For the 230,000 children whose parents have been deployed to the Middle East, the war is never far away.   At some military bases including Fort Hood in Texas, children attend special programs and videoconferences to speak to their parents who are on the battlefield. Would you like to send a message of support to military families? Post comments here and "World News" will then send the messages to military families.

 

Words cannot express the admiration I have for you who are sacrificing by having a family member serve in Iraq.  I don't think I would have the courage.  I pray everynight for your love ones and for you all.  God bless you and hopefully all our men and women will return home safe and sound.

To the Military Families featured on ABC News.

To the Children:  How very proud you must be of your parents who are so selfishly giving to their country.  I want you to know there are plently of people out here who think of them and you often and with much love.  My daughter, 23, has served two tours this war and I missed her terribly each time.  I know everyone of you is making your Mom and Dad so very proud by how brave you are being.  Thank you for sharing your Mom or Dad with all Americans.  We are safer because of them.

 

To the Spouses:  I watched this news piece with tears in my eye.  Seeing the Moms work so hard to make life as close to normal as it can be for their children really touched my heart.  They are my inspiration.  Thank you and please know that there are plenty of people who care about you and support you and are so very grateful for your brave sacrifice.  You make your country proud. 

 

I will keep you all in my prayers.

 

Thank you,

 

Jena

Dear Families:

Thank you so much for all that you do on a daily basis.  I am so grateful for the endless efforts of our troops and for your tremendous support and sacrifice as their families.  I pray for the safety of our troops and for you as you go through daily life missing them.  Words can not express my gratitude for what your spouse and what you and your children go through so we can live in such a wonderful place.  It is my wish that you will know there are people like me who have you in continuous thoughts and prayers, and who are ever-so grateful.  Thank you again for the sacrifice you, your children, and your spouse make each and everyday.  God bless you!

Kelly Lowe

As a  veteran of two years (2 tours) in Vietnam and one year unaccompanied in Turkey with a Military Assistance Advisory Group, and 23 years total in the Army, I can commiserate with the problems you are going through. 

The purpose of the message is to highlight that however dreadful your separation is, past times were worse.  You are blessed with email, cell phones, and video-conferences, and better meals, for the GI.

During my unaccompanied tours we communicated by letter and audio tape via mail.  I personally wrote a letter at least every other day and my wife (with 3 children) did likewise.  When one asked a question which demanded an answer, by the time the answer arrived it was not at all unusual to forget what the question was as the round trip for the mail was sometimes 3 weeks.  We mailed each other photographs as a means of touching each other.  When I was preparing an audio tape, I had to be careful that that was no gunfire in the background and many times had to erase the tape and start over.  An interesting aside, was that the  batteries in the tape machines of I and my wife were always of different in the amount of use, which at that time caused the tape to play at different speeds, making comprehension difficult.  Then as you go back in history to prior years it was even worse, for instance no tape recorders.

So as bad a time as you are having, keep in mind that warriors of past years unfortunately had it worse in some respects.

That said, my heart goes out to all the families and to the GI.  Your GI  unfortunately sees more combat on a daily basis week after week that I saw or even that seen in WWII.  Keep in mind that the miseries you are enduring are no stranger to previous generations.  Those of us who have been there never-the-less are keeping you in our prayers week after week.  You are doing what other generations have done to keep this country strong and provide freedom for even the likes of Nancy Pelosi.  God Bless you all.

 

Taylor

U.S. Army 1959-1982