She Smiled As Her Son Marched Toward the Bus Bound for War, But The Moment He Disappeared from Sight, The Strength She Had Worn Like Armor Finally Shattered

The morning air outside the regional military transit center in Columbus, Ohio, carried a sharp autumn chill, but Linda Thompson barely felt it because all her senses were fixed on her son. Ethan stood in front of her in a freshly pressed uniform that made him look older than his twenty-one years, his shoulders squared in a way that reminded …