JOINT SERVICE HONORS COMMAND Monthly Newsletter February, 2013 Volume 0213 logistics, and power-generator mechanics. She FLOWERS OF THE FOREST was stationed in Germany with “Big Red One” It is with a heavy heart that we announce the (a highly decorated Army unit) as forty-two passing of one of our long time and valued years of Cold War finally ground to halt with members, 1LT Karen Denise Ertman the fall of the Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate in November 1989, which Karen witnessed personally. She was later stationed in Kuwait as its sabotaged oil fields burned just after its successful liberation from Iraq in 1991 following Operation Desert Storm. Karen retired from military service as a Sergeant in February 2000 due to service-related disabilities. A well-decorated soldier, she held numerous personal awards, including the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award), Army Achievement Medal (4th Award), Good Conduct Medal (4th Award), Army of Occupation Medal, Karen was born to Fred C. and Nancy S. National Defense Service Medal, and the Ertman at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, among Oceanside, California, on May 7, 1955. She other unit awards, various service-related passed away peacefully in her home in Fresno, ribbons, and proficiency badges. California, on January 8, 2013 at the age of 57. Karen graduated from Blackford High School After separating from active duty in the Army, San Jose, California, in 1973 and worked for a Karen moved to Fresno and began working for time as a nurse after completing a two-year Pelco, first in the To enhance her business nursing program at De Anza College in skills, Karen attended a continuing education Cupertino, California. program through the University of Phoenix and ultimately graduated with honors, receiving a In 1984, Karen enlisted in the Unites States Army with specialties in administration,

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Bachelor’s of Science in Business Escape to Reality Administration in April 2005. The night is lit by the iridescent moon as Karen’s enthusiastic participation in veteran silvery beams light the sea and the sky and humanitarian-service organizations Marshmallow clouds form feathery mist continued to grow. She had long been a blood forming mysterious odd and random shapes donor for the American Red Cross and had We travel through the void in rapid haste donated an astounding quantity of her own My mind thinks of peaceful homes and loving hearts blood through that program. In the years The static and crackle invade our ears leading up to her untimely passing, Karen was with messages of those whose destinations I fear an active participant in the organizations listed are in the direction of danger that’s clear below. She was modest about her many Brave souls fly on to a land of danger and turmoil activities and this list is almost certainly an A mission they have and must obey incomplete accounting of her humanitarian with undying loyalty to their country and peers good works. Death and destruction is delivered tonight  American Red Cross On an unseen enemy to the land below  American Legion Post 509 - Fresno A valiant effort to retaliate is evidenced about Black and orange fiery missiles try to impede our  Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3225 - Clovis escape Our distance rapidly increases away from that deadly  Joint Service Honors Command - Fresno sky Thankful that for at least a little while  Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - Fresno this dark scenario can be put aside in the comfort of our homes and the arms Karen’s ashes will be interred with military of those who hope and wait honors at San Joaquin National Cemetery, Onward we leave a pulsing noise far behind Santa Nella, California, at 12:30 PM on a dim smoke trail marks our passing Thursday, February 21, 2013. Our hope is that this night as we swiftly soar homeward that behind us men may have been spared STATISTICS: of that final sacrifice that comes swiftly and cruelly. January: During this month, we completed 13 Fly swiftly my mighty steed solo Honor Services, none in the support of the Take me home, please get me home! National Guard for a Total 0f 13 services for the

Month of January 2013. John W. Dudek

Aug 6 1998 From Our Poet Laureate: The following poem was written by our Poet Laureate MCPO John Dudek. What were the thoughts of that fateful day so many years ago. Hiroshima, Nagasaki

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Chaplain’s Corner: Summited by AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: The Uncertainty of Life There no awards or decorations presented during the month of January 2013. The news that Karen Ertman had suddenly passed away was, I am sure, a shock to all of us. New Website: She is the third member of JSHC to pass on We have made additional improvements to the within a year. Like the others she will certainly website to include embedding the video “A Call be missed. Karen was an encouragement to to Honor”. We need to correct the format Suzi and definitely an asset to our organization. slightly because it is not appearing in the Although Karen has gone on, we remain to live proper place or perspective on all browsers. out our lives in service to God and others. Most of the time we don’t think or want to think When time permits, these corrections will be about our mortality, but it is at times like these completed. Please visit the site at that we are reminded. In James 4:14 we are www.JSHC.info Be sure to REFRESH the told, “Yet you do not know what your life will screens so that the changes will appear. be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away”(NASB). We can make plans, thinking we have all the time in the world, but God may Command Staff: have different plans for us (Luke 12:16-21). We are presumptuous in thinking we are in total control of our lives. God is in control of all Major General Daryl Slusher, National things and He wants us to include Him in our Commanding General. 559-250-8990 lives and seek His guidance. As you live your [email protected] life, remember James 4:14 and Luke 12:16-21. Brigadier General Dean Murphy, Commander, California Brigade. 559-448-6551 Chaplain Ed Planas [email protected]

Colonel Dale Neumann, Chief of Staff, Upcoming Events: California Brigade. 559-446-0440

San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery: [email protected] The next full day of services at the National Colonel Ken Hendrix, Chief of Staff, National Cemetery is set for Thursday, 21 February, Command, 559-960-3280 2013. This is of special note because we will [email protected] interr Karen at 1230. Lieutenant Colonel Joel Hohenshelt, st 1 Battalion Commander. 559-351-1651 Next Drill: [email protected]

“A Call to Honor” video The next drill will be on Wednesday 20 February 2013 at 7 PM at the Clovis Veterans We will have the copies at the February drill. Memorial Building. Uniform is class B. We will pass them out at that time.

