Former nurse, Capt. Horne home after end of Operation New Dawn

Written by Ann Richardson Wednesday, 08 February 2012 00:00

Flag flown for deceased OC resident, WWII veteran on flight home from Iraq

OCEAN CITY — It was the end of Operation New Dawn, the last combat medical mission out of Iraq and U.S. Air Force Capt. Kathleen “Faf” Horne said it was “seriously cool” to be on the C130 headed home.

Driven to serve her country, the longtime Ocean City resident and former critical nurse educator at Shore Medical Center joined the Air Force, embarking on a military mission that took her around the world and back several times.

 

It was a special flight, indeed, made even more so by an American flag Horne brought along with her. To memorialize the Dec. 16 flight, on the eve of the closing ceremonies for the Iraq War, the customary flag on board the aircraft was hung in memory of another Ocean City resident, the late Joseph Sager, a U.S. Army veteran who passed away in May 2009.

Horne had cared for Sager’s wife, Peggy, as she recuperated at home several years ago and remained friendly with the couple’s daughter, Ellen Reilly.  Knowing the significance of the flight, Horne said she immediately thought of the late soldier who had so bravely served his country in the European Theatre in World War II.

“It was such an honor,” Reilly said. “My father was so proud to serve his country.”

The neatly-folded flag arrived at Reilly’s home a few weeks later.

“My mother was so touched,” said Reilly, who began to cry as she talked about the significance of the stars and stripes. “My father was so patriotic and so proud to be an American. The flag meant the world to him, he put his life on the line to defend this country and there was nothing more important to him than the American flag. Kathleen was a saint when my mother got sick; she took such good care of her. For many reasons this flag has such special meaning.”

She said the flag will serve as a reminder for her family of her father’s patriotism.

“My children and grandchildren were thrilled, they saw the pictures and remember all the stories of my father’s service, he used to talk about serving his country all the time,” Reilly said. “This flag will be saved, and passed from generation to generation. We all remember, vividly, how proud he was to serve.”

Sager, she said, was buried at the Cape May County Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend.

“There were hundreds of flags; it was so appropriate for Dad,” she said.

After leaving the Army at the end of World War II, Sager became a teacher, basketball coach and superintendent at Bedford Hills High School in Tarrytown, NY. After he retired, the longtime Ocean City summer resident moved to the shore.

Horne grew up in the Philadelphia area, but spent every summer of her life in Ocean City. She became a nurse, eventually landing at Shore Medical Center where she worked her way up to critical nurse educator.

When terrorists attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001 she found another calling. It took a few years to work out the details, but the civilian nurse began her military career and never looked back.

Now a flight nurse, she’s been on missions to Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Bahrain, Jordan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. Prepared for just about everything, she carried a stethoscope and a weapon.

It was all about “aero-medical” missions, taking care of injured soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to be the person who picks up a soldier off the battlefield and says ‘c’mon, we’re taking you home,’” she said. “I can’t even begin to tell you what that is like. When I think about this, I get goose-bumps. It was so meaningful.”

“We would fly in pitch black,” she said. “We wore translucent head lamps to take care of the patients, mostly red light, just so it couldn’t be seen from the ground.

“I’m a medical officer, not tactical,” she said, adding that it was an adjustment to realize that, as an officer, she had rank over most of the victims she took care of. “I was not as scared as I anticipated I would be. They do such a good job securing the air fields. They really kept us safe, so we could care for the injured.”

Horne said she was “blown away” by what the military can do.

“We have an awesome military, it’s just amazing,” she said. “I never needed my weapon, but I was glad to have it on me. One time we had an explosion in Iraq, about 150 yards away. It felt like it was right next to us.”

Horne said the aero-medical personnel were treated like gold.

“One time, our airplane broke down and the soldiers came running, ‘Let us help you.’ They couldn’t do enough for us,” she said. “It was really cool. It was phenomenal what we were able to accomplish over there.

“Fortunately, the medical airplanes had priority landing, there was a lot of bureaucracy, but with medical, we were always first,” she said. “There are exceptional leaders in the military; it was an awesome experience to be a part of it. I was in awe of some of the people I met.”

Now stateside, Horne is serving in the Air Force Reserve at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. She works 60 percent of the time for the Air Force, and 40 percent of the time at local hospital.

“The hospital works with me, if the Air Force needs me, I go,” she said.

Horne said she misses Shore Medical Center.

“They sent me care packages for five years!” she said. “I loved my routine, I loved the people I worked with and I miss everyone. Being new down here, starting over was hard. Now I’ve established myself and life is good, but I will always miss Shore.”

Meanwhile, Horne, whose email moniker is “Speed on Water,” is back on her beloved wave-runner in the Tampa Bay area, the one thing she missed most while she was gone, next to her mother, Pat Horne, and her cat and dog.

As for flying the flag for Sager, Horne said it was truly a pleasure.

“We would not be here if it wasn’t for Joe Sager and the ‘Greatest Generation,’” said Horne. “So I was truly honored. I got to know Mr. Sager when I took care of his wife, he was such a nice man and we talked about the military, he told me all about Germany and the war.

“I know how much this meant to Ellen and her family. It meant a lot to me, too,” she said.

Horne said she looks forward to visiting Ocean City this spring. She’s anxious to see the new addition to Shore Medical Center and visit with old friends. In the future, she said, “you never know,” she may return to her South Jersey roots.

Reilly said she will be forever grateful to Horne.

“To think that Kathleen, put her life at risk to serve her country, and hung this flag for my father means a lot to us,” Reilly said. “She’s touched so many lives through her nursing; saved lives. She dedicated her life to service, and she’s the best nurse I ever met. I cannot imagine what she has been through, what she has experienced serving in Iraq, but I can tell you my family sure appreciates her service.

“If I had a family member in need, a wounded soldier, there is no one in the world that I would rather have taking care of them than Kathleen,” Reilly said.

 

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