LOL well Chatty I have a T-Shirt that I can wear that says:

SOMEONE LOVES ME THAT CAN ACCURATELY shoot an M-16 at 800 YARDS....

lol, don't ya love it?!

My youngest son qualified as a sharp shooter and they asked him to train as a sniper (my heart hurt) I was also VERY sorry that I took my boys out to the desert to teach them how to shoot guns!.. (first time I was sorry for telling my son throughout his life to DO anything you want to and don't stop living your dreams (he now wants to be on a S.W.A.T team) I am kidding about being sorry but ya know what I mean.

Lynnie- My nephew is in the Marines and his wife and two kids are waiting for him over in Germany. He got injured over in Iraq, went to the hospital over in Germany and after he healed from his base being bombed, they sent him right on back to Baghdad...
My niece Jennifer just graduated basic training for the NAVY.

My boys are my oldest, in the Airforce and is also a Firefighter, he has been to Afghanistan and back! (his unit went over to help in the rescue of Jessica Lynch) oh my I was worried after that.(hush hush stuff)

then two of them are in the Army, one a cook and the other is construction.

I hug all of them too when I see them in public too!
I ask first but none of them has told me no yet!

It makes me cry too and when someone comes home near us, I always go to either greet them (some come home with injuries) or they come home to be buried. We have some happy homecomings at our unit too.!
One good thing about a small town is that when our guys come home, we line the streets with flags and go to the park and party! It is so neat!

thanks for asking! I am so VERY PROUD of all of them as this is a REALLY tough time!

Nancy

Dee, thank you for the stories about your son and stepson. You brought tears to my eyes. Very proud tears. You've raised some wonderful men.

Everyone, your words mean so much to me. I am proud, very proud that my son wants to serve his country by joining the military.

He has been having discussions with his dad and oldest sister and they are trying to convice him to join the Coast Guard and go into firefighting through them. He still hasn't made up his mind. He has a while still to think about it. He doesn't want to make any decisions until after the first of the year, when he gets his lasik surgery on his eyes. He doesn't want to go into the military having to wear glasses. He currently wears contacts but thinks that would be too inconvenient as well. I'm glad that he's taking his time and thinking about all the consequences and being smart about it.

I've told him how proud I am of him and that I'll support any decision he makes. I told him I love him so much. He's grown up so much.

Vicki,
Your son is lucky to have you as his Mother. Everything will be fine. The Coast Guard is wonderful from what I hear. I was living in Gulfport Mississippi and there was a small group of Coast Guard there...wow, what brave men and what a responsiblity. Good luck and my prayers are with you and your family.

Dotsie, thank you for the sweet comments about my boys...They're amazing men.

JJ...wow, 13 battles? Holy cow!!! Your father's chest must be full of medals! Bless him.