danajohnhill.org | Hard Times Come Again No More

On Fresh Air today (Memorial Day), Terry Gross replayed a March 3 interview with Donovan Campbell, who served two tours of duty in Iraq and another in Afghanistan.  He has written a book describing his experiences there, and on the show he read a bit from the book, and talked at length about what it was like to lead men in the difficult street fights that have been the hallmark of the war in Iraq.

What was immediately clear in the interview is how extraordinary Lieutenant Campbell is.  Not many people would leave Princeton to join the Marines.  Modest and amazingly articulate, he recounted the challenges he and his men faced, and, through the interview, it became quite evident that intelligence, sound judgment and a strong moral compass abound in this man.  On top of that, of course, is tremendous courage.

Knowing that men like Donovan Campbell exist–and have positions of responsibility–is reassuring.

Filed under: Current Events, Literature and Books on May 25th, 2009