By Nicole Falco
"Because he's [stationed] at a camp and he's not there on the front lines, we feel very fortunate that he's in a safe place and we have access to him," said Hugh Butler, the soldier's father.
Butler's family includes his wife, Joanne, as well as his mother, Joyce, and his two sisters, Kimberly, 25, and Heather, 21.
Thomas and Joanne were engaged when he got the call to duty in January. The couple, who live in Washington D.C., decided to move up their wedding date so they could be married before he went off to war. While the new wife adjusts to married life with her husband stationed thousands of miles away, Butler's parents and sisters have had some experience with service-forced absences.
Butler enlisted in the military right after graduating from Valley Stream South High School in 1991. At first he contemplated joining the Marine Corps, but eventually he chose the Air Force. He spent more than eight years in the Air Force, stationed all over the world.
"He was stationed in Alaska, where it was negative 10 to negative 20 degrees, and from there he was sent to Saudi Arabia [immediately after the Gulf War], where it's 110 degrees," Hugh said. "If he could adapt to that, he could adapt to anything."
Butler seemed to enjoy military life, according to his mother. He liked to travel and appreciated the camaraderie among soldiers. When his tour ended, Butler enlisted in the Army Reserves.
While he was living in Washington D.C., his parents said they got used to seeing a little more of him than they did while he was in the Air Force. When he was stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey prior to being deployed overseas, the Butlers took every opportunity they could to visit him on weekends.
Butler was called up for at least 12 months, and his parents aren't sure how long he will be deployed in Kuwait, but at least they have the luxury of contact with their son. "It's very important that we hear from him and we know he's fine," Hugh said. "That's all we care about."
While Butler hasn't been able to disclose his exact location to his parents or describe what he is doing, based on media reports, his parents believe he might be guarding Iraqi prisoners of war.
Knowing that her son isn't involved in fighting in Iraq, Joyce has been able to turn the television off at night, and she recently joined a support group for families of soldiers that was started by Rev. Brenda S. Overfield, pastor of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Valley Stream.
"At first I had been watching the TV all night," Joyce said. "I'm glad we are able to hear from him. He seems to have a good attitude about being over there.
"We are definitely proud of him. We support him and the other troops."
Support our troops
Rally on the Village Green April 25 at 8 p.m.
Show support for American service men and women in all branches of the military stationed home and abroad during the nation's war with Iraq.
On April 25 at 8 p.m., American Legion Andrew Fatscher Post No. 854 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1790 are hosting a rally for troops to be held on the Village Green.
The Village Green is located behind Village Hall, which is located at 123 So. Central Ave.
The evening's program will feature guest speakers, the colorguards of both veterans organizations and more.
Also, boxes will be set up for the purpose of collecting donations, which will be sent overseas for the soldiers.
The following is a list of items recommended for donation:
books, disposable cameras, candy, gum, baby wipes, Chapstick, eye drops, flashlights, magazines, toothbrushes/toothpaste, toilet paper, toiletries, phone cards, travel-size games, pens/pencils, stationery, non-perishable food, tea bags and instant coffee packets.
