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Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on December 31, 2008 at 1:24pm

We have so much respect for those corpsmen! We have many friends who have Marine sons--we know how valuable the corpsmen are, so bless your son and all the other corpsmen--and all our military since I don't want to leave anyone out! Corpsmen are special though!

I don't want to scare you more, but we all know the risks, I think, of them being in the sand. I got the call one day, "Mom, I'm ok." That's a good and bad way to start a conversation! We are so, so lucky and blessed because he was driving a vehicle that hit an IED. He had led us to believe he was sitting safely in an armory every day!

Now he's going through the fight of getting some awards he should have gotten because of it. The soldiers with him got them, but the Army isn't signing off on his. He was the only one injured and deserves a purple heart, too. That's hard to talk about because he wasn't hurt badly in comparison to other military in our community. Still, according to regulations, he does deserve it and the combat ribbon. That's frustrating! There's a reason--my son followed regulations in another situation and made a LT mad, so he didn't sign off. I have faith that it will all get straightened out though.

Tell me if I should delete this--I really don't want to scare all of you more than you are. We just prayed a lot while he was there and our prayers were answered.

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 31, 2008 at 1:02pm

My son has been in both situations, and I have to agree, the sand is the one that kept me scared silly. He serves as a field corpsman, and when he and his Marine unit were on a ship deployment and were out of touch for about 2 weeks, and I knew they were not on that ship, that was my first taste of what his Iraq deployment would be like. I was a basket case. The first time of realizing I was not in control of my child's safety and he could be in danger. Sucks.

I asked my son yesterday why the short 2 liner emails? and he said to just touch base, let me know he was okay. Too busy with stuff he couldn't share anyway. Just wanted to touch home for a second.

He also said yesterday that he and his buddies spent a lot of time talking about how crummy they had all treated their mothers. Really! I said I didn't think that was true, and he said "yes, mom it is. you deserved better." Really, he was just a boy being a boy, nothing radical, just stuff that goes with the mom job. So..ladies, those young sweeties ARE thinking about you and home and their dads and their dogs...and will make you all know it when they roll in the door.

Says the woman who has gained 5 pounds from cooking and eating way too much with my sailor home!

Evidently they do a lot of their own cooking when they work odd hours or at a smaller base. He had two electric skillets, a Foreman grill, and a rice cooker...so check with your sailor, see if he is cooking...send spices and old hot pads, a decent knife, plastic spoons, maybe pasta? and canned tomatoes for spaghetti? Matt should have let me know, I'm a caterer for goodness sakes, I can really be creative on this theme!

Ruth, don't ever let your opinions lay quiet here, even if we don't agree (and on this topic WE DO!) you have every right to every opinion and feelings that form them.

Sand deployment is freaking scary.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on December 31, 2008 at 12:47pm

Melissa, I hesitated to respond, but I can't keep from writing. My son was in Afghanistan until recently but still attached to a ship so I belong to that group also. I made much the same comment about less worry with him on the carrier. Some of the responses were so hostile, I left the group for a while. Another mom in the same situation has become a very good friend because she understood exactly what I was saying. I used to worry about him falling off the ship (probably silly though possible), but the worry when they're in the sand is entirely different.

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 25, 2008 at 10:40am

Good morning and Merry Christmas.

This is my first stop on the board today because I woke up this morning being so thankful that Matt is asleep in his bed right now in the room he grew up in...and I thought of all of you without that blessing this particular Christmas. I know how blessed I am, how blessed my family is today. And I am ever thankful for our brave patriots that serve us all over the world, whatever their job is, whereever they are and for the families that wait at home. God bless everyone of you moms, thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for your support. I am just now realizing how important it has been in my life. Now that he's safe and sound in the USA.

A practical note...I asked Matt about packages...He said if your sailor is on a good sized base, they have everything there he/she needs. Send items specifically requested is what he said. Now, as I've listened to him over the last few days, he talks mainly about the books we sent. He said they get moved around alot and moving all that stuff is a "pain". I told him I sent "throw away" books, he could give them away and not worry, whatever. His reply " but I wanted to read them all." He also liked the pictures of home, from home...the yard, the neighborhood, the neighbors. Of course he didn't actually SAY that, but he talked about them..so I know they were enjoyed. He went over there with over 100 movies recorded by friends and family for him. He left them all there. He also really liked the TV shows packaged up in season packages. He said those were a big hit with everyone. Something they watched in groups.

Merry Christmas, ladies...want to hear about every phone call! and if there isn't one today, there will be one as soon as that sailor can get to a phone, believe me!

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 24, 2008 at 12:05pm

This is my Christmas wish for all of you...that hug. From the child you love and pray for who is in harm's way. This is how hard you hug when your child comes home from a war zone.
Thank all of you who have given me so much support while my son was in Iraq. You've set the bar quite high, I hope I can always meet that standard when you need that same support and love.
You each will have this moment with your child.
Merry Christmas, hope that phone is ringing this week with the voice on the other end you need to hear,
Karen

Comment by Mary, Proud Mom of Nick on December 24, 2008 at 9:06am

Thinking of your sailors during the holiday season.

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 22, 2008 at 12:33am

Matt's home, and he said the Fox Sox are good, but when he's was "out" he wore white socks with his boots. Less odor, and probably less "yuck". Wonder if Fox Sox has a white sox?

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 18, 2008 at 2:03pm

Thanks for sharing that! I kinda felt I was rattling on about them, but Matt swears by them...and I know some waiters that bought them as well. Matt was very flat footed as a child, and then had a huge patio door land on his big toe when he was about ten...and has had some traumatic visits with feet doctors. He is VERY picky about his feet and shoes, and these socks evidently are worth the $$$ for them.

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 11, 2008 at 11:52am

Kim...got to my page and read the blog..(yes, I blogged about Fox Sox)...the gift that keeps on giving, everytime your kid in the sand puts them on, evidently. My son asked me yet again..."did you tell your Navy moms about those socks?"...

Matt got the coyote brown, he's a corpsman with Marines, he wears cammies all the time. Or at least I guess he does...ALL his Navy uniforms and I mean ALL of them are in his closet here at home right now. Crammed into that closet...

Comment by TexasDocMom on December 8, 2008 at 12:43am

My son is like that, he doesn't want a big deal over this or that...but when we all sent all those cards for his birthday when he was in Iraq...he liked it, I could tell, he said he kinda started watching for them because they didn't all come at once!

maria, you are coming to to exactly the right spot and you are not whining. It's overwhelming and it's sad and it's ongoing but it's not forever. Maybe we can hunt down an address for you. Where is your son based out of? email or message me privately, and let me search a bit, maybe my son will know how to find an FPO or APO address for you. When you get it, just send practical stuff, like those powders you put in water, or creams/lotions for dry skin, my favorite Fox Sox, that type of thing, with a note, in your handwriting that he can hold in his hand.

He loves you. He's trying to be the man...and he's doing a good job. He wants to protect you. God Bless them when they do that, isn't it wonderful to be loved like that?

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