When President Bush entered Lance Cpl. Chad Watson's hospital room, the young Marine wanted to stand and shake his hand.
Just standing is quite a feat when you have just one leg and your foot is in a cast.
Supporting himself on a walker, Watson reached out his hand but immediately lost his balance and grabbed the walker.
"The second time I went off balance again," said Watson, 23. "My brother (Brandon) saw what I was trying to do and grabbed me under my arm. That stabilized me enough to shake the president's hand."
Surrounded by family members, Watson stood upright as a fellow Marine read his Purple Heart commendation, and the president pinned the medal on his blouse.
"It was all his upper body strength," said his father, Mike Watson. "There wasn't a dry eye in the house."
Then, the president said, "Lance Cpl. Watson, I command you to sit down."
"With a smile on his face, of course," Watson said.
Mike and Gina Watson said the president and first lady Laura Bush spent about 15 minutes with their family, which included Brandon, a Mount Zion High School sophomore, and Amy, a sophomore at Northern Illinois University. His other sister, Lindsey Damery, a nurse who helped Chad Watson tremendously while hospitalized, was unable to attend.
When Chad Watson asked the president if he had a few minutes to sign autographs for his siblings, he replied, "I'll sign all day for you."
A three-star general in the president's entourage told Chad Watson that he planned to tell the Marine commandant that a young Marine who was missing one leg, with the other injured, had made the effort to stand for the president.
"That is something I am most proud of," Chad Watson said.
http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/01/03/news/local_news/1020214.txt
2007-01-03 10:28:56 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
For those of you that have something negative to say, go somewhere else. This is one brave soldier!
2007-01-03 10:44:25 · update #1
Thats the sort of story that will become Marine Corp legend.
2007-01-03 10:42:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 10⤊ 1⤋
Beautiful story.
But I just have to nitpick something. LCpl. Watson is not a soldier. He's a Marine. No disrespect to soldiers, but to quite a few Marines I know, the distinction makes a difference.
Okay, now that I have that out of the way, yes, that was a beautiful story. And I don't think it was front-page news because President Bush would then be accused of looking for a photo-op, and also because he doesn't do it for publicity.
2007-01-03 19:23:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Oorah! Thats good marine. She makes a good point up there. You didnt hear about this in the news because Bush is president. I think people should hear more of the sacrifices being made over there and not just hear how bad Bush is. I think he is doing a good job. And you can tell by this story some of our military support him.
2007-01-03 18:39:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a stand-up guy, alright, but I'm not surprised.
What makes me angry though, is that if it was former President Clinton, it would have been front page news, a photo op. Why isn't it that way for President Bush?
2007-01-03 18:34:39 · answer #4 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 9⤊ 3⤋
He's the kind of soldier the military wants, and he should feel good about that.
2007-01-03 18:55:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
because it does not buy into the way that the media wishes to portray your president..............
so sad about this young marine and ALL the other service members injured or killed......am just hoping and praying mine comes home safe and sound...........
2007-01-03 18:37:33 · answer #6 · answered by candy g 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
He stood for what he believes in.
Our country is blessed to have men like him.
2007-01-03 19:12:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Great story, and he sounds like a helluva good kid. Thanks for the post, that's not something you'd see in the new nowadays, as the others said.
2007-01-03 18:53:50 · answer #8 · answered by onelo150 2 · 6⤊ 0⤋
ya i agree
2007-01-03 21:18:10 · answer #9 · answered by _ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i don't think president Clinton would have made this front page news. this brave and courageous soldier would still have both his legs and many more would still have their lives if Clinton was still president. this is because he wouldn't have gotten us into this pointless war to begin with
2007-01-03 18:38:58 · answer #10 · answered by sfpd 2 · 1⤊ 9⤋