While U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Julia Ludeman is helping civilians in Iraq, her mother, Oxford Elementary teacher Mary Ludeman, is busy keeping the home fires burning.
Julia, a 2000 graduate of Oxford High School, was recently deployed to Iraq, where she’s aiding civilians in that worn-torn Middle Eastern nation as part of the U.S. Army Reserve 415th Civil Affairs Unit.
“The reason she joined the army was to help civilians,” Mary said. “She’s the kind of person who likes to help other people.”
Travelling to another country to help people in need is nothing new for Juila, who once participated in a college program which sent her to Belize for a few weeks to help out at an orphanage.
“She lived in a dirt-floor hut with a family while she was there,” Mary said. “She really has a heart to help people.”
Julia was in her final semester studying nursing at Western Michigan University when her Kalamazoo-based reserve unit was activated in September 2003.
Mary learned her daughter was somewhere in Iraq on Thursday thanks to a mass e-mail from a fellow parent who also has a child serving in the 415th.
The last time she heard from her daughter was a few days earlier when she was still in Kuwait.
“First, I had to adjust to the idea she was going to be gone. Now, I have to adjust to the idea she’s really there,” Mary said.
“I think (Julia) had mixed feelings (about going to Iraq),” Mary said. “I think she’s excited to be involved helping civilians, but I think she felt afraid considering the casualties (that continue to mount).”
“(Julia) has expressed fears of roadside mines” and “friendly-fire accidents,” but “they’ve been trained and retrained how to avoid those,” Mary said. “I think that Julia feels she’s been extremely well-prepared for what she’s doing.”
As for mom, unfortunately there is no training for what she’s going through right now.
“You want to be proud of your children because they’re doing what they want to do, but on the other hand, you feel protective and want to keep them safe because it’s your child,” Mary said. “It’s hard to explain.”
“I’m just trying to cope by remaining positive and trying to think of good things I can do for her unit,” she said.
To that end, Mary enlisted the help of her own little army, the 30 kids who make up her fifth grade class, which has “adopted” Julia’s unit.
“The students are very positive,” she said. “They’ve met Julia. She visited them in uniform one day and answered their questions. They know who she is and are very supportive and excited to help.”
Mary’s class just finished making 30-plus valentines, which were mailed to Julia’s unit.
The next class project will be to collect nonperishable items (i.e. gum, baby wipes, paper, envelopes, etc.), “things we think the soldiers might need,” and send them to Julia’s unit, Rita explained.
“Thirty kids can do a lot more than just one person,” she said.
Julia isn’t the only daughter Mary has serving in the Armed Forces.
Her daughter, Jacquelyn, a 2003 OHS graduate, is currently attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Mary said Jacquelyn “wasn’t too excited about” her sister’s deployment to Iraq.
“She went through a lot of adjustment phases just like I did,” Mary said. “But she goes to school with people who have been on active duty and served in Iraq. She see them, back home and fine, and that’s what sustains her.”
Until she sees her daughter again, Mary plans to stay positive, focused on helping Julia’s unit and remembering how sweet her daughter is.
“I’d say she’s probably one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met,” she said. “I think wherever she goes, her sweetness will be felt by anyone around her.”