Letters from a TwoFront War is a collaborative effort between the Military Times newspapers and USA WEEKEND.

The recipients of these letters, men and women in uniform deployed in the war on terrorism, or family members and friends back home, are seeing these letters for the first time.

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Janis Ticer and her husband, Lew, parents of Marine Sgt. Clint Ticer, are quite familiar with wartime deployments. Lew served in the Marine Corps for 26 years, pulling two in-country tours in Vietnam and serving a third tour in the combat zone aboard a Navy ship. He retired as a sergeant major in 1992. Janis, a homemaker — “We never get to retire!” — said Clint is assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the amphibious assault ship Bataan. The Ticers also have two daughters, one of whom is married to a Marine captain.

Dear Clint,

Recently I received a letter from you with the word “Free” where the stamp should be, and my stomach flip-flopped while my heart fell. I have boxes of letters from your dad when he was in Vietnam with “Free” written in that corner. I hoped never to see one again.

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Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Chris Ebert, Fleet Marine Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., writes from Kandahar, Afghanistan, to his wife, Roni, in Jacksonville, N.C.

Dear Roni,

It has been your support and caring ways that not only strengthen me, but make me proud and honored to be your husband.

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