Staff Sgt. Tracy Dice Not Considered War Widow, Despite Loss of Wife in Afghanistan

[Hissyspit]

Although I don't know them personally, these are neighbors of mine.

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2013/01/20/1230665

Staff Sgt. Tracy Dice not considered war widow, despite loss of wife in Afghanistan

Published: 04:51 PM, Sun Jan 20, 2013



Staff photo by Raul R. Rubiera

Tracy Dice displays photos of herself and her wife, Donna Johnson, at the home they shared near Fort Bragg.

RAEFORD - Clutching a copy of her marriage certificate and racked with grief, Tracy Dice steeled herself for a battle.

Dice had just received a call from her in-laws, summoning her to their Hoke County home.

Dice knew what lay ahead. Her wife, fellow National Guard member Donna Rae Johnson, failed to call her that October morning from Khost, Afghanistan. Worse, Dice learned through the Internet that three unidentified soldiers had been killed in the same area hours earlier.

- snip -

Since she was not recognized as a spouse or family member, Dice could have been left behind when Johnson's body arrived from Afghanistan. Instead, her mother-in-law intervened and a military officer "pushed the edges of the envelope" to allow Dice to escort Johnson's body from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

In correspondence from the Department of Defense, Dice said, officials expressed their condolences for the loss of her "significant other." The lone exception was President Obama, the only government official to refer to Johnson as Dice's wife.

Moments before Johnson's funeral, a small ceremony was held out of public view in the church basement. There, Dice said, uniformed officers presented her with an American flag. During the funeral, the flag that had draped the coffin was handed to Dice's mother-in-law, Sandra Johnson, instead of the grieving widow.

- snip -

Her treatment would have been even worse, Dice said, if not for the support from her in-laws and the pressure they put on the military to include their daughter's wife. "Everything is because of Sandra's kindness," Dice said. "I don't think she understands how great she's been."

- snip -

"You don't grieve like this and not be a widow," she said.

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[Whovian]

1. This breaks my heart.

Things must continue to change.

[DreamGypsy]

2. Thanks, Hissyspit - When you next meet your neighbor on the street...

Please let Tracy know that there are millions of Americans who appreciate the sacrifices she and her wife made in serving our country. Tell her we understand and are ashamed of the heartless and unthinking treatment she has received in her grief. We rejoice in the love and support provided by her mother in law. Things will get better.

My thoughts are with her tonight.

[MotherPetrie]

3. So wrong

[alittlelark]

4. The loss is so evident on her face.....

Hopefully we will see no more of these stories soon.

[progressoid]

5. How awful.

[ReRe]

6. Not right, not right....

... we must make it right! I salute this military widow!

[blackspade]

7. It is horrible what they are doing to this woman....

And thousands of other LGBT widows/widowers just like her.

It's an absolute disgrace and a stain on our national morality, what little of it is left.

[mountain grammy]

8. so sad and wrong.

[MADem]

9. CONGRESS has the power to end this bullshit. All they have to do is repeal DOMA.

It's infuriating.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Wow. How heartbreaking. And to face such an egregious insult after such a terrible inhury...

Let's hope that Chuck Hagel can change these discriminatory policies.

[Hissyspit]

11. morning kick nt

[4_TN_TITANS]

12. " The lone exception was President Obama,

the only government official to refer to Johnson as Dice's wife."

Real leadership comes from the top down, here's to hoping change comes sooner than later.

My potential future daughter-in-law is ROTC, my own daughter could be be facing this someday.