There were 600 seats available and all the units in the division were tasked with filling a few tables. Naturally, the 501st MI battalion got our table. Soldiers were grumbling about having to sit through another dog-and-pony show, so we had to pick soldiers to attend. I chose not to go. But, about 1500 the G2, LTC Devan, came up to me and with a smile, asked me to come to dinner with him, to meet him in his office at 1600 and bring a camera. I didn't really care about getting a picture with Sanchez or Bremer, but when the division's senior intelligence officer asks you to go, you go. We were seated in the chow hall, fully decorated for thanksgiving when all kinds of secret service guys showed up. That was my first clue, because Bremer's been here before and his personal security detachment is not that big. Then BG Dempsey got up to speak, and he welcomed ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. Bremer thanked us all and pulled out a piece of paper as if to give a speech. He mentioned that the President had given him this thanksgiving speech to give to the troops. He then paused and said that the senior man present should be the one to give it. He then looked at Sanchez, who just smiled. Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read the speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering. Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty feet away from me! The cheering went on and on and on. Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There was not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could clearly see tears running down his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment I've had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was this man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours on an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where a plane was shot out of the sky not six days before. Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never forget it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked right at me and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just mobbed by the soldiers. He slowly worked his way all the way around the chow hall and shook every last hand extended. Every soldier who wanted a photo with the President got one. I made my way through the line, got dinner, then wolfed it down as he was still working the room. You could tell he was really enjoying himself. It wasn't just a photo opportunity. This man was actually enjoying himself! He worked his way over the course of about 90 minutes towards my side of the room. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to shake a few hands. I got a picture with Ambassador Bremer, Talabani (acting Iraqi president) and Achmed Chalabi (another member of the ruling council) and Condaleeza Rice, who was there with him. I felt like I was drunk. He was getting closer to my table so I went back over to my seat. As he passed and posed for photos, he looked my in the eye and "How you doin', Captain." I smiled and said "God bless you, sir." To which he responded "I'm proud of what you do, Captain." Then moved on.

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Photo credit: Reuters

After I heard about Hillary's visit to Afghanistan on Turkey Day, I started looking at all the pics I could find of that visit. I was looking for evidence of how she might have been received by the troops, as I suspect (read: would bet the farm) that it was, at best, a chilly one.

This suspicion was based on much anecdotal evidence I had heard from many acquaintances that served in various branches of the military while the Clintons were in office.

This is just one of the pages I examined.

I saw no pics that showed her with the troops in anything resembled a warm and friendly interaction.

That pic above is the only one I saw of her shaking hands with a trooper, though, there are a few pics of her eating, primarily surrounded by female soldiers, where one or two of them aren't actually scowling, or at best, deadpan.

I'm no expert on body launguage, but I do know a few things about it, and the picture is telling. That soldier has his arm extended about as far as he can, keeping the max distance possible from her, and that tight-lipped grin he's sporting, showing no teeth, is a classic sign of forced civility. I can just see his CO saying, "Soldier, she is on the Armed Services Comittee. Go make nice. That's an order."

Take that expression in another context, and it could be the same guy getting a prostate exam. Textbook "pained expression."

If that's the best they could find, the atmosphere in there was so chilly, I doubt anybody's food was still warm by the time the plates made it from the chow line to the table.

Further evidence, I think, is that fact that none of the media coverage I've seen (scanty, as I don't even turn on a TV), or heard of, has shown anything like the warm and enthusiastic reception the Bush43 got handed to him Thanksgiving Day.

While I'm not really of the camp that the media is a bunch of Commie Moonbats, I do think they would have broadcast any such footage, were there any to be had.

Doesn't seem like her reception in Baghdad was much friendlier, based on admittedly anecdotal posts from some of those present, like this one:

"The meetings with [Iraqi administrator Paul] Bremer went fine, but we weren't finding a lot of takers on meeting with Clinton and [Rhode Island Democratic senator Jack] Reed," says an American staffer in Baghdad. "Maybe there weren't a lot of New Yorkers in the area."

I gotta wonder - do New Yorkers really think of the Junior Senator as being a New Yorker?

Then there's this

But I doubt it was actually so bad as this:

Heh.

UDPATE 12/04/2003: As we hit a week after the event, more anecdotal information started to flow in. Newsday reports that Hillary's visit was not just ignored, but actively avoided by the troops... "People magazine was on hand to cover the event and wanted to interview the troops for reaction to Clinton's visit.

"But they were getting declined left and right," our source said. "People were actually telling the reporters, 'You don't want to print what I think about her and her visit.'"

Disclaimer: I doubt NewsMax is the most objective of sources. :-)

To contrast, I've gotten a few forwarded emails from folks that were there for the Bush visit - again, not verified; I'm hampered by the fact that most of the folks I know well enough to trust implicitly are USMC, and those present were Army.

The whole thing is here, but here are a few sample quotes: "...from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering. Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering with all their hearts. The building actually shook."

... he stepped down and was just mobbed by the soldiers."

I know, this isn't really much more surprising than a Dog Bites Man story - given the past behavior of the Clintons to the military, but it is interesting (to me, anyway), that the animus is still so virulent. Until such time as the Democrats regain some measure of respect for the troops, and those in the civilian world that support them, it's going to be a looong exile for them from the halls of power.

UPDATE - 12/07/2003: Seems the story related in the email has been proven true. Snopes has blessed it, and it has now appeared on many other websites, to include those of The BlogFather himself, the The Rev. General, and Strategy Page.

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