ship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000
men trapped inside. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma. With 400 sailors aboard, the
Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater. By the time the attack was over, every battle-ship in Pearl Harbor–USS Arizona, USS
Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee and USS
Nevada–had sustained significant dam-age. (All but USS Arizona and USS Utah were eventually salvaged and repaired.)
In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Har-bor crippled or destroyed 18 American
ships and nearly 300 airplanes. Dry
docks and airfields were likewise de-stroyed. Most important, almost 2,500 men were killed and another 1,000 were
wounded. But the Japanese had failed to cripple the Pacific Fleet. By the 1940s, battleships were no longer the most important
naval vessel: Aircraft carriers were, and as it happened, all of the Pacific Fleet’s carriers were away from the base on
December 7. (Some had returned to the mainland and others were delivering planes to troops on Midway and Wake
Islands.) Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the base’s most vital onshore facilities–oil storage depots,
repair shops, shipyards and submarine
docks–intact. As a result, the U.S. Navy was able to rebound relatively quickly
from the attack. Pearl Harbor Awakens the "Sleeping Giant"
“Yesterday,” Presi-dent Roosevelt said on December 8,
“the United States of America was suddenly and delib-
erately attacked.” He went on to say, “No matter now
long it may take us to overcome this premeditated inva-
JOINT STAFF,
GEORGIA
DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE
November 30, 2012 Volume 3, Issue 14
A Newsletter Production of the J-9 Joint and Family Services Directorate
Special points of
interest:
THE APPROACH-ING STORM
PEARL HARBOR
MEMORIES
FOUNDING FA-
THERS SERIES
WINTER STORMS
DOD INNOVA-TIONS
Inside this issue:
THE APPROACH-ING STORM
1
PEARL HARBOR 2-4
MEMORIES 4
FOUNDING FA-
THERS: PAT-
RICK HENRY
4
DOD INNOVA-
TIONS
5-6
WINTER
STORMS
5
AGRESSION AND FEAR: THE ROAD TO WAR
By 1937 the U.S. and her allies were becoming increasingly disenfranchised with the Imperial Government of Japan. Japa-nese treatment of China was at an all time low. Lands from the Indian Sea to the coast of Alaska were feeling the fear and tension created by the aggression of Japan. Dec-ades of useless negotiations, petty conflicts and maritime losses in the region were taking their toll. The Japanese-Chinese war began in earnest in 1937 with the advent of the “Nanking Massacre.” The U.S. was experiencing an upsurge in patriotism with the upsurge in new economic growth. The expanding war in Europe, lead by Germany’s Nazi party, seemed reminis-cent of the previous World War to some. In 1940, the U.S. placed a trade embargo against Japan for its mis-treatment of the Chinese and its poor management of its holdings in the region. The time was ripe for global war. The following is an excerpt from the website: http://www.history.com/topics/pearl-harbor "A Date Which Will Live in In-famy"
The Japanese plan was simple: Destroy the Pacific Fleet. That way, the Ameri-cans would not be able to fight back as Japan’s armed forces spread across the
South Pacific. On December 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their attack.
At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored
below. At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battle-
sion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the
people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the utter-most, but will make very certain that
this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.” After the Pearl
Harbor attack, and for the first time
after years of discussion and debate, the American people were united in their determination to go to war. The
Japanese had wanted to goad the United States into an agreement to lift the economic sanctions against them;
instead, they had pushed their adver-sary into a global conflict that ulti-mately resulted in Japan’s first occupa-tion by a foreign power.
On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelt’s declaration of war. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and
Italy declared war against the United States. For the second time, Congress reciprocated. More than two years
after the start of the conflict, the
United States had entered World War II.
Page 2
By Hugh Lessig, [email protected] | 247-
7821
Part two of four.
Growing up in Allentown, Pa., Bill Muehleib
would visit his grandmother's house and listen
to Hawaiian music on the Victrola. A curious
kid by nature, he always wanted to visit the
islands.
He got his wish when he arrived in Hawaii in
November 1940 as a member of the Army
Air Corps. A little more than one year later,
he watched from Hickam Field as Japanese
aircraft unleashed a lethal fury of bombs and
torpedoes on Pearl Harbor.
