He’s our only child. I am afraid for my son. I don’t want to lose him, but I can’t do anything with his decision,
*** This was the fear expressed by a Filipino American mother whose 23-year-old son has been deployed in Iraq for sometime now. Annie Lantin Stuart bared her fears that something might befall her only son, Benson, in a recent chat with Manila Mail columnist Jon Melegrito. (See Melegrito’s column “our Town,” Jan. 15 issue of the Manila Mail.)
***
Today, there are many other Filipino American Annies in the United States who are daily praying for the
safety of their sons or daughters who are in harms way in the battlefields of Iraq and
Afghanistan Many young men and women have made their decision to join the
military out of patriotism. Others have joined because of the benefits that
they could obtain once they are out of the military. While parents are afraid,
they are also proud that their sons are doing their share in the war against
terrorism.
***
More than a dozen Filipino American men and women have already made the
ultimate sacrifice. Many more are in military hospitals recuperating from
wounds sustained in these two war fronts.
***
What is remarkable about Benson who was born in the Philippines, is
his desire, like many other young Filipino American men and women, to
contribute his share to a war which unfortunately is increasingly becoming
unpopular among the majority of Americans.
***
What has the Filipino American community done to support these brave
soldiers and their parents? As far as is known there is none. There’s no active
support groups to extend spiritual or material support to these brave men and
women in uniform and their parents who have to go through these fears every day
that their sons are deployed in the Iraq
and Afghanistan
war theatres.
***
Two years ago there was a group in the area which prepared CARE packages
for some Filipino American soldiers in Iraq. This was done only because a
relative of one a community leader was in Iraq. It is time for Filipino
American organizations, regardless of whether or not they support or oppose the
war, to give their support to the Filam soldiers and their parents by
continuing with the CARE packages program.
