Pledge/Prayer: Pres. Gerri Lewis He then attended Advanced X-Ray School in Portsmouth, VA, before order to the USS Wasp (LHD-1) out of Norfolk, VA. During this tour, he was recognized for authoring the ship’s standards for both Surface and Air Warfare programs at a time when these qualification became mandatory. When these guides were used as a guide for the Atlantic Fleet, he was named the Wasp’s Sailor of the Year for 1999. HM1 Enderle was stationed at the Submarine Base New London’s Clinic where he became involved in writing study guides for enlisted advancement exams and started the clinic’s mentorship program that included informative articles, community volunteer groups, and questions and answer for junior person (many of whom were away from home for the first time). When the advancement results jumped to twice the Navy’s average, these guides were used across New England, earning Enderle the Navy Region Northeast Sailor of the Year for 2005, eventually landing him in a worldwide competition for the Navy’s Sailor of the Year. Enderle then was selected as among the first Navy Corpsmen to deploy with Army units as a part of the Iraqi Surge of 2007 through 2008, where he served as the senior Corpsman for a unit of 421 men. Additionally, he was a combat medic on convoy teams transporting Iraqi detainees to Baghdad for trial. Upon his return, he was selected as a Navy Chief (2008), where he was named as the Leading Chief of the clinic’s prototypical Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/Behavioral Health, and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) until retirement in 2012. HMC Enderle has a Master’s degree (Northcentral University, Prescott, AZ) in the Education of Exceptional Children and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Psychology at Southern CT State University. In his spare time, he works as a DJ at WCNI radio in New London and is writing a book on a near-death experience in Iraq. He was a member of the Navy Marathon Team until 2005 and is a long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan
Song: Paul Moore
Brents Card Game Winner: Gerri
Welcome back Bob Hester and welcome guests Sandi Taylor, Heather Asch, Jim Enderle, Ted Aubis, John Joel and Bob Wilcox.
Sergeants Report: Kathy Callinan
Raffle Winners: Marty Drobiarz, John Joel, Charlie Renshaw
Happy Bucks: John was happy for his guests from the Honor Guard, there were happy bucks for the golf tournaments progress, guests, Bob Hester was happy to be back, Charlie R for going to Florida next week to celebrate his mother-in-laws 98th birthday, Gerri was happy Glens dog Zoe wasn't sick, Paul for making up in Georgia and bringing back a flag, and Marty for his son Jon graduating Suma Cum Laude at Northeastern University!
Brent will cover Meals on Wheels for David Wight this week.
Gerri announced our club won District and Presidential Citations!
Program: John Donnelly introduced our speaker HMC Jim Enderle
Jim started by observing a moment of silence for over 83,000 servicemen missing in action around the world. Jim talked about his career in the Navy. Upon volunteering he found that diversity and stepping out of your comfort zone were encouraged. This meant volunteering for various assignments including Iraq and other trouble spots around the world. Jim was a hospital corpsman and he met servicemen who were on their 3rd deployment. The spirit of volunteering is part of Jim's makeup but he isn't alone. He told a story of a woman who's life back in the 40's was pretty much mapped out. Her father told her she can be a secretary or other clerical job or be a housewife and have children. Instead, she volunteered to work in the army repairing airplanes and went on to have a distinguished career in the armed forces. There were many examples of this kind of spirit from our citizenry.
Jim told a moving story of Vietnam veterans who visited Vietnam, opening old wounds and helping each other cope with the trauma suffered in war.
Michael Miller, a close friend and gifted artist was asked to draw murals in the Pentagon lobby by his commanders. His rendition probably wasn't expected - US and Japanese fighters approaching each other as a battle begins. Michael was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.
Jim ended by telling us of the plight of returning veterans with no roadmap and needs the help and support of our society.
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HMC(SW/AW) Jim Enderle was born in Chicago, Illinois, and enlisted in the Navy in November of 1992 and two months before his 35 birthday, immediately earning the title of the “U.S Navy’s oldest recruit.” After completion of boot camp, Hospitalman Enderle was sent to Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes, then onto Radiation Health School in Groton, CT, before receiving orders to the Naval Medical Clinic in Portsmouth, NH from August of 1993 to March of 1997.
