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Dec. 30--Five Iraq war widows still travel to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma every week to meet with a counselor and talk about their husbands, their lives and the tribulations of moving on.
That hasn't changed since the support group was formed in 2004. None of the women has re-married or left the area. But life hasn't been static, either. There are children to raise and opportunities to pursue.
"I would say that everyone is coping very well," said Debbie Bridges, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Steven Bridges, was killed in 2003. "But we have our ups and downs, especially with the holidays."
Bereavement counselor Eileen Stubblefield said other war widows have contacted her, but she hasn't added new faces to the first group, choosing instead to wait and form a second therapy session.
The Seattle Times profiled the women in May, providing a venue for them to discuss how people should relate to those who have lost so much in a war so far away.
The story was carried nationally, and readers responded with support and admiration.
"I am again at a loss for words that are certain to be worthy enough to honor your husband's and your sacrifices," one man wrote to the widows.
Bridges has become the most politically active in the group.
In June, she became president of the local chapter of the Gold Star Wives of America, a nonprofit organization with a single eligibility requirement: a spouse must have died while on active duty or from a service-related disability. There are about 400 members throughout Washington.
Bridges is also a board member of Patriots Pride Foundation of Washington State, a newly formed group that hopes to augment existing services for veterans, offering job training and grants to help former soldiers start their own businesses, among other programs.
Next year, Bridges will lobby in Olympia for legislation that would provide free tuition for the children of those killed in action who want to attend college.
In mid-December, Bridges, her family and hundreds of other war widows and their kids were treated to trip to Disneyland, paid for by the Rotary Clubs of Costa Mesa, Irvine-Spectrum and Newport-Irvine in California.
"It was wonderful to see so many people in the same boat," she said.
Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com
2006 Revisited
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Quizzes
--2006 Biz Quiz -- The year in business --2006 News Quiz -- A year to remember -- or not --Travel Quiz -- Geography
Galleries
--The year's best Pix From My Weekend --2006 in photos: Photos from our nation and world
Reader Response
--What were your favorite Times-tested recipes of the year? --What were your top 10 flicks of 2006? --What are your predictions for the year ahead?
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Copyright (c) 2006, Seattle Times
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