Operation Purple Pride Headlines
- Operation Purple Pride welcomes personal diaries or journals, photos, quick news updates about you and other classmates serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.
- Nursing soldiers and cheerleading Rachel Engler ('05) took on the challenges of the U.S. Navy, nursing and the Washington Redskins
- Supporting U.S. troops from the air Jeffrey Cretz ('03) serves second deployment in Middle East
- Second tour in Iraq feels right U.S. Army officer and ROTC program graduate Jeffrey Farmer ('88) takes major changes in stride
- Helping make Baghdad a safer place JMU ROTC graduate Capt. Dan Hodermarsky ('03) keeps HQ vehicles in top shape
- No clowning around for this Navy 'bozo' Aviator David Hunter "Bozo" Bankart ('99) takes pride in giving back
- Hobby turns into career Brennan Sweeney ('97) enjoys the art of aviation
- Baghdad, family crisis and intercultural cooperation Eric Johnson ('95) reports on the first days of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Task Force Tarawa Marines
- Different perspectives Will Schiek ('87) leads more than 500 U.S. soldiers providing logistics, security and communications for their Iraqi counterparts
- A service-oriented life Joe Clem ('89) provides medical support in Baghdad
- Rebuilding Iraq Civil Affairs officer Maj. Patrick Creed ('93) works with Iraqis to rebuild a nation
- Serving with JAG Corps in Iraq Lt. Col. Michael McWright ('85) with the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps
- Bringing democracy to the Afghani people and airwaves Maj. Patrick Kerr ('90) with Task Force Lightning
- Securing Baghdad's west side Capt. Shawn Harper ('97) reports on duty in Iraq
- Learning to fly Black Hawks Former JMU recruiter Lt. Kenny Ward ('03) now in 82nd Aviation Brigade
- A brief hello to fellow Dukes Lt. Col. Don Mosman ('85) reports from Iraq
- JMU's award-winning ROTC program Program repeatedly ranked in the top five percent in the nation.
- Maj. Mitchell Bell ('88) rescues injured Marines Marine reservist serves in Al Taqaddum, Iraq
- 1st Lt. James Sheasley ('02) cheers on the Dukes Purple, gold and green for this Marine
- Supporting the global war on terrorism Charles May ('83) is serving in Naval Criminal Investigative Service
- Coming home Iraqi war veteran returns to JMU ROTC
- Warhorn History: Lt. Col. Laurie Moe Buckhout's ('84) Operation Iraqi Freedom diary
- MREs for 200,000? Army food service director Lt. Col. Don Vtipil ('84) serves three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan
- A Blackhawk pilot's view of Operation Iraqi Freedom A journal entry by Major Donald R. Nitti ('88)
Helping make Baghdad a safer place
ROTC graduate keeps HQ vehicles in top shape
Capt. Dan Hodermarsky (’03) says the best part of serving in the Army in Iraq is watching his fellow soldiers “help make Baghdad neighborhoods a safer place.”
For Capt. Dan Hodermarsky (’03) the best part of serving in the Army in Iraq is watching his fellow soldiers help make Baghdad neighborhoods a safer place. “Young men between 18 and 24 years old are going out everyday without fail into harms way and getting their missions done. The soldiers never cease to amaze me.”
Lacrosse team memories
A Virginia Beach native, Hodermarsky is currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq as the executive officer with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-23 Infantry, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. The public administration major was a member of the club lacrosse team at JMU and says that his times with the team were among some of his best memories of Madison.
“The Shenandoah Valley is great in the fall, and it was a lot of fun to play ball under the stadium lights during the first part of the school year,” he says.
JMU's ROTC program provided good preparation
The JMU ROTC veteran says being a part of the ROTC program at JMU proved to be extremely helpful in preparing him for his army career. “You realize what an outstanding program it is when you start working with officers from different commissioning sources,” he says. “Four years later, I still find myself using lessons that I learned during my time in ROTC at JMU.”
Important work and sacrifice
As headquarters executive for his company, Hodermarsky is responsible for all maintenance and supply operations in his company, and in battalion headquarters and the operations center. He is responsible for making sure every vehicle is working properly and that the staff and operations center have the support they need.
Hodermarsky says the hardest part about being in Iraq is losing his fellow soldiers to enemy fire or becoming seriously injured.
“Having good men like these make such sacrifices for their nation really forces you to put things into perspective when you’re over here,” he says.
Still, Hodermarsky recognizes the importance of the work that he and his fellow soldiers are accomplishing in Iraq. “Most Iraqis just want a peaceful home to raise their families and are very grateful for all our efforts.
Staying in touch with loved ones
Although it can be difficult to be so far away from loved ones, Hodermarsky says he is able to keep in touch with family and friends through e-mail and phone calls.
“I e-mail my family and close friends nearly every day and call home about once a week when I’m able to. This and the cards and packages from back home make the time away from each other much easier to take since I’m able to keep up with what’s going on in their day-to-day lives for the most part,” he says.
Future goal--attend a JMU Dukes football game
An avid Dukes fan, Hodermarsky says that when he returns from Iraq one of the things he hopes to do — in addition to catching up with family and friends — is attend a JMU Dukes football game.
“I've been deployed or out training for every Homecoming game since I graduated; so hopefully I'll have time to make it back for the next one,” he says.