Posted on 05/23/2008 5:48:10 AM PDT by Albion Wilde
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - When Evelyn Burwell put on a cap and gown to accept her high school diploma, she knew someone wasn't in the audience , her dad.
The 18-year-old's father is serving in Iraq, like so many other parents of her classmates at Fort Campbell High School, the largest high school on an American military base. His service has meant missing two of his children's high school graduations, countless anniversaries and birthdays, and this year, his daughter being crowned prom queen.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Yes, they do. I ran eight Family Assistance Centers during ODS. It’s amazing what these families go through...and hardly a whiner amongst them.
I’ve been both a soldier and a military wife. My current “tour” of the past 15 years with a civilian husband has been much, much easier, LOL!
Amen to that. God bless our military families who stand behind and support their heroes. We thank them for the sacrifices they and their heroes make on behalf of all of us.
Honor those who sacrifice so much so that Americans live free....
Ping!
Special kudos to officers’ wives for doing so much organizing for their husbands’ units.
Off topic, if you’re in New York and see a sailor or Marine in town for Fleet Week, buy them a drink or tickets to a show. Heck, if you don’t see any, make it your mission to hunt them down and do something good.
Great idea. A salute to our military heroes and their families. God bless America.
And these kids are the “lucky” military brats. They are able to attend a DoDEA school on the military post, where there is such an amazing support network. Our three children unfortunately had to attend high school on the “outside,” off the Army post where my husband is stationed, in a not-so-military-friendly town ... and let’s just say that there were several teachers who couldn’t care less about deployed parents. They often interjected their anti-Bush, anti-war views in the classroom, causing my kids to essentially “shut down.”
As wonderful as our children are, I do view them as casualties of this war. Unfortunately each of them went from being honor students to struggling through drug problems (mild to severe), something I never ever thought we would have to deal with. They have all come out the other side amazingly well (Thank you, God), but the teen years, with a father deployed multiple times, have been a nightmare on so many levels for our family.
But having said that ... let me also add that I feel that there is nowhere else I would rather be than supporting my husband and taking care of his children during this time in our country’s history. My husband is my hero on so many levels ... and so are our children.
Thank you to you and your husband for your service! As a vet and a Navy brat I know the importance of family and the impact of the member’s service on the family. All too often the family’s role is overlooked. God bless you and your husband!
God bless you, your husband, and the kids!
I wouldn’t consider the kids “casualties of war” though. Military and non-military children are faced with many challenges as they mature to adulthood. They aren’t pleasant to go through, but they do teach valuable lessons. The manner in which a child reacts to the challenge is more to personality than the parent’s deployment. All too often we ascribe the behavior to the latter. As a Navy brat and Army vet, I understand.
My prayers often lifted up for all our military folks in harm way include prayers for HIM to comfort those that have lost loved ones and those that now must help nurse the wounded in body and mind back to normalcy. So many that do not wear the uniforms of our service branches in so many ways sacrifice as much or more then those that enter the field of battle.
Perhaps not casualties, but most definitely wounded.
A hard place to be. A hard place. God bless them.
Ping.
It’s gotten better. It used to be, “If the Military wanted you to have a family, they would’ve issued you one!” to, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy!”
In the mid-1980’s ‘The Powers That Be’ sat down and looked at re-enlistment numbers, saw that they were WAY down and figured it out...all by themselves. ;)
I left Fort Hood in March for my current 15 month tour here in Iraq. So far I’ve already missed one daughter’s wedding and her and her husband leaving for basic training. Next month I’ll be missing another daughter’s graduation. Not to mention Christmas and Thanksgiving among many other days.
Still serving proudly!
Those of us who volunteer at Walter Reed also have seen so much hardship and courage...
Thank you for your service and God bless you.
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm proud of your children as well as of you and your husband! Thank you all for your sacrifices and true grit!
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