Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. - Cyril Connolly
Friday, November 11, 2005
Remember Why
Today is Veteran's Day. For the last 3 years, this day has had that much more meaning than other years, and sadly this year, there are more than 2,000 brave Americans who remind us why we stop and remember their sacrifice today.
But they aren't the only ones. There are a million ways to serve your country, and the thousands of State Department workers, Intelligence workers, Contractors and other people over there and around the world are Veterans too.
Two of those people are in town this week. I've posted letters from my dear friends R. and A. who are stationed at the US Embassy in Baghdad. There are no two finer people representing the US to the Iraqi people. None. R. literally puts his life on the line daily by representing the US as the Sr. Diplomatic envoy who meets and brokers relationships with the governors, mayors and other elected Iraqi officials. He is a target for extremists every day. It's just one of the many reasons he was called back to DC this week to receive an honor for his service from Condoleeza Rice. A. has the unenviable task of running the day to day HR operations at the embassy. Staffing, counseling, food, shelter - talk about logisitics!
I'm looking forward to seeing them and spending some time with them this weekend. I bought my house from them, and their mother has become a very good friend and neighbor. As always, I'm sure the conversation will be intense and lively, and I'm very much looking forward to getting an insider's view on exactly how things are going over there without the media and military filters fogging it up.
What I do know is that on today of all days, it's people like R. and A. that remind me of how much we've sacrificed, and that they are all heroes. R. and A. certainly are.