As the attack escalated, Muehleib found him-
self away from the flight line and with a good
view of the action. Enemy aircraft flew over,
and he could see the bombs drop. He could
see the impact.
Strangely, Hawaii seemed like a far-off place all
over again.
"It was a rather disorganized experience," said
Muehleib, now 89 and living in Virginia Beach.
"You actually felt like you were watching
something that was happening somewhere
else."
"It just can't be true"
Betty Campen, a civilian government worker,
lived near Waikiki, some miles away from the
attack. Glued to the radio for news, she re-
corded events in her diary as they occurred.
“I hear a call for a number of doctors being
called to the Tripler General Hospital. It must
be there really was damage done. It just can't
be that this is all happening. It just can't be
true and yet, when you hear these things over
the radio and see the deserted streets, well, it
really begins to sink in. This call for the doc-
tors, really sounds bad.”
A young woman with a sense of adventure,
Campen had moved to Hawaii from Oregon.
She clearly thought women could hold their
own in the 1940s, an attitude destined to
become more fashionable as men moved to
the battlefield and women moved to the
workplace.
Now they change one of their former state-
ments that civilian employees of Pearl Harbor
are now permitted to report to Pearl Harbor
-- except women. Darn, why can't they let the
women (in) on a little excitement, instead of
making us just sit here and 'wonder' what it's
all about. I can't even take any exciting movie
shots. My chance to make myself famous and
here I try to write a story of the happenings of
'The Attack' when I know I can't write.
"Here's a dive bomber"
Bill Temple, stationed well inland at Wheeler
Field, probably wished the battle had been far-
ther away.
Japanese planes targeted Wheeler in a furious
bid to destroy sitting American aircraft before
they could take off. Tech Sgt. Temple, a member
of the Army Air Corps, had witnessed the first
rush of the attack and gone to fetch ammunition.
But had grabbed .45-caliber rounds. He needed
ordnance capable of bringing down aircraft.
As the attack intensified, he began a return trip
to the same hangar.
"I didn't want to run down the street again be-
cause I knew they were shooting past me," said
Temple, now 92 and a resident of Virginia Beach.
"I didn't get hit, but I didn't want to take that
chance again."
He decided to run behind a row of buildings
where workers had begun to dig foundations for
new structures. He figured to hide in the founda-
tions and gradually work his way to the hangar.
As he began his trek, he noticed two men com-
ing toward him.
"One had on a white jacket," Temple said. "The
next thing I know, here's a dive bomber. I saw
him release his bomb and you could tell right
when he released the bomb where it was going
to hit. And sure enough, it hit those two guys.
The next thing I know that white shirt was way
up in the air."
Dove into the water
Russell Argabrite was trapped below decks on
the battleship USS California. A spring-loaded
hatch blocked his way and above him came the
sound of men yelling "Abandon ship!" Years
later, he recalled the moment with a chuckle.
"Of course," he said, "there wasn't nowhere to
go."
Then someone opened the hatch. A moment
later, he dove over the side of the ship, still
wearing his shoes, and swam toward Ford Island
through a sea of black fuel oil.
"I think it took me a month to get it out of the
roots of my hair," he said. "It's really gooey and
it's really uncomfortable, and slick. You can't
stand up. You got over there, and it's on the
soles of your shoes and you can hardly stand
up."
Reaching the shore, he was directed to a mess
hall where the tables held wounded men. The
19-year-old Ohio farm boy got his first taste of
war.
"Some of them had been burned, and there was
just flesh hanging off them," he said. "You've
never seen nothing like that. I'd seen a guy cut
his thumb once, and that was the limit of what
I'd seen before that. You can imagine. I'm a
country boy here that maybe sees a guy get his
foot cut on a bottle or something."
One confirmed kill
On the USS Phelps, ship's cook Frank Chebetar
of Virginia Beach was at the controls of a four-
barreled anti-aircraft gun that he operated with
a foot pedal. As members of the gun crew fed
in rounds, Chebetar took aim at incoming Japa-
nese fighters and bombers as the ship got un-
der way. He saw the USS Utah, an old training
battleship. It had capsized.
"The men were crawling over the side like
ants," he said. "And they were still strafing
everybody, even the men in the water."
Fighting through his fear, Chebetar and his gun
crew kept pounding away at low-flying Japanese
planes. He shot down one plane, but he wasn't
celebrating.
