« America: A Nation of Illiterates? | Main | Stranger Than Fiction »
December 10, 2004
Walking The Walk
Via Blackfive, just another reason I voted for George Bush:
The President visited Camp Pendleton on Tuesday to speak to Marines and their families.
But what you may not know from the MSM is that he was at Camp Pendleton for another reason. Some of the articles touch briefly on that reason, but they don't (or won't) do it justice. This is from a Marine Colonel at Pendleton who writes of the President's visit:
...we had the lead for the POTUS visit and I was privileged to spend much of the day with him. Let me tell you something that was, very deliberately, not in the news. President Bush came here for two reasons. To thank the Marines and sailors of Camp Pendleton for all they do, and to meet with the families of our fallen warriors. The first part was public. The second - and I believe far more important - was to meet privately with 170 family members who had lost a loved one. He forbade the press corps from viewing or photographing any of it.
The Plt Sgt Mitchell Paige Fieldhouse (a brand new $12.5m facility) has two basketball courts. One was curtained off and decks covered where he met with them together. Then, he met with the family members of each fallen Marine in the other gym individually. Having had the duty of a Casualty Assistance and Notification Officer many times in the past, I know how emotionally draining it is to talk to even one family at a time. When we put the President back on Marine One some three hours later, he was as somber and drained as I've ever seen him. It took an emotional toll on everyone involved.
Obviously, he did not have to make this visit. He could have delegated that task to anyone to do it for him. I have great respect for ones that will do the "right" thing, regardless of how tough it is.
That's something I've seen over and over again with this man - he does the right thing in private, without wanting to get credit for it, or turn it into a media event. Most of America has no idea that he regularly meets with the families of the fallen, and he doesn't claim credit for it - even when attacked by Congressional Democrats.
But the military knows.
And we don't forget a thing like that.
Posted by Cassandra at December 10, 2004 01:26 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.villainouscompany.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/36
Comments
wow
Posted by: KJ at December 10, 2004 05:18 PM
Do we love our Pres or what?
Posted by: Cricket at December 10, 2004 05:47 PM