Tips for supporting our troops

To the editor:

I must also respond to the column that was published April 23 by Rachelle Haughn. I can understand how she feels. Not that I agree with her, but I was at the same place she is now.

We have a wonderful Military Support Group right here in Portland that everyone is welcome to attend. They meet on the second Thursday of each month at the Jay County Library at 6 p.m.

The group is helpful whether you have a son or a daughter, brother, sister, cousin, friend or just know someone that has family leaving for the military and want to know how to help them through this difficult time. Maybe they are just leaving for boot camp, being deployed, returning from deployment or even being discharged.

This is a great group of people that can explain things, find out information for you, or just listen to how you feel. I strongly urge Rachelle to attend and maybe it would help her deal with her feelings.

I am sure that the recent events of the Marine's funeral and the Bronze Star Ceremony that she attended have quite a bit to do with her not knowing what to say.

But you would not tell someone who is on chemo about someone who has lost the battle with cancer.

We wrote letters every week while our Marine was in boot camp. We would tell him about things going on here at home, talk about graduation, encourage him to hang in there and be supportive and tell him how much we loved and missed him. I even sent him a letter from the dog and cat!

But we also feared that he may not make it through boot camp and how that would affect him to have his dreams crushed. What would happen to him then?

When we received a letter back (which was far and few between because they were busy training and were tired so letter writing is not a priority) we would be so relieved to hear how it was going.

He would also tell us that some of the guys in his unit never got mail.

So write him. You are a writer what is the problem? Trust in God to help you and give him your love and support. Did he try to talk you out of your career or life choices?

As far as why they volunteer to enlist on their own, Andrew's answer was always, "If I go someone else wouldn't have to," and "some people shouldn't have a gun in their hands."

We were so proud of him and still are and also of all the men and women that have enlisted and of those that have re-upped. At least they made the choice to join and weren't drafted.

Really, what jobs are out there that are secure these days?

God Bless America and support our troops!

Norma Whitacre

Bryant (stepmother of

Lance Cpl. Andrew Whitacre)

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