Remembering our troops

Army Pvt. James Zak, nephew of UNMC’s Sandra Latshaw, is pictured with his daughters, Lauren, 3, and Maegen, 2. Zak — an Army helicopter mechanic — is currently stationed in Taji, Iraq, which is about 30 miles north of Baghdad.

Many members of the UNMC community will undoubtedly turn their thoughts and prayers on Independence Day to friends and loved ones serving their country, including several service members supporting the War on Terror in Iraq and other combat zones.

In recognition of these service members and employees, UNMC Today has compiled a list of current military members with medical center connections.

Army Pvt. James Zak, currently serving in Taji, Iraq, is the nephew of Sandra Latshaw, assistant professor and curriculum coordinator for the clinical laboratory science program in the School of Allied Health Professions.

Army Spc. Harley Johnson, a medic with the 101st Airborne currently serving in Iraq, is the nephew of UNMC Physicians reimbursement specialist Karen Johnson.

Army Sgt. Lindy John

Army Sgt. James Roark with his mother, Kimberly Roark.

Air Force Capt. Joyce Beaty, who is currently in Qatar coordinating medical air evacuation of injured military personnel from the danger zone to safe hospitals overseas and in the United States, is the daughter of Jesse Edwards, associate professor of physicians assistant education.

Army Sgt. Lindy John, a recruiter in Memphis, Tenn., who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, is the daughter of the College of Dentistry’s Jan John.

MM3 William Forthmann of the U.S. Navy, who started a tour of duty in Iraq on June 9, is the son of Debra Forthmann in the UNMC Department of Pediatrics.

Army Capt. Patrick Williams, who has served two tours in Iraq and is headed to San Antonio, Texas, to teach combat medicine, is the son of Sheryl Williams of the McGoogan Library of Medicine.

Army Sgt. James Roark of the 734 Transportation Battalion at Camp Anaconda, Balad Airbase, Iraq, is the son of Kimberly Roark of the College of Pharmacy.

Marine Sgt. Paul Dvorak, who currently serves at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and will head to Camp Taqaddum in Iraq this August, is the brother of Dawn Venema, a Ph.D. candidate and graduate teaching assistant in the division of physical therapy education.

Air Force Capt. Jason Hamman, who has been deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and is filling an “In Lieu Of” mission with the U.S. Army, is the son of Bev Hamman of the College of Medicine Dean’s Business Office.

Lt. Col. Daniel Longwell, U.S. Marines – Baghdad, Iraq; Maj. Craig Wick, U.S. Marines – Fallujah, Iraq; and Sgt. Monte Steele, U.S. Army – Baghdad Iraq. Lt. Col. Longwell and Maj. Wick are nephews of Rita Goodrich, pediatrics. Sgt. Steele is her cousin.

Pfc. Robert Vaughn is currently stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He is assigned to the First Cavalry Division, 182 Field Artillery out of Fort Hood, Texas. He has been in Iraq since last November, but is home on leave until July 12. He is the son of Rick Vaughn, UNMC Facilities, Management and Planning.

Army Lt. Col. James Melson, currently serving at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, is manager of UNMC pulmonary clinical research.

Two grandchildren of Lorrie Skow, family medicine/student health, are serving in Iraq. Her grandson, PFC Severin Mitchel Michalski, is in the U.S. Army and is currently in Bagdad. Her grandaughter, SPC Autumn Leininger, is in the Iowa National Guard transportation unit and is currently in Al Asad.

Lorrie Skow with her grandson Army PFC Severin Mitchel Michalski

SPC Autumn Leininger of the National Guard with her husband, Nick.