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Introducing her book
"I am my father's daughter"
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| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, March 31 2003 |
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| Mercedes Zamora was only 15 years old when she and Eric met. It was love at first sight. Since then, the only thing that has kept them apart is war. The first time was in 1991, when Eric served in Operation Desert Storm; the second is the war in Iraq, where his job is to destroy enemy tanks. The difference this time is that Mercedes is not alone while waiting anxiously for Eric's return. There are three young children longing to have their father pick them up from school, play ball with them and take them to karate lessons.
For Raiza Sanchez, the separation from Jorge, a communications specialist, is a difficult thing to bear. Three days after the bombings over Baghdad had begun, she gave birth to their second child. Jorge Alexander was born on his father's birthday while he prepared to go into enemy territory. A gift from heaven, without a doubt, but another special moment missed because of war.
Mercedes has found comfort in her children, who are too young to understand the reasons for this war but understand perfectly well the meaning of love. In an interview, she described to me how one of her 6-year-old twin boys saw her crying one day and asked if it was because she missed Daddy. Mercedes conceded, and her son asked if he looked like his dad.
"Yes, you do," she answered. "You look just like Dad."
"Mommy, close your eyes," he told her. And when she did, he kissed her eyes, wiped her tears and said, "That was from Daddy."
Raiza's children are too small to even sense the absence of their father. But motherhood for her has brought on the realities of the world we now live in. Her daughter, Megan, was born two days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and her baby boy at the onset of the war with Iraq. Her happiness has been compounded with the uncertainty of what the future will bring for her and her children. She is a strong and optimistic young woman who visualizes the moment when her husband will walk through the door and Megan will run to him and yell out, "Daddy, you're home!"
These days, Mercedes and Raiza, like thousands of wives, mothers, fathers, children and other next of kin, are watching images of war on television, wondering if their loved ones are among the troops ferociously confronting the enemy or among the support personnel following right behind. They are hoping not to receive that dreaded phone call from military officials who are the bearers of bad news.
As we follow each move in the crudest of all reality shows, it's not just the military strategy, the precision of our Tomahawk missiles and the blinding sandstorms that keep millions of people glued to the TV set. It's the fate of the young men and women who are valiantly representing their country in the most dangerous conditions, fighting an enemy whose deceiving tactics could have tragic results for our troops.
In my coverage of the war, I have heard dozens of stories of love, hope and dreams for the future, of plans put on hold. Not to mention the thousands of messages posted on my network's Internet site, univision.com. They are messages of support for the troops, some from family members, but most are from regular people who might have no relation to the troops but nevertheless feel a special bond.
The war against Iraq has been particularly divisive and controversial, to put it lightly. But war tends to bring out the worst and the best in people. The debate on the merits of this war has been put on the back burner, but it is likely to come back and haunt us in the future. For now, whether you are for or against the war, supporting the troops and wishing for their safe return should be on everybody's mind and heart. |
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