MOMS PRAY FOR THEIR STARS.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Tina Perez was on the phone the minute she heard the news reports earlier this year that a Black Hawk helicopter had been shot down in Iraq.

One of her Blue Star Mothers in Santa Clarita had a son assigned to a Black Hawk crew.

``We'll be praying with you,'' Perez told the mother. ``Anything you need, you call us and we'll be there - anything.''

And then the women waited.

They knew that death or injury notification from the military generally takes 24 to 72 hours.

During that period, you hold your breath every time the phone rings or a car pulls up in front of your home.

After 72 hours, if you haven't been contacted, you can breathe again. And cry.

Your son or daughter wasn't on that crew that went down, but some mother's child was.

``You sit with any mother who has a child in the military right now, and your mind, body and soul are touching like you wouldn't believe,'' Perez said.

``We're all the same woman, same mother. Leaning on each other for support and comfort.''

It was that lack of support, that feeling of being alone when her son, Marine Sgt. Jason Perez, was deployed to Iraq last year, that prompted Perez to start a local chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America Inc.

It's a wonderful organization that dates back to World War II and continues right through Iraq - mothers banding together to support each other and all the sons and daughters serving in the military.

Her son is home now, and he has joined the Los Angeles Police Department. But his mother, through the Blue Star Mothers, continues reaching out to an estimated 800 moms in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys whose children are serving in the military.

``They're all our children, all our kid brothers or sisters,'' Perez said. ``Just because your child is home doesn't mean the others don't need you.''

What started as a chapter with five mothers in 2003 has grown to 150 mothers. But where are the rest? Where are the 650 other families with children in the military?

``Due to privacy issues, the military doesn't release the family names, so we have to go out and find them,'' said Blue Star mother Kris Neff, whose son is serving in the Navy.

With the help of veteran Vic Shannon, a Web designer with Nebula Web Designs, the local Blue Star Mothers have just kicked off a Web site this month with details about the organization and its effort to support our troops.

Included on it is a Hometown Heroes page listing the names of all the local men and women in the military right now. The mothers hope that page will grow to list every name - and every mom.

``We want those kids recognized and honored by their local communities,'' Neff said. ``We're all old enough to remember Vietnam. We don't want that for our kids and grandkids.

``We're a support group for mothers, but we're also a volunteer group making sure all our local servicemen and women get letters from home, cards and packages at holidays.

``We want them to know the people back home in their communities are thinking about them,'' Neff said.

So if you know of any parents or grandparents with children or grandchildren in the military right now, tell them to log on to www.bluestarmothersofscv.org, or call Perez at [phone].

Get their names on that Hometown Heroes page where they belong.

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Tina Perez looks at blue stars, representing area men and women in military service, on a tree by Santa Clarita City Hall.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer