The Other Face of Grieving Mothers

Aug. 18, 2005 — -- On Wednesday, hundreds of candlelight vigils in support of one mother's antiwar protest lit up the night sky.

Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey died in Iraq, has been camped outside President Bush's Texas Ranch since Aug. 6, determined not to leave until the president meets with her and other grieving families who want him to bring the troops home.

But not everyone supports Sheehan's mission. "Good Morning America" talked to two mothers who lost sons in Iraq and think the protests are an insult to other soldiers still serving.

"It breaks my heart to think that they [the troops] might see all the coverage and something that I consider to be negative," said Janet Norwood. "They [the troops] might think that they are not being supported over there."

Norwood's son, Byron, was killed in Iraq in November. Norwood remembers him as a "fun-loving guy" from the time he was born who always liked to make people laugh.

"There is absolutely nothing in the world that is worth the life of my five children, but what is important is that Byron thought it was worth it," she said.

Before he joined the military, Augie Shcroeder played baseball, basketball and football. He was, as his mother, Rosemary Palmer, put it, someone who liked to "sample life." He was killed on Aug. 3, at the age of 23.

"Augie left behind the other guys in his unit, and they keep saying that the Marines protect the man on their right and the man on their left," Palmer said. "Augie is not there to do that any more, but we are here and we want to speak out."

Palmer called Sheehan a lightning rod, adding it is possible to support the war effort and the troops while protesting the way the war is being waged.

"Freedom is not free," Janet Norwood said. "It is really easy to take it for granted but there has been a price paid for generations by people in our military for the freedoms that we enjoy."