News of America’s military men and women [who] were wounded and killed in Iraq and Afghanistan almost overwhelmed me on some days. I may have sounded strong when I was talking to the press, but sometimes I had to push my feelings way down in order to get any words out of my mouth to make statements and answer questions.
The hardest days were when President Bush went to visit the wounded or families of the fallen. If it was tough for me, you can only imagine what it was like for the families and for a president who knew that his decisions led his troops into battles where they fought valiantly but were severely injured or lost their lives.
He regularly visited patients at Walter Reed military hospital near the White House. These stops were unannounced because of security concerns and hassles for the hospital staff that come with a full blown presidential visit.
One morning in 2005, Scott McClellan sent me in his place to visit the wounded warriors. It was my first time for that particular assignment, and I was nervous about how the visits would go.
The president was scheduled to see 25 patients at Walter Reed. Many of them had traumatic brain injuries and were in very serious, sometimes critical, condition. Despite getting the best treatment available in the world, we knew that some would not survive.
We started in the intensive care unit. The chief of naval operations (CNO) briefed the president on our way into the hospital about the first patient we’d see. He was a young Marine who had been injured when his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. After his rescue, he was flown to Landstuhl U.S. Air Force Base in Kaiserslautern, Germany. At his bedside were his parents, wife, and five-year-old son.
“What’s his prognosis?” the president asked.
“Well, we don’t know sir, because he’s not opened his eyes since he arrived, so we haven’t been able to communicate with him. But no matter what, Mr. President, he has a long road ahead of him,” said the CNO.
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8 comments:
This is what a REAL, HONEST, FAITHFUL AND LOYAL President looks like and his real concern for all his troops. He doesn't use the soldiers for his own photo-op agenda like the current president.
Probably wouldn't order them to hold an umbrella either - if he used one.
And he still visits them today. Remember Obama wanted veterans to pay for a portion of their health care?
No offense, but is there some political reason why Bush has been in the news so much lately ?Would the more than frequent mention of him have anything to do with the upcoming election,or has the non stop onslaught over the last month just a reflection of America's undying affection for him?
There is no 'non-stop onslaught' that I see, 10:26.
The apparent increase of mentioning him probably results from the coverage of Jeb, and perhaps attempts by some to associate the two.
President Bush did and still does genuinely love those who serve our country and risk their lives for us.
He is a genuine patriot and a good man. He may have come up short in a few categories as President, but who hasn't?
Look at what we have now and think about it.
I got upset with a few things W did, but I still greatly appreciate what a good man he is.
he should have visited the individuals he sent to fight for the all the wrong reasons!!
4:19 PM without being so callous, do you know for a fact, he has never visited or spoken to those families?? He has done so much privately that he doesn't feel the need or desire to exploit.
He performed a much better job than what we have now.
Has anyone heard from B.O. and Moochelle today?
The silence is deafening!
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