10 JAX AIR NEWS,NAS JACKSONVILLE, Thursday, September 6, 2007

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this non-covered service. Coffey described Alexander as a phenome-nal dentist. “You could say she is my hero. Her efforts helped my son and her efforts are now helping all military families who have a child with a special need,” he remarked. “She had been try-ing for sometime to push the informa-tion up to senior Navy medicine lead-ership to make sure this would be a covered benefit. She was very patient, very diligent. She was an advocate for our military families. Johnathan has got a beautiful smile and we owe that smile to Capt. Alexander.”

Alexander stressed that while the general anesthesia covered in this new benefit makes dental procedures less stressful for children, parents must also remember that avoiding the necessity for such dental proce-dures is the best way to safeguard their children’s health.

She said, “It’s a matter of good diet, and good brushing and flossing skills to prevent these problems. This is especially important as other diseas-

es, such as heart disease, are being associated with bacteria and other

complications of bad dental hygiene.”She also explained that combating

tooth decay includes what your chil-dren eat and drink.

For instance, one can of Coke con-tains 9.5 teaspoons of sugar and most parents don’t realize that. Alexander said parents often tell her their child just won’t drink water. She suggest-ed, “If water is all they’re offered to drink, then they’ll drink it!”

The TRICARE release echoed the importance of prevention. Children should start seeing a dentist by the time their first tooth appears or by their first birthday. Decay is the sin-gle most common chronic childhood dental disease – and it’s completely preventable according to TRICARE.

Alexander has dedicated her life to helping children by lobbying for dental legislation and promoting a lifetime of good dental habits.

She serves as Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s Assistance Dental Department head, the associate direc-tor for Branch Health Clinic and the associate director for Dental Services.

PhotobyMarshaChildsNaval Hospital Jacksonville PediatricDentist Capt.MargaretAlexander per-forms routine dental care on a specialneedspatientwhorequired sedation intheoperatingroom.

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the staff and ministering to their spiritual and pastoral needs daily. He also offers individual counseling and officiates mass, etc. He plans to keep up a busy pace until he fulfills his military obligation and beyond. “A priest never retires, he just keeps on performing his priestly duties to the extent he is able until he dies,” said D’Souza. “What keeps me going is my commitment to my responsibilities as a priest and to minister to the people entrusted to my spiritual and pastoral care.”

His obligated service will be extended as per indications from his Chaplain Corps detailers and he will soon be returning to one of his prior duty stations, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. He said that will keep him in the military for two to three more years than he origi-nally thought. Following retirement, D’Souza said he hopes to enter an assisted living facility either in the U.S. or in India.

D’Souza is from a family of 13 chil-dren, including eight brothers and four sisters. The devoutly Catholic family lived in the Karnataka state, in the South Eastern part of India. Catholicism was first introduced there more than 500 years ago by Portuguese missionaries headed by St. Francis Xavier. D’Souza noted that the saint’s body is uncorrupt for that long and is still available for viewing

in Goa, India. The D’Souza family was known at

the time by the name Mudartha, prior to their conversion to Catholicism from Hinduism. Many Mudartha’s still live in the region and go by the name ‘Mudartha.’

Besides his four brothers, two of his sisters also entered the ser-vice of the church. They joined the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, founded in Chavanod, France. The order later crossed the border into Switzerland. From their home in Genoa, Switzerland, the order has ministries in 14 countries around the world including India and the U.S. D’Souza’s sister, Eugene, was recent-ly elected the new superior general of the order and has moved to the gen-eralate in Genoa. Another D’Souza sister, Lucy, also a sister with the order, died 15 years ago.

Although meeting the pope and seeing his brother elevated to such a lofty height was exciting, D’Souza said he also enjoyed the opportunity to travel with his brothers. Their trip included a warm and hospitable visit to the Capucine Fathers’ Provincial House in Bologna, Italy. Priests from that order had manned the diocese of Lucknow, India, from where Albert was transferred to the Archdiocese of Agra as its archbishop. Albert was one of the priests who had worked under the Capucine priests and bish-ops in Lucknow prior to his appoint-

ment as a bishop of Lucknow. That position was held by one of the found-er members of that religious order from Bologna, Italy.

All of D’Souza sisters and broth-ers are involved with goodwill proj-ects. Through his military income, D’Souza is the primary benefactor of the Mukartha Home for the Elderly back in India while his sister’s order oversees the facility as part of their mission. It is located about 700 miles south of Bombay on a 10-acre plan-tation. It boasts a new building and is capable of housing 40-60 resi-dents. The plantation is planted with banana trees, papayas and various palms which bear fruit year round. The harvesting of these plants helps supplement the facility’s funds.

D’Souza said he is proud of his fam-ily as they serve God and their fellow men and women. He said, “They do God’s work around the globe.”

