VFW Connects Mother and Son

For the second year in a row, Master Sgt. Penelope Johnson missed her son’s first day of school. “I left Augusta, Ga., on the day Steven started school and will still be deployed when he starts next year,” she said. Johnson is disappointed that she can’t be there for those important days. Currently, she is on her second deployment, stationed in Iraq with the HHC 324th ITSB out of Fort Gordon, Ga. “When I call home, I am always anxious to hear how Steven is doing in school,” she said. “I miss talking to him after he gets home every day.” Thanks to VFW Operation Uplink, Johnson can reach her husband, Jack, and, of course, she can catch up with young Steven. “Besides talking about school, we like to talk about our cat, Bobbi, and all the funny things she does,” she said. “We got her for Steven when we moved to Georgia to keep him company while I’m away.” As a member of the VFW, Johnson is grateful to have her comrades standing behind her through programs like VFW Operation Uplink.