Headed to Iraq – Leaving twins tough task for single dad

As members of the National Guard?s 1175th Transportation Company, based out of Tullahoma, prepare for deployment to Iraq, there are many stories of sacrifices made by the families, loved ones and friends who are left behind.

But surely one of the most poignant is the story of one soldier who will leave behind 7-year-old twin girls who have only been living with him for two years. That may seem like a relatively short time, but it?s been long enough to develop a loving bond that will pull at Sgt. John Mark Norris? heartstrings from the other side of the globe.

Norris, who is one of five soldiers from Warren County included in the most recent group of guardsmen from Tennessee slated to go overseas, says he will miss his girls, but acknowledges he knew what he was getting into when he signed on and is proud to do his part.

?I?m a single parent raising a set of 7-year-old twins,? Norris said. ?So it?s kind of hard on me right now. I know there are a lot of other single parents out there in the military who are having to go overseas, so I?m feeling their pain too, as well as mine.?

Norris is lucky in one regard, however, since he has family to watch over his twins, Candy Ann and Christy Lynn, while he is gone.

Norris has a total of five children, John Jess, 18, Carolyn Crystal Ann, 16, Ashley Nicole, 11, and the twins.

?My half-sister Tammy Foutch is going to be watching my girls for me while I?m gone overseas,? Norris said.

Norris isn?t sure how the girls are going to react, considering their age.

?Really I think they?re too young to actually know what?s going on,? Norris said, noting he is trying to prepare them as best he can by allowing them to go visit his sister as often as possible. ?They?re enjoying being able to go out to my little sister?s house. They love her to death and like going out there. My sister has a 6-year-old, about the same age, so they enjoy playing with her.?

Norris says it?s hard to tell how long he will be overseas, so he can?t be sure when he will see his girls again.

?The original orders were for 12 months, but you never know,? Norris said. ?It could be a year, 15 months, or it could be two years. You just never know.?

Norris joined the guard in May 2003, shortly after the Tennessee guard was deployed the first time. He had been in the regular Army from 1984-86 in air defense, and the military was still in his blood.

?I?d been out for like 17 years, but when my country came under attack, I felt obligated to do my part,? Norris said. ?So I joined back up.?

Norris says leaving the twins behind is hard, and brings on a wide range of emotions.

?It?s put a lot of strain and stress on me right now,? he said. ?It?s hard. It?s real hard.?

Norris, who has a large extended family, says it?s been hard on them as well.

?They?ve been real supportive,? Norris said. ?All of them have about the same feelings, they don?t want me to go. There?s always that element of danger over there.?

His dad, Johnny Norris, has mixed feelings.

?I don?t really rightfully know how I feel,? Johnny said. ?But he?s old enough to know what he wants to do. I stand behind what he thinks is right to do. I?m very proud of him. Sure am. There?s a lot of people who think we shouldn?t be over there to begin with, but I just hope something good comes out of it.?

John?s mom, Alice Hargis, is concerned, but supports John?s decision as well.

?I don?t want him to go,? Alice said. ?I believe in the troops being there, but this is my son, and I don?t want him to go. That?s just human nature, but I?m proud of him. I support what President Bush did sending them over there. I think getting Saddam out of there was great. But I wish they would bring them home now, because we?re losing a lot of soldiers over there now, but I don?t know if we can pull out. We don?t know what to do.?