Two Capital District mothers with sons in the military have come together to support other area moms with children in the service by forming a local chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America.
Kay Moody and Darlene Ward are co-presidents of the Albany Chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America. Members of the group, which was conceived during World War II by a former Army captain, hang blue stars on the windows of their homes, signifying their support for the men and women in the military. They also raise money to send care packages to people in the service and provide a host of support and activities for military personnel and their families.
I heard about the group online and originally wanted to begin a chapter in Bethlehem, said Moody, who lives in Glenmont.
Moody said the response has been so great that the new chapter quickly became an area Blue Star group.
`I receive pages and pages of e-mails with moms pouring their hearts out, and they say finally someone is willing to listen to them,` said Moody.
Moody’s son Jeff, 19, is stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., as part of the Army’s 101st Air-borne, nicknamed `Screaming Eagles.`
`My husband is an Army veteran, but we worry about our kids,` said Moody. `I’m proud of him.`
Moody said many of the moms who respond have loved ones serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.
`I received a letter from a Glenmont woman who has a daughter in Iraq and a son in Afghanistan,` said Moody.
Darlene Ward also has a 19-year-old son in the military. George Ward is currently stationed at Camp LeJuene in North Carolina with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, also known for their gallantry as `The Walking Dead.`
`George has talked about this as long as I can remember,` said Ward, whose father was a Navy veteran.
`He grew up more in the past few months in the Marines then most kids do in five years,’ said Ward.
George Ward will receive a 10-day leave before he is deployed in the fall. His mother already has a Blue Star banner hanging in her window and a Blue Star sticker for her car.
`Nobody likes the war, but we need to put our political beliefs aside and support the troops,` said Ward.
Ward said driving by the Four Corners in Delmar on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. can be especially difficult for her and other Blue Star Mothers. That is when Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, an anti-war group, gathers to protest the war in Iraq.
`It is very difficult for me to drive by and not say anything,` said Ward.
`They think they are supporting the troops, but the negative publicity actually harms them,` Ward said.
The first official chapter meeting of the local chapter of Blue Star Mothers will be held Monday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Nathaniel Adams Blanchard American Legion Post at 16 W. Poplar Drive, Delmar. One item up for discussion will be marching in the Bethlehem Memorial Day parade in the spring.
For information, write to Capital Region 2 Blue Star Mothers of America, P.O. Box 243, Delmar, 12054.“