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COMMENTS
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They will be posted on The Soldiers Left Behind blog for everyone to read.
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REVIEWS
"Laura DiPrete provides a stirring account of one National Guardsman's call to duty, following in the greatest traditions of America's Citizen Soldiers. She offers us great insight into the courage, sacrifice, and pride that defines Soldiers and their families during deployments. This heartfelt story is sure to inspire any reader; military and civilian alike."
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Brigadier General Oscar Hilman
United States Army
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 The Soldiers Left Behind Blog
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ABOUT THE BOOK
When Laura DiPrete's husband joined the National Guard, she believed that he'd aid in the recovery efforts of natural disasters or engage in some other type of non-threatening duty. Never could she have prepared for his deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom, shortly after the traumatic events of September 11, 2001. In an effort to find strength in a time of uncertainty, Laura must look to her family, friends, and her faith in God to guide her through the ordeal. The Soldiers Left Behind explores the trials, lessons, and challenges faced by a military spouse and offers inspiration to those facing the daunting possibility of having a loved one deployed. For the first time, the story of the military families left behind is told and their strength, loyalty, and perseverance prove astoundingly admirable.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura L. DiPrete is a Computing Representative in Washington state, currently working on her degree in business administration. She is married to John DiPrete and has two children, Amanda and Nicklaus.
Laura was a National Guard Family Programs volunteer from 2003-2005 and in her spare time, she enjoys dancing, decorating her home, writing, and working on arts and crafts.
She was inspired to write this book while dealing with the emotional ramifications of her husband's deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK
September 11th. 2001, a date that is rivaled only by the attack on Pearl Harbor in the minds of Americans. Attacked on our own soil, with our own planes, in front of the whole world (thanks to technology) at a time when life seemed pretty good. That day as I stood glued to the radio after the plane hit the Pentagon, my life was turned upside down when the phone rang with my husband on the other end. The words "we were just put on alert" will forever ring in my ears. With buildings coming down killing thousands, thousands of miles away, seeming all too unreal, and the walls of reality closed in on me like a vice. It just got personal…
I, like most Americans viewed the towers coming down in New York over and over for weeks. People were jumping out of windows, plunging to their deaths, the dead being pulled from the rubble, men weeping without shame, and our President trying to calm a nation in shock and disbelief.
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A DAY IN THE LIFE
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
A day in the life of a military spouse while their partners are spending time overseas can be full of positive and very challenging moments. Any given day can take you on a roller coaster ride of emotion from one hour to the next. The key to surviving the ride is in learning to understand first of all that you are not alone and second, taking time to keep things in perspective, remind yourself to search for positive ways to view your circumstances. This can include something as basic as searching for the lesson that a particularly challenging circumstance brings or something more complex such as ways to incorporate those lessons into your daily life. Although time without your significant other can be challenging, it can also be a wonderful opportunity for personal growth. The truth is, we are not spending every waking moment sad, missing our spouse and feeling sorry for ourselves. Most days we are just trying to get through that day and keep our families on track. The kids still need to go to school, have homework and family activities become even more important. In addition, someone needs to go to work, buy the groceries, clean the house, take care of the yard work and any other household chores. Although making it through another day is a good thing, we don't often take enough time to check in with ourselves to figure out how well we are managing, what we are feeling and how we can make things better. I believe that taking time for ourselves, makes us stronger as individuals and can open us up to experiences we may not have tried if we were not living through a deployment. It's never too late to start making every day your own and truly living it to the fullest. Take this time to set personal goals, reach for your dreams and encourage others along the way. As people around you see that you are fulfilling your dreams, it will become contagious!
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