As the day is upon us that we honor our nation’s mothers, I would like to honor a special kind of mother: The mothers of the sons and daughters that defend our republic.

I know that, over the 23 years I served, I caused my mother worry and a few grey hairs. But she was always supportive of my decision to serve our republic.

I remember the day I climbed on the Greyhound bus in Coal Grove taking me to the MEPPS station in Columbus. I looked back and saw one of the most painful sights I have witnessed — my mother crying.

However, like many of our nation’s mothers she — through her raising me in the manner she did — was instrumental in my making the decision to join the United States Army right out of high school.

She was the one who took me to Boy Scouts where I learned the virtues and patriotism that would guide many of my life choices. She was the one who insisted I go to church where I was taught reverence of God and all things sacred. And, finally, she was the one who did not try to discourage my choice to make the military my way of life.

She knew it was the duty of an American citizen.

I don’t know what makes these special mothers the way they are, but I know in my family there have been a long line of such mothers.

My great-grandmothers sent several of their sons to WWII in both the Pacific and European theaters. My grandmothers sent their sons to serve our nation during the Vietnam era. One uncle went to Vietnam, one to Okinawa and my father to Germany.

My mother sent a teenage boy away and worried while I was deployed on several missions around the world over my years of service.

My wife, the mother and step-mother of my children, was the rock of our family during my last deployment in Iraq.

To all of these mothers I have been blessed to know and have been influenced by their willing sacrifices.

There is a group of special mothers that are currently answering the call, some having paid the ultimate price of losing a son or daughter in the defense of our republic — the Blue and Gold Star Mothers.

The Blue Star Mothers are represented by a banner with red border, white field, trimmed in gold tassel, and having one blue star for each child serving in our current conflicts.

The Gold Star Mothers are represented by a similar banner with the exception of its star being gold, meaning they have paid the ultimate price by having their child die in defense of the nation.

Honor them with your thanks for the service they have done our nation by raising a son or daughter who is willing to risk all in defense of our country.

All these mothers, like many throughout our nation’s history have willingly and sometimes encouraging or reminding their sons of the duty they have of safe guarding the freedoms we enjoy.

I, being an avid reader of history, cannot figure out what makes our patriotic mother willing sacrifice their children at the altar of freedom.

I have read of Revolutionary and Civil War mothers in stoic fashion send their sons off in defense of the republic; telling them to either return wearing the laurels of victory or being borne upon their shields.

I have read stories of mothers reminding an over protective mother of the duty her son had to defend the early nation by hanging a petty coat on her door to remind her that she had raised a son and it was time for him to fulfill his duty.

We as a nation are indebted to the current and historical patriot mothers for the blessing of freedom we enjoy, because they raised patriotic sons and daughters and willing sent them forward to defend our republic.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Timothy Nicely, South Point