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Mother Who Lost Son In Iraq War Reacts To President's Decision Not To Return American Troops There

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com)   —  Some veterans who spent months training Iraqi forces in the battle for Iraq, say it's disheartening to see the forces they guided and educated putting down their weapons.

One local mother, who lost her son in the conflict, doesn't want to see another American mother suffer with losing a child to war.

Sally Toomalatai, of Long Beach, spoke to CBS2's Greg Mills.

"January 27th, 2007," says Toomalatai.  That was the day her son, David, was killed in Iraq.

"It still ... it still hurts," she says. "It's like it just happened."

He was killed one month after he got there.

"He was my hero," his mom says, choking back tears.

There is a blue star in the window and an American flag flying over the Toomalatai house.

Five of Sally's seven children served in the military -- three in Iraq.

She told Mills that after losing her son in Iraq, she really doesn't keep up with things happening in the war-torn country.

Private First Class David Toomalatai wanted to serve in the Army to follow in his father's footsteps. He also wanted to pay for college and support a son, Damon, now 8.

"Everything he does, he does it just exactly like his father," says Toomalatai of her grandchild.

David Toomalatai was one of 4,000 Americans killed in Iraq.

Sally doesn't want to see one more American mother find out their child has been killed in war.

"I think this war should end," she says,

 

 

 

 

 

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