Obama makes overnight trip to Dover Air Force base to honor war dead

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

President Barack Obama is making an overnight dash Wednesday to Dover Air Force Base to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign.

On a clear fall night, Obama flew by Marine One helicopter directly to Delaware to greet the flag-draped caskets of those killed in action.

The unannounced trip began around midnight and was expected to have the president back at the White House before dawn on Thursday.

... The White House kept Obama's plans off his schedule, informing a small group of traveling reporters in advance on condition of secrecy.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_13665336

[qanda]

1. I hope it affects him so greatly that he'll call an immediate end to both of these unnecessary wars

Sorry, but it's just how I feel.

[wisteria]

2. Wow. n/t

[medeak]

3. did Bush ever do such a thing? n/t

[47of74]

7. Nope.

Bush was too busy jerking off at his ranch down in Texas to be bothered with stuff like honoring those who gave their lives for our nation.

[maddogesq]

34. Jr. AWOL cokehead coward could never bring himself to...

show compassion for anything except what profited the evil empire.

Having just watched my dad's millitary burial, I understand the pain of war first hand. He lived with near total hearing loss, bad feet, and replaced hip; all the result of The Bulge. I cannot imagine Shitboy consoling any millitary family.

[Sheltiemama]

32. Bush couldn't stay up that late.

[goclark]

35. He stayed up late ~ with his Jack Daniels

but couldn't support our troops.

[Psephos]

37. He never once went to Dover. He did meet directly with families. n/t

[AspenRose]

4. Maybe this will be acceptable to some here at DU

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8716727#8717893

[Raster]

11. I sincerely hope so. This is the action of a Commander and Chief.

And let's be frank: the thread you linked to was generally unrecommended by the majority of DUers that commented. Me thinks the OP had an ulterior purpose to the posting, and I don't detect "warm and fuzzy."

Let me be clear: there is NO COMPARISON between lawfully and legally elected President Barack Obama and the selected pResident. One appears to be a man of honor. The other, a chickenshit despot.

[ezgoingrl]

5. I'm glad that we have a President who has the guts to do this.

If he's gonna send them, the least he can do is meet them coming home.

[defendandprotect]

6. Wish he'd stay home more and end the wars . . .

I have some lingering concerns about the things that happened in the Clinton

administration -- from a small private plane flying into the White House near

Clinton's bedroom thru airspace which should be the most heavily protected any

where on the planet! -- to problems at some point in the Clinton Administration

with Air Force 1's radar, was it?

They might try it if they were sure that a sympathy vote wouldn't move universal

health care?

That flyover of Air Force 1 in NYC a few months ago which Obama didn't seem to know

about continues to resonate as odd and eerie.

[earcandle]

8. yea! I hope it turns his stomach and makes him stand for life, not death.

[Mithreal]

9. Can't be a War President and a Peace President. He needs to choose.

Hooray to our President for doing this.

Every dead soldier and every dead Afghan is now Obama's choice and I hope each weighs heavily on him.

[AspenRose]

12. That's a good cartoon.

[Mithreal]

28. The artist made an appeal here for our support.

He just asked us to visit his page every now and again so he could have some evidence for his editor to keep him employed. He is really good and deserves our support, especially since it is so easy to show.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/opinion/cartoons/

[Sheltiemama]

33. Will do.

My paper is in a content-sharing agreement with his.

[Corey_Baker08]

10. I Believe It Takes A Great Deal Of Courage to Do This....To Face The Loved Ones of The Soldiers....

Who will undoubtably be in attendance as well. This is not a photo op its a President in a time of war showing the courage to honor these fallen heroes as the return home while even having to look the family of these lost loved ones in the eyes.

More than you could say for Bush but I agree he has a heck of a decision to make to get our brave men and women out of harms way.

[Vidar]

13. It's the right thing to do, though not as right as bringing the troops home.

[Barack_America]

14. Mods, can't this be front page?

We brought home 18 fallen soldiers early this morning. Today is a day of mourning.

[Barack_America]

21. .

:kick:

[Mari333]

15. he can honour them by bringing all the troops home

until than, pfft.

[Barack_America]

16. Really? He gets no credit for forgoing sleep and looking his decisions square in the face?

Wow.

What's life like being so perfect and without fault?

[Mari333]

17. puhlease

you still believe this isnt just one huge commercial? Im sorry I am not that naive.

[Barack_America]

18. Watch the video.

If you really feel people could be so cold to not be moved by this, I don't know what to say to you.

[steven johnson]

19. I think this is about honor, too.

But no country survives without putting it's soldiers in harm's way.

I think Obama is doing the honorable thing.

The honor affair with Shields had come unexpectedly, provoked by the kind of loise ethical behavior Lincoln had been practicing for a long time, but it came at a time of intense self-examination. In seeing the affair through to an "honorable" conclusion, Lincoln had not so much done the right thing -- as the gritty thing, the determined thing. He never vavered or waffled, and by this method emerged with his honor intact...he was opting for his father's hard rule: "If you make a bad bargain , hug it the tighter."...

"Honor' Voice -- The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln," Douglas L. Wilson, Alfred A Knopf, 1998.

[FiveGoodMen]

29. Exactly right!

"Oh, more soldiers will die like this because I won't bring them home? How sad! Brings a tear to my eye."

pfft, indeed!

[Barack_America]

20. Kick to get this on the front page.

The media may be ignoring both our loss and Obama's gesture, but I hope DU doesn't follow suit.

[IdaBriggs]

22. K & R. nt

[question everything]

23. Obama attends return of fallen troops from Afghanistan

Source: CNN

The flag-draped cases of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early Thursday, in a solemn event attended by President Obama. Also in attendance for the transfer of the bodies were U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Michele Leonhart, acting DEA administrator. The bodies were of three Drug Enforcement Administration special agents and 15 U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan this week.

The DEA agents were killed Monday as they returned from a raid on a compound believed to be harboring insurgents tied to drug trafficking. Their helicopter with seven troops aboard went down in western Afghanistan.

The military transport that landed in Delaware on Thursday also included the bodies of eight U.S. soldiers killed Tuesday when their vehicles were hit by roadside bombs in two separate incidents in southern Afghanistan. The soldiers were from the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis in the state of Washington.




Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/29/dover.bodies/index.html

---

The story is accompanied by a very poignant video and I wish I could capture a still photo of Obama saluting.

I don't remember: Did Bush, or Cheney or Rumsfeld ever go to Dover to meet the caskets of soldiers?

[cactusfractal]

24. It's an awesome salute well-rendered and appropriate.

[hedgehog]

25. What the still photo can't capture is how he moved exactly with

the military people in marching to position and holding the salute. Awesome indeed!


I'm sure someone will say he practiced for this. Well, duh! Practicing how to salute is part of basic training. It shows he knows that the proper bearing is important.

[question everything]

27. Thank you! Beautiful! (nt)

[PearliePoo2]

26. At about 1:26 into the video...President Obama

turns and walks towards the van holding the fallen. His face clearly shows grief and anguish.
I would not be surprised if there were tears....I know I have them. :cry:

[Sheltiemama]

31. And that, my dears, is what a president looks like.

Those pictures bring tears to my eyes.

[tabasco]

30. Thank you, President Obama.

You have restored honor to America and the White House.

[IndianaGreen]

36. The only photo taken was of Sgt. Dale Griffin of Terre Haute. I posted story on Wednesday. Link

Terre Haute soldier killed in Afghanistan

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=151x7201