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Safe at home
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| H&N photos by Todd E. Swenson Liz Maddalena greets her husband, Lt. Bill Maddalena, with open arms Wednesday at the Klamath Falls Airport. Lt. Maddalena served in the 173rd Medical Squadron, treating critically injured patients on medical transport planes from Iraq to Germany. |
173rd Medical Squadron members return from service
By MEGAN DOYLE
H&N Staff Writer
Liz Maddalena sent her husband a message Wednesday morning asking: “Where in the world is Bill today?”
Her husband was traveling home to Klamath Falls from a tour in Iraq via Italy, Germany, Baltimore, Minnesota and Portland. Lt. Bill Maddalena and two other members of the Oregon Air National Guard 173rd Medical Squadron finally arrived at the Klamath Falls airport at about 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we’re really excited,” said Liz Maddalena.
Her husband was the first returning airman off the plane, and she met him with tears in her eyes.
Family, friends
Lt. Maddalena, 40, a nurse; Col. Daniel Houssiere, 54, a physician; and Senior Airman Anna Dierickx, 21, a respiratory therapist, were greeted by family, friends, and members of the VFW, Republican Women and Klamath County Chamber of Commerce.
The three worked together, transporting critically injured patients from Iraq to Germany. They flew 26 missions and saved the lives of more than 50 people.
“We’re just going to go home and sit,” said Liz Maddalena.
She plans to catch up on stories of her husband’s missions.
Lt. Maddalena said he transported a woman who worked as an explosive ordnance disposal specialist and had to have her arms removed. She had married about six months earlier and he got to meet her
husband.
He heard later that she was doing great.
“It’s not often you get to hear about that,” he said.
He hopes to get e-mails about how other patients are doing.
Dierickx, who was named the 2007 Oregon Airman of the Year, looked forward to sleeping in her own bed. In Iraq, she lived in a 10-by-10 foot room with a bunk bed, she said.
She plans to continue her Oregon Institute of Technology studies. She is working on pre-requisites to get into a nursing program.
“I do want to go further in the medical field,” Dierickx said.
Her brother was so anxious, he had co-workers in the airport tower call him to let him know close the Horizon Air flight was to Klamath Falls.
“I’m usually on the other side,” said Sgt. Dan Dierickx, who is with the Oregon Air National Guard.
Now that she’s home, her family wants to take her to do everything they want to do.
First on the list was a Mexican restaurant, her brother said. There also are Christmas presents waiting for her, said her mom, Ronna Dierickx.
The third member of team was not greeted by family, but welcomed by many others.
Daniel Houssiere is a member of the guard based at Kingsley Field, but he lives in Southern California.
“This is quite a surprise,” he said as base commander Col. Thomas Schiess snuck a 173rd Fighter Wing coin into his hand. “I knew I liked Klamath Falls when I first came up here.”
The support from people back home has been endless, he said. He was sent so much candy he brought it to share at the hospital in Iraq. Then he gave some to people on helicopters, who threw it out to people below.
He met many characters while serving in Iraq, he said.
There was one insurgent who was shot in the arm. He went to the Iraqi hospital, but finished his treatment at a U.S. hospital, Houssiere said.
All three returning airmen said they were honored to work with the people and patients they did.
“It was an honor to be able to be around them,” Bill Maddalena said.
Her husband was traveling home to Klamath Falls from a tour in Iraq via Italy, Germany, Baltimore, Minnesota and Portland. Lt. Bill Maddalena and two other members of the Oregon Air National Guard 173rd Medical Squadron finally arrived at the Klamath Falls airport at about 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we’re really excited,” said Liz Maddalena.
Her husband was the first returning airman off the plane, and she met him with tears in her eyes.
Family, friends
Lt. Maddalena, 40, a nurse; Col. Daniel Houssiere, 54, a physician; and Senior Airman Anna Dierickx, 21, a respiratory therapist, were greeted by family, friends, and members of the VFW, Republican Women and Klamath County Chamber of Commerce.
The three worked together, transporting critically injured patients from Iraq to Germany. They flew 26 missions and saved the lives of more than 50 people.
“We’re just going to go home and sit,” said Liz Maddalena.
She plans to catch up on stories of her husband’s missions.
Lt. Maddalena said he transported a woman who worked as an explosive ordnance disposal specialist and had to have her arms removed. She had married about six months earlier and he got to meet her
husband.
He heard later that she was doing great.
“It’s not often you get to hear about that,” he said.
He hopes to get e-mails about how other patients are doing.
Dierickx, who was named the 2007 Oregon Airman of the Year, looked forward to sleeping in her own bed. In Iraq, she lived in a 10-by-10 foot room with a bunk bed, she said.
She plans to continue her Oregon Institute of Technology studies. She is working on pre-requisites to get into a nursing program.
“I do want to go further in the medical field,” Dierickx said.
Her brother was so anxious, he had co-workers in the airport tower call him to let him know close the Horizon Air flight was to Klamath Falls.
“I’m usually on the other side,” said Sgt. Dan Dierickx, who is with the Oregon Air National Guard.
Now that she’s home, her family wants to take her to do everything they want to do.
First on the list was a Mexican restaurant, her brother said. There also are Christmas presents waiting for her, said her mom, Ronna Dierickx.
The third member of team was not greeted by family, but welcomed by many others.
Daniel Houssiere is a member of the guard based at Kingsley Field, but he lives in Southern California.
“This is quite a surprise,” he said as base commander Col. Thomas Schiess snuck a 173rd Fighter Wing coin into his hand. “I knew I liked Klamath Falls when I first came up here.”
The support from people back home has been endless, he said. He was sent so much candy he brought it to share at the hospital in Iraq. Then he gave some to people on helicopters, who threw it out to people below.
He met many characters while serving in Iraq, he said.
There was one insurgent who was shot in the arm. He went to the Iraqi hospital, but finished his treatment at a U.S. hospital, Houssiere said.
All three returning airmen said they were honored to work with the people and patients they did.
“It was an honor to be able to be around them,” Bill Maddalena said.
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| Eye on the Storm |
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Daniel P. wrote on Nov 22, 2008 12:42 PM: