84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 26, 2003
From Farmfront To Warfront\
Former Susquehanna County
4-H’er Serves In Operation
Iraqi Freedom
CHARLENE M. SHUPP
Special Correspondent
TUNKHANNOCK (Wyoming
Co.) When Bill Hardic joined
the Navy in 2000, this former
Susquehanna County 4-H mem
ber from East Rush never dream
ed that he would be serving his
country during wartime. As he
continues to fulfill his duties dur
ing Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Hardic, 25, draws from his 4-H
and farm experiences as a strong
foundation to fulfill his duties on
the aircraft carrier, USS The
odore Roosevelt.
“The 4-H’s, Head, Heart,
Hands, and Health,” said Hardic,
“4-H encourages you to live by
these four things. The Navy has
three things that they start drill
ing into you right from the first
night of boot camp. Honor, Cour
age, and Commitment. These
three things and the four H’s are
very similar. Honor. To keep
your word and do the right thing
always. Courage. Always take
credit for your actions, no matter
the consequences. Commitment.
To the country you serve and
those who serve with you. 4-H in
stilled these things in me, but the
Navy perfected them.”
Cedar Crest FFA Conducts 38th Annual Awards Banquet
From left, Amber Frank, Kyle Seyfert, and Gretchen
Artz are pictured at the Cedar Crest FFA Banquet with
their Star Awards.
Tough Row To Hoe For Iraqi Farmers
COLUMBUS, Ohio What
do Iraqi farmers grow, and how
is the war affecting them?
If two armies were fighting
each other, and you were stuck in
the middle, would you want to be
out in the open say, plowing a
field or driving a tractor?
Probably not. You might get
hurt.
Which is exactly the situation
many Iraqi farmers are in. With
a war going on around them,
they’re afraid or unable to work
in their fields. That makes it hard
to grow anything.
So one of the war’s effects on
Iraqi farmers, as well as on the
people they feed, may be fewer
crops and less food. At least until
help donated food arrives.
Normally, Iraqi farmers pro
duce about 30 percent of the food
their country needs. The rest is
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Hardic, a 2nd Class Petty Offi
cer, was a member of the Susque
hanna County 4-H Community
Club and the Delmonico Beef
Club. This is where he had his
first leadership opportunity as a
4-H club president. As he has
risen in rank in the Lighting
Shop on the Roosevelt, those
early leadership opportunities
have remained helpful as he con
tinues to develop his leadership
skills and gain more responsibil
ity.
Growing up on his family’s
small beef farm and raising 4-H
beef steers have proven instru
mental in his drive to get the job
done “right the first time.”
“I am not afraid to do good
honest hard work, because I am
used to it,” Hardic noted. “On a
farm you learn to do the job right
the first time. Re-work costs a lot
to anyone, but even more to a
farmer who can’t afford much to
begin with. Re-work in the Navy
could mean someone might die if
you do not do it right the first
time.”
Through his hard work and
leadership, Hardic has received
two Letters of Commendation
from the Commander of the USS
bought from other countries.
Key crops include winter
wheat (normally harvested now),
spring vegetables (normally
planted now), rice, dates, barley
and cotton.
Sheep and cattle are the pri
mary livestock. But more than
half of them died in 1999 from
foot-and-mouth disease, which is
highly contagious.
Also before the war, drought
hit, screwworms (a pest of people
and livestock) spread and half
the country’s date palms 15
million
trees
died.
It’s a
tough row
to hoe to be
a farmer in
Iraq.
Enterprise battle group for his
service on the aircraft carrier,
USS Enterprise, during Opera
tion Enduring Freedom after the
September 11 attacks. According
to Hardic, the greatest reward he
has received is “serving his coun
try.”
However, with rewards come
challenges. Hardic’s greatest
challenge is to keep his mind on
his mission and why he is there,
while wife Shelly remains at their
home in Norfolk, Va., awaiting
their first child. He wishes he
could be with her, but knows that
he has a job to do.
When thinking of home, the
list of things he misses is quite
long: missing his wife, his parents
Donald and Marie Hardic of East
Rush, family, friends, fresh coun
try air, and clear night sky the
list is endless.
As Operation Iraqi Freedom
forges ahead, Hardic and the
other sailors on the Roosevelt re
alize they have a job to do. Har
dic might not be flying missions
from the flight deck, but the jobs
he is assigned are important to
help keep the Roosevelt opera
tional. As his mission continued
LEBANON (Lebanon Co.)
The Cedar Crest FFA recently
conducted its 38th Annual Parent
Member Banquet at Cedar Crest
High School, with more than 260
people in attendance.
Amber Frank, chapter presi
dent, was MC and opened the
banquet at 7 p.m. The welcome
was presented by Kevin Kreider,
chapter sentinel. Gretchen Artz,
chapter chaplain, gave the invo
cation. After the buffet style
meal, Kyle Seyfert, chapter vice
president, introduced the many
guests that attended.
The Keynote speaker was the
State FFA Eastern Region Vice
President, Courtney Miller, who
spoke on taking advantage of the
opportunities that the FFA has to
offer. The freshmen class pres
ented Honorary Chapter Degree
plaques to Mr. and Mrs. Scott
Artz and Mrs. Betty Knapp.
Gretchen Artz and Amber
Frank both received their
Keystone Degree Award
presented by Harvey
Smith, former area Ag.
Consultant.
Tamara Gettle, Emily
Doll, Brad Bucher, and
Heather Hawkins made a
video that reviewed the
years’ FFA activities.
Awards were presented by
Mr. Harold Berkheiser,
chapter advisor.
Farm, 4-H, and Navy background provided a firm foun
dation for Bill Hardic’s role in Iraqi Freedom.
Hardic’s nerves settled, and it’s
business as usual aboard ship. In
his spare time, Hardic takes ad
vantage of e-mail to stay in touch
with his friends and family, song
writing, and he jokingly remarks
that he has cultivated a new
hobby while at sea of “standing
in line,” waiting for meals or to
use a facility on the ship.
Although it has been several
years since Bill Hardic has been a
4-H member, he values his 4-H
experience as something price
less, providing him with a strong
Bill Hardic’s assigned job on the USS Theodore Roose
velt adds to the success of Opertional Iraqi Freedom.
foundation that has seen him
through many challenges and
successes and will guide him as
he decides what to do after his re
lease from the Navy.
“4-H ... To Make the Best Bet
ter, and for me it has,” Hardic
said in summing up his entire
4-H experience. “My time in the
Navy is built on this foundation,
and no matter where life may
take me, to a farm or to work for
an electrical contractor, both will
always have a large impact on
my life.”