"I was so scared that I even cried," he said.
"That's how bad it was."
Radio and typewriter
If Pearl Harbor happened today, civilians would
turn to their smart phones and dash off their
thoughts. As the attack intensified, Betty
Campen was doing a fairly good imitation with
a clunky typewriter. Listening to a short-wave
radio, she was tweeting without being able to
hit send:
No more lulls, here's some more. Flash! Keep
all fire engines going. Another flash: 3 enemy
planes and 4 Jap transports sighted off Barber
Point. The enemy is coming in toward the Point
-- 90 miles off coast . . . I'm rather confused
with these Japs hitting all these different places
but I'll try to make it more systematic.
Later, she paused to reflect.
Yes, I mustn't forget. We heard this morning
around 12 that Japan had declared war on us.
So I guess we're in it now. After they hit they
declare war, nice of them, and they haven't
even declared war on China yet. Oh well, they
have to treat U.S. with respect.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
From http://www.dailypress.com/news/military/pearl-harbor/dp-nws-pearl-harbor-day2-story,0,2764406.story
Pearl Harbor Part 2: The height of the attack 70 Years From Infamy: Hampton Roads remembers
“Yesterday, December 7,
1941—a date which will live
in infamy—the United States
of America was suddenly and
deliberately attacked by
naval and air forces of the
Empire of Japan… No matter
how long it may take us to
overcome this premeditated
invasion, the American
people will through their
righteous might win through
to absolute victory… With
confidence in our armed
forces-with the unbounded
determination of our people-
we will gain the inevitable
triumph-so help us God. I,
therefore, ask that the
Congress declare that since
the dastardly and unprovoked
attack by Japan on Sunday,
December seventh, a state of
war has existed between the
United States and the
Japanese Empire.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt on
Dec. 8, 1941, asking
Congress to declare war on
Japan
"A military man can scarcely
pride himself on having
'smitten a sleeping enemy'; it
is more a matter of shame,
simply, for the one smitten. I
would rather you made your
appraisal after seeing what
the enemy does, since it is
certain that, angered and
outraged, he will soon launch
a determined counterattack."
- The Reluctant Admiral by
Hiroyuki Agawa (from a reply
by Admiral Yamamoto to
Ogata Taketora on January 9,
1941)
Page 3
By CW2 Jennifer Long CO, A Co, 4/1, GSDF
I can remember a coffee mug
my grandparents had that
read, “Let me tell you about
my grandchildren.” To switch
it around just a bit, let me tell
you about my grandmother:
Granny celebrated her 85th
birthday on Veterans Day. In
these 85 years she has seen
and done so many things that
most of us only read about.
She can recall Orson Wells’
famous “War of the Worlds”
broadcast, and the people
panicking in the streets out-
side her home in 1938. She
remembers Pearl Harbor, and
wedding her handsome Sol-
dier secretly 67 years ago so
she would be allowed to
complete her senior year of
high school. She remembers
V-mail and USO dances dur-
ing WWII. She remembers
the births of her two chil-
dren, three grandchildren,
and six great-grandsons. She
is still funny, witty, and has a
capacity to love like no other.
Granny struggles to remem-
ber some ordinary things.
Some days she cannot quite
remember which end of a
fork to use. She will ask you
the same question or tell the
same story over and over, or
will search for the right
words. Putting on a jacket
always requires help. She can
only get in a car on the pas-
senger side because she can-
not change the process in her
mind to do it the other direc-
tion. She no longer walks and
requires assistance for almost
every activity of daily life.
November is Alzheimer’s
Awareness Month. There are
5.4 million Americans living
with Alzheimer’s disease.
This means 1 out of 8 older
Americans has it. Alzheimer's
disease is the sixth-leading
cause of death in the United
States and the only cause of
death among the top 10 in
the United States that cannot
be prevented, cured or even
slowed. It was first described
in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alz-
heimer as a “peculiar disease”
in which the patient became
progressively more confused,
suspicious, and had difficulty
with everyday motor skills.
Since then many famous peo-
ple have been diagnosed with
the disease including former
President Ronald Reagan,
boxer Sugar Ray Robinson,
actress Rita Hayworth, singer
Glen Campbell, and civil
rights icon Rosa Parks.
