thedrifter
12-24-05, 08:48 AM
TWO FAMILIES, ONE WAR: For those with loved ones at war, the holidays mean heartache
HOME FRONT: Rochester Hills mom keeps light on for Marine son.
BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
December 24, 2005
Bobbi Fedricks of Rochester Hills doesn't mind that her son, Marine Cpl. Jeffrey Firman, has already opened his Christmas present.
She gave him a light that attaches to his M-16 rifle, a light that illuminates rooms as he and other Marines clear buildings across Iraq. At $350, it was a little pricey for the single, self-employed mom who works two jobs, as a landscaper and with her own cleaning service. But she didn't hesitate.
"He wasn't issued one, and he really wanted one -- and I thought it might help save his life," Fedricks said.
Christmas is especially difficult with her son away.
"It's like there's an empty seat at the table," said Fedricks, 49. She declined Christmas Day invitations for fear she would miss a call from him.
"I'm not leaving; I'm glued to the phone," Fedricks said. "We're going to have Christmas when he gets home. I'm going to California to see him and we'll have Christmas there."
Firman is with the Marines' 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance unit out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. He's due back in the United States in April.
In the meantime, Fedricks has turned Firman's old bedroom into what she calls her "war room," where she has collected all of his awards, news clips and anything else that chronicles his life.
"The last deployment, I lived in his room. This year, I'm trying to do better," Fedricks said.
The last time Fedricks heard from her son was during Thanksgiving.
"They live in an armored reconnaissance vehicle," she said. "They sleep in their vehicle. They do patrols for like 50 days at a time."
It's not exactly the same Christmas that Firman was used to in the family's comfortable brick colonial.
The hardest part for his mother is not hearing from him on a regular basis.
"You just don't have a choice," Fedricks said. "I'm glued to the news. I surf the Internet for any kind of news. Unfortunately, bad news is easier to find."
During one of her Internet searches, she found out that Firman was awarded the Bronze Star by Vice President Dick Cheney during his mid-December visit to Iraq.
Firman went into the Marines as soon as he graduated from Rochester High School in 2003.
"We were sitting there listening to all the speeches and I said, 'What do you want, Michigan State or U-M?' and he put his arm around me and said, 'Mom, let's get out of here, I already know what I want to do,' " Fedricks said.
At first, it was difficult to support his decision.
"They're so young and it's so dangerous, and I wondered if he'd go through everything and change his mind or not be happy," Fedricks said. "That's the hardest part of supporting him."
She has two other sons, but Firman, 20, is the only one in the military.
Fedricks' message for those who don't have loved ones in the war zone is simple: Remember the men and women in Iraq.
"It's so nice if people call and ask you how he is or just remember that he's there," Fedricks said. "People seem to forget that your child is deployed and how dangerous it is.
"Sometimes it's like nobody cares."
Contact PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI at 586-469-4681 or pwalsh@freepress.com.
Ellie
HOME FRONT: Rochester Hills mom keeps light on for Marine son.
BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
December 24, 2005
Bobbi Fedricks of Rochester Hills doesn't mind that her son, Marine Cpl. Jeffrey Firman, has already opened his Christmas present.
She gave him a light that attaches to his M-16 rifle, a light that illuminates rooms as he and other Marines clear buildings across Iraq. At $350, it was a little pricey for the single, self-employed mom who works two jobs, as a landscaper and with her own cleaning service. But she didn't hesitate.
"He wasn't issued one, and he really wanted one -- and I thought it might help save his life," Fedricks said.
Christmas is especially difficult with her son away.
"It's like there's an empty seat at the table," said Fedricks, 49. She declined Christmas Day invitations for fear she would miss a call from him.
"I'm not leaving; I'm glued to the phone," Fedricks said. "We're going to have Christmas when he gets home. I'm going to California to see him and we'll have Christmas there."
Firman is with the Marines' 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance unit out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. He's due back in the United States in April.
In the meantime, Fedricks has turned Firman's old bedroom into what she calls her "war room," where she has collected all of his awards, news clips and anything else that chronicles his life.
"The last deployment, I lived in his room. This year, I'm trying to do better," Fedricks said.
The last time Fedricks heard from her son was during Thanksgiving.
"They live in an armored reconnaissance vehicle," she said. "They sleep in their vehicle. They do patrols for like 50 days at a time."
It's not exactly the same Christmas that Firman was used to in the family's comfortable brick colonial.
The hardest part for his mother is not hearing from him on a regular basis.
"You just don't have a choice," Fedricks said. "I'm glued to the news. I surf the Internet for any kind of news. Unfortunately, bad news is easier to find."
During one of her Internet searches, she found out that Firman was awarded the Bronze Star by Vice President Dick Cheney during his mid-December visit to Iraq.
Firman went into the Marines as soon as he graduated from Rochester High School in 2003.
"We were sitting there listening to all the speeches and I said, 'What do you want, Michigan State or U-M?' and he put his arm around me and said, 'Mom, let's get out of here, I already know what I want to do,' " Fedricks said.
At first, it was difficult to support his decision.
"They're so young and it's so dangerous, and I wondered if he'd go through everything and change his mind or not be happy," Fedricks said. "That's the hardest part of supporting him."
She has two other sons, but Firman, 20, is the only one in the military.
Fedricks' message for those who don't have loved ones in the war zone is simple: Remember the men and women in Iraq.
"It's so nice if people call and ask you how he is or just remember that he's there," Fedricks said. "People seem to forget that your child is deployed and how dangerous it is.
"Sometimes it's like nobody cares."
Contact PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI at 586-469-4681 or pwalsh@freepress.com.
Ellie