Message-ID: <32503582.1075840320714.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 06:08:05 -0800 (PST) From: lwbthemarine@alltel.net To: lwbthemarine@alltel.net Subject: :regardless of your political views... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Larry Bass X-To: Larry W. Bass X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \ExMerge - Bass, Eric\Inbox X-Origin: BASS-E X-FileName: eric bass 6-25-02.PST > > Regardless of Your Political Views > > >> > > >> > > >> This is a small, but true story to give you an idea of the > > >>kind of man > > >> and the kind of woman we have in the White House right now. > > >> As you may know, the President and Mrs. Bush visited the > > >>Washington > > >> Burn Center on Friday 14 September. Among those they visited > > >>was LTC > > >> Brian Birdwell, who was badly burned in the Pentagon attack. > > >>Mrs. Bush > > >> went into Brian's room, spoke to him for about a minute, all > > >>the time > > >>as > > >> if they had been life-long acquaintances. > > >> She then turned to Brian's wife Mel, who at this time had been > > >>at the > > >> hospital for probably 2 1/2 days, and apparently, according to > > >>Mel > > >> herself, was dirty, grimy and had blood on her shirt. Mrs.Bush > > >>hugged > > >> Mel for what Mel said seemed like an eternity, just as if Mel > > >>were one > > >> of her closest family members. > > >> Mrs. Bush then told Brian and Mel that there was "someone" > > >>there > > >> to see > > >> him. The President then walked in, stood by Brian's bedside, > > >>asked > > >> Brian how he was doing, told him that he was very proud of > > >>them both > > >> and that they were his heroes. The President then saluted > > >>Brian. Now, > > >> at this point in time, Brian is bandaged up pretty well. His > > >>hands are > > >> burned very badly as well as the back of him from the head > > >>down. > > >> His movements were very restricted. Upon seeing the President > > >>saluting > > >> him, Brian began to slowly return the salute, taking, from the > > >>accounts > > >> so far, about 15-20 seconds to get his hand up to his head. > > >>During all > > >> of this, 15-20 seconds, President Bush never moved, never > > >>dropped his > > >> salute. The President dropped his salute only when Brian was > > >>finished > > >> with his, and then gave Mel a huge hug for what also probably > > >>seemed > > >> like an eternity. > > >> As a note to those of you who might not be familiar with > > >>military > > >> protocol, the subordinate normally initiates a salute and will > > >>hold it > > >> until the superior officer returns the salute. In the above > > >>incident, > > >> President Bush acted in the role of the subordinate to show > > >>his > > >>respect > > >> and high regard for the injured man. > > >> No further comments. Pray for our leadership. Thank God for > > >> what we > > >> are, have, and will be. > > >> Major Carl "Ferris" Buhler, USAF > > >> Air Force Executive Issues Team > > > > > > > > > >