Mother of Troop Leads Pro-War Caravan

March 7, 2007 (KABC) -- "My son, William, is serving his third tour of duty in Iraq," Deborah Johns said.

While her son is serving his country, Johns will be leading a pro-war caravan from California to Washington, DC to send a message to politicians.

"You voted to send them there. Stand behind them and remain faithful to them 100 percent," Johns said.

"The negative rhetoric hurts our military men and women. It hurts their morale," she said.

From just talk about opposing the president's troop surge to the possibility of taking action and cutting war funding, Johns is sick and tired of politicians and presidential candidates slamming the war in Iraq when she has her own worries.

"It's difficult every day. People do not realize the stress and strain we military families experience by having our loved ones deployed. You hold your breath everyday," Johns said.

This is the third pro-war convoy for the Sacramento-based Move America Forward. The group got a lot of attention for it's You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy Tour, a counter to vocal anti-war mom, Cindy Sheehan.

While it starts in San Francisco and makes its way south to Los Angeles by Friday, the caravan will stop in Lafayette, at a contentious war memorial put up by anti-war activists. It tallies the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq.

"It's clear to me that most of the people who are pro-war are opposed to the memorial so it doesn't make sense that they would meet here," Baika Pratt, an anti-war activist, said.

Those deep seated differences of opinion on the war will be in stark contrast when the caravan makes it's visit before moving on to the nation's capitol. There on March 17th both will meet again for rallies to let Congress know what they think.

For Johns, she wishes her pro-troops caravan could get as much attention as she feels the anti-war movement has gotten.

"They need our support 100 percent on all aspects of this war," Johns said.

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