Hey guys, I don't know how up to date you are with our presidential candidates but I thought I'd pass along a blurb about Mark Robbins that I stumbled across (actually Laura Bringer heard this speech and told me about it). It comes from the last two paragraphs of his "Speech on Iraq". Crazy how small the world actually is.

"In closing, I'd like to bring to your attention the gallantry and patriotism of
one American who served with distinction in Iraq, a Navy SEAL, who refuses to
quit his mission and let the country he loves so well suffer the terrible harm
our defeat would entail. A few days ago, Petty Officer First Class Mark Robbins'
unit was ambushed outside Baghdad. During the ensuing firefight, he spotted an
insurgent with an RPG, and immediately stepped out from cover and exposed
himself to enemy fire to take out the terrorist before he could fire. He saved
the lives of his comrades, but was gravely wounded as he did so. He was shot in
the eye by another insurgent with an AK-47. The bullet exited the back of his
head about three inches behind his ear. He was initially knocked unconscious but
came to, continued to fight and then, despite the severity of his wound, walked
to the evacuation helicopter. He was eventually taken to Landstuhl military
hospital in Germany. As is the custom of Navy SEALs, he was accompanied by one
of his comrades, Petty Officer Second class McLean Swink.

"On our way home from Iraq, our delegation stopped in Germany for refueling and
crew rest, and I had the privilege of visiting some of our wounded at Landstuhl.
I briefly stopped in Mark Robbins' room, but he was sedated and unable then to
communicate. I spent a few moments there, and talked to his buddy, before I went
to visit other wounded soldiers. Not too long after I had left Mark's room,
Petty Officer Swink found me and told me Mark was awake and had asked to see me.
So I returned. When I entered his room and approached his bedside, he struggled
with great difficulty to sit up, stiffened his body as if he were trying to
stand at attention, grasped my hand tightly and wouldn't let go. And then he
whispered to me not to worry, 'We can win this fight. We can win this fight.'
Mark, as another person observed, looks like the 'toughest kid on the high
school football team.' He is tough, and brave, and very young. But more than
that, he's an inspiration to those who are only called upon to subordinate a
temporary political advantage to the security of our good and great nation.
Petty Officer Mark Robbins, an American hero, believes we can still win this
fight. I'll take his word for it, and accept my responsibility to help the cause
he sacrificed so much to defend. Thank you."