Judith (Lewis) Rosenkotter  
Judith Ann (Lewis) Rosenkotter
Married to Harold F. Rosenkotter. (Grand Island Senior High School, Grand Island, NE)
Children: Barbara Jean Rosenkotter/Tyson, 44, Deer Harbor, Washington; David Harold Rosenkotter, 41. No biological grandchildren, but by courtesy of my Military friends, we do have 13 "Surrogate grandchildren of our hearts."
WORK: We raised our biological children from birth through college. Along the way, we were involved in providing a home to 7 individuals (at various times) when they were having personal difficulties in their life or severe problems within their parental home. We are Lutheran Missouri Synod and had a Christian home for our children and those others who needed the stability of a Christ centered home in their lives. I was a volunteer for many Community organizations.
First job: A great victory for me was when Nancy Maybee took some verbal information I had given her to Miss Dorcas Weatherby and Mr. Windle D. Reel at Lincoln High, which resulted in my "escape" from my home. They informed me that I had enough Academic credits to leave school mid-term, so I took their advice. I turned 18 January 10 of 1956 so I enlisted in the United States Air Force and left for Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas shortly there after. I was trained as an Air Passenger Specialist; this meant I would work, just as a ticket counter person works for a Commercial Airline, processing passengers and luggage to various Military destinations. I was assigned to MATS (Military Air Transportation) at Maguire Air Force Base near Trenton, New Jersey. After my Air Force experience, I returned to Nebraska and entered into a 3 year Diploma Nursing Program. After 3 years of excellent specific educational class work and clinical experience, I sat for and passed the Nebraska State Boards for Nurses. I received my Registered Nurse License and was on my way to a long career as a Registered Nurse not only in the state of Nebraska but Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, all because of various employment requirements. The greatest advantage of being a professional nurse having graduated from an accredited School of Nursing is there is always a job for you. Besides always being employable it also opened other "doors of opportunity."
After several years of working every type of nursing I decided that I would like to return to the Military as I had truly enjoyed the Military. So at age 43 I decided I should see if the US Army Nurse Corps would be interested in me as a Nurse Officer. I was delighted to learn that since I had prior service and even though I was 43 years old, I was professionally qualified to be commissioned as an Army Reserve Nurse Officer. I was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the United States Reserves on 21 November 1981. To make a long story short, at age 52, I went to war. Since I was now an Army Nurse with a SSI66E (specialty skill Identifier) of an Operating Room Nurse, I knew from the time Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990 that eventually I would be going to war. So I volunteered to go with the 410th Evacuation Hospital in Topeka, Kansas as they were asking for 66E. I was assigned to be transported to fort Riley, Kansas with the 403rd MP POW Camp. Once the Physician, Major Tim Longacre, who was assigned to the 402rd found me on the bus, he started telling me that I would be deployed with the 403rd. As it turned out the 403rd needed me more than the 410th Evac. Hosp.; I learned that the 8 Field Medics assigned to the 403rd were no longer competent in their MOS (Military Occupational Skill). Since Maj. Longacre and I had worked together several years on Annual Training he knew that I was qualified to be able to "pull together" the "latent" skills of the Medics. So I had what I considered a "mission impossible" task set before me.
Again to make a long story short, we were able to make those Medics extremely competent by the time we had completed the mission of the 403rd MP POW Camp in Saudi Arabia. I was extremely proud of their final cooperation and accomplishments. The US Army 800th MP Brigade was our Command Headquarters and there were 5 MP POW Camps in Saudi Arabia. Three of them were on the Western side of Saudi and Two of them on the East side of Saudi. We were one of the ones on the East side located 100 miles south of Kuwait and 80 miles inland from the Persian Gulf, the second one on the east side was the 401st MP POW Camp. I was the only Nurse Officer to ever serve with the MPs in any position; an exception was made so that I could get the Medics up and ready to care for patients. I did that by class instruction and also tested the materials studied as well as initiated the Army Combat Life Savers Course. Each Medic was assigned responsibility for teaching one of the classes. We had 1,400 US troops in our encampment and we got 150 of them trained as Combat Life Savers. We were the only Military Unit doing any education during deployment to Saudi Arabia. FYI, (this is important) when the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) inspected our EPW/POW enclosures, the ICRC told us that we had "Set the gold Standard for the Care of Enemy Prisoners of War." Just had to put that in as no one ever heard of that standard. The only thing the Nation has ever heard about is the "abuse" of those at Abu Graab; never about the Outstanding Job done during Desert Storm! We handled over 5,000 EPWs at our Camp alone.
After my return home from Saudi Arabia, I decided since my family husband and children all had their Bachelors Degrees, that I wanted one. So while I was serving on the elected position of the Hall County Board of Supervisors, I went to night school and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Care Management. I am what I call "unwillingly retired" as I tried several nursing positions after I returned from Saudi Arabia, only to become ill. So after numerous physical evaluations, I was diagnosed with several problems associated with my service in Saudi Arabia. This lead to a Veterans Administration Disability. while in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm I worked 16 to 18 hours a day, 24/7, as I always had to be in the Medical Section at all times, in the event an emergency would occur. when Maj. Longacre returned to the Medical Section at night; that is where his sleeping quarters were, I would get a "break." He was gone to our EPWs (enemy prisoner of war) to the other POW Camp (1 mile away from us) and the Field Hospital (3 miles away) frequently, as he was a Pathologist and the Field Hospital needed him for Pathology etc. I was able to go to my tent across the road from the Medical Section when Maj. Longacre would return to the Medical Section. I did not have a day off until Easter Sunday of 1991, resulting in severe fatigue causing a compromised immune system. Thus, I am unable to be in or around "sick people," making me unemployable. Therefore, I gave up Clinical Nursing in 1996 and volunteered as a Parish Nurse in my home Congregation from 1996-2004.
I have had to accept the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress syndrome, which was difficult as I have always seen myself as a "survivor." The Psychiatrists tell me that the tremendous responsibilities I had during Desert Storm are essentially "...the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back." So I have learned that I have to accept my limitations and live with them. I was sick for 8 years before any diagnosing of problems were resolved. My, what a relief to discover that the horrible chest pain I was suffering actually had a physical cause, which could be treated. In 1998, I was diagnosed with severe Gastric Ulcers and severe Duodenal ulcers, thus, causing the "referred pain" of chest pain. I am thankful I have a family that had the patience and endurance to "endure" with me. My, what a blessing they have been.
Significant Events: Mother's Day, 1975, My children and husband gave me a Certificate for MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD, A beautiful treasure. I was appointed to THE GREAT NAVY of the STATE OF NEBRASKA as Admiral by Governor Kay A. Orr, May 10, 1987. A BRONZE STAR for meritorious service in Desert Storm.
CHANGES: Since High School I have learned the value of myself and have become a very successful individual with many personal strengths. I have lived a successful life professionally and personally. What more could one ask? Do I miss anything from the 50's, absolutely not. Surviving the 50's was the hardest time of my life.
REFLECTIONS: If you have people in your life that made a significant positive impact on your life, don't wait until it is too late to say "You have made a difference!" I definitely waited too long to say it to the late Sidney Johnson (LHS '56), who had a positive influence on my life, but it isn't too late to say "thank you" to Nancy Maybee.
*Editor's Note: This is just half of Judy's uplifting biography and I thought you all would enjoy reading it as much as I did!