The Salute
No fanfare, and only one video that I've seen. President Obama honored the fallen returning to Dover Air Force Base with a solemn salute.
I can't help but wonder what was going through his mind as those flag draped coffins passed before him. Imagine standing in his shoes at that moment ... the darkness of the early morning, the weight of being Commander In Chief.
Advertisement
Once more than his predecessor did in the entire eight years of his misrule. So far.
A President who will do this - honor the fallen, and face their families - is by far a better man than the last occupant will ever be.
The expression on his face told me everything we need to know about the moment. He understands.
We may yet have other reasons to disagree with things he does, but for this, I am thankful: President Obama understands - and will face, straight on - the awful human burden of such things.
Thank you for the link - I had been elsewhere this morning and would not have seen it otherwise.
October 29, 2009 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems that only one of the families agreed to press coverage. But he stood there and saluted eighteen times. Eighteen times.
You're right. He understands.
October 29, 2009 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Josh has the slideshow on the front page, too. It is almost too moving...
October 29, 2009 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is there any such thing as "too moving" when it comes to war?
October 29, 2009 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not when it comes to the human tragedies involved. The empty places at tables, the holes in families that will never be filled. The losses of fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends...
"Weapons are instruments of fear, they are not a wise man's tools.
He uses them only when he has no choice.
Peace and quiet are dear to his heart,
And victory no cause for rejoicing.
If you rejoice in victory, then you delight in killing."
Lao Tzu
October 29, 2009 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, Melissa, and you, too, Grouch, for an excellent summation of my feelings as I watched this on the evening news tonight. I can't help but think we finally elected another man of Lincoln's character and depth. Not that I agree with Obama close to 100%, but for his appreciation of the cost of war, I am grateful.
October 29, 2009 8:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
It made me have flashbacks to Viet Nam days, and the 55,000 American soldiers lost; some of them friends who were drafted. And flashback to the first gulf war and the total media blackout over peace marches, war correspondents, no returning bodies, and on and on. Yes, almost too moving for the feeling some of the dead soldiers' families' stupefying grief, and the weight of the decisions Obama is faced with in making a plan for Afghanistan. Too moving because I could have no coherent thoughts, only raw emotion driving my aversion to war, and especially stupid ones.
That is all.
October 30, 2009 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I appreciate doubly that he did this while he is working to form a strategy to protect American's safety (re future terrorist attacks,etc.) and weighing the impossibility of winning anything in Afghanistan. We cannot force nations to be what they are not. We have failed at this miserably numerous times. We have fought enemies that we created too many times. We have to find a better way to protect ourselves and right now we are more likely to implode from within.
In reality the decisions of Bush and Cheney did more damage to this country that all of the terrorist attacks put together. The war on terror was used to pillage and weaken our nation from within much more damage than the terrorist could have ever accomplished on their own including the damage to our integrity and moral character.
October 29, 2009 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well George W. Bush would not allow photos of our dead to be presented to the public, and he sure the hell never greeted them.
Instead he asked that the American Public should sacrifice in the name of the war, by using their department store credit cards.
I am getting sentimental in my old age Missy, I wept when I saw those pix.
At least we have a Commander-in-Chief who will at least great the fallen as they return in caskets.
Thank you Missy.
October 29, 2009 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not just sentiment, my friend. It's humanity.
October 29, 2009 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
To me, no one epitomizes the pond scum of the powerful and super-wealthy as well as the Bush clan has. George W. was the "runt" of the litter. I, personally, do not know if G.W. ever met a flight of KIAs at Dover. Nor, do I know how he dealt with the individual losses of the families of those KIAs. Personally, I have visited the graves of my loved ones and never mentioned the visitations to my wife. You, my readers, are the first to know. I am pro-Obama all of the way. Politicians do little with a sense of sincerity. Why the photos? The families knew he was there. So did the ops folks at Dover. The word would have gotten around. A pol is a pol! Sorry...Guess I'm a cynic.
October 29, 2009 8:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
The family gave permission for the coverage - before they knew President Obama would be in attendance.
I don't believe he did this for notoriety, or for kudos.
October 29, 2009 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed, honey, agreed!
(OMG, a new avatar!)
October 29, 2009 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
;)
October 29, 2009 9:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
And the man knows how to salute...gotta give him that too.
October 29, 2009 8:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lis, I composd my comment and now see yours when I come back to post.
Barefooted, your title, "The Salute", might have special meaning to current and former military men and women. The pictures on the Front Page show Obama giving a correct military salute to the fallen servicemen. To me, that screams of one of the differences between him and his predecessor, Bush.
Every time I saw Bush strut in his war costume and salute he held his hand with palm forward then arced it slightly down and out to his right and back up to eye level in a ridiculous dismissive looking flourish while flashing a stupid grin. It looked anti-military. It looked like how a belligerent teenage boy might salute his angry military officer father after being sent to his room for smarting off.
Bush would not have known how to pay respect for the dead servicemen even if he had been inclined or instructed to do so. This is largely, I believe, because he did not know how to respect, did not respect, did not understand the concept, had never learned to even "act" respectful.
Seeing Obama appearing to feel the gravity of the situation gives me some hope that he will weigh the lives at stake and feel the burden of the tragic and needless death both suffered by and caused by the damned geopolitical games that our country is involved in.
October 29, 2009 9:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I posted on another blog yesterday, President Obama took the time to learn his role and how to do it smartly. And anyone who spent time in the military knows performing a duty smartly means beyond reproach - so good as to preclude any possibility of criticism. I'd much prefer a President in a suit - no overcoat, standing on the tarmac of a taxiway, in the cold, dark, dead of night honoring those who have died in service of the Nation rather than one dressed up in a military flight suit to to look like he's one of the boys and using the flight deck of an aircraft carrier to hold a pep rally. Makes it easier to separate the professional from the rank amateurs.
October 30, 2009 8:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Or an "unnecessary and unseemly habit"?
October 30, 2009 9:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
. Good articla Ellen but it popped my bubble. I thought I was the only one who noticed, or at least the only one that it made angry.
October 30, 2009 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good to see you.... :)
October 29, 2009 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't help but wonder what was going through his mind . . . .
Finally -- a photo-op that doesn't call for flying Air Force One over the Statue of Liberty.
But damn it's cold out here. I'll have to ask Gates why we're still landing the coffins in the dead of the night.
October 30, 2009 8:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
I suspect flight times out of the war zones to Germany for their first pit stop and crew rest, getting minor inflight failures repaired and working while crew rest is going on, then scheduling for routes and landing times to the US takes it's toll. Besides, they have to get them back and no expense is spared to pushing the aircraft to the front of the list for take-off, routes, priorities and landings. The coordination is a nightmare but still takes time.
October 30, 2009 8:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Doesn't matter how nice the host, someone always comes along and spits on the carpet.
We don't much like you either, "Ellen".
October 30, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
President Obama was showing the American public something Bu$h was afraid to..the real price we must pay when the Nation decides to go to war. I'm not saying the war is wrong, but the ultimate sacrifice must always be weighted when the decision is cast. If anything, this war illustrates what happens when personal sacrifice is minimized in favor of expediency.
October 30, 2009 8:30 AM | Reply | Permalink