Recruiting: The Recruiting Team will be at the Veterans Hospital Monday 11 March 2013 from 0730 to 1500. Come by and visit.

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A Moment in History The Cumberland fired on the Merrimac's 4- inch armor, but the shots simply glanced off. Killing Lincoln: On Sunday, 17 February The Merrimac then rammed the USS 2013, the National Geographic channel will air Cumberland, tearing a large hole under her “Killing Lincoln” at 1800. The show is based waterline. Within 15 minutes, the Cumberland on the book with the same name written by sank to the bottom of the river. The era of wood FOX News Bill O’Riley. The following is a was over; the era of iron had come. description of the show and I recommend that everyone take the time to watch this historical The Merrimac then turned to the USS Congress drama. and pelted her with shells. The men of the Congress surrendered. As Union ships April 14, 1865. One gunshot. One assassin hell- Minnesota, St. Lawrence, and Roanoke tried to bent on killing “ a tyrant, as he charged the reach the Merrimac, they ran aground in the 16th President of the United States. And in one receding waters. The river eventually got too moment, our nation was forever changed. This shallow even for the Merrimac, so the battle is the most dramatic and resonant crime in stopped for the evening. American history: the true story of the killing of Abraham Lincoln. From Executive Producers The next day, Lt. Catesby Jones took over for Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, and narrated Capt. Buchanan (who had been wounded the by Tom Hanks, National Geographic day before) and headed for the USS Minnesota, Channel's first original docudrama, Killing who was still marooned from the prior evening. Lincoln, based on the New York Times But before the Merrimac could reach the bestseller, combines re-creations with Minnesota, Lt. Worden and the Monitor raced historical insight in a thrilling chronicle of the toward the action. She could operate in just final days of President Lincoln and his assassin, half the depth of water required by the John Wilkes Booth. Merrimac and had greater speed than her opponent. Having just arrived from New York The Battle of , the hours before, she intercepted and fired on the Monitor vs. the Merrimac: Merrimac.

On the shore at Hampton Roads, thousands of sailors and soldiers from both sides, joined civilians and lined the shores to watch the action. The was underway.

In an era when the number of guns implied the strength of the vessel, the Monitor's two guns seemed no match for the Merrimac's ten. In fact, the Monitor had a real disadvantage in that her pilot house was in the way of the revolving turret and could actually come under Click here for more pictures of the battle her own fire. Still, guns blazed. But the protective iron plating on both vessels did its On March 8th, 1862 the Confederate squadron job. on the , Capt. Frank Buchanan, boarded the CSS Virginia (a.k.a. the Merrimac) One gunner on the Merrimac quit firing at one to head toward Newport News. On that day, a point saying, "It is quite a waste of ammunition battle raged off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. to fire at her. Our powder is precious, sir, and I The Merrimac engaged the USS Cumberland. 4 find I can do the Monitor as much damage by Point. Seeing this, Greene thought the snapping my finger at her every five minutes." Merrimac was retreating.

The Merrimac hit the Monitor 23 times in four There was no rematch. Just two months later, hours to no avail. The Monitor, hitting the the Merrimac was destroyed by her own crew. Merrimac 20 times in the same period, was The remained unbroken so the unsuccessful as well. (Both vessels were Norfolk ship yard was of little strategic use to protected on top by iron plating, but below the the Confederacy. Norfolk was abandoned by water line, each had a wooden hull. Neither the CSA Army so Commodore Tatnall, now in vessel hit the other below the water line, where charge of the Merrimac, had his men destroy both vessels were vulnerable.) The Merrimac the vessel lest the Union capture it. even tried ramming the Monitor, but because her ram was damaged in her battle with the The Monitor didn't survive to see the New Year USS Cumberland the day before--and because either. On the night of December 31, 1862, the Jones didn't go as fast, fearing getting stuck Monitor sank off the coast of Cape Hatteras, again as happened with the Cumberland--the North Carolina. She was being towed down the Merrimac simply glanced off the sides of the coast to take part in the Union blockade, but Monitor without inflicting any damage. Even strong winds swamped the vessel and the water the Monitor tried ramming the Merrimac. put out the fire in her engines. The order was Worden ordered her turned around and aimed given to abandon ship, but 16 men perished at the Merrimac's stern. At full speed they were with the great ironclad monitor. on target when suddenly the Monitor's steering apparatus malfunctioned and she missed the Merrimac by a few feet.

Jones was convinced that he could not injure the Monitor, so his officers suggested attempting to board the Monitor with wedges and hammers, with the goal of freezing the revolving gun turret in place. It sounded like a good idea, but Jones didn't approve it--which was fortunate, because the Monitor's crew had already anticipated such action. They were at the ready with hand grenades which could be tossed out onto the deck from the turret. The Monitor crew would be protected by the turret, but the Confederates would have nowhere to go The USS Monitor was one of the most to escape the explosions except by jumping in successful ship prototypes in history. The name the water. "Monitor" eventually became the generic term for light craft, coast defense ironclads. Sixty Though the battle was a draw, both sides more monitors were built in a variety of claimed a victory, charging that the other had classes, most with double turrets. Subsequent withdrawn in defeat. The Monitor had drifted monitors had one important improvement over away when Commodore S.D. Greene, as second the USS Monitor: The pilot house was placed in command, left his post to aid Worden, who upon the turret in later monitor vessels. had been injured and temporarily blinded. The Merrimac could not follow the Monitor into those shallow waters, so thinking the Monitor was retreating, she withdrew toward Sewell's

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