When I Deployed To Iraq, My Mom Fought Her Own War At Home

When I deployee to Vietnam, my mom's life went on as usual. When I returned from Vietnam, my mom's life continued as usual. There was no fanfare. There was no "Welcome home son." She had even thrown out the letters I sent home from Vietnam. When I asked her why, she said "Well I had already read them. I didn't think about keeping them." Yes, my feelings are still hurt. I wasn't asked any questions about my tour. I wasn't asked anything. Now to the real,story.

When I returned home from Iraq in 2004, I realized the sacrifices my mother made as a single parent watching her son go off to war.
Unlike the parents of fallen U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, my mother was blessed with the opportunity to see her son return from Iraq in 2004. She has always considered herself one of the fortunate military parents.