Brave little soldiers and hero mommies!

I received my latest issue of The American Legion yesterday. Didn't get a chance to read it until this morning while having breakfast. An article that caught my eye and made me cry was titled: Hug-a-Hero dolls comfort kids of the deployed. This is a must read for anyone who proudly supports our troops, whether they be here working at home or deployed overseas. The official website is www.daddydolls.com.

The wives of two Marines developed the idea of making fabric dolls with the printed picture of their husbands in uniform so their ill children could still have daddy to hug while he was deployed. What a wonderful idea. What touched my heart was the photo with this article of the 4 year old receiving chemotherapy holding her 'daddy doll'. I remember so well the dependent children I cared for while working in the military hospitals when I was stationed around the country at various Army posts. Military families are special. Their children are special. They must endure many hardships and sometimes never know when a parent or spouse must leave for a length of time to serve overseas. It's what they choose to do but they do it selflessly and proudly. It's something civilians will never understand. To this day I still feel the tug of my 'military family' and remember fondly the many great opportunities and experiences I had while in uniform.