"When Aaron came home and told us, I was really upset at first," Zurn said. "He was too young and I was really scared."

But Aaron was determined, Zurn said, to serve his country that was so brutally attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. "I really think the events of 9/11 prompted him to sign up," Zurn said.

In the more than three years since Aaron enlisted, Zurn said all of their lives have changed for the better.

Aaron has returned home safely from two deployments to Iraq, and, through her son, Zurn has learned how much our country respects and supports soldiers serving in the military.

"We've experienced so many random acts of kindness because of Aaron's service," Zurn said.

When Aaron returned from his first deployment to Iraq in 2007, he and his fiance, Brittany Tindall, attended a Cincinnati Reds Baseball game.

"Aaron struck up a conversation with the people around him," Zurn said. "And sitting next to them was the wife of the Reds pitching coach. She overheard the conversation, thanked Aaron, and promised to send an autographed ball."

A few weeks later, Zurn said a ball autographed by all of the Reds current pitchers arrived along with a nice note. "Aaron treasures that ball," Zurn said.

Zurn originally wrote to share her story of a complete stranger she met in the Vandalia post office right before Christmas.

"Because packages from home mean so much to our soldiers," Zurn said. "I send one or two a month to both Aaron and my brother-in-law, Terry, who is a staff sergeant with the Army National Guard."

On this particular day, Zurn was chatting with the postal workers when the man at the window next to her offered to pay for her package.

"The man told the clerk to put my package on his bill," Zurn said. "And he said it was the very least he could do. That meant a lot, especially at Christmas."

As a teenager, Aaron worked for a local car dealership. This dealer loaned the family a van so they could drive to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to gather Aaron and his belongings and bring them home after his first deployment.

"Numerous people we don't even know have told us they have added Aaron to their prayer lists at their churches," Zurn said. "And a coworker of mine told me she and her three children say a prayer for Aaron every night."

It is because of support like this that the Zurn family, my own family and all the other military families with loved ones at war are able to cope.

"The kindness of people towards our son and our family was truly our strength during the past several years," Zurn said. "And though Aaron is now stateside and hoping not to be deployed again, we don't know what will happen in the future."

Aaron, now a corporal, is stationed at Camp Geiger in North Carolina, where he is studying to become a combat training instructor. He and Brittany are planning to wed this year and Aaron is deciding whether or not to re-enlist in the Marine Corps.

"Aaron has been through a lot," Zurn said. "All the soldiers have seen things most of us can't imagine. His unit lost six men during the first deployment and one was a very good friend. It causes these kids to grow up quickly. But it also brings them all close together and they really appreciate being home again."

Contact this columnist at (937) 475-8212 or banspach@woh.rr.com