You may remember Marine widow Hotaru Ferschke. I last wrote about her, and her baby son, here:

Baby Mikey Ferschke and his mother need YOUR help

A Marine's Japanese widow is fighting to raise her son in the nation her husband died protecting. Hotaru Ferschke and Sgt. Michael Ferschke had a proxy wedding, filing marriage papers after he deployed. He was killed in Iraq. Now U.S. immigration refuses to acknowledge the marriage. Here, Hotaru Ferschke stands with her mother-in-law, Robin Ferschke, and son Mikey. (source)

Robert Stokely, Gold Star Father, and my friend, sent out the following email to a few of us the other day:

http://news.aol.com/article/marines-widow-hotaru-ferschke-denied/673890?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fmarines-widow-hotaru-ferschke-denied%2F673890

I can not add to what this story says except to say where I come from you don't mess with our women and you don't mess with our children. How can our government possibly, even remotely, do this. We must fight, and I mean literally fight if need be, for this wife and child, for a Hero died to give us not only the right, but the duty to do so.

My boy was a CAV Scout; my great great grandaddy was a cavalryman himself. I am not. But, I can yell charge and will fight. CHARGE!!!!

Join me.

Robert Stokely

proud dad SGT Mike Stokely

KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq

USA E 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG

And I am joining this fight. Others have already. Over at BlackFive, they have the story up, with information on who to contact, and how we need to resolve this issue....

That's the background here, and many have been watching closely to ensure that this widow and child, of one of our fallen heroes, are allowed to make America their home.

I recently found this update:

Marine widow's immigration bill passes Congress

By Charlie Reed and Chiyomi Sumida

Stars and Stripes

Published: December 15, 2010

Michael "Mikey" Ferschke III and his mother
Hotaru, last Christmas at his grandparents'
home in Maryville, Tenn.

Photo courtesy of Robin Ferschke

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Congress has cleared the way for the Japanese wife of a Marine killed in Iraq to immigrate to the United States to raise the couple’s son.

A bill that would allow the 26-year-old woman to begin her path to U.S. citizenship passed the House on Wednesday after having cleared the Senate earlier this month. It now awaits a signature from President Barack Obama.

Congress’ move essentially grants an exemption to U.S. law that will allow Hotaru Ferschke to relocate from Okinawa to the Tennessee hometown of her husband, Sgt. Michael Ferschke.

“I kept my promise to my son. This is what makes me feel so much better than anything,” said Robin Ferschke, Michael’s mom, who has been fighting to help her daughter-in-law move to the U.S. “I am sure my son is proud of me.”

The “private relief legislation” was crafted specifically for Hotaru Ferschke, who married Michael Ferschke over the phone in July 2008 while he was deployed to Iraq. She was already pregnant with their child.

A month after marrying, the 22-year-old Marine was killed while conducting door-to-door searches near Baghdad. ...

For more on this update, go here.

If President Obama has not signed this important bill yet, can someone please pass him the pen? Thank you.

Baby Mikey Ferschke and his mother need YOUR help

A Marine's Japanese widow is fighting to raise her son in the nation her husband died protecting. Hotaru Ferschke and Sgt. Michael Ferschke had a proxy wedding, filing marriage papers after he deployed. He was killed in Iraq. Now U.S. immigration refuses to acknowledge the marriage. Here, Hotaru Ferschke stands with her mother-in-law, Robin Ferschke, and son Mikey. (source)

Robert Stokely, Gold Star Father, and my friend, sent out the following email to a few of us the other day:

http://news.aol.com/article/marines-widow-hotaru-ferschke-denied/673890?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fmarines-widow-hotaru-ferschke-denied%2F673890

I can not add to what this story says except to say where I come from you don't mess with our women and you don't mess with our children. How can our government possibly, even remotely, do this. We must fight, and I mean literally fight if need be, for this wife and child, for a Hero died to give us not only the right, but the duty to do so.

My boy was a CAV Scout; my great great grandaddy was a cavalryman himself. I am not. But, I can yell charge and will fight. CHARGE!!!!

Join me.

Robert Stokely

proud dad SGT Mike Stokely

KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq

USA E 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG

And I am joining this fight. Others have already. Over at BlackFive, they have the story up, with information on who to contact, and how we need to resolve this issue.

Time to Mobilize - Widow and Child of Fallen Marine may be deported
Posted By Blackfive

A Marine's Japanese widow is fighting to raise her son in the nation her husband died protecting. Hotaru Ferschke and Sgt. Michael Ferschke had a proxy wedding, filing marriage papers after he deployed. He was killed in Iraq. Now U.S. immigration refuses to acknowledge the marriage....

Read the rest, and check out the contacts here. I understand that Hotaru is stuck in legal limbo because of some anachronistic laws on the US books to do with proxy wives. That law was designed to weed out marriages of convenience for those who married just to gain US citizenship. That is NOT the case for Hotaru. From all I have read, Hotaru and her husband, Sgt. Michael Ferschke, were living together, were a partnership in every sense of the word, for a year or more in Japan, where they met. And oh yes, they obviously consumated the marriage. Mikey is proof of that.

Take a look at this:

This family deserves to be here in the country their loved one died serving. Hotaru has already more than earned the right to raise Mikey - the son of a fallen hero who gave his all for America - in the land of his father. Mikey's grandparents need to be part of this child's life.

In the comments at B5, one caller was told that right now the focus for the politicians is all about the healthcare/reform legislation. THIS bill - details of which I found somewhere else, and which you can find details of here - is long overdue:

H.R.3182
Title: For the relief of Hotaru Nakama Ferschke.
Sponsor: Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. [TN-2] (introduced 7/10/2009) Cosponsors
(None) Private bill
Latest Major Action: 7/20/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred
to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and
International Law.

The House sure could fast track Joe Wilson's case. No reason for this bill to
languish for months in committee.

"Cosponsors are prohibited under the rules on private bills, but have appeared
from time to time." 'tis time.

Let your Reps and Senators know the bill number.

Seems to me that if BO's aunt can maintain a residency status in America; if who knows how many untold illegals can set up home in America without fear of being shown the door - the very LEAST America can do for this family, is to welcome her and their baby boy as full American citizens.

You know what to do. Call everybody you can think of on this one. This family matters.

As Robert Stokely says: "... Join me. CHARGE!"