"You think you're having a bad day. I used to think I was having a bad day too. But you're not really having a bad day unless you're getting mortared first thing in the morning."
That was communicated to me by an NSA guy working in Iraq. Our people over there--men and women--are daily making sacrifices that are virtually incomprehensible to most of us. Here's one such sacrifice. It was made by a Fort Drum, NY soldier who yesterday received a posthumous Medal of Honor from President Obama:
Monti died during a firefight with the Taliban in Gowardesh, Afghanistan, in June 2006. The 30-year-old Monti showed "conspicuous gallantry," the White House declared when announcing he would win the Medal of Honor for his role in a fight along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Monti's 16-man patrol had been scouting ahead of a larger offensive against the Taliban. A helicopter deployed to resupply the patrol blew their cover; Taliban fighters converged, and Monti called for backup.
One of his men, Pvt. Brian Bradbury, was shot during the encounter. Monti, who enlisted at age 17, twice left cover and ran into the open under intense enemy fire to retrieve the wounded soldier.
Monti "did something no amount of training can instill," Obama said. He quoted Monti as saying, "he is my soldier, I am going to get him."On Monti's third attempt, he was struck by a grenade and died on the field.
If he could, how do you think Monti would respond to someone telling him that the guy giving him the medal is "Hitler" and the country he just lost his life for is no better than Nazi Germany? Or how about telling that to Monti's parents?
It's kind of disgusting if you think about it for a few seconds.
On the other hand, would a "wise Latina" have done the same thing as Sgt. Monti, or even Pvt. Bradbury?
