Marine war widow gets visa

That was a quick turnaround. From the Knoxville News Sentinel-

MARYVILLE - Hotaru Ferschke, the 24-year-old Japanese widow of a U.S. Marine sergeant killed in Iraq, has been granted a temporary visa to come to America and have her baby.


The granting of the visa was announced today by the Washington office of U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., which had been working closely with the family of Sgt. Michael Ferschke to get permission for Hotaru Ferschke to come back to the U.S. to have her baby, as the sergeant had wished.

The Ferschke saga has touched the residents of Blount and surrounding counties deeply ever since it was announced that he had been shot to death while on a door-to-door search in Iraq Aug. 10.

There was an outpouring of sympathy and grief when the death was announced and an avalanche of outrage when Hotaru's plight was revealed in published reports this week.

Robin Ferschke, mother of the dead Marine, says Hotaru is "sweet and shy" and will be treated "just like a daughter" when she comes to Maryville.

All that remains is for Hotaru's doctor to allow her to make the long flight to Tennessee. Hotaru has an appointment tomorrow.

The consulate should have never put the mother through what occured last month. Someone was ignorant of the law. How many legal immigrants didn't have the support Mrs. Ferschke had and as a result got screwed? We'll never know, but here are two instances of legal immigrants who ran afoul of the cockamamie US immigration system.

I sincerely hope the visa allows Hotaru to stay in America till her status is adjusted. Cherish those wonderful in-laws you have Hotaru Freschke. Welcome to the USA and may God bless you and little Mikey.