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Comment by Lois C T(momma T) on November 11, 2008 at 8:49pm

Hi Betty, my son is a seabee 'somewhere" in Iraq, you and your sailor will be in my prayers. I heard from my son Sat. it was sooo good to hear his voice and be able to
talk for a while! Keep in touch.

Comment by TexasDocMom on November 10, 2008 at 11:19am

Gettin' close now! I swear I am not gloating, ladies, I'm just on cloud 9....Matt and his battalion will be on US soil, safe and sound , pretty darn soon. You moms that have done this over and over have my utmost respect and compassion, I'm so honored to be in the company of women like you.

Cher's son and my son are coming on the same flight! and bless her, she's greeting Matt for me and taking pictures!! Of course he has to cooperate! He said he would listen for his name...I'll be a nutcase at work waiting for that call! Cher made beautiful T Shirts for the homecoming, Matt's dad has borrowed mine to wear on that day...so exciting!! I think I'll get to wear it when he comes here for Christmas, and then I think Matt will adopt that shirt...he'll love it.

Ladies, I'd like to stay connected with this group, I'm hoping I won't ever again have a son in the sand...but you never know about how life is going to turn out. Sometimes Life has a different plan.

If ever any of you need to talk, vent, scream...I'm your girl...

Comment by TexasDocMom on November 4, 2008 at 12:42am

In the week of Sept 21 to just this morning, I had not heard a peep from my son, stationed on the border of Syria....and there was a bombing near there by American forces of a an al queda stronghold. Today a short message, telling me the day I can have his cell phone turned back on!

So hopefully, that is the last time I will go days and days, weeks, without knowing where and how my child is while deployed in the sand. It's my first and hopefully last time to have that feeling. I would love to tell you that it gets better, but it doesn't. Fear is fear. and we are not being unreasonable, it is not an unreasonable thing to want to know the child you bore, and protected his whole life is safe. Just safe.

I won't get to see Matt until Dec 19. but just knowing he's on US soil, where no one wants to harm him simply because he's a blue eyed American man is enough for me right now! And being able to pick up the phone and chat...whenever I want! what a treat.

This has been one of the most emotional times in my life. I've made live hell for someone I love, and thank goodness, it's okay because of love and understanding between us. It ain't easy. but it will be over. and your child will come home.

Now to see what changes have happened...

you are all doing the best you can do, coming here to talk and vent is all we have...that and digging. Yep...digging, that shovel helps me loads! and wears me out so I can sleep.

Drop by my page, read my blog and see a true nutcase with a kid deployed...and realize you are not alone.
Karen

Comment by TexasDocMom on November 4, 2008 at 12:30am

The chaplain in Matt's unit posted this letter to the families...they are on their way home very soon...yes, ladies, it will not be forever that deployment...it just seems that way!

Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you. Luke 8:39

Hidden behind the armor of toughness of a Marine or Sailor returning home after a deployment is the whispers of their heart. The script calls for Marines and Sailors to appear rough, all-enduring, the warrior without weakness. Yet while away, missing home engraves their soul.

As we prepare to return home to our families, memories stir of my first enlistment in the Navy as an enlisted corpsman. I remember sitting away from home as a young Sailor in Beaufort, South Carolina, alone on Christmas for the first time. My leave was the following week for New Years. Anxiously I waited. In the excitement of anticipating going home, I wrote these words that Christmas day, summarizing what I felt military personnel feel about being away from home:

By the highways or the byways,
Through the snow or through the heat,
A smile slips across your face,
Your mind fills with memories.
It’s been such a long time,
Since you’ve felt the warmth of home;
A soldier sent into the world,
Fighting battles seems like on your own.

The whirlwinds of life
Have wisped you away,
Stealing your innocence,
Making you feel so afraid.
No where to run,
No where to hide.
Sometimes you fake a smile,
When inside you cry.

But when the road ends the Sculptor stands,
With the ones that made you what you are.
By so many miles you’ve been kept apart,
But in your heart it’s not that far…
Going Home.

When I returned home that year, memories stir my heart of my now deceased dad greeting me with tears in his eyes. Memories of singing the above song to my mom as she drove me to the airport to return to my duty station, smacking me for doing so because I made her cry, still make me chuckle as I write about it. Tears hold irreplaceable memories of home.

I believe the internal struggle that tugs at every Marine’s and Sailor's heart on a deployment is being away from their home. Now you know the value of your support through positive words, care packages, cards, pictures, etc… Thank you.

In Luke 8:39, Jesus said to a healed man, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.”
The demon of separation from home stirs appreciation for the home that we in our busyness sometimes take for granted. After a deployment, our healing is going home to tell each one of our individual families how much God has done for us through you.

Lt DeGraeve

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on September 18, 2008 at 9:28am

Any military death is heartbreaking. This morning we lost seven soldiers in Iraq due to a helicopter crash. I haven't heard the details, but I know that everyday is a gift.

My son does have to go back to Afghanistan after this leave so we're savoring every second. He's leaving for Great Lakes this afternoon to look at apartments when he comes home again in several months. (We are so excited as it's only 3 hours away!) I'm following tomorrow afternoon with his two little girls to spend the weekend there.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on September 15, 2008 at 6:46pm

My son is on his way home on leave from Afghanistan, so he's been in Kuwait for four days. He said it's about 120 degrees and he can't wait to be on his last leg home.

Comment by Mary, Proud Mom of Nick on September 12, 2008 at 5:31pm

Thanks for the info moms, we were thinking of sending them boxes of Christmas cards and assorted cards as we have heard from some of them - that it's not easy sending even a birthday card to someone at home and that's when the question of postage came up. Should have known emails is everyone's favorite choice now.

I will let them know about the International cards. So glad that your daughter got her cake - I'm sure it made her day!

Comment by Mary, Proud Mom of Nick on September 12, 2008 at 2:11pm

Hi Ladies, hoping that you might be able to clarify a couple of questions for the Adopt A Sailor program that we have in place:
1) Do your sailors have to use postage to mail letters back home? We have been getting conflicting stories about this and some moms have asked about sending them stamps.

2) Are they using phone cards while deployed in Iraq or Afganistan? We often hear about satelite phones for our ground troops but don't know how much access they actually have to a satelite phone. If they do use phone cards to call home, are they international calling cards or ??

Appreciate any information that you can share. Thanks!

Comment by Lois C T(momma T) on September 11, 2008 at 9:34am

Karen, I didn't realize I sent out an email? My e-mail address is lolasnugharbor@yahoo.com.( I am not very computer savvy)
Thanks for the info. I heard that it is better for them to buy phone cards there, then for me to send them from here??

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on September 8, 2008 at 11:29am

You can go to www.weather.com and type in an international city to get the weather conditions. At least you'll get an idea of the temps.

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