I kept my sons’ fate from baby-faced troops

IT’S just over three years since my son was injured in Iraq and I had to stand by uselessly and watch him take his last breath.

Now, more than 18 months after making the move to Ireland in an attempt to get back to some sort of life and six months after watching Barack Obama sworn in as US president and promising change, the reality of it all hit me when I least expected it.

Having been offered a chance to travel to Belgium and Holland I was so looking forward to my trip. But my excitement did not last very long.