A mother at war
Full time student, mother and veteran of the Iraq war talks about her difficult journey
Rachel Crews
Issue date: 1/11/07 Section: News
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She is a full time student and single mother serving her country through the Army Reserves. Life has led Ludgate through the loss of a mother, into hospitals to treat her ailing son and over continents to train for and serve in a war.
Ludgate was a sophomore in accounting at Hawaii State University in 2003 when she received the news that her 3-year-old son had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. At the time he was living with her family in American Samoa. Family continues to be her main support.
After surgery to remove the brain tumor and a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Benjamin "Bucky" Ludgate was declared to be cancer free in December 2004.
That same month Ludgate was summoned to basic training in Germany.
"I want to say it was bitter sweet, but it wasn't really sweet," Ludgate said. "It was good knowing that he was safe. We had just finished his treatments. To be taken away while he was still fragile was hard."
Ludgate reported to Germany in January 2005. Her son was taken care of by her father while she was away. She was then deployed to Iraq and spent the year in Baghdad.
"It was war. I don't really like to talk about it. Whatever image you have of war, that's what it was. The first week I was there, I thought I was going to die. I was writing my 'I love you Dad' letters," Ludgate said.
Ludgate described her time in Iraq as a good experience, but not one that is necessary for everyone to have.
She keeps in touch with many of the people she was deployed with.
"You just gain a bond. In the event that we do get attacked they're going to have my back. What I miss a lot is that camaraderie you form," Ludgate said
"I wanted to see if I could get through it. It was something I could feel proud of and feel good about," Ludgate said about her choice for joining the reserves.
Ludgate's troop returned to Hawaii for demobilization in March 2005 for what she says was the toughest part. It took six months to get back into the swing of things, Ludgate said.
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