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Rain or Shine, Troops Flock to VFW "Free Call Days" |
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For two days, the rain poured over the Iraqi desert. The torrential thunderstorm drenched the landscape at Joint Base Balad, where many U.S. service members are stationed.
As members of the U.S. military, they still continued about their daily duties, business as usual, even finding the time to make important calls home.
Sgt. J.T. Pettway, 28, woke up to the downpour on Oct. 28. Hearing it was a VFW “Free Call Day,” he knew nothing could stop him from calling home to his loved ones in Hawaii. He suited up to fight the rain, grabbing his plastic overboots and rain jacket.
The storm interfered with telecommunications, but Pettway, already in the rain, rode out the delays until the power came back.
“It feels good to hear my mother’s voice. I get a chance to release all my stress when I hear my mom and my wife,” said Pettway, a life member of VFW Post 4895, Clarksville, Tenn.
Pettway appreciates VFW “Free Call Days” because they allow him to speak with more family and friends than he usually can with a phone card. It’s an opportunity he never passes up, no matter the weather.
“I was wet and cold, but it was worth every minute to hear from my wife and kids,” concluded Pettway. |
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