My purpose is not to scare anyone, but just to relate my story.  The entire year that my son was in Iraq was a nightmare for me.  Not only was my baby in a place I could never visit, he was in physical danger that I couldn't control.  My feelings of helplessness grew everyday and nearly led to a full out breakdown.  My friends, I was at a picnic with ponies and clowns compared to his surroundings over there.  He was a weatherman and was one of the safest guys there because of that.  He sat in his hummer weather station and told the officers when the weather was right for which weapons and  (well he never gave me details) stuff about the cloud formation and coverage and well you get the idea.  He left a vibrant, enthusiastic, gung-ho young man.  He came back a seasoned and somber old man. His hair  line was noticeably receding with grey throughout.  He had a back injury which later earned him an honorable medical discharge, and memories that no one should be subjected to. He got home to receive their tax return.  His wife took  all the money,(a tidy little sum) and  needed a vacation after spending all this time alone with the baby.  SHE NEEDED A VACATION!  The first week she was gone he received a certified letter from the wife of the man she was having an affair with, telling him all the gory details.  There he sat with his small child, no money, 700 miles away from family and visions of his buddy dying next to him during gunfire with the enemy......walking to the hummer.  That is story of this war through this mother's eyes.  Tragic.