Military service separates families at Christmas

"For most families, Christmas is a time of joy, of celebration, of gathering with loved ones to sing carols, share gifts and rejoice in the warm embrace of family."
For some Upstate families, though, there’s something missing this holiday season, one hole in the scene around the tree – a family member deployed.
“When he’s deployed, he’s constantly on our minds,” said Joyce Stanford, whose son Scott is currently in Afghanistan. “But I think during the holiday season when you have more family around, that’s that one person that’s missing.
“You’ve got gifts for them under the tree, but they just stay there until they get home,” she said.
Lillian Flemming feels that absence three times over. The mother of 10 has three sons currently serving overseas in South Korea, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
“This will be the first Christmas that none of them have been near home in all of their lives,” she said of Emanuel, J.M. II and adopted son Davit Gooseby.
For Flemming and her husband, J.M., it’ll be an altogether different holiday without a table full of people.


Military service separates families at Christmas greenvilleonline.com The Greenville News: