November 2011


In Honor of Veteran's Day... Proud to be of Service


Article By Eloise Tweeten


SANTA ROSA, CA. ~ As Veteran's Day approaches, I chose to seek out a career vet- eran for my November column.


Elder Wisdom


An interview with Carl Ordwan of Santa Rosa.


orders, he was now in charge of other soldiers (his highest rank was that of Master Sergeant). Serving in the US Army taught him how to respond in the moment to whatever presents itself. You do what you need to do, and move on.


Serving his


country in the US military has become an important part of who Carl Ordwan is today. He was


thought they "knew everything" (and maybe they did--on paper at least), but in any vocation it's also wise to recognize the value of experience.


Higher ranked offi-


cers generally recognized this as well, and told Carl to "straighten out" his boss on more than one occasion. Perhaps his most diffi- cult interpersonal challenge was working with a new officer who


officer and Carl was an active duty advisor to her reserve unit (an NCO). It didn't take long before sparks began to fly and they remained married until she passed away a few ago.


One of Carl's most memo- rable moments during wartime was when the troops were travel- ing by ship toward Japan at the end of WWII after the atomic bombs had been dropped. They had no idea what to expect from the Japanese people, but they were pleasantly surprised to find the Japanese military and civil- ians to be quite friendly.


Carl


surmised that when the Emperor announced the war was over, the Japanese honored this fact and accepted the troops in peace. At age 84, Carl says he'd jump at the opportunity to rejoin the military if he could.


He still


misses being in the Service, and his military service and memo- ries have truly become part of who he is today.


• Life, Health & Home • Weird Facts & Trivia -9


Pg 25


In 1973 Del Monte was the first major food processor in the U.S. to include nutrition labels on its products.


In the U.S., pasta labeled “egg noodle” must contain 5.5 percent egg solids by weight.


Nearly 40 percent of the earth's landmass is now used to grow crops or graze animals, com- pared to about 25 percent a century ago.


Ice wine is a rich sweet dessert wine made from grapes that have been left on the vine to freeze. They are picked frozen, and pressed before they thaw. Much of the water in the grapes is still frozen, so the resulting juice is intensely flavored and high in sugar and acid. Called Eiswein in Germany.


Dos Equis (XX) Mexican Beer was first brewed in 1900 and


was originally named "Siglo XX" to signify the new millennium. Now it is simply called Dos Equis "XX".


Open Your Heart, Grow, Have More Fun!


Someone who served our country in times of both war and peace- time. Carl Ordwan, who was born in 1925, is a retired career Army veteran who represents these veterans: drafted at age 18, served in the Philippines during WWII, joined the National Guard a few years after returning to the mainland, served again in com- bat during the Korean War, and worked with civilian components after the war. By the time Carl served


in Korea, his perspective had changed significantly.


First, he


was older and wiser, and sec- ond, instead of simply following


devoted to his men, but also con- sidered himself "one of the guys" rather than anyone special.


He


didn't hesitate to counsel soldiers to "get out" if they didn't like it, and mentored more than one of his less experienced ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) supervisors.


Carl recounted one such Second Lieutenant, right out of college, who bluntly told him, "Sergeant,


I'm depending on


you because I don't know a darn thing." Now that takes real cour- age on the part of the officer! Of course, Carl also worked with some inexperienced officers who


had no humility whatsoever, and Carl was prepared to request a transfer if things didn't change. Ultimately, it was the young offi- cer who was transferred. As in any people-intensive occupation, Carl learned the fundamentals of interpersonal communication during his Army experience: what to say, how and when to say it, and who to say it to. Carl proudly told me about the


love of his life, Jenness, who he met on the Love Boat (really!). A standing joke between them was that she "outranked him" when they met after the Korean War. Jenness was a reserve warrant


Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~ Michael Leunig


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eloise Tweeten is an elder care advisor based in Santa Rosa, CA. If you know a wise elder who is willing to be inter- viewed for this column, please contact her at 707-570-2589 or Eloise@ TweetenEldercare.com


by Susan McCarn. MA, NCC I love connecting deeply with people, and helping them fi nd greater freedom and intimacy in their lives. I am a psychotherapist and counselor with 19 years of experience. I work with indi- viduals, couples and groups. Often, the fi rst sign of healing is a belly laugh. I have openings for new clients.


I offer a FREE 30 min. initial session for new clients. In April I will offer a group on Nonduality – the teachings and direct experience of oneness as the ground of healing.


COMPASSIONATE BODY/ MIND/SPIRIT COUNSELING


Offi ces in Northwest Santa Rosa, and Sebastopol.


I look forward to hearing from you! 527-6286, ext 2.


UPBEAT TIMES • November 2011 • 25


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