Cory Galliher
Cumberland Times-News
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FROSTBURG — While Master Sgt. William Manley is helping his fellow troops in Iraq as part of his service in the Air Force Reserve, his family remains home holding down the fort in Allegany County, patiently awaiting his return in September.
Despite the distance, they still manage to communicate via Facebook, telephone calls and a video chat program called Skype.
At the Manley family reunion on Sunday, his family did something else to keep Master Sgt. Manley in their hearts while he’s away — they honored two flags that he sent from abroad, an American flag from Kirkuk Regional Air Base in Iraq and a Support Our Troops flag signed by Manley and his friends and sent home again.
Over 40 members of Manley’s extended family were present to honor the flags.
“He’s been there since February,” said his mother, Betty Ann Swartz. “It blows my mind that we can still talk.”
“He always stopped by to see what he could help with while he was here,” said Swartz, who added that she looks forward to her son’s return.
Manley’s wife, Diana, said Manley currently works in an entomology shop on an Air Force base in Iraq near Kirkuk.
“He handles pest management and takes care of spraying weeds and such,” she said. “He’s keeping the base safe. It’s not as dangerous as going into combat. He’s there to keep the base running.”
She added that he’s been serving in the military for more than 15 years combined, including time in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Naval Reserves.
Diana Manley said her husband hopes to go on vacation when he returns from Iraq in September, but it would be difficult for the family to plan a trip until December.
“We miss him,” she said. “There’s a lot more stuff to take care of on our own while he’s gone.”
Cory Galliher can be reached at cgalliher@times-news.com.
