President Donald Trump has been criticized for his words to a grieving Gold Star widow, but a local Gold Star mother doesn’t necessarily disagree with the president’s sentiment.

Becky Loggins is the mother of Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Loggins of East Limestone, who was killed in action in April 2007. Loggins, 27, was with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines. He was serving in Al Anbar province, Iraq, when he was killed.

In a condolence call last week to widow Myeshia Johnson, Trump told her that her late husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, “knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway.” His comments were overheard by Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who was with the Johnson family at the time.

The firestorm over Trump’s words came on the heels of yet another controversy — whether previous presidents personally called Gold Star families or wrote letters instead. Trump claimed to be the first president to regularly make condolence calls, while other presidents did so only intermittently.

For Becky Loggins, the controversies and debate pale in comparison to the loss of her son. She doesn’t, however, necessarily disagree with what President Trump said.

“He knew what he was signing up for,” Loggins said recently about her son. “It’s comforting to me because he was doing what he wanted to do. I just wish to heavens it hadn’t happened, but he didn’t go into it with his eyes closed.”

She doesn’t believe Trump was trying to be disrespectful to Johnson.

“I think he just has a way of not saying things how he means them,” she said. “I’ve actually had it said to me.”

She doesn’t remember if President George W. Bush called her and her ex-husband Danny Loggins after Adam’s death. She doesn’t remember much from that time at all.

“I remember just wanting to die,” she said. “I just wanted the Earth to open up and swallow me.”

A little more than two months after Adam’s death, President George W. Bush visited Limestone County for the restarting of Unit 1 at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. Becky Loggins said Bush met with her ex-husband, who was Huntsville’s fire chief at the time, and expressed his condolences personally.

A helping hand

Loggins eventually found some encouragement through Survivor Outreach Services at Redstone Arsenal. Through the group, she’s been able to connect with other survivors.

“Before that, I felt like I was all alone,” she said.

Kerrie Branson, director of the organization, said only one good thing has come from the national controversy — “More people now know about Gold Star families,” she said.

SOS at Redstone Arsenal has a coverage area of 11 counties and 330 survivors. Branson said it’s never easy for any parent to learn his or her child was killed in battle. Her organization provides long-term assistance to survivors, including grief support and outreach events where survivors can bond with each other.

She hasn’t had a chance to personally ask many survivors about the recent political controversy but has seen several weigh in on social media.

“For many of them, I don’t think it matters if they got a phone call (from a president). It didn’t make a difference with their grieving,” Branson said. “The majority just don’t like the fact it’s been made political.”

Becky Loggins described her life since her son’s death as “day to day.” Some are easy; others are painful.

She takes solace that her son’s name was enshrined on a new monument recently installed on the lawn of the Limestone County Courthouse. Still, Adam Loggins is missed on holidays and birthdays.

“I miss his sense of humor the most, probably,” Becky Loggins said. “He had a great sense of humor.”

For more information on the Survivor Outreach Services at Redstone Arsenal, visit facebook.com/SOSRedstone.