OCEANSIDE – Liz Rae remembered when her husband and son were deployed to Iraq at the same time.
One night she found herself saying a prayer for their safety and hoping the two men would somehow meet.
Not long after, the phone rang. Her husband said his convoy had been under attack and their son's unit happened to be nearby and came to their aid. Father and son met for the first time since they were deployed.
It taught Rae to believe in miracles.
Her story is one of more than 100, written mostly by military wives, in “Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul.”
Rae, an Oceanside resident, is one of several area contributors to the book who will tell their stories tomorrow at the Mission branch of the Oceanside Public Library.
The book's co-author, Cindy Pedersen, will tell the story of how her mother thought her dad was missing in action during World War II.
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What: Meet writers from “Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul”
When: 11 a.m. tomorrow
Where: Mission branch, Oceanside Public Library, 3861 Mission Ave.
Cost: Free
Information: (760) 435-5640
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“People don't know what families go through, the fears and anxieties and loneliness, when someone they love is in harm's way,” Pedersen said.
“I know my mom's heart sank to her knees when she thought my dad was missing in action.”
Pedersen and co-author Charles Preston dedicated the book to their mothers, who were military wives, and to all military spouses for their sacrifice. Pedersen's son recently returned from Iraq with the 467th Engineering Battalion.
“I didn't see wives being acknowledged, and that's what the book is about,” she said.
The book's stories are intended to “touch the heart and rekindle the spirit.” They have an upbeat message, even if sometimes told between laughter and tears.
Martha Pope Gorris, a San Diego-area resident, wrote about how mail kept her and her daughters connected with her husband during his long deployments with the Navy.
On the funny side, she wrote about how her daughter took Dad's letters to heart, sometimes with surprising consequences.
A few days after reading a letter about how her husband tried snails for dinner in Hong Kong, Gorris saw her 3-year-old daughter about to put a garden snail in her mouth.
Gorris recalled her daughter saying, “But Daddy likes snails, remember?”
“My story is about how we as military wives can make the best of the situation,” Gorris said.
She will join Rae and Pedersen and share her story at the library event, which is being held in honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
“I never thought my story would be published. I just wrote from my heart,” Rae said.
Autographed copies of the book will be for sale at the event, which will include tips for writers interested in submitting stories for future “Chicken Soup” titles.
Proceeds from the book go to the Military Soul Foundation, founded by Pedersen and Preston.
The nonprofit has provided gift cards for holiday baskets, gas cards, moisture-wicking shirts for troops and funds for Gold Star Wives, an organization of military widows and widowers whose spouses died while on active duty or from service-related disabilities.
Linda McIntosh: (760) 752-6756;
linda.mcintosh@tlnews.net.
