By Oscar Halpert
Enterprise editor
In a few weeks, Susan Crisafulli will see her son, Daniel, again. He's returning from Iraq, where he's served in the U.S. Army since 2004, most recently, at a base in Baquba, fighting in a war that began with the U.S. invasion of March 2003.
For much of those four years, the Lake Forest Park woman has sought and received emotional support from the local chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America, an organization that got its start during WWII and is open to mothers with children in the military."
"There needs to be more community awareness of our returning veterans and
more out there for them," said Merinda Mullins, chapter president. Her group has
nearly 50 members who pay $10 a year in dues. Others, like McKinney, who doesn't
have a child in the military, can join as associate members.
There are a lot of organizations that want to tag-team with us," Terwedo told the members. "People want to know what they can do for X amount of dollars. You don't get it if you don't ask for it."Aaron Terwedo graduated from Cascade High School in Everett and enlisted at age 20. His mom says he'd wanted to be a police officer very early -- in his teens -- but wasn't old enough. Then he met an Army recruiter at high school. When he's finished with the service, Aaron, 24, plans to work as a police officer, Terwedo said.Tara Terwedo says the two terms Aaron's been serving, which included more than 18 months in Iraq, have been challenging."It comes and goes in waves," she said of worry. "The best word that describes it is raw; you're just raw."She says she's proud of Aaron."The first time he went over there, he was in Tikrit," she says. "He guarded the ballots so people could vote in the elections."
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