Danielle Pelkey is the office manager for The North Jefferson News. She can be reached at daniellet@njeffersonnews.com or by phone at 631-8716.

By Danielle Pelkey

The North Jefferson News



It’s Independence Day and I just want everyone to know how much that I love America.

That’s right, I love it!

So many people have given up their lives and the lives of their family members in order for us to enjoy this freedom that we have.

I have a dear friend, Jeff Deutsch, that is serving our country right now in Tikrit, Iraq. He is a chaplain’s assistant.

When he went into the military we encouraged him to do everything that he could to be his best, and he has. He wanted to be an “airborne preacher” and that’s exactly what he is.

Jeff has even made the rank of specialist, which makes me swell up with pride for him.

So far he has not encountered any hard combat. I pray for his safety daily.

I also have a brother-in-law that is fighting in Afghanistan, Jason Williams. He is one crazy guy.

The funny thing about soldiers is that they are just normal guys that have taken on the responsibility of our nation. They come home, play with their families, play jokes on their friends and kiss their mamas when they leave.

The difference is that when they leave for work, they may be gone for years and there is absolutely no guarantee of their return.

Jason has been in combat in the past month. He actually had an incident when he had to fire his weapon. This is what they are trained to do, but just like any of us, there was fear involved.

I pray for these boys a lot. I can’t imagine what they go through on a daily basis.

Another thing that I can’t imagine is being a wife or mother that had to kiss your loved one goodbye as they leave for war.

As a mother, it would just break your heart. As a wife, it would also put a huge burden on you.

My husband, Todd, served in the Marines until he was released on an honorable medical discharge. I hate to say it, but I’m relieved to know that he won’t be having to leave for any foreign soil. I’m just not as strong as the women who handle it on a daily basis.

I know a few wives of military personnel and they have a really tough road to walk. They raise the kids as a single parent until their spouse comes back.

Thank God for the Internet and e-mail. This is a way for these families to communicate instead of through the mail systems. I would encourage you to make contact with any soldier that you know.

I try to e-mail Jeff about once a month at least. These guys aren’t always able to return your e-mails as quickly as we can because of time in the field, but I know that it must mean so much to them just to know that you are thinking about them and praying for them.

Speaking of praying for them, I know prayers prayed for our soldiers are not in vain. I have another friend, Jeremy, who was working in Iraq. A bomb came through his actual tent but didn’t explode.

That was the grace of God, but more than that, through this incident, he received the Lord as his savior. That is even more grace.

So your prayers are not in vain and these soldiers are out there fighting for you. Don’t forget them when you go through your day to day life.

So when you and your family are cooking out today and laughing about what you saw on television last night, remember to say a heartfelt prayer for the soldiers that are fighting for the freedom that you are enjoying at that very moment.

You never know, your prayer could save their lives.