Gazing at the Flag: Talking with Heroes

or available to listen to streaming or download for podcast at anytime after the show

Karen Fisher
http://www.familiesunitedmission.com/

Karen Fisher's husband, Sgt. Paul Fisher, died in November 2003 when his Chinook helicopter was shot down by a missile over Fallujah, Iraq. Paul was with the Iowa Army National Guard in Davenport.

Mrs. Fisher says, "We do not get to choose how we leave this world, but we do get to choose how we live our life while we are here. And for the people like my husband Paul, the military was a life he chose. He volunteered to put his life on the line to help secure and protect the freedoms that we enjoy everyday." She thinks a quote from John F. Kennedy should be remembered when we think of the current sacrifices being made for Americans' liberty: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."

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Lt Col Jon R. Kerstetter
Medical Corps, ARNGUS

Board certified in emergency medicine (AAPS). Board examiner in emergency medicine (BCEM). Experience as a medical director of a level II Trauma Center ED in Iowa. Over Fourteen years of Emergency Medicine experience including military and international experience. Extensive international clinical and management experience including in-country directorship of the emergency medicine residency in Pristina, Kosovo. ATLS certified. ACLS instructor.

Research experience with four academic papers published. Henry J. Kaiser Merit Scholar (1 of 25 national awards) at Mayo Medical School, 1988. Over eight years experience in business management and marketing. Two years teaching at collegiate level. MS in Human Resource Management from University of Utah, plus two additional years graduate work in organizational behavior and education.

Flight Surgeon for Army National Guard with training in mass casualty and combat medicine. Extensive experience in combat medicine in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where I served on the CJTF7 headquarters staff as the chief medical integration officer.

Three-Tour combat veteran in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Volunteer physician to Rwandan refugee camps, Bosnian Emergency Medicine Program, Albanian Refugee work, Kosovo Emergency Medicine Program of Johns Hopkins University, and Honduran medical relief for hurricane Mitch. Director of Emergency Medicine Residency Program of Johns Hopkins at the University of Phristina, Kosovo.

U.S. Decorations and Badges
Bronze Star Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M device (2nd Award)
Army Service Ribbon
Combat Medic Badge
Flight Surgeon Badge

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Warrant Officer Al Kakac

He taught Afghanistan farmers how to greatly improve their corn yields.

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Staff Sgt. Mark Matteson

He was an organizer of "Shoes for Kids", a program to provide shoes for children in Afghanistan (more than 1,000 pairs of shoes.

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Capt. Dan Maeder

He spearheaded the Backpack for Kids in Iraq project (more than 1,300 backpacks loaded with school supplies)