WHEN MOTHER FALLS ILL

Being deployed to another country often brings a sense of helplessness when it comes to events affecting family and friends back home in Sweden. This is reflected in letters and diaries preserved in Fredsarkivet (the Peace Archive). The people and things that matter most suddenly seem very far away, both literally and figuratively, and beyond one's control.

If, in addition, those serving abroad feel that they are not being fully informed about what is happening back home, their sense of helplessness and anxiety grows even stronger. At the same time, the feeling of being involved in family life, so important to those deployed overseas, gradually diminishes.

Christer Thagesson served with Battalion 57C in Cyprus during the autumn of 1975. He knew that his mother was suffering from cancer, but he was unaware that the end of her life was rapidly approaching. His mother had expressed a wish that Christer should not be told how serious her condition was, as she did not want him to worry. Fortunately, his brother Leif and his girlfriend Helene eventually decided to tell Christer the truth. As a result, he was at least somewhat prepared when the telegram arrived on 4 October 1975.

In early September 1975, Christer received two letters, one from Helene and one from Leif. Both letters conveyed the same heartbreaking news: his mother did not have long left to live.

For the family of someone deployed overseas, deciding not to share important news can be an extremely difficult choice. Should they, as in this case, respect the wishes of the person who is ill, or the deployed family member's desire to know the truth?

In the end, Helene and Leif chose to tell Christer, but they also asked him not to reveal to his mother what he knew. Despite this, Christer and his mother continued to write to each other. The last words he received from his mother came in the form of a postcard dated 22 September 1975.

Christer's story illustrates how Swedish personnel deployed abroad often find themselves facing two emotional fronts: one in the country where they are serving, and another in the country they have left behind.

Our heartfelt thanks to Christer Thagesson for sharing his letters and his personal story.