God Bless them both.

[Dragon Lady]

Soldier Goes Back To Iraq After Send-Off From Dying Mom

POSTED: 2:19 pm EDT July 16, 2004

ALTOONA, Wis. -- A soldier's emergency leave to be with his terminally ill mother came to an end Thursday, as she and other relatives gave him a tearful send-off.

Pvt. Joseph Wagner, 19, was initially granted a two-week leave after the family fought the military to allow him to spend time with his mother, Patrice Confer, because of her cancer diagnosis.

The leave eventually was extended twice, but after 81 days, Wagner had to head back to Iraq.

He traveled with relatives from his western Wisconsin home to an airport before catching a flight to Chicago and then to Europe on the way back to Alpha Co. 1-18 near Tikrit.

"This is tougher than I could have imagined," Confer said, her voice choked with emotion.

Wagner felt the same: "This is so hard, man, so hard. I've never had to do anything this tough."

Confer, 44, was diagnosed in April with terminal ovarian cancer that had spread to her liver. Doctors at the time gave her about a month to live.

She didn't know in recent days if she would be able to accompany her son to the airport for the final goodbye. She had spent much of the past week in bed, racked with the pain and fatigue of her disease.

But she decided Wednesday that it was a trip she couldn't miss. "I'll just take a bunch of pain pills and lay down on the ride over (to the airport) if I have to," she said. "But I need to be there."

Mother and son made the most of their last day together Wednesday, spending the time talking, shopping and later joining the rest of the family at the baseball game.

There were hugs for Wagner and Confer from family members as Wagner finished packing Thursday morning. Then it was time to go.

"This is something I've got to do," he said. Soldier Goes Back To Iraq After Send-Off From Dying Mom

POSTED: 2:19 pm EDT July 16, 2004

ALTOONA, Wis. -- A soldier's emergency leave to be with his terminally ill mother came to an end Thursday, as she and other relatives gave him a tearful send-off.

Pvt. Joseph Wagner, 19, was initially granted a two-week leave after the family fought the military to allow him to spend time with his mother, Patrice Confer, because of her cancer diagnosis.

The leave eventually was extended twice, but after 81 days, Wagner had to head back to Iraq.

He traveled with relatives from his western Wisconsin home to an airport before catching a flight to Chicago and then to Europe on the way back to Alpha Co. 1-18 near Tikrit.

"This is tougher than I could have imagined," Confer said, her voice choked with emotion.

Wagner felt the same: "This is so hard, man, so hard. I've never had to do anything this tough."

Confer, 44, was diagnosed in April with terminal ovarian cancer that had spread to her liver. Doctors at the time gave her about a month to live.

She didn't know in recent days if she would be able to accompany her son to the airport for the final goodbye. She had spent much of the past week in bed, racked with the pain and fatigue of her disease.

But she decided Wednesday that it was a trip she couldn't miss. "I'll just take a bunch of pain pills and lay down on the ride over (to the airport) if I have to," she said. "But I need to be there."

Mother and son made the most of their last day together Wednesday, spending the time talking, shopping and later joining the rest of the family at the baseball game.

There were hugs for Wagner and Confer from family members as Wagner finished packing Thursday morning. Then it was time to go.

"This is something I've got to do," he said.