Wednesday, December 07, 2005

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) -- Elaine Oneto says losing her home to Hurricane Katrina was devastating and losing her son in Iraq just two months later was unimaginable, but the support she has received has been overwhelming.Oneto was trying to rebuild her life after the August 29 storm destroyed her Bay St. Louis home and the home of her son when she was told he had been killed in Iraq. First Lt. Robert C. Oneto-Sikorski, 33, was on a foot patrol Monday near al Haswah west of Baghdad when he was killed by a roadside bomb, military officials said.Oneto said Friday her only concern now is for her son's three children -- ages 6, 8 and 11.Oneto's sister, Eloise Kindja, however, said she felt betrayed that Oneto-Sikorski was fighting for his country -- and ultimately gave his life -- even as his family battled the Federal Emergency Management Agency for temporary shelter."What more does she have to give to the country?" Kindja asked. "She gave her only son."The sentiment apparently resonated with Gov. Haley Barbour and U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Mississippi, who sprang into action, Oneto said.Just one day after The Associated Press reported Oneto-Sikorski's death and the struggles of his family, Oneto received a mobile home. Power and water were immediately connected, Oneto said."The governor called today and I was so surprised," she said Friday. "In the big scheme of things I don't make a flip, but he was very genuine."Barbour spokesman Pete Smith said Oneto-Sikorski made the ultimate sacrifice and the governor has pledged to give her any assistance she needs."We appreciate the sacrifice Mr. Oneto-Sikorski made to his state and his country," he said.Oneto-Sikorski's children are staying with relatives near Memphis, Tennessee, where they evacuated after the storm flooded their homes. Their mother, Claire Regar, was also stationed in Iraq but has been given an emergency leave.Both Oneto-Sikorski and Regar were serving in Iraq with the 155th Brigade Combat Team, which is made up of about 3,500 Mississippi National Guard soldiers and others from more than a dozen states.The unit is scheduled to begin returning from Iraq by the end of the year.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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