BY SUE ELLEN ROSS – Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Victoria Jones has not seen her daughter since December 2003.

Hadassa Jones, 19, is a member of the U.S. Army, and her Fourth ID Unit from Ft. Hood, Killeen, TX. was sent to Tekrit, Iraq at that time.

“Hadassa was told that she wouldn’t be deployed until January, but plans changed,” said Jones. “Instead, she left on Dec. 20.

On Dec. 19, Jones traveled to Texas to say goodbye, and also to bring home Hadassa’s infant daughter.

“We knew this was something she had to do,” said Jones. “My daughter had a very good attitude about the situation, so that made me content.”

Today, 7-month-old Amari/Victoria is a bundle of energy that keeps her grandmother very busy. “She is a replica of her mother – very good-natured,” she said. And who better to spend time with, as they both await Hadassa’s return.

That should be sometime around the end of April, according to Jones.

The wait hasn’t been easy, according to the concerned mom, but she has support from family members, friends and churches in the area.

Father Bennet Piovant, from Ascension of our Lord Church in LaPlace, visits on a regular basis; and prayers have been forthcoming from Beech Grove Baptist Church in Reserve; Israelite Baptist Church in Lutcher; and Our Lady of Grace Church in Reserve.

There is also a support group from her daughter’s base that keeps in touch with others that have family members stationed overseas.

“This group has been great,” said Jones. “They are a wonderful means of support, keeping each other informed, and also just to have someone to talk to.”

Hadassa takes her Army duties very seriously, according to her mom.

She joined the Army in 2002, after graduation from East St. John High School. She wants to earn a college degree, and felt the educational benefits that the Army would provide was just what she was looking for.

Her brother, Micah, 20, was concerned for his sister when she first joined the Army. And when the war started in Iraq, he became more concerned, according to his mother.

But since Jones and her two children are very close, they understand each other’s feelings and support each other’s decisions. Knowing that Hadassa is upbeat and positive about her assignment has helped both Jones and her son, she added.

“I am very proud of her,” she said. “She let us know that she is at peace with this, so Micah and I are, too.”

In one corner of the Jones dining room is a cabinet filled with family momentos. Pictures of Hadassa at various ages, as well as documents she received from the Army, are stored in this cabinet.

Jones takes the items out on a regular basis. There is one particular picture of Hadassa that little Amari/Victoria absolutely loves.

The baby looks at the picture of her mommy standing next to a flag in her Army fatigues and knows exactly who it is, says Jones. She tries to carry on a conversation with the picture, she laughingly added.

When Hadassa is discharged from the Army in 2005, future plans are still up in the air, according to Jones. “She mentioned that she might continue in the military, with plans to earn a degree in psychology, but time will tell.”

Regarding her return trip from Iraq this spring, Hadassa will find a great welcoming committee when she walks through the front door of her mom’s house on Glendale Dr.

“I will tell her I love her, and hug and kiss her,” said Jones. “And I will have all her favorite foods, since she can’t get them where she’s at.”

Family members and friends will also be present at the party to greet the brave young soldier as she comes home from her tour of duty.

Until that time, Jones will continue to stay positive. “This is not an easy thing to cope with, knowing your child is far away from home and in danger,” she said. “I pray quite a bit, and in my spirit, I know she’s doing OK.”