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ENLARGE
Corless Faust looks over pictures of her son, Sgt. Michael Love-Faust, in her Roseburg home. Now back with the National Guard’s Charlie Company in Roseburg, Love-Faust volunteered to serve in Iraq. His safe return makes today a special Mother’s Day for Faust.
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ENLARGE
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Corless Faust of Roseburg talks about the emotions she experienced while her son, Sgt. Michael Love-Faust, served a 10-month tour of duty in Iraq.
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ENLARGE
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Photos of Sgt. Michael Love-Faust at various stages in his life are displayed in the home of Corless Faust of Roseburg.
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Corless Faust never doubted that her son would come back from Balad, Iraq, safe and sound after a 10-month deployment, but she admitted that in the beginning, she was a little uneasy about him leaving.
When her son, Sgt. Michael Love-Faust, first told her that he was volunteering to go Iraq, she didn’t understand why he would want to.
“His answer was, ‘Because it’s my turn to let some of my brothers come home,’” Faust said. “I just thought, ‘Why did I raise you with such integrity?’”
Less than two weeks ago, Love-Faust returned to the U.S. safe — just as Faust knew in her heart he would. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t worry, or wasn’t at times scared, about her 26-year-old son’s welfare.
Last summer when Love-Faust was preparing for deployment, Faust said she was worried that her son would get hurt while overseas. Those worries were compounded when her friends brought up the danger Love-Faust would likely face. Her mood changed, though, when she talked with a close friend, Dale Riggle, and had what she referred to as her “light-bulb moment.”
“(My friend) said, ‘You’re not acting very Christian. Who are these women? They’re supposed to give you faith and hope, not worry and despair,’” Faust said. “From that point on, I turned it over to God. I never thought he wouldn’t come home.”
<b>Early years</b>
Love-Faust joined the National Guard in Florida when he was 17 years old and spent his 18th birthday at boot camp. Faust’s husband, Jim, served in the Army after he graduated from high school and was in the National Guard for 25 years. Jim Faust was a Vietnam veteran, and Faust said her husband’s career likely influenced her son.
“Back when his favorite cartoon was Speed Racer and Scooby Doo, I never thought, ‘Oh, he’ll be a soldier some day,’” she said. “But growing up with his dad and uncle in the military, it was probably instilled in him a little.”
After living in Florida for a couple of years, the family moved back to Roseburg, where Love-Faust and his younger brother, Elliot Faust, had spent most of their childhood. It was then that Love-Faust joined up with the Guard’s Charlie Company in Roseburg.
In 2003, shortly after the family had moved back to Douglas County, Love-Faust was deployed and preparing to go Iraq. But he broke his foot during training and never left the U.S. When the opportunity arose to go overseas with the National Guard’s 234 Engineer Company, based at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Love-Faust volunteered again. And, despite her worries, Faust understood her son’s desire to serve.
“She was glad, in a way,” Love-Faust said. “She was upset that I was leaving but was glad that I was serving my country.”
When her son, Sgt. Michael Love-Faust, first told her that he was volunteering to go Iraq, she didn’t understand why he would want to.
“His answer was, ‘Because it’s my turn to let some of my brothers come home,’” Faust said. “I just thought, ‘Why did I raise you with such integrity?’”
Less than two weeks ago, Love-Faust returned to the U.S. safe — just as Faust knew in her heart he would. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t worry, or wasn’t at times scared, about her 26-year-old son’s welfare.
Last summer when Love-Faust was preparing for deployment, Faust said she was worried that her son would get hurt while overseas. Those worries were compounded when her friends brought up the danger Love-Faust would likely face. Her mood changed, though, when she talked with a close friend, Dale Riggle, and had what she referred to as her “light-bulb moment.”
“(My friend) said, ‘You’re not acting very Christian. Who are these women? They’re supposed to give you faith and hope, not worry and despair,’” Faust said. “From that point on, I turned it over to God. I never thought he wouldn’t come home.”
<b>Early years</b>
Love-Faust joined the National Guard in Florida when he was 17 years old and spent his 18th birthday at boot camp. Faust’s husband, Jim, served in the Army after he graduated from high school and was in the National Guard for 25 years. Jim Faust was a Vietnam veteran, and Faust said her husband’s career likely influenced her son.
“Back when his favorite cartoon was Speed Racer and Scooby Doo, I never thought, ‘Oh, he’ll be a soldier some day,’” she said. “But growing up with his dad and uncle in the military, it was probably instilled in him a little.”
After living in Florida for a couple of years, the family moved back to Roseburg, where Love-Faust and his younger brother, Elliot Faust, had spent most of their childhood. It was then that Love-Faust joined up with the Guard’s Charlie Company in Roseburg.
In 2003, shortly after the family had moved back to Douglas County, Love-Faust was deployed and preparing to go Iraq. But he broke his foot during training and never left the U.S. When the opportunity arose to go overseas with the National Guard’s 234 Engineer Company, based at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Love-Faust volunteered again. And, despite her worries, Faust understood her son’s desire to serve.
“She was glad, in a way,” Love-Faust said. “She was upset that I was leaving but was glad that I was serving my country.”
<b>False alarm</b>
While in Balad, Love-Faust conducted convoy security missions. He said he didn’t have much time to make calls home. He added that e-mail was not always available, so in the 10 months he was overseas he only spoke to his mom about six or seven times. When he was able to make phone calls, Love-Faust said they were usually to his wife Tina.