There are a number of treat-
able conditions that mimic
dementia or the beginning
stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
These include side effects
from some medications, de-
pression, vitamin B-12 defi-
ciency, thyroid disease, meta-
bolic and organ system disor-
ders, and alcohol abuse.
While there is not yet a cure,
there are things you can do
to improve your overall
health and reduce your risk
of Alzheimer’s disease, as
well as diabetes, heart dis-
ease, and stroke. Don’t smoke. If you
are already a smoker,
stop now.
Avoid a high-fat diet
and limit your salt
intake. Include more
foods in your diet such
as fish and fresh fruits
and vegetables.
Engage in activities that
challenge your mind,
such as crossword
puzzles and strategy
games
Exercise regularly
My mother has been the
primary caregiver for my
grandparents since last year
when they were no longer
able to live alone. It has
been an emotional roller
coaster for her. There are
tips that are suggestions and
resources for those caring
for loved ones with the dis-
ease. Try not to take the
behaviors personally.
Remain patient and
calm.
Don’t argue.
Know that pain and
illness, such as urinary
tract infections, can
make things worse.
Don’t be afraid to get
help.
Read more: http://
www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-
dementia-stages-
behaviors.asp#ixzz2Ck3blbgA
Saving the car
Carl Ferreira, now living in Poquoson, was 11 years old that morning, and his father worked for the Army Corps of Engineers. He lived about 16 miles from
Pearl Harbor on Wilhelmina Rise, basically on the side of a mountain. He had a panoramic view.
That morning, he and his family listened intently to the radio as the first reports of the attack came in. His uncle, a bachelor, had been living with the family in a basement apartment and working at Pearl Harbor as a
civilian blacksmith. His uncle worked through the night on Dec. 6 and
planned to leave work the morning of the 7th. Once
the attack broke out, his family didn't see him until 10 a.m. He pulled into the driveway with his brand new
car, a maroon Oldsmobile convertible with one of those spiffy Hydra-Matic transmissions, a true auto-matic. He parked the car, got out, and said he needed
to hitch a ride back to Pearl. So ... why did he come home?
"I don't want some Jap blowing up my new car!" The family didn't see him for the next few days.
Taking a tumble
Back at Wheeler Field, Tech Sgt. Bill Temple had run a gauntlet of enemy fire to reach a hangar, hoping to retrieve right-size ammunition. He found none, but he
did come across an American pilot trying to get his P-
40 into the air. Temple and another man loaded the plane as the pilot -- still dressed in a tuxedo from a
late night party on Saturday -- ran and changed into his flight suit.
Being the crew chief, Temple stood on the wing as the pilot settled in. He hooked up his oxygen supply, his
safety belt, and performed other checks. About that time, a line of Japanese fighters made another run at the field. The pilot didn't wait for Temple to finish.
"He just reached out and pushed the throttle forward, and here we go down the runway," Temple said. "I'm hanging on the wing. I'm thinking, 'If I drop off now, that
tail's gonna cut me in two." Once the plane gained enough speed for the tail to rise out of the way, he was able to drop down.
That pilot made it into the air and shot down three Japanese fighters in succession, Temple said. Later, Tem-
ple and other men would cobble together 13 P-40 fight-ers from spare parts scattered over the airfield. Thinking back, he can't believe he made it through the day.
And he saw more than he needed to see.
"A guy trying to run from one place to another, they just shot him, cut him right in two. His legs kept -- and then they fell over. Some of the things, I just don't like to tell other people."
Tomorrow: As day turns into night, fear and paranoia rule the island.
About these stories Over the next four days, the Daily Press reflects on the
70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor through
the eyes of seven people who witnessed it from various perspectives. Here, in alphabetical order, is the cast:
Russell Argabrite: The career Navy man died in
1990 and lived much of his later life in Norfolk. His Pearl Harbor memories aboard the USS California were documented in the North Texas State Univer-
sity Oral History Project, excerpts of which were provided to the Daily Press by his daughter, Martha Cassidy, also of Norfolk.
Betty Campen: A wife and mother of two, Betty Campen died in 2007 in Chesapeake. She left behind a diary that was shared with the Daily Press by her
daughter, Cindy Campen Graham of Smithfield. Frank Chebetar: The Virginia Beach resident served
on the USS Phelps. He heads the Tidewater chapter
of the Pearl Harbor Survivors' Association.
