they come to see me, ‘If you just want to cope, see somebody else. If you want to get better, if you want your life to be better, then let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work,’”she said.

A gifted surgical nurse, Blum decided to get out of the operating room and treat others in a different way. As her military stint ended, Blum went to college, earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Seattle University. Later, she earned her master’s degree in psychosocial nursing at the University

of Washington.

She has been married.

She raised a family in Auburn. Her daughter, Lorna, is a social worker.

Her son, Sean-David, a professional musician, served in the U.S. Army Band.

Blum has made an impact with her practice and in her efforts elsewhere. She was among the first women to be elected to the Vietnam Veterans of America National Board of Directors. She has worked with others on legislation to help victims of Agent Orange. She was a member of the first international volunteer group, called PeaceTrees Vietnam, which returned to the country in 1996 to plant trees on land once ravaged by war. She went to heal herself — and to heal the land.

“A veteran had given me a letter and asked me to read it when I got to Vietnam and to plant it under a tree,” Blum said of her personal pilgrimage. “It was emotional.”

Blum has set her experiences down on paper.

Her first, soon-to-bepublished book, “Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military,” relates real stories of women who were raped or otherwise sexually assaulted in the military. She is working on a second book, “Women Under Fire: PTSD and Healing,” that chronicles her own experiences and those of others.

Blum says there are more options today for those struggling with PTSD and other anxiety disorders. Attitudes towards afflicted war

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veterans and soldiers have changed since the Vietnam era, she said.

“It’s much more accepted today. There’s a lot more education about it,” Blum said of PTSD. “I think that’s what Vietnam Vets have done for our country, in that they educated people about the trauma of war, about PTSD and

what it is. “(The past) has helped modern-day veterans become more accepted and respected because of what we went through from the public.”

Blum recognizes there is more work to be done.

She is doing her part. It is her calling in life.

“I’m interested in the truth,” she said of help-

ing to treat the emotional wounds of others. “I’m a clear thinker, a problem solver. I’m a very strong person. I am someone who heals.”

If you are a veteran, contact the Kitsap County Veterans Assistance Program to learn more about local services that are available to you.

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REPORTER Reporter sought for staff opening with the Peninsula Daily News, a sixday newspaper on Washington’s beautiful North Olympic Peninsula that includes the cities of Por t Angeles, Sequim, P o r t To w n s e n d a n d Forks (yes, the “Twilight�

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Port Angeles-based Peninsula Daily News, circulation 16,000 daily and 15,000 Sunday (plus a website getting up to one million hits a month), publishes separate editions for Clallam and Jefferson counties.

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In-person visit and tryout are required, so Washington/Northwest applicants given preference.

Send cover letter, resume and five best writi n g a n d p h o t o g r a p hy clips to Leah Leach, managing editor/news, P.O. Box 1330, 305 W. First St., Port Angeles, WA 9 8 3 6 2 , o r e m a i l leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.

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The season of love Trudy Sundberg says appreciation of her husband’s character helped them forge a happy, 58-year union

By KATHY REED Ah, l’amour.

This time of year we are awash in the Cupids, the bouquets of roses and the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates that have become synonymous with Valentine’s Day. What the young know is that love is exciting, new and invincible. What the older, and wiser, know is that love, especially when it comes to marriage and relationships, can be complicated. Add the military into the mix and it’s more complicated still.

There are all kinds of statistics available that cite divorce rates among those in the military. In general, the rate has risen over the course of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For instance, in the Air Force, the divorce rate among airmen is 64 percent higher than it was in 2001 — the highest in the military.

Photo courtesy of Jean Hayden

Photo courtesy of Jean Hayden

Jean Hayden says she saw her husband, Dick, across a crowded USO dance floor during World War II, and the rest is history. The couple married in 1944.

According to Jean Hayden, pictured here with her husband, Dick, on their 50th wedding anniversary, the secret to a successful marriage is forgiveness and tolerance. The Haydens have been married 68 years.

In general, the divorce rate is higher among women in the military, at 7.8 percent compared to 3 percent for military men.

When a member of the military is going through the emotional upheaval and stress of a divorce, it can affect their performance on the job, making it more difficult to focus,

which in turn can affect the people they work with.

To combat this, the military has fought back, adding marriage education classes and other things to support healthy relationships.

In the article “Military Marriages Can — And Do — Work,” author Julia Pfaff writes, “Successful

marriages don’t just happen — they require constant commitment.

Military marriages include difficult challenges and unusual pressures, but happiness and fulfillment certainly are possible.”

We found two examples of marriage success right in Oak Harbor.

Jean Hayden and her husband, Dick, have been married 68 years — 69 in August. It was a romance most people only see in the movies.

“It was during

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World War II,” Hayden described. “My friend and I lived in Seattle and we decided to move to San Diego to work. The first week I was there I met my husband.

“We went to one of the USO dances,” she continued. “My husband walked across the crowded dance floor and asked me to dance, which wasn’t the proper way. But he was tall, dark and handsome.”

The couple dated a year before they tied the knot in 1944. Jean was 20, Dick was 21. They had three children — two sons and a daughter. Dick, who retired as a Master Chief, served 28 years in the Navy. They settled on Whidbey Island and Jean actually worked on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island before her husband retired. Today, the couple live across the street from one another, Dick in a care facility in Oak Harbor, Jean in an assisted living facility while she recuperates from a fall. They still see each other every day and for them, the initial attraction they felt at that dance has never waned.

“From the day I saw him and met him, there was no other man that ever attracted me,” Hayden said.

That’s not to say their 68 years together were easy.

