# I do NOT want to be a Gold Star mom **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2007, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040 "2007-01-07T09:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/1 "2007-01-07T09:56:07Z")
To those who don’t know what I mean, [Gold Star](http://www.goldstarmoms.com/agsm/Home/index.htm) moms are those who have lost a child in combat. My stepson ships out to Iraq in a week or less. Yes, he’s fully trained. Yes, he’s Billy Badass in person. Yes, I’d hate to meet him in a dark alley. But. Any and all prayers, best wishes, good karma, we could use it all right now. It’s going to be a long 14 months until his return. Thanx, 90 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/2 "2007-01-07T09:58:08Z")
You’ve definitely got my hopes and best wishes that your stepson returns to you safely, **NinetyWt**. And all the very best to you and your family during this time. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/3 "2007-01-07T10:03:13Z")
Thank you so kindly, **Ice Wolf**. He also just got married and his wife is living with us. So, there’s two blubbery wimmens here ha. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/4 "2007-01-07T10:07:11Z")
He’s just got married! Oh, gosh, that’s worse still! Poor you _and_ his wife! Please add on long-distance hug from NZ to my post. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/5 "2007-01-07T11:12:38Z")
::Sending all good thoughts, best wishes, and fervent prayers:: ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/6 "2007-01-07T11:27:56Z")
thinking safe thoughts your son’s way ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/7 "2007-01-07T12:36:04Z")
Here’s hoping that he makes it home safe and sound. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/8 "2007-01-07T12:52:20Z")
My best hopes for your stepson’s safe return as well. A good friend of my son’s leaves for a second tour as an MP in Tikrit today, about as vulnerable a location as I can think of. We’ve already lost one young man, another friend of my son’s, to Bush’s arrogance, and nobody here wants to go to another funeral. Let’s all hope for, and most of all work for, a rapid end to the madness. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/9 "2007-01-07T14:38:13Z")
Another vote for keeping your son safe. Tell him to make sure he keeps his head and ass down at all times, and only smoke during the daytime (or indoors at night). What’s he do? What branch is he in? Tripler Me? Air Force ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/10 "2007-01-07T15:03:35Z")
I am praying for your son’s safe return. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/11 "2007-01-07T15:12:04Z")
Tell him to practice ducking. 😃 If he or any of his buddies want, or need, care packages or a friendly e mail, I would be happy to pitch in a help or write or whatever. Look at it this way, any son of the Queen of Lubricants is bound to be too slippery to get caught in an ambush. Thinking good thoughts and keeping my fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/12 "2007-01-07T15:39:13Z")
Good luck to your boy, **NinetyWt**. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/13 "2007-01-07T15:57:11Z")
Prayers and good wishes on their way, for him as well as you and your family. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/14 "2007-01-07T17:24:21Z")
Wishes for his safe return, and thanks for his service. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/15 "2007-01-07T19:26:46Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] What’s he do? What branch is he in? Tripler Me? Air Force [/QUOTE] Good advice. Yes, I remembered that you were in the AF. He’s a brand-new Marine; he’s in Infantry; their specialty is explosives. He recently got a special license to operate some kind of 7-ton truck. Thanks all for the kind words - Rick, that’s a nice thought; we will have to see where he ends up first. Here’s a [couple](http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/NinetyWt/Pic0016.jpg) of [photos](http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/NinetyWt/scan.jpg) of him. The people in the graduation photo are: his cousin, his sister, my Hubby (his dad) and his uncle. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/16 "2007-01-07T20:12:13Z")
May whatever gods there be, go with him and bring him back safely. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/17 "2007-01-07T21:53:14Z")
May he return safely. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/18 "2007-01-08T00:50:46Z")
I’m with you, sister. My son just left this weekend, too. He’s a Navy Hospital Corpsman who works with Marines. Tell you what, you pray (or whatever) for mine and I’ll be sure to send good thoughts to yours (as I do for all of them, all the time). Is your guy with the MEU that just left out of Camp LeJeune? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/19 "2007-01-08T02:25:56Z")
[QUOTE=Jess] you pray (or whatever) for mine and I’ll be sure to send good thoughts to yours (as I do for all of them, all the time). Is your guy with the MEU that just left out of Camp LeJeune? [/QUOTE] Will do. His bunch leaves Camp LeJeune sometime during the week of 14th - thru 20th. So he’s right on the heels of that MEU. Funny aside: to tease him I say "Remember, the Navy OWNS the Marine Corps ". My dad was Navy. Good luck to your son, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040/20 "2007-01-08T03:33:57Z")
Just remember, when he comes home, you visit on the _second_ night. 😉 Thank your son for his service, and you and your daughter in law keep busy. And don’t watch much news. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-be-a-gold-star-mom/387040.md?page=2)