Frederick Crow: The son of a Navy chief, he wit-nessed the attack as a boy and now lives in Wil-liamsburg.
Carl Ferreira: A resident of Poquoson, Ferreira was 11 years old on the morning of the attack. His per-
spective comes from living "up on the heights," what his family called Wilhelmina Rise. William Muehleib: A private in the Army Air Corps,
Muehleib was stationed at Hickam Field and assigned to the 6th Pursuit Squadron in the 18th Pursuit Group, and is the president of the Pearl Harbor
Survivors Association. He lives in Virginia Beach. Bill Temple: The Virginia Beach resident, now 92,
was a flight chief in Army Air Corps, stationed at
Wheeler Field, a member of the 19th Pursuit Squad-ron in the same 18th Pursuit Group as Muehleib.
academe. He would not apply himself to studies either. At age 21 his father set him up in a business that he
bankrupted shortly thereafter. Finally the general public disgust in Hanover and pressure from his young family (he had married at the age of eighteen) caused
him to study for six weeks and take the bar exam, which he passed, and begin work as a lawyer. In 1764 he moved to Louisa county, Virginia, where, as
a lawyer, he argued in defense of broad voting rights (suffrage) before the House of Burgesses. The follow-
ing year he was elected to the House and soon be-came its leading radical member. It was that year that
he proposed the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions. Few members of the Burgesses, as aristocratic a group of legislators as existed in the colonies, would argue
openly for defiance of Gr. Britain. Henry argued with remarkable eloquence and fervor in favor of the five acts, which by most accounts amounted to a treason
against the mother country. In 1774 he represented Virginia in the First Continental Congress where he continued in the role of firebrand. At the outbreak of
the revolution, he returned to his native state and lead militia in defense of Virginia's gunpowder store, when the royal Governor spirited it aboard a British ship.
Henry forced the Governor Lord Dunmore to pay for the powder at fair price. In 1776, Henry was elected Governor of Virginia. He was re-elected for three terms and then succeeded by
Thomas Jefferson. He was again elected to the office in
1784. Patrick Henry was a strong critic of the consti-
"Radical," is a title that few men can wear with ease.
The name Patrick Henry, during the revolution and for some time after, was
synonymous with that word in the minds of colonists and Empire alike. Henry's reputation as a passionate
and fiery orator exceeded even that of Samuel Adams. His Stamp Act Resolutions were, arguably, the first shot fired in the Revolutionary War. Patrick Henry's personality was a curious antidote to
the stern honor of Washington, the refined logic of Jefferson, and the well-tempered industry of Franklin. Young Henry was an idler and by many accounts a
derelict; though everyone knew he was bright, he simply would not lift a finger except to his own pleas-
ure. By the age of 10, his family knew that he would
not be a farmer, and tried instead to train him toward
tution proposed in 1787. He was in favor of the strongest possible government for the individual
states, and a weak federal government. He was also very critical of the fact that the convention was conducted in secret.
President Washington appointed him Secretary of State in 1795, but Henry declined the office. In 1799, President Adams appointed him envoy to France,
but failing health required him to decline this office too. He died on June 6, 1799 at age of 63.
Article provided by:
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/henry.htm
Page 4 Volume 3, Issue 14
Born: May 29, 1736, Hanover County Died: June 6, 1799, Red Hill Patrick Henry Na-tional Memorial Children: Elizabeth Henry, Nathaniel Henry, Anne Henry, Patrick Henry Jr., More Spouse: Dorothea Dan-dridge (m. 1777–1799), Sarah Shelton (m. 1754–1775) Siblings: Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell, William Henry Parents: John Henry, Sarah Winston Syme
"The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the
vigilant, the active, the brave." - Speech to the
Virginia Convention at St. John's Church,
Richmond, Virginia, March 23, 1775
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided,
and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of
judging of the future but by the past." -Speech to
the Virginia Convention at St. John's
Church, Richmond, Virginia, March 25,
1775
PEARL HARBOR: Continued from Page 2
Message 1
From: FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency)
Date: 11/29/2012
Subject: FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency) FEMA on Face-
book Update
Subscribe to FEMA on Facebook for
FEMA (Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency). This information has
recently been updated, and is now
available. http://www.facebook.com/
FEMA/posts/377706965646959
11/28/2012 12:32 PM EST
Timeline Photos
Are You Prepared for Winter Weather?
