I just got something in email that made me cry. This does not happen very often, but I guess this hits home. I have no idea who the author is, but I thought that I would reproduce it here.

My husband served in the Marine Corps for 5 years, and his brother works with the Air Force Pararescue training for Anti-Terrorism. He's been very busy lately, as you can imagine.

Here's a copy of what I got...

"To everyone who reads this I want you to join me in praying for the people that are victims of the terror of September 11th, 2001.

"I am a military wife. I serve my country in the shadow of my husband as do many military spouses. We are all sitting at home trying to make the world for our children as "normal" as possible, while living the nightmare that we live in the back of our minds. I sit here and listen to all the world scream for a military strike.

"These same people don't want the military to get money for equipment, housing or pay. Yet, they want my husband and many other young men and women to fight and die. To face the faceless enemy that they themselves won't fight.

"To all wo read my thoughts I want you to know. I have prayed all day. Not just for my husband or the other military personnel, but for all the world and the horror to come.

"No one knows like military spouses the fear that I feel today. I have to make my children strong and be strong for them. I have to cry my sorrow after they have gone to bed.

"So many Americans just say fight without knowing who is doing the fighting. I want you to know that it is the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, wives... we are the faceless people who give more than anyone in the world will ever understand.

"You say fight. Okay. You say defend. We do. You say protect. We do that too.

"When you go to bed at night say a prayer and ask God to protect the millitary persons fighting for you freedom. When your government asks how to spend money, ask for pay raises for the soldiers that have to work extra jobs to stay off welfare.

"I only ask today for prayers. My husband goes off tonight to protect and defend. I keep watch til his return. If you really want to show you care pray for peace, not revenge.

"I am sending this to everyone I know. To all the military spurses. Add your thoughts to this and pass it on. I also pray that as you read this that you are spared the pain of losing someone in this and if you aren't thenI pray for God to comfort you in this time of need.

"God bless and protect you all."

It's true. My husband's rank saved us from the "ghetto" part of the base where most of our friends lived. Our ceiling didn't cave in in the baby's room. Our wall and floor didn't separate and I didn't have to shove paper towels and anything else that I could find into the cracks in the dead of winter to keep my infant son warm and somewhat free from drafts that would make him sick like some of my best friends had to do. I hope to God that the other branches of service provide better housing to thier members than the Marine Corps Headquarters in Quantico, VA does. So many of our friends are or were on welfare. They can't feed their children. How can you pay the bills on what you make as an E-2 or E-3?

These were just some of the reasons that my husband decided that when we start a family, the Marine Corps is not the place for us to do it. I have a great admiration for those wives that are able to...I was one of two wives that did not have kids. Out of my husband's whole unit.

I know for a fact that housing is better on other bases. We used to drive 20 miles North to go get our groceries on the Army base, they were cheaper and their commissary was about 10 times better.

I'll get off my soapbox now. But if I can't write about it here, where will I???

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