thedrifter
06-13-07, 06:09 AM
Military mom thanks sons and troops
Gladwin County Record
Last updated: Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 11:54:56 AM
To my sons:
Back in 2006, I wrote a letter in this paper thanking you both for becoming the fine young men you are in this world today. I would like to do it once again.
You both have been over in Iraq serving your country. Pete, you have just finished up your second tour, and I am hoping that this is the last tour of duty for you. I applaud you tremendously for the fine work you have done as a participating citizen of this great United States of America. You have seen a lot and accomplished a lot while over in Iraq. You have seen things a human being should not ever wish to see, and you also have done a lot that you wish you would not have had to do.
We, as a family unit, have been through a tremendous amount of stress and, wow, has it really made my hair grow gray as well as add a few more wrinkles to my face. Something I wish I would not have had to deal with, but that is minor compared to what all you had to endure. As your mother, I want to tell you I am very proud of you indeed. The week before you left for Iraq the second time, I remember you taking me out to the parking lot in Glen’s after work and having conversation with me. In that conversation, you made me promise to you that I would not write to you or let you know of anything bad or stressful going on at home. Well, you got your promise, and you know that I will never ever go back on my word to any of you kids.
When you asked me that, I wondered why my own son would ever have to ask me to promise this. As you, all of people knew, I would never do that to you. Little did I know, at that time, the amount of stress and the amount of hurt that I was about to face. My nerves were shot basically, I apologize to all of my coworkers and as well as my bosses for letting that stress show, but I think the most hurtful things I had to endure was to hear of and to see all the bad things you and your unit had to endure.
The most hurtful thing the first time was when one or your Marines, Andrew Love, was injured in action over there. It was the most awful day in my life as a key volunteer leader to have to get out of work to go home to contact his mother and to console her and try to help her through the pain she was in. Just to walk in that parking lot from work at Glen’s, and try to get in my car to make that call was horrific. It seems as if someone was there to meet me with some other mediocre problem of their own which made no sense to me, but certainly was a priority to them. By the time I had gotten home to make the call, I must admit, due to uncontrollable circumstances, I was not sure if I could pull myself together to make that call, but I did and thank goodness today, he is recovering with the love of his family. Your unit has endured an awful lot of hardships this tour over to Iraq.
You were put in the center of Fallujah, a place in which, as a mother, I would never wish any of my sons, or any of you young men have to go. But I applaud you highly for sticking it out, and for your unit hanging in there and doing your job. You all did great. I did follow through on my promise, I did not send you any bad news, or anything to stress you out even more. I would never put any of my sons or daughters through any of that ever, especially knowing that it would stress you out even more to put your own life in jeopardy.
I just want to let you know first off, I am very proud of you. I also would want you to know that anytime during your lifetime and mine and even after life, I will always be there for you. I love you tremendously and whatever choices you make in life, I will be behind you. No matter what they are, as long as they are good choices. You have come home from this tour more mature than when you left. And now that you are home, you will come to realize what is around you. I am so glad that you are able to reconnect with your family. And of course, I am so glad that you are able to get to know your new addition to the family as well. Liberty is such a joy to all of us. I am thankful to you for bringing her out to the house so I too can finally enjoy her as a grandchild and to make that bond with her.
Most of all, I want you to sit and think about what you wish to do out of life now that you are about to become a citizen again. Figure out what your goals are in life, and most of all go and get those goals, meet them like you are a force to be reckoned with, but make sure you make them goals that only you want, not what everyone else wants for you. You have many doors open for your future. Follow them and make those doors stay open. I am very proud of you and love you very much indeed.
Dana, you are about ready to embark yet one more time on another tour of duty over to Iraq. I applaud you as well and give you many kudos as well. I want you to realize that while you are over in Iraq this time. Yes, I will be with you in spirits as I always am with any of you kids. You too have many things going for you, and when you come home I am not sure how long it will be, but I will be expecting to hear from you as soon as your boots hit the United States soil. Please do not be afraid to call home to let me know you are here. I am aware that both you boys are married men now, you both have families, but I want both of you boys to remember you two still have family here too. Your mother, me, your sister, your grandpa who is your dad as well, your extended family all over the United States. We are all behind you and your fellow Marines. And of course, we are all behind all of the soldiers all over the U.S. You are all a fine bunch of “men.” May God bless you all. My heart is with you all the way.
Dana, you have never had to pull me over to tell me not to send any bad news to you while over in Iraq, but I am making this my promise to you now, I will never ever put your life in jeopardy to stress you out over these mediocre things going on at home. Like I told your brother, if you ever wish to know anything, you can ask me face to face, and I will tell you the truth, but only when you are home and safe.
Both of you boys and all of your Marines have been through so much over in Iraq. I support you all, but I want all of you to come home. I feel you all, the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy as well as all of the reservists and National Guard have done more than your share of work over there. Now it is time fore the Iraqis to stand up and take care of their own country. I am so tired of hearing on the news of all the lost young lives we as the United States and the coalition have had to endure. It is time for you all to come home and take care of us now. Dana, you have told me before that you would love to be in law enforcement. I applaud you for that, of course I will because my side of the family has law enforcement in it. Good luck and I really hope you get what you wish for. I am so darn proud of you as well and of course I want you to know I love you very much.
Thank you very much for serving your country.
I also want to thank all the other kids I know as well, Mitch Little, Jason Peters, Corey Hanson, the late and great adopted son, Brad Wentz, and of course the late and great Bobby Dixon. I did not know Bobby personally, but I applaud all of you kids and many more I have not mentioned. My heart goes out to the Dixon family. I wish I could take some of your pain away; if I could I would do it in a heartbeat. I have lots of room in this old heart of mine for all of the young men serving our country. I support you all. Thank you for everything.
