Imagine preparing to send your son to war. Then imagine sending off two sons within a week. That’s what Bob and Judy Markgraf of Watkins face this week. The Markgrafs have seven children. Two of their three sons have been activated to military service. Dave left this past Monday, returning to Fort Lewis, Washington, on his way to Iraq. Rob leaves five days later on his way to Afghanistan. Of the thousands of young Americans serving their country, Dave and Rob are but two individuals. But their familiar stories are being repeated all across the country every week. New baby on the way Dave Markgraf and his wife Jessica were married last June. Dave was working as a carpenter when he was called to active service in November. Jessica is 4-H program coordinator for Benton County. They are expecting their first child in April. Dave served in the U.S. Navy for three years after graduating from Kimball Area High School in 1992. In 1994 he was on a ship in the Persian Gulf. He is now in the National Guard based out of Monticello. He has been training at Fort Lewis in Washington state and was home this past weekend on a four-day pass – most likely his last visit home before deploying to Iraq in mid-March. Dave’s unit includes about 4,600 people: Delta Company of the 1st Batallion of the 303rd Infantry. He has been training in Washington since Thanksgiving, and he likely will spend up to 12 months in Iraq. Although he does not yet know his specific duties there, he will be part of a “peace presence.” Dave expects to be given some leave time, perhaps two weeks, when their baby is born. Newlyweds Rob and Jenny Markgraf were married less than a month ago . Their two children are 4 and 5 years old, and will be in Jenny’s sole care when Rob leaves on Valentine’s Day this week. Rob is in the 367th Engineering Brigade of the Army Reserves based in St. Cloud. Their send-off is at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at the St. Cloud Armory. He will first go to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, then Afghanistan. Like his brother Dave, Rob isn’t sure what he’ll be doing there. “I’ll be fixing trucks, anyway,” said Rob. “I just do whatever they say.” Rob graduated from KAHS in 1995. He has worked for Granite Tops in Cold Spring for about two years. His job will be waiting for him when he returns after 12 months in Afghanistan. It’s in the family Dave and Rob’s father Bob was in the Navy. Their grandfather (Judy’s father) was in the Army in World War II. Judy has added the latest photos of her two military sons to the family’s “military wall” in the family room. The photos there include a great-uncle pictured in his Civil War uniform. Their younger brother Josh is 21. He has no plans to join the military at this time. Both Dave and Rob will keep in touch with their families by phone and e-mail. Once they have mailing addresses, that information will be added to the military roster printed each week in the Tri-County News. While the two men are away, Judy and Jessica plan to get together every Friday night. Jenny already meets with other women with young children, all left behind by deployed husbands. “The Family Preparedness program [put on by the military] has been really helpful,” Judy said. She has attended both the National Guard and Army Reserve sessions. What can we do? “Keep up the support for troops who are there,” said Dave. “Thoughts and prayers are always appreciated.” Dave added, “It’s important for people to find and make their own opinions [about the Iraq war and why we’re there].” “It’s important to look for the good stuff,” said Rob. “If you look for it, you can find it.” Rob said that the Army Reserve Magazine has lots of stories about schools opening and other positive things U.S. military and reservists are accomplishing overseas. ARM is accessible on the Web at www4.army.mil/USAR/ soldiers/arm.php. Both Dave and Rob have experienced nothing but support so far. Rob hears many “thank yous” and “we appreciate yous” when he stops – in uniform – for his morning coffee. Dave’s training learning about Iraq and Iraqi life – including life under Sadaam Hussein – from former Iraqis.. These teachers are now U.S. citizens in their early 20s to mid-50s. They each thank the U.S. soldiers whom they teach. At Fort Lewis, Dave explained, there are 30-40 supporters every morning at the main gate, cheering and waving flags and signs. “We were just issued our tan, dessert camouflage,” said Dave. “I get an extra nod now.” They know the significance of the dessert uniform, they know where we’re headed, Dave said. Supportive parents Bob Markgraf, Dave and Rob’s father, for the most part sat back and quietly listened to his sons. “I would ask [Bush’s opponents] ‘What would you do differently?’” Bob said. Judy Markgraf was the more vocal of the couple. “There’s evil over there that needs to be flushed out,” she said. She studied at St. Cloud State University with Prof. Abbas Mehdi several years ago where she learned about the tyranny and terrorism of Sadaam against his own people. The United States has been very blessed, she explained and quoted the Bible, “To whom much is given, much will be expected.” Judy said, “We are our brother’s keeper. Things aren’t perfect here. But if we waited until things were perfect, nothing would get done. “This goes right down to the family. If we waited until everything in our family was perfect [before taking care of other things], then we’d never do anything.” “I don’t like that my sons are going to be in the Middle East, possibly in harm’s way. … But the reality is that they are,” said Judy. “The Iraqi and Afghani people deserve to have a better life.”
