New Iraq Policy Won't Lessen Mom's Loss

When the Iraq Study Group report was released, Connie Foyteck was 700 miles away, working for the water department in Skokie Ill., CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports. But like 2,900 other U.S. families, nothing they say or do in Washington can restore what she's already lost.

"You get sympathy cards from presidents and senators and all that stuff, with their deepest condolences. But you know what? Tomorrow, another kid gets killed," she says.

Her son, 26-year old Army Sgt. Kraig Foyteck, was shot in the neck and killed on Oct. 30 — two months after his unit was supposed to leave Iraq.

"Most people think that when it's been a month, you know, you should be doing better," she says. "But I think it's getting worse."

The grief is so overwhelming she hasn't even been able to sort through the mementos that showed up at her Indiana home instead of her son.

"I haven't gone through them until now," she says. "I don't know why, but I just find it tremendously moving that his watch is still beating on. These medals meant more to Craig than they did to me," she adds as she sorts through her things.

Now the mom who always supported her son, but never the war, hopes he didn't die in vain.

Connie says she feels with all the debate that's been going on, people forget what the discussion is really about. "The worst thing is my son is just another life to them, you know. It's not their son," she adds. "I just want Kraig to be remembered as the great person he was. He really wanted to come home."

Instead, she's left with her diary. She writes to Kraig in it every night, hoping somehow he'll hear.