The newly formed Albany chapter of Blue Star Mothers met for the first time last week. Led by Kay Moody and Darlene Ward, the meeting attracted about 30 people describing themselves as mothers, fathers, aunts, cousins and friends of servicemen and women from the Capital District.
After getting the word out through friends and local newspapers, Moody said the response has been unbelievable.
She said she recently received a phone call from an older man who had read about the group, He just wanted to talk — talk about his grandson.
And that was fine by Moody, who said the Blue Star Mothers is primarily a support group for families with sons and daughters in the military. The nonpolitical group also works to send care packages to servicemen and women, to raise public awareness, and `to show honor and respect for our kids,` said Moody.
Loretta Hall learned about Blue Star Mothers from a girlfriend who is also a Navy veteran. Hall has two sons on active duty, both in the Army: Russell, 25, who is presently in Germany between tours in Iraq, and Ross, 22, who is in Iraq now.
`I can’t stop the war, but the least we can do is support our kids,` said Hall.
Hall came to the meeting because she said she wants to do anything she can to show support for the troops. She gets news from her sons via e-mail, though not as often as she would like. Her younger son’s messages, limited as they are, often include a request for something from home.
The goals of the meeting were to discuss upcoming activities, like putting together care packages — called Freedom Boxes — and marching in the Bethlehem Memorial Day Parade. Other suggestions were to organize a welcome home group for returning servicemen and women at the airport and volunteering at Fisher House, which provides lodging for the families of wounded veterans close to Stratton VA hospital in Albany.
The Nathaniel Adams Blanchard American Legion Post, which provided use of its banquet room, added appropriate atmosphere to the meeting. One wall carries photos of young men in uniform; the photos are in black and white or sepia-toned. A second wall is festooned with banners representing the service branches of the United States military.
For the last item on the agenda, everyone in the room introduced themselves. They spoke of their sons, ranging from 19 to 25, in the Army, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, and the Navy. Several were between tours, stationed at bases around the world, from Texas to Germany to Okinawa. Tours are mostly in Iraq, but Afghanistan and Korea were also represented.
As the introductions continued, connections were made among group members whose loved ones were in the same service branch or stationed at the same base. Quickly sketched stories revealed much, like the woman whose son is in intelligence and can’t tell her what he’s doing ` for the first time in his life.
E-mail is wonderful, said another mother, except when it suddenly stops. `Talk about not knowing. It’s hard,` she said.
`We want to make this a small enough group ` no matter how big we get ` that we feel comfortable,` said Moody.
Emotions were held, but evident nonetheless. There was a very strong sense that the people who came don’t have a place to share their concerns in their everyday lives. These moms (and dads) are simply trying to keep track of their children.
`It will be so great to have a group where we can help each other out,` one woman said, underlining the need for reassurance in times of uncertainty.
`As a mother, you want to know where your children are,` said Ward. `Right now, I know he’s safe. But when he’s deployed,` she said, leaving her thought unfinished. `It’s the not knowing.`
The next meeting of the Blue Star Mothers will be 6 p.m. Monday, March 19 at the American Legion Post at 15 W. Poplar Drive in Delmar. For information, write to Capital Region 2 Blue Star Mothers of America, PO Box 243, Delmar, 12054, or call 439-5784.
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