‘Families Needed to Hear That’

Speaking to Marines, sailors and their families Thursday, President Bush said exactly what Alicia Simmons wanted to hear when he acknowledged the nation’s gratitude for the “tremendous sacrifices” made by military families.

“All the families needed to hear that,” said Simmons, whose husband, Marine Capt. Bryan Simmons, is still in Iraq. “So many people seem to think the war is over, but it’s not, not for us. It’s good to know we’re being supported.”

“We get frustrated when people say the war is over,” said Marsha Pacatte, whose husband is Capt. Bill Pacatte. “I tell them, ‘If the war is over, where’s my husband?’ ”

And even for those family members whose loved ones have returned home, there remains apprehension over the future -- a fact acknowledged by Bush, who called this “a challenging time for military families.”

The rising death toll among U.S. troops in Iraq was a cause for concern among troops and family members who assembled on the tarmac at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to hear the president.

“During the last year our [military] families and our military have met hardships and met them together,” Bush said. “You’ve supported and looked out for one another. You’ve been strong and faithful to the people you love.”

Most of the Marines attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based here have returned from Iraq.

“It [the war] seemed to have ended, but now it seems to be starting again,” said Kim Swift, whose husband, Cpl. Chris Swift, recently returned from Iraq. “It makes us all worry.”

“Civilian families have no idea what it’s like not to know when your husband might be called back to war,” said Andrea Amente, whose husband, Lance Cpl. Giorgio Amente, returned in late June, just in time for the birth of their first child.

Although reporters may have hoped for Bush to discuss the California gubernatorial recall campaign -- a topic he avoided -- military family members appeared to want reassurance.

“We believe we’re doing the right thing,” said Kim Hardina, whose husband is Capt. Anthony Hardina. “It’s good to hear the president emphasize that. It keeps us going.”

But even with gratitude and reassurance, the uncertainty remains.

“You deal with it, you stay strong,” said Jennifer Ryder. “You know that they could be called at any time. Last time, we got a call on Saturday and he was gone by Monday. It could happen again.”

“We’re only a phone call away,” said her husband, Lance Cpl. William Ryder.

Still, it is a matter of pride with Marine Corps families that there has been little critical comment in public among Marine spouses -- as has been attributed to some family members of Army personnel sent to Iraq.

“I think it’s because our lives are so different,” said Lorie Burton, whose husband, Major Russ Burton, is in Iraq. “For Army families, deployment is a new thing. For Marines, it’s a way of life; our husbands are always being deployed.”

Said another Marine spouse: “It’s an old saying: Marines are only allowed to complain to their wives, and Marine wives aren’t allowed to complain at all.”