Maureen Mattice
Gladwin
Ellie
Gladwin County Record
Last updated: Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 11:54:56 AM
To my sons:
Back in 2006, I wrote a letter in this paper thanking you both for becoming the fine young men you are in this world today. I would like to do it once again.
You both have been over in Iraq serving your country. Pete, you have just finished up your second tour, and I am hoping that this is the last tour of duty for you. I applaud you tremendously for the fine work you have done as a participating citizen of this great United States of America. You have seen a lot and accomplished a lot while over in Iraq. You have seen things a human being should not ever wish to see, and you also have done a lot that you wish you would not have had to do.
We, as a family unit, have been through a tremendous amount of stress and, wow, has it really made my hair grow gray as well as add a few more wrinkles to my face. Something I wish I would not have had to deal with, but that is minor compared to what all you had to endure. As your mother, I want to tell you I am very proud of you indeed. The week before you left for Iraq the second time, I remember you taking me out to the parking lot in Glen’s after work and having conversation with me. In that conversation, you made me promise to you that I would not write to you or let you know of anything bad or stressful going on at home. Well, you got your promise, and you know that I will never ever go back on my word to any of you kids.
When you asked me that, I wondered why my own son would ever have to ask me to promise this. As you, all of people knew, I would never do that to you. Little did I know, at that time, the amount of stress and the amount of hurt that I was about to face. My nerves were shot basically, I apologize to all of my coworkers and as well as my bosses for letting that stress show, but I think the most hurtful things I had to endure was to hear of and to see all the bad things you and your unit had to endure.
The most hurtful thing the first time was when one or your Marines, Andrew Love, was injured in action over there. It was the most awful day in my life as a key volunteer leader to have to get out of work to go home to contact his mother and to console her and try to help her through the pain she was in. Just to walk in that parking lot from work at Glen’s, and try to get in my car to make that call was horrific. It seems as if someone was there to meet me with some other mediocre problem of their own which made no sense to me, but certainly was a priority to them. By the time I had gotten home to make the call, I must admit, due to uncontrollable circumstances, I was not sure if I could pull myself together to make that call, but I did and thank goodness today, he is recovering with the love of his family. Your unit has endured an awful lot of hardships this tour over to Iraq.
You were put in the center of Fallujah, a place in which, as a mother, I would never wish any of my sons, or any of you young men have to go. But I applaud you highly for sticking it out, and for your unit hanging in there and doing your job. You all did great. I did follow through on my promise, I did not send you any bad news, or anything to stress you out even more. I would never put any of my sons or daughters through any of that ever, especially knowing that it would stress you out even more to put your own life in jeopardy.
I just want to let you know first off, I am very proud of you. I also would want you to know that anytime during your lifetime and mine and even after life, I will always be there for you. I love you tremendously and whatever choices you make in life, I will be behind you. No matter what they are, as long as they are good choices. You have come home from this tour more mature than when you left. And now that you are home, you will come to realize what is around you. I am so glad that you are able to reconnect with your family. And of course, I am so glad that you are able to get to know your new addition to the family as well. Liberty is such a joy to all of us. I am thankful to you for bringing her out to the house so I too can finally enjoy her as a grandchild and to make that bond with her.
Most of all, I want you to sit and think about what you wish to do out of life now that you are about to become a citizen again. Figure out what your goals are in life, and most of all go and get those goals, meet them like you are a force to be reckoned with, but make sure you make them goals that only you want, not what everyone else wants for you. You have many doors open for your future. Follow them and make those doors stay open. I am very proud of you and love you very much indeed.
Dana, you are about ready to embark yet one more time on another tour of duty over to Iraq. I applaud you as well and give you many kudos as well. I want you to realize that while you are over in Iraq this time. Yes, I will be with you in spirits as I always am with any of you kids. You too have many things going for you, and when you come home I am not sure how long it will be, but I will be expecting to hear from you as soon as your boots hit the United States soil. Please do not be afraid to call home to let me know you are here. I am aware that both you boys are married men now, you both have families, but I want both of you boys to remember you two still have family here too. Your mother, me, your sister, your grandpa who is your dad as well, your extended family all over the United States. We are all behind you and your fellow Marines. And of course, we are all behind all of the soldiers all over the U.S. You are all a fine bunch of “men.” May God bless you all. My heart is with you all the way.
Dana, you have never had to pull me over to tell me not to send any bad news to you while over in Iraq, but I am making this my promise to you now, I will never ever put your life in jeopardy to stress you out over these mediocre things going on at home. Like I told your brother, if you ever wish to know anything, you can ask me face to face, and I will tell you the truth, but only when you are home and safe.
Both of you boys and all of your Marines have been through so much over in Iraq. I support you all, but I want all of you to come home. I feel you all, the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy as well as all of the reservists and National Guard have done more than your share of work over there. Now it is time fore the Iraqis to stand up and take care of their own country. I am so tired of hearing on the news of all the lost young lives we as the United States and the coalition have had to endure. It is time for you all to come home and take care of us now. Dana, you have told me before that you would love to be in law enforcement. I applaud you for that, of course I will because my side of the family has law enforcement in it. Good luck and I really hope you get what you wish for. I am so darn proud of you as well and of course I want you to know I love you very much.
Thank you very much for serving your country.
I also want to thank all the other kids I know as well, Mitch Little, Jason Peters, Corey Hanson, the late and great adopted son, Brad Wentz, and of course the late and great Bobby Dixon. I did not know Bobby personally, but I applaud all of you kids and many more I have not mentioned. My heart goes out to the Dixon family. I wish I could take some of your pain away; if I could I would do it in a heartbeat. I have lots of room in this old heart of mine for all of the young men serving our country. I support you all. Thank you for everything.
Maureen Mattice
Gladwin
Ellie