Beaufort’s Bonnie O’Mara, 69, joined the U.S. Navy in Atlanta in 1974. After boot camp in Orlando, Fla., she trained as a Hospital Corpsman in Great Lakes, Ill. Her first duty station was at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla., with later assignment to the clinic at Mayport. She next deployed for a year to Guantanamo, Cuba, serving personnel there and immigrants trying to reach the base.
She separated in 1998 and soon joined the Naval Reserve, including deployment aboard USS Berkeley (DDG-15 ) and with the Seabees in Charleston. Recalled to active duty in 1991 for Desert Storm, she was assigned to Naval Hospital Charleston. Thereafter, she trained at Naval Hospital Oakland to become a Preventive Medicine Technician. In 1992 she was assigned to Naval Hospital Beaufort with duties at the hospital, on Parris Island and at MCAS Beaufort.
In 1995 she deployed again to Guantanamo Bay when 30,000 migrants from Panama and Cuba were processed there. She next spent a year on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean caring for personnel assigned there. She was then assigned to the clinic at NAS Jacksonville.
In 2000 she transferred to the Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan for two years followed by two years aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) then homeported there. Her following assignment was at the Navy Disease Vector Ecology Control Center in Bangor, Wash., followed by a seven-month deployment to Al Asad, Iraq, returning to Bangor to complete that tour. Her final duty station was at Naval Hospital Bremerton, Wash., from which she retired as a Chief Hospital Corpsman with 29 years of service.
Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
