Military needs more than just a show of support Stickers and wristbands are great, but donating time and effort can make a difference to those who give so much.
I am the proud, yet worried, mother of a 22-year-old U.S. Marine who just left for his second deployment to Iraq.
Tue, Nov. 21, 2006
By Ellen Harris
When my son enlisted in the Marines in 2004, I was drafted into an unfamiliar and frightening new world. As a parent, I have often had occasion to turn to others to guide me through new and difficult challenges. But there was no way I could prepare to send my son off to war the first time, let alone a second time.
Before he left in early October, we celebrated an early Thanksgiving with a quiet family dinner. While preparing the traditional foods, I fought back tears thinking about where he would be when most Americans are celebrating the holiday in the comfort of their homes with family and friends. Although we were thankful for this moment of togetherness, his impending departure, and the dangers he would face, weighed heavily upon us.
The night before he left, my son spoke privately with his younger brother and sister. He did his best to comfort them, provide reassurance that he would return safely, explain that he had an important job to do, and encourage them to be strong. My husband and I drove our son to catch an early flight back to his base in North Carolina, where he would depart for Iraq. At the curb of the airport, we cried, hugged, told him how proud we are of him and said, "See you later." We NEVER say goodbye.
On our drive home, I realized how alone I felt in sending my son to war. I thought of how World War II and Vietnam affected most families. These wars consumed our nation. The media were there to remind us what it meant to be at war. But this time seems different. This war isn't always front-page news. Casualties are relegated to the back page, and the wounded don't seem to be counted at all.
We are quick to say that we will make the necessary individual sacrifices to preserve our freedoms and liberties, but are we? At what cost? Those who have a child serving in the military know firsthand what that cost is, and could be.
But, as a military mother, I have learned that military folks don't whine. They don't complain. They do their job and don't ask for very much in return. When I stand in line buying items for my son, packing the boxes to be shipped, applying the customs forms, going to the post office, I realize that my family and I are already sacrificing in a big way by having our son in this war.
I wish my fellow citizens would increase their involvement in supporting our military and their families in a more focused and tangible way. Putting a sticker on a car or wearing a green wristband is great, but it's simply not enough. There are people who do reach out by adopting a soldier or Marine, sending packages, and volunteering their time in supporting the military and their families. But more need to get involved, to give back to those who give so much of themselves.
More schools and businesses should consider adopting a platoon or battalion and being responsible for sending monthly care packages of snacks, hygiene items, socks, magazines and other things we take for granted. More local papers could lend their support to organizations and individuals in their communities by publicizing their efforts to support the troops. A personal card can be sent to a family who has sustained a loss or injury. Perhaps a visit can be made to a military hospital to comfort those who survived but who are broken in mind or body.
I hope it is not too much to ask my fellow citizens to share this burden with me and other military families.
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Ellen Harris lives in Fort Washington.