Debra Lambert has been waiting for her fiance's return to the United States since before Christmas.

When it became apparent that the National Guardsman's tour of duty in Iraq would not be finished at that time, she was given the date of May 11 to look forward to.

Then, in mid-April, the veterinary technology junior received the news that her fiance, Brian Tolan, would not be returning next month.

In fact, he might not be back this year at all.

"It was so disheartening," said Lambert, who was told on Easter weekend that Tolan, a guardsman of the 1775th National Guard Military Police unit out of Pontiac, would remain in the Middle East for significantly longer than she originally was told.

"He had his hopes up and they were crushed."

On Saturday, Lambert joined more than 20 demonstrators on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Abbott Road brandishing signs and alerting passersby of the unit's prolonged stay in the war-torn country.

Darlene Tolan, the guardsman's mother, stood next to Lambert at the demonstration. She expressed her ever-growing fear that her son could be injured given the escalating violence toward Americans in Iraq over the past several weeks.

"It's like you want to watch the news, yet you don't want to watch the news," she said, barely audible over the blaring honks from passing motorists.

"You also feel guilty because your child is alive and so many other people's have died," she said.

Darlene Tolan added that the continual delays in her son's return had changed some of his views.

"He's been in love with the military since he was a kid," she said. "Now he feels discouraged. Our kids have served their duty."

Officials from the Michigan National Guard did not return calls Monday.

Also in attendance at Saturday's demonstration was Charity Wright of Tecumseh. Her husband, Jeffrey, also is in the unit.

"It's devastating," she said. "We have two kids, and I have to explain this to them.

"They want to know where their daddy is."

Wright said she had been able to maintain contact with her husband ever since he purchased a cell phone in Iraq.

"I actually talked to him this morning," she said. "We spend a lot of money on phone cards."

The demonstrators issued a statement prior to the demonstration declaring that Saturday's actions were neither pro-war nor anti-war.

Darlene Tolan, however, was fairly straightforward about her views of the conflict in Iraq.

"I don't like how we started this war without the world's support," she said.