Heroes
We often wonder, "where have all the hero's gone"? Yet, they are all around us. Heroes come in all genders, shapes, colors, sizes, and ages. We tend to overlook them and think the only place that they are found is in a parade or on television receiving acknowledgment or an award or that a movie or book was made of their exploits and sacrifices. If you can read this, you've already encountered a hero. If you are healthy and can claim good values, citizenship, and morals, then you've experienced and been impacted by heroes in your lifetime. You, too, have probably been a hero to someone. If you've walked past a veteran or driven by a military base, or a school, or a police station or a fire station, or a hospital, you've seen many. If you've attended an Auxiliary meeting, you're in the presence of heroes and are one yourself. Our current pandemic has highlighted heroes more than ever. From the grocery clerk to the first responder, to those who are currently administering vaccines, they are all around us, helping to keep us safe and feed us.
March is Women's History Month. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of some of the most accomplished and self-sacrificing women who have shaped history, overcome barriers, blazed trails, and continue to make a positive difference while volunteering for our great organization. One such hero is our current Deputy National Commodore, Mary Kirkwood, who is responsible for Pacific Area operations. Mary joined the Auxiliary in June 2002 after hearing the patriotic call to duty after the tragic events of 9/11. She is passionate about her volunteer service and has served at many leadership levels in the Flotilla, Division, District, and National levels. She was the District Commodore for District 113 and has had to lead/navigate this uncertain and tumultuous pandemic.
Mary is passionate about member training, public education and continues to serve at the Flotilla and Division level as the public education officer. She is an avid diver and also a qualified boat crew member. Mary has participated in numerous ocean and lake patrols and has used her skills as a nurse in rescuing and providing aid in saving a mariner's life on one such ocean patrol. Mary is no stranger to saving lives, volunteering, and making a positive difference. After a forty-year career as a registered nurse, she recently retired. Thirty of her years in the medical field were in hospital leadership as a critical care manager and director of nursing and program manager. She also serves as a member of Disaster Healthcare volunteers and the Marin Medical Reserve Board. To no one's surprise, along with her responsibilities as our Deputy National Commodore, she is volunteering to administer Covid-19 vaccines, three to five days a week.
Another hero in our midst is Carol Johnson, who, along with her husband, John, is synonymous with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Introduction Mission (AIM) program. As noted previously, if you can read this, then a school teacher is probably that hero who helped open up the spectacular and powerful world of literacy. Carol was a teacher for 37 years and has been an Auxiliarist for 32 years (28 on the National staff). (Her husband John, a former active-duty Coast Guardsman, has served our Auxiliary for 52 years!) Carol has served at the Coast Guard Academy (CGA), in an AIM administration and support role for 32 years and continues to do so. She is a recipient of the CGA Alumni Distinguished Volunteer Award, (the first time the Alumni has recognized an Auxiliarist) and an annual Academy award (The John and Carol Johnson AIM Honor Graduate) is named in her and John's honor and presented to the top graduate of each AIM session. Outside of her teaching and Auxiliary pursuits, she has developed curriculum and coached middle school and high school sports.
Significantly important was her oversight and assistance in the development of women's sports at the beginning of Title IX. (The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces, among other statutes, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance.) Carol has developed instructor curriculum and taught an average of three schools per year to approximately 20-30 students per year at several Coast Guard bases (TRACEN Petaluma, Cape May, Yorktown, Coast Guard Academy, et al.) for thirteen years. She has worked with six directors of admissions for the Academy and was appointed to the Academy Admissions Advisory board in 2007. She continues in her role as a project director for the AIM program and counsels potential Academy recruits (and Auxiliary staff) in the Admissions Partner program So, there you have it, heroes are all around us. They often do their duties without fanfare and seldom seek any recognition, yet the impact they have made in our organization and our society cannot be overlooked. They have influenced, guided, role-modeled, and made a positive difference in our world.
Bravo Zulu to the proud women of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.