This is James Maner—he looks like he could be my brother. He serves in the Army and he flies helicopters over Iraq every day. He told me that it is over 100 degrees there almost every day. He moved into a new trailer yesterday. He is serving a second tour in Iraq, which began in April and he won’t get to go home until November. He spent nine months there before, and then he was able to go home for eight months. Now he is back in the desert. He seems to be a little lonely. He seems to be feeling disconnected from his family. He is from Texas, but was stationed in Washington before being sent to Balad, Iraq.
He loves his family, the band Metallica, flying, sports, comedy clubs, reading and movies. He seems to be a really nice guy and he is a pretty good writer.
James is the first friend that I have made who is serving in Iraq. Talking to him made the war more real to me. It made me think about the fact that soldiers from the states are a half a day ahead of their family’s schedules at home. It made me think about the fact that some of them might be worried about losing their beloved partners to someone else while they are gone. It made me think about the fact that most of them aren’t getting laid and that they probably miss having a normal sex life.
It made me think about the fact that American families are being sacrificed in order to fight this war. It made me think about how life altering war is for everyone involved and for the people who love them.
I know a married, young mother named Michele. Her son Matthew is two-years-old--and he hasn’t seen his daddy in a long time because his daddy is a marine who is serving in Felusia, Iraq. She is living in North Carolina at a military base, which is far away from the rest of her family in Southeastern Pennsylvania. She hopes that her husband returns from Felusia in one piece.
Michele is my husband’s niece--she has been feeling lonely. Little Matthew keeps asking his mommy, “Where my daddy?� He talks to his daddy on the phone a couple of times per week. He tells his daddy that he wants to hug him when he comes home. This weekend, Michele’s younger sister is flying down to the base to spend a few weeks with them. I am hoping that big Mat will be okay, and that he returns to his family again, soon.
I want to thank all of the soldiers currently serving in the military for the personal sacrifices that they are making. I want to thank anyone who has served in the military for the personal sacrifices that they made. Soldiers are extraordinary.
Make a soldier smile--please send emails, letters or care packages to Iraq.
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