by Rick and Jilda Watson
“I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.“
Everybody wants to be home for Christmas, but sometimes it can only be in our dreams.
Luey C. Glover and his wife Judy have never spent a Christmas apart… until this year. It is not by choice that he won’t be home this year. Glover (his friends call him L.C.) is serving our country in Iraq.
He found out in November of 2003 that he would be activated. “He had enough time in the National Guard to retire and he could have pulled some strings and probably avoided service in Iraq,” says his wife Judy. But shirking his duty to his country didn’t sit well with L.C. “The guard has been paying me for all these years, it just wouldn’t be right to turn my back when they need me” he said. Judy smiles and says that’s just L.C., he’s a special kind of person.
Even though he turned 59 years old in August, he packed up his gear and shipped out with the rest of the troops in January 2003. He works with communications equipment over there, Judy explains. He has to go out on convoys at times, which she knows is very dangerous, but he doesn’t tell her until he returns to his post.
L.C. graduated from Dora High School in 1963. Like most young men, he started to work. Judy attended Walker High School and graduated in 1966. Judy got a job at the old Mug and Cone on highway 78 in Sumiton. L.C. stopped by one evening after work for a milk shake. That milk shake became routine and they became an item. They started dating and were married after a while. That was almost thirty seven years ago. They have lived here all their lives and this is where they raised their family. They have three children, Angie who married Paul Ramono and has a son Caleb who is 4 years old. Their son Jeff married Tracy Bambridge and have one son Austin who is 2 years old. Their youngest son Greg has two children; Candace 9, and Cody who is 6.
L.C. first joined the guard back in 1965 and served several years before getting out in the 70’s. When his son Jeff joined the guard in the 80’s, L.C. reenlisted.
The hardest part for Judy (L.C. being away at Christmas) is the fact that many of the things she faces here at home she faces alone. “He has always been here. If ever there was anything that needed to be done, we would talk it over and figure out the best thing to do. Making those decisions alone is very hard,” she says.
The longest period they have ever spent apart is the two weeks summer camp that is mandatory for every member of the National Guard.
“The absolute hardest part, is that he is not here.” I caught the meaning in her words. L.C. is not here, but in Iraq and in harms way.
L.C. is scheduled to return in February 2005.
I got a little catch in my throat when I asked Judy how she was coping. “I’ve put it in God’s hands to bring him home safely,” she says . We have family and many, many friends praying for his safe return.
Author’s note: I sometimes get a little miffed when folks send comments giving me a hard time about how I’m handling the site and I wonder if it is really worth the trouble.
Earlier this year L.C. sent a note to me saying how much he appreciates the DoraHighSchool website because it gives him the opportunity to keep up with his beloved Bulldogs. When I think of the sacrifice that he is making for us, I can say without hesitation: yes, it is worth the trouble.