My son, at war

Commonweal, August 13, 2004 by Sue Hinchee

I found "My Son, the Soldier" (July 16) to be eerily familiar. Our son is also stationed in Iraq. When we do not hear from him, we know that it is because he is either engaged in combat or on a mission--or because someone in his unit has been killed. So we wait patiently for word from him or from a "casualty assistance officer." He told us once that he would like to share more with us, but it is not possible because of security reasons. As a result, he and many of his fellow soldiers are unable to engage in a meaningful dialog with the outside world about the war, world affairs, or even the upcoming election.

SUE HINCHEE

Welsh, La.