Where were they? Where were Sens. Snowe and Collins and Rep. Allen on July 24?

I know where they weren’t: the Augusta Civic Center. There, assembled to be honored, were four companies of patriotic women and men who spent last year enduring the hardships of war in service of this country.

These citizen soldiers arrived in Iraq and immediately went to work rebuilding that war-torn country, dispelling the myth of the “ugly American” and winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqis with whom they came in contact.

Their professionalism under adverse conditions exemplified the highest tradition of military service by our citizen soldiers.

Hopefully, they will be recognized in the near future by President Bush and awarded a much deserved Presidential Unit Citation.

I offer thanks to Rep. Mike Michaud for showing up and honoring their sacrifice.

To the other members of our delegation, I understand that, unlike the day before in Bath, this did not present them with a forum to expound on what they are doing to keep our military bases open. It did, however, present them with a forum in which they could have done the right thing – thanking those soldiers for their service and sacrifice.

Robert E. Macdonald, Lewiston

Copy the Story Link