This was sent

to me by George O'Halloran, the father of Bill O'Halloran in Alaska, of

whom I have spoken of many times. George is a patriot and a former soldier.

I print this in its original form. Thank you, George, for your and your

wife's patriotism, your service to the cause of freedom, and your friendship.

"It could

have been any night of the week, as I sat in one of those loud and casual

steak houses that are cropping up all over the country. You know the type;

a bucket of peanuts on the table, shells littering the floor, and a bunch

of perky college kids racing around with longneck beers and sizzling platters.

"Taking

a sip of my iced tea, I studied the crowd over the rim of my glass. I

let my gaze linger on a few of the tables next to me, where several uniformed

military members were enjoying their meals. Smiling sadly, I glanced across

my booth to the empty seat where my husband usually sat. Had it had only

been a few weeks since we had sat at this very table talking about his

upcoming deployment to the Middle East?

"He made

me promise to come