For Marine's widow, Iraq war will never be truly over

For Marine's widow, Iraq war will never be truly over
In the six years since Maj. Ray Mendoza was killed, his wife, Karen, says her goal has been to help their son and daughter continue to be inspired by their father, but not crushed by his absence.

Karen Mendoza, who lost her husband, Marine Maj. Ray Mendoza, when he stepped on a land mine in Iraq in 2005, is reflected in a display cabinet where she keeps a collection of mementos of her husband's life. (Rick Loomis, Los Angeles Times / December 18, 2011)

By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
December 18, 2011
For most of America, the war in Iraq officially ended last week with a speech-laden ceremony in Baghdad.

But for Karen Mendoza and the other 2,000-plus widows of U.S. military personnel killed in Baghdad, Fallouja, Ramadi and dozens of other cities and towns, the war in Iraq will never truly be over.

"Being a widow is a full-time job," said Mendoza, whose husband, Marine Maj. Ray Mendoza, 37, was killed in November 2005 when he stepped on a land mine while leading Marines from Camp Pendleton into combat near the Syrian border.
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