I read with great interest the cover story "Rumors of War" (towerview, September 2004). I also have a son who is [in the] infantry and serves with the 3rd Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade out of Ft. Stewart. He is an enlisted man, having joined after the attacks on Sept. 11 and because of those attacks. My son Sean, was raised just 10 miles north of West Point and was a volunteer firefighter in our community. As a firefighter he attended a number of funerals for New York City’s finest.
I relate very well to the father quoted in the article regarding having a son in the infantry. There is no greater fear for a parent than the thought of the military chaplain coming to give you devastating news. Yet it is a reality we, as parents of infantrymen, live with when our sons are deployed.
My son was in the first phase of the war in the lead unit that invaded Baghdad. He was a machine gunner on a Bradley. Sean will deploy in January for another tour in Iraq.
During this past year I felt compelled to share our story through his letters home and my concerns and thoughts as a mother having a son in danger 24/7 with no sense of the outcome many days. The book is called Letters Home: From 9/11 to Operation Iraq Freedom—A Military Mom Shares Her Family's Story of Patriotism, Courage and Love. Thank you for covering the war; it isn't an easy topic of discussion, yet a very necessary one. I appreciate the value you have placed on the soldiers who serve.
Mary A. Ward, MS, MPA
Program Director,
The Duke Center for Macular Degeneration
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