News and Media
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We're lucky because our son is alive
December 21, 2005
John Sirianni's son, Marine Pfc. Richard Sirianni, is stationed in Iraq with 2/2 E Co. 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad working out of Camp Fallujah. He's 23, single and joined the Marine Corps in June 2004.
My wife, Jamie, an eighth-grade math teacher at Ernie Davis Middle School in Elmira, and I are doing pretty well coping with our son being over there. His work usually allows for him to call us about once a week. We last talked to him the day before Thanksgiving.
He said he may not get to call us again until at least Christmas, with their current mission. That is what makes it difficult for us. Hearing from him once a week is somewhat reassuring, despite the dangers he faces from insurgents and IEDs (improvised explosive devices, or roadside bombs).
Going weeks without knowing whether he is OK is rough and emotionally draining. That has happened only once before in his tour, which began in mid-July and will end in February or March.
Jamie and I rely on each other, family and friends, and colleagues for support. We write to him daily using an Internet-based service for Marines: MotoMail. They print and deliver the letters, usually within a few days of our composing them.
We also send lots of care packages to him and his squad and others who are not getting much mail or deliveries. It helps us cope a little when we send things we know he likes, plus a few surprises.
His step-grandfather makes venison jerky that he just loves. He sent him five pounds of it recently. We sent them little Halloween treat bags in October for his squad with silly stuff in them - anything that might make them smile or laugh or is just goofy.
For his Christmas packages we sent him two pounds of his favorite chocolates from Gardners Candies of Tyrone, Pa., now that the temperatures have cooled in Iraq. Both our families really have gotten into sending the care packages - so much that he ends up with more than he can handle and he shares with a lot of other Marines.
One other thing that really bothers us and makes his deployment hard on us is the number of Marines in his platoon that have been killed. I think it's been 15 or 16 guys and their Navy corpsman since they were deployed. One of them had a newborn that he never got to see.
That just tears us up inside, thinking of them and their families, especially at this time of year.
What they are dealing with is far worse than what we are - we're lucky because our son is alive.
We hope he can give us the one Christmas present we want: a phone call from him Christmas Day, telling us he's fine.
First Person offers immediate reaction from readers affected by stories of interest.
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