Those Left Behind Are Part of Effort

The article titled “I Miss You” (Sept. 25) reminded me of my mother’s stories. My father was a Navy doctor who served in World War II and Korea. He spent three years at sea in WWII and one year or so in Korea.

I’ll never forget the tales she tells of what she would and wouldn’t say in letters to my dad. One thing she said was never done: Don’t pass along bad news. Why? What can a guy 10,000 miles from home with no access to a phone do when he gets this letter seven to 10 days after the fact?

I was married during the last nine years of my 21 in the Army. I’ll never forget the consternation letters like this from my wife caused me. Phone calls, when a wife starts crying, can turn from a morale booster to a total bummer in a split second, and it stays with you for days.

One thing they should teach service wives from Day One: You’re separated and it’s too bad, but don’t make things worse in your letters and calls. How many times is there a crisis, you write a letter and mail it, only to find that in a day or so the crisis is over? Meanwhile, a week later, your GI gets your frantic letter and is going crazy trying to contact you to find out what’s going on.

A GI with good morale is an asset to his unit. He can concentrate on his job and, in critical situations, is not distracted. Those left behind should remember that they are part of the effort too. This means ensuring that you make positive contributions to the mental and emotional health of your troop.

MICHAEL V. STRATTON

LTC, U.S. Army, retired