As a mother of a Marine, I would like to express how proud I am of our Marines and soldiers and how much I appreciate the sacrifices they and their families have made. They are doing an awesome job in Iraq. They serve with pride, honor and courage. They are making a difference. It takes time, but changes are being made.

Here are a few samples of progress being made every day by our Marines. Because of their efforts, four new security stations have been opened in Ramadi. The Marines assisted the Iraq army and police in delivering 6,000 pounds of food to residents in need. Tons of medical supplies were delivered to the Ramadi General Hospital and the women’s and children’s hospital. Schools that have been closed for years are opening. The list goes on.

This, of course, does not make front-page news. This should make you proud to be an American. I speak for my family and friends in saying we are proud to be an American. We are proud of our son, Lt. Cpl. Nathan Ross Elrod, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

He is our hero. He was proud of the job he was doing in Iraq, and he was proud to serve our country. In doing that, he was serving us. We honor him for that. The loss of our son Nathan has been tremendous. The grief we feel is unimaginable, and we wouldn’t have gotten through this without the support of our family, friends, church and community. We deeply appreciate the folks in Rockwell and surrounding communities for their support, respect and honor shown to our son Nathan. It really touched our hearts to see so many people honoring a true American hero, people who are proud to be an American. Thank you.

— Teresa and Tim Elrod

Salisbury