As families across the county celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, there will be empty seats at some homes. Those who would be filling them are serving in the military.

“I have three sons and with one of them missing, there’s an emptiness,” said Dr. Tom Peterson, professor at the University of West Georgia. “It’s hard to describe what that emptiness is, but you know it’s there, and I don’t even know what to name it because it’s something missing of you.”

His son, 2nd Lt. Nolan Peterson, has been serving in Iraq since June and will miss the holiday with his family. This is not the first time Peterson has had to celebrate the holiday without one of his sons. It’s not even the first time Nolan has served overseas and missed a holiday – he has served in Korea over another holiday season. But this is the first time Nolan’s been away serving in a war zone, and that makes the emptiness even more poignant.

“This is different this time, being that he’s in harm’s way over there and there’s so many unknowns,” Tom Peterson said. “The other it was more like an adventure and he was gone. This is a war and it’s different than being in a peacekeeping mission.”

Dr. David Boldt, also a professor at UWG, can understand. His son, Capt. Philip Boldt, an Apachee helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army, is now serving in Germany. Two years ago, he was stationed in Iraq on Thanksgiving.

“You feel a little less worried about him in a place like Germany,” Boldt said. “It’s actually a fairly neat place to be because he is actually able to visit places like Munich and the Alps and all of that while he’s there. So, you’re feeling a lot less nervous while he’s there. He’s getting some interesting travel experience.”

But the separation during a major holiday hurts. Peterson and Boldt are not alone. Among UWG faculty and staff, there are six other families feeling the same emptiness at their Thanksgiving table. Tom Peterson didn’t know there were other families at the university in his situation.

“I really don’t know of others because they’re so spread out and so many different places,” Tom Peterson said. “I really don’t know of any of them.”

As hard as it is to miss their children this Thanksgiving, they know it is even more difficult for them overseas, especially if they are in hostile territory. They have their other family members and the comfortable surroundings of their home to celebrate in. Their children are not so lucky. They are living in some sort of barracks and not letting their guard down even to celebrate their gratitude this Thanksgiving.

“There’s a part of me that knows the loneliness he will be going through will be much harder than what we’re experiencing here,” Tom Peterson said.

Nolan’s wife Carley and his 3-year-old son Henry are spending the holiday in Carrollton with Tom Peterson and they are taking a lot of pictures to send to him in Iraq so he can still be a part of the holiday.

“Almost everyday I am sending him pictures and he really appreciates that,” Tom Peterson said. “He feels that while he’s not here he can see what’s going on and he knows that we’re thinking about him and praying for him.”

Boldt will talk to his son today and in the past has sent seasonal care packages to him over the holidays.

“We had good e-mail and phone communication with him during Thanksgiving and the holiday season,” Boldt said.

Both Boldt and Peterson have one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Philip Boldt will be coming home for leave for Christmas and Nolan Peterson will be returning in about two weeks, hopefully in time to be with his wife for the birth of their second child due in two and a half weeks.