Recent USU alumna to participate in Memorial Day Event
Newswise — Bethesda, Md. – Army Capt. Margo Jenkins knows the meaning of Memorial Day. The nine-year Army vet has served her country as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and recently completed her Master’s degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), to earn distinction as a Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner. And she did it with honors, accepting the Federal Nursing Service Chief’s Award and the USU Board of Regents Award for academic excellence during USU’s commencement exercises last weekend. She also is the first Army Nurse Corps Officer to be selected to complete her doctoral program straight from her Master’s work.
Capt. Jenkins knows her effort will be of critical importance when she cares for service members on the battlefields and as they return from deployments. She personally has lost three family members this year who served in military uniform – one in each Armed Service – Army, Navy and Air Force. And her sister-in-law was engaged to a service member who was sent to Vietnam and never returned. His name is on the Memorial Wall Capt. Jenkins will be facing when she tells her story as one of several speakers participating in the Memorial Day Storytelling in Washington, DC, on Monday, May 30.
“It’s important for people – men and women who have never served – to meet and hear from active-duty women who can tell them, from a personal perspective, what it is like,” said Capt. Jenkins. “As an Army soldier I honor those service members who paved the way for me. Without their contributions and sacrifices I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have today.”
Date of Event: Memorial Day, May 30, 2011Time of Event: Event commences at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude in time for the ceremony at The Wall from 12 30-2:15 p.m. Event Contact: Dr. Marsha A. Guenzler-Stevens, Ph.D. Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation Board Chair of the Education Committee and Vice President of the Board Phone: 301-314-8505 FAX: 301-314-7026 Cell: 301-580-7608 e-mail: [email protected] (For information or to arrange interviews) Description of the Event: Seven years ago at the annual Memorial Day Storytelling, held at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, Allen K. Hoe spoke about his service in Vietnam , and the loss of his son in Iraq. Also on the slate of speakers for the day was Major Paula Couglin. She had just returned from a tour as a Trauma Nurse Coordinator in Iraq. Different wars, but these two individuals had so much in common. Mr. Hoe would speak about his own memories of war, but he would also share the more recent memories of losing his son, 1Lt. Nainoa Hoe, who had died on January 22, 2005 while serving in Iraq. What happened at Storytelling at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial was a miracle. Mr. Hoe met Maj. Couglin for the very first time. He discovered she was one of the nurses with his son as he was dying. Miracles happen every day at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. Built and dedicated 17 years ago as a monument to the bravery and contributions of more than a quarter million women who served during the Vietnam era, this beautiful bronze statue is a tribute to the unsung heroines of the Vietnam War, including among others nurses, Red Cross Workers, journalists, military women and civilians. The Memorial is also a place of healing and remembrance.
Each Veterans Day and Memorial Day people gather to tell their stories. This Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 from 8:30 am until 12:20 pm women and men will share reflections of their time in Vietnam. The stories of the women cast in bronze will come to life as Vietnam veterans, Vietnam era veterans and the people touched by that war speak “in their own voices” about their experiences. Storytellers will be featured every 30 minutes near the site of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. This year’s ceremony will combine the stories of those who served during the Vietnam era with the stories of those individuals serving in today’s armed conflicts. The lessons learned in the past of bravery, the desire for peace, courage, and sacrifice are being relearned every day. Among the presenters this year will be Red Cross workers who served in Vietnam, a Gold Star wife who lost her husband during the Bosnian conflict, a newspaper columnist who hosted a “Vietnam Mailbag” during the VN conflict, and soldiers and nurses serving in the U.S. Army in the current conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan. A complete list of storytelling participants is attached.
People joining for Storytelling at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial will be able to participate in the 1:00 ceremony at The Wall. This program will be preceded by a musical prelude at 12:50. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation speaker at the 1:00 ceremony at The Wall will be Barbara Lilly. Ms. Lilly served in the American Red Cross in Vietnam in 1968-1969. She was a Recreation Worker stationed in Phan Rang, Lai Khe, and in Cam Ranh. Years later she helped coordinate volunteers who helped to raise funds for and support the construction of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. Barbara Lilly has worked for the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She currently serves as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Denver VA Medical Center, coordinating the efforts of over 500 volunteers.
For Additional Information:
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, or USU, is the nation’s federal health sciences university. USU students are primarily active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who are being educated to deal with wartime casualties, emerging infectious diseases and other public health emergencies. Of the university’s more than 4,500 physician and more than 900 advanced practice nursing alumni, the vast majority are supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, offering their leadership and expertise. For more information, visit www.usuhs.mil.
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