The three Johnson boys worked together during their sojourn in Iraq rebuilding bridges, canvassing roads for land mines and disposing of explosives. At home, Marilyn Johnson stayed glued to the news, preoccupied with world events.

The Johnsons had previously sent their two oldest sons to war during Desert Storm, but for mom, that didn't make this time any easier.

"Every young soldier on the news looked like mine. And mine looked like every one of them," she said. "It's really hard to see the graphicness of the war, but you want to keep up on what's going on."

Several of the wives had to turn the television off, unable to watch the continual coverage of deaths and explosions in Iraq, Marilyn Johnson said. Danielle Johnson finally had to turn the news off after her 6-year-old daughter saw a bomb blast on television and was sure her daddy was killed.

Although Marilyn Johnson said it was heart-wrenching to have four of her sons in danger at the same time, she said she would not have stood in their way of serving, although she once considered calling her congressman to get permission for her fourth son to stay home.

"We've always taught them that they had a duty to their God and their country," she said. "I think they felt their duty when the time came."

Bill Johnson said he was worried that serving in the same unit as his two brothers was risking them all being killed in one blow. But he soon found that having family in the next tent was what carried him through.

"It was a blessing in disguise. A lot of people had to leave their family behind, and we were able to take some of it with us," he said. "You just can't talk to somebody like you would a brother."

Luckily, all of the Johnson soldiers were able to call their wives often, although the 11-hour time difference and 15-second delays on the phone made meaningful conversation difficult. For Darci Johnson, it is good enough.

"We depend a lot on each other vocally. It's not just a little hug, it's saying, 'Really, I love you,' " she said.

Danielle Johnson said with her husband home, she's learning there is a lot more to the war than Bill told her on the phone. Details about gunfire, explosions and a convoy that was attacked on his first day in Iraq are now coming out, she said.

The wives aren't the only ones now seeing the other side of the story. Each of the sons and son-in-law Doug Kinsman said they were stunned when they returned home by the negative spin on the war portrayed in the media.

"It's incredible to see what kind of twists they put on it back here and how negative they make everything sound," Bill Johnson said. "You never hear how much good work was done in the country and how much the people appreciate us being there. On the news it looks like they hate us, and it was all for the wrong reasons."