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Last Updated: Dec 12, 2008 - 4:54:39 PM |
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I am, in more ways than I should admit, very old school. I value certain institutions and customs. I worry about the erosion of certain customs - that such erosion will make us lesser than we should be.
I’ve been fortunate in my career to have met a handful of elected officials. With very few exceptions, elected officials - from the school boards and city councils on up - deserve a high level of respect. I have it - I think everyone should have it. Respecting - being able to respect - those elected to serve is one of the privileges of being an American.
I found out after booking my flight to Washington, D.C., that four World War II veterans from the Iowa Honor Trip were invited to place a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. My flight landed at 2:30, the wreath ceremony was scheduled for 3:15 - my odds weren’t great at being there but I was determined to try. Upon landing, I grabbed my luggage and hopped into the first available cab. The driver managed to get to me Arlington National Cemetery in a hurry. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take me all the way to the Tomb - that required a 20 minute walk (which, I can assure you, is largely uphill). I strapped 40+ pounds of camera gear onto my back and carried my suitcase (I couldn’t roll it - rolling it through the cemetery with the accompanying noise would hardly qualify as respectful). I ran/jogged until I thought I was going to pass out - the ceremony began just as I arrived. I was a sweaty, disheveled mess but I made it - not early enough to find a good position for photography but I was grateful simply to be there.
Of course that left me with a 20 minute walk back out of the cemetery - and then another potentially long walk along a highway until I could flag down an available cab to take me to my hotel. Yes, with 40 pounds of photo gear and my luggage. The thought was made worse because I had finished the week’s paper at 4:30 that morning and managed to grab all of an hour of sleep before heading off to the airport. I cut a pretty sorry-looking figure, to say the least.
The ceremony was over and people began to disperse - I packed up my cameras while contemplating finding a nice park bench on which to recover before the next physical endurance challenge I imminently faced.
That was when Greg Johnson approached. Greg is the area representative for Congressman Leonard Boswell. He asked if I needed a ride. It turns out that Congressman Boswell was going to drive him back to his office and he was offering me a lift too.
The congressman talked about the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He said he has seen veterans that could barely walk down the steps but when they get there, they have an incredible energy about them. “They’d crawl down those steps if they had to,” he said. He saw the same thing that has always amazed me. In the eyes of the 80-something WWII veterans I’ve met, is the young man that shipped off to save the nation and the world. That young man is always right there.
Another old school concept that is occasionally threatened in today’s society is that of being a gentleman. Congressman Boswell is all of that and more. Not only did he offer a ride to an admittedly worn-out, sweaty and all-around ratty looking journalist from a small-town paper, he even pulled over to allow Greg Johnson and me to visit John F. Kennedy’s grave. He then drove all the way to my hotel - which wasn’t the easiest place to find. Being Midwestern by birth, I began to feel guilty - I could well be tying up the wheels of American government while a U.S. Congressman drove me around Arlington searching for a hotel.
Did that simple act of generosity - unique as it was - earn my respect? No, that had already been earned - I’ve studied his background and found a man of decency, integrity and commitment to the people of Iowa - a man who would put his constituents and his country before himself. His offering me a ride merely confirmed what I already knew - Leonard Boswell is a gentleman - the kind that is, unfortunately, becoming increasingly rare these days.
It’s also important to note that he was at Arlington National Cemetery for the event. He didn’t have to be - he chose to be there to witness four of his fellow Iowans lay the wreath on the Tomb. He was also there to witness his comrades in arms perform what is certainly a sacred event. Boswell, after all, served two tours in Vietnam, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Bronze Stars among other medals.
For me, the entire day was privileged - and it all makes for a nice memory. I was glad for the opportunity to meet Congressman Boswell (and glad to have avoided the long walk I otherwise faced).
Suffice to say, it was an honor to meet him. It’s always an honor to meet someone I respect.
© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald
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