Soldier’s return a much-welcomed sight

When your front page story of the Bravo Company 1/133 Ironman Battalion deploying appeared last year, I was so moved, emotionally, by the accompanying picture: then-Pvt. Andrew Anderson hugging his son Jackson, age 2, goodbye.

His intense look of sadness and anxiety on leaving his young son struck such a cord with me. I cut the picture out and posted it on my refrigerator for all to see. When asked if I knew the man and his son, I would tell them no, but it will stay on there until I know he is home safely with his son.

We all need to put ourselves in the boots of the families deployed and what they go through every day without their loved ones. Every day I would look at that picture and pray for the safe return of our soldiers.

I was about to contact The Gazette to see if they knew whether Spc. Anderson was one of the returning soldiers this week when I opened the Tuesday newspaper to see the picture with Anderson and his son smiling at each other. The looks on their faces and the son's hand touching his daddy's cheek say so much to me.

Thank you for publishing this story and picture, and thank God so many came home these past weeks. God bless America and keep our troops safe.

Janice Carson

Cedar Rapids