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A lifeline for families

Red Cross helps worried families communicate with those in the service

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  • CHRISTINA BURKE - VICTORIA ADVOCATE
  • Originally published July 6, 2008 at 11:35 p.m., updated July 6, 2008 at 11:35 p.m.

When Mike Fitzgerald left for the Army on July 4, 2005, the 18- year-old was able to stay in close contact with his family.

But when he was transferred to Germany earlier this year, communication with his family abruptly stopped.

“I didn’t know who to go to. I just knew I needed to find my son,” said his mother Janie Fitzgerald.

“Everybody was worried that something had happened. I kept thinking, he’s in the Army. Surely they’ll let you know,” she said. “When you don’t hear from your loved one, your mind starts working overtime. You start thinking about all the things that could have happened.”

The fear of the unknown and the suspense that goes with it can be a stressful time for military families who lose touch. Luckily for Fitzgerald, there is an organization that helps – the American Red Cross.

When military families are separated by active duty, the American Red Cross Crossroads Chapter is the go-between for sending messages to soldiers for a welfare check or to bring them home on leave.

“People think we pull strings, all we do is send the messages,” said Linda May, emergency services director. As part of the Services for the Armed Forces – under the emergency communication program – the Red Cross sends messages to commanding officers in order to bring soldiers home for family leave, be it a death in the family, a birth or an illness.

In order to bring a soldier home, the Red Cross must first verify the information. That means calling the funeral home or talking with a doctor for the prognosis of the sick family member of the soldier.

After confirming the facts for the requested leave, the Red Cross then sends a message to the serviceman’s commanding officer, who has the power to grant leave, May said.

Losing contact with a loved one in the military may not be a dire situation, although it can feel like it.

“It wasn’t an emergency or anything. I’m thankful for the program because I don’t know how I would have gone about finding him on my own,” Fitzgerald said. “We finally got in touch with him and everything’s OK.”

It was emotional for both her and May, who made the calls. “You’re going to start crying because you’re so happy to know that he is OK and you’re going to go tell everybody that he is OK,” she said.

At least now, she said, she knows how to get a message to her son in case of a real emergency.

For those unexpected situations, volunteers man the phone lines.

The Red Cross is dependant on people who work the phones, May said. The local volunteer organization has fielded more than 60 calls in the last two months and is always looking for more people to help.

The training is three hours and the rewards are great, she said. “It takes time and we need lots of volunteers,” May said.

“You have to remember why they are there. They’re there for our country,” May said.

Christina Burke is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6516 or cburke@vicad.com or to comment on this story go to www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.



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