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The Vietnam War turned Linda Petric into a widow in 1969 — leaving her to raise three small children in a world with few resources for single mothers.
Army Maj. John Petric was killed in a mortar attack in South Vietnam’s Kien Hoa province that also claimed the lives of four of his men. It was a devastating blow, but somehow the 31-year-old mother carved out a career as an educator and raised three children of whom her late husband, she’s convinced, would be very proud today.
“You’ve got a job to do and you just do it,” she explained. “I wasn’t going to let John down.”
The 72-year-old Kettering grandmother only wishes she could have taken advantage of a resource now available to military widows in the area — the Miami Valley chapter of Gold Star Wives of America. Petric has been an active member since the chapter’s founding 10 years ago, and now the Miami Valley chapter is inviting other widows to join the group at a luncheon Saturday commemorating the first annual national “Gold Star Wives Day.” No reservations are required; military widows can simply show up for the luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Brio Tuscan Grille at The Greene.
Founded by World War II widows in 1945, the organization now has 10,000 members in 26 states; membership is open to surviving spouses whose husbands died in active duty or from service-related injuries or illnesses. Reaching out to new members is increasingly difficult, Petric said, because privacy laws restrict the federal government from releasing the names of the new widows. “I don’t think a lot of people know about us,” she observed.
The Gold Star Wives are a source of support for military widows from all branches of the service. They lobby for legislation that’s beneficial to families, such as a current bill to increase survivor benefits. They also assist widows in navigating the system and procuring benefits. “We support each other and I really like it,” Petric said. “I wish I’d had someone to give me advice when I was going through it.”
John and Linda Petric met as undergraduates at the University of Dayton and married in 1960. John left for his first tour of duty in January 1965, and came home disillusioned, telling his wife, “It’s a politician’s war. ”
He made the most of his time back home with the children, Petric recalled: “He was a very loving dad, and he loved playing with the kids.” He left for his second tour in May 1968, reuniting with his wife for rest and relaxation leave in Hawaii in December. “There was this feeling between us that this could be the last time,” Petric recalled.
She never saw him again.
Petric was left with the task of raising Joan, 7, John Jr., 4, and Steve, 18 months. She never remarried and never stopped missing the love of her life. Today she enjoys an active life as a volunteer as well as the satisfaction of having her three children — all UD grads — living nearby, leading successful lives.
“Military wives are used to picking up the pieces,” Petric said. “You have to, or you don’t survive.”
But, she added, they don’t have to do it alone: “The Gold Star Wives want to get the word out that if someone needs support, we’re here for them.”
For more information about Gold Star Wives of America, call (888) 751-6350 or visit www.goldstarwives.org.
Contact this reporter at mmccarty@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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