3rd Son From Wash. Family Sent to Iraq

[Judi Lynn]

Nov 11, 7:02 AM EST

3rd Son From Wash. Family Sent to Iraq

By MELANTHIA MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE (AP) -- Growing up, Charlie Parsons played sports, liked to travel and enjoyed learning other languages - just like his older twin brothers. When they went off to West Point, Parsons soon followed. Now, four months after Capt. Bill Parsons and Capt. Huber Parsons III deployed to Iraq, younger brother Charlie Parsons is again following their lead.

"I didn't really look at it as following in their footsteps. We just have similar interests," said Charlie Parsons, a second lieutenant from Miami, who also has a twin sister, Christine, a teacher in Jackson, Miss.

All three brothers are members of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, a Stryker Brigade Combat Team from the Army's Fort Lewis, south of Seattle. When Charlie Parsons leaves for Baghdad on Monday, he and his brothers will join an unknown number of siblings serving together in the military.

The Army doesn't maintain a database of family members serving at the same time.
(snip/...)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ARMY_BROTHERS?SITE=CARDB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Irreverend IX]

1. I thought there was some policy against that.

Or maybe it's just for drafted troops. I think it was put into effect after an incident in either WWII or Vietnam when all the sons in some family were killed.

[Coventina]

2. It was because a submarine with a bunch of brothers sank

I can't remember the specifics of the regulation, though.

[theHandpuppet]

3. You'd be referring to the Sullivan brothers of the U.S. Navy (WW2)

Here's their story: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq72-1.htm

[Coventina]

10. Whoops. It was a cruiser not a sub.

I wonder why I thought it was a submarine?
Maybe because the idea of subs freak me out so much. I can barely ride the submarine ride at Disneyland.

Thanks for the helpful link!

What a terrible story.

[cmd]

4. An Ohio family will soon have three sons in Iraq

NEWCOMERSTOWN – There’s three times the worry for Ron and Carrie Hickman of Newcomerstown, whose three sons enlisted in the Marines. Two are serving in war-torn Iraq and the third is on his way there.


“It puts some stress on us,” said Carrie. “If I know they’re going to call, I want to be here. It does put a stress on us obviously as a family unit.”

Ron said the boys do have future plans that do not involve the military, but at the same time they are not sure how long they will be in Iraq.

“Six month tours of duties often turn into one year,” said Ron. “No one really knows how long they will be over there.”

http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=60753&r=0

[zanne]

5. These things tend to be romanticized....

There was a story here recently about a young man who was killed on his second deployment to Iraq. He was wounded during his first tour, then he recovered and decided, on his own, to go back. He was killed about a week ago. His bravery was praised all over the media, his family saying how proud they were, etc. I'm sorry; maybe I sound like a troop-hater, but I think this is going too far. I don't think this kid's second deployment was courageous; I think it was stupid. When the glory wears off, all his family will have is a dead kid. There's a difference between courage and stupidity and somebody has to say it.

[karlrschneider]

6. I know what you're saying but a redeployment isn't the same thing

as a re-enlistment...

[zanne]

7. Whatever.

He went back voluntarily, so I guess he re-enlisted. Whatever it was, it was voluntary and stupid.

[stillcool]

8. five of my uncles...

served at the same time in WWII. Many of their offspring served in Vietnam. I can't tell you how many times I've heard.. "He was never the same after the war". That is all that is said, but the emotional and mental consequences to them and their families can not be calculated.

[daleo]

11. Too true

"He was never the same after the war".

Not just Viet Nam, either.

[MasonJar]

9. They are all in the same unit; that means they could all be killed

at one time. Unacceptable.