Posted on 08/08/2004 10:07:38 PM PDT by RockinRight
The moment Peggy Buryj saw the president walk into the room, she began to cry.
President George W. Bush had just concluded a speech to a crowd of 5,000 elated supporters at the Canton Memorial Civic Center last Saturday.
Waiting for him in a private room, away from the crowd and the press, were family members of three Stark County soldiers who were killed in Iraq this year.
And when Buryj began to cry, so did the president, she said.
``We hugged each other,'' said the mother of Pfc. Jesse Buryj, 21, who died May 5 in Iraq. ``I was crying and he was crying.''
Bush met with the families for about 20 minutes before he and his entourage left for another campaign stop in Cambridge.
The meeting also included the families of Staff Sgt. Richard Ramey, killed Feb. 8 by a roadside bomb, and Sgt. Michael Barkey, who died in a July 7 truck accident.
Bush told the families that meeting with them and others who have lost family members in the war on terror is the hardest part of the job, Buryj said.
``He said, `Your sons did not die in vain. Don't ever think that.' ''
Julie Ramey said that ever since her son was killed, she has wanted to talk to the president.
``I feel that man loves every one of those military soldiers as much as we loved our son. And I wanted to let him know that,'' she said. ``He said that he is sorry for our loss.''
She said Bush told her that he cannot imagine the pain she and the rest of the family members are going through.
``I said you are right, but you are carrying a load on your shoulders, too, for the whole nation,'' she said.
Mrs. Ramey said she told Bush she was not angry at him for anything.
``This is a job that needs to be done,'' she said. ``If we don't finish the job, our grandchildren will be there.''
Hal Barkey, who buried his son two weeks earlier, said he was impressed with Bush's compassion in dealing with the grieving family members.
Barkey said he could tell that Bush feels the loss of every person who has died in Iraq.
``I am sure it is a burden for him to carry,'' he said.
Bush was very humble, down to earth and easy to talk to, Julie Barkey said.
``We told him we prayed for him,'' she said. ``He had tears in his eyes.''
Mrs. Barkey saw the meeting as a sign from her son.
``I knew Mike was in heaven,'' she said. ``This was confirmation.''
White House spokesman Jim Morrell said the president has had similar visits with other families around the country.
The visits are often at military installations and are always done in private, Morrell said.
The gatherings, he said, ``are very emotional and very heartfelt. It is a time of extraordinary grief for the families, but it gives the president the opportunity to thank them for their honor and sacrifice.''
During the meeting, Bush pulled presidential coins out of his pocket to give to each family.
A campaign official contacted the families a few days before the visit.
Peggy Buryj said she was on the lookout for any hint of insincerity from Bush.
``Honestly, that man hugged me like it was sincere,'' she said. ``You know when somebody is faking it.''
She asked the president to help sort out conflicting information she received on her son's death.
At first it was reported he died when an insurgent drove a truck into a checkpoint and crashed into a Humvee that carried Buryj.
Since then she has heard other versions. She asked Bush if he could find out the true story.
Bush told her he would.
``Sometimes it just takes a call from the president,'' he told her.
She said she was nervous beforehand.
``I didn't know if it was proper to grab a president and hug him.''
She and her husband are both registered Democrats who voted for Bush in 2000. They'll vote for him again this year, she said.
``There are people in my family who are upset with Bush for starting this war,'' she said. ``I said he did not kill my son.''
Said Mrs. Buryj, ``my son chose that job. How can I be upset with the president? There is evil in this world. I do not hold him responsible.''
At the end of the meeting, Buryj told Bush, ``I am glad you were my son's commander in chief'' and added, ``Don't leave the boys hanging over there.''
I truly believe that almost anyone, save for the most liberal anti-Bush Democrats, would vote for W if they met the man in person.
There are a lot more of these people than the libs will let us believe.
Can you imagine if Dufus was President. he would bring in photographers to record every minute of his alligator tears. President Bush is a good man and you can't fake that.
The most eloquent defense I've seen yet to every single criticism raised by the perfidious dems since 9/11.
That is very true, especially when you are grieving.
GW Bump!
I, too, think there are many dems who will vote for President Bush than we will ever hear about.
We also don't get many articles like this one, showing President Bush for the good man that he is. I'm pleased that he doesn't see these gatherings as photo-ops, but I'd sure like to read more like this.
I would LOVE to meet President Bush!
We simply cannot allow John Kerry to become CIC. We civilians owe our military sons and daughters too much to allow that to happen.
I wonder if Kerry would be able to talk to them so straightforwardly, seeing his conflicting votes and opinions on the war.
Would the relatives say the same things to im, knowing his vote on the 87bil bill?
Yes, most definitely! And I hope there are no problems with the military ballots this time around! I belive there is talk about letting the military vote early, so their votes can be counted.
This one will tear your heart out.
There has been little empathy from most press for the President. I dont know about most people, but I think what is it like? Here you are the President during wartime, idiots like Moore and Kerry and all his clowns are out there slandering you for protecting the country like you swore to do. And not everyone is going to understand like this famlily does when one of thier family memebers is killed. God she is so dead on right. It WILL be the grand children that would have to fight this war in the future if we didnt do what we had to do. What Bush had to have th e courage to do. That nails it. The cost yes is great now, but nothing like the cost would be in the future if we did nothing. I suspect a lot of democrats deep down know this.
They wont admit it, they want power. But they know the whole world dynamic has changed for the better because of what Bush had the courage to do.
During the meeting, Bush pulled presidential coins out of his pocket to give to each family.
I detest bring up Slick Willy, but I have a difficult time believing he ever gave out these coins: he was in such a hurry to collect them. What a difference.
Great man
The Akron Beacon-Journal is a generally stupid democrat rag, so this story being published there is all the more remarkable.
If there are enough that feel that way the GW will lose but it will be a reflection on this country not on Bush.
Thanks for the ping to this great thread.
The contrast between Bush, a man of natural compassion and empathy, and Kerry, who always has one eye on the camera, cannot be starker. I am hopeful that the debates, when the public will see the two men side by side, will make this contrast visible.
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