I created this website in June of 2003, a month after my daughters, Michelle and Rachel Witmer, were deployed to Iraq as part of the 32nd MP Company, an Army National Guard Unit based in Wisconsin.  It's purpose was to give our extended family a way to stay in touch with our girls while they served their country.  Any letters they sent home were posted and the family could post messages which the girls were able to read on a regular basis.  The site was our connection to our Girls.

Charity Witmer is also a member of the Army National Guard's Company B 118th.  We learned in November of 2003, that Charity's unit would also be called to Iraq.  The story of three sisters, all serving in the Army National Guard and all deployed to Iraq, was picked up by the  news media and our girls gained some local notoriety in late 2003.

On April 9th, 2004, Michelle Witmer was killed in action when her patrol was ambushed in the dead of night.  The story was covered by national and international media.  When this website address began to be published, as part of the story, people from all over the world visited the site to send their condolences.  The traffic overwhelmed the site and I was unable to maintain the message board and I had to take it off line. 

I had little energy to devote to the site after Michelle's death and it seemed to serve little purpose.  My two surviving daughter were redeployed in Wisconsin eliminating the need for the original mission of the site, keeping in touch with my girls.

Now the site has a new mission: To honor the memory of Michelle Witmer.  It will continue to include news about the family and it will have a secondary purpose of encouraging all visitors to remember our men and women in uniform.

John Witmer (August 14, 2004)