• Each year, dozens of Americans die due to
exposure to cold. Add to that number, vehicle
accidents and fatalities, fires due to dangerous
use of heaters and other winter weather fatali-
ties and you have a significant threat.
• Threats, such as hypothermia and frostbite,
can lead to loss of fingers and toes or cause
permanent kidney, pancreas and liver injury and
even death. You must prepare properly to
avoid these extreme dangers. You also need
to know what to do if you see symptoms of
these threats.
• A major winter storm can last for several
days and be accompanied by high winds,
freezing rain or sleet, heavy snowfall and cold
temperatures.
• People can become trapped at home or in a car, without utilities or other assistance.
• Attempting to walk for help in a winter
storm can be a deadly decision.
• The aftermath of a winter storm can have
an impact on a community or region for days,
weeks or even months.
• Extremely cold temperatures, heavy snow
and coastal flooding can cause hazardous
conditions and hidden problems.
For more information, please refer to the
NWS Publication: Winter Storms...The De-
ceptive Killers at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
om/winter/resources/
Winter_Storms2008.pdf
dren. The case marked the first time the medical center has treated an adult with extracorporeal membrane
oxygenation, or ECMO, a heart-lung bypass system that circulates blood through an external artificial lung
and sends it back into the patient's bloodstream. "This is a true success story," said Air Force Lt.
Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Cannon, the hospital's trauma chief and a key player in the case. "I firmly believe this patient would not be here if it wasn't for ECMO and a
tremendous team effort." Cannon first heard of the case a few months ago, while he was in the midst of a surgery. He had asked to be paged whenever patients in the hospital devel-oped severe lung injury so he could assess them for
ECMO treatment. The patient -- referred to as "Jane" in this article to protect her privacy -- woke up several days earlier
with itchy, irritated eyes, but she and her doctor
chalked it up to an infection or a virus. It wasn't until her symptoms spread and worsened that she decided
an emergency room visit was in order. A few hours later, Jane was diagnosed with severe
toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TENS, an autoimmune reaction to medication. She was flown by helicopter from her south Texas hometown to the U.S. Army
Institute of Surgical Research's Burn Center, the De-fense Department's only burn center, which is located
in the medical center here. The TENS progressed quickly, and by the time she
reached the hospital, Jane's skin was sloughing off, her lungs were filling with fluid and tissue, and her vital organs were failing. She was admitted to the Burn Center on Sept. 15 and initially was stabilized. How-
ever, when her condition worsened, Cannon was
alerted.
Military Docs Use Cutting-edge Device to
Save Patient
11/29/2012 12:57 PM CST By Elaine Sanchez
Brooke Army Medical Center
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUS-TON, Texas, Nov. 29, 2012 - Doctors from San
Antonio Military Medical Center here saved a young mother's life last month using cutting-edge technol-ogy historically reserved for infants and young chil-
Cannon and his ECMO team members had one thought after assessing Jane: "She's going to die if
we don't use ECMO." Cannon and a select team of specialists had been training for this moment for more than a year, thanks to a Defense Department grant that pro-
vided ECMO supplies, training funds and equipment
to explore the use of ECMO on adults. ECMO is commonly used in neonatal intensive care units around the world on newborns with lung
issues such as meconium aspiration, a medical con-dition that occurs when infants ingest their first stool before or during delivery. However, adult applications are much less common, mainly due to a
lack of recent patient data. Cannon, however, had been observing ECMO suc-cesses since his residency and strongly believed in its outcomes for adults, particularly for patients on
the brink of death. He had transferred to SAMMC from the Air Force's Wilford Hall Medical Center, which had the military's only infant and child ECMO
center, so he had ongoing exposure to the technol-ogy. Along with its experts, the neonatal ECMO
center transferred to SAMMC last year. Cannon said he brought his strong convictions
about the lifesaving potential of the technology to his leadership and requested for Jane to be SAMMC's first adult ECMO patient. "I've been
involved in ECMO cases for 15 years," he said. "I saw the benefit and felt confident we had the team
structure and protocols in place."
