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Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on September 15, 2008 at 9:55am

Aww, thanks, Kathy. The Marine Moms make about 160 Christmas stockings to send to Marines, sailors, soldiers, airmen that are overseas. They also walk in the Veterans' Day parade in Davenport and the Festival of Trees parade. The Navy families are included in all their activities. The Marine Moms have been great support and a source of info when my son was deployed to the Persian Gulf and now Afghanistan.

We got word during the night that we're to be at the airport at 4:30pm Tuesday to pick him up! I'm so excited.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on September 14, 2008 at 8:59pm

Kathy Baker-Robs Mom and I met today at the Marine Moms picnic. They always include Navy Families at their gatherings. They were so excited that my husband and I weren't the only ones to show up this time and I was too! Kathy and Gary, Katrina (deployed sailor's Navy wife)and her little one, and a good guy recruiter came. It was great and we all won door prizes!

Probably the most important info I picked up from the recruiter--recruits are given time each Sunday to write home, so if you aren't getting letters, it's not the Navy's fault.

And my son is on his way home on leave! He'll be here in 24 hours! Harris Pizza is the first stop, then Whitey's ice cream.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on September 7, 2008 at 11:14am

You can take the train from Great Lakes to Union Station which is what we did after PIR. We walked around, went up in the Sears Tower which is free to military. More time was spent at Gurnee Mills because of all the food possibilities and there's a cinema complex--those were important for my sailor.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on August 16, 2008 at 3:10pm

Kathy, you'll find lots of support in the QC, too. The recruiters are good to us moms and we've got a good network of parents here.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on August 6, 2008 at 10:19am

Yesterday we sent John and Cori's son Chaz off to boot camp to be a Seal. They are prepared somewhat since they also have a son on a sub, but they know Seal training will challenge them all in a different way. How proud they are! Hopefully, Cori will figure out her computer and join NFM.

With us was our new recruiter originally from CR. Great guy--he's going to make a difference in this area. He even came to a meeting for organizinng Healing Fields last night.

I invite all of you to "All Era Veterans Healing Field" next week. The opening is Thursday, the 14th at 7pm at Davenport Memorial Park, 1022 E. 39th St. This is an awesome event! One hundred flags will be flying, each one labeled with names of the troops we've lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, but no veteran is forgotten--WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam are recognized, too. Thursday night there will be music, a military representative from the Arsenal speaking, and a Chinook fly over with a flower drop. It will be very moving. Then the healing field is open around the clock till closing on Sunday's ceremony at 4:00.

Last year volunteers read over 3000 names that went on for five hours. One of the few who stayed past midnight during that was the Lt. CDR in the Navy Reserve at the Arsenal. This year instead of reading the names, media personalities are recording the 4000 names so they can be played in the background round the clock.

It's pretty easy to get there--I-80 to Davenport Brady St. exit to Kimberly Rd, left on Kimberly to the second stop light, turn left, right on 39th and the entrance is on the left.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on July 27, 2008 at 9:03am

Marine Moms here in the QC have bags of new clothing to give out to veterans/military families affected by the floods. So far, no takers here. The items are brand new. Let me know if any of you need things--here's the note from the Marine Mom president-- We have rec'd a huge donation of clothing from Operation Homefront...these are clothes intended for military families affected by the recent flooding. PLEASE if anyone knows of military families that could use some assistance let us know. My living room is filled to the brim and we need to figure out how to get these resources to those who need it.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on July 18, 2008 at 3:11pm

I have to add, even though I live in Rock Island, I grew up in Poweshiek County. I will always claim IOWA as mine!

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on July 18, 2008 at 3:09pm

I think I'm the "seasoned" Navy mom here. Andy went to DM to sign papers in December 2003 and left Feb 2004. After graduation, he went to Pensacola, then Norfolk to the Roosevelt. I think he was first assigned as a supply clerk, but got into security, and finally he's a gunners mate. They don't always get what they want to begin with, but he has been happy as a GM. His high school ROTC and Boy Scouts helped him graduate as a G-3, so all that helps.

He was deployed on the Roosevelt for parts of '05-'06. In '07 he volunteered (and has never told us he volunteered!) for individual augmentee--"boots on the ground." The Navy sent him to Army training and he's serving in Afghanstan.

I started Navy Families of the Quad-Cities last year. So far, most of us have two things in common--we have sons in the Navy and they've all made poor choices in women at some point!

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on July 12, 2008 at 9:49am

I wish I'd known you were coming to the QC. We could meet!

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on July 5, 2008 at 12:58am

I'm an Iowa (at heart) Navy mom living in Rock Island. I started Navy Families of the Quad-Cities here, so if you'd like to get together sometime, I'll let you know about our next gathering. We have no officers, no meetings, but we do get together to social at dinner about once a month.

My son is active Navy, but currently serving with the Army. He was deployed in February with them after three years on the TRRoosevelt with one deployment from Norfolk. Today, July 4th, he reenlisted!

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