6_ The Readers Forum Dear Editor, August the fourth I drove up to Monticello Indiana in my old 99 Ford pickup. I was in a hurry to get there so I took I-12 to I-59 and I-65 to Monticello Indiana. Now Linda wanted to wait until the next day but I didn`t want to take the chance of my son changing his mind of coming home. It had been an unhappy three months without our son. Linda cried every hour on the hour while our son was gone. I completely understand every parent that has a child in Iraq. My son was not in harms way but we worried about him every minute. Our son had never been away from home except traveling with us or with his aunt and uncles. Today and every day I kneel and pray for every one of those parents who have children in Iraq. I cannot phantom the fright they are going through. That brings to my mind the subject of our children dying of dehydration in Iraq. I know about the water the military provides. Most of the water we had in Lebanon was in rubber containers and taste like purex. We lost thirty pounds and more in the three months we were in Lebanon. When we got back to Germany they had to put fluids into our veins. I didn`t have any energy left in my body. Iraq is just a stone`s throw from Lebanon. There is no humitity in the air and that shortens your breath. Without oxygen in your body you can have a heart attack. We had just finished Special Forces training in Germany before we were sent to Lebanon. The four Special Forces teams sent to Lebanon were supposed to be able to adapt to all weather conditions but every one of us lost thirty pounds or more and everyone of us got sick. Besides air conditioners we should find some way to send pure water to our troops. When they had a drinking water shortage during a flood up in the Midwest a few years ago one of the beer companies put water in their beer bottles and brought the water to the flooded out people. Why can`t they do this for our troops in Iraq? Think of all the lives the beer companies will save plus the tax cuts they will receive. A few of our troops are getting hot food and cold water but not all our troops are in this area. Our prayers were answered September 5th when my brother-in-law MSGT Barry Portier made it home from Kuwait. Thank you Lord. Amen. W. Jerry Starkey 29030 Weston Hano Rd Holden La 70744 225 294 6561˜_ @@èþ¼Times New Roman` d nÜJ ¸&”p#Þ'L,º0(5–9>