The care and concern exemplified by D’Souza and all of the hospital’s Pastoral Care Department is just one more facet of the commitment to ser-vice that Naval Hospital Jacksonville patients can count on when they come to the facility for care.

* The pallium is a liturgical vestment symbolizing the authority of a metropol-itan archbishop. A white woolen strip decorated by six black crosses, it is worn across the shoulders, outside the cha-suble. It is worn only by the Pope and Archbishops, and the use of this is only at formal liturgical celebrations.

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ond cruise on board USS T h e o d o r e R o o s e v e l t , he reported to the HS-1 “Seahorses” for his first shore duty as a fleet replacement aircrewmen instructor.He later took over as the enlisted NATOPS instruc-tor and search and rescue standardization petty offi-cer. He successfully trained more than 100 naval air-crewmen who would even-tually move onto assign-

ments in various fleet squadrons.

I n D e c e m b e r 1 9 9 3 , Barrett received orders to the HS-5 “Nightdippers” as operat ions leading petty officer. After a suc-cessful sea tour with the Nightdippers, he reported to Commander, Helicopter Antisubmarine Wing U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CHSWL) as fleet liaison petty officer.

While there he was select-ed as CHSWL Sailor of the Year and Clay County

Military Person of the Year. Barrett received orders in March 2000 to the HS-11 “Dragonslayers,” where he advanced to chief petty offi-cer. There he completed his third deployment on board USS Theodore Roosevelt which deployed for 159 con-secutive days at sea.

In December 2003, he reported as the HS Weapons and Tactics Training Unit’s leading chief petty officer (LCPO). There, he applied and was accepted for the

Senior Enlisted Academy and graduated as an honor student for the Gold Group Class 121. After a success-ful three-year tour, he took orders back to HS-11 as the operations LCPO.

POW/MIA Recognition observance scheduled ByStaff

NAS Jacksonville will hold a POW/MIA Recognition Observance Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. at the All Saints Chapel to honor all Americans

who are former POWs, as well as those who are still unaccounted for and their families.

The keynote speaker is retired Navy Capt. Henry “Hank” Lesesne. He was deployed with VA-55 on board USS Hancock (CV 19) flying the A-4 Skyhawk when he was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam July 11, 1972. After ejecting, he was captured and held in Hanoi for more than nine months until his release March 28, 1973.

Lesesne, a native of South Carolina, graduated from the Citadel in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in history. In October 1958, he entered the United States Navy and received his wings in 1960. His first tour of duty was at NAS Jacksonville, first as an instructor pilot with VA-44, then with VA-176 on board USS Shangri-La (CV-38).

In February 1964, he received orders to VT-7 in Meridian, Miss. as an instructor pilot flying T-2A’s. After completing this tour, he reported to VA-81 at NAS Cecil Field, flying the A-4 Skyhawk. While there he made two Mediterranean cruises, on board USS Shangri-La and during the maiden cruise of USS John F. Kennedy (CVA-67).

In July 1969, Lessene was again assigned to VA-44 as an instructor pilot in the A-4 before reporting to NAS Lemoore, Calif. in April 1970 where he was an instructor for VA-127. He transferred to VA- 55 in August 1971.

After repatriation, Lesesne returned to flying status at NAS Lemoore with VA-127, then as an instructor for VA-122. He later transferred to VA-113 where he became commanding officer of the squadron.

He later joined Commander Task Force 77 staff where his assignments included Naval Operations in the Pentagon, Armed Forces Staff College, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his final assignment in the Navy was as head of the Navy Command Center in Washington, D.C.

Lesesne retired from the Navy with 31 years of service in 1989. He and his wife, Linda live in Ponte Vedra Beach. They have three daughters, four grand-daughters and one grandson.

The POW Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Herman Lodinger, who during World War II, was a bombardier with the Army Air Corp 564th Bomb Squadron, 389th Group. A second lieutenant, his B-24 aircraft was shot down over Nazi Germany. He was taken prisoner and confined at Stalag Luft 3, the camp made famous by the “Great Escape.” Many of the escaped POWs were recaptured and executed, as depicted in the 1963 movie starring Steve McQueen.

At the end of the observance, the NAS Jacksonville Weapons Department will render honors with a 21-gun salute, followed by a missing man formation fly-over of S-3 Viking aircraft from the VS-31 “Topcats,” which are stationed at NAS Jacksonville. A reception with refreshments will take place in the Chapel’s Fellowship Hall.

POW/MIA observances are held nationally and reaf-firm a promise to fallen comrades, “you are not forgot-ten.” Military and civilian employees are encouraged to attend.

The military attire for participants is summer whites, working uniform for military guests and appropriate attire for civilians.

POPE: Hospital chaplain meets Holy Father

DENTAL: Good diet, flossing, brushing skills safeguard health

HS-11: Senior chief reaches 5,000 flight hours