Anti-war woman's trip to see son serving in Iraq has surprises for both

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | April 3, 2004 | Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

[Cincinatus' Wife]

'Hey, Nick. Your mom's here.' Anti-war Alameda woman's trip to see son serving in Iraq has surprises for both

........Galleymore was more political as a young mother, taking her young children on protest marches during the Iran-Contra controversy of the mid- 1980s. Her children hung out with the progressive thinkers she met while working for a food policy organization. But Galleymore's activism faded as her children entered adolescence, her time eaten up by the demands of single motherhood.

And somewhere along the line, her children didn't absorb her political perspective.

After Nick finished his third year at San Francisco State University and had been accepted for transfer to UC Berkeley, he announced that he had joined the Army.

"It was a total surprise," Galleymore said. "It wasn't like he needed money for college. He was already three years in, so that doesn't hold water."

She dismissed Nick's volunteering as a phase; it wasn't. Her son not only wanted to be in the Army, he wanted to be in an elite unit. He passed up completing his college degree and left for boot camp on Independence Day weekend, 1999.

Galleymore still doesn't know exactly why. They could never fully discuss it.

In January 2003, Nick was shipped to Afghanistan. He had become an Army Ranger, a jump master for paratroopers and a sniper. He was in the thick of the action. Last Dec. 19, his 26th birthday, Nick called to say he was headed to Iraq. At that point, with U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians being killed almost daily, Galleymore began to panic. She couldn't sleep at night, "because I was thinking, 'My kid is going to get killed for something I don't believe in, and I don't think he knows what he's getting into.' "

She began talking with other military mothers, hoping to get their perspectives on how to cope. But many knew little about what was going on in Iraq. Frustrating her effort to learn more about Nick was that she felt the news reporting from the front lines was giving an overly rosy picture of the U. S. occupation.

At wit's end, she decided that the only way to calm her fears was to go to Iraq. She got in touch with Code Pink, which has led about a dozen parents to Iraq over the past few months. After holding a fund-raiser, which netted half of the trip's $2,200 cost, she left for Iraq on Jan. 24. ................

[raybbr]

My concern is that when he gets out of here in six months, besides the physical health problems he's facing, I hope I'm wrong, but I believe he'll be dealing with some heavy duty psychological stuff.
When Nick was in Afghanistan, I tried to think of a project we could work on together, expecting he would be coming out of the military this July, but he re-upped for three more years. I was thinking he'd need some kind of decompression time and maybe we could work on a project together—maybe two voices of war—a mother and son sort of thing. It would be interesting and maybe it would be a way to work through some of the things in his head.

From here.

It's pretty clear what is going on here. She's an overbearing pacifist who can't let go of her 26 year old son. What does he do to get away from her? Joins the Army. When she imposes herself on him via her little project while he's in Afganistan, he re-ups thinking that this will keep her away for another three years. What does she do? Goes to Iraq. I feel truly sorry for the this guy. I am proud of him for his effort to rid himself of this albatross. God bless you, Nick.

[Bernard Marx]

I'm surprised she didn't shoot him when she had the chance in Iraq.

She did, in the Freudian and metaphorical sense. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't repay the "favor" in kind.

[cupcakes]

BINGO!

[cupcakes]

I was about to post that after the last couple of comments, particularly the one about the son dying to further the book.
Thanks for beating me to the punch.

[teldon30]

Well....hmmm.... we can't pick our parents...unfortunately for some....poor Nick :(

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I feel sorry for her son as well.

[ladyjane]

Somebody needs to run a fundraiser to buy this woman a clue

This miserable mother had to go out and run a fund raiser to see her son? Obviously a Democrat. Never pay for it yourself if you can get others to cough up the money. I'm surprised she didn't write a proposal, call the trip a work of art or an educational opportunity to launch her blog. No wonder the kid wanted to get away from home.

[Getsmart64]

"Thanks for beating me to the punch"

y.w.

[Publius6961]

Okay. You're all right. She hopes her son dies to help her book sales.

Satisfied?

Damn.
I never thought of that. I am continually amazed at how the sicko liberal mind works!

[Getsmart64]

"You think the mother doesn't love her son but I'm the idiot."


Don't try and tell me what I am thinking. I was just stating the obvious from your posts on this thread.

[Inyo-Mono]

The line that kills me is "Her children hung out with the progressive thinkers she met while working for a food policy organization." What a bunch of phony government leeches these food bank "thinkers" are.

[freep_toad]

Liberals are ashamed of many things, including their own country and what it stands for. They are especially ashamed of our military power.

[freep_toad]

how those on the left promote tolerance and remaining open-minded

Only as long as your open-mindedness and tolerance agrees with their own views.

[JulieRNR21]

MEGA BUMP for your #48

[longun45]

This woman is not looking out for anyone but herself. She is a selfish, ego-centered, red diaper doper crybaby who is looking for a reason why her children turned out better than she did. She stands for nothing. And she falls for anything, except the truth. She feels the the truth is variable and only relates to HER. She has no sense of right or wrong. Luckily her son did not pick up this deficit.

[jocon307]

"Gee, maybe it's because she portrayed her son and the rest of the troops as thugs who randomly shoot civilians for no apparent reason."

Yeah, really. The article says the sister disagrees with the mother too, maybe the rest of the family is sane, and she's just the nut. I used to be able to ignore people like this Susan, but now I really hate them, because they really wouldn't care if the Islamofacists killed me or my child. In fact, they'd probably think it was a good thing.

Now that she's basically slandered her son and his career, it would serve her right if he never spoke to her again. And she could just blame bush for that too, and sit around and wonder "why me?"

[scan58]

Yes, and the next paragraph says,"Nick told his mother that wasn't his experience. She doesn't know how they'll get along when he returns".

Sounds like she doesn't believe her own son, at all. Sounds like she doesn't even want to believe him or listen to the truth. Perfect liberal - terrible mother.

[R. Scott]

Now that’s a good example of Adolescent Rebellion!

It was about shining a light on what is happening to U.S. children in Iraq -- those serving in uniform…

We have children in uniform? How did that happen? I always thought we had men and women in our military!

[Tennessee_Bob]

'My kid is going to get killed for something I don't believe in

Now that's positive thinking, Mom! Don't think about the lives he might change or save, or the fact that the vast majority of the troops serving in Iraq are not getting killed.