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Mother of Fort Lewis soldier worries from afar

Jun-20-2007 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

By Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times

In less worrisome times, Sheryl Thomas might have spent part of the last few summer days on the front-porch swing admiring her roses and oak-shaded lawn.

Instead, Thomas has been cloistered in her house in Moberly, Mo., glued to her television and computer in a round-the-clock quest for news of her son's Fort Lewis brigade in Iraq.

On Monday, the 3rd Brigade 2nd Infantry Division took the lead role in a major new offensive in Diyala province, the most dangerous area of Iraq. It's the last treacherous leg of combat duty that was originally supposed to end in June but has been extended to October.

Early Monday, Thomas made contact with her only son, Sgt. Josh Apel, 30. In an image relayed by a distant webcam, he wore his St. Louis Cardinals championship baseball cap turned backward. He smiled but looked very tired from weeks of long missions. He was headed out again.

"He said it could be a while before he could get back in touch, and I knew something big was going on," Thomas said.

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