“One time he was gone a year. It got to where I couldn’t remember what he looked like,” Hayden said. “If we’d had what they have now, it would have been fantastic. Back then, when you were out on the South Pacific, you didn’t get mail very often.”

The toughest part of military life for Hayden, she said, were the homecomings.

“The coming home and the readjustment was always more difficult,” she said. “He is a meat and potatoes guy; I was a little more relaxed.”

Trudy Sundberg and her husband, the late Capt.

John Sundberg, have a similar love story. They met while Trudy was attending college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The couple dated for a bit, but Trudy said she was very serious about her studies and actually introduced John to a friend of hers.

“Can you imagine that?” laughed Sundberg.

The two lost track of one another, until they met again four years later.

“Suddenly everything just clicked,” she said. A simple ceremony at which she wore a green dress set the stage for a 58-year romance, despite the fact they had different hobbies.

“He loved to fish and play golf, I didn’t,” Sundberg said. “I like to swim, he didn’t.”

They went on to have four children, two boys and two girls. John had a long and successful Navy career, while Trudy enjoyed an equally successful career in education.

“Next to my husband and my family, teaching became my next love,” she said.

Both women have theories as to what made their marriages last.

“I think it’s different for everybody and I think it has to do with metaphysical attraction,” Sundberg said. “I don’t mean sexually, I mean appreciating and respecting your partner and admiring his character. When you have that, everything will work out.”

“I decided life would be better with him than without him, “ chuckled Hayden. “You have to be tolerant, forgiving.

Nobody’s perfect.”

The Bond

Leadership meets a blue Lawn Boy soned European traveler, having experienced my first German beers (big onald Reagan bottles of Hofbrau) at was in the the bowling alley at White House.

Rhein-Main Air Base Mikhail upon my arrival, and Gorbachev was in the exotic foreign Kremlin. cuisine (from And I was in the the all-night Army, with the 1st gyros shack up Infantry Division’s the hill from 3rd Brigade in my new Army Germany. base).

Those were still My fellow solthe days of steel diers made me Brian Kelly pots, quarter-tons feel welcome (everybody but the to the 1st with lifers called them jeeps) constant reminders of all and canned food for the things I didn’t know, combat rations. It was the things I would never the height of the Cold know, and the things I War, but we knew we didn’t need to know. were winning because What I did figure out the post theater screened pretty quick was that, “Rocky IV” and “Rambo beyond German beer III” that year and and late-night gyros, Sylvester Stallone kicked the things that other the snot out of the soldiers got most excited Soviets in both movies. for were the initials TDY I was the FNG in our or PCS, or the chance platoon; an 18-year-old, for schooling or training mosquito-wing private. that would mean a temThe Big Red One’s forporary escape from the ward brigade, I was told, day-to-day life of regular was a strategic speed duty, which meant long bump in the event of a hours at the motor pool Soviet invasion of West or being marched out Germany. into the woods to rake leaves. (The company It was my first duty commander liked a tidy assignment. And though forest.)

I had only been with my unit a short time, I One day I knew my already felt like a sealeadership potential was

By BRIAN KELLY

R

at last being recognized when my sergeant told me I had been selected for specialized Army training, and that only 10 or so soldiers from the entire base had been chosen.

When I asked what sort of training, my sergeant was evasive, but said it was a school to learn how to operate a specialized, open-field, gas-operated, one-man mechanized device that required a full week of classes and demonstrated proficiency in order to obtain an operator’s license.

Must be some sort of secret weapon, I thought.

I arrived at an old air hangar on the base on the first day of the training and stood with the other student soldiers, who were much better at containing their excitement for the training than I was.

A staff sergeant entered and everyone stiffened.

“Welcome to the Lawn Mower Operator’s Course,” he bellowed.

“In this course, you will learn to operate a lawn mower across various types of terrain, mostly

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but rusty Lawn Boy. My heart sank.

In the style of all military training, the weeklong class consisted of two essential takeaways, repeated again and again and again.

“You will not, I repeat, will not, use the mower to run over boulders or trees,” the instructor said.

Each time the sergeant repeated the warning, I

wondered if some soldier previously had tried to mow a boulder, or attacked a small tree, with great success.

“Also, do not, I repeat,

do not, place your hands underneath the mower while it is operational,” the sergeant continued.

At the end of the week, there was a test. Most of us passed.

And those who did, the last hour of the last day of the course was devoted to the graduates standing in line behind a small, folding desk as the sergeant filled out our 346s; an “operator’s license” that was a small piece of cardboard.

The sergeant tucked each one, one by one, into a typewriter and filled out the small boxes on the card. And when he came to the empty box where it said “type of equipment,” the sergeant wrote “LAWN MORE.” So his spelling wasn’t the greatest, but he was right in the end. The captain did like a tidy lawn.

Brian Kelly is an Army veteran who served with the 1st Infantry Division overseas and with units in the Army’s Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C. He is editor of the Bainbridge Review.

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flat, in most types of weather, except snow,” he continued.

A class on lawn mowers? I was dumbfounded.

“Who needs a week-long class on running a lawn mower?” I wondered.

My mind quickly raced as I figured that the Army must not have lawn mowers that are typically seen in the civilian world, but ones more powerful, more awesome and fearsome that they were no doubt the envy of our commie counterparts to the east.

The Army in Europe had riding lawnmowers, I bet, probably fitted with machine guns, grenade launchers, armor plating and painted in woodland camouflage colors.

Yes, that’s it. That’s what they’ve been hiding under the tarps at the edge of the motor pool.

The sergeant then left and returned a minute later pushing the lawnmower that we would be trained on: a bright blue

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