“I’m kinda second fiddle now that he’s married,” Faust said.
Love-Faust spent Christmas with his family while he was on leave, but hasn’t seen his mom since then. Faust said she wrote her son letters and sent him care packages while he was gone. In a way, she said not hearing from Love-Faust wasn’t so bad.
“If you’re used to not hearing from someone and they call you, it’s a surprise,” Faust said. “But if you’re used to hearing from them and have open lines of communication and you don’t hear from them, you think the worst.”
A few months ago, though, Faust received a phone call that did give her a scare.
Someone who Faust said she barely knew called her late one night, crying. The woman on the phone told Faust that she received an e-mail from a friend overseas that said Love-Faust had been killed. Faust knew it had to be a mistake.
“No, no this is not true,” Faust said. “No, this is not true. I just kept denying it. This is not true.”
Nevertheless, Faust called the Red Cross and asked if they had any information about her son. A Red Cross representative told Faust that her son’s name was not on the organization’s list of injured or killed soldiers. Within a couple of hours, Love-Faust was on the phone reassuring his mother that he was OK.
Faust suspected that the caller was wrong, but was uneasy because she thought it was possible for an e-mail from another soldier to reach Roseburg before Faust had someone knocking on her front door to tell her the news.
Even though the call worried her, and hearing stories about injured soldiers coming home were unnerving, Faust said she put her faith in God that everything would work out.
“I hear those stories,” Faust said of soldiers coming home injured. “I pray they have a speedy recovery, but if they did get killed that day, they could have been in Roseburg and drowned or in an automobile accident. When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.”
While in Balad, Love-Faust conducted convoy security missions. He said he didn’t have much time to make calls home. He added that e-mail was not always available, so in the 10 months he was overseas he only spoke to his mom about six or seven times. When he was able to make phone calls, Love-Faust said they were usually to his wife Tina.
“I’m kinda second fiddle now that he’s married,” Faust said.
Love-Faust spent Christmas with his family while he was on leave, but hasn’t seen his mom since then. Faust said she wrote her son letters and sent him care packages while he was gone. In a way, she said not hearing from Love-Faust wasn’t so bad.
“If you’re used to not hearing from someone and they call you, it’s a surprise,” Faust said. “But if you’re used to hearing from them and have open lines of communication and you don’t hear from them, you think the worst.”
A few months ago, though, Faust received a phone call that did give her a scare.
Someone who Faust said she barely knew called her late one night, crying. The woman on the phone told Faust that she received an e-mail from a friend overseas that said Love-Faust had been killed. Faust knew it had to be a mistake.
“No, no this is not true,” Faust said. “No, this is not true. I just kept denying it. This is not true.”
Nevertheless, Faust called the Red Cross and asked if they had any information about her son. A Red Cross representative told Faust that her son’s name was not on the organization’s list of injured or killed soldiers. Within a couple of hours, Love-Faust was on the phone reassuring his mother that he was OK.
Faust suspected that the caller was wrong, but was uneasy because she thought it was possible for an e-mail from another soldier to reach Roseburg before Faust had someone knocking on her front door to tell her the news.
Even though the call worried her, and hearing stories about injured soldiers coming home were unnerving, Faust said she put her faith in God that everything would work out.
“I hear those stories,” Faust said of soldiers coming home injured. “I pray they have a speedy recovery, but if they did get killed that day, they could have been in Roseburg and drowned or in an automobile accident. When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.”
<b>Back to work</b>
Now that Love-Faust is back on U.S. soil, Faust said she is relieved and is proud of what her son has done for his country.
“I’m just really, really proud of Michael,” Faust said. “If that’s what he wants to do, make the military a career, I support him. I mean, someone has to do it.”
After spending some time fishing and catching up with family, Love-Faust said he’ll get back to work for the Guard, where he helps with recruiting. Love-Faust will jump back into once-a-month training with Charlie Company in June, but said he will not be heading overseas with the rest of the unit in 2009. Instead, Love-Faust will help with day-to-day operations at the armory while the company is gone.
Love-Faust said he knew when he volunteered to go to Iraq that he wouldn’t be able to communicate with his wife or mother much. When he did talk to them, they were always supportive and encouraging, he said.
“My mom, she was a huge support,” Love-Faust said. “And she’s a great mom.”
• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@nrtoday.com.
Now that Love-Faust is back on U.S. soil, Faust said she is relieved and is proud of what her son has done for his country.
“I’m just really, really proud of Michael,” Faust said. “If that’s what he wants to do, make the military a career, I support him. I mean, someone has to do it.”
After spending some time fishing and catching up with family, Love-Faust said he’ll get back to work for the Guard, where he helps with recruiting. Love-Faust will jump back into once-a-month training with Charlie Company in June, but said he will not be heading overseas with the rest of the unit in 2009. Instead, Love-Faust will help with day-to-day operations at the armory while the company is gone.
Love-Faust said he knew when he volunteered to go to Iraq that he wouldn’t be able to communicate with his wife or mother much. When he did talk to them, they were always supportive and encouraging, he said.
“My mom, she was a huge support,” Love-Faust said. “And she’s a great mom.”
• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@nrtoday.com.
