POULSBO — The American Legion prides itself on being the largest veteran’s service organization in the world.
And its newest generation of members got a nod last week as its Poulsbo post welcomed a local sailor with a very special story about his time in Iraq.
Karl Rosenkranz, 25, a Yeoman First Class at Subase Bangor, spoke at a meeting of the Robert Sauter American Legion Post #245 Oct. 21. The Arizona native has been stationed in Washington since 1999 and became one of a handful of U.S. Navy personnel to volunteer to serve in Iraq with the U.S. Army, returning in March.
Katie Eberling, command information officer for the Naval Intermediate Maintenance Facility Pacific Northwest helped set up the talk last Thursday. She explained that basically by word of mouth, Rosenkranz has become a hot commodity to speak at local groups. Besides being enthusiastic about his tour, he also has a special perspective.
“He has a really unique story because one, he’s a sailor and what’s a sailor doing in the middle of the desert?” Eberling said.
Rosenkranz told the American Legion gathering that he decided to volunteer for a tour in Iraq because of the helplessness he felt on Sept. 11, 2001. When he heard of the opportunity to help through the Army, he decided to trade his sea legs for Army boots for a while.
“Being in the Navy, I was excited to do everything, my first MRE, my first weapon,” he said with a chuckle.
His nine-month tour included a stint with the military police, but his favorite duty was his work in civil reconstruction. He said he worked on everything from retraining the Iraq Army to getting water purification systems up and running and creating hospitals and schools. All of the work was facilitated by locals.
“It gave them a sense of pride and ownership in what they were doing,” Rosenkranz said of working with Iraqis. “During the whole regime of Saddam (Hussein), it was a carrot and stick system. The Iraqi citizens were more than willing to step up and take that assignment, they were proud of their country and were willing to do what was needed to make it better.”
While Rosenkranz admitted his job was hard and the weather and food of the Middle East was even harder to acclimatize himself to, there were moments that made it all worthwhile. He recalled his first assignment of handing out soccer balls to local school children.
“I’ve never seen such a big smile on a kid’s face before,” he said. “It was really rewarding seeing a kid get something that seems so small but means so much.”
In another assignment, Rosenkranz was part of a training facility where Iraqis were taught about democracy and about their new rights after the removal of Hussein. He remembered telling citizens about their new rights to read newspapers, watch television and to express their opinions, no matter what they might be.
“Their eyes would get big and fill with tears,” Rosenkranz said. “They slowly began to realize what it was they had been given — they’d been given freedom.”
While returning to the United States was a welcomed sight for the young sailor, he said he watches the news and wants to do more. Rosenkranz said he was lucky to have been part of the reconstruction before many of the activities had to be shut down due to insurgency, but he said he still believes in the cause.
“A lot of people ask me if I’m glad to be back and I say, ‘Yes, I am’ but I also would want to go back …” he said. “Once you see it on the news and you’ve been there, you want to go back and do more. I feel like I left my buddies behind and there’s more I could do.”
At the end of the Oct. 21 meeting, Post #245 members voted to make Rosenkranz a member of the American Legion and to pay his dues for the first year in appreciation for him sharing his experiences. Commander Jerry Davis said post members and auxiliary members continue to work to support current and former military men and women.
“We’re glad to have him,” Davis commented of Rosenkranz.
