Celebrating Father’s Day Without Dad

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, June 15, 2007 – Nearly three years ago during his first tour to Iraq, things were a little different for Army Sgt. Chester Temple, a supply specialist for Battery A, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.

He had a wife and premature twin babies to worry about — a boy, Trey, and girl, Abbey, who weighed just a little less than three pounds each and could fit in the palms of his hands. Shortly after their birth, he had flown home to Fort Hood, Texas, on emergency leave to see them for the first time but then had to return to Iraq. Later, when his tour was over in early 2005, his wife moved far away, leaving him custody of the ailing twins. Eventually, a painful divorce left him a single father raising his children.

For his second deployment to Iraq, Temple had to leave his son and daughter in the care of his parents, who live in Killeen, Texas. “The kids are doing really well now. They’re nearly three years old and healthy,” said Temple, who calls Fort Hood his home. “I had no worries leaving them with my parents. I’m glad to know that my babies are being taken care of.” Read the rest of the story.

Unfortunately, the breakup of marriages is becoming more severe for military couples though the divorce rate isn’t as high as the media often makes out. What I think this story shows is there are some great examples in our military of dads who care about their kids and who are serving their country and serving around the world because they want to be part of the solution of ensuring that their children have a secure and stable future.

I met many dads when I was over in Iraq, and they all made mention of their kids when I asked why they were serving in the military when they could be serving in some other kind of job. They saw the importance of what they were doing, and despite the sacrifices they are making, and the sacrifices their families are making, they are committed.

My husband is an incredible father and he works hard to make sure our son knows how much he loves him even though he can’t be here right now in person. Cliff emails Caleb and talks to him on the phone, and Caleb writes his daddy letters and emails as well. Just a couple of days ago, Cliff received our Father’s Day package – a couple of pictures Caleb made for him with sentences of why he loves his daddy that Cliff admitted choked him up a little bit, and a couple of cases of Hooah bars to keep up his energy. Oh, and also the last batch of Lost episodes.

In the article, Sgt. Temple makes an interesting point:

For Father’s Day this year, Temple said, he hopes to convey a simple message to people who ask him why he’s in Iraq when he could instead have chosen another career path that would have allowed him to have been home with his kids.

“I love this,” he said. “Too often the American people as a whole forget the price that’s been paid for freedom. They’ll take the freedoms they have for granted and lay them by the wayside.

“People in Iraq have never had true freedom before, but you can see they love the taste of it,” Temple said. “We’re helping them to get those freedoms. Everybody needs to think about that, especially when so many people have laid their lives on the line for it.”

Take time today to remember and say a prayer for all of the fathers who are away from their kids for the cause of freedom. Happy Father’s Day.