notice of mourning from captain james a. lovell federal health care center

A Notice of Mourning by Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center from January 11, 2018.
This week, we mourn the untimely death of one of our own. Navy Lieutenant Claire Elizabeth VanLandingham, 27, died Jan. 3 in Lake Forest, Ill. Lieutenant VanLandingham worked at the USS Osborne - Lovell Federal Health Care Center's branch dental clinic (Bldg. 1017) at Naval Station Great Lakes Recruit Training Command (RTC).
Lieutenant VanLandingham was new to the USS Osborne at Lovell FHCC and was partway through her first-year credentialing tour after completing dental school in 2017. However, in the span of a few months, she already had made her mark on those she worked with, and beyond.
In December, Lieutenant VanLandingham enthusiastically completed the FHCC Tactical Combat Casualty Care course to advance her deployment readiness level in the Navy, even though she wasn't required to do so as a dentist.
"I haven't done anything like this before," she told an interviewer after successfully finishing the course. "It's much more than combat lifesaving (training), more advanced training ... The class was amazing, and I learned a lot."
Lieutenant VanLandingham was commissioned a Navy Dental Corps officer Dec. 9, 2013. She graduated from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry early last year, was promoted to lieutenant in May, 2017, and was assigned to the USS Osborne at Lovell FHCC in August, 2017.
She was a shining star at USS Osborne, and was rapidly learning and advancing according to the officer managing and mentoring the new dentists completing their credentialing year there. "She was a fantastic dentist, who earned the respect of every patient ... I told her detailer she would be ready for wherever she would be assigned in the Navy," said Commander Kristi Erickson.
At her memorial service at RTC, Captain Bradford Smith, Lovell FHCC commanding officer and deputy director, said, "Our job is to ready warriors to go into battle. The work she did at the USS Osborne was absolutely critical. She cared for hundreds of patients ... the dental work she did is on the battlefield, under the sea, in the air. Her Sailors are stationed around the world and will be for decades. She will always be a part of the U.S. Navy, of Lovell FHCC, of the USS Osborne. She will always be in our hearts."
One of the final paragraphs of Lieutenant VanLandingham's obituary reads - "Everyone who met her wanted to be like her. Her friends' final gift back to her is a hashtag: #BeMoreLikeClaire."
Many will miss Lieutenant VanLandingham. May she rest in peace.

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