Photograph of Jackson soldier gives mother hope

The photo meant only one thing to Kathy James: Her son, an Army soldier fighting in Iraq, was still alive.

"Wonderful," said the Jackson resident tearfully. "Absolutely wonderful."

An Associated Press photo posted on the Internet Tuesday shows Pfc. Joshua Butler, also of Jackson, guarding a blown-in window of a presidential palace in Baghdad.

James said she hasn't heard from her son in more than a month, when he wrote her a letter the day after his 21st birthday. She said the first picture of him ran in the Southeast Missourian last week. Even though the Associated Press didn't name him in the caption, she recognized his profile and a deformity in his pinkie.

"The photographer must be traveling with his unit," she said. "So I haven't been as worried as you might think since the first picture ran. But I'm glad to hear about this one. He's still safe. He's still alive and well."

Butler joined the Army in 2001, a month before Sept. 11. He was following in his mother's military boot steps -- she served in the Navy and later the National Guard.

James said she is immensely proud of her son for his service, but even more because of the obstacles he's overcome.

"He didn't do so well in high school, and he lost his dad when he was 12," she said. "It's been a rough road, but he's set his mind to this and when he sets his mind to something, there's no stopping him."

More Associated Press war photos are available at semissourian.com. There's a link under the Iraq news section on the home page.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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