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6...
Page 5 Volume 3, Issue 14
Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Cannon, right, and Dr.
Jeremy Pamplin place a patient on extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, in September 2012
at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas.
ECMO is a heart-lung bypass system that circulates
blood through an external artificial lung and sends it
back into the patient's bloodstream. Photo courtesy of
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-
resolution image available.
NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU Family Programs (NGB-FP) Mission: To establish and facilitate
ongoing communication, involvement,
support, and recognition between Na-tional Guard families and the National
Guard in a partnership that promotes
the best in both.
Family Programs Web Sites
GuardFamily.org - The National Guard
Family Program
GuardFamilyYouth.org - The National
Guard Family Youth Program
Newsletters
Air National Guard Family Guide [PDF]
Contact Information
Phone: (888)777-7731 Fax: 703-607-0762
Email: [email protected]
ceived here." Jane's lungs and skin are still healing, but Cannon said he has high hopes for
his patient, as well as for other SAMMC patients who can be helped through
ECMO. Cannon also said he hopes to see an
increased use of adult ECMO in the war zone, where it's already proved lifesav-ing for several troops. In 2010, an
ECMO-trained team picked up a soldier in Kandahar, Afghanistan, who had been shot in the chest. His right lung had to be removed, a procedure that typically
carries a 100 percent mortality rate. However, the lung team placed him on ECMO and he quickly recovered in a
hospital in Germany. Cannon recalled meeting this patient a few weeks after he arrived at SAMMC. "He's married now and enjoy-
ing life," he said. Since then, there have been five ECMO transports from the
battlefield to Germany, he added. Cannon said his long-term vision is
to see ECMO patients transported directly from the battlefield to a state-side location, such as the medical cen-
ter here, for their recovery. "We've proven we can very safely take care of even most critically ill
Continued from page 5... The same day she checked in, Jane was put on ECMO, and stayed on it for 23
days. It was touch-and-go at first, Can-
non noted. "It was agonizing for 22 of
those 23 days," he recalled. Finally, on Day 21, Jane's lungs started to clear, and two days later,
staff transitioned her from ECMO to a standard ventilator. "Within a day and a half, she went from profoundly ill to
greatly improved," Cannon said, noting
the team effort of experts across the
hospital. "It was exhilarating to see her get better, thanks to a concerted effort,"
he added. Maria Serio-Melvin, ISR nurse re-search consultant, also credited the procedure's success to an "intense,
collaborative, cooperative effort" be-
tween the ISR and ECMO teams. A few weeks later, Jane is now an outpatient, staying with her mother in
town until she gains enough strength to return home. "It's been tough, but I'm not going to give up," Jane said in a
recent interview at the hospital. "I can't say enough about the care I've re-
patients, and I'm very optimistic we'll be able to offer these services to
wounded warriors throughout their
continuum of care," he said. Based on recent successes around the nation, Cannon said, he expects
to see a resurgence in ECMO re-search around the world, which will help to build confidence in the tech-
nology for adults. A trial with strict research protocols based in France is now under way and promises to answer some of the unknowns that
remain about the use of ECMO in
adults, he noted. Whatever the future holds, Can-non said, he'll never forget the lifesav-
ing impact of ECMO for Jane. "All of this came together beautifully, and it worked," he said. "She's alive because
of an amazing team effort." The day she improved, he added, "was the pinnacle day in my medical career."
Serving the Georgia DoD, The U.S. Military, and our Veterans, One Family at a Time.
We are on the web:
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J-9 JOINT AND
FAMILY SERVICES
DIRECTORATE
Georgia Department of Defense
1388 First Street, Bldg 840 (Finch Bldg)
1000 Halsey Avenue, Bldg 447,
Mailroom
Marietta, GA 30060
Point of Contact:
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“Military Personnel, Families, and Veterans First!”
Our directorate services the military community of Georgia, providing those
services, support and information that are vital to their care. Our staff is com-
mitted to providing the best care, in a timely manner, and followed-thru to a
successful conclusion so that Military Personnel, their families, and Veterans in
Georgia will have the resources, help, and information they need to thrive.
The J-9 Joint and Family Services Directorate and The Georgia Guard Family
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