A Soldier's Kiss

Kiss Of Courage -- New York Sun editorial

What an extraordinary piece of film is up on the World Wide Web today in respect of William D. Swenson, on whom President Obama has just bestowed the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Afghanistan. The footage of the then-captain in the Army may be the first footage ever put up on the Web of an American hero doing at least some of the deeds that won him the nation’s highest award for valor. Captain Swenson reacted by asking to return to active duty and to the comrades for whom he was clearly prepared to lay down his life.

The actions for which Captain Swenson was honored today took place on September 8, 2009, during an engagement against the Taliban at the Ganigal Valley near Pakistan. Five Americans, 10 Afghan army troops, and an interpreter fell in the combat. It was in the course of seeking to recover bodies and help his fellow GIs that Swenson risked his life, and some of the deeds were recorded by a camera on helmet of a member of the helicopter crew.

Read more ....

Update: Helmet cam shows Medal of Honor recipient’s compassion -- NBC

My Comment: President Obama is right .... the video of Swenson “may be the first time that we can actually bear witness to a small fraction of those actions for ourselves.” I say this because I can relate to it .... it was four in the morning when I received the phone call from the hospital that my father was slipping fast. I rushed and got there within 25 minutes .... but I was too late by a few minutes. All that I could do then is exactly what Captain Swenson did to Sergeant First Class Kenneth Westbrook when he brought him to the helicopter .... give a kiss to someone to tell him that they are not alone .... that we love you .... and that you are now in God's hands.

I still remember that moment years later .... and I am proud and glad that I expressed such compassion to my dad .... and I suspect that Captain William Swenson will also remember his moment years from now .... and also be proud and glad that he did what he did.